Banned Books Week challenges censorship
Iron axe heads were found at the site.
With two days left in the
Lizzie tomLin staFF writer
Tony Boudreaux, an MSU archaeologist involved in the research on Chikasha, said the likely source of these artifacts was the Spanish expedition led by explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto.Inhis 1539 to 1542 expedition, De Soto was the first European to explore deep into what is now Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and AccordingTexas. to Boudreaux, Spanish accounts describe that De Soto arrived in December 1540 at what was likely the Tombigbee River near Columbus, Mississippi.
Located on Highway 12, the new Triangle Crossing shopping center will begin opening the doors of stores in the plaza this fall.
Five Below sells a plethora of miscellaneous items for under the price of $5.
In June 2015, archaeologists and students from the Chickasaw Nation, the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) and the University of Florida traveled south through Mississippi’s Blackland Prairie to survey sites that could have been tied to the Chickasaw Nation’s history.
“Banning books allows for certain groups to
display discrimination against minorities. Books, I believe, should not be banned,” Case said.
Courtesy Photo | James Legg
After two weeks of searching, they reached the end of their route and had little to show for it.
According to New,
viewpoints instead of being stuck in your own little bubble,” New said.
As a student in the English department, she said banning books affects her “Manycurriculum.books regarding race and gender have been
samUeL HUGHes staFF writer
Berry worked within the development as a project manager.“...There was an exist ing 9000-foot manufactur ing building on the prop erty. We actually recycled that building through the state’s Brownfield Remedi
Courtesy Photo | James Legg
Madelyn Sykes | The Reflector
SHOPPING, 2
BANNED, 2
Gabriella Sutherland | The Reflector
“Part of my background in history has allowed me to read part of 'Mein Kampf' because it's necessary to learn all
“We really couldn’t believe our eyes,” Lieb said. At this site, archaeologists discovered over one hundred Spanish metal artifacts: iron axe heads, nails, barrel bands, chains, horseshoes, lead shot, brass kettle fragments and even a small cannon ball and a sword fragment. Many of these had been repurposed
majoring in English and former teacher, said she had her own personal experience with banned books.“As a teacher, I was really shocked when I learned I was going to be teaching 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' especially in Mississippi,” Bell said. After finishing the book with her class, she recalled seeing news about Florida moving to ban the book in schools.
Banned Books Week is a campaign used to speak out against the censorship of novels.
Archaeologists discovered over 100 artifacts at the presumed Chikasha site, which is located at the Starkville Archaeological Complex.
ation Program,” Berry said.Mark Castleberry, a property developer and owner of Castle Properties, said the land was originally purchased for the develop ment in 2019.
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New shopping center begins opening stores
The list of challenged and banned books also includes literary classics such as "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding.
Between Sept. 18 to 24, Banned Books Week will be hosted across U.S. libraries to recognize challenged literature.
SCIAA turned on their metal detectors, and within moments, he knew they had discovered something incredible.
certain books are banned to censor messages that are thought to be damaging to the people reading them.
EXPEDITION, 2
Starkville linked to Chickasaw Nation history, De Soto expedition
Similar to Case, Rachel Bell, a graduate student
Lieb said they surveyed older sites believed to be related to the Chikasha, a Native American chiefdom ancestral to the modern-day Chickasaw Nation.
Sam Berry, senior devel opment manager at Rise Properties, said his com pany has helped develop nationwide shopping centers similar to Triangle Crossing.“Through those years and relationships made, we got pulled into this project through a mutual friend of ours, Mark Castleberry,” Berry said.
This fall, bookstores in Starkville have adjusted their business to reflect local changes in the textbook market such as the BulldogLocatedBundle.near the Wesley Foundation and Baptist Student Union, Campus Book Mart closed over the summer to change their business structure and make up for lost revenueBarbarastreams.Foster, the manager of Campus Book Mart, was part of the team that took on the challenge of restructuring, remodeling and reforming of the store’s business plan. “Back in March, when the university went to the Bulldog Bundle program, we thought this may be our time to quit selling
Campus Book Mart has rebranded to exclusively sell apparel, gifts and supplies.
Next week, the Mitchell Memorial Library will celebrate Banned Books Week by recognizing works of literature that have been challenged or banned.Banned Books Week, an awareness campaign affiliated with the American Library Association, takes place Sept. 18 to Sept. 24 throughout the U.S.
textbooks because we can’t compete with that,” Foster said.Foster said the store could not afford to compete with the bundle’s $20 charge per credit hour.The Bully Shop was formerly in the downstairs area of Campus Book Mart
field, Lieb said he decided to survey a site outside of Starkville at the Starkville ArchaeologicalArchaeologistsComplex.from
and sold apparel, artwork and other Mississippi State University gift-related items.“We just decided we would go ahead and bring the Bully Shop upstairs. We have more room, and we’re able to carry a lot more things,” Foster said. BOOKSTORE, 2
Brad Lieb, a Mississippi State University graduate and archaeologist for the Chickasaw Nation, was a member of this expedition.
Madelyn Sykes | The Reflector
Payton Brown news editor
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
sara ContriBUtinGHeBertwriter
Case said freedom of speech is eliminated when books are banned.
Archaeologists discover ancient Native American civilization connected to Chickasaw Nation
banned from schools and universities, and I feel as if this holds students back from learning about experiences that are meant to be discussed from certain groups of minorities,” Case said.
by Native Americans into useful tools and ornaments.
According to the event's website, books like “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson will be showcased.K.C.New, humanities librarian at Mitchell Memorial Library, said the event is used to celebrate and inform others of censorship.“Lastyear there were almost 2,000 titles that were challenged or banned, and having a specific week dedicated to them allows for a conversation about censorship,” New said.
Five Below opened on Sept.Other2. stores such as Ulta Beauty, Marshalls, Sports Clips, Aspen Dental, Rack Room Shoes, Aldi and PetSmart will be opening later this year.
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
When literature is banned from library shelves, New said a college curriculum can be limited.
Local bookstores adjust to the Bulldog Bundle announcement
Anne Louise Phillips | The Reflector
According to New, next year’s projects for Banned Books Week will be more hands-on.Rheagan Case, a graduate student majoring in English, expressed how censorship is harmful.
semester.Kyler Smith, a junior computer engineering major, said that the abrupt and permanent closing of the store seemed unfair.
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Spaniards likely traded metal fragments with the Chikasha chiefdom for supplies.
“I grew up coming to Starkville for (Mississippi) State games, and I’m glad that older stores are still here — like the army supply store. I bought my first ukulele there,” Moorhead said.
see the harm in many of the novels involved with the “Ofevent.course, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed — we probably shouldn’t be proliferating hate speech — but more often than not, these books that are being challenged are net positives," Bell said.
The literary classic, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee has been previously challenged and banned for certain themes.
business to buy books on a budget,” Smith said.
Until this fall, textbooks were previously sold in the central area of Campus Book Mart.
library and pick up a banned“Freedombook. to read and engage with different ideas is so important intellectualtoimprovement.Weneedtoreadchallengingmaterialtochallengeourselvesandourownopinions,”Bellsaid.FormoreinformationonBannedBooksWeek,thelibraryplanstohostasocialmediacampaignthroughouttheweekonthe@msstatelibrariesInstagram.
“There was a large Native settlement at
“Chikasha must have been in the Starkville vicinity,” Lieb said. “Unfortunately for archaeology, I’m afraid Starkville sits on 16th-
Jency Montgomery, an employee at Book Mart & Café, mentioned the relationship the store shared with Campus Book Mart and how that relationship has evolved.“We are sister stores with Campus Book Mart, and it changed their whole way of doing things,” Montgomery said.While Campus Book Mart discontinued textbook sales and reestablished their store, the Book Mart & Café remains the same.“Asfar as our sales here, it
Campus Book Mart and Book Mart & Café are still in business, and both representatives said they look forward to seeing more students come in soon
To learn about the books that have been challenged and the topics associated with them, Bell encouraged students to visit the
SHOPPING
Brad Lieb Chickasaw Nation Archaeologist
Starkville — that we know,” Lieb said. “And now we know they were in close contact with the De Soto expedition in Boudreaux1541.”said this uneasy peace was shortlived. As spring approached, De Soto demanded more food and slaves from the Chikasha chief.The Chikasha pretended to submit to De Soto’s demands, but on a night before his departure, Chikasha warriors launched a surprise attack on the Spanish encampment. The Spanish were driven out of the area.
She recently completed her master’s thesis on the Starkville said.todayandbetweenandwhat’sNativebetweenSpanish,ChickasawfirstsuchStarkvillehistory.implicationsdiscoveryuncovertherethings,”alltheydid,who“We’rediscoveries.understandinglivedthere,whattheywhatkindofpotterymade,whattheyate—sortsofreallyinterestingFreemansaid.AccordingtoFreeman,isstillplentytoinStarkville.LiebsaidhefeltthehadpowerfulforStarkville’s“It’sverysignificantfortobethesiteofahistoricalevent—thecontactbetweentheandthethefirstcontactEuropeansandAmericans,intodayMississippialsothefirstbattleNativeAmericansEuropeansinwhat’sMississippi,”Liebvilleinmust“ChikashahavebeentheStarkvicinity.”
Gabriella Sutherland | The Reflector
While she has yet to visit, McReynolds said she was most excited about the opening of Five Below. She also she she hoped to visit PetSmart soon.
younger“Weaudiences.had to quit Children’s Time for COVIDrelated reasons, but my boss has brought it back, and our Children’s Time has been doing great,” Montgomery said.
Being from Columbus, Moorhead said she applied to attend Mississippi State University in the fall because there was so much available in Starkville.“We have pretty much
BANNED
Madelyn Sykes | The Reflector
She said she believed the new business additions would bring in more students to the university and the city.
Sam McReynolds, a senior at Starkville High School, had similar feelings about the new plaza.
While Five Below opened this month, Castleberry said the other larger retail stores in the center will begin to open in October. This includes Marshalls, Ulta Beauty, PetSmart, Rack Room Shoes and Aldi.
everything here, but if I had to say, I think we could use a Target,” Moorhead said.
Kory Moorhead, a student at Heritage Academy, recently shopped at Five Below and said she was a fan
The Bully Shop in Campus Book Mart has been relocated upstairs. The Bully Shop sells merchandise such as clothes and gifts.
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BOOKSTORE
interested in learning about their nation’s history andLiebculture.said the program consists of a two-week trip to the Chickasaw homeland to survey archaeological sites.Riley Freeman, a Chickasaw archaeologist, was on the Chickasaw Explorers expedition in
“I am excited because it’s not a super big city. Since it’s a college town, I feel like we should have more stores,” McReynolds said.
Book Mart & Café is a two-story bookstore located in downtown Starkville near Nine-TwentyNine Coffee Bar and Moe’s Barbecue.
“I’m super excited for PetSmart just so I can see the animals and be able to buy stuff for my animals,” McReynolds said.
Anne Louise Phillips | The Reflector
“None are as big as that, but we’re very, very strong on Starkville. It’s our home,” Castleberry said.
“We said, ‘we’ll do a grand re-opening the weekend of the first football game to get everybody jazzed up and excited,’ and we did. We had a great time,” Foster said.
of the store prior to its StarkvilleMoorheaddebut.said she was excited to see new stores opening but hoped this would not affect older stores in the community.
According to Foster, the Bully Shop had been located downstairs since the 1980s before being reestablished in the central area of the store.
Anne Louise Phillips | The Reflector
wasn’t any big deal because we didn’t order that many textbooks anyway,” Montgomery TimebroughtsaidHowever,said.MontgomerythebookstorehasbacktheirChildren’seventtocaterto
EXPEDITION @REFLECTORONLINE2 THE WEDNESDAY,REFLECTORSEPTEMBER 14 CONTINUED FROM 1
Castleberry said his company, Castleberry Properties, had six other projects under contract or negotiation in Starkville.
Montgomery said the upstairs area of the store will accommodate all ages with its variety of Locatedproducts.onHighway 12, Campus Bookstore permanently closed before the beginning of this fall
2018 and helped excavate many artifacts related to De Soto’sFreemanexpedition.said she discovered pieces of pottery formed by the hands of her ancestors.
Courtesy Photo | James Legg
At 10 a.m. on Sept. 2, the new Five Below in the Triangle Crossing shopping center opened. The store has accommodated customers with multiple self-checkout stations.
At Chikasha, De Soto likely traded metal for food and clothing so that his men could survive the winter.
“There will be a few stores, which we refer to as 'the shops.' This will be, like, El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant, and I believe it will not open until November,” Castleberry said.Castleberry said Triangle Crossing will provide significant employment opportunities.“Thatcenter will employ as many as maybe 200 people, and it’s estimated to generate about $35 million in total sales,” Castleberry said.
century Chikasha, and so it’s mostly destroyed by development.”Liebhas helped the Cherokee Nation direct the Chickasaw Explorers Program for Chickasaw college students who are
Lieb said De Soto and his men looked across the river and saw Chikasha warriors lining the bank. After showering the Spanish with arrows, these warriors withdrew when a squadron of Spanish cavalry approached. The Spanish occupied the small town of BoudreauxChikasha.said the Chikasha chiefdom was tied together by familial households. Small groups of houses separated by hundreds of yards dotted the region, and a chief held political influence over these households. The Chikasha grew crops in stream bottoms, hunted and foraged in the woodlands of the Blackland Prairie.According to Lieb, Spaniards likely traded many of their metal fragments to Native Americans as they traveled throughout the southeast.
She said she did not
“It’s annoying for me to not have a convenient local
“It kind of made me pause and reflect. It can happen anywhere,” Bell said.Bell expressed her opinion on restricting these books and their content.“Ialways sort of laugh to myself when books like 'Fahrenheit 451' or '1984' are banned, but then I realize that the people in power banning these books don’t understand them,” Bell said.
Lieb said it was difficult to determine exactly where De Soto traveled, even though vague accounts of his expedition have existed for centuries. The recent discovery in Starkville has allowed archaeologists to tie history to the archaeological record.
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Student in Dogwood Hall reported being harassed by her roommate and her roommate’s mother via Justicecellphone.Court citation is sued for driving the wrong way on Hurst Lane.
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Friday, September 9, 2022
Landon Scheel | The Reflector Perry Cafeteria was built in 1921.
LUCY ContRibUtingHALLMARKWRiteR
4 THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 | @REFLECTORONLINE
Oh! the humanities: Humanities degrees are valuable, if admittedly not lucrative
by MSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, the total number of students in both STEM and humanities majors is 11,646. Of this, STEM majors make up 10,108 and humanities majors make up 1,463. This data does support the argument that more resources need to be allocated on STEM, as they account for such a larger population of total students.Andyes, of course, STEM departments do bring the school more money, perhaps even much more. A quick look at the Annual Operating Budgets offered at the Office of the Controller and Treasurer, “oncampus” programs— ones that are officially part of
It is time for students to stop taking this dining hall for granted. Marketplace at Perry holds a unique place in Mississippi State history, and to this day, it has continued to uphold a pristine reputa tion.
Frankly, the quality of the food at Perry is similar, if not identical to Fresh Food Company. The real differ ences lie in atmosphere and location. Perry is quite nearly
Landon Scheel | The Reflector
andpoolyearMoose,event.OliveandTerryforeswimmingmingleDogsqualitycommunityownersandtowarddrained,rightpoolevent12thHumanecemberyearsnaryMSUsissippi,nativenamedsity’sMississippicaretakerStarkville.thePritchard,Bulldoghasthelater,thetheownedty,”thatowneduals.”pickingfromFridayballgivethemdays,themwentwhodogseventnextfordentstoprapidlyonasclubUniversity,theclubprovidewelcomingplayroleplayingsire.toplayedchess;own.puterpresidentoftabletopknownwantedcialstudents. staffkatie Bully haileycontributingMegancontributing
Breaks—a student journalism website— between 2009 and 2015 STEM programs grew by 43%, while humanities declined by 0.4%. This shows us that not as many new students are pursuing humanities degrees as they are STEM. Personally, it seems that this is attributed to the direction society has taken in recent years.
Mississippi State University and many students look down on humanities majors, both socially and financially.
Perry opens on weekdays at 7 a.m.
According to the enrollment data offered
MSU’s main campus—will bring in a collective $278 million in 2023. There is not a distinction made between how much of this is STEM and how much is the humanities, so a quick pat on the back for all of us. Meanwhile, the College of Veterinary Medicine brings in $55 million in total revenue alone, and the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station bats an additional $33 million.
Creators on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram claim humanities degrees are useless; they do not lead to you receiving a “good” job in the future. When did we decide this? When did we, as a society, decide that the only thing important about college was getting a job?
MAttHeW ContRibUtingbRUnSonWRiteR
on the center of campus, lo cated right off of the Drill Field. In comparison, Fresh Food Company is located much farther away, closer to the intramural fields. While the walk to Fresh definitely promotes a healthy lifestyle, it is not quite what most stu dents desire while fighting post-lecture hunger.
Dontae Ball
When asked about dining options on Mississippi State University's campus, stu dents have strong opinions. Whether it is about the qual ity of the food, the environ ment or the facilities, each dining hall on campus has something different to offer. However, the one dining hall that does not get her flowers nearly enough is the Market
the school is doing its students and the world a great disservice. It is worth talking numbers for a moment.
place at PerryPerry.iscertainly a com mon choice for a meal on campus, but more often than not, I hear students com plaining about it. I refuse to look down on Perry. I would even go so far as to say it is the superior dining hall.
OPINION
I recognize that the English department probably does not bring in $33 million, but higher education should be a non-profit undertaking. This should be the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake, not just the knowledge that
Perry also has the added bonus of an incredible staff. Anyone entering Perry would note the warm wel
come they receive from Ms. Annie and her dining hall staff colleagues. In a world where kind words can be few and far between, a polite phrase over a warm meal goes a long way.
To some, this makes sense; after all, why spend more money and give more opportunities to programs that produce less money? This is a pragmatic way to think about the world, but it misses a lot of nuance, especially when it comes to doing academia for fidelity. Higher education is about expanding the knowledge of humanity in all fields, and by removing funding and disincentivizing students to pursue majors in the humanities,
holds financial value. Further exacerbating the problem is the lack of vocal public support for humanities.
According to Madison Feser from Study
Hot Take: Perry Cafeteria is better than you give it credit for
old. She described Jak’s lively“He’spersonality.areallylaid back dog,” Pritchard said. “He completely works a crowd wherever he is. His favorite thing is for someone to scratch his back.”Kansas Paige Lee, a sophomore sports admin istration major from Pop larville, Mississippi, works as a fan experience and marketing intern for
telling me that they were interested in playing board games,” Kaler said. “But I can only have so many people at my board game night, so I was like ‘I should start a club for this.’”Kaler said a function of the club is to give people an opportunity to join the roleplaying game scene alongside the other forms of tabletop games. Table top roleplaying games in volve a group of people coming together to act and play out their stories, such as the popular Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), one of the tabletop club’s main focuses.Dungeons & Dragons is a long-standing roleplay ing game that brings fan tasy to tabletop. The game was published in 1974 but rose in popularity in re cent years. The tabletop club hosts events on cam pus to expand D&D to MSUThestudents.tabletop club hosted a D&D seminar Sunday in Griffis Hall. The seminar
“We’ve talked about reaching out to the com munity and if there’s enough response in the Down to Game community and enough people are in terested, we would repli cate (our events) to the en tire community,” Maddox said.Daniel Todd, the Down to Game co-owner since February 2020, said he hopes to work more with the club soon.
Not only does the yearly Dog Paddle bring the com munity together, but it is also a fundraiser for the hu
Jahari Bell | The Reflector
Bully and caretaker possess the "Bulldog spirit"
Since 1993, Pritchard has been working with the Bullys. A few years later, she orchestrated the change in who owned the lovable bulldogs.
The event is held yearly, right before the pool is drained, and all funds go toward the humane society and local dog shelters.
Jahari Bell | The Reflector
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Todd said Down-toGame made its presence known within the tabletop club through announce ments and help with events. He said he hopes to bring the event ideas of the tabletop club to Down-toGame to expand the club’s services to the greater Starkville community.
The owners said both dogs had a great time at the event and will be returning next year. The Terrys said
“Mr. Templeton was receptive to the idea,” Pritchard said. “He said, ‘Go find me a bulldog, and I’ll pay for it.’”
During the Dog Paddle event, visitors were able to bring their dogs to swim in the Moncrief Pool before it is drained.
rainWater
Price has been an em ployee at the shelter for over 10 months. While she does not have a dog of her own, she said she still want
“I’ve always felt Jak stirs a sense of excite ment and school pride second to none,” Turner said. “Not to mention how excited the cheer leaders get … Jak always welcomes us with happy licks and wags (of his tail).”After Super Bulldog Weekend in mid-April, Jak’s appearances are much less consistent. Pritchard tries to keep him inside for his health and to prevent heat ex haustion, but they frequently visit local ele mentary schools and as sisted living facilities.
Annual Dog Paddle splashes humane society with donations
Landon Scheel | The Reflector
ed to show her support and be there for the shelter dogs she loves.
Jak loves the team, and the team loves Jak. They give him plenty of backscratches, his favorite thing.Pritchard believes that if Jak could talk, there is one thing he would want Mississippi State to know.“He would say he is their biggest fan.” Prit chard said.
Megan contributinggordonWriter
The tabletop game scene at Mississippi State ex pands farther beyond the club as students become
LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT 5
“His head was held high, like he was saying ‘I’m the one you're look ing for,’” Pritchard said. “I told Mr. Templeton he was gonna be my Bully.” After routine health screenings, Pritchard took him to stay at her home. Since then, she has been the primary caretaker of the Bullys and is in charge of their appearances.Thecurrent Bully, Jak, has been with Pritchard since he was eight weeks
The event welcomes anyone and all dogs to come out and swim while getting to know the Stark ville community. Fitzger ald said she hopes in the fu ture the shelter can advertise their events even more and see more Missis sippi State University stu dents“There’spresent.just such joy, and you’re also around like-minded people, so it becomes a bonding time as well,” said Fitzgerald.
Soon, they will begin vis iting local retailers for Maroon
social with their own board, card and D&D games.“Iskipped the tabletop club interest meeting to play D&D,” said Macy Bolton, a sophomore ani mal and dairy sciences major.Co-founder Kaler said the tabletop club has many events planned throughout the semester, including some Dungeons & Dragons related functions. He also said the club is looking to hold an election
“We do all football games, home and away, and men and women’s home basketball games. We do some baseball and softball games, though he cannot stay too long in the Mississippi heat,” PritchardAnnaleesaid.Turner, a jun ior kinesiology major from Corinth, Missis sippi, is an MSU co-ed cheerleader. She said in teracting with Jak brings immense joy to her and the other cheerleaders.
On Saturday, Jak’s re sponsibilities begin two hours before kickoff. Pritchard gives him time to relax and sleep before the busy day ahead.
“That’s going to be very expensive, and we are starting this project very soon.”Fitzgerald first began as
The tabletop gaming club at MSU was formed to provide students with a welcoming community to play any card, board or roleplaying game they de sire. The club gives access to any game that can be played on a table except chess; it has a club of its own.JoJo Kaler, a junior com puter science major, is the president and co-founder of the club. He is an avid tabletop gamer and is wellknown for it. He said he wanted to spread his spe cial interest to his fellow students.“I’dalways have people
The dog paddle allows owners to give back to their community while spending quality time with their pets.
Along with local dog owners and their pets, the humane society brought out some of their dogs from
Pritchard sought to find her first Bully and desired for all Bullys to be a descendant of pre vious Bullys. Her search ended in February 2001 at MSU’s College of Vet erinary Medicine, where she met a six-week-old bulldog puppy with a spitfire spirit. She had fi nally found her first Bully, named Tonka.
hailey contributingjenkinsWriter
“The Bullys were not owned by the Universi ty,” Pritchard said. “At that time, they were owned by private individ uals.”Pritchard would aid in picking up the Bullys from their homes each Friday before home foot ball games. She would give them baths and help them look sharp. On Sun days, she would return them to their owners.
Writer
for a secretary position thisTreasurersemester.Maddox ex pressed her excitement about the rising popularity of the club and its special interests.“Ithink it’s really cool that more and more, like, that it is starting to be come a more popular thing, and it’s less of, like, a niche nerd thing because it’s just so accessible,” Maddox said. “There’s more people to play with. It’s awesome!”
The Oktibbeha County Humane Society hosted its 12th annual Dog Paddle event at the Moncrief Park pool on Sept. 10.
DuringFridays.ahome football game weekend, Pritchard
It is rare for the Bully to have an offseason, and Jak is no exception. Prit chard explained their busy schedule full of MSU and Starkville com munity appearances.
mane society. Jan Fitzger ald, a humane society board member, explained how this particular event supports animal shelters in the area financially.
a volunteer for the OCHS, but it quickly became an escape for her to give back to the community of Stark ville. Then, she was invited to become a board member, and Fitzgerald said she is proudest of this honor.Fitzgerald said seeing friends from the commu nity and watching the dogs interact are some of the highlights of the annual event.“It’s almost like the dogs know the event is for them,” she said.
She said the Dog Paddle is a great way to bring Starkville closer as a com munity and give the res idents and dogs time to meet others.
If anyone possesses the Bulldog spirit, it is Lisa Pritchard, who may have the most important job in Starkville.LisaPritchard is the caretaker of Bully XXI, Mississippi State Univer sity’s bulldog mascot named Jak. Pritchard, a native of Mathiston, Mis sissippi, worked for the MSU College of Veteri nary Medicine for 28 years and retired in De cember 2020.
Dogs of all shapes and sizes mingle and play while swimming in the pool be fore it is Brittanydrained.and Jonathon
Terry were in attendance and brought their dogs, Olive and Moose, to the event. For Brittany and Moose, this was their third year participating in the pool party but Jonathon and Olive's first.
featured a dungeon master class among other activ ities. The seminar taught aspiring D&D players how to run their own games and how to participate in others.ZoeMaddox, a senior in ternational business major and treasurer of the table top club, said the club plans to reach out to the community aside from stu dent participation. She said the club will do more with Down to Game, a local business that focuses on everything tabletop.
The tabletop gaming club continues to level up
“It brings the community together with their dogs, and everyone tends to so cialize,” Price said.
“We are very careful with how we spend the money that comes into our hands, and I know that we are also trying to expand our shelter,” Fitzgerald said.
“On Friday before game day, he gets his spa treatment. He gets con ditioned, his hair brushed. I trim his nails and whiskers, so he can look good for the cam era,” Pritchard said. “A rehab technician student gives him a massage.”
“I’m boosting (the table top club) to the best of my
they enjoy the event be cause it allows their dogs to be active and meet new friends.“They love to swim, and I also love that they can have a dog day and enjoy them selves,” Jonathon Terry said.When the event began in 2010, it was small and hard to advertise. During the re cent event, however, the turnout was larger than ever. The Terrys noticed this as soon as they arrived.
At this year’s Dog Pad dle, each member paid a $30 fee at the door which included two people, one dog and a signature event T-shirt. Visitors could reg ister online for $20.
“The amount of people here, the amount of dogs here and the amount of money that they’re able to raise just by having a sim ple pool day is just so great,” Brittany Terry said.
Hail State Athletics. She recognized the value of having a live mascot. “It's a fun and interac tive way to bring spirit to the university that allows fans to make memories,” Lee said.
athletic director at the time, with a proposal for the university to own the mascots rather than alumni. She said Bully should be more acces sible to the public and make more appearances.
and Jak have a busy schedule where Jak is treated as MSU royalty in his kingdom of Starkville.
the Starkville shelter to play and meet any potential owners that might be at tending.“This gives the dogs from the shelter the oppor tunity to venture out and meet people in hopes of getting adopted,” said Darryn Price, a local worker at the Starkville Animal Shelter.
katie staff
“We leave Dog Walk and lead the football players into the stadium, then visit the Hunter Henry Center for photo opportunities. Later, we run out with the players. Then, we’re on the side lines cheering on our dogs.” Pritchard said.
What started as an idea for a small group of stu dents interested in table top games turned into a rapidly rising community onThecampus.idea is now known as the tabletop gaming club at Mississippi State University, and it is rolling the dice this semester.
In 1998, Pritchard went to Larry Templeton, who was serving as the
ability,” Todd said. “That is about it so far.”
Down to Game, a Starkville game store, regularly hosts Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop gaming nights at its store.
Lisa Pritchard, Bully’s caretaker, has been with Jak since he was just eight weeks old.
match so far this season for the Bulldogs.Notonlydid several new faces join the ranks of the Bulldog scorers, but the team also set a program record for corner shots with 17. The offense brought their lunch, and head coach James Armstrong recognized that.
Volleydawgs bend but don’t break in M&W Invitational
The Mississippi State University volleyball team battled Kennesaw State University, the University of Houston and the University of South Alabama in Starkville this weekend during the Maroon and White Invitational.
On day one of the Maroon and White Invitational, MSU swept Kennesaw State.
MSU soccer defeats Presbyterian as Hogs loom
completely shut down the Blue Hose passing attack.
The Owls had early momentum in the first set until the Bulldogs fought back and took over. MSU won the first set 25-17 and finished with a .429 hitting percentage.Witha total of 14 kills against Kennesaw State, MSU increased their hitting percentage to .520. The squad was firing on all cylinders as MSU secured a tenpoint lead for the final score of 25-15 in the second set.
girls to do that. They did that (well) … overall really proud of the girls, unbeaten in nonconference play, another really clean sheet. So, a lot more positives that we can continue to work on as we go into this week and starting SEC play,” Armstrong said after the game. That SEC play starts Friday, Sept. 16, against the University of Arkansas. The Hogs will travel to Starkville with an impressive record of their own, especially after a recent draw with No. 13
“Arkansas and Ole Miss are our favorite two (teams) to play,” said McCaslin after the Presbyterian win.
THE REFLECTOR | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2022| @SPORTSREFLECTOR 6
Landon Scheel | The Reflector Presbyteria n. The Bulldogs also had three freshmen score their first career goals.
MSU goalkeeper Maddy Anderson tied the program record for most career shutouts (12) in Sunday’s 4-0 victory against
Griss, on our home court, and it’s awesome to get a clean sweep at the start of the Maroon and White Invite. Overall, it was super balanced. It’s nice to see three attackers with ten kills apiece. I think that says a lot," Dennis said.Day two was a hardfought matchup between Houston and Mississippi State. Houston won the close game in five nail-biting sets.The Bulldogs took the first two sets against the Cougars. The first set ended with a 25-17 win, with three consecutive kills by Shania Cromartie and Gabby Coulter to conclude the game. Their second, last reigning set ended with a close score of 25-22.
Roles reversed during the third set when Houston rebounded with a 25-22 win. The Cougars got the best of the Bulldogs and maintained the lead throughout the entire set.Houston got the best of the Bulldogs, and the fifth set ended in a fivepoint lead for Houston. The final score was 1510 to break the tie, breaking MSU's undefeated streak much earlier than Bulldog fans would have liked.
aubrey contributingcarterwriter
Despite a tight loss to Houston, MSU volleyball surges toward SEC play
Head coach Julie Darty Dennis expressed her thoughts on the match.“It’s been a while since we’ve been at the
stadium) gets packed out. It’ll be a really good game, and I can’t wait to take the field again with all my girls.” With their sixth win of the season, the MSU soccer squad has already bested their win total from last year. They’ll undoubtedly be trying to add to that total and keep their momentum going into SEC play as the Razorbacks visit Starkville next Friday. That game starts at 6:30 p.m. and will not be aired on SEC Network, so be there or be square.
Landon Scheel | The Reflector
After dropping the previous day's match to the Houston Cougars, the Bulldogs portrayed their hard work and talent in a sweep against the SouthJaguars.Alabama held the lead during the first set until about the 10point mark. MSU’s momentum began to rise as they secured a total of 20 kills led between Waden, Myrick and Rebecca Walk.
The Bulldogs didn’t allow a single shot on goal during the entire match and
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On day three, to close out the Maroon and White Invitational, the Dawgs executed a 30 victory over South Alabama. Although all three matches were tightly-contested, MSU came out on top.
The third and final set was a bit more narrow win for the Bulldogs. A kill by MSU’s Gabby Waden and an error by Kennesaw State concluded the final score 25-19. Waden, Sania Petties and Lauren Myrick led the Bulldogs with a total of 30 kills and a hitting percentage of .494 between the three of them during day one.
The Mississippi State University women’s soccer team had a field day against Presbyterian on Sunday, as they defeated the Blue Hose (yes, you read that right) 4-0.
SPORTS
The Bulldog defense has been the highlight of their non-conference schedule so far this season, and that rang true against Presbyterian.
rankedMSUBYU.has only managed to snag three wins from the Hogs and a single tie, as the Bulldogs have lost 23 matches in the long-standing rivalry. If they manage to best the Razorbacks, it will be the end of a three game losing skid. The stakes are high, and the team knows it.
Mississippi State volleyball is currently ranked fourth nationally in assists per set at 13.71.
“We’re definitely super excited. We hope that it (the
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CORRECTIONS 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. The Reflector staff strives to main tain the integrity of this paper through accurate and honest re porting. If we publish an error, we will correct it. To report an error, editor@reflector.msstate.eduemail or call 325-7905.
tanner marlar managing editor
Veteran forward Elle McCaslin, sophomore midfielder Juliet Moore and forward/midfielder KK Pavatt all notched their first career scores and joined the season standout Maggie Wadsworth in the scoring column to score the most goals in a single official
As for how the Bulldog offense went, some new faces joined the scoring column with their first career goals in the maroon and white.
After set two, the Bulldogs’ confidence had been restored when they took the win with an 11-point lead. South Alabama's errors and MSU's sharp performance ultimately won the set for the Dawgs.South Alabama came back to the court with more momentum during the third set. The Jaguars held the lead during a large portion of the game. The MSU Bulldogs stood their ground to secure a close win, 25-23. The Dawgs put forth a total of 52 kills, 46 assists and 76 digs throughout the three sets against South Alabama.“Ithink they are all doing a great job, and I am a pretty proud coach right now. I think we’re just going to have to keep figuring out who we want to be and rise to the occasion every single day," Dennis said.MSU now has a 7-1 record and will go on to compete in the Michigan Invitational starting on Sept. 16 before returning home to begin SEC play.
“It’s really nice, obviously, to complete the conference schedule unbeaten. Today was a game where we wanted to score early — we challenged the