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132nd YEAR ISSUE 9

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 22 2017

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

Starkville becomes ‘alive after 5’ Board of Aldermen OK changes to alcohol amendment KATIE POE

STAFF WRITER

The meeting room at Starkville City Hall hit full capacity before the Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday night, where citizens were eager to hear the vote on the amendment to the alcohol ordinance.

After a second public hearing and with a close 4-3 vote, the amendment passed.

The Aldermen who voted in favor were Sandra Sistrunk (Ward 2), David Little (Ward 3), Jason Walker (Ward 4) and Patrick Miller (Ward 5). Those who opposed were Ben Carver (Ward 1), Vice Mayor Roy Perkins (Ward 6) and Henry Vaughn Sr. (Ward 7).

Previously, the

ordinance stated alcohol could not be sold within a 250-foot radius of a school, church or funeral home.

The amendment passed Tuesday adapts the minimum Mississippi statutes, which allows alcohol to be sold within 100 feet of those establishments.

In addition, the maximum legal alcohol content in beer was raised from 5 to 8 percent.

The original amendment proposed the latest hour of sale for alcohol be extended from 12 to 1 a.m., but Walker suggested different hours.

He said the latest time for the sale of alcohol should stay the same Monday through Wednesday, but be extended Thursday through

5 Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

Saturday to 1 a.m.

On Sunday after midnight, no beer or light wine can be sold from 1 a.m. to 11 a.m. The previous rule had 10 p.m. as the deadline on Sundays, so Walker suggested an extension of two hours.

“In my mind, this

gives Starkville the most flexibility it can for the downtown to develop,” Walker said. “I think where people have disagreements is the hours of the sale. I do believe that we need to change that.”

Walker made the motion to approve the ordinance

with the exception of changing the hours.

Then, the motion was seconded and was open for discussion.

Vice Mayor Roy Perkins said at previous meetings he would not speak regarding the alcohol ordinance until Tuesday.

Perkins spoke for about 30 minutes on his religious beliefs in an attempt to “kill the whiskey bill.”

Perkins said his feelings on the ordinance were the strongest opinions he would express during this term.

He said his issues were with lowering the distance from churches, child care facilities and funeral homes and extending the time in which alcohol can be sold on Sundays.

“The church is a religious place,” Perkins said. “The church needs to be separated from the world. When the worshipers go to church, the worshipers do not need to see all of the atmosphere and the environment that goes along with these drinking establishments.”

ALCOHOL, 2

Highway 12 construction continues DYLAN BUFKIN STAFF WRITER

Rachel Bowman | The Reflector

Habitat for Humanity works each semester to build one home for a family in Starkville, providing many volunteer opportunities to Mississippi State University students.

Habitat for Humanity gives back to Starkville Residents SHELBY POINDEXTER

The Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity works to build one house each fall and spring, providing a pair of opportunities for Mississippi State University students to participate and volunteer.

Joel Downey, executive director of the Starkville Habitat for Humanity, said choosing a family to build a home for is an in-depth process.

“Applicants must fill out an application and meet basic requirements,” Downey said. “The family must be residents of Oktibbeha

County for the past year, under 80 percent of the median adjusted income, have income sufficient to repay an approximate $500 mortgage and must have a demonstrated need for better housing.”

Downey said an applicant’s proof of income and credit card report is needed to continue the process.

“If the credit report does not show excessive debt and/or judgments and liens, they move to the next phase,” Downey said. “Each remaining candidate is interviewed by the Family Selection Committee and the basic rules of becoming a partner are explained. The Family Selection Committee then does

FRIDAY

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HI: 89 LO: 68 SKY: Showers

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home visits on the applicants to see their current living conditions.”

A home is being built on 101 Owen St. for Kareema Gillon and her two children. Gillon displayed the eagerness to help her family and displayed accomplishments through her job at McDonald’s.

Her current home has electrical problems, soft spots on the floor and a large drop from the back door to the concrete steps.

Rob Montgomery, a graduate assistant for the Maroon Volunteer Center, said the best way to sign up to volunteer is through OrgSync.

FORECAST: Fall officially begins this Friday, September 22, but it sure doesn’t feel like it yet!

Our average high temperature is 84 degrees, but we could easily crack the 90’s this weekend. That’s all thanks to a strong upper-level ridge, which is keeping temperatures toasty for most of the Eastern US. -Joey Curtis. Campus Connect Meteorologist

HABITAT, 2

The construction on Highway 12 is hard to miss. The roads are a sea of orange safety barriers, and every night the road is dominated by construction workers and equipment lining the streets.

The $8 million project, which began in February of 2017, has had no delays due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

By now, the construction has become a mundane sight for Starkville residents and visitors.

The construction began after the Mississippi Department of Transportation noticed accidents being disproportionately high in the MS 12 corridor— noting 1,664 accidents over a five-year span— and began seeking ways to remedy the problem.

According to MDOT, accidents happened, on average, every 22 feet, resulting in 470 injuries over the five-year period.

To try and combat such daunting numbers, MDOT focused on installing fiber optic cables in stop lights and concrete medians to block center turn-lane access.

This is because the most common accidents are right-angle crashes or

crashes occurring when a driver tries to change multiple lanes to get to a safe travel lane. By installing the median, MDOT hopes to decrease these multiple lane accidents significantly.

Mike Tagert, MDOT transportation commissioner, spoke of the importance of safety to a traffic corridor which sees between 25,000 and 26,000 cars on an average day.

“I think that the methods we are putting in place are time-tested,” said Tagert. “What they show, over time, is that a safe route is a businessfriendly route. Accidents are reduced dramatically, property values increase and, for these reasons, we think it’s a win-win.”

Emphasizing the nightonly construction, Tagert said MDOT has businesses in mind.

Specifically, MDOT implemented a phasing system to help businesses. Only a section of the highway is currently under construction, so the specific section can be done before holiday shopping.

“We have tried to do everything we possibly can in order to minimize the impact on business,” Tagert said.

However, some business owners have a more cautious outlook than Tagert.

MDOT, 2

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MDOT

BAD DAWGS Monday, September 18 9:39 a.m. Employee reported the photo eye sensor on the automatic gate at Davis Wade Stadium was hit by a vehicle, causing damages.

10:04 a.m. Employee reported a garbage truck hitting a gate at Davis Wade Stadium causing damages.

2:24 p.m. Student reported she was assaulted on Sept. 6 in the Junction, also being harassed by same individual.

Tuesday, September 19 3:25 p.m. Resident of City/County was arrested in Starkville for telephone harassment and simple assault.

3:27 p.m. Student reported his laptop stolen from Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity House, last seen Sept. 17.

3:50 p.m. Student reported his vehicle was damaged while parked at Pi Kappa Phi house.

4:10 p.m. Student reported losing her wallet on Sept. 16 at Davis Wade Stadium.

Wednesday, September 20 10:20 a.m. Non-resident/visitor reported hitting the entrance gate at the loading dock at Colvard Student Union while backing up.

5:00 p.m. Officer responded to MSU PD for a disturbance between two parties. No charges were filed.

Allen McBroom, owner of Backstage Music on MS 12, originally looked on at the construction with a “waitand-see mindset.” However, when asked if he had heard any discontent or fear from fellow business owners, he responded with a chuckle.

“Just all the ones I talk to,” McBroom said.

In the beginning, the construction only consisted of concrete islands, which limited access to the turn-lane but left room for turning into businesses. McBroom said he had no problem with this.

However, with more recent construction, he said he became more dismayed

HABITAT “Anyone, over 18 or with parental permission, can volunteer,” he said.

“Volunteers will sign up to say they’ll be there, and then just show up.

Afterwards, they can log their hours through the site too. The volunteer hours accumulated can go to anything they would like.”

The Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity is also trying to establish a campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity at MSU. The organization is currently searching for volunteers to help with its upcoming project.

No prior building experience is needed.

Anyone who is

CONTINUED FROM 1

that the concrete runners would limit access to turn lanes entirely.

“Personally, I’ve got a lot of concerns about how that’s gonna work out in terms of safety, in terms of business access and in terms of traffic flow,” McBroom said.

Phase one of construction, which began at the western end of the MS 12 corridor, will continue from New Light Road to Eckford Drive.

Phase two of the construction will begin after phase one is completed, is anticipated to stretch from Eckford Drive to Russell Street.

CONTINUED FROM 1

interested in participating can call the Habitat for Humanity office at 662324-7008 and ask for Andrew.

The upcoming opportunities to volunteer are Sept. 14 through 16 and 21 through 23, and Oct. 5 through 7, 12 through 14, 19 through 21, and 26 through 28. Shifts each day are from 8 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

For more information about the project or Habitat for Humanity, contact Amanda Henry at the organization’s Starkville office. She can be reached by email, at hhumanity@ bellsouth.net or by phone, at 662-324-7008.

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

ALCOHOL Perkins said churchgoers do not want to hear the “feel good music” associated with bars and restaurants on Sundays.

He used Johnny Cash and Luther Vandross as examples of this type of music and then urged people to listen to their hearts in this matter.

Mayor Lynn Spruill, who coined the phrase “alive after five,” disagreed.

“I’m going to talk not only from my heart, but from my head,” she said.

“One of the things I think needs to be understood is that this is not about alcohol. It’s not about beer, it’s not about wine, it’s not about whiskey; this

CONTINUED FROM 1

is about our ability to be a community that offers opportunities and options for others who are not necessarily of the same persuasion.”

Spruill said the amendment is about diversity, inclusiveness and opportunity for social interaction, which will benefit the city and its downtown area.

“Downtown is our heartbeat,” Spruill said. “If our heart does not beat and does not have opportunity for places and things for people to do in the evenings past the time of 5 o’clock, then we are not going to have a heartbeat.”

Breakfast with the Bulldogs connects MSU Community EMMA MOFFETT STAFF WRITER

Breakfast with the Bulldogs is a unique way for Mississippi State University to connect with the larger Starkville community.

The Oktibbeha County Chapter of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association meets for breakfast on the second Thursday of every month at Starkville Cafe and encourages MSU students, faculty and alumni to attend.

At their most recent meeting, Breakfast with the Bulldogs hosted Blake Schneider, coordinator of MSU’s Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC).

Schneider provided valuable information about MSU’s student addiction recovery program and how the organization combats addiction on MSU’s campus.

The Collegiate Recovery Community has 12 members who participate in weekly programming providing support on their journey to remain sober.

Along with emotional support, this organization assists its members through scholarships.

Through tailgating, a retreat and a parents’ weekend, the CRC works diligently to sustain and enhance student lives.

Schneider said his favorite part of his organization is how it provides a family to students away from home.

In the past, Breakfast

with the Bulldogs has had former athletes, sports announcers and MSU vice presidents attend as speakers. These individuals help to provide valuable insight into the MSU community.

“This is a connection base that brings Bulldogs together around the world.”

-Michael Richardson, assistant director of alumni chapters and volunteer programs at the MSU Alumni Association Carol Moss Read, membership chair for the Oktibbeha County Chapter, graduated from MSU with her doctorate and has been a part of Breakfast with the Bulldogs for 10 years.

Moss said the alumni chapter works as a liaison between MSU alumni and MSU. The chapter is involved with a range of

social outreach programs including reading to local daycares and creating flood buckets for the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Events like Breakfast with the Bulldogs is another way to connect with the ever-growing community of Bulldogs.

Michael Richardson, the assistant director of alumni chapters and volunteer programs at the MSU Alumni Association, said these chapters are all about networking and connecting.

“The Oktibbeha County Chapter is one of the largest alumni chapters that we oversee in our association,” Richardson said. “It is by far one of the most active groups.”

Richardson said this organization is a way for Bulldogs to network in cities across the world. He said it can help with everything from finding jobs to finding the best place to eat in a new city.

Breakfast with the Bulldogs can help students get a head start on making the vital connections which can help them succeed in their future goals.

“This is a connection base that brings Bulldogs together around the world,” Richardson said.

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An In-Class Distraction

SUDOKU

Listen to our new sports and life podcasts!

Taylor Rayburn, sports editor of The Reflector, sits down with Nathan Berg, (@NathanxBerg) the assistant sports editor of the University of Georgia’s newspaper, The Red & Black, to talk this week’s match up between Mississippi State and Georgia. After that, sports beat writer Josh Beck joins in to talk about this past week’s big win against LSU. To listen in, go to https://soundcloud.com/ user-706502143. To chime in, tweet @reflectoronline.

This week Will Wells, The Reflector’s life & entertainment editor, sits down with staff writers Courtney O’Brien, Emma Moffett and Emma Dray Braswell to talk about Bulldog Bash, the Hispanic Heritage Month events put on by the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center and the Latino Student Association, and a cookie recipie. Visit The Reflector’s website www.reflector-online.com to listen. To chime in, tweet @reflectoronline.

September 19 puzzle solutions

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THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

OPINION

The #BlackLivesMatter movement is tearing America apart

Pedestrians and bicyclists are too haphazzard

CHRIS LOWE

is a senior majoring in business information systems. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

Since its creation, the #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) movement has spearheaded the campaign for racial equality for the black community. Considering its success and national spotlight, whether fair or not, it represents the black community as a whole.

With that said, I believe the movement has a responsibility to set the right example for civil rights progression, and lately, it has not done so.

BLM hosted a Memorial Day party in New York over the summer, in which non-black people were banned. According to Julie Shaw for The Inquirer Daily News, the group has created “black only” spaces in Philadelphia by banning non-blacks from all meetings in the Philadelphia chapter of BLM. This is not the first time the movement has forcibly segregated itself from supporters of other races. In fact, this exclusion seems to be a growing trend within the BLM sphere.

To make matters worse, representatives from the group confronted about these decisions have repeatedly made the issue about race.

In a Fox News interview, an anchor asked Lisa Durden, a representative of BLM, whether she defended the aforementioned Memorial Day decision.

“Boo-hoo. You white people are angry because you couldn’t use your ‘white privilege’ card to get invited,” Durden said.

Coming from a liberal college student who takes a keen interest in supporting civil rights, these recent actions and statements from BLM advocates are absolutely unacceptable.

This is the most visible civil rights group in the

HUNTER CLOUD

is a freshman majoring in communications.

Contact him at opinion@reflector. msstate.edu.

U.S. right now, and as a result, its actions influence a large number of people throughout the country.

These harmful and segregated decisions have already leaked into the college demographic, as black Harvard graduates staged a black-only graduation this year. This racial separation will only continue to become more ingrained in our culture the more national attention these events receive.

I understand the reasoning behind the segregation: BLM wants to ensure no belligerent people ruin their meetings and gatherings. This logic might make sense, but the message it sends to people of other races is extremely detrimental to the very cause they claim to be fighting for.

Creating a divide between races is the exact opposite of what a group should do if it intends to

spark true racial equality.

As with almost all racial issues, it is best to reflect on the actions of Martin Luther King Jr. He led the most successful and notable civil rights movement in the history of our nation, and it was one of harmony and inclusion.

He understood it would not help the cause of civil rights to set races against each other.

King realized fighting for civil rights was not just a matter concerning his own race. These sensitive issues demand people come together and erase racial barriers, not enforce them.

I am a white male. This fact almost makes me afraid to voice my opinion on this issue, because when I do, it will inevitably result in some branding me as racist.

The mentality cultivated by these “black empowerment” exercises has the indirect effect of

making any opposition to it from non-blacks a racial attack.

Not only is this group overtly practicing racism, it is demonizing any attempt to question this decision.

Do not misinterpret what I have said. I do not in any way claim everyone, or even most people, associated with BLM are racist. I believe the core goal of the group is noble and one worth fighting for.

The BLM website states, “To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a necessary prerequisite for wanting the same for others.”

Maybe this mission statement makes sense on paper, but when it comes to racial issues in America, we simply cannot separate races when attempting to ultimately bring them together. In the end, it only tears them apart.

How exactly is this conducive to equality?

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Driving around Starkville—especially on campus—can be pretty stressful, but walking across the roads can be too. It is challenging as a driver and as a pedestrian not to get mad at the opposing group of commuters, because we do what is best for ourselves in our individual positions.

About 80 percent of pedestrian-vehicle accidents occur in areas with no traffic, control according to the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states 71 percent of all fatalities caused by pedestrianvehicle accidents occur at areas with no traffic control for pedestrians. These situations are usually caused by jaywalking, which is a problem often seen here at Mississippi State University.

Jaywalking is typically a result of pedestrians taking a shortcut to reach a destination because crosswalks at intersections are often too far away.

An example of this at MSU are the three crosswalks at the intersection between McComas Hall and Allen Hall. The intersection is too far from McComas, so students are more likely to jaywalk there for convenience.

If you must jaywalk, make sure the road is clear and you have time to cross the road without putting yourself or any drivers at risk.

Bicycling is encouraged at MSU with the installation of bike lanes and a bike path to bypass sidewalks,

but bicycling is dangerous as well. Cyclists are exposed to drivers, like pedestrians, but they can go around the same speed as a driver when on campus.

This can make parking lots especially dangerous with cyclists zipping through faster than vehicles, making them harder to see and more likely to be hit.

The NHTSA stated in 2014 that the majority of bicycle-vehicle accidents were due to bicyclists.

Bikers can easily avoid harm by learning the road rules their school or city set in place for cyclists.

According to MSU biking guidelines, cyclists should walk their bikes across crosswalks instead of riding hem. This ensures the cyclists do not hit people walking, and cars do not hit the bicyclist.

In addition, bicyclists are not to use pedestriandesignated sidewalks, because this results in reckless cyclist-pedestrian accidents.

Going even further for traffic safety, it would be a good idea for MSU to implement either motion sensors or buttons so pedestrians nearing crosswalk could activate walking signs. The signs could show from further away when crosswalks are in use—alerting drivers that people are crossing the street.

This warning system would be especially useful at night when it is more difficult to see pedestrians.

However, at the end of the day, pedestrians and bikers must be smart and aware of what they are doing. Even though pedestrians have the right away and vehicles are supposed to stop, this does not always happen.

If a pedestrian or cyclist decides to take on a twoton vehicle, trust me—the machine will win every time.

Diving deeper in debt: Netflix ignores financial problems EMMA BRASWELL

is a freshman majoring in communications.

Contact her at opinion@reflector.msstate. edu.

Because Netflix was the first easy-access streaming company, it incorporated itself into the lives of many in the United States and even globally. It set the stage for the streaming world, but people are now asking if it will continue to be the leader of this market.

With over 100 million subscribers by Paul R. La Monica’s count for CNN, it is shocking Netflix is billions of dollars in debt. While

this might alarm some, the company assumes that they will continue to succeed in the long run.

However, while the company and investors are confident in the company, it will be difficult for Netflix to climb out of this mass of debt.

While Netflix is still the main dominator in streaming, there are many competitors on the rise.

Amazon and Hulu are expanding their streaming services and are quickly gaining support from their users.

Netflix is trying to keep up with their competitors by providing their specific brand of Netflix Original series.

More companies are realizing streaming is

becoming more important for viewers and more profitable for themselves.

Because of this, Disney is branching off to create their own streaming service and is starting to pull their fan-favorites from Netflix.

This will draw some people away from Netflix, as more streaming options open up to audiences.

Netflix knows it has to do something to keep their viewership, so they are increasing their spending. They fail, though, to consider the financial aspects of this decision.

They continuously spend their borrowed money on more Netflix Originals, thinking with an increase in original series, the company does not have to pay other production companies for

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more money to slip through their fingers, making it nearly impossible to get out of debt.

The main concern is whether Netflix will survive these huge costs or let their viewers down.

The company is not only spending and borrowing money, but it is refusing to focus on paying the money back, which is an issue they are putting off for the future.

Instead of dealing with the problem now, while it is still fairly manageable, they are willing to go all in, in the hopes they will lose nothing.

Instead, Netflix needs to recognize and act on the problem of their growing debt.

By trying to stand out in the world of streaming, Ng

says Netflix has acquired $20.54 billion with the goal to produce more Netflix Originals. They seem to have no plan to make the money back, but they do intend to stay in debt for a long time.

Waiting for their debt to level off will only make it worse, while there are plenty of easy long-term solutions.

Instead of ignoring the debt, Netflix could add commercials, and they could also offer an exclusive deal allowing viewers to pay more for no commercials, which is something Hulu does.

Netflix is the main source of streaming in the U.S. and most viewers would rather pay more in their monthly fees than to see it go under.

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their shows and movies.

Netflix is banking on their original series to be hits, but with the combined debt and new competition, Netflix will fail to bring in enough revenue to cover the costs of producing their own shows.

Despite claims of being Netflix Originals, some shows, like “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards” are actually produced by other studios. According to David Ng, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, Netflix pays “undisclosed licensing fees for the exclusive rights to stream these shows.”

As the production fees for the shows are expected to go up, Netflix has to sacrifice a lot of financial resources in order to keep these hits. This allows even

Circulation/Erin Blake circulation@reflector.msstate.edu

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Content is determined solely by the student editorial staff. The contents of The Reflector have not been approved by Mississippi State University.

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LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

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Hood Baby & the Barnacles take the main stage WILL WELLS

LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Hood Baby & the Barnacles performed at Bulldog Bash this Friday on the main stage, as an opener for DNCE. At last year’s Bulldog Bash, lead singer Ronnie Bollock and bass player Garrett Caver performed on the day stage as a part of Hood Baby & the Barnacles.

Meanwhile, current drummer Chase Carlton and guitar player Wes Toner were performing together in the band Chimney.

When both groups lost members earlier this year, the four friends decided to start performing together using the Hood Baby & the Barnacles name.

“We were all friends and had jammed together before,” Carlton said. “So, when we came together everything meshed pretty well.”

The group hopes exposure at Bulldog Bash will propel the band to even greater success.

“We are still in shock, but we are absolutely ready for the opportunity,” Bollock said before the performance.

“This means a lot of exposure for us. We hope people will see how hard we have been working and that this will result in more gigs in the future.”

Each year, Music Maker Productions produces the

Rachel Bowman | The Reflector

Bass player Garrett Caver performed with Hood Baby & the Barnacles at Bulldog Bash last year on the day stage. This Friday, the group opened for DNCE on the main stage.

is one of my favorite events Music Maker Productions does because I love seeing so many amazing local bands,” Nichols said.

Nichols said Music Maker Productions’ main goals in putting on the Battle of the Bands each year are to involve the community in Bulldog Bash and to give local bands

Battle of the Bands, the winners of which earn the opportunity to open Bulldog Bash, which Mississippi State University Student Association puts on each fall.

Allie Nichols was this year’s director of SA’s Bulldog Bash, and is also a member of Music Maker Productions.

“The Battle of the Bands

the opportunity to play on big stages.

The members of Hood Baby & the Barnacles said they have never played in front of such a large crowd.

“I have been playing drums for close to 15 years, but I have never had the opportunity to play in front of this many people,” Carlton

said.

Rick Welch, the owner of Rick’s Cafe, said playing an event as big as Bulldog Bash could have a big impact on the careers of young musicians.

“If I’m not already familiar with them, it certainly does raise my awareness. It hopefully will help them build

a fanbase that will translate into people coming to see them if they do perform at Rick’s,” Welch said.

Dave Hood, the owner of Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern, said he agreed opening for a major act can have a big impact on a band’s career, but he stressed how a band cannot wait for success to come to them without constant hard work.

“When it comes to success, from what I have seen, it takes way more than any one-time thing,” Hood said. “It takes a lot of work.”

Bollock said he hopes Hood Baby & the Barnacles will have the success of last year’s winners, Jake Slinkard & Co. “They are a good band that is constantly doing gigs and putting in the effort,” Bollock said. “I would constantly see that Jake Slinkard & Co. is playing at this venue or that venue, and I would always wish we were playing that often.”

Welch said he believed Hood Baby & the Barnacles were well prepared to take advantage of the opportunity they have earned.

“I’ve been impressed with their performances and I wasn’t surprised that they won,” Welch said. “They are very talented.”

“We want to be a band people can count on to always put on a good show,” Bollock said.

Kate’s Meringue Cookies Seeking a ‘Pot of Gold’ COURTNEY O’BRIEN STAFF WRITER

I have a super special recipe from a super special person for this week’s Chew on This.

One of my very best friends uses this as her go-to recipe whenever she needs something on the fly.

This recipe is called Kate’s Meringue Cookies. They take 30 minutes at the absolute most—which includes prep and baking time.

This recipe can be adapted to have pumpkin spice for fall, a splash of eggnog and nutmeg for winter or anything else you want to use to change it up.

This is a recipe you can really play with—you could even add a bit of fruit or some chocolate shavings.

Whether you live in the kitchen or use your kitchen just for storage because your apartment’s closet is too small, this is a great recipe to have in your arsenal.

The cookies can be made quickly, taste great and are easy to make. Without adaptions, they take two ingredients, both of which are available at the dollar store.

My friend Kate makes these for gifts and brings them to parties, and all of my

friends love them.

Scratch that, we do not love them, we are all addicted to them. It is becoming a serious problem.

Luckily for me, I have been entrusted with this awesome recipe, and I am giving it to all you wonderful readers.

So, if you ever get down to Mississippi College, be sure to thank Kaitlyn Horton for this. There is probably a fan club down there, just because of this cookie recipe.

It is one of those recipes where it’s so easy to make, you will be kicking yourself for not coming up with it

LINDSEY DOWNS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

sooner.

The only tricky part is beating the eggs. You do not want to beat them so hard you go to jail for assault. You just want to beat them enough to show them who is boss.

In addition, while you are adding the sugar, do it gradually. You do not want clumpy cookies.

These cookies are delicate, so treat them as such.

Ingredients 2 egg whites 1 cup of white sugar 1 teaspoon of vanilla (optional)

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Recipe

1 Beat egg whites into high peaks with mixer.

2 Slowly add sugar into egg white mixture.

3 Preheat oven to 400.

4 Spoon dabs of mixture onto a tin-foiled baking sheet.

5 Put in oven for 15-17 minutes.

TE KA

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JM, TR

Students from the Shackoul’s Honors College will perform Plautus’ comedy “Pot of Gold” next Tuesday and Wednesday.

The play is part of Classical Week laying the foundation for classical lectures to come later in the week.

The director of the play, Mississippi State University’s Donna Clevinger, said she cannot wait to see the cast’s hard work pay off in their performances next week.

“I adore the students,” Clevinger said, “I enjoy watching them grow into the characters that these authors wrote about thousands of years ago.”

The play is about a man obsessing over a pot of gold he keeps secret from others.

Cast members said they have enjoyed preparing for the play as much as Clevinger.

Freshman student Alex Ward, who will play a servant, said his favorite part of being in the show is the “camaraderie of the cast.”

“At the beginning of the

play we were all strangers, but as the play has gone on we have gotten closer and friendlier to each other,”

“At the beginning of the play we were all strangers, but as the play has gone on, we have gotten closer and friendlier to each other” -Alex Ward, actor in ‘Pot of Gold’ Ward said. “We constantly joke around whenever we are off-stage during practice. There is never a

dull moment.”

Blake Waldrip, who will play Megadorus, said his favorite part of the show is the dramatic irony throughout.

“It makes for a pretty humorous interaction,” Waldrip said.

Clevinger said the cast consists of almost all freshman and STEM majors, something she said has not happened before.

The play will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in the Zacharias Village Courtyard.

Audiences are invited to bring dinner and a chair to the show. In case of rain, the performances will be moved inside of Griffis Hall.

Following the play on Thursday, there will be a lecture in Griffis Hall entitled “Romans: Plautus Onstage.”

The lecture will be given

by Cornell University’s Michael Fontaine, Washington University in St. Louis’s Timothy Moore and Mississippi State University’s own Salvador Bartera.

The lecture will be held in 401-C Griffis Hall at 2 p.m. Thursday.

‘Narratives of the Land’ tells Mississippi’s story COURTNEY O’BRIEN STAFF WRITER

The Visual Arts Gallery Center hosts several artistic events and exhibitions each semester.

Currently, the gallery, which has a main office located near Bulldog Burger, is exhibiting “Narratives of the Land,” an exhibit about the beautiful gem that is Mississippi, in honor of the state’s bicentennial.

This exhibit is one of the many birthday gifts Mississippi State University is giving to our home state, and it will remain in the gallery until the end of September.

The exhibit features work by Walter Inglis Anderson, Ke Francis, Bill Dunlap and Eudora Welty.

Admission to the exhibit is free, and it is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all weekdays.

“Narratives of the Land”

is part of the Mississippi Museum of Art’s “Art Across Mississippi: Twelves Exhibitions, Twelve Communities,” a statewide series of exhibitions featuring works by locally known artists and famous Mississippians from the past and present.

Lizzy Abston, the curator of the collection at the Mississippi Museum of Art, is excited to share the collection with MSU. “Besides being an opportunity to have our collection on view to a wider audience, the collection itself contains over 5,500 objects, so we welcome any opportunity to expand to other gallery spaces,” Abston said.

Abston said those who have been to the Mississippi Museum of Art are sure to find something new at every traveling exhibit.

“Although our exhibition space is quite large, we can

only have about 200 objects from the collection on view at any given time,” Abston said.

“These traveling exhibitions are a way to keep the collection on view when they might not be able to fit into our exhibition space.”

Gallery director Lori Neuenfeldt said “Narratives of the Land” offers a window into exciting angles on life in Mississippi.

“These works of art show the diversity of the landscape here in Mississippi,” Neuenfeldt said. “There are photographs of buildings, front porches and the coastline, as well as paintings of homes and the dense forests.”

Each semester, different students work in the gallery as assistants. These hardworking students help put these exhibits and events together.

Katie Trapp, one of the gallery assistants this

semester, said “Narratives of the Land” is a very special exhibit.

“The artwork is absolutely stunning,” Trapp said. “[It] really shows the diversity our state has to offer that we don’t always get represented as having.”

Trapp said she is excited to play a part in connecting the community with exhibits like “Narratives of the Land.”

“The show really exemplifies what our communities all over the state have to offer, and I’m very excited for our gallery to have the privilege of displaying this work,” Trapp said.

Neuenfeldt said she believes the exhibit tells the story of Mississippi in a way that is relevant to every MSU student and encourages everyone to visit the Visual Arts Gallery before the exhibit leaves at the end of the month.

“The exhibit is significant to MSU as we are a land-grant institution and so many of our programs

are connected to the study and development of the natural resources of the state,” Neuenfeldt said.

6

THE REFLECTOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 @SPORTSREFLECTOR

SPORTS

MSU travels to Athens in the Battle of the Bulldogs JOSH BECK

STAFF WRITER

Former teammates and colleagues will clash on Saturday night in an early battle of the unbeatens; the no. 17 Mississippi State University (3-0, 1-0) will take on no. 11 University of Georgia (3-0) in the battle of the bulldogs.

Players and coaches alike downplayed any storylines heading into the SEC west versus SEC east showdown.

MSU will face their second straight ranked opponent this weekend, and the childhood UGA fan and junior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald is approaching this game just like any other.

“It’s just another game,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s just an opponent we have to beat, I mean I’ll have some extra friends and family there, but it’s still a team we got to face and a team we got to go beat.”

Growing up in Richmond Hill, Georgia, Fitzgerald quickly became indoctrinated in all things red and black.

Fitzgerald grew up watching highlights of his second cousin, Charles Pledger, a former UGA cornerback.

However, coming out of high school Fitzgerald was raw and did not garner attention from the Georgia Bulldogs.

“I know the reasons why people weren’t looking at me, I know it’s hard to take a chance on a guy who

hasn’t started at quarterback until his senior year, but Mississippi State did and I’m glad I’m here and it couldn’t have worked out better for me,” Fitzgerald said.

MSU fans would agree taking a shot on the quarterback from Georgia, who only attempted 76 passes in his high school career, was very fortuitous.

This season, Fitzgerald averaged four combined touchdowns a game.

Fitzgerald also noted with a smile, his second cousin will be donning maroon and white for the first time on Saturday.

However, the stout UGA front seven aim to wipe the smile from Fitzgerald’s face. The defense is built around their talented veteran linebackers, most notably senior outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter.

Head coach Dan Mullen praised the UGA defense and their coaching staff.

Mullen said UGA has fivestar athletes at every position which allows them to switch their defensive front fluidly and wreak havoc against opponents.

The MSU coaching staff are no strangers to the UGA bulldog program either.

Tight end coach D.J. Looney, and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham both spent time on the UGA coaching staff. Grantham coached four seasons at UGA as the defensive coordinator, and

Noah Siano | The Reflector

Nick Fitzgerald, of Richmond Hill, Georgia, grew up wanting to play in ‘Between the Hedges’, UGA’s stadium, a chance he has this weekend.

was the mastermind behind UGA’s 2011 defense which was ranked third in the nation.

However, after a brief stint as the University of Louisville, Grantham, traded in one bulldog for another.

Not distracted by probing questions about his past, Grantham said his only goal is to get his players ready for the game.

“You know it’s another SEC game for us, it’s a road game, it’s our second conference game and I just want to make sure we prepare for it the right way and go out and play a talented Georgia team,” Grantham said.

Grantham’s defense will be tested by UGA’s star senior running backs, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

The duo are complete backs who expose defenses in the running and passing game.

UGA coaches have used Chubb as their primary back, but utilize Michel too often to consider him a true back up.

The tandem rushed for 450 yards and six touchdowns in their first three games.

“Both those guys [Chubb, Michel] are dynamic in the way they run, they have the ability to get double digit runs and make homerun plays,” Grantham said.

“They can run through guys,

they’ve got good vision and balance so they are going to test us.”

Safety, Jonathan Abram started his college career as a Georgia Bulldog, but looks to end his career as a Bulldog in Starkville. After his freshman year the junior from Columbia, Mississippi shocked his UGA coaches and teammates after he announced he was leaving the program. After a year at Jones County Community College, Abram, the then top JUCO safety in the country transferred to MSU. A player often praised by coaches for his ability to play with incredible emotion and

drive, has made his mark on the MSU secondary. Safeties coach Ron English said he expects his safety to channel his increased emotions into making plays on the field.

“John plays with emotion anyways so really to me I’d much rather them play with great emotion,” English said.

“Now, you still have to be able to execute, but I’d much rather them play with that emotion.”

Abram, according to his teammates is noticeably more focused and quiet during practice this week leading up to the game. Fellow safety, Mark McLaurin, said he knows his teammate is dialed in and motivates everyone around him to follow suit.

“He [Abram] already said this game means more to him than any other game and he means it so we are behind him,” McLaurin said.

Abram and the MSU secondary will be asked to help in run support as well as cover UGA’s elite wide receivers. English said communication and following the game plan will be the keys to success in the secondary. Junior safety, Brandon Bryant, reiterated his coaches point.

“At the end of the day you got to execute and you got to do your assignment, and when you do your assignment and execute it doesn’t matter- you’re going to make the play,” Bryant said.

Column: Can history repeat Playing for the love of the game, itself? 2017 compared to 2014 MSU adds baseball as club sport HUNTER CLOUD STAFF WRITER

Before the season, analysts across the country predicted Mississippi State University football would finish with a 6-6 record. Three games in, MSU is blowing those expectations out of the water.

After Saturday’s victory over LSU—the first one at home since 1999 and the largest in number since 1984—it is time we reevaluate MSU football. History has a tendency to repeat itself and this team is similar to the 2014 team, which was ranked No. 1 under Dak Prescott and went 10-3.

Naturally, MSU has the same types of players on their roster, as head coach Dan Mullen has a certain style of player he recruits.

The most obvious example is at quarterback. It is no doubt Nick Fitzgerald is, and Prescott was, a dominant presence on the field.

Fitzgerald is a dual-threat quarterback cable of long runs and throws the ball well enough to keep opposing defenses honest.

Admittedly, while Dak Prescott was also a dualthreat quarterback, he was a better passer than Fitzgerald, and MSU threw the ball more in 2014 than they have this season.

MSU’s offense utilizes Fitzgerald similar to how they utilized Prescott in 2014, they

just run the ball more. So far this season, Fitzgerald is averaging more yardage per run then Prescott.

Although Fitzgerald is not as strong of a passer as Prescott was, his ability to run and make plays enables him to create passing situations for positive yardage and even touchdowns, like Prescott did.

The running back position is another place where the teams are similar.

Aeris Williams is playing lights out this season. He is averaging 112 yards per game and he has run the ball consistently. Josh Robinson was the running back in 2014, and he was also the feature back of that offense, making a large percentage of the carries.

When Mullen has a good running team, MSU has good season. That being said, if Williams continues to play like he has so far, he can help carry the team to a 10-2 record—maybe even better than what they achieved in 2014.

At receiver, it is hard to compare the 2014 team to this year’s team. Fitzgerald and Williams have such an impact on the ground that the offense has not relied on the passing game yet.

The biggest difference in this group and 2014’s is the size of the receivers.

The 2014 team had guys like De’Runnya Wilson and

RENALDO HOPKINS II CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With high aspirations, players who are hungry to get back on the field to play for the love of baseball, the inaugural season for the Mississippi State University Club Baseball team looks to jump-start something special.

MSU is introducing a club baseball team for individuals who want to take part in baseball for enjoyment and fun. The team aims to keep the love and passion for the game of baseball as its main purpose.

President, co-founder and player for the team, Scotty Bateman, said he thought about starting a club baseball team during, oddly enough, a club hockey game. He initially thought it was going to be too hard to begin until a friend, now co-founder and player, Parker Glass, asked Bateman if he ever thought about creating the team. Glass also desired to start a club team, making it more believable for the team to come into existence.

“Once we actually looked into,” said Bateman, a junior.

“The hardest part has been money, and we’ve been good with that. We just charge some little dues and got some sponsorships from different places.”

After looking into how the organization would be handled in the National

Club Baseball Association (NCBA) and the steps to take to put it together, along with a summer-long recruiting mission, Bateman said, “It’s going to be a good year.”

“What stands out to me is that we are going to be a nit and grit, stealing bags, laying bunts, you know. Playing dirty, not playing dirty as in playing bad.”

-Coleman Gilder, junior kinesiology major Two players who will be apart of this team are lefthanded pitcher Coleman Glider and baseman Jack Bishop. Gilder came to MSU as junior from Meridian Community College and talked about what it is like being on the team.

“What stands out to me is that we are going to be a nit and grit, stealing bags, laying bunts, you know,” Gilder said.

“Playing dirty, not playing

dirty as in playing bad. We are going to be a good, nitty, gritty speed team.”

Both players expressed somewhat equal goals for the team this season, and for themselves. Those goals are to contribute to the success of the team as much as they can, and they hope to become better players as well. They both express a great passion and enjoyment in playing baseball, hence the decision to ultimately join the team, so they can continue to play the sport for fun. Jack Bishop, freshman, talked about what he wants to get out of the team.

“I want to get out of it to play baseball, the game I love, with a bunch of guys that love the same game I do,” Bishop said.

Gilder, Bishop and Bateman have high hopes for the team’s season and the future. All three players see the team excelling as the season progresses and eventually hope to lead the team to the playoffs. Bishop said his ultimate goal for the team is to make it to the World Series.

Beginning on Oct. 15, this courageous, all-heart, pure grit band of ballplayers will take the field for the first time in NCBA play against the University of Alabama’s club baseball team at Stillman College baseball field in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, at 1:00 p.m.

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Fred Ross outside, who are 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-2.

Compare them to this year’s top two receivers on this team, Donald Gray and Keith Mixon, both of whom are 5-foot-10 or shorter.

This changes the way the receivers are utilized. In 2014, MSU threw a lot of back shoulder throws to the outside; this season MSU works it over the middle to the smaller, swifter guys.

The defense is much better this season compared to 2014, limiting teams to 206 yards per game compared to the 2014 team that gave up 424.4 a game. MSU has only played three games this season compared to 2014’s full season, which skews the stats, but the point stands.

The biggest difference on defense is how this team has limited explosive plays. The average gain per play is 3.4 yards and the average points per game are 9.3, while in 2014 MSU gave up 5.6 a play.

This defense is better than the one in 2014. The team swarms to the ball carrier and forces turnovers, giving the offense extra possessions.

Even at the beginning of the season, it is interesting to see how this team compares to the famed 2014 team.

Georgia and Auburn will be huge road tests, but if they are able to get these two key victories, we are looking at a team similar to the one from 2014 if not better.

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