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Love in the

Cookies and Condoms

Information Age

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Bulldogs

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TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019

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134th YEAR ISSUE 32

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

Starkville man charged with conspiracy to commit murder

Students create handmade Valentine’s Day cards in library

KATIE POE

NEWS EDITOR

Following an altercation at an apartment complex in Starkville on Friday, the Starkville Police Department has charged Henry Neal Jr. with conspiracy to commit murder.

Police charged 27-yearold Neal, of Starkville, following an incident that occurred on Friday, Feb. 8.

At 10 p.m., the SPD responded to a call about shots being fired at West Main Arms apartments, which is located at the intersection of West Main Street and South Long Street. When police arrived, they found 33-year-old Joseph Turnipseed, Jr. deceased in the driver’s seat of a vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound.

According to court

SAVANNAH MUNN

Students Bethany Deuel (above), Jill Jackson (right) and Bailey Warren (right) learn to use the libraryʼs “Cricut” machine in the Digital Media Center to make their own Valentines for family and friends.

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Starkville welcomes People’s Cup HANNAH BLANKENSHIP STAFF WRITER

W

COFFEE, 2

records, Neal is accused of offering to pay someone else $5,000 to assist in the murder.

The incident is under active investigation, according to SPD. SPD asks anyone with information regarding this incident contact them at 662-323-4131 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 1-800-530-7151.

Cobb Institute of Archaeology lands Jimmy Hardin as interim director

Brianna Laverty | The Reflector

hat college town could not use another coffee shop? The brandnew People’s Cup MicroRoastery in the Cotton District, however, is not just another coffee shop. Its outdoor location, distinct blends and pickup-window setup make it unique from other local coffee spots.

Although the People’s Cup officially opened its windows just a couple weeks ago, the owner, Blair Edwards, has roasted and sold his own coffee for a while.

Edwards said the idea for the People’s Cup was born out of his longstanding love for coffee.

Starting at age seven, Edwards would have coffee every morning.

Henry Neal Jr.

Mississippi State University alum, archeologist and associate professor Jimmy Hardin was announced as the interim director of the Cobb Institute of Archaeology.

Hardin is replacing Evan Peacock, a colleague and former classmate of Hardin’s, following his retirement. Hardin was third in line of a succession of interim directors, causing him to jokingly refer to himself as “the third string.”

However, depending on his performance, Hardin said he is hoping to turn

Jimmy Hardin

this new position into a permanent one after a year, having been told by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to prepare for the future and “put plans in place for a long-term strategy.”

DIRECTOR, 2

Art and science intertwine at Science Night at the Museum KATIE POE AND NICOLE RIGSBY NEWS EDITOR

Gracie Byrne | The Reflector

The Peopleʼs Cup MircroRoastery, owned by Blair Edwards, is now open in the Cotton District at 12 1/2 B Lummus Drive.

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

HI: 61 LO: 59 SKY: Rain POP: 60

HI: 56 LO: 33 SKY: Sunny POP: 0

HI: 58 LO: 40 SKY: Rain POP: 30

FORECAST: There will be heavy rain early morning on Tuesday, and light to moderate rain continues throughout most of the day. The clouds push out of the area Wednesday morning, leaving temperatures close to freezing. Skies will be mostly sunny throughout the day for Wednesday. The clouds will not stay gone long, with clouds and more rain chances returning for Thursday.

Chelsea Brown, Campus Connect meteorologist

of the evening is free demonstrations, museum tours, activities and events for whoever wants to come,” Hoffman said.

The demonstrations will be in physics, astronomy, geology, paleontology, meteorology, archaeology and art, just to name a few.

There will also be special events throughout the night, Hoffman said. First, if weather permits, the international space station will fly over.

NIGHT, 2

STAFF WRITER

Mississippi State University will present its third Science Night at the Museum, featuring a mixture of art and science exhibits on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

Amy Moe Hoffman, event coordinator and geology instructor, said the event will include demonstrations.

“The main idea

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DIRECTOR

According to an MSU press release, Hardin received his PhD and master’s degree, both of which are in Near Eastern archaeology, from the University of Arizona after graduating from MSU with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology.

Hardin’s career took off in 1997 when he became a junior research associate for the Cobb Institute at MSU. He was promoted to assistant professor of religion in the Department of Philosophy and Religion in 2002. Later, in 2008, he joined the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures as an associate professor when it was newly founded.

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Rick Travis praised Hardin’s successes.

“Dr. Hardin is a leading expert in the archeological record that focuses on the early establishment of the states of Judah and Israel around 1,000 B.C. His research plays a key role in helping to understand the development of the early kingdom borders of these political entities,” Travis said in a press release.

Hardin said he had a profound interest in expanding and encouraging the department’s projects.

Hardin specializes in the Iron and Bronze Age cultures within the area of ancient Syria-Palestine, but is also regarded as an expert in analyzing ceramics.

Within the archaeological field, he has a wide array of interests. One such interest is using archaeology, anthropology, biblical texts and other historical

CONTINUED FROM 1

manuscripts to increase the understanding of ancient Near Eastern cultures and Old Testament history.

Travis also said Hardin

students–as well as others– in archaeological survey and field excavations in the Middle East is rather unique,” Hardin stated.

“He has such a large reputation that comes along with his name and the research that he’s done. On the flip side, he’s super approachable, he’s always willing to help, he’s so friendly.”

- Kara Larson, one of Hardin’s students was a “highly accomplished teacher,” who has taught hundreds of students in the field on archeological trips to Israel.

“That we can direct our own archaeological excavations and train MSU

One of these trips influenced a younger Hardin to pursue Middle Eastern archaeology, a passion he shares and nurtures in other young students.

Kara Larson, a student

of Hardin’s, said he is a great mentor.

“It’s been the most amazing experience, it’s almost hard to put it into words... He has such a large reputation that comes along with his name and the research that he’s done.

On the flip side, he’s super approachable, he’s always willing to help, he’s so friendly,” Larson said. “It’s completely comfortable and he’s an amazing mentor.”

His care for his students was prominent in the way he joked with Larson. He also briefly stalled an interview with The Reflector to make sure a student had tweezers to remove a splinter.

Hardin has a long history of archaeological fieldwork including sites in Jordan, Cyprus and Israel. He also co-directs excavations and surveys

at a small Iron Age site in southern Israel called Khirbet Summeily, located in the border region of ancient Judah and Philistia.

Hardin’s work in Israel will continue as he settles into the role of interim director, but he expressed excitement to discover opportunities both within and beyond the college. He is particularly excited for the Cobb Institute’s existing work in the Mediterranean Basin, southeastern U.S. and the Caribbean.

“I love that I get to do what I get to do, and the fact that I can do it here is pretty special,” Hardin said.

Coming from five generations of MSU alumni, Hardin said he feels the opportunity to be a faculty member is an honor and he is continuing a family legacy that “bleeds maroon.”

COFFEE

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Later, he started working at Starbucks, where he became more familiar with the details of roasting coffee. After he left Starbucks, he felt free to explore his own roasting methods with the coffee experience and expertise he had gained. “(Working at Starbucks) got me a little bit more into it, and I guess when I left there, I felt a little bit more freedom to explore it and I just thought of roasting it,” Edwards said. “I felt like I knew what I was trying to taste for and smell for doing it. It’s just experimentation.”

Edwards stays true to his mission statement of “improving the lives of farmers while improving your coffee experience” by trying to source his beans from as close to the farm as possible, and working with small farmers rather than large importers.

“We try to pay an actual decent amount for

the bean,” Edwards said.

“You can’t always get a huge quantity with that, but you can always get better quality.”

The People’s Cup distinguishes itself from other Starkville coffee shops, not just by its outdoor location, but also by its unique and handmade coffee blends.

Other local coffee shops in the area sell other company’s coffee, but the People’s Cup sells their own roasts and blends.

“It’s air roasted in small batches by me, and there’s no standard for each bean.

I don’t go by ‘the roasting curve,’ as some people call it–each bean has a different one. If you don’t have someone sitting there smelling it the entire time, you don’t know when to stop it,” Edwards said. “(It’s) all manual. Anyway that I make it in there, you’d be able to make it at home.”

Sara Beth Pritchard,

a junior communication major, said she was already familiar with the People’s Cup coffee because the store where she work, sells their blends.

“I’d seen it on Instagram

Holtsinger Avenue in Starkville’s Cotton District, the little shop can be somewhat difficult to find.

However, Pritchard pointed out this increases the shop’s hipster vibe.

“I just thought it was really cute and in a convenient spot for the students who live off campus in the Cotton District to grab coffee on their way to class.”

- Sarah MacKenzie, freshman communication major and we also sell it in the store that I work at, GeorgeMary’s,” Pritchard said. “So I’d heard about it for a long time and was waiting for it to open, and wanted to try it.”

Located on the corner of Lummus Drive and

The ordering process resembles that of a food truck, but with a little courtyard customers can stand around and socialize in.

“You order at the window and you pick it up at the next window,” Pritchard

said. “It’s almost the feel of a coffee truck, but it’s in a building.”

Sarah MacKenzie, a freshman communication major, said the location is perfect for students who live off campus to get their caffeine fix on their way to class.

“I just thought it was really cute and in a convenient spot for the students who live off campus in the Cotton District to grab coffee on their way to class,” MacKenzie said.

Edwards’ favorite menu item is the shaken aero press, which he said, when shaken, produces a foam at the top which tastes like blueberry ice cream.

Pritchard also spoke of a faint fruity flare in the coffee she ordered, a darker press drip coffee.

Edwards’ vision for the future of the People’s Cup includes roasting on a larger scale for grocery stores,

a food truck and patio seating and string lights so customers can come hang out at all times of day, even when the shop is not open.

Edwards said there will be an official grand opening later in the year when the weather is warmer.

In addition to coffee and a location, the People’s Cup, as its name denotes, has great people and community.

“I really liked it. The people there were really nice,” Pritchard said. “It was more of a chill, laid back vibe. I would definitely go back.”

Edwards is committed to fostering community through coffee, and hopes MSU students and Starkville residents will give the People’s Cup a try.

“I just want to improve the coffee shop experience,” Edwards said.

“It doesn’t have to be in a building, it’s more about who’s around you.”

NIGHT

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The second is an unveiling of a new art mural created by senior art majors Moesha S. Wright and Todd M. Rowan directed by MSU Professor Emeritus of Art Brent Funderburk.

Located in the Dunn-Seiler Museum, the 50-foot mural illustrates the geological history of this area as it was 65 million years ago.

Funderburk said in a press release the Starkville area has K-Pg Boundary where you can see the

border between the Age of Dinosaurs, which is the Mesozoic Era, and the Age of Mammals, which is the Cenozoic Era. Funderburk said there are fossils from both worlds in this area.

“It’s kind of a narrative of the geologic history of Mississippi through some of our more impactful animals that we can find in fossil remains around here,” Hoffman said. “It tells a story and it’s really cool. It’s exciting to make

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY We will have plenty of Valentines Day items for your sweetheart.

We deliver for a cost of $5.00 Come try our breakfast and blueplate lunch specials $1.00 discount to all Students

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that connection between science and art, so people start to see there connected in a lot of ways.”

At the event, there will be a green screen where people can learn how to be broadcasters or just play in front of the screen.

“A lot of the things will be interactive,” Hoffman said. “I think the chemistry experiments, this is the first time we have been able to include them on this, those will be more observatory and it will be chemical reactions. I know in the physics demonstrations, they are actually hands-on demonstrations.”

Hoffman said in the

last two years of the event, there have been about 400600 visitors each time. “(It) is pretty impressive, I think, for a Wednesday night randomly in February,” Hoffman said. “I hope to get that many this year.”

Science Night at the Museum is a culmination of hard work, Hoffman said, and she is excited to see people enjoy it.

“I just can’t stop smiling about it because what I really love is when I put a ton of work into this and everybody else puts their work into their sections, and then the night comes, and you know there’s stress building up to it, but people are just loving it, they’re enjoying it,” Hoffman said.

The biggest complaint Hoffman has received is that there are too many things to do in just one night, which is one reason why the hours are extended this year. The event spans from 5:30 to 8 p.m., and takes place at different places like Hilbun Hall

and the Cobb Institute of Archaeology.

The event is unique because the aspects of art and science are intertwined.

Hoffman said there is a visual appeal to both.

“When you start looking, I guess I see beauty in a lot of things,” Hoffman said. “In a lot of sciences, there are a lot of aspects of it that are visually appealing, and you can see the same patterns over and over in nature.

So, an artist reflects that, whether they know it or not in their work... I wish for everybody that you could walk down the sidewalk and see beauty in a piece of

grass or in the clouds in the sky.”

Hoffman said while very distinct fields, art and science work together on research projects like 3-D printing and collaborating on grants.

The event Wednesday night is free to everyone, and all ages are welcome.

Parking maps and routes can be found on the MSU website.

“To see all ages of people smiling and enjoying themselves and engaging with science is really gratifying to me, to see that we can provide that to people,” Hoffman said.

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BULLETIN BOARD ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY...

BAD DAWGS Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 • N o n - r e s i d e n t / v i s i t o r • Student transported to OCH after consuming arrested on Poor House sleeping pills.

Road for speeding 45/25 with a suspended driver’s license.

Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019 • Non-resident/visitor was • N o n - r e s i d e n t / v i s i t o r fell in the parking transported to OCH from Robert’s Building for lot of the Humphrey medical assistance.

Coliseum. Subject refused transportation via ambulance.

Friday, Feb. 8, 2019 • Student arrested on • Student reported her Highway 12 for careless bicycle stolen from the driving and DUI. bike rack at Hand Lab. reported a • Student arrested in McKee • Student Hall for possession of fraternity tag stolen off marijuana and minor in his vehicle while parked in D3 parking lot. possession of alcohol.

Justice Court citations and • Student arrested on Blackjack Road for referral issued.

• Student transported speeding 46/30, to OCH for medical expired driver’s license, disorderly conduct and assistance. lack of insurance. Justice • Student issued a postCourt citation issued. arrest citation for possession of marijuana Visit online to read traffic in Critz Hall. citations!

SUDOKU

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... in 1999, former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial came to an end with the Senate voting to acquit him on both articles of impeachment, perjury and obstruction of justice.

In 1995, Clinton began an affair with a 21-year-old unpaid female intern, Monica Lewinsky. Over the next year and a half, the two had nearly a dozen sexual encounters in the White House. In 1996, she transferred to the Pentagon, and that summer she would tell a Pentagon colleague, Linda Tripp, about her relationship with Clinton. The relationship ended in 1997, but Tripp began secretly recording conversations with Lewinsky in which the affair was detailed.

Paula Jones was suing Clinton on sexual harassment charges, and her lawyers subpoenaed Lewinsky. She filed an affidavit denying the sexual relationship with Clinton. Five days later, Tripp contacted Kenneth Starr, an independent counsel on the case, regarding the recordings with Lewinsky.

On Jan. 16, Lewinsky was taken by FBI agents and U.S. attorneys into a hotel room to be questioned, and was offered immunity if she cooperated with the prosecution.

A few days later when the story leaked, Clinton would proclaim his most well-known quote, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.”

Clinton testified he had not had an affair with Lewinsky in the Jones sexual-harassment case, yet testified the opposite before the grand jury. That evening, Clinton gave a fourminute address to the nation, stating he had in fact had an inappropriate relationship with Lewinsky.

On Sept. 9, Starr submitted his report with 18 boxes of supporting documents to the House of Representatives, outlining the case for impeaching Clinton on 11 grounds. The House approved three of the articles, and on Dec. 19, approved two articles of impeachment.

On Feb. 12, the Senate did not reach the two-thirds majority needed to convict Clinton on either article, and Clinton was acquitted. He is one of two presidents to be impeached, the other being former President Andrew Jackson. history.com

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Bargains on furniture, appliances, building materials and more.

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OPINION

The Information Age has altered not only our behavior, but our relationships as well

BRANDON GRISHAM

is a sophomore majoring in business information systems. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

Love is in the air as we exit this winter and surge into spring.

Every year, most find themselves reluctantly dealing with the major romantic holiday, Valentine’s Day. Single people either ignore it completely or go on an ice-cream binge, crying while viewing romantic comedies. Those who have significant others are stuck in a competitive showcase of affection, one-upping their devotion with grand displays of romanticism.

Regardless of how you feel toward the holiday, I am sure you have noticed we do not approach relationships like previous generations.

Sure, we still exchange flowers, candy and other

abrasive gifts that are slightly nauseating to our friends, but the concept of romance and social interaction has altered completely.

Gone are the archaic days of drawn out letter correspondence, challenging men with the potential chance to view exposed ankles. The edgy and slightly “extreme” 90’s no longer offer physical photos or mix-tapes.

Imagination and self-restraint have quickly evaporated into the always connected culture of this era.

Online dating, social media, texts, video chats and various other forms of information have warped our social skills and our overall sex drive. While slightly exaggerated, I guarantee your approach to social interaction has been altered by the Information Age. As we have aged in this digital era, the additional information and stress is far more than previous generations.

Comedian Aziz Ansari and New York University sociology professor Eric Klinenberg, wrote a comedic research

Hello. Girl. You and I connect like good wifi.

...calculating.

Rosalind Hutton

book in 2015 titled “Modern Romance.” Their goal was to investigate the nuances of this era’s digital romance, leading to extraordinary results. One fascinating tidbit according to their study is one third of couples who married between 2005 and 2012, met through online dating.

Additionally, Lisa Damour of The New York Times met several conclusions with her own research. She believes in several positive technological benefits, including how rates of teenage births and sexually

transmitted infections have dropped in communities with improving high-speed internet access.

Instantaneous communication, shared social databases and stored backlogs of user posts allow for couples and friends to learn about each other far faster than before. Even with many irritations, technology has only improved our romantic and social lives.

Studies have tested the human impact of technology for decades, including a major 2007 study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism by Thomas G. Travison of New England Research Institutes. The study found a decline in testosterone levels in American men. Revealing radical results, the average testosterone level of both teenagers and grown men has decreased by about 1 percent per year since the 1980s.

Lower testosterone causes loss of sex drive, loss of muscle mass, low motivation or other various symptoms. The ease of access to online pornography,

rampant diagnosis of PIED and a significant increase in masturbation rates do not help this data either. The hard data shows our dopamine dependence is seriously impacting our way of life, doing harm in unintended ways.

Marine Rolland and Joëlle le Moal performed research with over 25,000 European partners regarding lower sperm count to publish for their journal, “Human Reproduction.” Researching the whole of France in a 17-year period, there was a continuous decrease in semen concentration of about 1.9 percent per year.

This constitutes a serious public health warning, as the link to these results is yet to be determined. Many factors could have triggered these results, but the sample rates were taken from 1989 to 2005. A simple stretch of the imagination easily ties the rise of computing and less physical activity to reach those results.

Increased mental stimulation over time, overall screen time with UV light

and dopamine spikes have disrupted natural sleep patterns and other factors of our mammalian biology.

While not concrete, the data is only reporting these results following the massive shift in our society from physical labor to a technological approach.

Please note I am no expert when it comes to love or standard social skills.

Growing up with a preference toward technology has detached me from others, so this is primarily just research.

If you are single, I guarantee you will eventually find someone who matches your mental state. For couples, perhaps dialing back the obsessive technology stance would give your relationship a much-needed check-up.

Humans are social animals, so working on interactive skills can help you find friends and loved ones.

Regardless of your relationship status or how you factor technology into your daily interaction, I do hope you have a fantastic Valentine’s Day.

A response to ‘The silent war on the diversity of thought’

DAVID SIDES

is a senior majoring in finance and German. Contact him at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu.

I would like to offer a response to an article published Feb. 6, 2019 entitled “The silent war on the diversity of thought,” written by my colleague Michael Bourgeois.

First off, I want to thank him for writing the article and commend him on freely and unashamedly expressing his opinion. Shortly after being hired as an opinion writer myself, I reached out to conservative groups on campus in order to encourage a diversity of opinions, believing right-wing views were underrepresented in the paper at the time.

Needless to say, I welcome the difference in opinion because I believe it leads to productive and thoughtful discussions. Although I may disagree with Bourgeois in many fundamental areas of our respective personal philosophies, I do agree with him on two very important points: 1. constructive argumentation stimulates learning and critical thinking, and 2. protecting and valuing free speech is what makes us uniquely American. In the same way he has the freedom to voice his views in the public sphere, I have the freedom to refute them.

To start, I want to point out what I believe to be potentially problematic logic contained within the aforementioned article. The first issue is the inconsistent subjective assessment of the general college environment.

The author begins the article stating, “college campuses are the most accepting places on the planet for personal expression.”

It is unclear whether this only refers to free expression of certain ideas, or perhaps more specifically certain viewpoints, because he

continues on writing and says, “Diversity of thought, the freedom to express dissenting viewpoints intelligently is under fire inside the modern college campus.”

This claim, wholly unsubstantiated by examples throughout his article, seems to be in contrast with the first statement he makes.

Furthermore, to back up the claim that conservative students are an oppressed minority on campus, he states, “It is no secret that the majority of college students believe in left-wing ideology,” but then proceeds to cite a study stating that only 35.5 percent of college students identify as liberal or leftleaning (with 42.3 percent identifying as moderate and 22.2 percent identifying as conservative.)

He reinforces this belief later in the article saying, “Students are lured into a logical trap, constructed by a liberal conformation bias and perpetuated by the fact that left-wing beliefs are the norm on college campuses.”

As we have just seen, the majority of students selfidentify as moderate, with presumably some aligning more with right-wing values and some aligning more with left-wing values.

These inconsistencies in the author’s perspective and the quantitative reality point to a certain amount of cognitive dissonance at work.

In contrast to the previous article, I would like to present my own narrative concerning the state of college campuses across the country. My viewpoint is more nuanced, understanding differences in factors such as urbanization, demography and socioeconomic status affect the political beliefs of the administration, faculty and students of every university. These views then create, by extension, the political culture of the university itself.

To exemplify this contrast, let us look at five different schools: Mississippi State University, Yale, Tuskegee University, the University of California at Berkeley and Liberty University. Two

of these schools are public institutions (MSU and UC Berkeley), and three are private (Yale, Tuskegee and Liberty). They are located all across the country, with two in rural areas (MSU, Tuskegee) and three in urban areas (Yale, UC Berkeley, Liberty University). In terms of selfreported ethnic demography, one of these schools is predominantly AfricanAmerican (Tuskegee),three predominantly white (MSU,Liberty, and Yale), and one predominantly Asian (UC Berkeley), as stated by College Factual.

We can make pretty solid predictions about a school’s political culture based on these factors alone. Generally speaking, more urban populations will lean left, while more rural populations will lean right. Primarily white populations will lean right, while non-white populations will lean left.

Public versus private institutions are a bit harder to quantify, but because private institutions are so much smaller, they tend to be either really conservative (Liberty) or really liberal (Mills College, for example).

Public universities, with their comparatively larger populations, tend to have a more representative diversity of opinions. The last qualitative factor to consider is geographic location, which has a high correlation with political identification (i.e. schools in California and the Northeast are generally more liberal, while schools in the South and Midwest are generally more conservative).

With these definitions in mind, we can consider our example schools.

MSU is a public university located in the rural South with a predominantly white population. This would lead us to assume the majority of the population will lean right.

UC Berkeley, in contrast, is a public university located in urban California with a predominantly Asian population, which would lead us to assume the majority of the population will lean left.

If we apply this litmus test to the other schools

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“The world is not

all black and white, and it surely is not a constant battle

between left and right.”

I want to address a couple of more issues I have with the article before I close.

The first are the (absolutely inane) quotes from former Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. In the previous article, Jindal said, “Many universities are moving away from a search for truth and towards promoting their vision of social justice.”

Not only is this quote both vague and functionally meaningless, but Jindal uses dichotomous thinking to contrast his idea of “truth” with what he calls “social justice.” Clearly, his perspective of “truth” does not contain any components of modern “social justice.”

We have no idea what he means by that, of course, because even he does not know what he means. Jindal does not explain how or why universities are “moving away from a search for truth,” or how it affects the students within that environment.

A second quote from Jindal is used later in the article, stating, “For today’s students, who come to campus already believing in inherent bias, systemic racism,

gender fluidity, and the need for drastic government action to mitigate global warming, I would argue they are better served by being forced to consider the world from the perspective of smart professors and students who disagree with them.” I am not entirely sure here, but it seems Jindal is implying systemic racism does not exist, or perhaps does not exist anymore. If this is indeed the implication he is making, Jindal is truly living in a bubble.

Jindal also attacks global warming, or at least “drastic government action” in response to it, by implying students should ignore the validity of overwhelming scientific evidence concerning the average increase of global temperatures and the disastrous outcome of not addressing the issue soon. However, according to Patrick Galey and Kerry Sheridan of Phys.org, the last four years have successively been the hottest on record, leading to an increase in the number of extreme weather events such as droughts, wildfires and hurricanes.

Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of our unlimited access to information is the creation of echo chambers.

Anyone who wants their beliefs validated can find a group of people online who think the same way they do.

This access to information can certainly lead to good things, such as increased political and social awareness and an overall highereducated population, but it can also have disastrous consequences, like the rise of the anti-vaccine movement.

Climate change denial has many of the same characteristics as the antivax movement, encouraging people to “think for themselves,” and to not trust “the experts/academia/ media.” By making climate change, for example, a primarily political issue instead of a scientific one, belief in the scientific community is constantly undermined, allowing progressively dumber and more dangerous ideas to take

root (re: anti-vax movement).

As a disclaimer, this is obviously not to say people should not think for themselves, but instead it is to say the theories posited by people who have spent their whole lives studying a specific topic or phenomenon and subjecting themselves to rigorous academic requirements are most likely correct, especially when a near consensus on a topic is reached, like with climate change.

To close my article, I would like to pose a few questions to proponents of the perspective embraced by the previous article.

First, what is your proposed solution for removing “irrelevant politics” from college so that “objectivity can be restored to higher education”? Surely you are not advocating for some sort of oversight committee to judge the validity or appropriateness of every comment a professor makes concerning politics, right?

Next, what is objectivity in higher education and who determines what that standard is? It is important to understand every area of science (especially the soft sciences), from economics to political science, are heavily dependent on nuanced models and near-constant argumentation within the field.

Finally, I would love to see any source claiming “academia believe conservative ideas are meritless,” as I think many of my more libertarian economics and finance professors would be more than happy to explain why the government should not be involved in the business sector.

The world is not all black and white, and it surely is not a constant battle between left and right. If we engage in meaningful conversations with one another, intently listening and trying to understand the alternate viewpoint, perhaps we will come to see things differently than before; and who knows, maybe one day we will even change our mind.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Life Editor/Emma Moffett

Managing Editor/Kristina Domitrovich News Editor/Katie Poe

above, we get a pretty good idea of what we can expect in terms of political affiliation within the student body population. This is, of course, not an exhaustive list of factors affecting the average political affiliation at a university, nor is this to say that all of these qualitative factors are weighted equally.

I present this argument as a contrast to the belief that all higher education centers are brainwashing factories where students are indoctrinated by the liberal faculty and administration.

Circulation/Sierra Pruitt circulation@reflector.msstate.edu

Letters to the editor should be sent to the Meyer Student Media Center or mailed to The Reflector, PO Box 5407, Mississippi State, MS. Letters may also be emailed to editor@reflector. msstate.edu.

Letters must include name and telephone number for verification purposes. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish a letter.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Reflector is the official student newspaper of Mississippi State University.

Content is determined solely by the student editorial staff. The contents of The Reflector have not been approved by Mississippi State University.

CORRECTIONS

The Reflector staff strives to maintain the integrity of this paper through accurate and honest reporting. If we publish an error we will correct it. To report an error, call 325-7905.

5LIFE -Life& ENTERTAINMENT 5 THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 @REFLECTORONLINE

Cookies and Condoms are here just in time for Valentine’s Day BRANDON GRISHAM STAFF WRITER

Mississippi State University’s Health Promotion and Wellness will host a sexual health program from 10 to 2 p.m. today and tomorrow in the Colvard Student Union Dawghouse.

Providing cookies and condoms, Health Promotion and Wellness representatives will offer essential resources for the Valentine’s Day holiday.

According to Mississippi’s intimacy statistics, condom use is not as wide-spread as it should be. Giving the campus instruction it sorely lacks, their aim is to bring the community up to necessary safety standards.

Free from the awkward taboo of discussing sex in public, these trained professionals are the best source for proper sexual health information. The Cookies and Condoms event will feature free cookies, condoms and a swath of incredible sexual health resources for MSU students.

Santee Ezell, health and

wellness educator at MSU, said the promotion of safe sex among students is a top priority for their department.

“We want students to be safe and responsible when it comes to sex,” Ezell said.

“There are plenty of resources for students, including individuals like JuLeigh Baker and our sexual health packets.”

Sexual health packets will be distributed, panels will cover relationships and sexual assault, and a novelty photo-booth will be available to get a fun holiday photo.

Attendees will have sex myths dispelled, fascinating statistics administered and leave with far more knowledge in a very short period of time. Those who stop by also get free food and condoms, so it is well worth a brief trip to the Union.

There is no need to worry about this event in terms of discretion. As a celebration of love, this event gives condoms and sexual education to all who enter. Whether you are single or in a committed relationship, all you have to do is stop by. No personal

information is recorded, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask the staff.

Helping to prevent unplanned pregnancy is not the only benefit condoms provide. The barrier between genitals offers protection from undesirable sexually transmitted infections, which Mississippi used to be better ranked in nationally. The state fell in health rankings, so now is the perfect time for action and re-education.

While most symptoms can be alleviated with antibiotics, some infections can be life threatening if left untreated.

To help curb Mississippi’s STI rates, the Health Center will also offer reduced-cost STI testing in early April of this semester.

Erinn Funches, a health promotion and wellness GA Suite intern, said these events are not only about safe sex, but promoting understanding of one’s own sexual health.

“We want to make sure that students are practicing safe sex and that they are aware of their sexual health status,” Funches said.

Rosalind Hutton

No appointment is needed, the test is confidentially filed and there are multiple payment options available. The cost is $22, and the Health Center can be contacted for any additional details.

Simply getting a check-up allows for less future stress, responsible sexual activity and a healthier population living

among campus and the state at large.

Ffion Price, a PhD kinesiology student at MSU, said they would love to see students caring about their health and how that can impact the health of potential sexual partners.

Health Promotion and Wellness helps tackle prevention, provides useful

programs and is a valuable resource to our community.

Their events are fully staffed to provide professional answers and support to all MSU students in need of health education.

They have many events planned out to cover a wide spectrum of health, including drugs, nutrition and self-identity.

They have an active social media presence, providing details for all upcoming events on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Regardless of your relationship status, this event is the perfect opportunity to fill in the gaps left behind by inadequate sexual education.

Most receive sex education around the age of puberty, so many have leftover unanswered questions from middle school.

The staff at the Cookies and Condoms event are happy to answer any questions that about sexual activity. Feel free to stop by this week and grab some free stuff. Participants will wind up leaving with far more than ever expected.

The Lotus Group brings body positivity to MSU EMMA KING

STAFF WRITER

The Lotus Group, a new discussion series affiliated with Mississippi State University’s Department of Health Promotion and Wellness and the Collegiate Recovery Community, is a group seminar designed to encourage self-acceptance across campus.

Meetings are on Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Collegiate Recover Community office, located at 140 Magruder Street. Anyone is welcome without any prior sign-up.

The Lotus Group’s main goal is to teach participants

to value their unique selves by using facilitated group discussion and activities.

These activities are meant to guide students to practice body positivity through selflove, self-care and positive body imaging.

Taylor VanDyk, a dietitian at MSU’s Department of Health Promotion and Wellness and the group’s facilitator, believes attending the discussions can offer long-lasting benefits.

“We hope by supporting students on their journey to self-acceptance that they will grow mentally, socially and intellectually,” VanDyk said.

“And in turn, will be able to make more positive changes

in their own lives.”

The Lotus Group will explore a different topic each week, but every discussion will revolve around the central ideas of self-love and body positivity.

Some of the planned topics include ways to challenge the typical beauty standards, learning new ways to practice self-love and practicing nutrition behaviors to nourish the body rather than harming it.

Maggie Allen, a graduate student of VanDyk’s, has played a large role in organizing the Lotus Group and said she found it to be a fun and fulfilling journey.

“Body positivity has

been something that I have been passionate about for years,” Allen said. “I think that self-acceptance is a great step toward personal growth. Many people look for happiness in others instead of trying to find it within themselves.”

The intended target population of the Lotus Group is collegiate women.

Although many demographics struggle to conform to appearance ideals, it is most prevalent among women.

VanDyk wants the Lotus Group to ensure a comfortable

environment for women to share their experiences with other women going through the same struggle. It is her hope the group will expand to other populations after its first year.

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66-Sports SPORTS

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 @SPORTSREFLECTOR

Basketball pour points on the Volunteers

MEGAN TERRY STAFF WRITER

Rosalind Hutton

Bulldogs remain positive as they serve victories on the tennis courts HANNAH BLANKENSHIP STAFF WRITER

The Mississippi State University Bulldogs put the Alabama State University Hornets and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers in their place in this weekend’s home matches for women’s tennis.

Emma Antonaki, a freshman from Athens, Greece, said it was a bit slow to get started, but once the team got going, they had a great energy.

“In the beginning, it was a little bit tough, especially in the morning because it was really cold and it was not really a good day,” Antonaki said. “But we won the first match 7-0, so we had a good advantage. We played really good as a team, we had good energy, and I think the result was good.”

A slow start but excellent finish was true for teammate Magda Adaloglou, a sophomore from Veria, Greece, as she rallied from being down 9-5 to win the set in an exciting comeback.

“I was always believing I would win the match because I knew I could win,” Adaloglou said. “But at times when I was missing a lot and it was 9-5, then I said, ‘No, you’re going to make every single ball.’

And then I said to myself, ‘You always have the choice, either being negative or either being positive.’”

Head coach Daryl Greenan spoke highly of Adaloglou’s comeback and what it meant for the team.

“Saving four match points. That’s tough as nails… we had a real close doubles earlier and we

pulled it off, it shouldn’t have been that close but we pulled it off,” Greenan said. “When you win those close ones… it just gives you confidence that you can do it when you’re in that situation again and we’re going to be in that situation a lot in our league.”

Magda’s comeback helped the Bulldogs win 7-0 against Alabama State in Saturday’s first match.

In the day’s second match, MSU continued the sweep against Alabama State with a second shutout, clinching the match 4-0.

Adaloglou and Antonaki both said the team’s focus was on having good energy, supporting each other and being positive before playing UAB on Sunday.

“Don’t have bad thoughts, only good thoughts. Try to support everyone because someone else probably needs it more than you,” Antoaki said. “I think if we have the same atmosphere of today, we will have the same result tomorrow.”

Greenan said the team had a commitment to positive energy.

“We’re always looking for good energy, we’re looking for the girls to just trust themselves and play with authority,” Greenan said. “I think we’re getting a little bit better at those things.”

This positive mindset worked for the Bulldogs, and they pulled out a 6-1 win the next day against the UAB Blazers. However, it was not a walk in the park, while the Bulldogs won in doubles and the first two singles matches, the match could have gone either way

with momentum going back and forth on the remaining three singles courts.

It was the racket of Janina Braun, a senior from Berlin, that pulled out a win on her court and helped the Bulldogs get over the 3-0 hump, solidifying their win over UAB. “If she hadn’t figured out a way to get that second set, then we would’ve been possibly still out here fighting for our lives,” Greenan said.

Greenan said the match would help prepare them for future challenges in their schedule.

“That was a battle, and we’re going to be in a whole bunch of battles this year,” Greenan said. “That was a good one to win and prepare us for the future battles that we know we’re going to have.”

In addition to great individual talent, the Bulldogs have an excellent team camaraderie that shows in their positive attitudes and tenacious gameplay.

“We love it,” Adaloglou said. “I love this team.

Everyone loves each other so that’s really important.”

Greenan said the family atmosphere of the team gives him a positive outlook on the rest of the season.

“We have a great group of girls. They’re very committed and in it together, and I can’t ask for a whole lot more in that department,” Greenan said.

“We have a nice culture on our team and I think down the road, as long as we keep getting some wins and more confidence, then I think we can really maximize our talent.”

The University of Tennessee (15-7) hung tight with Mississippi State University (21-1) for most of Sunday afternoon’s women’s basketball matchup; but once the floodgates opened, the Bulldogs seemingly could not miss, culminating in a dominant 91-63 win over the Volunteers.

Post-game, head coach Vic Schaefer praised his team and the atmosphere of the arena.

“This is a complete team win,” Schaefer said.

“I am really appreciative of the crowd. It’s a great atmosphere, and these kids deserve it.”

The two SEC opponents traded baskets for the better part of the first quarter, with little defense and plenty of scoring. It took five minutes for MSU to gain the lead they would carry with them for the rest of the ballgame.

Still, things remained fairly close for the majority of the ballgame. A three point buzzer beater from the Volunteers brought them back within six points right before halftime, a defensive mistake Schaefer said was one of few his team made.

“We had three hiccups.

Three. And all three of them resulted in threepointers for the other team,” Schaefer said. “I just thought our team was really locked in and focused today.”

MSU got a steal off of the opening throw, and quickly turned it into a layup from Jordan Danberry, a senior from Conway, Arkansas, but Tennessee remained competitive.

“I just love her

Noah Siano| The Reflector

Jazmun Holmes smiles as the clock winds down as MSU beats the Tennessee Lady Vols 91-63.

(Danberry) attack mode right now, she was really locked in today,” Schaefer said.

Early in the second half, the Bulldogs struggled to match the physicality of their opponents, allowing Tennessee to go on a run and bring the score back within three points. Those struggles were quickly overcome, as Teaira McCowan, a senior forward from Brenham, Texas, picked up some big freethrow points, along with a couple of layups from Danberry. The team effort pushed MSU back into a commanding lead.

“We always pick up the slack for each other,” Danberry said.

Eventually, the Bulldogs would explode offensively toward the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. Danberry and Jazzmun Holmes were practically unstoppable, getting the rim over and over again.

The late game effort was a result of their game conditioning in practice,

THANKS

according to Schaefer.

“We’re in really good shape, we had great physical conditioning,” Schaefer said. “I don’t like to be outhustled, I don’t like to be out-toughed.”

McCowan was as dominant as ever for the Bulldogs, finishing the day with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Danberry was another major offensive factor for her team, with 20 points and 4 assists.

McCowan said rest was also an important factor late in the game, as the Bulldogs had the entire week off from games leading up to the matchup.

“It was good, getting us refreshed, and getting our legs back under us.

Rest is always important,” McCowan said.

The dominating win was not only a huge momentum booster, but the Bulldogs also handed a historic Tennessee program its largest SEC loss in its program history. MSU will be back in action against Missouri at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Hump.

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