THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022
137TH YEAR | ISSUE 20
New pizza chain opens in Starkville EcoCar team drives to success in national competition PayTON BROWN
TayLOR STIGaLL
STaFF WRITER
STaFF WRITER
This month, Starkville gained another pizza eatery with the arrival of the restaurant chain Marco’s Pizza. As the company website explains, Marco's Pizza was founded in Oregon, OH, in 1978 by Pat Giammarco, who envisioned a company that valued precision. The new Starkville location is owned by Mark and Angela Clegg with the assistance of their business partner, Katie Bostick. Located on College View Drive, the pizzeria offers a menu that displays different pizza toppings, desserts, pastas and salads. PIZZA, 2
Santosh Kumar T K| The Reflector
A crew member at Marco’s Pizza in Starkville prepares a pepperoni pizza for a customer.
For the last four years, the EcoCar team at Mississippi State University has been competing in the EcoCar Mobility Challenge, a nationwide competition that 11 different universities compete in to make fuel efficiency and safety improvements on a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer. This competition allows students to gain experience in a hands-on environment while working towards solving real problems in today's world, like the fuel economy of vehicles. The EcoCar team at MSU, which has members in 17 different majors,
Jahari Bell | The Reflector
For the past four years, the EcoCar team at MSU has been improving a Chevrolet Blazer.
chose to transform the Blazer into a hybrid vehicle. While retaining some of the gas engine's performance, the team implemented electric features to improve the fuel efficiency of the Chevrolet Blazer.
"The whole competition is about improving the fuel economy and going through and making it into a hybrid vehicle," said lead faculty adviser and associate professor CAR, 2 Randy Follett.
Startup Summit promotes entrepreneurship BRONWEN MaDDOX STaFF WRITER
The Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach is looking for the best business propositions that Mississippi State University students can imagine. The Startup Summit allows students to pitch their ideas for a chance to win prize money. The summit begins on March 28, runs through April 1 and features eight events, including the BankTEL Grand Finale. Students can enter any or all of these events and could win money from each. It is possible to win up to $8,000 for a start-up business. The money for the competition was privately donated, with most of it coming from three alumni: Boyce Adams Sr., who started BankTEL Systems;
Landon Scheel | The Reflector
The MSU Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach is hosting its annual Startup Summit for entrepreneurs March 28 to April 1.
Shawn Hunter with Industry Services Co. and R.J. Reed of Reed Food Technology. Entries for the summit are low this year, but program coordinator Brooke Lammert is optimistic about the
number of contestants. "Right now, I want to say we are right below 30, which isn't bad," Lammert said. "Prepandemic, we would get about 60, but with students just now getting back to doing things in
person, 30's a great number to have for that." Lammert explained the purpose of the summit. "We love just to get students typically involved in entrepreneurship— just
getting people to realize that we're here, and we offer it. It's a great way to get money for your startup … We don't take any ownership in their business, but the ultimate goal for us is that they continue on and enjoy our program and can earn even more money by pitching to our boards as well," Lammert said. Sophomore music education major Garrison Walker is a student partner for the entrepreneurship center. He is entering his business called Hushpuppies into the competition. Hushpuppies are an attachment for cowbells to keep them quiet between appropriate ringing situations. Walker admitted there is only a market for this at MSU, but he and his business partner have been working on the idea since 2020.
Walker said the ECenter would help any student who comes in with an idea. "What they've helped me do a lot is prepare my business, prepare myself and my team for being successful and receiving that gracious grant money that helps you get off the ground and get your product up and going," Walker said. "Oftentimes, we have students come in who have an idea they wrote on a napkin during lunch, you know? It's very basic, very minimum, and we help them step-by-step from beginning to end with their business plan, their pitch decks— everything they could possibly need to know about their market … If they were to pitch to an angel network, by the time they finish our program, they will have all of that ready to go," Lammert said. SUMMIT, 2
Amazon grant gives women and minorities a future in cybersecurity aMELIa MIDDLETON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Mississippi State University and Amazon recently introduced a new scholarship opportunity for women and minorities majoring in cybersecurity and computer science. Shahram Rahimi, department head of Computer Science and Engineering, primarily developed the Amazon Cyber Security Scholarship alongside Amazon. Rahimi said Amazon awarded the new scholarship fund to MSU based on the merit of both the computer science and cybersecurity programs. "We had a previous relationship with Amazon, and basically, their team looked into universities offering strong cybersecurity programs at the level of undergraduate and graduate," Rahimi said.
Ivy Rose Ball | The Reflector
MSU’s supercomputer can perform more than five quadrillion calculations per second. It is located in the Thad Cochran Research Center.
"We checked those boxes, so we started working together on this funding." The scholarship fund is expected to benefit MSU for many years to come through a strong
partnership with Amazon. "We hope to expand our relationship with them for further funding," Rahimi said. "We're closely working with their team to make sure this program stays
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successful, and we can continue to work together in the future." The cybersecurity program at MSU recently began in the fall of 2021, and the scholarship, along with
FORECAST: Another rainy Wednesday is in the forecast, Bulldogs! The high will reach 84 degrees, so expect some humidity to come in with the rain too. The rest of the week is looking much sunnier and a little cooler with high temperatures reaching the 60s and lows in the 40s.
Courtesy of The Weather Channel
the other funding received from Amazon, will aid the program's growth. Cindy Bethel, a professor in the computer science and e n g i n e e r i n g department, said the grant includes several different areas of focus for the program. "It was a total of $50,000 that is split across different areas of focus," Bethel said. "One is to provide support for students to participate in workshops, provide support for travel and to provide tuition support through scholarships." Due to cybersecurity being a recent addition to MSU, Assistant Coordinator for Computer Science and Engineering Angella Baker said the requirements for the scholarship will allow the program to continue to grow. So far, Baker said there has been a
significant interest in the scholarship. "Cybersecurity is pretty much a brandnew major. We have around 25 students in the cybersecurity program right now, and this is really going to allow it to grow and get more attention," Baker said. "We've seen a lot of interested students, and we expect that to increase, especially over the next few years." The requirements for the scholarship also offer the program a wide array of students and encourage all backgrounds to pursue cybersecurity as a major. "With so much focus being on diversity these days, I think it's great that we have a scholarship that focuses on minorities and females because it creates more interest within the program," Baker said. GRANT, 2
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CAR "Using autonomous features to not only simplify driving but also to improve the fuel economy, they improved on the performance of the Blazer and bumped the fuel economy from 27 miles per gallon to around 33 now." Over the years, the team made many modifications to the Blazer. Under the hood, all stock components were ripped out and replaced with a four-cylinder, two-liter engine with a supercharger driving a nine-speed transmission. In the back of the vehicle, a custom battery pack provides high voltage power, which is converted to energy that can control the motor for the back tires. "The front is gas-driven and the rear is electricdriven," said engineering manager and graduate mechanical engineering student Vance Hudson. "We must constantly balance the use of one versus the other at any given time to optimize fuel economy and performance … If you're just
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coasting, maybe the engine will stay at a low idle, but if you want a quick burst of power, that's where the electric motor really comes in handy." According to Hudson, the MSU EcoCar team is near the front of the pack as the end of the competition is near, but this has not always been the case. The team struggled the first year due to complications with components and managed to bounce back with hard work and long hours. "We were in a situation where the first electric motor we chose didn't work out. So, we had to make a change in year two that penalized us but allowed us to keep moving forward," Follett said. "Now, they're in a position where they have got more miles on their car than any other team— significantly more miles. We've probably put more miles on the car this year than most of the teams have put on in total." As the MSU EcoCar team nears the end of the
competition, they get to see all their hard work pay off. Rachel Hendricks, MSU graduate student and project manager of the EcoCar team, said that the team is set up to perform well in the last month of the competition. "It's been very exciting to see everybody's hard work come together," Hendricks said. "We've hit all of our targets in things like fuel economy and zero to 60. It's just been very rewarding, especially as the project manager, to see all the pieces come together to create the final Blazer." While the MSU EcoCar team is making the final adjustments to the Blazer, gas prices are soaring nationwide. Vance Hudson said this makes the EcoCar project all the more relevant in today's climate and is why the U.S. Department of Energy has continued to do challenges like EcoCar. Competitions like EcoCar are also important because they strengthen the workforce by giving a new
Jahari Bell | The Reflector
This 2019 Chevrolet Blazer is being reworked by EcoCar team members to improve its fuel efficiency and safety for the competition.
generation of engineers the experience they need to thrive in the workforce. Follett said EcoCar members have a 100% success rate of finding jobs and average a higher salary than non-EcoCar team
members. The experience in MSU's own Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems can be a valuable asset to future engineers, Follet said. While this EcoCar competition is set to end
PIZZA Bostick, the Starkville location’s director of operations, emphasized the importance of the exemplary quality of the food and how it made the brand stand out against competing chains. “We make everything in here. This is a fresh, clean place to eat. Nothing comes prepackaged,” Bostick said. Bostick explained how Marco’s was placed in Starkville. “They (the Cleggs) own the two BaskinRobbins in Tupelo, MS, and we were trying to see if we could get more Baskin Robbins up and running,” Bostick said. “We went to Oxford where there is a Marco's Pizza, and we all loved it.” After enjoying a meal at the Oxford location, Bostick said the team decided to focus on growing the Marco’s Pizza brand. “I was already kind of director of operations for Baskin-Robbins and a few other businesses that he has. I'm just basically doing the same thing with Marco's and trying to grow it,” Bostick explained.
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As for what she is looking forward to, Bostick said it simply tied between the people and the food. “We’ve been training the kids, and they're over here just laughing about throwing the pizzas because we make our own dough,” Bostick said with a chuckle. Bostick said she hoped to please employees with a fun and friendly work environment. “When they're over here, just laughing and having a great time, then I know that this is where I'm supposed to be and that I'm doing a good job basically being part of the owner,” Bostick said. Bostick similarly felt hopeful about the customers and their experience with the location. “I'm looking forward to having more people come in: more customers (who) come in thinking how great the product is, seeing how greatly managed this place is and how great a team that we have here at Starkville,” Bostick said. “I just want more people to come in and try us.”
She recommended the family-sized salads, cheese sticks and “P Mag” pizza for new customers. As for what to try, Mark Clegg specifically recommended the Big Buffalo Chicken Pizza, his personal favorite.
“This is a fresh, clean place to eat. Nothing comes prepackaged.” Katie Bostick Director of Operations Marco’s Pizza
Clegg, who is also the owner of Tupelo businesses Wise Staffing Group and various Baskin-Robbins locations, felt confident in the quality of the Marco’s brand and its placement in Starkville. “What led us to Starkville is the community and the university. We felt that the Marco's brand would
be a great addition to the Starkville community,” Clegg said. Clegg said Starkville residents need to give Marco’s a try. “It is the best piece of pizza in the industry, and we felt like we would be doing everyone a favor by bringing Marco’s to their doorsteps,” Clegg said. Angela Clegg, wife of Mark Clegg and co-owner of the location, similarly enjoyed the chain’s pizza. She supports her husband and their partnership with Bostick within the Marco’s franchise. “I play the warm and supportive role,” Angela Clegg said. The Cleggs currently hold the Columbus, Starkville and Tupelo franchise rights. “We're looking at central and south Mississippi in the next two or three years with the addition of three extra stores, and we're looking at potentially opening some in the Florida area,” Clegg said. For more information about Marco’s Pizza and what it offers, visit marcos.com or its location on 385 College View Drive South.
Santosh Kumar T K | The Reflector
Katie Bostick, the director of operations and one of the three partners of Marco's Pizza.
SUMMIT
Timothy Wunrow, a senior industrial major, is another student entering his design called unTriggered. "It's an (artificial intelligence) algorithm that can identify and remove specific noises from audio like a
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podcast … and make them available so that people can listen without being triggered," Wunrow said. Wunrow created unTriggered to help people who have misophonia, a condition
in which certain noises, such as eating, humming, breathing or joint popping, trigger a fight or flight response. This can cause anger or panic for those with misophonia. Business startup Rocketing Systems won
GRANT Rahimi said the scholarship has allowed women and minorities who might not normally consider attending college or majoring in cybersecurity to confidently explore their options. "We have many women and minorities in the state of Mississippi that do not come to college and major in these kinds of things for financial issues," Rahimi said. "We wanted to target that issue with this find and offer financial support and also help them feel prepared and confident." Baker said the scholarship will also level out the playing field within a career path that is usually not
soon, the team is always eager to have more teammates for the next competition. Rachel Hendricks advises anyone interested in joining the EcoCar team to email EcoCar@CAVS.msstate.edu.
the Grand Finale in 2019. The brand started as a clothing business, but the three students who created it ran into a problem with tracking social media influencers. They then made a system that helps merchants track
payments and commissions for the influencers. Lammert added words of encouragement for students. "Do not be afraid to come in and try. We're here to help; we're not
going to throw you to the wolves," Lammert said. "We want to help you be successful. So, it's a great way to get your feet wet and just figure out if it is something you want to do and if your idea works." CONTINUED FROM 1
female-oriented. "Cybersecurity has typically been a white male-dominated field. Amazon is a large company that everyone knows about, and it is going to entice these women to take advantage of the opportunity," Baker said. "It's also going to provide the possibility of having a career with a company like Amazon after college." Bethel said the scholarship is coming at the perfect time, as she has seen increased curiosity for the major. "There are going to be several workshops and information sessions held in April about these scholarships for those who are interested in the
scholarship or just pursuing cybersecurity or computer science in general," Bethel said. "MSU is one of the leading cybersecurity programs in the country, and we expect to see huge growth." Ultimately, the goal of the funding is to allow the cybersecurity program to grow. Baker said the grant will be a significant benefit for the program and its students. "We've had so many students ask about cybersecurity. I really think that major is going to grow, and that's what we really want," Baker said. "This is going to be a huge benefit for both students and the programs that it correlates with."
Ivy Rose Ball | The Reflector
MSU supercomputers have been leading the competition since 1996. A super computation from MSU aided the John Glenn Mission in 1998.
THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | @REFLECTORONLINE
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An In-Class Distraction
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MSU Organization of the Week: CHAARG March 24 Puzzle Solutions
1. What is CHAARG? — CHAARG is a wellness organization that allows girls to try new ways to sweat and make friends in the process. CHAARG partners with local health and fitness studios to expose members to a variety of workouts.
2. How can students join CHAARG?
— To join CHAARG, Mississippi State University students can fill out an interest form by visiting @msstate_inchaarg on Instagram.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022 A student was issued a referral for causing a disturbance with his vehicle on Lee Blvd.
A student reported receiving a scammed email about a job.
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Saturday, March 26, 2022
A student reported being harassed by an ex-boyfriend via text message and social media.
A non-resident was arrested in the G10 parking lot for public drunk.
A student was arrested on Magruder Street for a DUI. The student was issued a referral and a justice court citation.
Stay in the know! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @reflectoronline
hicle was egged while it was parked at College View Apartments.
Friday, March 25, 2022 A student reported her ve-
Sunday, March 27, 2022 A student was arrested on Fraternity Row for public drunk and was issued a referral. A student reported his wallet was stolen from the Sanderson.
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THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | @REFLECTORONLINE
OPINION
Support local businesses like you support chain restaurants to keep money in Mississippi
sisted of some old booths and picnic tables with industrial fans in the corners of the roof. It had a smoker out front, and its menu was concise. You knew with absolute certainty what you were getting and had the confidence LUKE COPLEY of knowing it was a dish Petty is a junior majoring in English. and his family had made hunContact them at dreds of times. It was unopinion@reflector.msstate.edu healthy, but it was also unreasonably good. I first heard rumors PetI am like most of you— I ty's was closing in the fall of love Chipotle. A few weeks 2020. It is challenging to pin from now, when the new down specifics about why it Chipotle opens on Highway did, even now. Unlike most 12, I will be there with you in other restaurants on Highline for a steak burrito. We way 12, Petty's was not a do not need to deceive our- brand. I cannot message selves; this is a good sign for them to ask what happened Starkville. Oxford, MS, got since their Facebook page was, admiits Chipotle rably, last upyears ago. I do dated in 2016. wish however There are that it had “Petty's educated taken a differguesses, ent spot in looked like the though. Actown, because I miss Petty's kind of restaurant cording to a ebruary BBQ. which knew what F2020 article Petty's by Emma MofBBQ was the it was doing.” fet-Taylor for shack next to Starkville the Animal News, M e d i c a l Luke Copley Daily Center, which Staff Writer Petty's BBQ was already is now an suffering a empty strip of loss of busibusiness fronts where Chipotle will ness due to the median being open. Petty's looked like the added to the road. Less than kind of restaurant which a month after that article was knew what it was doing. It published, students were had exclusively outdoor asked not to return to classes patio seating which con- after spring break, and, if
Kathryn Beatty | The Reflector
The Starkville Chipotle restaurant will open March 31 off Highway 12. This will be the third Mississippi Chipotle location. The other two are in Oxford and Southaven.
you recall, the world tried to close for two years. According to Abby Vesoulis for TIME the restaurant industry in America suffered a 240 billion dollar shortage from its expected revenue due to the pandemic, and some odd 80,000 restaurants have closed in response. It is important to underline Chipotle did not close Petty's BBQ. This is not their fault. But it highlights the harsh truth that the pandemic did not hurt chains like it did small businesses.
Despite the culture's insistence that "we are all in this together," when Petty was forced to close after 34 years, Chipotle was doing well enough to still be able to grab some new real estate. It becomes a question about what Mississippians are unknowingly supporting. According to Alex Rozier for Mississippi Today, Petty's BBQ received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the summer of 2020 of around $10,000, filing as having only one employee. At the same time,
their franchise-owned neighbors on both sides of the median, McDonald's and Sonic, both took over $14 million of Mississippi's federal aid. For 28 of McDonald's locations in Mississippi, it breaks down well over a half a million dollars per location in a year which, according to Statista's revenue reports, the McDonald's corporation still took in $19.7 billion in revenue. This is not me asking you to not eat fast food. I am broke and busy and under-
is a junior majoring in communication. Contact them at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu
faced immense racism, both personal and governmental. There is a tendency to blame fellow humans perceived as being foreign for actions they did not commit. These actions will only serve to damage our societal fabric, not just in America, but the world as well. Blaming the people living in Russia serves no purpose either. There remains a robust effort inside the country to protest the war and attacking all Russian people for the sins of a tyrant discredits that movement. If you want to oppose the war in
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stand the value of food which is quick and cheap. All this means is there has to be an active choice to sometimes eat at restaurants which are less convenient, just because we want to keep Starkville, Starkville. Maybe when the line is long at Taco Bell or Cookout, we have to take it as a sign. It means we have to do our best to keep Mississippian dollars in Mississippi when we can, because Petty’s BBQ was delicious, and its closure is nothing shy of a tragedy.
Non-combatants are not responsible for Putin’s actions against Ukraine and its people
the U.S. These incidents do nothing to keep America safe. Russian Americans make up hundreds of thousands of the American population, so terrorizing and being fearful of them signifies nothing but pure, unadulterated xenophobia. These people did not start Vladimir Putin's war. They have done nothing to draw the ire and malice of our general population. Perhaps, there is something fundamentally damaged about our American psyche. In the years after 9/11, Muslim Americans
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Russian citizens deserve to be treated fairly
Russophobia, the fear or hatred of Russian people or culture, has become more prevalent in recent months. With the invasion of Ukraine, many Americans and people across the globe began to see the Russian state as an enemy again. A recent poll conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post found that 80% of those polled saw Russia as a hostile entity, a level not seen since the heyday of the Cold War. While the situation surrounding the Russian state is complex and requires nuance, xenophobic attitudes towards Russian people themselves have begun to spread. These attitudes have led to actions ranging from the mundane, such as the name of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, being removed from a fundraiser for the Space Foundation, according to Noor Al-Sibai for Futurism, to the serious and harmful, such as the vandalizing and property destruction of Russian restaurants in
T
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Ukraine, there are ways to do that without harming and fearing the people or culture of Russia. No amount of canceled concerts featuring long dead 19th century Russian composers will change Putin's mind. The age of social media has made these types of issues vastly more complex. Just weeks ago, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, said that their content policy had been "temporarily altered" to allow for calls of violence towards the Russian invaders, though not the
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. Letters must include name and telephone number for verification purposes. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish a letter.
people itself. As digital citizens and members of the younger generation, we need to be wary of this type of thinking. We need to think critically about the kinds of people and corporations who decide which state actors or armies, and the people within them, can have death threats levied on them. Social media has led to issues of allowing certain kinds of hateful or violent speech towards only select entities before. We, as young people, and students, must reject
EDITORIAL POLICY The Reflector is the official student newspaper of Mississippi State University. Content is determined solely by the student editorial staff. The contents of The Reflector have not been approved by Mississippi State University.
this kind of uneven thinking. Equating the Russian state and Vladimir Putin to the people living all over the vast swaths of Russia only hurts our global society. It only serves to hamper people's thoughts on a rich and interesting culture and history. As far as our culture goes, we must be vigilant in rejecting the notion that Russian people are our enemies. It may seem like a small issue compared to the very real war happening in Ukraine, but due to the influence culture has on the average way of thinking (i.e. movies, shows and video games) we should not allow ourselves to begin thinking of Russian people as purely enemies. Russophobia is dangerous and leads to a harmful way of thinking. Being xenophobic towards our fellow global citizens does immense harm to our way of life. One of the things which is supposed to make up the American Dream is acceptance of cultures which we perceive as different. Blaming Russian Americans and regular Russian citizens sets us back as it relates to cultural acceptance. If we want to avoid another Cold War and live in a society defined by global fear, we must strongly avoid giving in to hatred of those different than us.
CORRECTIONS The Reflector staff strives to maintain the integrity of this paper through accurate and honest reporting. If we publish an error, we will correct it. To report an error, email editor@reflector.msstate.edu or call 325-7905.
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THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | @REFLECTORONLINE
LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
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Bursts of color: Earl Dismuke shares his art in the community
mary BLaKe Brashier
staff writer
Students coming back from spring break may have noticed some whimsical pops of color throughout town. Over the break, a team installed four art pieces by sculptor Earl Dismuke. The pieces are made of scrap metal painted bright colors and are arranged n inventive and abstract ways. Lori Neuenfeldt, the gallery director at Mississippi State University in the art department, was one of the main members of this team who worked for over a year on getting these sculptures in the community. Neuenfeldt said the need for outdoor art installments became evident in the midst of the pandemic. "When the pandemic hit people were looking for more things to do outdoors," Neuenfeldt said. "People were more aware of their environment, and needed to get out. Everyone felt like this was something the city definitely needed." Neundfelt has been working n her position in the department of art for ten years. She is not from Mississippi but chooses to live here and help the community grow artistically. "My goal is to find a way to bring art to the community," Neundfelt said, "Starkville is great, and it is so creative. It is the nicest place I have ever ived. Everyone deserves art, so really I am working for every-
one in Starkville." Dixie Boswell, the exhibition coordinator for the MSU art galleries, also had a big hand in the planning for these new installations and even helped with the physical aspects of installing the sculptures. "We are hoping to help the public realize that art is for everyone," Boswell said. "It sounds cliche, but it's true." A lot of time and planning went into getting these sculptures installed. And even after finally getting everything figured out, it took a whole day for the team to install the four creations around town. Even with all of the challenges, the mayor of Starkville, Lynn Spruill, was on board with the plan from the beginning. The city sent a group to help Boswell and her team install the sculptures and even provided some of the heavyduty equipment needed. "Lynn Spruill is all about some public art," Boswell said, "It took a long time, with a lot of back and forth emails, but getting the thumbs up from the city was the easy part." Like Neuenfeldt, Boswell did not always live in Mississippi. Boswell lived in Los Angeles for a while before returning to Starkville, where she attended school at MSU for undergrad. "People asked me why I came back to Mississippi," Boswell said, "It's because there is art everywhere. It is just as good if not better than stuff in New York and LA. It is definitely less pretentious."
Earl Dismuke, the sculptor, is a graduate from the University of Mississippi. He has been creating since he was very young, and has been involved in many different public art installations and art galleries around Mississippi. "I hope that these sculptures are a bright spot for the community," Dismuke said. "People can come up to them, interact with them and bring a little bit of themselves into them. I hope they keep the community thinking about and interested in art and inspire them to make their own works or even go see an art show." Dismuke's imaginative sculptures are made of scraps he has collected and given new life in the form of art. Each piece has a name, but the meaning of the pieces is left to the audience. The piece located on the roundabout in front of City Hall is called "Toro;" the one at the MSU Innovation Hub is titled "Stand Tall." The piece at Commodore Bob's is called "Molly Ringwald," and the one located at Fire Station Park is called "Big Dreamer." "Public art is a great equalizer," Dismuke said, "People get to experience art in their daily lives. There will be a whole group of children who are growing up in Starkville and will grow up around and understand the importance of public art." The interactive nature of public art is what attracted the art department towards Dismuke's work.
The Reflector | Adam Sullivan
Dismuke’s statues have been raised all over town, including outside of City Hall, Commodore Bob’s and Fire Station Park.
"A great thing about public art is that it levels the playing field," Boswell said, "You can walk right up to it, take a selfie with it, drive by it, you don't have to pay admission. This may make people more comfortable coming to our gallery and seeing art and starting conversations and hanging out." "This isn't the vision of just one person," Neundfelt said.
"This was a community project. Our goal is to have more opportunities to bring more art to the public and engage with the community. Having these right downtown, right on Main Street, I think we are going to get more people exposed to art than ever before and that's what it's really all about." The hope of those involved is to increase awareness in the
community of the importance of art. Throughout the years, they want to feature more artists and make Starkville a city that is rich in art and creativity. To see more art in Starkville, follow @msu_artgalleries on Instagram or visit the MSU museum website to learn about the various galleries on campus.
First Midnight Bizarre showcases local artisans and performers
Joshua stewart
Life & entertainment editor
A new arts themed event took place on March 26, and had major success in its first year. The Midnight Bizarre, a self described "place for perormers, artisans and culture" occurred on the corner of Lampkin and Jackson, and drew many attendees over its our hour duration. On the lot across from Georgia Blue sat tables, food trucks and a stage for local musicians. Among the food options were Mom and Pop Food Truck and Dab’s Chicken and Waffles. Artists from in and around Starkville came to showcase their artistic creations and set up shop for the many patrons n attendance. The event was co-directed by Lily Jones and Taylor Barr, two students at Mississippi State University. Jones, a junior communication student from McFarland, Wisconsin, described the event as taking a long time to coordinate and plan, but worthwhile in its execution.
"This is for everyone but the people who created it, and they showed up. Oh my gosh, they showed up. It’s finally here, and it’s a success," Jones said. A constant theme of the night was giving artists in Starkville a place to showcase their art, something Jones was proud of. "These people are coming out and they’re getting a platform and they’re getting exposure and people are buying their art," Jones said. Over 20 artists had tables in the lot, with wares ranging from paintings and drawings to poetry, embroidered clothing and jewelry. Along with these various artisans was music performed by local artists, including Soulchile Dynamite and Government Plates. One such artisan was Leah Montgomery, a senior from Columbia, Tennessee, studying anthropology. Montgomery’s table focused on original poems and the offering of tarot reading. Montgomery talked about the experience of an event like the Midnight Bizarre. "This is my first event vend-
Courtesy Photo | Corban Woodward
Local band Soulchile Dynamite performs a set at the Midnight Bizarre. They were one of many local acts that played.
ing at all, and I just thought it would be a cool idea. I thought it would be a cool place and that there would be other people who had interesting booths," Montgomery said. Montgomery also raised the theme of supporting other artists in Starkville, and shining a light on that community. "I think artists are kind of
what makes life interesting; art makes life interesting. So I think supporting local artists gives them the means to create more art and share it with other people," Montgomery said. Montgomery talked about the main purpose for her art, saying that as long as the art resonates with someone, that is all that matters.
Another local artist with a table was Ian Burke, with a table focused on jewelry. Burke, a wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major, made jewelry adorned with bones. "Jewelry isn’t my main form of art, but it’s the form of art I can do quickly. I have been making jewelry since I was around 12, and some of these
I’ve had since I was around that age," Burke said. Burke mentioned the influence nature and wildlife have on the art on display. "I just like nature, and to me, nature is like the original art," Burke said. While the event was successful, Lily Jones said the planning was stressful, but rewarding. "You have to remember who needs what and when to communicate with them, and you want to make everyone happy because we feel like they’re doing us a favor by even being here. Without them, nothing would be here," Jones said. The planning of this event began long ago, Jones said, and the idea came when her and Barr drove by the lot and Barr decided he wanted to host an event there. When asked why an event such as the Midnight Bizarre was important to the local art community, Jones summed it up succinctly. "I think that artists always deserve a platform, and artists always need somewhere to congregate," Jones said.
Tumble out of bed and stumble to the theater: SCT to perform '9 to 5'
Katie rainwater
staff writer
Starkville Community Theatre (SCT) will be perorming "9 to 5: The Musical," featuring music by Dolly Parton, on March 30 at heir Main Street location. The musical, based on the movie and stage adaptation of the same name, follows hree female friends who strive to make a change in heir workplace, but must ake down their sexist boss to do so. Originally, SCT planned o perform the musical in spring 2020, but the start of he pandemic brought the production to a halt. Months of hard work had to be put on he back-burner less than a month before opening night. Director Paula Mabry described the process of puting on the show nearly two years later and the bumps along the way. "I lost about six cast members, maybe more," Mabry said. "Also, I lost my
assistant director." When the theater doors were cleared to re-open, Mabry felt a surge of support from the community, mostly those who work 9 to 5. Mabry's choreographer moved to New Albany during the show's absence and travels back and forth to Starkville twice a week. Mississippi State University students filled roles from the lead cast to the ensemble. Starkville residents of all pro-
fessions have also taken the stage for "9 to 5: The Musical." Mabry speaks highly of her diverse cast. "I have a high school principal, I have a pediatrician, I have a couple of retired people and people who teach," Mabry said. "It's a varied group of people who have put long hours into the dances and songs in rehearsals." Paul Ruff, winner of multi-
ple Best Actor Awards at the Mississippi Theatre Association and other prestigious awards, will be playing the role of Mr. Hart, the sexist boss of Doralee, Violet and Judy. SCT does not pay their actors, director, set designers or anyone else involved in the show. SCT has united Starkville residents for their love of theatre alone since the theater's opening in 1978.
Since the musical is fastpaced, Mabry said the stage will use three revolving platforms showing different scenes on each side to avoid breaking the continuity of the show and avoid wasting time with unnecessary blackouts. Another interesting production detail is perhaps the best one of all: a life-sized projection of Dolly herself sent directly from Music Theatre International. "We're planning on using the projection they sent us," Mabry said. "If they like Dolly Parton, they'll enjoy the show." Madeline Golden, who plays Violet in the show, has been involved with Starkville Community Theatre for 39 years. When asked what the show meant to her, she had all good things to say. "It means hard work and lots of laughter," Golden said. "As well as getting to meet and work with some great folks." Andrea Turnbow is playing Doralee Rhodes in the
show, the role portrayed by Dolly Parton in the film adaptation. She said the message of the show is important for everyone, not just women. "These women (portrayed in the musical) endure so much inequality and sexual harassment and work hard to change things," Turnbow said. " ... Unfortunately, we women are still fighting for these things today. This message is not just for women, but anyone who has been walked all over when they may not be sure how to stand up for themselves." Director Mabry said audiences can expect good music, good acting, a creative set and a whole lot of Dolly Parton. The show will run March 30 & 31 at 7:30, April 2 at 7:30, April 3 at 2 p.m. and April 5-9 at 7:30. Tickets are $20 and available at the Starkville Community Theatre office. If nobody is at the office, show-goers can call and leave their name to pick the tickets up later.
THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | @SPORTSREFLECTOR
Alumna Tiffany Flynn jumps onto world stage
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LYDIA PALMER | STAFF WRITER
Many Mississippi State University athletes have gone on to play at a professional level, but fewer have gone on to perform in the Olympic trials and in world championships. Tiffany Flynn, an MSU alumna from Ellenwood, Georgia, has been competing in track and field throughout high school, college and her professional career. Before even coming to MSU, the coaching staff at the university knew she was special, beginning with her competitive cheer background in high school. Chris Woods, the head track and field coach at MSU, was the one who recruited Flynn to be a part of his team. He shared that they were from the same hometown and he had a connection with a high school coach of hers, leading him to know who she was and how capable she was. "She really helped us further the development of our women's program here at Mississippi State," coach Woods said. "She's one of the best athletes that I've ever recruited." While Woods was her recruiter, the coach Flynn worked with the most during her time repping the maroon and white was Steve Thomas. "In our sport, you have to
get strong and that's really where she made the improvements— in the weight room," coach Thomas said. "As she got stronger and stronger, she got faster and she was able to perform at a really high level." Thomas shared that her determination in the weight room set her apart to break many freshman records, which is a great accomplishment as athletes only get one year to set those records and themselves apart. Thomas was her head coach throughout her time at MSU and continues to follow her accomplishments as she furthers her athletic career. Flynn is an athlete at her core, but she took what she loves and has shaped it into her career as well. She has a full time job working for the parks and recreation department of the city of Atlanta where she helps with city sports. "I've had to sacrifice some things to get here," Flynn said about her training in addition to working full-time. "I feel like that is something that I have had to work through, because some athletes don't have to work to live and pay for training or treatments. That has been a part of the challenge for me over the past couple of years."
Courtesy Photo | Johnny Zang
Tiffany Flynn, a former MSU track and field team member, represents the U.S. at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Serbia. She placed 4th in the women’s long jump.
This multi-passionate athlete speaks highly of her alma mater and stays in touch with some of the girls who are younger than her who she was able to work alongside during her collegiate career. Her adoration for the university that was one of the starting blocks for her athletic career has not gone unnoticed. Coach Woods loves how much Flynn attributes to her time at MSU. "She really takes pride in being a Mississippi State alumnus," Woods said about Flynn. "She's always reaching out to me and congratulating the kids that we have right now about their success. She's a Bulldog at heart through and through." Flynn currently holds the school's record for the women's triple-jump competition with a distance of
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13.87m. The prior record, which she also previously held, was 13.63m. Her coaches spoke highly of Flynn as a person, but also how her personality shines through in her athletic career, helping her to make great leaps and bounds over hurdles she has faced in competition. "All these kids that we recruit, they certainly have the potential to go on to higher competition," Woods said. "It was about Tiffany's sophomore year that I said that if she gets really serious about this sport, she can take this to the next level." In an interview with The Reflector, Flynn said she did not think there was anything a man could do that she cannot do. "I feel like I'm just as good as a guy," Flynn said, chuckling. "As a woman we
have many challenges that we have to push through, so I feel like I am just as tough and just as strong as any man. There may be some stronger than me but there are also some that I am definitely stronger than." Flynn took her skills to the international arena at a world championship earlier this month in Serbia, where she competed in the long-jump competition. She placed fourth with a 6.78m mark in the World Athletics Indoor Championship. Flynn also competed in the olympic trials in Oregon last summer, where she placed third in the long jump. Flynn is proud of the work she has accomplished and puts time and effort in each day to better herself as she represents the U.S. in her competitions, but said the time that she spent competing in the Southeastern
Conference prepared her for any competition she would face. "I competed against the best of the best in college, and I'm competing against the best of the best right now," Flynn said. "That was a tough conference to come out of and it's still tough right now competing against international athletes. It's pretty much the same level of challenge." Flynn said staying in her own zone with a focus on herself and her own training has helped her get to the level where she is currently. After her recent return from the competition in Serbia, Flynn is getting back into her routine of work and training in addition to treatments. Her Bulldog coaching family is excited to see where she goes next.
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