10.19.22

Oktibbeha supervisors allocate ARPA funds to four projects

The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors voted to allocate its $9.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to four projects.

After thorough discussion and multiple meetings, the board gave $5 million to East Oktibbeha Wastewater District sewer infrastructure, $2.6 million for Oktibbeha County Lake Dam repairs, $1 million to pave 11 miles of Oktoc Road and $1 million to complete paving on Sturgis-Maben Road.

"At that particular moment, those were truly high-priority projects in Oktibbeha County, and we

just felt that those would be the projects that impact a large portion of citizens," Marvell Howard, District 3 supervisor, said in an interview with The Reflector.

Sewer infrastructure loses $1 million

During its Sept. 19 meeting, the board did not include Oktoc Road in its ARPA plans. The board designated $6 million for sewer infrastructure after wastewater manager Dwight Pristock approached the board with the $6 million commitment. Earlier, Pristock asked for $1.7 million. However, he later learned that a Natural Resources Conservation Service grant could give the county $13 million for the county lake dam repairs.

In an interview with The Reflector, Pristock said he asked for more money to help a larger number of people affected by the sewer infrastructure project.

Pristock submitted an

application to receive matching funds from the state's ARPA money, and he said he hoped to receive $10 million combined from the NRCS and ARPA grants.

According to Pristock, there is no sewer infrastructure system in

Oktibbeha County. He said the funds will go toward installing a new system.

Oktibbeha County citizens have to rely on septic tanks or private systems, and Pristock said most of the county’s septic tanks do not function efficiently.

"It’s an intergenerational change to provide public sewer for those people whose systems do not work and for those who do not have funds to install their own system, where the sewer’s running into the woods or the ditches," Pristock said about the sewer infrastructure project.

The wastewater district manager said he did not know how far the infrastructure project would stretch because the

district has not drawn plans yet. Depending on how much the installation will cost, Pristock said the infrastructure could impact Blackjack Road, Old Highway 25, Williams Road, Bethel Road and areas west of Starkville.

LGBTQ+ History Month celebrated by local community

Since 1994, October has been celebrated as LGBTQ+ History Month to honor members of the LGBTQ+ community from the past, present and future.

The Starkville commu nity and students at Mis sissippi State University have honored the month with LGBTQ+ centered events and training ses sions for allies.

Fostering LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Resources and Environments (F.L.A.R.E) is a MSU student organization that has helped support LGBTQ+ identifying students.

The organization has worked with the Safe Zone Advisory Board by hosting an ally training event on Nov. 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Cameron Renfrow, media coordinator for F.L.A.R.E, said partici pation in safe zone trainings will give a per spective that a Power Point could not give.

She said the safe zone board asked members of F.L.A.R.E to participate in a panel to talk about their experiences.

"Having an actual per son with experience, with these issues, helps a lot, so I think we are just kind of there for perspective and to be, like, 'This is a real issue that affects students,'" Renfrow said.

F.L.A.R.E is hosting an Express Yourself mixer Oct. 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Colvard Student Union.

Renfrow said anyone can go to F.L.A.R.E events, including LGBTQ+ students, allies or people wanting to learn about LGBTQ+ advocacy.

"I would say the big gest thing is showing up

to the events that we host and stuff just to show that we have com munity support behind us," Renfrow said.

Hayden Delacroy, a junior majoring in busi ness, has performed as a local drag queen by the stage name of Trinity Devine.

On Oct. 29, Trinity Devine is performing at a drag show at the Cot

ton District Arts Festi val from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Later that same night, she will perform in a Halloween-themed drag show at Rick's Café.

Delacroy said per forming in drag in Starkville has not been easy.

"We have the chal lenge of a college town, so it is harder to put on a show. I have talked to

several different venues, and they keep coming back and are like, 'Starkville is not the type of place for that'," Delacroy said. With the drag shows that have been hosted at Rick's Café and Dave's Dark Horse Tavern, De lacroy said they have proven the nay-sayers wrong; Starkville is a place for drag.

The community of Stark ville is fighting a food inse curity crisis.

A number of residents are relying heavily on out side resources to receive food for themselves and their families. These re sources include, but are not limited to: Starkville Strong, Casserole Kitchen and food pantries located across Starkville.

Brandi Herrington, the executive director of Stark ville Strong, established what groups of people are susceptible to becoming food insecure. She noted that those who are food in secure are not necessarily just those who experience poverty. Food insecurity can affect anyone, regard

less of employment or age.

"You expand those in need to be your servers, your police officers, your firefighters and your teachers," Herrington said.

Angella Baker, a volun

teer leader at Starkville’s Casserole Kitchen, also at tested to the diversity in those who experience food insecurity. She said Casse role Kitchen serves chil dren and adults alike.

The Mississippi State University Students for a Sustainable Campus organization has planned a climate march through Starkville Oct. 22 at 10 a.m.

The group plans to march from Lee Hall on campus to Unity Park next to City Hall. The march is open to the public to join, and the club welcomes all additional participants.

This is the fourth time the group has held their annual march, and SSC President Emma Van Epps expects a larger turnout than ever before.

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TANNER MARLAR MANAGING EDITOR

October has been celebrated as LGBTQ+ History Month since 1994. During the month, the MSU student organization, F.L.A.R.E, will be hosting themed events. Starkville Pride will be hosting Halloween themed drag events.

File Photo | The Reflector

HANNAH RAE KENNEDY STAFF WRITER

The MSU Students for a Sustainable Campus has organized a climate march for Oct. 22.

File Photo | The Reflector

Dining worker Julia Fulgham served students food at the dining hall, Marketplace at Perry.

Landon Scheel | The Reflector

MAKENNA BUSBY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Supervisor of District 3 Marvell Howard.

Courtesy Photo | Oktibbeha County

President of Supervisors Bricklee Miller.

Courtesy Photo | Oktibbeha County Supervisor of District 5 Joe Williams.

Courtesy Photo | Oktibbeha County

HEATHER HARRISON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

At the Oct. 3 meeting, a split vote of supervisors decided to take $1 million from sewer infrastructure to give to Oktoc Road’s paving. District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams initiated the conversation, as the road is part of his district.

"You all know that we need help with Oktoc Road," Williams said to the board. "I think everyone realized that Oktoc Road is one that’s shovel-ready. It’s ready to go … It’s ready to be paved now."

Williams asked the board to consider funding Oktoc Road, since the supervisors gave $1 million to Stugis-Maben Road.

Board vice president Orlando Trainer said the funds should be taken from sewer infrastructure and shifted to repaving Oktoc Road.

"Just cut the water, the wastewater deal — the $6 (million) — just take away from that," District 2 Supervisor Trainer said.

Howard motioned to approve shifting $1 million from sewer infrastructure to Oktoc Road, and District 3 Supervisor John Montgomery seconded.

FOOD

According to Herrington, the combination of increasing housing prices and static wages has resulted in a rise of the number of people in need of assistance for receiving food.

"Food is just the surface problem. Underneath, they are not able to make enough income to survive here. They are not able to find affordable housing that is habitable and available," Herrington said.

Elizabeth Williams, the program manager of Project P.E.A.C.E. at the Discovery Center,

LGBTQ

"You just have to know how to engage with the people. This is one thing that both me and Starkville Pride really try to do with our shows," Delacroy said.

Justin Tyler, a junior at the University of Mississippi, is a business owner who visits and performs drag in Starkville under the stage name Fendi Lafemme.

Fendi Lafemme is also performing at the Cotton District Arts festival. She will also host the Halloween-themed drag show at Rick's Café and perform at Dave's Drag Brunch: Halloween Edition.

Being a part of a small town LGBTQ+ community that is growing, Tyler said it has allowed him to see specific needs in his area.

"The community is

Howard said Oktoc Road did not have enough funding to complete the paving project, which had already received $1.8 million from the county and state. Therefore, the board decided to shift $1 million to pave 11 miles of the road.

Williams and board president Bricklee Miller voted against the shift.

"I motion we maintain the $6 million because we’re going to need it," Williams said. "… The contract and plans (for the sewer infrastructure) have already been submitted to the state."

He suggested taking $1 million from the county lake dam repairs to give to Oktoc Road.

"We should keep in mind that wastewater management is for the whole county," said Williams, whose district will receive sewer expansion.

"No, it’s not. No, it’s not," said Howard, whose district includes the county lake.

"The name says different," said Williams in reference to the East Oktibbeha Wastewater District.

Howard and Williams went back and forth, with

the other supervisors adding comments. County Administrator Delois Farmer interjected.

"There’s a board order for that $2.6 (million) to go to the county lake," Farmer said. "The only thing left is $7,000."

"That’s a previous board order," Williams replied.

"Unless you change it, that’s correct," Farmer said.

"We’re working on changes now anyway," Williams said.

County lake dam concerns

Miller and Williams voted against allocating ARPA funds toward the county lake dam at the Sept. 19 meeting.

During the Oct. 3 meeting, Miller said she was concerned about the second application the board submitted to the NRCS to qualify for grant money. Board vice president Trainer had signed the application in her absence. Miller said the application letter falsely claims a January 2020 rainstorm created all of the damage to the county lake dam.

Additionally, the letter said the state mandated Oktibbeha County to repair the dam, but Miller said the county is under a draft, not a mandate.

Miller said the entire board did not review the application and agree to its terms.

"That was submitted on behalf of the board, and we didn’t get a chance, I didn’t get a chance to sign it as board president," Miller said.

"You refused to sign it, remember?" Howard said to Miller. "Yeah, you refused to sign it, so Supervisor Trainer, being vice president, agreed to step up and sign it."

"May I finish, Supervisor Howard, please?" Miller asked Howard.

"You all be putting out these facts that’s not necessarily true," Howard said.

"No, it is. That is the truth," Miller replied. Miller said she refused to sign the application "because it was fraudulent."

In an interview with The Reflector on Oct. 12, Howard said the state mandated the county to fix the dam after the Mississippi Department

of Environmental Quality conducted a report.

"It’s something that the state mandated us to do. For safety reasons, the dam is classified as a highhazard dam," Howard said. "That means if something ever happens, the possibility of the loss of life would be great."

Additionally, Howard said the property value near the county lake could depreciate if the dam is not repaired. Howard suggested the county take over the lake and open it for Oktibbeha County citizens to use for leisure activities.

Sturgis-Maben Road repairs

The Sturgis-Maben Road paving project costs $2 million, but the board allocated it $1.3 million. Howard said the county and state will provide the rest of the funds.

"There are several different pots of money," Howard said. "The state has allocated $1 million toward Sturgis-Maben Road, along with some county funds, and along with the ARPA funding. I think they have enough now to complete that project."

emphasized the lack of nutritious food that food insecure residents receive.

"It’s not just about food but about food that is nutritionally sound for a family," Williams said.

Agreeing with Williams, Herrington said nutrition is a key factor at play. While the amount of food that families receive is lacking, the nutritious value of that food is suffering even more.

Both Williams and Herrington said the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) denies those

who are enrolled the opportunity to buy an adequate amount of food.

"When we have sat down and talked with some of our families that receive SNAP benefits, sometimes we are surprised by how little money that ends up being," Williams said.

Even further, older adults suffer especially from a lack of support from SNAP. Williams said that because of the lack of family that the elderly have, their SNAP benefits can get as low as $25 per month.

SNAP benefits not only provide individuals

with extremely limited means for receiving food but also restrict those enrolled to getting cold meals only.

While food insecurity can be attributed to lacking government programs and unlivable wages, food pantry volunteers can also attest to the increased need for food by underprivileged members of the community.

According to Herrington, Starkville Strong has created seven food pantries that are located across Starkville. Volunteers stock these pantries up

to three times a day, and the food is taken within minutes.

"We fill them up to three times a day, but it is not enough. We cannot keep up," Herrington said.

Williams said food pantries are a popular resource for food insecure residents to utilize, and she emphasized how quickly food comes and goes out of these pantries. Herrington said food pantries are an advantage because people can receive help without directly asking for it.

Baker pointed to the

increase in food insecurity in Starkville. This past Saturday, more than 75 people went to the Casserole Kitchen in search of a warm meal.

"We literally ran out the food that was there, and we depleted the refrigerator of anything that could be used," Baker said.

Starkville Strong has encountered a growing rate of people requiring assistance for receiving food. Herrington said there has been a noticeable increase for those asking solely for food, as opposed to help with rent or utility bills.

ever-growing, so we need more and more people to be allies and to stand up for what is right because there are things that happen on a day-to-day basis, such as people losing their life just for being gay," Tyler said.

Elijah Gilliland, a junior majoring in psychology, performs as a drag queen under the name of Kelly Klepto.

Gilliland, who uses she/they pronouns, said they describe themselves as an introvert. Gilliland said they found drag to be scary at first, but overtime, they realized drag allowed them to express themselves in a way they never could before.

Gilliland said they came to MSU expecting to have to hide but soon realized no one paid much attention.

"We’re hoping for a big turnout, and we’re anticipating a lot more people. That was the goal with moving it to a Saturday, so people with work conflicts could be there," said Van Epps, a junior MSU biomedical engineering major.

Not only has the climate march grown in popularity, but so has SSC as a whole. Recently, the studentled group merged with the Climate Reality Project, another student organization

focused on research and development into and about the ongoing climate crisis.

While the SSP has handled the interpersonal side of relations, the CRP has delved into the research aspect at MSU.

Along with the planned march, the SSC and its constituents have created a list of demands that they would like to see implemented not only on MSU’s campus but in the greater Starkville area as well.

"I have not really had problems expressing myself here, and I have not gotten like backlash or

anything for it. I have only gotten support," Gilliland said.

Gilliland said LGBTQ+ people carry themselves cautiously because people's non-verbal communication skills can speak louder than their words.

"I think a lot of people could do with a little bit of training in their nonverbal communication," Gilliland said.

Tyler said that Starkville has definitely progressed in acceptance, but Starkville and other communities still need to grow.

"We all have more acceptability we need to find in each other because, at the end of the day, we are all created equal no matter our race or gender or however we identify," Tyler said.

Chiefly among this list of demands is the rehabilitation and reforming of zoning and code enforcement in public housing areas, such as the Catherine Street Apartment complex that Heather Harrison for The Reflector reported on last year.

The organizations also hope to bring back curbside recycling, a service that the city of Starkville provided before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Grant Peterson is a

junior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major at MSU, and he serves as the SSC’s campaign coordinator. He gave details about the curbside recycling demand.

"During COVID, (the city of Starkville) got rid of our curbside recycling program, and while they did start back recycling last year, you have to take the recycling yourself to one specific place," Peterson said.

Peterson explained that the facility is only

open during many citizens' regular working hours, making it impossible for most people to bring their items to the facility.

As for initiatives that both the city and the university can partake in, the SSC lists a demand to expand the S.M.A.R.T. bus system’s reach and encourage residents of Starkville to use public transit instead of their personal vehicles.

The SSC maintains that their job is to work toward making MSU and

Starkville a more hospitable area not only for its current residents but for those residents' children as well.

“At the end of the day, we are all created equal no matter our race or gender or however we identify,”

Justin Tyler Drag Queen, Fendi Lafemme Student at University of Mississippi

Orlando Trainer, VP of Board of Supervisors.

Courtesy Photo | Oktibbeha County

John Montgomery, District 1 Supervisor.

Courtesy Photo | Oktbbeha County

Landon Scheel | The Reflector

MSU’s F.L.A.R.E is hosting a mixer on Oct. 19. Xen Gaerlan, a member of F.L.A.R.E, is pictured.

SSC posed for a picture at last year’s event. File Photo | The Reflector

An In-Class Distraction

Joke of the Day

Why was the baby strawberry crying?

His parents were in a jam.

Today’s Motivation

Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s al ready tomorrow in Australia.

Reflector History

1990 - A classified ad for rent ran ad vertising a 1 bed, 1 bath newly

Need a hand? Find last week’s answers down below

Weekly Horoscopes

Cancer - This should be obvious, but keep an eye out for large migrations of crabs, as they are your spiritual next of kin.

Pisces- Keep in mind that the Com munist Manifesto had some plot holes. You’re just going through your Marx ism phase.

Libra - You have two clear choices today. You can either accept your rela tionship with your father or sob in the basement of the Mitchell Memorial Li brary.

Taurus - This week, invest heavily both emotionally and financially in the an nual tomato harvest. The projected yields benefit not only you but your fruits.

Aries - I dated an Aries once. You’re not getting a horoscope. Give me back my sweatshirt, Allison.

Aquarius - The moon rises slowly above a hazy horizon. You’re basking in the ever fading penumbra of the au tumn sun. In the distance, a trumpe teer plays a melancholy song. An assignment is due at midnight.

Thursday, October 13, 2022

An employee reported a disturbance with her exboyfriend that happened off campus.

A backpack belonging to a student was found out side of the Chapel of Memories.

Saturday, October 15, 2022

A student was arrested on Barr Avenue for public drunkenness.

A resident of the city/county was stopped on Blackjack Road for ex pired tags. The subject had warrants with OCSO and was taken into cus tody.

Sunday, October 16, 2022

A student fell off his skate board at the intersection of George Perry Street and Bailey Howell Drive. The student was trans ported to OCH via ambu lance. You can’t be charged for shredding too hard.

Monday, October 17, 2022

A student reported his ve hicle was hit while parked behind Moseley Hall.

An employee reported his radio missing from the MSU police department.

ASP ARCS BEGS

PLEA LEAP ALONG OTIS ACROPHOBIA SENSE EATS PIPS

VENT EWE

CUR ADD DIVINE BODY TOR

GUIDO NOVA

DART

MSU fraternity formal fashion re-view: Stop dressing like your dad

pledges wow us? That they make themselves stars? I would crack under that pressure.

the newly-elected officers at the end of the night,” Nor man said.

I am not in a fraternity, and I should say that up front. I have a hard time tak ing instructions from peers, and from what I have heard from my research, you have to tolerate a lot of unqual ified individuals designating you menial tasks.

According to a Phi Kappa Tau member who preferred to remain anonymous, any assigned rush tasks are me nial by requirement. He claimed he had the power to get a dozen freshmen to ar range and perform a cover of any song I requested. I asked why not use that power to make something useful — a bench, or some thing similarly patriotic — and he said that counts as mandatory labor. Relieved as I was to hear about that hard line in the Mississippi sand, I wondered if man datory showmanship was better. Asking only that

As I understand it, part of these requirements also en tails wearing a suit and tie as a rushie. This includes for mals, semi-formals, formal chapter and any ceremonial meetings that do not involve a robe. (Fraternities and so rorities want to believe that their induction robes are se cret, but robes are every one’s first guess when they hear “private induction cer emony.”) One fraternity was even known for making ru shies wear a suit and tie to class once a week.

I am not here to mock your Old Row T-shirts or your short shorts. I am not here to talk about your boot cut jeans or dad hats. That is not my business.

I am here to talk suits. I am here to say that, given the amount of suits you are required to wear, it is a shame to waste the opportu nities on suits your dad owns.

Grant Norman, secretary of Lambda Chi Alpha, says members are only required to wear “suits, or, at least, a blazer” to what he dubbed “formal chapters.”

“This is mainly because we take a formal picture with

I am sure there is a desire to keep that tradition when looking at rows of black and white photos of men in iden tical suits and diagonallystriped ties. That is fair, per haps even noble. I would submit, though, a harsh truth: this is the hottest we are going to look, probably. From here, we just have to hope we age well. This is the photo that every generation of fraternity member after you looks at when they are also at their most attractive.

I am not asking you wear something stupid just to stand out. I am not suggest ing a bright plaid blazer. I am just pointing out that suits, as far as standard clothing goes, should make you feel powerful. They are robes of ceremony. You should feel taller.

Do you feel powerful wearing Tate Reeves Drip? How many people that you think are hot think Harry Styles is hot? Harry Styles does not dress like a spec tator at a rowing event.

You are already in Dil lards: try out the double breast, just for fun. Investi gate the flowing pant.

I am not in a fraternity, but I wore suits often during

the fall semester of my fresh man year. I was just going through a phase, but as I learned about ethnocen trism in my Intro to Anthro pology course, I realized I was one of five people in a blazer. The other four suits in that anthropology class were a part of Beta Upsilon Chi — or BYX, as they are known on the streets — and were required to wear suits every Monday.

The Interfraternity Council banned the practice this year for concerns of heat exposure. According to BYX president, Jake Pur key, “the purpose of formal dress (was) to teach our new members how to present themselves professionally, as well providing a unique way for them to identify with each other and our chapter by the way that they dress.”

I remember the feeling well. People asked me if I was rushing, and I told them, 'No, I was just trying to get attention, but I appre ciated being part of a theme.' There was some thing powerful about a see ing a professor walk into class in a V-neck and watch ing four 18-year-olds dressed like lawyers straighten their ties, unbut ton their jackets and sit down to work.

Let people enjoy “basic” things

There are two distinct groups: those who want to blend in and those who would prefer to stand out. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, you are in fluenced by ideas of popular culture. Of course, where there is popular culture, there will be an opposing force. That is fine. Without diversity in thinking, inno vation would never occur.

Over my lifetime, I have noticed a group of people whose common trait is an obsessive hate of anything mainstream. Chances are, you have seen them every where: those who refuse to take you seriously just be cause you follow trends. These people are, frankly, exhausting.

Popular culture is pop ular for a reason. Just be cause something is gen erally well liked does not mean it is bad. You do not have to always be at the cut ting edge of innovation.

Often, things commonly viewed as basic have stuck around for a reason: the pro duct is successful because it works.

Athleisure, athletic clothing that can be worn in-

and-outside of the gym, has seen an astronomical rise in popularity in the modern age. This could be because athleisure is comfortable and logical in many circum stances. In Mississippi, where temperatures are reg ularly in the 90s, it is not a huge leap to assume that athleisure is popular be cause of its functionality.

Fixtures of a society that are deemed “basic” are typi cally just popular elements of culture. And it does not end with clothes. Why do we feel the constant need to ex plain our attractions? Why can't we take pride in our interests?

There will always be a group of people that long to be “different” from the gen eral population. They seek out stances that make them look interesting and cool. Disliking everything the mainstream likes is not to be free of mainstream culture: it is to build a personality by omission, by what you do not like.

That sounds exhausting, but if that is what makes you happy, by all means con tinue. People should do what makes them happy, and that extends to letting people enjoy the top 40 hits, Lululemon and pumpkin spice lattes.

MSU soccer brings Magnolia Cup back to Starkville for third straight year

The Mississippi State University soccer team faced off against the University of Mississippi for the prestigious Magnolia Cup last Thursday.

Both the MSU Bulldogs and the Ole Miss Rebels have started off the 2022

season with huge wins against SEC opponents. Before the match between the two rivals, the Bulldogs trailed the Rebels in the national rankings. Ole Miss entered the match as the No. 24 ranked team, and MSU was ranked right behind the Rebels as the No. 25 team.

After starting the season hot, MSU soccer

has faced some trials during their SEC schedule — including the injury of junior goalkeeper Maddy Anderson. In the past week, the Bulldogs had dropped matches against the University of South Carolina and Auburn University. The schedule does not lighten up anytime soon, with upcoming games against

the University of Alabama, Vanderbilt University and the University of Georgia looming.

In Anderson's absence, sophomore Mac Titus has stepped up to try to fill the shoes of the talented goalkeeper. Titus made her first career start against the Auburn Tigers — holding the Tigers scoreless in the first half of

the game before eventually giving up a goal in the 79th minute. Titus served a shutout against the Ole Miss Rebels, which aided the Bulldogs in their 1-0 victory in Oxford.

Under head coach James Armstrong, the Bulldogs have 13 total shutouts and added to the tally after Thursday night's match in the battle for the Magnolia Cup. The match was silent until sophomore Haley McWhirter scored in the 74th minute. McWhirter scored the only goal Thursday night, but it was the goal the Bulldogs needed to bring home the Magnolia Cup for the third straight year.

After Thursday’s win in Oxford over the Rebels, coach Armstrong said he is proud of the team’s effort and the way the team has handled the adversity they have faced in recent weeks.

“The effort that the entire team put in tonight was absolutely incredible,” Armstrong said. “They faced adversity head on, and we couldn’t be more proud to bring the cup back to Starkville. Special thanks, as well, to the fans who made the

journey — they were behind us every step of the way.”

MSU soccer returns to Starkville with an important road victory over the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford. To make the win even sweeter, the Magnolia Cup will reside in Starkville for the third straight year. However, the road to success will not be easy, especially in the SEC.

Assistant coach for the Bulldogs Brian Dunleavy also took to Twitter to celebrate the win, stating what the win meant to the staff and the team.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our players and everyone within our program. This is a special win and a true indication of hard work paying off. Another shutout and a fantastic goal, what a great night to be a Bulldog,” Dunleavy tweeted.

With the win against Ole Miss, the Bulldogs improve to 10-2-3 on the season and all-important conference matchups are looming. MSU soccer faces off against the No. 1 University of Alabama Crimson Tide Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Starkville.

EDITORIAL POLICY CORRECTIONS

The

The

accurate and honest re porting. If we publish an error, we will correct it. To report an error, email editor@reflector.msstate.edu or call 325-7905.

her umenting home.

sippi Jackson, open featuring Schuyler Cyrus.

Luke Copley

lucy

The Mississippi State University women’s soccer squad has their toughest challenge yet ahead of them, as the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide visits Thursday.

Kathryn Beatty | The Reflector

Mychaela ReynaRd staff WRiteR

Student section dresses its way to enjoyment

Megan gordon contriButing Writer

In the north end of the Davis Wade Stadium dur ing a Saturday fall football game, students in boutique tops and Dak Prescott jer seys line the stands. Ho wever, a select few stray away from this commonal ity, turning away from their closets and picking up paint for game day at tire.

"Painting up" is a classic tradition carried by many sports fans where people paint letters on their bodies to spell out words or phrases for their favor ite teams. At Mississippi State University, the Hail State Paint-up Squad stands out with their witty spell-outs and funky hats.

The paint squad joined the student section during the 2014 football season.

The squad has attended most of the sporting events held, making appearances at volleyball, soccer and basketball games, aside from their usual appear ances in Davis Wade Sta dium.

Ethan Crow, a junior biomedical engineering major, joined the squad through his brother, Alex, and has become one of the regular paint-up members.

"We’re focused on bringing the atmosphere and a good game day envi ronment to the stadium it self and trying to just bring as much energy and hype as we can," Crow said.

Bentley Hillis, a senior aerospace engineering major, joined the squad through his roommate.

According to Hillis, any student who wants to paint up can join. He said a greater number of partici pants means greater spell outs.

The paint-up squad usually sits a few seats away from Carter Bentley, who dresses as Will Fer rell’s cowbell-playing character from the Satur day Night Live season 25 skit "More Cowbell."

Bentley, a senior profes sional meteorology major, loved the "More Cowbell" skit before he loved Missis sippi State. Once he be came a student, he said he thought dressing up would be a funny thing to do to pay tribute to the skit at games.

"I just think if I can make other people laugh and think about it the way that I did when I first start ed, then I’m happy with that," Bentley said.

Hillis expressed his joy about what Bentley brings

to the student section.

"The Will Ferrell guy is hilarious," Hillis said.

"Anyone that dresses up or does something funny in the student section, I think it’s great fun."

Along with the paint-up squad and the Will Ferrell impersonator, the student section’s character list added two individuals don ning Diet Dr Pepper boxes as armor for their game day attire.

Sophomore roommates Josh King and Josh Griffin decided to put their Diet Dr Pepper intake to use.

The pair wore their card

board attire to baseball games this past season, and they decided the Oct. 8 game against the Univer sity of Arkansas would be the perfect time to bring their suits to Davis Wade.

King, a data science major, said the announcers at one of baseball game he and Griffin attended last year called them the "Diet Dr Pepper Dudes" after the announcer saw the pair's costumes.

The idea to become the "Diet Dr Pepper Dudes" came from a TikTok trend, where Griffin and King saw people make armor out of

soda can boxes. With the amount of Diet Dr Pepper Griffin consumes, the pair knew they had enough ma terial to make their own.

Griffin, an aerospace engineering major, turned his love for Diet Dr Pepper into a Viking suit, and King opted for creating samurai suit.

King did not drink a sin gle can of soda for this project but still took the boxes to create his suit. He said as he started to wear the suit, he noticed just how pumped up the crowd can get.

"The suits don’t bring

the energy to the game. The fans and the others in the student section, they bring the energy to the game," King said.

King said the pair have not decided whether to join Bentley and the paintup squad for the remaining football games this season, but he said they hope to bring the suits out before one of the games to get the day started.

Together, Bentley, King, Giffin and the paintup squad help energize the crowd through their unique personalities and having fun.

New Mississippi Museum of Art exhibits display cultural life

Lucy HaLLMark contriButing Writer

This fall, the Missis sippi Museum of Art in Jackson, Mississippi, will open two new exhibits featuring artists Maude Schuyler Clay and Jamal Cyrus.

Maude Schuyler Clay, a Mississippi native, made her career through doc umenting her life at home. Her exhibit, "Maude Schuyler Clay: Portraits of a Place," in cludes photographic works by Clay dating back to the 1980s, including work up to present day. The works range from family portraits to Missis sippi Delta landscapes.

"The exhibition ex amines four realms of Maude’s work: the biog raphy of the artist as seen in 'Little Gems,' her inti mate portraits of her family and friends; chron icles of the social milieu of the Mississippi Delta told through a timeline of images of people who worked for Maude’s family over decades; 'Fruit Suite,' an on-

going series of still life images; and her allegori cal landscapes conveying a profound sense of place and time," wrote Phoenix Savage, a guest curator, in a press release for the exhibit.

Clay’s experience with life in the Delta has in fluenced her work im mensely. "Delta Land" is a collection of her works published in 1999 that documented the land scape of Mississippi, in

cluding "disappearing Indigenous structure," as stated by Clay.

Also included in the ex hibition is an installation entitled "Erasing Sally Mann." The installation showcases the relation ship between Clay and Mann, an American pho tographer who gave Clay a note on the back of a photograph. Clay hung the note on a clothesline for a year, later photo graphing the steady dete

rioration of the note to display in the exhibition.

"Jamal Cyrus: The End of My Beginning" is a col lection of works by Texas native Jamal Cyrus. Cyrus’ work examines moments in African American history, from the African diaspora to Black civil rights move ments, and uses a variety of materials to display these statements.

"Jamal Cyrus’s expan sive and multi-faceted

practice invites us to ex plore African American identity within the contexts of historical eras and events, Black politi cal movements, and the African diaspora," wrote Ryan N. Dennis, chief cu rator for the museum, in a press release.

This specific exhi bition of Cyrus’ has been on tour across the country, previously being displayed in the Institute of Contempo

rary Art in Los Angeles. Both exhibits will run from Oct. 29, 2022, to March 5, 2023. The Mis sissippi Museum of Art is open from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission to the mu seum is free to Missis sippi State University stu dents with a student ID due to the Collegiate Partnership Program in troduced in 2021.

Food Review: P.O.D. sushi is more plain than fulfilling

Makenna BusBy contriButing Writer

For sushi that has stirred a lot of chatter on campus, the sushi of fered at Provisions on Demand Markets on campus is acceptable at best.

Students go to the P.O.D. to buy snacks, drinks, to-go sand wiches and salads, but nothing has been more hyped up than the newlyincluded sushi.

Sushi options are not limited in Starkville.

Local restaurants, such as Asian Foods MarketRestaurant, Thai Siam and Umi Japanese Steak house and Sushi Bar, offer numerous sushi options at ranging price points.

For a student on the go, it may not be con venient to order sushi at an off-campus location.

For a student on a budg et, off-campus sushi op tions may be pricier. These two considera tions make P.O.D. sushi an acceptable alternative to off-campus sushi op tions.

All sushi from the P.O.D.s come in small containers with lids that pop off easily. This makes the food conven ient to carry to class, residence halls or study spots on campus.

The presentation and arrangement of the P.O.D. sushi are mini mal and underwhelming, compared to restaurant sushi, which is densely stuffed in the center and covered in various sauces, garnishes, spices and creams.

The P.O.D.'s sushi rolls come in various amounts: some con tainers have six rolls, while others have more

than 10 rolls. The sushi is inconsistent as a satis fying meal for many stu dents, since some people have to pair a bag of chips, fruit or candy with the six rolls to make a fulfilling meal.

Several different kinds of sushi rolls are of fered, but most are called the "Chef (Spe cial) Roll A," a generic name that encompasses several different rolls of fered.

Most of the sushi is packed with strong, sa vory flavors and spice. Luckily, students who do not tolerate spicy foods have other options available. Other rolls have mild flavors that still bring zest to the sushi.

Other options have plain flavors that are easy on the palate, have fresh cucumber slices in the center and feature

minimal sauce and gar nish.

Most sushis are as sorted with imitation crab, a few vegetables and a light sauce. The sushi is coated with a

soft rice outer layer and a crunchy inner layer, and it manages to stay together.

Despite often being very plain compared to other sushi options in

Starkville, P.O.D. sushi is acceptably good. What makes it shine, ho wever, is its convenience for students who only have time for a quick meal.

Landon Scheel | The Reflector

Brannan Tisdale, a junior geoscience major, eats sushi from the P.O.D. on the third floor of the Colvard Student Union.

Landon Scheel | The Reflector

The Hail State Paint-up Squad joined the student section during the 2014 football season. Since then, the squad has engaged bulldog fans in Davis Wade Stadium.

Courtesy Photo | Artists and Inman Gallery, Houston

Photographed above is “Untitled (Grand Verbalizer What Times Is It)” 2010 from the collection of Rick Whitney and Tina Perry-Whitney.

Courtesy Photo | Maude Schuyler Clay

Photographed are Memphis, Tennessee natives, Bill and Andra Eggleston, undated.