11.17.21

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021

137TH YEAR | ISSUE 10

Hillel, ISAB members speak out about the rise of antisemitic protest signs on MSU’s campus PAYTON BROWN STAFF WRITER

On Oct. 26, a handful of Mississippi State University's faculty and staff, as well as a few unaffiliated individuals, gathered together to protest against the vaccine mandate placed upon employees the day before.

Within this protest on the Drill Field, signs were included that associated MSU President Mark Keenum with Hitler and the Nazi agenda.

Other signage located in the Thad Cochran Research Park proclaimed, "Hail State" with a swastika replacing the "S." The presence of these specific signs around campus raised concern

Courtesy Photo | Tyler Daniel

Tyler Daniel, president of Hillel at MSU.

among MSU's population and caused the Jewish Student Association, Hillel, to voice their disapproval of such conduct.

Hillel at MSU is an organization dedicated to providing Jewish students with a place of commu-

nity and representation.

Tyler Daniel, Hillel president and a Ph.D. student studying political science, spoke of his own worries raised by the Nazi imagery and how using these symbols is antisemitic.

"When someone decides to use Nazi symbolism and messaging, they are opening themselves up to that confusion.

That confusion was the motivating factor behind our exploration into why the signs were posted in the first place," Daniel said.

After Hillel released a letter of condemnation against this behavior, Daniel explained that many protesters reached out to apologize.

"They apologized for the fear they thrust onto many of the Jewish students by including those symbols. They explained that they were not attempting to be antisemitic," Daniel said.

Daniel noted that many of the protesters he spoke to felt the vaccine mandate was akin to Nazism; however, he thoroughly explained to them that it was inappropriate to use such imagery in this context.

Daniel stated that the response of the collegiate community made him feel as though Hillel is very welcome on campus.

"We heard support and received messages from everyone. This includes President Mark Keenum,

Hannah Blankenship |The Reflector

Caleb Murphy, a protestor, holds up a sign depicting President Keenum as Hitler.

the vice president for diversity and inclusion, the director of the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, campus police and anyone who could lend their support. It

even extended beyond the administration as we received an outpouring of support from students and student organizations," Daniel said.

SIGNS, 2

Foreign trees become Southern staple MSU experts discuss myths around crape myrtles HEATHER HARRISON NEWS EDITOR

Courtesy Photo | BARS

BARS members Rebekah Malone, Zach Britt, Mia Robertson and Jia Webb are pictured tabling on the Drill Field.

New BARS club initiates conversation about prison reform JORDAN BROCK

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Beyond Arrests: Rethinking Systematic Oppression, or BARS, is a club new to campus this semester. The club is open to anyone interested in helping combat prison injustices and hoping to spark a conversation about prison reform.

Mia Robertson, a political science major, founded BARS at Missis-

sippi State University and is the acting president of the club. Robertson said BARS is all about taking action.

"We are committed to direct action and advocacy on behalf of those who are incarcerated and those who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system," Robertson said.

Robertson knows about the effects of the criminal justice system all too well. As her dad is

a felon, she sees the impact this system has on people and families firsthand.

Robertson said she felt this system was wrong and was doing more harm than good from a young age.

When she was younger, her feelings towards the system were more emotions-based, however as Robertson grew older, her advocacy became more refined and more educated.

BARS, 2

Crape myrtles are the Flower of the South for a reason: they are just as versatile as they are easy to care for. Coming in over 50 different species and an average height of anywhere from 16 inches to over 20 feet, the trees find their home along highways and city streets, on college campuses and in front yards.

"One reason the crape myrtle is popular and used so widely — it is very adaptable," said Jeff Wilson, a horticulture professor in the plant and soil sciences department at Mississippi State University and the state coordinator for the Master Gardener program.

Hailing from China, crape myrtles thrive in the South because of the similar growing conditions and the milder climate, said Gary Bachman, a MSU Extension research professor of horticulture.

Heather Harrison| The Reflector

There are over 50 varieties of crape myrtles, with the tallest growing up to 33 feet.

The Biloxi-based researcher is passionate about proper plant maintenance and pruning, especially since many people, like city landscapers, "crape murder" the beautiful plants by chopping off the top half of the tree. This practice does not kill the plant, but it does decrease the natural beauty of the crape myrtle until it blooms again.

"It's a weed," Bachman said. "You really have to abuse a crape

myrtle for it to not grow well."

One reason Bachman gives for the annual "crape murder" is that city landscapers do not have enough time to correctly prune each crape myrtle, so they choose to chop off half the tree instead. The research professor said some homeowners notice when the landscapers chop the trees and decide to chop their own crape myrtle, thinking that is the best method.

CRAPE MYRTLE, 2

How is COVID data collected? Mississippi health experts discuss how cases are reported in the state JOSHUA STEWART STAFF WRITER

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mississippi State Department of Health has collected data related to cases, deaths and vaccinations.

Amy Loggins, a quality care coordinator at OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville, is one of the individuals responsible for sending data to the MSDH. Loggins provided insight into how that data is collected.

"Since March of 2020, MSDH has sent us templates with data they want collected. So each day, based on our census, we

Courtesy Photo | OCH

Amy Loggins, quality care coordinator, OCH.

can go through each chart and be able to get statistics. It's mainly how many we had in the facility, in the ICU, how many are on a ventilator and how many deaths we may have had in the past 24 hours," Loggins said.

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

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HI: 77 LO: 54 SKY: Mostly sunny POP: 9

HI: 58 LO: 32 SKY: Rainy POP: 58

HI: 57 LO: 32 SKY: Sunny POP: 5

Additionally, Loggins said MSDH collects data for other federal organizations, such as Health and Human Services.

The quality care coordinator spoke about how hospitals and other medical facilities determine whether or not to attribute a death to COVID. "If they're still in the infectious window, we are able to do rapid testing if someone, say, comes into the ER with respiratory symptoms. You're going to see the classic shortness of breath, coughing, fevers, sometimes loss of taste or smell. In that time period, they continue doing COVID testing, and so we are aware if

Courtesy Photo | North MS Health Services

Chief Medical Officer Jeremy Blanchard, NMSHS.

they're positive when they die," Loggins said.

Loggins spoke about the rumors of inflated or increased numbers in the data sent to the MSDH. "I personally believe that my data is accurate," Loggins said. "There

FORECAST:After a warm and sunny Tuesday and Wednesday, temperatures will drop again in the latter half of the week. Get those rain boots out for Thursday and your sunglasses for the rest of the week. This weekend in Davis Wade Stadium is looking to be a beautiful and clear day, setting the Bulldogs up with perfect playing conditions for the Tennessee State game.

Courtesy of The Weather Channel

have been lots of rumors about a conspiracy to increase deaths. Our office in our hospital takes this very seriously, and we don't have so many that we don't know what happened with a patient's care. I stand behind all the statistics that we have sent to the state health department. We spend a lot of time on it."

Dr. Jeremy Blanchard, chief medical officer of North Mississippi Health Services, echoed Loggins' point about the accuracy of collected data.

"The information, such as how many patients are in your hospital that have been admitted to your cohort or COVID units, is

Courtesy Photo | MSDH

Dr. Paul Byers, state epidemologist, MSDH.

best entered from the actual facility the patient is in, and then it is reviewed at a central source for its accuracy and then submitted. So again, I feel very comfortable that that data is accurate," Blanchard said.

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THE REFLECTOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17

SIGNS Daniel discussed the idea of the university moving forward by identifying those involved and following through with informative workshops regarding ethnic sensitivity.

Andrew Elberson, president of the International Student Advisory Board, relayed his disappointment in the appearance of these references.

"When I saw the signs, I was honestly disappointed because I know that Mississippi State can do so much better," said Elberson, an international business major.

Elberson felt that the protest became trivial when Nazi symbolism became involved. However, he felt like the protestors resorted to the usage due to a lack of understanding.

"I think a lot of it has to do with education. It involves being educated in how

@REFLECTORONLINE

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Nazi Germany has used the symbol and how propaganda was used," Elberson said.

Elberson said his organization, ISAB, hosts an event called Coffee, Culture and Conversation every month to discuss current events and different opinions regarding the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community.

"This is a great way to get different perspectives on topics.

This is one of those topics that could be discussed. Just getting students together from different backgrounds and talking about the issues," Elberson said.

Morgan White, a member of Hillel and a senior majoring in biological sciences, said these actions were not permissible, but she never assumed antisemitic sentiment behind the signs.

"I didn't think it was scary because I knew they were not

doing it to be antisemitic. In 2021, you just wouldn't think that you'd walk to class and see Hitler associations and Nazi symbols.

It's just strange to know that people still think that it's okay to hold that up— no matter what they were trying to do with it," White said.

White felt as though the involvement of MSU faculty is what truly left her shocked.

"I was just upset to see that there were professors like standing with those people," White explained.

White finished by acknowledging that the individuals had the right to protest their own cause but should refrain from involving unrelated events of tragedy.

"Obviously, people have freedom of speech, but that gets cut off when it resembles hate speech," White said.

Friday, November 5, 2021 Non-resident issued arrest citations on Hail State Boulevard for speeding, possession of marijuana in a vehicle, minor in possession of alcohol, no insurance and failure to yield to emergency vehicle.

Sunday, November 7, 2021 Student arrested on Hail State Boulevard for careless driving and no insurance.

Visitor arrested on Hail State Boulevard for careless driving and no insurance.

Monday, November 8, 2021 Student reported being cyberstalked via Snapchat.

Thursday, November 11, 2021 Student reported his car was keyed while parked in the A12 parking lot.

Friday, November 12, 2021 Officer stopped a vehicle at Stone/Blackjack for wrong tag.

Subjects had a warrant with SPD.

CRAPE MYRTLE

Since over 50 types of crape myrtles are available to purchase, a plant owner may accidentally choose a larger variety of the tree and plant it too close to their home, causing the person to cut off half of the tree because it grew bigger than they anticipated.

"A lot of times, the crape myrtles get planted too close to the house and get too big," Bachman said. "Whereas, if you would've moved that tree out seven feet, sometimes that's all it takes, then let it develop, and there's no issue at all."

Instead of committing plant "murder," Bachman encourages crape myrtle owners to perform "crapemyrtilation" instead, which he says is the proper way to prune the plant.

"Ideally, really, you

only need to take off the previous year's growth," Bachman said. "You only need to take them back about 18 inches from branches."

Properly pruning crape myrtles allows the plant to bloom more each year, produce fewer rootsuckers and develop good structure, all leading to easier maintenance in the future. Pruning season is during late spring or just before the crape myrtle's first bud.

"If they choose the right type of crape myrtle for the location where they are wanting to plant it," horticulture professor Wilson said, "then the maintenance can be extremely low."

While crape myrtles attract few pests, two different parasites can cause major harm to the trees, according to Blake

CONTINUED FROM 1

Layton, an extension entomology specialist at MSU. One pest, called the crape myrtle aphid, is not as big of a threat since it has multiple treatment methods and only occurs on certain types of crape myrtles.

"A heavy infestation of crape myrtle aphid could cause crape myrtles to be black and ugly, but over time," Layton said, "those varieties, of course, fell out of favor.

You didn't have that occurring as much."

However, non-native crape myrtle bark scale can plague the trees if not properly treated, according to Layton.

Research professor Bachman was the first person to discover the bark scale in Mississippi back in 2015 on the coast.

Researchers found more of the non-native pest in

DeSoto County later that year. Currently, Layton said the bark scale has not been discovered in Oktibbeha County crape myrtles, but he said he believes the bark scale is in the region.

"It gets brought in on infested crape myrtles on nursery stops," Layton said.

The entomologist said the non-native bark scale can occur on any type of crape myrtle, unlike the aphid, which raises alarms in researchers. When the pest has infested a crape myrtle, they suck the sugary sap through the bark, producing a sticky, clear liquid called honeydew, which leads to the production of sooty mold, or the bottom of a crape myrtle turning black.

While many insects do not help nor harm crape

myrtles, one beneficial insect is the lady beetle.

Layton said lady beetles attack aphids and the nonnative bark scale. While the lady beetles cannot completely control the parasites, their numbers are increasing, and they can reduce the number of pests that attack crape myrtles.

"Lady beetles are beneficial, especially among this bark scale," Layton said. "We call them 'generalist predators' because they will rarely knock out a pest insect."

While lady beetles can help decrease non-native bark scale, researchers have developed a chemical treatment that is sprayed in the soil, roots and base of the plant but not directly on the tree. This method is both easy for homeowners to use and is

DATA

Blanchard explained how physicians determine if COVID is a patient's cause of death.

"So, from the first standpoint, we treat people based on clinical acumen or clinical presentation first and foremost. The testing would be part of it, but it wouldn't be the sole determinant," Blanchard said. "Then, we do appropriate testing, and that can change based on the presentation of the patient. There are cases where the COVID appears to be the cause of their problem or where it's an incidental finding.

If it is the cause of the problem and that leads to death, that is attributed to COVID. If it's an incidental finding, then

CONTINUED FROM 1

it's attributed to whatever caused the patient's death."

Blanchard also mentioned the rumors of cases and deaths being reported more often than they happen.

"I think we're in the midst of a collision between groups of people who sincerely care and are really worried about our world and our situation. One group is really worried that we're not accurately reporting when COVID injures people and want to make sure that we report everything," Blanchard said. "One group feels we're overreporting, and so they want everything to be subject to being scrutinized at a really

high level, and then other groups are really caught up in following whatever is told to them in

“ We’re

wonderful people in

Mississippi.”

Dr. Jeremy Blanchard Chief Medical Officer North MS Health Services

different media, including social media."

One individual with intimate knowledge of the COVID situation in Mississippi is Dr. Paul Byers, state

epidemiologist for MSDH. Byers spoke about the way the state health department collects COVID data.

"Cases and deaths due to COVID-19 are reported by healthcare providers and healthcare facilities throughout the state, and these reports include demographics and other data.

Additionally, MSDH collects information directly through individual case investigations and medical records. The total cases and deaths that are reported each day reflect the number of cases and deaths reported to MSDH in the day before, or identified time period before, as in the case of weekends and

holidays," Byers wrote in an email to the Reflector.

Byers also described how MSDH ensures COVID data is not over or under reported in the system.

"There are sometimes delays in lab reporting from testing facilities, so there may also be underreporting. There can also be underreporting due to individuals never being tested for COVID-19 and therefore not recognized and reported.

MSDH staff duplicates data prior to reporting numbers to limit the potential for overreporting due to duplicate cases," Byers said.

Chief Medical Officer Blanchard said he

BARS Robertson came to MSU and wanted to join a place where like-minded people could come together, share their thoughts and make a difference, but there was nowhere to go. Where she saw that absence, she took it as an opportunity, and this is how she founded BARS. BARS hosts many services projects to help those inside prisons. Over the summer, the club members hosted a literacy book drive that helped those who are incarcerated receive new books. They also hosted a menstrual products drive

not harmful to pollinators since one does not apply the treatment to the flowers of the trees.

For the average homeowner, horticulture experts advise choosing the proper type of crape myrtle for the land space and pruning the plant each year using the "crapemyrtilation" method instead of chopping off half of the Asian plant. If pests become worrisome, a couple of different treatments are available on the market.

Master Gardener Wilson offered his key piece of advice for crape myrtle owners.

"I want to remind people just because your neighbor is doing it doesn't mean your neighbor knows what they're doing," Wilson said with a chuckle.

enjoyed the community spirit in Mississippi, a vital part of the Magnolia State's livelihood.

"We're wonderful people in Mississippi— people who start with a handshake and an understanding of wanting to care for each other and valuing relationships," Blanchard said. "We need to reflect on whether we are at risk of losing that, and if we are at risk of losing it, don't we each own a part of that? Maybe the way to overcome that is rather than looking for how we disagree, look at how we can love and care for each other and support each other, and work our way through this and try to be the most respectful we can be to other folks."

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which is to help women inside jails receive proper feminine care.

Rebekah Malone is a senior political science and math major and said she joined BARS because of its leadership and goals.

"I've always felt a strong need for prison reform, but I've never heard of prison abolition," Malone said.

"When I was reading about prison abolition, and it was a conversation that was happening and that it was possible, I was really excited to know there was a group on campus who was devoted to that as well."

Advocacy is important to BARS and its members.

Their goal is to raise awareness of the flaws in the criminal justice system. The members want to voice their opinions of ideas to help reform the justice system.

BARS attended a city aldermen meeting and wrote an open letter against Mayor Lynn Spruill's juvenile detention plan. The club is also working on starting a bail fund. This fund will help people make bail for petty crimes when they cannot afford to make it themselves. The members also participate in court

watching, where the members go into courtrooms to ensure constitutionally correct court proceedings.

Education is also important to the members. All of their meetings center around different topics related to the criminal justice system and how it relates to abolition. BARS member Jia Webb, a criminology major at MSU, said that this club is about making prisons better for the people.

"We are not against the fact that people commit a crime, and they need to go to prison,"

Webb said. "But we are more against the fact that prisons aren't about rehabilitation anymore as much as it is about punishment."

BARS is open to new members for anyone with interest in the criminal justice system. President Robertson said she wants to make the conversation more comfortable and relatable.

"We are really passionate about educating our members about what prison abolition means and trying to make it less of a dirty, scary word," Robertson said.

Courtesy Photo | Mia Robertson

Mia Robertson, BARS at MSU president.

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THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021 | @REFLECTORONLINE

OPINION

The abandoned Vowell’s building should be repurposed into a multi-use community center LUKE COPLEY is a junior majoring in English.

Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu

When I was a teenager, I did whatever was free. It is all the same things you probably did as a teenager to pass time: walk around Walmart, sit in the car at Sonic or attend church youth groups. This is the usual answer to the imbalance between free time and things to do when you are young. What I found out later from my little brother is that what I needed was a community center. My city's closest approximation is usually a public library, where they turn the basement into whatever it needs to be, like a projection room for video game tournaments or a studio space for art night. Vowell's, the big grocery store by Cook Out that closed recently, would make an unrivaled location for a multi-use community center and bring some muchneeded entertainment to Starkville.

I do not mean to sound like I do not appreciate the part of the niche which a community center fills is already being covered, at least in part, by the library. The Starkville public library does hold community events frequently. They host community movie nights, story times and book signings, but these are mostly children's events, revolving around holidays. What I am finding myself longing for in

Ashok Manick | The Reflector

Ashok Manick | The Reflector

Vowell’s Marketplace permanently closed its doors in Starkville on Oct. 6, 2021. There are eight remaining locations in Mississippi.

The vacant Vowell’s Marketplace building is located off of 118 MS-12 East.

town is not something to do specifically during Halloween or Easter. I want something to do on a Thursday night, something as simple as somewhere that can host dodgeball tournaments.

Vowell's, of course, invites energetic activity. Vowell's was a grocery store which was grocery-themed, which does not happen often. Bowling alleys, roller rinks, laser tag places and many bars use the same design strategy, wherein the decor is evocative of the product they are marketing. If I say, "laser tag carpet," you know what I am talking about. Vowell's almost looked like a grocery store pulled out of from a video game because of this. It had great natural light, high ceilings and a color palette that suggested grocery

a technology hub like the threedimensional printing lab we have on campus. According to Ledyard King and Mike Stucka with the Clarion Ledger, Mississippian access to broadband internet and technology is inconsistent and lacking, with a quarter of the population having no access to broadband internet at all. Access is not the only hinderance; beyond that, people living below the poverty line are likely unable to buy the hardware itself. The community center should partition off a section for public use computers and other related technology, both as a lifeline for those in need of it for school, but also as encouragement for Mississippi's children to get interested and involved in the STEM fields. I do

shopping could be energizing and fun. It never quite was, of course — it was grocery shopping — but not for lack of effort from the location itself. The building, even if left as is, is perfect for what we need it for.

The space is huge, so we have a lot of space to work with. According to Ray Oldenburg's theory in an article written by Diana Budds for Curbed, "first places" are where we live, "second places" are where we work and "third places" are places intended to be public-use community hubs. To encourage this, the space should be fun and geared towards fostering interaction between people there. The community center should have ample seating areas for things like board games, puzzles and

video games set up on projectors on the wall. Especially in Mississippi, which boasts the highest poverty rate in the country, there should be places for individuals to feel welcome without having to spend money, and by offering this, Starkville would be inviting people to a space that is both safe and actually enjoyable to be in.

I---t is hard to understate how rare that combination is. People talk so much about after school programs for the same reason.

According to youth.gov, after school programs, like this, are linked to lower usage of drugs and alcohol by underage individuals, while also keeping them in an area they can be supervised by a trusted adult in.

Further, the community center would be a great place for

not know how to use a three-dimensional printer, but I certainly might have if I had ever had free access to a 3D printer. Further, the center could offer classes on technological literacy to senior citizens or rudimentary coding to people who were not given the opportunity to start in school.

The concept of a community center is a gesture of appreciation to what community already exists, but also one of faith that the community has more growing to do. As Starkville grows and develops, a community center would help set a direction for the future, one that is centered on the enrichment of the lives of our citizens, and the fostering of meaningful connections between them.

BULLETIN BOARD SUDOKU

An In-Class Distraction

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November 10 puzzle solutions can be found online at reflector-online.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Editor-in-Chief | Hannah Blankenship editor@reflector.msstate.edu

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Animal Fact of the Week

Snakes always keep their eyes open, even when they are asleep.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor can be sent to the Meyer Student Media Center or mailed to The Reflector, PO Box 5407, Mississippi State, MS. They can also be emailed to editor@reflector.msstate.edu and have a maximum wordcount of 350 words.

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4 LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021 | @REFLECTORONLINE

GSD Partnership fosters tourism in StarkVegas

M

Staff wrIter

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LydIa PaLmer

The Greater Starkville Development Partnership helps guide tourists and locals through involvement in Starkville, Mississippi, often referred to as, "Mississippi's College Town."

Although the population of this small Southern town is only around 25,000, it seems much larger when paired with the student population of the city's neighboring college, Mississippi State University. MSU averages around 23,000 students enrolled annually.

When the numbers for both the city population and university enrollment are paired, there are a lot of people to account for in a relatively small area. Starkville is comprised of around 26 square miles, and the university spans over 4,200 acres of land.

The Greater Starkville Development Partnership works with the goal of enhancing the city and its economic stability for current and future residents. Along with caring for those who find homes in the city, this group also contains the staff that is responsible for ensuring that when guests come to visit the town, there are things for them to do and enjoy.

Paige Hunt is currently Starkville's director of tourism. Her job, as she explained, is to take into consideration how the city is benefited by tourism and how the city benefits tourists. She shared that she has always had a passion for Starkville which makes her job much more enjoyable.

"It's two things that I love the most in this life, other than family, the tourism industry and Starkville, Mississippi," Hunt said. "So this job really brought me home."

One thing that is under Hunt's area of interest with tourism is economic development. She shared that tourism is a true form of economic development because when tourists visit a town and put tax dollars into local businesses such as stores and restaurants, that is

money in the city's pocket.

This is because these people are not using the city's utilities while they are visiting.

Rachael Carter, an extension specialist at MSU who specializes in community development, tourism, economics and natural resource policy, shared information on how exactly tourism financially benefits a community like Starkville, and how those taxes on hotels are instated.

"The way that works in Mississippi is each community can go to the legislature and make a request to have a special tax levy for tourism tax," Carter said.

In the past, Carter has worked alongside Hunt in tourism efforts for the city.

Carter spoke highly of the work that is being done by Hunt and the success of tourism in Starkville.

Hunt spoke passionately about her job with The Partnership and the way that she feels she gets to contribute to the town that feels like home to her by allowing a good experience for others who visit this town and may decide to call it home one day.

"It's a true form of economic development and community development as well, because if a place is cool enough to visit, man, it's cool enough to live in," Hunt said. "It's really a rewarding thing to do and I just love it."

The Greater Starkville Development Partnership is an umbrella organization for the Starkville Area Chamber of Commerce, Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority, Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Starkville Main Street Association.

Cynthia Allison is The Partnership's office manager. She moved to Starkville from New Orleans, Louisiana. Allison has experienced first-hand what it is like to move to the city as a newcomer and see what building community here is like.

"It is a lot of people who grew up here that stay here," Allison said. "I think there is a sense of community for that reason, but they're also very welcoming to new people and are excited about new

people in the community."

The trend of tourism in Starkville has increased in recent years, as Hunt shared.

This can be viewed through the tax receipts from hotels and restaurants, as income increases are seen during special downtown events as well as university events and sports.

Increases in these areas can be explained, according to Hunt, both by the appeal of successful MSU sports teams and events, as well as by the intentional work of The Partnership.

"When company comes over you clean your house," Hunt said. "I think that Starkville has really, in the past decade or so, worked really hard to update our image."

The Partnership has played a large role in the bettering of the city's image, like Hunt spoke of. The different areas of interest connected to The Partnership each harbor different programs and faculty members who work towards an increase in Starkville's economic success, employment opportunities and social functions, among many other roles.

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Ivy Rose Ball | The Reflector

The Greater Starkville Development Partnership works to enhance Starkville for the city’s residents as well as its tourists.

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s Ivy Rose Ball | The Reflector

Starkville, also known as “Mississippi’s College Town,” is home to 25,000 residents, in addition to the 23,000 college students at Mississippi State University.

The Streetcar spurs students' creative skills

Bronwen maddox

Staff wrIter

The Streetcar, Mississippi State University's student-run creative arts journal, was started in 2012. Every year since, the Streetcar's student editorial board has put out a journal filled with unique pieces created by the students of MSU. Within The Streetcar, the student staff is split into two teams: outreach and editorial. Outreach plans and runs events, as well as receives submissions from the student body. Editorial looks at these submissions, reads through them, makes comments and decides which will make it into the final draft.

Ruby Titus, a senior at MSU doubling in French and English, has been involved with the journal since her freshman year.

She currently serves as the co-editor, where she helps lead the other members of the editorial team.

"As co-editors, we kind of guide this discussion and help them learn what sort of standards we're looking for, what to look for in a good piece, what makes good writing or art versus great ... a lot of them are freshmen so we help guide them towards learning and expanding their writing palette and their art palette," Titus said.

The Streetcar is begin-

ning to improve their critical thinking in respect to visual arts. Co-editor Riley Cutler is a senior art major at MSU who has worked hard to teach the editorial staff how to write better commentary on visual art submissions.

Titus explained that Cutler teaches the editorial board to articulate their critiques and comments on the visual art pieces.

"So, she's trying to teach people how to look at a piece of art and figure out why they like it, or why they don't like it.

And she brings in a lot of knowledge from her classes and tries to teach people about color theory and what makes a good piece of art versus a bad piece of art and especially in photography," Titus said.

On the other hand, the outreach team plans around two events every semester, including tabling on the Drill Field, open mic nights, peer revisions, potlucks and more. They have another open mic night planned for Nov. 17 at NineTwentynine Coffee Bar, their first off-campus event. There will be an arts market with students selling their projects, and the performances will happen downstairs.

Trevor Wycoff, a senior performing music major at MSU, has been working with The Streetcar since his sophomore year. He works on

graphics and helps at events, as well as acting as submissions editor.

Wycoff explained that The Streetcar has expanded his understanding of art while giving him a great community at the same time.

"I think The Streetcar is a really special place for anyone who likes art, especially if you have formal training, a background in it at all. It's a great place to learn, I think, that's one of the biggest things that I'll take away from The Streetcar over the time I've been, just learning what makes good writing, what makes good art, and also just like, forming a community of art is just really one of the coolest things," Wycoff said.

Eric Vivier, an associate professor of English at MSU, serves as The Streetcar's faculty director. Vivier has seen the journal grow and develop over the years. He attributes this to the hard work of the students involved.

"It's an organization that I think keeps growing and keeps and keeps changing and developing.

They keep hosting new innovative events on campus, and so much of it is kind of unsung work, but the kind of heroic lifting that they do both to read all of the submissions and then putting together a journal, formatting it all, figuring out the order, figuring out the theme,

S v m s w 2 V t a c k e

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figuring out the layout, all of that is a huge amount of work and it's a very few number of students who do that heavy

lifting," Vivier said.

Submissions for volume 10 are due on Dec. 1, 2021 at midnight. The staff encourages all art-

ists to submit their work for review. At the very least, students will receive free feedback on their work.

t d h c t t h t T r i t l t t d v g T d v w t n j c t j d a T t o

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THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021 | @SPORTSREFLECTOR

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SPORTS

Miracle on the Plains: Bulldogs complete largest comeback in school history

elizaBeth keen

staff writer

Midway through the second quarter, the Auburn Tigers were holding a daunting 25-point lead over the Mississippi State University Bulldogs. By the end of the game, though, it was the team wearing maroon and white that was celebrating.

Sophomore quarterback Will Rogers had a recordsetting day for the program and finished 44-of-55 for 415 yards with six touchdowns to lead his Bulldogs to a 43-34 victory.

Wide receivers Makai Polk and Jamire Calvin had two

touchdown receptions apiece, while sophomore running back Dillon Johnson and senior wideout Malik Heath each accounted for one.

The Tigers started off hot. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix threw a 48-yard bomb on the first play of the game to set the tone early.

After a Tigers touchdown, McCord drilled a 34-yard field goal to keep themselves in the game.

Unfortunately, the home team added another touchdown with no response by the Bulldogs and were threatening deep in MSU territory again before the clock hit zero.

Nix added two more

touchdowns midway through the second quarter to give his team a 28-3 advantage. The Tigers relaxed, feeling like a blowout victory was guaranteed. Fans in the stands chuckled at their team's success and the absolute meltdown by the Bulldogs. However, there was one thing they didn't know: MSU was far from done.

MSU's first touchdown came with 1:55 left in the second quarter on a short pass to Polk. Although the team had finally found some success on offense, Polk said Auburn fans still mocked them.

"The first time when I

scored, I tried to shush the crowd," Polk said. "And you know, they were like, 'Oh, you guys are down 2810.'"

After halftime, the Bulldogs had two things they did not have at the beginning of the game: possession of the ball and momentum. MSU used eight plays — in which they never encountered a third down — to march to the end zone. The drive was capped by a 3-yard pass from Rogers to Calvin that made it 28-17 with plenty of time left in the game. The tough Bulldog defense forced Auburn to punt away quickly, but they found themselves starting from

their own 2-yard line.

Normally, starting a drive in their own end zone would be daunting for the young team, but the Bulldogs took it in stride. In only 11 plays, MSU drove 98 yards down the field. Johnson recorded a 3-yard receiving score on Rogers's third touchdown of the day. Suddenly, the Tigers were shaking in their cleats. A game that had once seemed decided was now a five-point contest heading into the final quarter of action.

MSU took their first lead of the day with 13:28 left in the game when Rogers found Polk again for a 6-yard score. This time, Tigers fans had nothing to

Adam Sullivan | The Reflector

MSU sophomore quarterback Will Rogers earned multiple awards for his efforts against the Tigers, including national offensive player of the week, SEC offensive player of the week, and a spot on the Heisman performance list.

say. Although the two-point conversion failed, the Bulldogs had a 29-28 lead and appeared unstoppable.

After Auburn went threeand-out on their next drive, the Dawgs took a more commanding lead. Calvin caught his second touchdown of the day from Rogers. McCord's extra point made it a 36-28 game in favor of the good guys.

The Tigers had to act fast, but they didn't go about it in the right way. After Nix threw three straight incompletions to bring up fourth down, the home team went for a rare fake punt. It ended with a weak pass into a throng of players that was batted away by Jalen Green.

Five plays later, Rogers added his sixth and final touchdown of the day with 5:31 left to Malik Heath to put the game away for good.

Fans began pouring out of the stadium in shock and dismay at the collapse of their beloved team.

Although Auburn added one more score late in the quarter, it wasn't enough to make a difference. MSU went into the locker room celebrating their 25-point comeback, the largest in school history.

Head coach Mike Leach was understandably elated after the game. He walked into his press conference with a swagger that only comes from dancing with his team in the locker room.

He was proud of the Bulldogs, but knew they had more work to do to prepare for the final two games of the season.

"If you think this was a thriller, we've got a big one next week and we're looking forward to that one," Leach said.

The Bulldogs have a home game this Saturday, as they'll face Tennessee State for an 11:00 a.m. kickoff.

Darty season keeps rollin’: VolleyDawgs topple ranked Volunteers

Bronwen Maddox

staff writer

The Mississippi State University volleyball team managed their 10th straight win this weekend against the 24th ranked Tennessee Volunteers.

Several times, the Bulldogs allowed Tennessee to come back, but they kept rallying to eventually pull ahead.

After the game on Sunday, head coach Julie Darty-Dennis spoke about the back and forth of the match.

"That was one for the books. It was in dramatic fashion on our home court. We were cruising in those first two sets. I think in that third set, we thought we had it and it was going to be ours, but Tennessee came roaring back. It was ncredible to watch our team fight and gut it out ike that. I think we took a little step back in that fourth set, they didn't play great volleyball, but this group understands.

They can say, 'We didn't play great volleyball and how do we move forward?' In that fifth set, it was neck and neck and we ust had to keep it close.

During that timeout at 13-13, we ust said 'let's get it done' and 'let's get after it point by point.'

The girls were clutch today and I am so proud of them."

The game on Sunday was close all the way.

Two sets were won by small margins, 25-18

and 25-23.

The Bulldogs slowed down in the next set and barely lost 26-28. The fourth set took a plunge for the Bulldogs and they lost 15-25. This sent them into a fifth and final set to win or lose the match. The last set of the game on Sunday was a very close win. The two teams were trading points, but the Bulldogs were able to gain the advantage when they had a successful challenge

that put them into the first match point. The third match point ended the set 17-15.

With this win over Tennessee, MSU is only one match away from tying the record for wins in a season within this program.

This record (26 matches) was set in 1976. DartyDennis spoke to this potential history.

"We don't talk a lot about the history until after. That's definitely something to

celebrate," DartyDennis said.

This match could have some incredible connotations for MSU, and might ensure them a bid into the NCAA top 25, after the Bulldogs have already clinched a postseason bid to the NCAA tournament, more than likely.

Dennis attributed a lot of credit for the wins to the fans that showed up to Newell-Grissom to support the team.

"I think we were

excited to come home, a lot of our wins against these big ranked teams like Florida, and we had a big win against Kentucky, we were on the road. So we were excited to have our fans and our home court advantage and play some good volleyball in front of them because they've been such a vital part of our success. We just feel the energy from them so much, so it was absolutely incredible,

the atmosphere, they kept us in it those tight points. I'm just so grateful and so thankful that we've got the Bulldog family."

Mississippi State University volleyball will take on Arkansas next week, Nov. 20 and 21, in Fayetteville.

First serve on Saturday is at 5 p.m., and at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The next home game is Nov. 26 against Auburn in Newell-Grissom gymnasium.

Ashok Manick | The Reflector

MSU volleyball players greet their fans in Newell-Grissom gymnasium after a recent win against Alabama. The Bulldogs are firmly locked into 2nd in the SEC.

THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021 | @REFLECTORONLINE

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