BY HANNAH ROGERS

Editor in Chief

Despite the Student Association sen-ate’s increased decision-making role in is-sues as diverse as academic policy to elec-tion codes, it remains, arguably, the most ignored branch of Mississippi State’s stu-dent government.

Voter turnout for the yearly election of senators pulls in the lowest numbers of the year, behind Homecoming and Exec-utive Council. In 2012, 16.5 percent of the student body voted to elect its sena-tors as opposed to the 29.5 percent who voted in the Homecoming election.

The senate, which has four freshman and three graduate student seats, also determines its numbers by the equation found in the SA Constitution: (total number of undergraduate students di-vided by 650) multiplied by (the number of students in the college divided by to-tal number of undergraduate students), with numbers whose decimal place of 0.5 or more being round up to the next number.

Courtney Harris, senator for the Col-

lege of Arts and Sciences, said because of the change in the senate’s structure (rep-resentation was previously decided by residence and college), becoming a sena-tor has become more presti-gious and competitive.

As the members of the senate elected take their po-sitions seriously, they create an environment in which multiple viewpoints on an issue can be voiced. Harris said she noticed that since the senate has decreased in size, the voting is not al-ways a chorus of “yeses.”

“I think each group is diverse in their own right,” Harris said. “If you go to a senate meeting, you’re going to get discussion be-cause everyone has a differ-ent viewpoint, everybody has had a different expe-rience here at State, and that really determines their opinions and their viewpoint on the legislation and what we’re passing. So I think you will

get a diverse group whether they look it or not.”

Morgan McDowell, senator for the College of Business, said that he, as well

as other senators, want to hear from their constitu-ents.

Although only senators can introduce legislation, students can come to their senators with issues.

“Senate is so import-ant. Senate has just now realized its full power and potential. The senate has so much power, and they need to understand that and the students need to understand what the sen-ate can do for them,” he said. “The senate is put-ting in a lot of time and effort this year, doing things that are going to benefi t students 10, 15

years down the road and at the current level.”

TUESDAYReflectorMARCH 26, 2013

TheTWITTER.COM/REFLECTORONLINEFACEBOOK.COM/REFLECTORONLINE

125TH YEAR | ISSUE 43

REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM

READER’S GUIDEBAD DAWGS..............................2OPINION...............................4CONTACT INFO.......................4BULLETIN BOARD...................5

CROSSWORD.................. ....5CLASSIFIEDS...........................5LIFE....................................6SPORTS.................................10

ANY PERSON MAY PICK UP A SINGLE COPY OF THE REFLECTOR FOR FREE. ADDITIONAL COPIES MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE MEYER STUDENT MEDIA CENTER FOR 25 CENTS PER COPY.

POLICY

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1884

TUESDAY4928

5735

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY63 41

FRIDAY6347

TUESDAY

SEE SENATE, 3

WHAT’S

LIFE | 6HAPPENIN’

BY MARY KATE MCGOWAN

Staff Writer

A Mississippi State Univer-sity tradition will soon be-come a campus staple again.

The Bullring, a D–shaped concrete seating area and gathering place where stu-dents would “shoot the bull,” will be restored in its original place in front of the Colvard Student Union before the be-ginning of the fall semester.

The Master Plan Devel-opment and Advisory Com-mittee has approved the Bull-ring’s design.

Bill Broyles, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, said the project’s construc-tion bids will open Tuesday.

“If the bids are within the estimated budget, we hope to start this project as soon as the contracts are fi nalized,” Broyles said.

Jeremiah Dumas, director of the Offi ce of Sustainability and interim campus master planner, said construction should begin in the begin-ning of April and be complet-ed by the end of July.

Construction plans are to move quickly to restore the Bullring tradition to campus.

“We got to obviously start fi rst, but we are confi dent that we will have this iconic campus landmark back where it belongs soon,” Broyles said.

Many people connected to MSU are excited about the

resurrection of the Bullring.Jimmy Abraham, executive

director of the MSU Alumni Association, said the bullring is a part of history that is coming back to campus.

“For so many years, alumni sat around the Bullring, and now they can do this again. What great memories this will bring to them. Not only this, but current students and others can sit on this same structure that their grandpar-ents and others sat on years ago,” Abraham said.

The renovation of the Bullring has already brought back memories to some MSU alumni.

Eddie Keith, associate dean of students and MSU gradu-ate, said the Bullring was very much a part of campus for a MSU student in the 1960s.

This project is also bring-ing back the tradition of a senior class gift.

Libba Andrews, associate director of the Alumni As-sociation, said bringing back the Bullring is important for historic reasons as well as for re-implementing the senior class gift tradition.

“The senior class gift is important because it signi-fi es the love of the place the seniors have called home for several years, and it sets in motion a culture of giving back to your alma mater,” Andrews said.

MSU brings back campus tradition, plans to restore historic Bullring

Landmark design approved, contract bids to be heard this week

Student Association senate plays influential role in student life

BY EMMA CRAWFORD

News Editor

The fate of Mississippi State University’s annual, The Reveille, remains uncertain as the publication has not sold the 1,000 copies required to send the yearbook to print.

Jen Nguyen, editor in chief of The Reveille, said at the moment she and The Rev-eille’s sales representatives are working together to fi gure out if the annual will be able to go to print.

As of right now, Nguyen said 429 copies have been sold.

The last day that students could order a Reveille was scheduled to be March 22, but Nguyen said students can still order a copy online.

“People can actually still buy their Reveille; it has not been taken off of the banner tab yet so people can still pur-

chase one,” she said. Nguyen said if The Reveil-

le cannot print this year, then the annual will have to wait until next year to try again.

“If we don’t print this year, we just won’t print,” she said.

She also said The Reveille staff does not currently have plans to publish anything on-line, but in the event that The Reveille does not go to print, the staff plans to start working toward the production and sales of next year’s Reveille as soon as possible to refrain from having this problem again.

“I’m not sure if we’re going to put anything online or not, but if we don’t print this year then we’re going to talk about plans for next year,” she said. “We’re going to start mak-ing plans for our staff for the summer and plans to get start-ed right away in the fall and avoid this happening again.”

Publication of Reveille at risk

BY JAMIE ALLEN

Staff Writer

In 1977, Mississippi State University welcomed a true Bulldog into the family of dedicated faculty and staff, and now 38 years later, after inspiring many students and alumni, Jimmy Abraham re-tires, remaining ever true to that Maroon and White.

Abraham started his work at MSU as residence hall di-rector in Evans Hall and has

worked in many different positions and departments since then. He retires in the position of the associate vice president of Development and Alumni and the exec-utive director of the MSU Alumni Association.

In his letter announcing his retirement, Abraham stated how honored and grateful he is to have been able to work at his alma ma-ter for the past 38 years.

“There is no way I can

ever thank Mississippi State enough for all this university has given to me – as a student and as a staff member. Nor is there any way I will ever be able to adequately thank all of you for your friendship and support through the years,” Abraham said.

Abraham said working here at MSU, what he con-siders the best university in the country, was the best thing that he could have done.

Camille Young, MSU Alumni Association national president, said she fi rst met Abraham when she was a student at MSU and he was in student recruiting and ad-missions, and now she works with Abraham in the Alumni Association.

She said she noticed Abra-ham’s devotion to this univer-sity and the students, faculty, staff and alumni on fi rst im-pression.

MSU alumni directorannounces retirement

Senate is so important. Senate has just now realized its full power and potential. The senate has so much power, and they need to understand that and the students need to understand what the senate can do for them.”Morgan McDowell,Senator for College of Business

“

SEE ABRAHAM, 2

SEE BULLRING, 3

COURTESY PHOTO | JIMMY ABRAHAM

After 38 years at MSU, Jimmy Abraham announced his retirement. Abraham most recently served as director of the Alumni Association.

Two Bulldogs earn SEC Player of the Week honors

Sports I 8

the lyric oxford1006 van buren ave oxford, mississippi

APR

IL23 Beach House

APR

IL24S L I G H T L Y S T O O P I D

APR

IL29Band of Horses

APR

IL3BEN RECTOR

For more ticket and showinformation please visitwww.thelyricoxford.com

1300 Old Highway 12Starkville, MS 39759

662.323.3331lakesidestudentliving.com

We have tripled our bandwidth and, come August, we will have the

FASTEST INTERNET IN STARKVILLE!

See our new Brainiac Lounge! This is a study lounge like McCool Hall! Three Beautiful

rooms with Wifi, study group areas and work boards!

All NEW exterior paint and newly stained corridors! NEW designer interior paint in

select apartments!

Rents starting as low as $395/moPLUS we will waive ALL of your upfront fees!

LOOK AND LEASE NOW-THURS., 3/8/13 AND STEP INTO OUR CASH CUBE FOR

45 SECONDS!CASH CUBE is filled with

$2000 in cash!You keep what you can

catch!

HURRY IN! THESE SPECIALS WON'T LAST

1300 Old Hwy. 12Starkvillle, MS 39759

662.323.3331lakesidestudentliving.com

DAWGSBAD

Thursday, March 21• 11:43 a.m. A student reported her iPhone missing from her desk in Giles Architecture.• 2:14 p.m. A student was arrested at MSU Police Department for petit larceny.• 3:00 p.m. A student was arrested for felony possession of marijuana.• 3:33 p.m. A student reported losing a key to a van for Forest Products Lab.• 4:00 p.m. A student reported being stalked. A student referral was issued.• 5:10 p.m. A student reported her vehicle was damaged while parked in the Herbert Hall parking lot.• 11:51 p.m. A student was arrested on Herbert Street for open container.

Friday, March 22 • 12:49 a.m. A student was passed out in the Lambda Chi Alpha parking lot. The subject was transported to OCH.• 4:57 a.m. A student reported a disturbance in Evans Hall.• 9:37 a.m. A student reported items stolen from his room in McKee Hall.• 8:44 p.m. A student reported his laptop stolen from Giles Architecture.

Saturday, March 23• 11:12 a.m. A student reported his vehicle damaged while parked in Oak Hall parking lot.• 2:06 p.m. A student broke his arm while playing basketball in Sanderson Center. The subject was transported to OCH.• 3:35 p.m. A non-resident/visitor reported her vehicle was damaged on March 16 while parked behind the Mize Pavillion.• 3:40 p.m. A student was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Citations:• 7 citations were issued for speeding.• 1 citation was issued for disregard of a traffic device.• 1 citation was issued for driving the wrong way on a one-way street.

NEWS THE REFLECTOR2 | TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

BY SASHA STEINBERGContributing Writer

The following is an interview with Fancred CEO and Mississippi State University alumnus, Hossein Kash Razzaghi.

Q: What is the purpose of Fancred? How is it different from other social media networks that are out there?

A: We are trying to make it easier for you as a sports fan to have conversations on your mobile devices with your friends, experts and other people that you follow and about teams, games and sports that are interesting to you. So far, the blog-gers, sports writers, beat reporters and journalists we have on Fancred are from major publications, such as USA TODAY, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report, so it is a good way for them to pro-mote their work.

Other social media networks are great, but because they are not focused on sports, you cannot go there to have the best sports conversations. We think sports is a big enough category with enough passionate fans and people that it should have its own social network, and that is what we are try-ing to build.

Q: How can people sign up and get in-volved with Fancred?

A: At this point, when you download Fancred onto your phone, the sign-in page is through Facebook log-in only, and it is strictly a way for us to authenticate you as a real person. We think it makes the commu-nity that much better because people are having real conversations and they are not hiding behind a pseudonym or username. I know that people have a lot of concerns over other apps posting on their Facebook wall, but we will never do that. Privacy is very important to us, so we will never post on your behalf and we will never take

your data w i t h -out you knowing.

We are working on ways where we can ex-pand to not just Facebook log-in, but for now, that is the fastest and easiest way.

As a participant in Fancred, everyone has what we called a Fancred score. It is a one to 100-point scoring system that mea-sures your activity and the response that you get for your activity inside Fancred. If you post a lot and people respond to what you post by giving you an “up-vote” or “down-vote” or by commenting on your post, that increases your score. So, the score is a really good way for fans that are really active and passionate to differentiate themselves and build a following. We are trying to give sports fans a better way to fi nd other like-minded sports fans, so the Fancred score allows you to fi nd other fans that you think are entertaining, knowl-edgeable, funny or credible.

We have put a lot of emphasis and fo-cus on the design and the usability of the app. We want to make it easier for you to get all the information, but we also want to make it easy for you to get team-spe-cifi c information as well, so you can fi lter content based on the teams or people that you follow. For instance, I am a Mississip-pi State fan, but I am also a Boston fan (Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots) because I have lived here for so long. I have feeds in the app that allow me to switch back and forth to see what people are saying about my specifi c teams. I can also go to what we call the Sports Feed, which is a general feed of everybody that I follow, and it is one area where everybody is talking (about all kinds of ) sports (and teams), and I can just browse that.

Q: How did the offi cial launch in mid-March go, and how is the app being re-ceived thus far by users?

A: We have had thousands of downloads and thousands of Mississippi State fans us-ing it. We even have Scott Stricklin, Shane Power and Tyler Russell all on Fancred, so we are growing the Mississippi State audience pretty heavily. On the fi rst day that we launched, we made No. 25 in the

iTunes App Store for free sports apps, so that was a really big milestone for us.

Q: What features do you foresee you and your team devising and adding to the app and how often? What are your goals for the future?

A: We are building up for Android soon, and we have not fi nalized that release time yet but probably over the next couple of months.

Obviously, we would love to have as many Mississippi State fans on Fancred as possible. If a lot of MSU fans use it and a lot of fans use it throughout the country, we will be able to sort of aggregate who has the highest score among fan bases as well. I defi nitely want to work with MSU and its athletic department to make sure that as many fans as possible are using it, so we can increase the collective score of MSU stu-dents. I would love to be able to brag about my alma mater having a really high Fancred score.

Searching is something that we are go-ing to contribute to very quickly because there’s not a really great way yet to search for people that you are trying to fi nd. So, we are going to add a search feature that allows you to just type in somebody’s name, pull them up and decide to follow them if you want.

We have a vision of evolving the score to where it really does capture your entire sports life, so over time, we want to be able to do more cool things like adding polls and quizzes, allowing fans to check into and answer questions about games and even throwing in some rewards and awards if someone has a high Fancred score. I be-lieve credibility is something you earn, so we are looking for different ways to make sure that you earn a certain Fancred score and that you have got to work hard to keep it.

We will probably release (new) features fre-quently, so we will probably just do small re-leases every several weeks. The app is free, and we do not have any (future) plans whatsoever of charging fans to download or use it.

MSU alums launch successful sports app

NEWS

Download our iPhone or Android App today!

301 Brooks Rd. (off North Lehmberg Rd.)662-329-4311

Saturday Worship 9:30 am

Sabbath School 10:30 am

Wednesday Prayer Meeting 6:30 pm

Columbus Seventh-day Adventist Church

11:15 am

9:30 am

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 | 3REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM

Although senate passes policy that affects student lives day-to-day, Harris said she thinks the legislative branch is partially unknown because they do not create many tangible events.

“People are giving their time and their effort to benefi t the student body, and I don’t know if students get to see that as much as they get to see how many events cabinet put on or how awesome Bulldog Bash was. It’s harder for students to realize how much work we put into it,” she said.

This year, instead of meeting once every two weeks as in past years, the senate meets every Tuesday.

On alternating weeks, the senate has business meetings in which it passes legislation or committee meetings to draft legislation, she said.

Eddie Keith, associate dean of students, said the challenge senators face is expanding their horizons by talking to students in different organizations and classes in order to properly rep-resent their constituencies.

Senators, he said, usually take one of two paths: they ei-ther vote with their conscience or seek to represent the views of the people, even if they are at odds with the senators’ person-al feelings.

“I think they (the senate) do a good job, but people don’t know what they do and con-sequently, at some point, if people don’t see what a body is doing as important then that body may not do as many im-portant things. I think it’s in everybody’s interests for the senate’s actions to be out in front,” he said.

Shelby Balius, SA president, said the senate is the most ig-nored part of the SA and that it needs to be recognized because

the legislative branch is the most powerful.

“They (senators) can be so focused in how they represent their students and their con-stituencies because they have smaller constituencies to wor-ry about and contact them so much more effi ciently,” Balius said. “It is very hard for me to fi gure out the opinion of 20,000 students. But someone who is looking at the College of Engineering and the cou-ple of thousand that involves … a couple thousand versus 20,000 — big difference. They can be more of an ear to listen

and then enact change through legislation than the president or any other exec can ever do.”

Rhett Hobart, former SA president, said the senate has the opportunity to control ev-ery bit of SA funding.

“That’s about half a million dollars that the SA distributes out to other organizations on campus, to Bulldog Bash, to all these other groups. When you control an amount of money like that, you are immediately handed a great amount of pow-er,” he said. “The SA senate controls the way elections are held, they control every bit of campaigning, they control the

way appropriations are distrib-uted to campus organizations … they control, essentially, ev-ery decision made in the SA.”

Hank Flick, professor in the Department of Communica-tion and senate parliamentari-an, said the senate is a point of pride because the people who serve as senators do so on their way to larger leadership posi-tions, law school and graduate school success.

Flick said two-thirds of learning takes place outside of the classroom, and participat-ing in student government, for example, can give a student a more well-rounded experience through service work on cam-pus.

He said he believes the Peo-ple’s University label of Missis-sippi State should be embodied through service.

“The thing that holds it alto-gether is service. I’m responsible for making a good world better. … Actual service to others, be-ing nicer than the person you met before, listening to others, affi rming others, being good in the small stuff. It’s all about the small stuff,” he said. “That’s a people’s university — elevating the status of young people, so they know they’re special. Ser-vice can help you feel like you have a niche.”

Harris said the senate not only taught her the value of community service but also helped her develop as a leader.

Through her experiences, she said she learned her opin-ion is important.

“If I don’t explain my opin-ion, then there’s someone’s voice (that) is not getting heard,” she said. “The univer-sity has offered me so many op-portunities and abilities to give back, and (the senate has) really helped me give back.”

SENATE continued from 1

To make the Bullring resto-ration possible, donations are accepted through the MSU Foundation.

“There are several recogni-tion levels based on the amount of money donated, where the donation is recognized on ei-ther an engraved brick in the walkway around the Bullring or with an en-graved stone similar to those on the Drill Field

walks,” Broyles said. “The initial gifts that got the project started were from the MSU Alum-ni Association and the Student Association through the senior class gift program.”

The revival of the Bullring will re-establish tradition through unity among all who are con-nected by MSU.

“I can’t wait to see old alumni sitting on the Bullring along with future students, enjoying the Bulldog spirit that makes this the People’s University,” Broyles said.

BULLRING continued from 1

“I have never in my life met anyone as committed to their faith, their family and their uni-versity. Dr. Abraham is the epit-ome of what a Bulldog is. He loves our university and he loves the people who make Mississip-pi State what it is,” Young said.

Young said she truly enjoyed working with Abraham and she feels privileged to work with a man who is unlike any other.

“He is extremely energetic, he makes hard work fun, he makes you want to work harder, he challenges you to do greater things and just him exhibiting his love for Mississippi State makes you want to take your support and your dedication to the university higher,” Young said.

Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO of Entergy Mississip-pi, Inc., worked with Abraham in the mid 1980s as an Orien-tation Leader as well as when he was a member of the MSU Stu-

dent Association. While working as an orienta-

tion leader, Abraham showed Fi-sackerly the energy and passion for MSU so many others have seen as well.

“Jimmy has such a passion

about him that it was addictive and something that I wanted to know more about,” Fisackerly said. “He was this guy that was so full of energy and so full of passion that his emotions were not only in his words, but in his expressions.”

Fisackerly said he remembers

one very specifi c piece of advice Abraham gave to him while they worked together.

“There was one great lesson I learned from Jimmy: We all get frustrated with other peo-ple, somebody may be late for a meeting or not being responsible the way you want them to, but he reminds you to not be quick to judge those people because you never know what’s going on in their lives,” Fisackerly said.

When asked what he would say to the current students of MSU, Abraham said he hopes current students will remember a piece of advice for years to come.

“Earn fi ve F’s while at State and carry them with you when you graduate-be loyal and make good Friends, stay Focused on what is really important in life, keep and live your Faith, love your Family and let them know this and Forgive others,” Abra-ham said.

ABRAHAM continued from 1

Broyles

That’s a people’s university — elevating the status of young people, so they know they’re special. Service can help you feel like you have a niche.”Hank Flick, senate parliamentarian

“

Dr. Abraham is the epitome of what a Bulldog is.”Camille Young, MSU Alumni Association national president

“

ADVERTISE(WITH)

THE REFLECTOR

CALL 325-7907

FOLLOWthe

NEWS DESK@newsreflector

OPINION the voice of MSU studentsInDesign is very

CONTACT INFORMATIONEditor in Chief/Hannah Rogers

325-7905 editor@reflector.msstate.edu

Managing Editor/Kaitlyn Byrne

325-8991 managing@reflector.msstate.edu

News Editor/Emma Crawford

325-8819 news@reflector.msstate.edu

News tips/John Galatas

325-7906 news@reflector.msstate.edu

Opinion Editor/Mary Chase Breedlove

opinion@reflector.msstate.edu

Sports Editor/Kristen Spink

325-5118 sports@reflector.msstate.edu

Life Editor/Zack Orsborn

325-8883 life@reflector.msstate.edu

Photography Editor/Kaitlin Mullins

325-1584 photo@reflector.msstate.edu

Advertising sales/Julia Pendley

325-7907 advertise@reflector.msstate.edu

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor should be

sent to the Meyer Student Media Center or mailed to The Reflector, PO Box 5407, Mississippi State, MS. Letters may also be emailed to edi-tor@reflector.msstate.edu.

Letters must include name and telephone number for verification purposes. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish a letter.

EDITORIAL POLICYThe Reflector is the official stu-

dent 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.

CORRECTIONSThe Reflector staff strives to maintain the integrity of this paper through accurate

and honest reporting. If we publish an error we will correct it. To report an error, call 325-7905.

Editor in ChiefHannah Rogers

Managing EditorKaitlyn Byrne

News EditorEmma Crawford

Campus News EditorJohn Galatas

Multimedia EditorEric Evans

Life EditorZack Orsborn

Sports EditorKristen Spink

Opinion EditorMary Chase Breedlove

Photography EditorKaitlin Mullins

Copy EditorCandace Barnette

Copy EditorRachel Burke

ReflectorThe

Last summer I held a tu-toring job where I met a student named Dwayne.

I helped him in math two hours each week for about fi ve weeks.

This guy… is cool. Around 50 years old, standing well above six feet with long messy hair and tattoos down his arms and hands. With a daily attire of leather clothing, he wears large rings on each of his fi ngers. He drives a ‘70s Volkswagen Bug. Totally lax. Totally cool.

I appreciated his raspy voice, his mannerisms and his laugh that bellowed through the room. One day, I realized why I enjoyed his presence so much. I looked at him and said, “You know… You remind me of the Dude!”

The Dude, or Jeff Lebows-ki, is the main character in the Coen brother’s 1998 fi lm, “The Big Lebowski.”

But don’t mistake him for the millionaire Jeffrey Lebowski… although that very misunder-standing drives the plot of the movie.

He is the most laid back guy you wish you could be. The Dude, His Dudeness, Duder (or El Duderino if you’re not into that whole brevity thing) is the man who launched argu-ably the greatest cult classic of all time.

If you’re a fan yourself, you can attend Lebowski Fest, where Dude enthusiasts go to “celebrate all things Lebowski,” according to the website.

The opening scene shows the Dude, wearing a bathrobe and sandals, in the grocery store purchasing a carton of half-and-half. Sam Elliot’s great bass voice plays in the background, narrating, “Sometimes there’s a man... I won’t say a hero, ‘cause, what’s a hero? But sometimes, there’s a man. And I’m talkin’ about the Dude here. Some-times, there’s a man, well, he’s the man for his time and place. He fi ts right in there. And that’s the Dude.” The Dude returns home with his cream to fi nd two men waiting to beat and rob him. They repeatedly call him “Lebowski,” screaming about the money he owes them — until they realize they’ve got the wrong guy. They proceed to pee on his beloved rug.

“Not on the rug, man!”Before the men leave, one

turns and says, “He looks like a loser.”

The Dude and his friends Walter and Donny participate in a bowling league, around which much of the dialogue and plot is focused. Walter, played by John Goodman, makes an absolutely hilarious sidekick.

The dry, arbitrary exchanges between characters are brilliant-ly delivered — the true cause of the fi lm’s success. To me, Wal-ter and Donny look up to and admire the Dude. So does the viewer. The real action begins when Jeffery Lebowski asks the Dude to help him retrieve his wife, who he says has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom.

A chain of coincidentally unfortunate events ensue, but none of them seem to truly bother the Dude. He remains relaxed, and we love him for it.

But in all actuality, the man who appears in the beginning (and pees on the Dude’s rug) is right: the Dude is a loser.

He has no job, no aspirations, no concern for his appearance or impression on others and is stoned or drunk throughout most, if not all, of the fi lm.

His only interests consist of bowling and replacing his soiled rug. As college students, how do you and I relate to the Dude? We have goals, ambi-tions, and we are, I hope, not constantly high or drunk.

No … we don’t have much in common with him, but we wish we did. See, telling Dwayne he reminded me of the Dude was a compliment, a statement of utmost respect. The Dude isn’t just a slacker, he’s a free spirit — and that carefree attitude is, for me, what characterizes a “dude”. The narrator ends “The Big Lebowski” with a few words. He says, “It’s good knowin’ he’s out there – the Dude. Takin’ ‘er easy for all us sinners.”

I’m sure there are many hid-den messages that can be ex-trapolated from “The Big Leb-owski.” What I know for sure is that people like it, and I think that is because we all admire the Dude for one reason or another.

If we could, we’d all be more dudely. We’d live lightheartedly, refusing to worry about money or fi nding a job after gradua-tion. Stress wouldn’t fi nd us, not even during fi nal exams.

And we wouldn’t be troubled when life, as often as it does, moves at a different beat than us.

Here’s a question for you: Did today seem like it was going to

be a really good day? Did the stars align, did the

birds sing, did you high-fi ve yourself after jogging three miles and only eating precise-ly 300 calories for breakfast, thanks to a McDonald’s sau-sage burrito?

Well, prepare to be slight-ly miffed, because it turns out that a lot of those labels? Yeah, those labels lie.

What? Calorie-count la-bels are inaccurate? What madness is this?

Well, here’s what’s up: es-sentially, about one in fi ve of those calorie-count labels are inaccurate.

There’s usually a margin of inaccuracy around 100 cal-ories, which may not sound like too much (spoonful of peanut butter) but this can add up over time (an entire jar of peanut butter).

For those of you who are obsessive about labels, well, the good news is some of the labels are accurate. But not all. It’s hard to tell.

Uncertainty and diet con-

cerns aside, I’d like to address why this is even happening.

Well, for one thing, the Food and Drug Adminis-tration has been pushing a requirement that for restau-rants with 20 or more loca-tions offer similar fare under the same name (Applebee’s, Chili’s, etc.) to provide n u t r i t i o n i n f o r m a -tion to their customers, which ex-plains why you see the terrifying calorie counts plastered next to food items at places like Subway or McDonald’s.

However, though health departments require the posting of this information, it is incredibly rare that one really actually goes and ver-ifi es these caloric labels are accurate.

“Hey” you say, “What’s the big deal with testing my triple-shot-soy-choco-late-pumpkin-blueberry-car-

amel Starbucks latte? Don’t they just measure it or some-thing?”

Good one, naïve college freshman, with your ridicu-lous Starbucks order!

Of course they don’t test it because it turns out that mea-suring cal-ories takes a lot of time out of your day.

Just a wee bit b o r i n g , then.

To test your food objects requires an awful lot of math, patience, time and sensitive equipment (such as a calo-rimeter. Ask for one for your next birthday).

In a video posted on popular website Laughing Squid, fi lmmaker Casey Nei-stat grabbed fi ve typical food items and took them to an obesity center to be tested by food scientists using a calo-rimeter, and the entire pro-cess took them 10 hours.

Ten hours, people. That’s almost two episodes of “Downton Abbey.”

I’m just messing with you. It’s at least three episodes. So clearly, this is ridiculous.

America has enough prob-lems on its hands without having inaccurate calorie la-beling to contend with, too.

Those people on diets are really frustrated because all that hard work can be sabo-taged by a stray sandwich at Subway, or a misplaced meat patty at McDonald’s.

It’s time for accurate cal-orie counts, correct calorie labeling and regular calorie testing.

RED HERRINGS | CLAIRE MOSLEY

Calorie count labels often misleading to consumers

PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA | ANNA WOLFE

Claire Mosley is a sophomore majoring in accounting. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

CLAIRE MOSLEYAbout one in fi ve of those calorie count labels is inaccurate. Usually this margin of error is around 100 calories, which may not sound like too much, but this can add up over time.”

“

For the fi rst time during his presidency, President Obama made a visit to

Israel. In addition to Israel, he made a trip to the West Bank and met with Palestinian Au-thority President Mahmoud Ab-bas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad.

On Thursday at Jerusalem’s International Convention Cen-ter, Obama delivered a speech that was in some ways inspiring. I think the true base of his mes-sage was one that Israel and its allies cannot come to accept.

According to the transcript of the president’s speech, which can be found on whitehouse.gov, he reaffi rmed the relationship between Israel and the Unit-ed States by saying, “so long as there is a United States of Amer-ica – Atem lo levad. You are not alone.”

Finally hearing Obama so fi rmly back Israel is reassuring. Israel has been one of our most faithful allies over the years. The part of Obama’s speech that did not rest easy with me pertained to his thoughts on Israel’s rela-tionship with Palestine.

The president made it very clear he believes Palestine should be given its own state. He advo-cated for “an independent Pales-tine…with real borders.” Hand in hand with creating a Palestin-ian state, Obama made strong

pushes for peace between Arabs and Israelis. I have absolutely no problem with peace between Arabs and Israelis. I am against the creation of an independent Palestinian state. I am not racist, nor do I hold a hatred for Pal-estinians. What I do have is a sense of caution and apprehen-sion. There have been attempts at peace before, none resulting in anything lasting.

Creating an independent Pal-estinian state will not solve any-thing. For a time, yes it might help. If we look at the Gaza Strip, it is clear to me what will happen. Terrorist organizations like Hezbollah will come to power, one way or another. They will use the newly formed state to attain their detestable goals.

Over the weekend I had a very enjoyable discussion with a new friend who happens to be of Middle Eastern descent. He disagreed with my stance of ap-prehension on the creation of a Palestinian state.

When I told him my thoughts on the possible hijacking of the new government by organiza-tions like Hezbollah, he had a very interesting retort. His an-swer as to why that would not happen was Palestine is very young, as far as the age of its people. He believes the young people do not accept the terror of Hezbollah and will resist the

advances upon the new govern-ment. As much as I would love to believe this, I simply cannot. I know the large majority of peo-ple do not want to be subjected to a terrorist regime.

Unfortunately, the few who do support them somehow man-age to usurp much of the power from the deserving government offi cials.

The danger in creating a Pal-estinian state comes not from the democratic value of self-determi-nation. Rather, the peril comes from the imminent possibility of a hostile state that is so physically close to Israel.

In a region where not a single country sides with Israel, creat-ing yet another enemy for itself seems like a stupid idea. Imagine you move to a neighborhood where you are different from ev-ery person that lives around you. You are a different religion, your skin is a different color and your customs are different. All of your neighbors despise you because you are different. Every day you live in fear one of your neighbors will seek you out and hurt you or your family. Would you want to build a house across the street and put more of these hostile neighbors in it?

Not all of the countries around Israel are as extreme as that ex-ample, but many are. Israel is already such a tiny country, only

approximately the size of New Jersey; it can barely afford to give up any more land. This strip of land in the desert is the only state of its kind in the world, the only Jewish state. There needs to come a point when the Israeli people can fi nally feel safe. There should be a time when Israelis can proudly stand in their coun-try and not worry about their se-curity. I am not against the right of self-determination.

I’m against the uncertainness and danger that would come with an independent Palestine. Prove that Hezbollah can be blocked from the government and rooted out. Prove Palestin-ians truly want peace. Prove that while Palestinians and Israelis are very different people, they can agree to disagree. If they can prove these things, then I feel we could in good faith create an in-dependent Palestinian state.

THE CONSTANT | MARY CHASE BREEDLOVE

Negative stereotypes among Christians create conflictI look forward to this week

very much throughout the year. The crazy weather,

blooming fl owers and the in-crease of schoolwork at the end of another semester signals my favorite holiday: Easter.

Before I get bombarded with sneers, eye-rolls and Jesus Jukes, allow me to explain why I love the Holy Week. Spring brings a time of change and re-newal. I believe my life changed forever when Je-sus was crucifi ed and resurrected; it’s an over-whelming and joyous time. And thanks to the freedom of living in this great country, I have as much of a right to say that in this article as you do to believe in whatever you choose.

Christianity has a bad rep among many of my peers. I hear words like “Jesus freak” and “Jesus-y” used as negative words — I even hear “Chris-tian” used as an insult. Why? Because sadly, Christians can be poor examples of how Christianity should look. I typed in “why are Christians so…” in a Google search and the fi rst three words that came up were judgmental, weird and

delusional. Sure, I’m weird for many more reasons than my religion, but I never want to be considered judgmental or de-lusional because of my beliefs.

Jesus spent his time on Earth with the outcasts of society — the lepers, the prostitutes, the corrupt. His message teaches forgiveness and love. If Chris-

tians want to follow the way of Christ, we should be known as the most compas-sionate, lov-ing, selfl ess,

humble people around.Oftentimes, Christians

can be easily captivated by self-righteousness. We’re quick to cast the fi rst stone. Sure, we admit that we’re sinners saved by grace, but we know there are others who sin more than us, and without conviction. Some Christians are seduced by the idea of being better than others, which directly contra-dicts what Christianity teaches.

I fi rmly believe Christians should hold on to the values and beliefs our faith teaches us — but I also believe we can do so without being seen as judg-mental, weird and delusional. We’re going to disagree with

others on some very intense is-sues — marriage, abortion, all the hot topics — but nowhere in God’s word does he tell us to be cold and unapproachable. In fact, the Bible explicitly tells Christians to prepare for perse-cution for their beliefs, but we shouldn’t outright ask for per-secution through our actions toward others.

Those who don’t share the values Christianity teaches should meet us halfway; agree to disagree but show mutual respect.

Both Christians and non-Christians should do a better job of respecting each other’s beliefs.

Stereotypes tell us the major-ity Christians tend to be con-servative and non-Christians tend to be liberal — especial-ly in this area of the country. I know there are exceptions to these, but I think everyone can learn something from both conservative and liberal stances on religion.

There’s a famous quote by President John F. Kennedy in which he describes his defi -nition of the word “liberal.” At one point he says “(liberal means)… someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing,

their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil lib-erties …” Those descriptions do a pretty good job of describ-ing what a Christian should be: someone who cares about the welfare of others. Instead of embracing the ideas a word like “liberal” can evoke, some Christians have tainted it to mean something offensive.

I challenge Christians during this week — during this season of change and renewal — to examine how your actions ap-pear toward those who believe differently than you. I chal-lenge everyone to remember you’re no better than anyone else.

When we all show respect toward each other’s beliefs, we can break apart the negative stereotypes.

Joey Frost is a junior majoring in political science. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

JOEY FROST

Mary Chase Breedlove is the opinion editor at The Reflector. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

MARY CHASE BREEDLOVE

THE JEW POINT | JOEY FROST

Independent Palestinian state could be dangerous

Both Christians and non-Christians should do a better job of respecting each other’s beliefs.”

“

4 | TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2012 THE REFLECTOR

College students can learn from ‘Lebowski’

Anna Wolfe is a junior majoring in communication. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

ANNA WOLFE

1003 HWY 182 E.

The

is now acceptingAPPLICATIONS

for

Managing Editor, Section Editors, Photography Editor, Multimedia Editor,

Copy Editor, Graphic Designer and Ad Manager

for the 2013-2014 school yearInterviews will be conducted until Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Applications may be picked up from The Reflector main office in the Henry F. Meyer Student Media Center. Interview sign-up times are posted on the Publication Board Room. Call 325-2374 for more information.

Try our new

Chocolate Lava Cake!10% O� with MSU I.D.

3-26-13

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 | 5

CLASSIFIEDS POLICYThe deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday; the deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday. Classifi eds are $5 per issue. Student and staff ads are $3 per issue, pre-paid. Lost and found: found items can be listed for free; lost items are listed for standard ad cost.

HELP WANTED

Bartending. Up to $300 / day. No experience necessary. Training available. Call 800.965.6520 ext. 213.

FOR SALE

1/2-carat past, present and future engagement ring. Paid $500, will take $300, fi rm. Call 617.0111 and ask for Angela.

Thinogenics: All natural weightloss. Lose fi ve to 10 pounds in the fi rst week. Take only once a day. Contact Brandi Allison at 660.2703 or 279.2737. One month supply for $55. One week supply is $7.

Fire staff/contact practice staff. One of each for sale with kerosene can, fi re cloth and three instructional DVDs. $50 cash or credit card for all. Text 312.4939.

L.E.D. hula hoop, rainbow lights with rechargeable batteries and charger, one DVD. $50 cash or credit card. Text

312.4939.

FOR RENT

Studio two and four bedroom apartments available. Close to campus. Call Barbara at 418.8603.

MISCELLANEOUS

Call Oda! ABC Professional Tutoring. High school and college: Math, business, statistics, physics, chemistry, statistics, ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT and more. Available seven days a week. Call 722.0020.

Think you might be pregnant? Free pregnancy test and confi dential counseling. Life Choices Pregnancy Care Center. 327.0500. mslifechoices.org.

CLUB INFO

The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday; deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday. MSU student organizations may place free announcements in Club Info. Information may be submitted by email to club_info@refl ector.msstate.edu with the subject heading “CLUB INFO,” or a form may be completed at The Refl ector offi ce in the Student Media Center. A contact name, phone number and requested run dates must be included for club info to appear in The Refl ector. All submissions are subject to

exemption according to space availability.

MSU CATHOLIC STUDENT ASSOCIATION

The MSU Catholic Student Association invites you to join us for Sunday mass at 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 607 University Drive. All are welcome to $2 Tuesday night dinner at 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/msstatecsa

THE WESLEY FOUNDATION

Insight Bible study and worship Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Wesley Foundation Worship Center, East Lee Boulevard, next to Campus Bookmart.

MSU STUDENT CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF

MICROBIOLOGY

Contact msuasm@yahoo.com or like us on Facebook, “MSU ASM,” for membership information.

YOGA MOVES CLUB

School or work stressing you out? Get moving into Yoga Moves! Try our moves to get into shape and our relaxation techniques to handle the stress. Yoga Moves meets at the Sanderson Center in Studio C, Thursday evenings 5 to 6:30. Like Yoga Moves Club-MSU on Facebook.

REFLECTOR-ONLINE

AN IN-CLASS DISTRACTION ...

Solutions for 3-22-13

BULLETIN BOARD

Life & EntertainmentTHE REFLECTOR6 | tuesday, march 26, 2013

kaitlin mullins | the reflector

Kevin Holdiness, Philip Vanderleest and Miles Byrd come together to make sure Starkville residents know what’s up with local events with their website and app, whatshappen.in

By Catie Marie Martin

Staff Writer

Between Rain or Shine and City Bagel is a ramshackle white building characterized by speckled shingles and angular awnings. The sign in front informs passersby that it is the “Bill Da-vis Photography Studio,” and the only reason one would allow it a second glance is if he or she were intrigued by its peculiar architecture.

Little do Starkville citizens know of the social hub buzzing within the small house. The house has been everything from a tuxedo parlor to a recording studio, and now five young men are attempting to transform Starkville’s restaurant, retail and event industry and call it their studio.

Miles Byrd, James Kastrantas, Philip Vander-leest, Patrick Quinn and Adrian Marcus have teamed up to create a website/mobile app that allows Starkville citizens and Mississippi State University students to stay up-to-date with “what’s happenin’” around the small town.

A former Starkville music vendor, Miles Byrd said the site began as a way to inform Starkville natives of concerts and events in the Golden Triangle Area. A prior State Theatre employee, Byrd said the most frustrating thing about the untimely demise of the eclectic venue was that students would beg for artists and bands, but

upon his delivery of these bands, those pleading for the events would not be informed of them.

Byrd said soon after the inception of the site, they realized the same problem existed within the food industry as well as booking music.

“There were cool restaurants that came here and closed down before anyone ever heard of them. I just thought it wasn’t very fair because people used to complain that we didn’t have much variety here to eat. But you have crazy places pop up, and you never hear about them. Next thing you know, they’re gone,” he said.

Byrd said the business began as a do-gooder scheme to make sure Starkville was well repre-sented across all forms of social network. The group endeavored to update all of the incorrect information on sites like Google and Four-Square.

“You don’t Google ‘good food in Starkville’ and expect to find a good, relevant search,” Vanderleest said.

This desire to help small businesses and for Starkville to be well-represented on the Internet and social networks led to “What’s Happenin’” encompassing all aspects of Starkville social life.

The site now currently has three tabs — en-tertainment, food and drink and shops and services. The home page gives the viewer an at-a-glance look at what all is “happenin’” in

Starkville that day. The viewer can then leave the home page and look at what all Starkville has to offer on a more specific scale and for months ahead. The site also provides links to all of the businesses’ social networks. The en-tertainment section provides viewers with times and locations as far as the events are planned. As soon as an event is announced, it is inputted into the site.

The food and drink section provides viewers with an in-depth description of all the restau-rants in Starkville. The list is defaulted to show what restaurants are open when the viewers open the site, and most of the restaurants of “What’s Happenin’” have menus posted on the site. By clicking on these menus, viewers can get a better feel of what types of food they will be enjoying — without ever leaving the house. Some of the restaurants provide photographs of their food to accompany their menus to provide customers with a visual of what exactly he or she is in for when they visit.

“Our goal is instead of having photo albums for a Facebook page, we actually take pictures or let the restaurants take pictures. We actually attach them to menu items. So if you go here, you can actually see pictures of business’s food,” Byrd said.

Byrd said the site hopes to soon offer the

same visual aids to the shops and services tab so owners can provide photographs of their mer-chandise. Visual aids will soon be added to the entertainment section as well by including art-ist profiles and links to YouTube footage of live performances.

The site runners hope to offer its services to other towns in the Golden Triangle Area, such as West Point and Columbus, with representa-tives in each city continually updating the sites according to each town.

Byrd also said the site is even eager to expand out to Southern Mississippi and into Oxford and Jackson, while still keeping its personal ap-proach to providing information.

The site is in the process of catering to the student body in Starkville by creating “What’s Happenin’ MSU.” This version of the site will portray all on-campus events that are open to the public. This includes everything from Lab Rats performances to MusicMakers productions to sporting events. The site runners are also in the process of adding a sports and activities sec-tion that provides information regarding every-thing from high school basketball to bars with dartboards and pool tables.

“We want Starkville to know that there’s an easier way to find what you want, when you want,” Quinn said.

WHAT’SHAPPENINGWITH THE ‘WHAT’S HAPPENIN’ GUYS?

EASTER

SUNDAY, MARCH 31 AT 8, 9:30 AND 11 A.M.

PINELAKE STARKVILLE 200 HWY. 25 S. | PINELAKE.ORG/EASTER

THE CURE FOR THE DINING HALL BLUES.MSU Student Nights

Monday — Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Each restaurant independently owned and operated. Offer not valid at any other locations. Must present student ID to receive offer.© 2013 Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc. “Zaxby’s” and “Zax Snak” are registered trademarks of Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc.

Choose any of these 5 meals for $5 each.

when you show your MSU student ID.

Big Zax Snak® Boneless Wings Meal

Grilled Chicken Sandwich MealChicken Finger Sandwich MealKickin’ Chicken Sandwich Meal

VALID AT THIS LOCATION ONLY:

829 Hwy. 12 • Starkville • 662.320.9003

Spring into Bojangles to try our new

Mild Homestyle Tenders!Buy One, Get One Free!

It’s Bo-Time!PH: 662-320-2080

Located on Highway 12.

Bojangles and MSU--the two just go together!

Aldersgate United Methodist Church820 Evergreen StStarkville, MS 39759662.323.4657

2013 Holy Week ServicesTuesday, March 26th 11:30 a.m.

Lenten Luncheon Series

Thursday, March 28th 6 p.m.Holy Communion

Easter Sunday, March 31st7 a.m. Sunrise Service Community Breakfast9 a.m. Sunday School

10 a.m. Morning Worship

Try our new

Chocolate Lava Cake!10% O� with MSU I.D.

BY ALIE DALEE

Staff Writer

“Having compassion for someone is different than feeling sorry for them. Compassion leads to action.”

According to Laura Walton, associate profes-sor of communication at Mississippi State Uni-versity, this quote summarizes her past year em-barking on multiple missions to the small island country of Haiti.

Sitting behind a desk in casual business attire, framed by numerous degrees and a Ph.D., one might be shocked to realize Walton fi nds her pas-sion in a remote Caribbean island an ocean away.

Walton said her heart for Hai-ti began three years ago when she tuned in to the coverage fl ooding American news outlets on the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in January 2010.

“I was about nine months pregnant at the time the earth-quake hit, and I was emotional anyways, but it was the fi rst time that a natural disaster in which I just couldn’t turn away from it. I would watch the hours of coverage and just cry; it was just awful,” Walton said. “There was just something about it that was different than any other natural disaster for me, personally. I feel like God was putting a call in my life to serve in Haiti.”

Due to the birth of her second child, Walton would not be able to physically make it to Haiti until over two years later; however, Walton said it was impossible to sit in American stagnation over the situation mounting in Haiti without contrib-uting in some way.

“Our Sunday school class at my church ba-sically committed to sending school kit bags. Somewhere in the information about the project, we learned it was going to Haiti. I taught my-self to sew. It was kind of one of those where I couldn’t go, so I was trying to fi nd ways to give and to contribute and feel like I was helping until I could go,” Walton said.

The opportunity to travel to Haiti was fi nally granted to Walton in the summer of 2012 when she was met with a chance case of serendipity.

“In the spring of 2012, a lady in our Sunday school class mentioned she had a cousin who was going with Fairview Baptist in Columbus to Hai-ti and asked if anybody was interested in going,” Walton said. “It was uncontrollable, it was like, ‘Me!’ I couldn’t get there fast enough to tell her I wanted more information and to go.”

The initial mission trip consisted of a group of about 40 people coming to-gether to perform medical and construction work in Anse-a-Pitre, Haiti. The mission was part of a project known as the Promise Land Project put on by Hispaniola Mountain Mis-

sions, in Jackson, Miss. The project encompasses plans to construct schoolhouses, a church and a medical clinic serving a local community in Hai-ti. The current medical care is given from within a portable tent, and Walton said the church con-sists of little more than sticks and woven material forming a makeshift enclosure.

Walton was able to travel back to Haiti this past February.

“We worked in a different area. It was Recif, but it was great to be in Anse-a-Pitre where we worked in June and to see the school fi nished and the kids going to school there, and just to know that we were a part of hopefully making things better for those kids,” Walton said. “It was real-

ly cool. We got to be there on Monday morning to see their opening exercises in the court-yard, and it was just really awe-some to see that.”

Back in the United States, Walton has worked alongside the MSU chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America to organize a 5k in Research Park, Glo4Haiti, to raise additional funds for the missions trip Walton is leading back to Haiti in May. Walton cites the amazing support of her family and work as a huge factor in her ability to travel to

and from Haiti.“I just feel like it’s been a process of fi nding the

way to serve that fi ts that point in my life, and also that meets the greatest need. That’s what I’ve tried to do,” Walton said. “When I went in June, it completely changed my life, and I couldn’t come back and be still and be complacent know-ing what I had seen and not try to raise awareness and be a part of it.”

Even with all the passion Walton exhibits, she said there were times fear and doubt made her second guess her decision to keep returning to Haiti.

“It would have been easy to be like, ‘I’m just going to help from here. I’m just going to do this race. I’m not actually going to go. I’m just going to give you the money to go,’” Walton said. “I feel like there are times God calls us to go our-selves, and there are times that God calls us to support those that do go, and so right now I feel he’s called me to do both, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

For those interested in giving to or supporting the Haiti missions, Glo4Haiti will take place at Research Park on March 26, and additional in-formation on the run and what it benefi ts visit glo4haiti.com.

THE REFLECTOR

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 | 7REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM life & entertainment

I just feel like it’s been a process of fi nding the way to serve that fi ts that point in my life, and also that meets the greatest need. That’s what I’ve tried to do.”Laura Walton,associate professorof communication

“

Laura WaltonOUTSTANDING HUMAN BEING:

KAITLIN MULLINS | THE REFLECTOR

Laura Walton gave Haiti a helping hand after the devasting earthquake in January 2010.

KAITLIN MULLINS | THE REFLECTOR

MARCH RADNESS | Lasers, thumping beats and the sweat of dancers filled the Princess Theater in Columbus, Miss., at the party of the year, March Radness.

High school teammates earn consecutive SEC Player of the Week honors at MSU

8 | TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 THE REFLECTOR

SPORTS over the weekendBaseball

Hunter Renfroe had an

outstanding weekend hitting a home

run in every game, but No. 14 MSU dropped the series 2-1 at No. 8

Kentucky.

The Dogs took the series opener 8-4. Junior Ross Mitchell picked

up his fifth win of the year, pitching 4.2 innings of relief work and

allowing no runs on just five hits.

The sixth inning proved big for MSU. The Dogs scored five runs

on four hits and capitalized on three Wildcat errors. Adam Frazier,

C.T. Bradford and Mitch Slauter drove in runs that inning for State.

State dropped both games of a double-header Saturday falling 2-3

and 3-4. A homer by Renfroe in each game could not push the Dogs

past the Cats. Kendall Graveman and Chad Girodo picked up losses

for MSU.

The Diamond Dogs host Austin Peay Tuesday night at 6:30 and

hit the road for a weekend series at Arkansas.

Softball The MSU softball team dropped three tough games at No. 21 Kentucky over the weekend. A Wildcat walk-off home run in the 10th inning ended the game Friday night. Stephanie Becker had pitched five innings of relief work without allowing a run before surrendering the long ball. Sam Lenahan hit her seventh home run of the year for State, and Jessica Cooley punched her third homer as each girl drove in two runs. Saturday’s double-header saw the Dogs fall 2-3 and 0-7. Alison Owen pitched all six innings in the opener but allowed three runs to pick up the loss. Kentucky Ace Kelsey Nunley picked up her 14th win of the year in the second game and only gave up two hits to the Dogs. State goes on the road to take on UAB Tuesday night before hosting Auburn for a three-game series this weekend.

Men’s TennisThe No. 12 Bulldogs of MSU dominated No. 54

Arkansas 4-1 Friday to end a four-match losing skid. No. 18 Romain Bogaerts, Zach White, Pedro Dumont and Ethan Wilkinson won their singles matches, and Bulldogs Malte Stropp and Jordan Angus were both winning their matches when State secured the victory. Sunday’s match at No. 48 LSU was postponed due to bad weather and rescheduled for April 10 in Baton Rouge. State welcomes No. 7 Ole Miss to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre Friday at 2 p.m.

BY KRISTEN SPINK

Sports Editor

Not only did Mississippi State golfers Chad Ramey and Ally McDonald play on the same high school golf team, but the two were also named SEC Play-er of the Week in back-to-back weeks this month.

The only girl from Itawamba Agricultural High School want-ing to play golf, McDonald had no problem accepting the chal-lenge to play on the boys’ team. One year after Ramey commit-ted to MSU, McDonald joined her fellow Fulton, Miss., native in Starkville.

Ramey said he did not expect to be named SEC Player of the Week but enjoys being able to represent MSU and his home state in the best way he can.

“I feel like it was a great hon-or to be picked, and I’m going to try to live up to it and do it again. I try not to let it change my mindset, but it defi nitely gave me a lot more confi dence,” Ramey said. “I love this school, and it feels good to represent them in a good way.”

McDonald, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team following last season, said the whole experience of playing golf at MSU and receiving Player of the Week honor is amazing.

“I’m very bless-ed to be a part of this program, so when I receive honors or any-thing of this sort, I really try to keep things in perspec-t i v e , ” M c -Donald said. “I try to take this oppor-tunity to give credit to the peo-

ple who have actually gotten me here — my teammates, coaches and, most importantly, God.”

Ramey’s honor came after he won his fi rst individual tourna-ment at MSU by dominating the Tiger Invitational with a three-under-par performance, beating the second place fi nisher by three strokes. Ramey record-ed 13 birdies en route to his fi rst place fi nish.

The No. 36 Bulldogs won the tournament as a team by seven strokes and defeated fi ve ranked teams in the process.

Ramey said he did not play perfectly but enjoyed earning his fi rst win as a Bulldog.

“I defi nitely felt like I did some wrong. The course was really tough. I just putted really well is the only thing I did out-standing,” Ramey said. “It was a great feeling. I’ve been close a couple other times, so to fi nally break through was a great feel-ing.”

After that win, State picked up its seventh top-fi ve fi nish of the year with a second place performance at the Seminole Invitational. The Dogs posted

a season-best 18-under-par for the tournament.

M c D o n -ald’s honors came after she placed fourth

at the Sun-T r u s t

G a t o r Invita-tional, which

w a s her third top-fi ve fi nish in the last four events. As a team, the Lady B u l l d o g s f i n i s h e d

t i e d for sixth with No. 6 North

Carolina and in front of No. 18 Baylor.

A week earlier McDonald fi n-ished second in the JMU/Eagle Landing Invitational, leading MSU to a season-best second place fi nish.

Women’s head coach Ginger Brown-Lemm said McDonald exemplifi es the dedication need-ed in the classroom and on the golf course.

“Ally’s been a really consistent player for two years now. We’re just thrilled to have her commit-ment, leadership and talent with us at Mississippi State,” Brown-Lemm said.

McDonald said experience has been the key for the team this year. With one junior and three sophomores to help the freshmen, depth has given the Lady Dogs confi dence.

“As a whole, we’re making really positive strides. You can never get comfortable where you are, though,” McDonald said. “We’re playing really good right now, and people are gaining confi dence. Everyone’s seeing we can compete with really good teams.”

Although Ramey and Mc-Donald do not play on the same team anymore, the results for the

two hometown golfers are quite similar. As each team continues to rise in the rankings, the two Mississippians will be there to lead the way.

Ramey said he has received some support from his home-town, and although he has not seen McDonald golf in college as much as he did in high school, he thinks she has improved a lot since high school.

“I feel like every aspect of her game is getting better. The mental part, too — she’s getting around the course better as a whole,” Ramey said. “I’ve had a good many people congratulate me. They’re all really proud of us, and they keep rooting us on.”

The women’s team fi nishes up the Briar’s Creek Invitational in John’s Island, S.C., Tuesday before taking part in the M&F Bank Rebel Intercollegiate in Oxford next weekend.

The men’s team will partici-pate in the BancorpSouth Re-union Intercollegiate in Madi-son next weekend and will then host its fi rst ever tournament, the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship, April 8 to 9 in West Point.

MSU STUDENT HEalTH CENTErPhysical Therapy

www.health.msstate.edu

360 HardyRd- Just across the street from the MSU Library

Phone: 325-7543

Your On Campus Source For

Physical Therapy Services

Joe Gray, PT, ATC and Kevin Randall, PT

krandall@saffairs.msstate.edu

The

is now acceptingAPPLICATIONS

for

Advertising Representativesfor the 2013-2014 school yearuntil April 3, 2013 at 5 p.m.

Applications may be picked up from The Reflector main office in the Henry F. Meyer Student Media Center. Call 325-7907 for more information.

Join our Balance Rewards program today! It’s Free!

You will save each week, earn points and redeem them instantly.

Every Wednesday get a 15% discount with your student I.D.220 Highway 12 West 662.323.2129

At the corner of Instant Points & Endless Rewards.

Buy 1 get 1 50% o� with card on

Revlon Cosmetics and Beauty Tools

Spend $15 get 2000 pointsStarts March 24th good through March 30th

Enjoy 25% off during Happy Hour each Wednesday from 2 to 4!

662.338.9090500 Russell Street

Follow us on

Enjoy 15% off on Tuesdays with our Loyalty Program!

SPORTS

COURTESY PHOTO | MSU MEDIA RELATIONS

Chad Ramey led the Dogs to a win in the Tiger Invitational, placing first individually before being named SEC Player of the Week.

McDonald, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team following last season, said the whole experience of playing golf at MSU and receiving Player of the Week honor is amazing.

“I’m very bless-ed to be a part of this program, so when I receive honors or any-thing of this sort, I really try to keep things in perspec-t i v e , ” M c -Donald said. “I try to take this oppor-tunity to give credit to the peo-

a season-best 18-under-par for the tournament.

M c D o n -ald’s honors came after she placed fourth

at the Sun-T r u s t

G a t o r Invita-tional, which

w a s her third top-fi ve fi nish in the last four events. As a team, the Lady B u l l d o g s f i n i s h e d

t i e d for sixth with No. 6 North

Carolina and in front of No. 18 Baylor.

SPORTSREFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 | 9

SEC dominates track and field challenge

BY ALDEN THORNHILL

Staff Writer

Although the conditions were hardly spring-like on Saturday, the Mississippi State track squad racked up wins at the Big Ten/SEC Conference Challenge at the Carl Maddox Track Facility at MSU.

The Bulldogs, who placed fi rst in six separate events, worked with Ole Miss and Tennessee against their oppo-nents and won the meet for the SEC. The SEC squads fi n-ished with 369 points in the women’s competition and 287 for the men’s. The SEC com-peted against athletes from Purdue, Louisiana Tech and Missouri State.

In the men’s fi eld events, the Bulldogs’ Marcus Jack-son placed fi rst in high jump, posting a 7-02.50, and Jason Harper won the triple jump after placing second in the Indoor Nationals last month with a leap of 49-05.00.

In a news release, Harper said representing the SEC is great because it is home to the nation’s best talent.

“Competing alongside with Tennessee and Ole Miss served as a reminder to other conferences that the SEC is a forced to be reckoned with,” Harper said. “Today (Satur-day) I enjoyed winning for my team and for our conference.”

MSU’s Ebony Brinker placed fi rst in triple jump, posting a 38-09.00. Allison Storey threw for 40.53 meters in the javelin to win the event and grab 10 points for the conference.

After the meet, Brinker said her team fought through the rain and wind and competed well.

“The conditions weren’t ideal, but we practice in those

conditions,” Brinker said. “We complain about it sometimes, but it’s a good thing because it’s not always going to be ide-al weather conditions going into the meet. We just had to roll with it.”

In the running events, sever-al Bulldogs placed fi rst includ-ing runner Daundre Barnaby.

Barnaby also posted a second place fi nish in the 200-meter dash.

In a press release, coach Steve Dudley said his team competed hard all-around.

“I am proud of the effort our athletes gave,” Dudley

said. “We were in the mix in nearly every event, and that is what you ask for in the these types of events.”

In the women’s 3000-meter, Cornelia Griesche and Adri-anna collected 10 points for the SEC, fi nishing second and fi fth respectively. Juan Sanchez and Patrick Monaghan crossed the line at the front of the pack in the men’s 1500-meter run, as Sanchez fi nished sec-ond and Monaghan followed in third.

The Bulldogs resume action in Austin, Texas, for the Texas Relays March 27 to 30.

APPLY TODAY @ TRAILSMS.COM 662.324.8400 | 1000 CAMPUS TRAIL

SPACES FILLING FASTNOW PET FRIENDLY

Sacred & ContemporaryPiano and Organ

Karen Murphy, D.M.A.662-324-3878

Music for Weddings

COURTESY PHOTO | MSU MEDIA RELATIONS

UPSET ALERT | In a match that lasted over seven-and-a-half hours Sunday after-noon, the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs upset No. 54 LSU 4-3. Freshman Georgiana Patrasc started the match off with a quick 6-2, 6-1 win over Tiger Kaitlin Burns in the No. 1 slot. Junior Alexandra Perper followed with a 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-2 victory. After two LSU wins, junior Roseline Dion (pictured above) gave MSU the lead with a 6-3, 6-3 win. The match came down to doubles play where a win by the No. 46 ranked duo of Perper and Naomi Tran along with a victory from Dion/Patrasc sealed the match for the Dogs. State returns to action Friday in Oxford when the Dogs take on the Rebels.

KAITLIN MULLINS | THE REFLECTOR

The Mississippi State Bulldogs recorded six first place finishes in the Big 10/SEC Challenge Saturday in Starkville.

10 | tuesday, march 26, 2013 THE REFLECTOR

SPORTSOn the diamOnd:

austin Peay at nO. 14 msutuesday, 6:30 P.m.

D'ANGELO CHERRYQ&Awith track and field star

stat of the day: the msu baseball team leads the sec with 37 double plays turned this season.

By Alden ThornhillStaff Writer

After winning the USA Indoor 60-meter dash, D’An-gelo Cherry won the event at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champi-onships with a time of 6.54 seconds. Cherry was named the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Asso-ciation Athlete of the Week after his performance at the USA Indoors.

Cherry has decided to forgo the outdoor track and field season to focus on finding a sponsor and relays later this spring.

Q: How did it feel win-ning the national title and achieving your record set-ting time?

A: I wasn’t really sur-prised by the win because, when I looked at the entry list going into the finals and the actual meet, the depth and talent that was there hadn’t been as deep as in 2012. I was pretty confi-dent I could win it, but the time shocked me. I wasn’t expecting around 6.49 (in the 100 meters). The time shocked me more than anything. The win was just a win to me. I don’t really worry about a win as long

as I know I am getting fast-er and progressing. That’s what really matters to me.

Q: What are you doing right now since your career at Mississippi State has fin-ished?

A: I’m currently talking with my agent, and we’re reaching out to the shoe companies and others who would sponsor me. Down the road, I plan on trying out for the World Outdoor Championships. I think that’s an event I can defi-nitely see myself in, and I’m trying to get prepared to try out for the Drake Re-lays and Texas Relays this spring.

Q: Who’s been the most important person to you while you’ve been at MSU?

A: Of course, Coach Dudley because he recruit-ed me out of Jonesboro, Ga. I’m originally from Biloxi, Miss. I had been there (Jonesboro) for sev-eral years, and I had a for-mer teammate in Justin Christian that told Coach Dudley about me. He (Dudley) showed me what classes I needed to take in order to get into MSU. If it wasn’t for Coach Dudley,

I wouldn’t be at Mississippi State. Dudley is like a father to me; he’s a father figure.

Q: What did you do to

improve times?A: I do what other run-

ners do. You do your block work in your 20, 30 and 50. You do your endurance work that includes your 150, 250 and 300s because you have to get stronger. For me personally, right now I have the speed just not the endurance, so I did a lot of endurance work on the off-season to get a lot stronger so I can do what I do now.

Q: Do you have any ad-vice to high school runners who have seen what you have done so far in your ca-reer?

A: The best advice I will give them is to never give up on your dreams, and if it’s your passion, then you should do it. I only ran track three years out of high school, and then I got to college, and I had a fan-tastic freshman year. From 2011 to 2012, I stayed hurt and injured. My best advice is to never give up because it took me three years to get back where I am right now. If it’s something you love to

do, then don’t give up on it, and don’t let anyone deter you from doing what you love to do.

Q: What’s been your fa-vorite part about your col-lege career?

A: My favorite part has probably been traveling. Be-fore I started running track, I never went anywhere or got to travel. When I start-ed running track, we went to different states such as Texas and New York. When I was part of the U.S. Junior Olympics team in 2009, we went to Trinidad. The trav-eling and getting to go to different places has been my favorite part. There’s not too many people who have gotten that opportunity.

Q: Have you had a lot more exposure this year?

A: Yes, because I won for the U.S. Junior Team and Nationals. They told me I’m the first man to win the USA endurance title for college and then win the Nationals. In 2009, I was running very well, but I fell out after those injuries. Al-though people still knew I had it, they were just wait-ing for me to come back like I did this year.

cOurtesy PhOtO | msu media relatiOns

Senior D’Angelo Cherry won the 60-meter dash at both the USA Indoor Championships and the NCAA Indoor Championships.