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Happy Halloween 132nd YEAR ISSUE 18

TUESDAY OCTOBER 31, 2017

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

Starkville apartment erupts in flames THE REFLECTOR STAFF

Late Thursday night, the Starkville Fire Department and the Starkville Police Department responded to a fire at Avalon Apartments located off of Highway 25. No casualties were reported.

First responders were met with flames erupting from Building O. Building O is located near the main entrance, which limited the collateral damage to the complex.

As of 11 a.m. on Friday, Starkville Fire Department Chief Charles Yarbrough said the SFD does not know the cause of the fire, but has eliminated some possibilities. He said there were three injuries: one person with minor burns, while two others incurred leg injuries after jumping from the second story of the building.

The first fire truck to arrive on the scene was from Fire Station Two, and arrived at 12:04 a.m. after being dispatched by 911 at 11:58 p.m. Yarbrough said around 18 to 20 people have been displaced by the fire, and 12 apartment

Briley Cobbs | Courtesy Photo

Apartment O within the Avalon Apartment complex burns as Starkville Fire Department attempts to tame the flames. There were no casualties from the fire and only minor injuries.

rooms were destroyed.

Yarbrough said the lack of a sprinkler system and the building’s

predominantly wooden construction caused the fire to quickly move through the building.

“It started up top, on the second or third floor, we are trying to figure that out,” Yarbrough said. “Once it

got started and the wind got blowing and it started burning, it did not take any time for it to spread. Really

quick moving fire.”

He said it took them about an hour to get the fire under control, and another three hours to have it “really knocked down.”

Yarbrough said the SPD, fellow residents and a volunteer firefighter played a big role ensuring people’s safety.

“They saved people’s lives by beating on their doors and getting them out,” Yarbrough said.

“Without the help of those people, I think we would have had a large loss of life.”

Hannah Childers, a Mississippi State University senior secondary education major from Hernando, expressed her disbelief about the fire.

“I know what it’s like to lose my home, but not what it’s like to lose everything,” Childers said.

Bridgitt Hutchison and Taylor Reeves, both MSU senior secondary education majors, lived in building O on the third floor.

The two MSU students were both in their beds, when Hutchison woke up at 11:58 p.m. and heard people yelling “get out, get out.”

MSU steps up to stop sexual assault Depth shines EMMA BRASWELL STAFF WRITER

Student groups on the Mississippi State University campus are raising awareness about sexual assault.

A study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2014 said 19 percent of female students had been sexually assaulted, but only 5 percent reported the incident to school officials or the police.

A case study provided by the U.S. Department of Justice found six percent of male college students are victim to sexual assault, but less than one percent report the assault to the proper authorities.

Raising awareness is the first step to combatting these issues.

The MSU Student Association is hosting their annual “It’s On Us Week,” an initiative to prevent sexual assault on college campuses.

One of the events planned is “Steps 2 Stop Sexual Assault,” directed by the SA Diversity and Outreach Committee.

Bria Henderson, a communication major and co-director of the committee, said the only way to stop this social pandemic is by banding both genders together.

“We just want to bring awareness to the issue of sexual assault and make sure people understand that it’s not just a female issue,” the senior from

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Madison said. “We want to create allies in women as well as men.”

To achieve this goal, all students who participate in “S2S” will walk a quarter mile around the junction wearing high heels and neckties, to symbolize inclusion across genders.

“We want to create allies in men and women for victims of sexual assault,” Henderson said. “So, we want men to wear heels and women to wear ties to show their advocacy and support.”

Henderson said she is expecting a big turnout for the event, which will include guest speakers from various backgrounds.

“We should have at least 50 people. We invited different student organizations, including all of Greek life.” Henderson said.

The walk will take place at 6 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Junction, but all participants should be in the Junction at 5:30 p.m.

Henderson said all students who would like to participate need to RSVP on MSU OrgSync to ensure the organization has enough shoes for all participants.

She also said those involved who are not walking can lend their support by holding signs.

The MSU SA is also taking proactive steps to ensure students have the correct resources to report any act of sexual assault or misconduct.

To achieve this goal, the SA proposed putting

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FIRE, 2

through in College Station TAYLOR RAYBURN SPORTS EDITOR

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

hotline numbers on all MSU IDs. The numbers the SA wants to provide are that of the campus police

department, the national suicide prevention hotline and the counseling center’s 24-hour number.

FORECAST: All treats and no tricks for Halloween, as we will be sunny and mild with a high of 66 degrees.

Clouds build overnight with light rain possible throughout a cloudy and cool Wednesday. With more sunshine, we warm into the mid-70s on a humid Thursday, scattered storms possible throughout the day.

-Alec Mau, Campus Connect Meteorologist

SEXUAL ASSAULT, 2

Coming into the season, coaches for Mississippi State University football (62, 3-2 SEC) said depth was something they wanted to develop.

Thanks to injuries, it has.

Over the course of the season, MSU has seen back up players step up to replace injured veterans.

Starting defensive tackle Cory Thomas was the first to go down and back up Braxton Hoyett stepped up to replace him since.

Hoyett welcomed the added responsibility and played well in Thomas’ absence.

However, on Saturday night, in MSU’s 35-14 win over Texas A&M University (5-3, 3-2 SEC), multiple backups joined Hoyett in filling empty shoes.

Going into the game, MSU was missing Malik Dear, who tore his ACL in the spring and has not played this season. Gabe Myles, who did not travel after hurting his foot, was also absent from the receiving core. Keith Mixon dressed out but was used only sparingly in emergency roles.

Then, Donald Gray went down against A&M, putting more pressure on MSU’s group of back-up receivers.

Two players stepped up to

fill the void: receiver Jesse Jackson and tight end Farrod Green.

Jackson, a junior who has seen little time on the field this year, stepped into his own and caught four passes for 39 yards. Green, a sophomore, caught three passes for 51 yards. The two helped stretch the field for MSU and took pressure off the running game.

“We are wellseasoned. I don’t think you can classify us as a young team anymore. I think everybody has gotten enough reps to know what they have to do.”

-Nick Fitzgerald, MSU quarterback After the game, quarterback Nick Fitzgerald said the team is benefitting from newfound experience.

“We are well-seasoned,” Fitzgerald said. “I don’t think you can classify us as a young team anymore. I think everybody has gotten enough reps to know what they have to do.”

FOOTBALL, 2

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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 31, 2017

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FIRE

BAD DAWGS Thursday, October 26 12:39 p.m. Student reported she was hit in the crosswalk while riding her bicycle on Magruder Street on Oct. 25.

3:39 p.m. Employee reported a missing radio during an audit at Thompson Hall.

4:36 p.m. Employee found a purse in a classroom in Allen Hall.

8:31 p.m. Student reported her cell phone and debit card missing.

Friday, October 27 12:15 a.m. Student was arrested on Barr Avenue for public intoxication.

Student referral issued.

10:49 a.m. Student reported her bicycle stolen from bicycle rack at Moseley Hall, bicycle was later found at Ruby Hall.

Saturday, October 28 8:25 p.m. Student reported money stolen from his wallet in Oak Hall.

Sunday, October 29 8:13 p.m. Student reported a handicap sign damaged in Garner Circle.

1:09 p.m. Students were issued referrals for being in the attic of Oak Hall.

SEXUAL ASSAULT Layton Little, SA vice president, said the SA wants to put the numbers on IDs to ensure that students have a practical and quick way to contact the correct helpline.

“We wanted to give students something tangible that they will

CONTINUED FROM 1

always carry around with them, and we thought that the student ID was the best way to do this,” Little said.

The SA’s goal is to have the numbers issued on MSU IDs by next fall, to ensure incoming freshmen have the numbers at their disposal.

CONTINUED FROM 1

“I smelt smoke coming through, and I was like ‘wait this isn’t right,’” Hutchison said.

Hutchison said she woke up Reeves, grabbed her keys, phone and wallet before running out of the building.

Within six minutes, she said there was a cloud of smoke and flames were shooting out of the building.

“It was 12:04...and our whole entire apartment was already engulfed in flames,” Hutchison said.

Hutchison and Reeves said they watched someone jump from the second floor balcony onto grass to escape the fire.

They said firefighters responded to the fire immediately, helping people escape the burning building.

“We’re alive,” Hutchison said. “Material things don’t last.”

The MSU Student Association was quick to respond to the incident.

Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 the MSU SA set up a program named the “MSU Student Relief Fund” designed to aid students affected by a crisis.

Tyler McMurray, SA president, expressed the importance of unity during a crisis for MSU students and faculty in her press release.

“At Mississippi State University, we pride ourselves on being family, and as a family it is time to come together and support the members of our student body and Starkville Community,” McMurray wrote. “In addition, the Student Association would like to thank the Oktibbeha County Fire Department and other responders for their help.”

FOOTBALL

CONTINUED FROM 1

Olivia Zeringue | The Reflector

Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald from Richmond Hill, Georgia, fakes a hand-off to running back Nick Gibson from Birmingham, Alabama.

Another injury hit MSU in their earlier game against Auburn University when left tackle Martinas Rankin went down with an ankle sprain, side-lining him since.

Rankin entered the season highly acclaimed, seen by many as a first round pick for next April.

He was expected to anchor the offensive line.

Freshman Greg Eiland, of Philadelphia, Mississippi, Rankin’s replacement, struggled early at left tackle. He was thrown into the fire against Auburn and made multiple mistakes, including a false start.

However, since then, he has picked things up and come into his own. A&M was his first road test since Auburn and he passed with flying colors, helping pave the way for a rushing attack which gashed A&M for 228 yards.

After the game, Eiland said he has to be more on top of things in practice and the experience will help him in the long run.

“It has been pretty good lately,” Eiland said.

“Getting experience as a

freshman in some SEC play on the road has been good for me.”

Overall, MSU moved the ball because they were able to spread the ball around between multiple receivers and running backs.

Among them was

good running backs. They can all score,” Fitzgerald said. “They can all run it.

They can all block.”

The win over A&M will send MSU to a bowl for the eighth straight year and allowed MSU to jump into both top 25 polls. They

“Six wins means to our guys that you are rewarded with one more game. Hopefully we’ll get some more but we at least got ourselves an opportunity for one more at the end of the season.”

-Dan Mullen, MSU football head coach sophomore running back Nick Gibson, who rushed the ball four times for 43 yards and scored one touchdown. He, along with Kylin Hill and Dontavian Lee, gave valuable rest to starting running back Aeris Williams, who rushed the ball 22 times.

Fitzgerald said the trio of back-up running backs, who are seeing increased time as the season goes on, have become interchangeable.

“All of them are very

come in the AP Poll at No. 21 and find themselves ranked No. 22 in the Coaches Poll.

Head coach Dan Mullen said he sees the bowl game as a reward but also a test waiting for his team at the end of the season.

“Six wins means to our guys that you are rewarded with one more game,” Mullen said. “Hopefully we’ll get some more but we at least got ourselves an opportunity for one more at the end of the season.”

3 LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017 @REFLECTORONLINE

COURTNEY O’BRIEN STAFF WRITER

It is finally Halloween, my favorite time of the entire year.

Unlike the majority of holidays, there are not any specific recipes that come to mind when talking about Halloween.

Giving your dishes a Halloween feel mostly comes down to plating.

In this edition of Chew on This, I’ll cover spooky appetizers that will wow everyone.

I have got stuffed peppers that look like jack-o’-lanterns, kielbasa in quilts to look like mummies, witch’s brew and Harry Potter inspired butterbeer cupcakes.

In preparation, you will need to buy a few bell peppers.

The green bell peppers are usually the cheapest, but since you want them to look like jack-o’-lanterns, orange peppers make more sense.

You can use a fiesta blend of cheeses instead of cheddar and Monterey Jack if you would prefer. The ingredients for this recipe are $8 or less and it feeds three people.

Next up is kielbasa in quilts, which is basically the Louisiana version of pigs in a blanket. They are always the first things eaten anywhere I bring them.

This recipe is my favorite out of pretty much everything else in my arsenal.

It is a pain in the butt to make

the first few of them, but, once you get the hang of it, it is really easy. Serve them with Polynesian sauce or sweet and sour sauce.

The witch’s brew is my go-to festive punch because it only requires three ingredients which can be found at the dollar store.

This recipe works really well for any social gathering from weddings and baby showers to summer swim parties.

If you want to change the flavors a bit, try getting a blue raspberry sherbet—it tastes great. If you want to give it even more of a Halloween feel, add gummy worms.

Last, but not least, hats off to Harry Potter. I could not bear to have a Halloween article without giving a nod to the greatest children’s book series in the world.

I am a huge fan of Harry Potter and am quite proud to say I am the owner of at least five Harry Potter cookbooks. Hit me up if you want the pumpkin pasties or butterbeer milkshake recipe.

This is going to be the most expensive recipe if you do not have the ingredients on hand and it is certainly the most time-consuming.

However, I have tried to trim the price down as much as possible.

I love all of these recipes and they are all easy to make in a pinch. Whether you are making these recipes or trick-or-treating, I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween.

Witch’s Brew

1 gallon of softened orange sherbet 1 quart of pineapple juice 1 liter of Sprite Combine the sherbet and pineapple juice.

Add Sprite.

Kielbasa in Quilts

Butterbeer Cupcake

Chew on This: Wicked Halloween Recipies

8 ounces of refrigerated crescent rolls sauce of your choice 1 pound of kielbasa sausage Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll the crescent roll into a flat sheet.

Brush the crescent roll with your sauce of choice.

Cut thin strips from it.

Cut sausage into chunks (about the size of your pinky) Wrap a thin strip of crescent dough around each hunk of sausage.

Throw the rolls onto an ungreased baking sheet for 15 minutes.

1 cup instant white rice 2 cups salsa, drained 11 ounces whole kernel corn with red and green bell peppers, drained 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 3 large bell peppers 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 1 cup shortening 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 3 tablespoons butterscotch sundae syrup 2 pounds powdered sugar 6 to 8 tablespoons milk Mix together butter, shortening and vanilla.

Add in the butterscotch syrup and blend well.

Add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time and mix well each time.

Add the milk, a few tablespoons at a time and mix well.

Spoon the prepared frosting into a ziplock bag and snip off one corner.

Squeeze onto each cupcake.

Take the butterscotch syrup and squirt it onto the cupcake in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Cook rice according to package directions.

In a small pot, combine salsa, rice, corn and cheddar cheese.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Fill bell pepper halves evenly with rice mixture.

Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.

Microwave for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Spoon additional salsa over each stuffed pepper.

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

COLLIN SMITH ONLINE EDITOR

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

dresses and gauges K’s reaction accordingly.

All the way through her story arc, I remember thinking the degrees of artificiality within her character were particularly interesting.

However, after getting home and thinking through the relationship more, I realized the relationship is really messed up. Essentially the slave, K, has a slave in Joi. There is one beautiful moment in their story, when K downloads Joi into an imitator and takes her outside for the first time. K walks out onto the roof while it is pouring raining and Joi follows suit.

As the rain falls through her holographic image, she pauses, and watches her hand and she adjusts to the rain, essentially mapping it to her skin. This moment is key, because Joi is essentially adjusting to her new reality.

Her identity has inherently changed and the movie takes time to show this.

Later, we get this key moment when Luv steps on the imitator and, essentially, kills Joi. The music swells and she says “I love y….” and dies.

I found peoples’ reactions to this fascinating. Most people I talked to did not feel much at all.

I only felt a twinge of sadness during this moment.

None of the audience seemed to view this relationship as based in real love. Even K, in the back of his mind, knows this, and, yet, he desperately wants it to be true.

K is trying to find out what it means to be human through Joi. Everything around him makes him aware he is not

1 can (12 ounces) cream soda Mix the cake and pudding mixes in a large bowl.

Add the can of cream soda and until smooth.

Scoop batter into cupcake tins.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool at least 4 hours.

Jack-o’-peppers

‘Blade Runner 2049’ shows viewers what it truely means to be human I have not stopped thinking about Blade Runner since I saw it the first time.

I want to see it three or maybe four more times before it leaves theaters. This kind of movie that left me considering all it had to say about the world does not come around very often.

While thinking about this film on one of my drives home from work, I think I realized there is something special buried in the hardouter shell of “Blade Runner 2049.”

Much like the original Blade Runner, this film deals with the question, “What does it mean to be human?” and there are a lot of different ways this movie attempts to answer it.

Maybe the film is trying say to be human is to procreate or have a soul.

However, while those may be this film’s answers to its own question, they do not satisfy my desire for a deeper answer to a question so profound.

Before I go on, I implore you to go watch this movie, then come back and read what I have to say. There are spoilers aplenty ahead.

Here it is, here is the answer I found “Blade Runner 2049” gives to its central, overbearing question: what does it mean to be human?

The ability to love.

That is right, and not just any love, sacrificial love.

Cheesy, yes, but do not stop reading just yet. Hear me out. There is a compelling case behind my theory.

The movie operates around three key relationships or lack thereof: K and Joi, K and Deckard, and Deckard and his daughter.

The aspect of this film I found most compelling was K and Joi’s relationship.

Joi is essentially a holographic girlfriend.

Much like K and the rest of the replicants, we aren’t necessarily sure how she works.

We know she is a projection, but there is some degree of facial expression mapping. She scrolls through

1 box yellow cake mix 1 box (3.4 ounces) of instant butterscotch-flavored pudding mix

human. Once he gets home, it is his opportunity to play house.

He comes home to a hologram woman he can control, which is what he feels is normal. That is essentially K and Joi’s relationship.

This brings us to the next key moment of the film, when K believes he is the child he has been looking for.

Think about how worldcrushing that revelation would be, to believe you were essentially a robot for your entire existence and then suddenly hear you were human?

Again, the movie pauses and gives us a moment to reflect on this concept.

K stands in the snow and watches the snowflakes land softly on his hand. It is a callback to Joi’s moment earlier in the film; K is adjusting to his new reality.

This reality, he believes, makes him human.

Then, there is K’s and Deckard’s relationship. Here, I think, is where K truly learns what it means to be human.

At this point, K still believes he is Deckard’s son and thus, confronts him about leaving. He is hostile about it, as anyone would be.

Deckard finally breaks and says to K, “sometimes to love someone, you have to be a stranger.”

Deckard had to give up his relationship with his child for the child to have a life. He could not speak to his child in order to protect her.

He could not watch her grow up. His child could never know his identity. He sacrificed whatever desire he had to be a father for the life of his child.

At the end of the film, K takes Deckard to see his daughter. They exit his vehicle and walk to the steps, covered in snow. Deckard asks if he is alright, K nods and Deckard leaves him to go inside.

Once again, the movie pauses. K sits on the steps and watches the snowflakes land on his hand.

Here, I think he realizes what true love really is. He sacrificed his life for Deckard and his daughter. All he wanted all along was to be loved.

Every billboard we see of Joi in the film tells us a person: “everything they want to see and hear.” Throughout the film, she tells K how happy she is with him and that she loves him. He longs for her love, even if he knows the relationship is not real.

K’s new reality forces him to acknowledge true love as sacrifice.

Finally, Deckard walks into the building, only to find his daughter holding out her hand in the middle of a snowstorm. The movie gives us a close shot of her hand before she turns to him and gives the last line of film.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 31, 2017 @REFLECTORONLINE

OPINION

America’s NAFTA negotiations are risky to citizens STEVEN WEIRICH

is a senior majoring in economics. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

The Trump Administration has made no secret that they are not satisfied with many of America’s trade deals.

While President Donald Trump has frequently used free trade deals as a talking point, several of his cabinet officials have embraced similar positions.

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer have jumped on Trump’s train of thought on the subject, which is significant for a couple of reasons.

First, they are the two men who wield the most power when it comes to forming U.S. trade policy and they will also be the chief negotiators at the new round of NAFTA talks.

According to a Politico article by Megan Cassella, these renegotiations began back in mid-August. So far, all sides are trying to take care of less controversial issues before moving on to

contentious topics.

Putting aside whether or not NAFTA should be renegotiated, there were several disturbing comments from Secretary Ross. Ross has made it clear he agrees with President Trump, saying there may be a need to leave NAFTA if negotiations do not go well.

“The president has made clear that if they don’t work, he’s going to pull out,” Ross said. “Really, that’s the right thing.”

I cannot say I agree with Trump and Ross on this matter. I do not think they have considered the implications of what a NAFTA withdrawal would do to the U.S. economy.

They seem to view a withdrawal as a simple negotiating tactic.

To put it mildly, NAFTA has been an integral part of the U.S. economy for over 20 years.

According to an editorial in the National Review, Mexico and Canada are respectively our thirdlargest and largest oil suppliers.

Ripping up a trade deal with those countries would drive gas prices much higher, which is just one of the adverse consequences we would face.

Doing away with trade barriers has been helpful in growing the services

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

sector of our economy, which now employs far more people than any other sector. We could also expect to see a reduction in growth for this sector if a NAFTA withdrawal were to occur.

A large percentage of our agricultural exports also go across our southern border to Mexico and this number has increased ever since NAFTA was put in place.

Celia Tortajada in

Marketwatch said Mexico imported 17.9 billion dollars in agricultural products from America in 2016.

Some of their most common imports from the U.S. include soybeans, pork, corn and dairy products.

Losing access to this market would be disastrous for U.S. farmers, likely causing serious job losses as well as reducing our economic growth.

Based on these examples,

it is easy to conclude it would be detrimental for the U.S. to abruptly withdraw from this agreement. The administration may think they are helping Americans by trying to make some changes to NAFTA, but even if those changes do not get enacted, they should not pull the U.S. out of this agreement.

We would have to face the repercussions of this decision for years to

come, so using withdrawal as a negotiation tactic is completely inappropriate.

Trump and his subordinates came to power in some part because of how they touted themselves as master negotiators.

Unfortunately for them, NAFTA is not a contract for a new hotel or a casino, but rather a complex framework for facilitating free trade between three different economies.

America’s indecisiveness is hurting our foreign relations ZACHERY ABUNEMEH

is a sophomore majoring in political science. Contact him at opinion@ reflector.msstate.edu.

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has failed to keep most of his campaign promises: there is no border wall, Obamacare is still law and Hillary Clinton has not been “locked up.”

This being said, Trump has kept his most popular and controversial campaign promise. From day one, Trump has slowly overturned every major policy President Barack Obama made during his terms.

In only 10 months, Trump has signed 49 executive orders, which is more than any president since Lyndon B. Johnson,

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

according to CNN. Trump has successfully steered America off of Obama’s intended path.

Trump’s obsession with overturning Obama’s work is clear. However, he is not the first president elected

solely out of hate for his predecessor.

In many respects, Obama was elected as a

reaction to the Bush era.

George Bush was elected due to the distrust of Bill Clinton and Clinton was elected out of anger toward Bush Sr. America has not had a political party win consecutive elections with different nominees in almost 20 years.

For decades, Americans have flip-flopped between the two parties, causing severe political instability.

Neither party has had time to truly change the system.

Political uncertainty is beginning to harm America’s international standing. Trump has broken precedent so many times the international community can no longer trust America to keep its promises.

While Trump’s supporters may be in favor of leaving the Paris Climate Accord or ending the Iran Nuclear Deal, these treaties were formed through years of careful political discussion.

America’s ability to end

years of hard work in only 10 months has angered many internationally. It is no surprise some diplomats have begun searching elsewhere for leadership.

While Trump may be the poster boy for everything wrong with American politics, he is ultimately only keeping his promises.

He made it extremely clear during his campaign he wanted to “make America great again” by destroying Obama’s legacy.

It is the voters who shoulder the blame. Voter indecisiveness has led to never-ending political instability.

Due to continuous changes in policy and opinion, America’s leadership has become almost schizophrenic in nature. Every four to eight years, a new president is elected and seems to completely overhaul America.

If America is truly going to improve, voters need to stop flip-flopping.

Gun control alone will not stop mass shootings DYLAN BUFKIN

is a freshman majoring in English. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

I own several guns and have shot many more. I understand the infatuation.

Ever since I was a kid, I have been in love with revolvers. I loved the idea of a gunslinger, against the world, with nothing but his grit, spit and six shooter at his side.

My interest grew when my dad gave me his old rifle.

Later, when my dad bought me a shotgun, we would shoot skeet together with friends from our church. I cannot lie and say shooting is not fun because it is. I enjoy shooting guns, plain and simple.

However, I can see there is a problem. On Oct. 1, America witnessed the worst mass shooting in modern history.

Fifty-nine people died and over 500 were wounded.

Those staggering numbers were only made possible by the shooter’s massive and powerful arsenal. Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock

had a whopping 23 guns.

He purchased all of his guns legally, raising no red flags.

What can America do to prevent these mass shootings? After all, they keep happening.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 273 mass shootings from Jan. 1 to Oct. 4, 2017, which resulted in at least four deaths or injuries per shooting. There is an average of seven and a half mass shootings a week—a sobering statistic.

Gun control is not a new answer to the problem.

Every time a shooting receives national attention,

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found after the government implemented a buyback program for guns, death tolls dropped.

Buying back 3,500 guns per 100,000 people correlated with a 50 percent decrease in firearm homicide and a 74 percent drop in gun suicide.

Additionally, according to Epidemiological Review, “The simultaneous implementation of laws targeting multiple firearm restrictions is associated with reductions in firearm deaths.”

This is not to say gun control will solve all of the problems. People will still die from guns, no matter

the amount of background checks, licenses and renewals required to own one. However, zero gun control saves no one.

Do not misinterpret. I am not in support of the government taking away guns. I still think guns can and should be a part of American society, although it may just be my own history influencing my opinion.

Maybe I am still holding out hope that one day, I can still be a lone gunslinger, carving his path in the world. However, I am willing to deal with regulations if it means saving lives.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Life Editor/Will Wells

325-7905 editor@reflector.msstate.edu

News Editor/Josh Beck

a politician introduces a gun control bill, everyone talks about “thoughts and prayers” and the bill is crushed under the weight of National Rifle Association lobbyists.

However, gun control is our only option. Thoughts and prayers alone have proved ineffective, as the mass shootings are still happening.

The frequency of mass shootings has stayed the same since the 1980s, but the death tolls have risen dramatically.

The few studies conducted show gun control has promising results. An Australian study

Circulation/Erin Blake circulation@reflector.msstate.edu

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5

An In-Class Distraction

SUDOKU

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY... ...in 1926, Harry Houdini, the most celebrated magician and escape artist of the 20th century, died of peritonitis in a Detroit hospital.

Twelve days before, Houdini had been talking to a group of students after a lecture in Montreal when he commented on the strength of his stomach muscles and their ability to withstand hard blows.

The magician did not have time to prepare and the blows ruptured his appendix.

Doctors operated on him, but to no avail. The burst appendix poisoned his system and on Oct. 31 he died. history.com

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 31, 2017 @SPORTSREFLECTOR

SPORTS

Women’s basketball prepares for new season, increased expectations forrest Buck staff writer

Noah Siano | The Reflector

Victoria Vivians takes a shot over MSU defenders in the Maroon White scrimmage on Wednesday.

The Mississippi State women’s basketball program is officially on the national map and is on the verge of becoming a national powerhouse.

Last season the team achieved multiple feats, such as getting to the final four of the NCAA tournament, knocking off the Uconn Huskies and ending their 111-game winning streak, and finishing as the national runner up.

Entering the 2017-18 season, the MSU women’s basketball is ranked No.4 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll. The ranking comes after their historic finish of second in last year’s final poll, both of

which are school best. The expectations have never been higher for the women’s basketball program.

Head coach Vic Schaefer talked about those expectations and the state of the program during last week’s media day.

“I think our brand at Mississippi State has grown a lot just in the five years that I’ve been here. Mississippi State women’s basketball has been on the lips and tongues of people for three years now,” Schaefer said. “27, 28, and 34 wins in the last three seasons, that is a lot of winning. But I told y’all before: the only thing harder than building it, is keeping it there and that is the new challenge this program faces.”

Senior guards Victoria

Vivians and Morgan William were named to the preseason All-SEC team this year. Both players spoke about their expectations for the upcoming season during media day.

“Last year’s team was great, but we can’t be satisfied with that because we didn’t win anything,” Vivians said. “We came in second in everything we did so that gives us something to strive for and to work for this season.”

“Coach (Scaefer) has been preaching that this is a new year new team. The past is behind us and we’ve got a new identity,” William said.

“We will still be a defensive team but this year our identity will also be playing hard and running the floor.”

Teaira McCowan was

the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year last year and will get her opportunity to be a starter this season. Coach Schaefer said he expects her to be a go-to option on offense.

“I’m embracing my new role as a primary offensive option. It is a good thing knowing my teammates can come inside to me and I’ll deliver for them,” McCowan said. “I think teams will try to double team me more, but I know how to find the open person so if I’m finding my open teammates then they might not be able double me as often.”

MSU women’s basketball will play their first game on Friday in a preseason exhibition against the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith.

Soccer shows growth despite missing the SEC tournament Melissa weitzel staff writer

Mississippi State University (8-5-4, 2-53 SEC) lost 2-1 in their heartbreaking regular season finale Thursday night.

Even with a boisterous crowd, the Bulldogs could not secure the win, which was necessary to make the SEC tournament for the first time in 13 years.

In reality, they only needed to draw, but they were playing Texas A&M University (14-2-1, 9-1-0 SEC) who is second place in SEC standings.

It looked as if MSU could pull off an upset when junior defender Courtney Robicheaux, assisted by Mallory Eubanks, scored the first goal of the game in the first five minutes.

However, 15 minutes later, the Aggies made it even, and the Bulldogs never recovered the lead. A&M put

themselves in front in the 65th minute, after scoring on a penalty kick caused by a handball in the box.

“Offensively, we just left a little too much on the table,” head coach Tom Anagnost said.

Though the team and coaches were emotional after the game, they were proud of how they performed this season.

The eight-win finish marks the program’s first winning season since 2009 and the most victories by an MSU squad since 2012.

Draws made a difference this season, with the most ties since 2005.

Though MSU did not make the SEC tournament due to a tiebreaker, the NCAA tournament is comprised of 64 teams with the 31 conference champions qualifying automatically.

As of Monday night, MSU is currently ranked 42nd in the NCAA RPI

rankings and will find out if they made the tournament on Nov. 6. If they do, this will be the first time MSU has reached the NCAA tournament.

The team’s immediate growth from last year’s regular season, 6-12 overall, and 1-10 SEC record is impressive, especially with a first-year coach.

“From the time that we got here in the winter, the growth, progress and improvement is as dramatic as I’ve ever seen,” Anagnost said.

He said he attributes the growth of the team to the seniors.

“Our 10 seniors are the reason for the change,” Anagnost said.

“They created such an incredible environment and culture for our team and our program.

They are the reason for the turnaround.”

He said they have also shaped his experience as a

Erin Parker | The Reflector

MSU soccer lost their regular season finale to Texas A&M on Thursday night by a score of 2-1. They finished the regular season 8-5-4 on the season.

first-year coach.

“They’ve just made it so enjoyable,” Anagnost said.

“It has been an absolute privilege and honor to coach them every day.”

The seniors will be missed, but the future is in

good hands, with younger players showing immense potential this season.

Both leading scorers, Brooke McKee and MaKayla Waldner, are returning next year, and of the five players with the most points on the

team, only one is a senior.

Nevertheless, this 2017 Mississippi State Soccer team proved to be a special one. A team which set the tone early in the season with six straight wins and kept everyone on the edge of their seats.