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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022
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Making a proud return: Starkville Pride set for next weekend dent organizations who wished to make the event a reality. The group presented the idea before officials at Starkville City Hall, but it was denied the necessary permits with a final 4-3 vote from the Board of Aldermen. News outlets like NBC News and The New York Times brought national attention to the city of Starkville and its decision. Due to the controversy surrounding the ruling, the permit was later approved. The initial decision led to an increased focus on the event and resulted in the biggest parade the city of Starkville has ever hosted on record.
EmmA NISBET STAff WRITER
On April 22, Starkville Pride will return after a two-year absence. Once again, the streets of downtown Starkville will see vibrant rainbows and flourishing flags. In 2020, Starkville Pride was canceled a week prior to the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast forward to 2022, this year's Starkville The Reflector | File Photo Pride has been named Citizens of all ages walk while carrying supportive signs at the 2019 Starkville Pride parade. This sign reads, “Love is too beautiful to lock in a closet.” "2020 Take Two." The festivities will Afterward, there will student discount of ley McDaniel and Emily begin at 6 p.m. on Fri- the LGBTQ+ commube a happy hour at $15. Turner, Mississippi day, April 22, with a nity. A Queer Arts Market Georgia Blue beginFinally, at 11 a.m. on State University Pride Kickoff at Harvey's. This mixer will will be held at 12 p.m. ning at 3 p.m. and a Sunday, April 24th, alumni, first envisioned allow the Starkville on Saturday, April 23, Pride Night Drag Show there will be a Drag Starkville Pride. The idea soon turned community to meet the at Fire Station Park and at Rick's Cafe at 8 p.m. Brunch at Dave's Dark into a larger group efStarkville Pride board followed by the Pride Tickets for the Drag Horse Tavern. Show are $20 with a In spring 2018, Bai- fort by LGBTQ+ stuand other members of Parade at 1 p.m.
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Sri Lankan Association protests against nation's leaders
Students and allies assembled to hold leaders accountable for the country’s economic crisis PAYTON BROWN NEWS EDITOR
On April 6, Mississippi State University's Sri Lankan Association gathered at the center of the Drill Field to protest against the political and economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Sumudu Athukorale, a Ph.D. student studying chemistry, said the association gathered to protest the political corruption found in Sri Lanka. "We are from Sri Lanka, and we are protesting against the current situation in Sri Lanka because the leaders and political parties are corrupted.
Everything is corrupted right now in Sri Lanka," Athukorale said. Athukorale said the corruption has had a drastic consequence on the nation's citizens. "People are suffering," Athukorale said. Athukorale said Sri Lankan government officials had been putting their own needs before their citizens. Sri Lanka is undergoing one of the worst economic depressions in decades. Zaheena Rasheed of AlJazeera reported that the foreign currency crunch has left the Sri Lankan government unable to afford fuel. This has led to
frequent electricity blackouts in parts of the country. Rasheed wrote that food and medicine prices have also doubled. Athukorale said the lack of food and the constant power outages have been drastic on citizens. "Especially for the kids. They cannot go to school because the schools are closed, you know, and every student cannot take exams. Everything is in trouble right now," Athukorale said. Athukorale said they wished the government would allow the correct people to lead Sri Lanka.
MSU introduces new marketing lab BRONWEN mADDOx STAff WRITER
Located on the second floor of McCool Hall, Mississippi State University has opened a new lab on campus. Market Innovation Lab and Observatory, commonly known as MILO, is giving students new and exclusive opportunities. MSU holds one of the five major marketing labs in the nation and one of the first in the Southeast. Mike Breazeale, an associate professor of marketing who manages MILO, wanted to emphasize this. "The students should really be proud that we've got this resource here. This is something that our students and our faculty have access to that most schools don't," Breazeale said. Breazeale mentioned the excitement surrounding the addition of MILO. "We have a bigger lab than Harvard, so it's pretty exciting to know that the hard work that
"Yeah, but we are enforcing the government to step back," Athukorale said. Athukorale noted that while most other leaders and politicians around the world are educated, most of the Sri Lankan population is not. "I think about 1% or less than 1% of people are well educated. Other than that, everyone is not educated," Athukorale said. Athukorale said Mahinda Rajapaksa, prime minister of Sri Lanka, did not know how to properly lead the country and handle the current crisis. PROTEST, 2
Payton Brown | The Reflector
The Sri Lankan Association gathered to protest in the center of the Drill Field.
MS Department of Education awards education majors $10 million for tuition TAYlOR STIgAll STAff WRITER
John Griffin | The Reflector
Blaise Bergiel works in the MILO Lab to help the MSU business program conduct research.
we put in and the belief that our administration and our donors have is really paying off in a way that's going to benefit everybody," Breazeale said. Robert Moore, a marketing professor, was also involved in the expansion and referred to Breazeale as the driving force. "He is the expert on it. He knows what he's talking about. He came here and he wanted to do it right away," Moore said.
Breazeale explained what the lab would be used for. "It's kind of the cutting edge and the future of research right now," Breazeale said. "For probably a thousand years, we've used surveys pretty much as a way to tell what people want or have people tell us what they want or what they think about things." Breazeale said that the laboratory would give a better analysis in these surveys. LAB, 2
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Due to the shortage of teachers, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has established a new program designed to boost the number of teachers in Mississippi. According to the MDE, there were approximately 3,000 certified teacher vacancies in 2021. These vacancies are the reason behind the MDE's new Mississippi Teacher Residency (MTR) program. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund funded this program, which is different from the private funds that the Kellogg Foundation has used in the past. MDE is awarding $9.8 million in total to the universities joining the program. $2.03 million is going to Mississippi State University. Courtney Van Cleve, state director of MDE's
FORECAST: The April showers continue to plague Starkville, but thankfully, the temperatures appear to be rising into the high 70s and low 80s. Feel free to pull out shorts and T-shirts again as we settle into summer weather. Make sure to carry a rain jacket!
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Jahari Bell | The Reflector
A professor writes equations on a chalkboard in Allen Hall while teaching.
Division of Educator Talent Acquisition and Effectiveness, said the education workforce in Mississippi is strengthened through policies in the MTR program. "Like other states across the country, Mississippi is facing a teacher shortage," Van Cleve said. "We have found that the Mississippi Teacher Residency program is the key strategy for keeping one of our goals of every school having effective teachers."
According to Van Cleve, the challenge of teacher shortages will require joint effort to reach a relevant solution. Van Cleve said the MTR program is designed to help students leave college as fullyfledged educators with no college debt. This program includes training with the assistance of a mentor, full scholarships and professional development. TUITION, 2
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LAB "Now, we can get a much deeper dive into that and figure out a lot more than the people themselves are even aware of which is really cool," Breazeale said. According to Breazeale, the lab allows researchers to capture and analyze all of the telling movements, such as facial expression and heart rate, to help them test a product's reception by the public. "In terms of even helping companies with their management and how they present things to customers, we can work with companies on putting together their financial reports and all, and how people perceive those when they look at them." Breazeale said. Breazeale said small businesses would benefit from MILO due to the lack of price restraints.
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"It really is just kind of a win-win for everybody," Breazeale said. Blaise Bergiel, a junior majoring in management, is interning at MILO. "I really see a bunch of potential in this. Marketing is where you kind of have to draw in the attention of whoever you're trying to get to buy your product.", Bergiel said. Bergiel said physically seeing the data of people's responses would be the best for the marketing field. The lab is currently conducting some preliminary studies. Around 450 students are being monitored for these studies through eye tracking and skin response. With the addition of the lab being installed,
Breazeale said the advancements will continue. "Hopefully, as much as this feels like the culmination of everything I've done, it's really just the beginning. I would love to see us expand our capabilities into downtown somewhere, like at the innovation center." Breazeale said. Breazeale expressed his satisfaction with the work they will be able to do for small businesses, but he said he hoped to take the lab to bigger cities with larger corporations. "My big goal is to have a mobile lab ... so that we can be truly a national force in it," Breazeale said. Breazeale said the lab will open up a new line of research for the business community.
John Griffin | The Reflector
Located in McCool Hall, the MILO lab collects patients' reactionary data in a survey. The lab is studying 450 students.
PROTEST
"They're like ruling them on a certain ministry, but they don't have any knowledge on the economy's situation or how to handle these financial matters, especially the finance ministry," Athukorale said. A t h u k o r a l e emphasized the protest as a way to criticize the Sri Lankan g o v e r n m e n t ' s involvement in the economic crisis. "This is not the way to rule the country. I mean, you need a real change, or a system change in the country," Athukorale said.
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Next to Athukorale stood Chamika Silva, a lecturer at University of Peradeniya, who held a sign in Sinhala, one of Sri Lanka's national languages. "This says the president's name," Silva said. Silva said the citizens of Sri Lanka had asked Gotabaya Rajapaksa, president of Sri Lanka, to step down from his position. "So, we asked him to step down and leave the country because within the last two years, he just stalled government money," Silva said.
According to Jessie Yeung of CNN, Rajapaksa cut taxes as a way to stimulate the economy, but the plan backfired, making Sri Lanka unable to access overseas markets. Yeung said the crisis has caused daily life for Sri Lankans to consist of long lines and rationed food. Silva agreed that the lack of electricity, gas and food has been due to Rajapaksa's actions. "The people are protesting, so we are with them. This protest is actually to let them know that we are getting them. They say
please change, so we need to change," Silva said. Another eyecatching sign was held by Samadhi Nawalage, a graduate student studying chemistry. "So that I tried to translate it into proper English, but this says bad karma can also come in the form of a precedent," Nawalage said. The crowd of protesters gathered together proudly to display their signs and continued to relay their cause to students Payton Brown| The Reflector passing by for a couple Students and allies hold signs written in Sinhala, one of the national languages of Sri Lanka. of hours.
TUITION
By assisting students facing financial barriers of college, Van Cleve said MDE hoped Mississippi would gain valuable educators for schools across the state. Van Cleve said the MTR program will benefit participants by making them fully licensed teachers with no debt and lots of experience. She said new
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teachers will be able to handle the stress that comes with teaching and stick with the career path through the program. Van Cleve said a large part of the teacher shortage is due to low teacher retention. With 50% of new teachers leaving the profession after the first five years, these low retention rates cause the MTR
program to ready students to be educators. Andrea Berryhill, a senior elementary education major, said that she is glad to see the program is helping more people realize the importance of teachers. "I am so glad that Mississippi is stepping up and realizing the impact teachers have on the state and the
population of the state," Berryhill said. "When you make a salary that may not be over the top, it is hard to go back and get a master's degree, especially if you are wanting to stay out of debt." Berryhill said she believed this program would bring more teachers into the state. Since the MTR program is awarding full
PRIDE The first Starkville Pride had more than 3,000 attendees. The presence of the LGBTQ+ community on MSU's campus began in the early 2010s with a student organization called Spectrum which focused on bringing the LGBTQ+ students together. However, a split divided the community. Spectrum was focused on community building and privacy while some members wanted to do more for the LGBTQ+ community in Starkville on a public level. Those students broke off and formed the LGBTQ+ Union. The two groups coexisted until spring 2019 when they recombined to form F.L.A.R.E. (Fostering LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Resources and Environments). It is now the primary LGBTQ+ student organization present at MSU. The group alternates between private and public meetings and works to extend education on the LGBTQ+ community to the rest of the university.
scholarships, Berryhill said more education majors might get their master's degrees. She said this would result in more teachers, as well as effective and k n o w l e d g e a b l e educators for Mississippi. Madison Stewman, a freshman secondary education major, said effective teachers are a vital part of students'
education and can have a positive impact on their home lives. "I feel like the MTR program will open the door to people that want to teach but may not have the money for college," Stewman said. "I believe that without the pay wall, this program will help with the teacher shortage and help bring more people in."
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Harry Jones, a senior biochemistry major and the president of F.L.A.R.E., said it is important to build a community to find others to be vulnerable with. "We're not building an army," Jones said jokingly. "I'm happy that we continue to foster a small community and occasionally reach out to the public." Meagan O'Nan is a Starkville native, award-winning author, keynote speaker, storyteller and MSU alumna who has published books about her firsthand experience as a queer woman. O'Nan was outed while attending MSU in 2004. After her experience, she decided to leave the state for several years and eventually returned in 2010. MSU celebrated its first National Coming Out Day in 2013, at which O'Nan was a speaker. In O'Nan's eyes, the event marked the start of conversations about same-sex marriage and gay rights. O'Nan was also in-
volved in the first Starkville Pride. "Now, more than ever, we need to be vocal, and we need to be present and we need as much visibility as possible and as much representation as possible," O'Nan said. O'Nan said the event and the supportive community are essential. "Coming back together, we all have to do our little part and be open to other people outside of our community as well," O'Nan said. Since the first Starkville Pride, there has been no further controversy when acquiring the permits to hold the event. Dustin Smith, a senior English major and media chair of Starkville Pride, said that Starkville Pride makes the city a more interesting place to be. "Not only does it benefit the LGBTQ+ community in town, but it draws students to MSU. It is important for the people living in our area to see that," Smith said. Smith explained the significance of Pride.
"If young gay, lesbian, trans kids see adults that are successful, that are living and working and thriving, that phrase, 'It gets better' is more than just a Band-Aid," Smith said. "It's more than just an, 'Oh, it'll eventually be okay,' because you see it, and I think that's what Starkville Pride does." Patty Lathan, the vice president and treasurer of Starkville Pride, described the importance of LGBTQ+ events were to her. "It's really important that we have something like Pride so that our youth can realize that there are other LGBTQ+ people around and that we have our straight allies who are there to support us as well and not feel so alone," Lathan said. O'Nan concluded with her own parting advice to the LGBTQ+ community. "To the LGBTQ+ community, just keep showing up. We need each other. That is how we make change," O'Nan said. "That is how we get more acceptance."
The Reflector | File Photo
Starkville Pride attendees wave flags while marching through the city in 2019.
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Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Saturday, April 9, 2022
A student was arrested at College View for public drunkenness.
A student was arrested on Bailey Howell Drive for DUI, false information and improper equipment.
Thursday, April 7, 2022 A student was arrested in Starkville and given their first DUI.
Friday, April 8, 2022 A student reported two unknown males rushed him in a parking lot.
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A student was issued a citation on Hardy Road for possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle and driving without lights.
A student was arrested on Barr Avenue for careless driving, possession of a fake ID and DUI. A visitor reported hitting a water main on Clyde Q. Sheely Circle.
Sunday, April 10, 2022 Officers responded to a fight in Sessums Hall. A student and a visitor were arrested in Magnolia Hall for public drunkenness.
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THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022 | @REFLECTORONLINE
OPINION
Who has the best cheese fries in Starkville? Food Wars: A serious and procedural inquir y into the pertinent culinar y questions of our town
Emma Dotson is a senior majoring in communication. Contact them at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu
The mission was simple: determine the best cheese fries in Starkville. After hearing Starkville proclaimed as the "Cheese Fry Capital of the World" by Twitter user @cheesefrystark, I decided defining the best cheese fries in Starkville would be my final contribution to The Reflector for the Starkville community. We set out on our mission on a Wednesday afternoon, beginning the journey at the Bin 612. This would be our first
Ivy Rose Ball| The Reflector
Bin 612 employee Hanna Scott holds a plate of famous Buffalo Tender Cheese Fries.
stop of six with a mixed bunch of past and current editorial staff as the judges. The fries would be judged based on four categories ranked on a scale of one to five: cheese taste, fry texture, fry taste and an overall rating. Bin 612's crinkle-cut fries come served in a white ceramic dish with liquid white cheese, slightly sweet seasoning and seemed to be chopped parsley on top for the price of $5. Reviews were mixed. "I had an out of body experience tasting this cheese," online editor Joshua Britt said. Others on the crawl agreed, while myself and a few others were not as swayed. Managing editor Joshua Stewart and former photography editor Adam Sullivan claimed the seasoning to be "overpowering," so perhaps their signature seasoning is not so signature after all. Bin 612's cheese fries received an impressive overall rating of 4.7. The next stop on our crawl was The Little Dooey, which is not too far up the road. The first thing you smell walking up to the eatery is barbecue, naturally. Despite— or perhaps due to—high expectations, I found these to be the most underwhelming cheese fries of the crawl. The waffle cut cheese fries, which we had topped with pulled pork and bacon were presented on a Styrofoam plate for $10.99. The meats themselves were good, but the fries beneath it were
smothered. The cheese ratio was off in proportion to the rest of the plate's serving, and any hope of crunch from the fries was suffocated by the toppings. Former editor-in-chief Hannah Blankenship commented her disappointment. "They were difficult to eat and did not have near enough cheese," Blankenship said. Overall rating: 2.9 After a somewhat unsatisfying experience at The Little Dooey, we walked across the street to Humble Taco for our next taste test. Our waiter was none other than current opinion editor, Luke Copley, who got to join the crawl for one stop. He gave us some chips and salsa as a palate cleanser between dishes. Side comment for Humble: please add some more cilantro, jalapeños or something to the salsa; it tasted like cold tomato soup. The $5.95 steak-style fries came topped with their house-made queso and Mexican seasonings on a thin ceramic plate. The cheese was divine, but the fries did not satisfy me, and the seasonings did not add much flavor. News editor Payton Brown disagreed and offered her humble opinion on the dish. "The fries were kind of stale, but the seasoning was grand," Brown said. Overall rating: 3.9 After paying 50 cents for parking a little up the street in hopes of not being towed at College View, we entered the
Michael Bourgeois is a senior majoring in Emglish. Contact them at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu
Two weeks ago, Will Smith struck Chris Rock across the face after Rock made a joke regarding the condition of Jada Smith's alopecia. As a result, the slap at the Academy Awards sparked the internet into two distinct camps with some defending Smith's defense of his wife and others condemning his use of violence against Rock for a joke. Smith's decision to slap Rock, however, is simply symptomatic of a larger problem: the downfall of the American celebrity culture through idolization. Americans worship their celebrities, pouring billions of dollars and millions of hours of attention into absorbing their products, creating an ultra-rich elite believing there are entitled to the liberties that our culture gives them. The slap is the culmination of that—the degradation of the American culture by those who believe they can restructure
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Ivy Rose Ball| The Reflector
The Bin 612 offers a variety of cheese fry experiences, including shrimp avocado, buffalo chicken and truffle parmesan.
StaggerIn Sports Grill. Upon entering, I was met with rock music which then rolled over to Hank Williams Jr.'s "Family Tradition." I hope food crawls become a Reflector family tradition following this. We had gotten weird looks and questions of "Are you sure?" during this crawl while only ordering a singular order of fries, but the waitress at StaggerIn was unfazed and described the serving size akin to "a tub." She placed it on our table about 10 minutes later and a tub it was! For $7.99 we were blessed with a vat of delicious gooey crinkle-cut fries topped with bacon. These were my favorites. Editor-in-chief Heather Harrison, our resident vegetarian, offered that her take. "The cheese had a little kick, but I wish they had some without bacon,"
Harrison said. Stewart was surprised with the sports bar's entry to the crawl contest. "Incredible. Wow. Shocker. Upset. Underdog," Stewart said. "These are delicious." Overall rating: 3.7 The next stop was another bar! Dave's Dark Horse Tavern offers its own competitor for $9.99. These were our first fries with potato skins on them, which was admirable, though not successful. The cheese was excellent, and I think these may have taken gold had a different type of fry been paired with it. Britt also praised the cheese. "The cheese is awesome. The fries are a travesty," Britt said. "I don't like the texture at all." Overall rating: 3.1 Last stop for the crawl was Oby's, where we were mistakenly given Rotel cheese fries after we failed
to ask for the "Ultimate" cheese fry experience. These were $8.75 and tasted exactly how you would expect. A wafflecut fry with Velveeta style cheese and Rotel poured on top. However, I will say the waffle-cut fries here were far better than the previous attempt and had a lovely crunch. I have had the Ultimate Fries before and believe they would have been in the top three if not for the mix-up. Overall rating: 3.2 And the winner of the cheese fry crawl is Bin 612! Honorable mention to Dave's and Humble Taco who were tied for best cheese, StaggerIn for best fry and best overall value for your money. This was a great experience, and hopefully helps improve the cheese fry scene in Starkville even more. Thanks for crawling with us!
arrestees were the same people they constantly use their platform to advocate for. Beyond that, the people policing their party were the same organization they demanded be defunded in the name of the people being arrested. The irony is somehow lost upon our societal betters. Of course, this party also played host to some politicians as well, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and then mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio, both of whom vowed to stand with the BLM movement and back its agenda on a policy level.
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Double standards ruined the American celebrity it, and demands that the culture detach itself from celebrity worship and turn again to reflecting the American people. American celebrity worship is not a new phenomenon; Americans have always extolled the rich and famous within our society, but recently, American celebrities have used their platforms to virtue-signal and promote their individual platforms. No better opportunity has given American celebrities the chance to do this as the pandemic, but also no better opportunity has been given to highlight their hypocrisy. While Americans bore the brunt of the pandemic and working families suffered, according to Vanessa Friedman of the New York Times, celebrities bought tickets for $35,000 a piece to attend the Met Gala in September. While this lavish party occurred, a Black Lives Matter protest occurred outside of the gala and, according to Jameelah Nasheed with TeenVogue, "regular folk peacefully expressing their desire for a better America … were aggressively handled and arrested while being pulled away from the glitz and glam." For the celebrities attending the Gala, these
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In addition to the societal elites proclaiming their political agendas as gospel to be consumed by everyday Americans, celebrities are using their platforms to promote degeneracy and toxic messages to the American people. Using Will Smith as an example, in his slapping of Chris Rock he is demonstrating that in responding to a joke he does not like, he is permitted to react violently. No noncelebrity person could do this. Smith, on the other hand, who, according to Michele Blood with Fox Business, has an estimated net worth of $350 million and has
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 word count 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.
over 60 million followers on Instagram, was allowed take words as reasonable grounds for violence, regardless of occasion or their intention. Further, many Americans supported Smith in his reaction, a concerning trend in a country that ardently values free speech. Smith turned the Academy Awards, intended to recognize the most talented in the film industry for their work, and transformed it into a narcissist spectacle with him as the center of attention. This is evident in his acceptance speech for Best Lead Actor. Smith said, "Richard
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.
Dontae Ball | The Reflector
Williams was a fierce defender of his family ... In this business, you've got to be able to have people disrespecting you, and you've got to smile and you've got to pretend like that's OK." Will Smith took this opportunity to remind us that his fame makes him the victim in this situation, not the aggressor. American celebrity worship needs to balance itself and restore faith in the culture. American celebrities have been permitted to dominate culture for too long, and it is time to restore American society by deflating their egos and returning to our values.
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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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT
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MSU NPHC is raising money for garden plaza
The Council’s legacy landmark is in the works after years of no physical representation
Lizzie toMLin
staff writer
The National PanHellenic Council (NPHC) at Mississippi State University is seeking support from the community to fundraise for a designated garden plaza to represent the organization and allow space for NPHC events on campus. The NPHC represents the nine Black Greek Letter Organizations, or the Divine Nine, at MSU. The plaza will serve as a gathering area for the organizations. The project is currently being designed. Construction will begin after enough funds are raised for the materials. Jackie Mullen, director of fraternity and sorority life on campus, explained her the purpose of the project. "We have been workng on the NPHC Plaza Project for the past four years as we have been working our way through the process of wanting our NPHC organizations to be physically represented on our campus in some way," Mullen said. While the design is underway, the NPHC is asking members of the community to donate funds to the construction of the garden. The space is meant to function as a symbol of representation for this or-
Jackie Mullen| Courtesy Photo
Jackie Mullen, fraternity and sorority director.
“We have been working on the NPHC Plaza Project for the past four years.” Jackie Mullen Director Fraternity and Sorority Life
ganization as well as a place to gather for events and meetings. Dell Ivy, initiate of the Kappa Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and 2021 president of the NPHC, described what the plaza will represent to him. "The plaza project will symbolically and physically represent each organization's presence on campus. They will give alumni and current members recognition for their organization and, more specifically, highlight
Jackie Mullen| Courtesy Photo
Designs for the National Pan-Hellenic Council Garden Plaza have been in the works for the past four years. The goal is to ensure the nine Black sororities and fraternities have representation at MSU.
the longevity and success of their chapter of initiation," Ivy said. The plaza is a symbol of inclusivity on campus and is a way of honoring a historical organization in a special way, Ivy said. Black organizations such as the nine chapters of the NPHC have had no space on campus, and the construction of the NPHC Plaza is a step to promoting equality and diversity for those organizations. Mullen explained her interpretation of the meaning and functionality behind the project.
"Our NPHC community decided that an NPHC plaza would be the best way to display the history, traditions and general information on the Divine Nine chapters represented by the NPHC Council. Many of our Greek organizations at MSU have houses that display their history, traditions and representation on campus, and we wanted a unique way for our NPHC organizations to also be represented," Mullen said. Jana Berkery, Director of Development for MSU Foundation, over-
sees fundraising efforts for the organization. She encouraged students and other community members to donate to the project. "No matter the size of your gift, you are helping create a very special place on campus. When everyone gives— students, alumni, family, friends—the dollars add up; each and every gift is important. In years to come, while enjoying time at the plaza, you can think to yourself, 'I helped make this happen' and be proud that you did," Berkery said.
The plaza will hold a place of importance for members of the Divine Nine chapters composed in the NPHC as well as a physical expression of their experience. Ivy described the intended outcome of the project. "It is a reward that most of our alumni have been looking to see for many years. The intended outcome for the plaza is simple, showing each organization that they matter and their place on this campus can be seen and cherished for years to come," Ivy said.
TheatreMSU traveled to Antilles in "Once on This Island"
bronwen Maddox
staff writer
For its final production of the year, TheatreMSU performed "Once on This Island." The play opened Wednesday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m. The troupe perormed twice on April 9, and the final show was on April 10. "Once on This Island" s a one-act musical by Lynn Ahrens with music by Stephen Flaherty. The play follows a young peasant girl named Ti Moune, played by Veronica Washington, as she falls n love with Daniel Beauxhomme, played by Darryl Brundidge Jr., as she fights to stay by his side, even when chalenged by Papa Ge, god of death. In the end, she loses Daniel and dies of a broken heart, but the gods take pity on her and turn her into a tree, alowing her to bless the descendants of her lost ove. TheatreMSU's supporting cast added to the story by quickly shifting characters. From vilagers, to birds and trees and even to snippy gossipers, they made the story become real, particpants said. Melanie Harris, a Mississippi State University aculty member and costume designer for the production, said viewers should sit back and enjoy their time watching the show. "This is just a very fun show, just a sit-back-andenjoy kind of show," Harris said. "We try to make sure we have pretty balanced seasons, some hard-hitting things and some things that are just or fun, something to teach. So we try to make sure we have a variety but this was a 'Let’s close out
Santosh Kumar T K| The Reflector
The cast and crew of "Once on This Island," a stage musical, poses on the McComas Theatre stage. The play, written by Lynn Ahrens, follows Ti Moune and Daniel Beauxhomme as Ti fights for Daniel’s love.
the year on a good note' for everybody." Helen Anne Horecky, a junior marketing student, performed for the first time this year as Erzulie, the goddess of love. "I've never done a musical at Mississippi State. This is my first one, but I did musicals when I was in high school, and I've been a part of MSU Theatre since freshman year," she said. "I just hadn’t really gotten a chance to put myself out there and audition for something." She said she was ex-
cited to get the part and contribute to the production. "But I finally did audition, and I got the part of Erzulie, which was literally incredible. I was so thankful, especially for it being my first show and it's just been so much fun," Horecky said. "We all just share the same passion for theater, and we all love the show." Marleisha Kyles made a special appearance in the show. She is currently a staff member at MSU, but she also acted during undergrad and grad school
at MSU. "Mar is literally so helpful and the most encouraging person you will ever meet. She's actually so sweet. Me and Mar have this pre-show ritual where we do Soulja Boy; I think it's funny," Horecky said about Kyles. "... She's kind of like a mentor to almost all of us because she is older, and she's literally so talented, too." The cast and crew started working on the musical in January 2022. As the performances drew nearer, time spent re-
hearsing increased until the week of the first show when the cast rehearsed for almost 12 hours in one day. The cast and crew were coming and going as needed based on their roles. The music was a major part of the show. TheatreMSU borrowed many voices from the State Singers to supplement the show. Throughout the show, the cast constantly moved around, and many times even upward, as the set allowed for vertical movement and provided areas
for the gods to stand and watch over the island. Even with the special effects, the crew fluidly switched scenes by moving only one item. Jesse Wade, technical director for TheatreMSU, explained their experience building sets. "My job is to just build sets … We were on a pretty short time frame to get the set built, but I mean the set design wasn't super complex even with all the surprises and stuff that you see with it throughout the show," Wade said.
THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022 | @SPORTSREFLECTOR
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SPORTS
Ashok Manick | The Reflector
Long Beach, California, native Chloe Malau’ulu rounds the bases in previous action this season. Malau’ulu, a senior outfielder, has made herself a staple at the top of the Bulldogs’ hitting lineup in her tenure with MSU.
The Queens of the Diamond: Softball off to a roaring start After a 2-1 series victory over the Missouri Tigers, MSU softball sits at fifth in the SEC
mychaela reynard staff writer
Coming off of a onewin weekend against No. 11 Tennessee, the Bulldog ladies sought to find themselves in the NCAA top-25 softball rankings ahead of their matchup with the Missouri Tigers this past weekend. Friday evening, Kenley Hawk toed the rubber for the Bulldogs. While she put another win under her belt, the starter ran into a bit of trouble in a sixth inning
jam. Annie Willis came to her aid, striking out three batters to end the inning. "That was huge," coach Samantha Ricketts said on behalf of Willis. "Coming into the game, bases loaded with no outs. That was big time." Offensively, Mia Davidson homered, yet again. After Friday, Davidson was tied for 7th in the NCAA softball home-run record at 85 bombs. Her homer came in the bottom of the third, and was the tying run for the Bulldogs,
bringing the score to an even 2-2. MSU scored seven more runs, making the final score 9-2 over Missouri. The loss brought Mizzou's conference record to 36-0 after Friday. Saturday's game quickly became a game for Paige Cook, a junior from Cornelia, Georgia. Cook has arguably been the most clutch hitter for the Bulldogs when she has runners in scoring position, and added to that argument during play. Her two-run homer in the first inning held
up the entire game. "We enjoy the close games, and we enjoy the comeback games like yesterday. We enjoy just going out there and being able to compete together, so it was fun to see them do that in a tight game today," coach Ricketts said. Willis, the starter, allowed just one hit in her 5 innings pitched. MSU pitching was able to hold off the Tigers, making Saturday's final score 2-0, MSU. Nusz Park hosted a thriller for Sunday's game. The Bulldogs
moved into the day with a chance at a momentumbuilding SEC sweep. Missouri scored first, or so we thought. After review, the runner was called out at home. That was not the only call to Birmingham on Sunday, though. In the top of the sixth inning, Mizzou made an illegal substitution that Ricketts was able to catch. Therefore, the run scored by the sub was removed. Standing at a 5-5 ballgame, the Bulldogs and Tigers moved into extra innings.
Mississippi State University was defeated after giving up both a home-run and an insidethe-park home-run. Missouri avoided the sweep, and walked away with a 8-5 win over MSU. After the series victory, MSU now sits at 7-5 in the conference and 26-14 overall, placing them at fifth in the SEC standings for the moment. MSU will continue SEC play and hope to find themselves in the rankings as they go to face Alabama on Thursday, April 14.
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