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POLICY

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSIT Y SINCE 1884

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BY MARY KATE MCGOWAN

Staff Editor

After three semesters of use at Mississippi State University, the Zipcar program in Starkville looks forward to becoming more benefi cial to students and becoming a more widely used method of stu-dent transportation.

Avis, one of the largest car rental companies, re-cently bought Zipcar for almost $5 million. This business transaction will not result in negative changes for Zipcar at MSU.

Everett Kennard, manager of transportation ser-vices, said the change cannot do anything but help both companies and the university with the expan-sion.

“The university sector will not be changed by the buyout,” Kennard said.

The Zipcar car-sharing program has been avail-able at MSU since the 2011 fall semester. Since then, the program has been in use by students.

Shelby Balius, Student Association president, said

the car rental program has two cars located outside the Colvard Student Union available for student use.

“Once a student has registered for the program and rented their car, they are able to use the car for whatever they need,” Balius said.

Students can register online at Zipcar.com. After registration, students can sign up for dates

and specifi c times to use a Zipcar and will be mailed a usage card to gain access to the car.

“Your card unlocks the car, and the ignition key is inside,” Kennard said.

Balius said the program allows students without cars more freedom and fl exibility.

“It gives our students who do not have cars on campus the ability to use the car for their needs even if that means going to a job interview, run errands or go home for a weekend,” she said.

Zipcar also accepts international driver’s licenses. Kennard and Balius agreed its international com-

patibility is one of the reasons MSU decided to use the Zipcar program over other similar car-sharing businesses.

Zipcar seeks to increase utility, services to students

BY CANDACE BARNETTE

Copy Editor

Director of the U.S. National Park Service Jonathan Jarvis will pay a visit to Mississippi State University today.

Jarvis made plans to visit MSU after speak-ing with his friend, fraternity brother and fel-low alumnus of William and Mary College, Walter Diehl.

Diehl, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the idea to bring the NPS director to MSU began as soon as he found out about Jarvis’s title.

“When I was told several years ago he (Jar-vis) had been named director of the National Park Service, I thought this would be a good opportunity to get him on campus,” Diehl said. “We talked about it and fi nally scheduled a time.”

Jarvis will hold two presentations�one at 2 p.m. in Thompson Hall for students interested in pursuing a career with the NPS and one at

6 p.m. in McCool Hall for the general public.His 6 p.m. seminar titled “National Parks

and American Values: A Field Guide” will ana-lyze many of the national parks and how each can serve as a metaphor for an American value, according to Diehl.

Jarvis has worked with the NPS since 1976, advancing through the ranks to his current po-sition.

George Hopper, dean of the College of For-est Resources and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said he attributes Jarvis’s growth through the NPS as a major factor that will inspire his audience.

“He’s been with the park services for 36 years. From ranger, to resource management specialist, to park biologist, to superintendent, to director for three years, it’s quite an hon-or to have him share some of his experiences with us,” he said. “The directors of any of our federal agencies are always highly successful in-dividuals.”

Diehl said Jarvis’s overwhelming responsibil-

ity as director of a $3 billion federal agency is the main rea-son people will be interested in attending his presentation.

“There are about 400 prop-erties in the national park system; we have over 275 mil-lion people visit our national park system every year. He’s

the guy that’s in charge of all that,” he said. “Anyone who appreciates our national, state or local park system would be interested in hear-ing what he has to say because we have a phe-nomenal park system. A lot of countries have national park systems, but I don’t think there’s another as extensive as ours is.”

Before Jarvis speaks at MSU, he will travel to Tupelo to visit headquarters of the Natchez Trace Parkway, where he will speak to the staff there.

Marty Owens, executive assistant to the su-perintendent at the Natchez Trace Parkway, said their team is excited and honored to re-

ceive a visit from the director of the NPS.“It’s basically to us like the president of the

United States is coming to see us, and that’s be-cause he drives the mission of the parkway. He’s someone we respect, and we listen to what he says because what he says is very knowledgeable and informative about protecting our resources,” she said. “To actually have this man here who puts your mission into place when you go to work ev-eryday, it’s an honor.”

Owens also said the public should be interest-ed in what Jarvis has to say in his presentations because his task is relevant to everyone.

“What we’re talking about preserving and con-serving is their property. It belongs to the Amer-ican people,” she said. “How we do it plus what they can do is very important. I hope that when he goes to speak to the students that he puts a spark in there that maybe makes them want to come in and say, ‘How can I serve my country?’”

Jarvis’s 6 p.m. presentation for the general pub-lic will be held in the fi rst-fl oor Rogers Auditori-um of McCool Hall. Attendance is free to all.

Director of U.S. National Park Service to speak at university

Diehl

Sports I 8

BY JAMES TOBERMANNBY JAMES TOBERMANN

Staff WriterStaff Writer

Studying abroad introduces students to com-Studying abroad introduces students to com-pletely foreign cultures and experiences that can pletely foreign cultures and experiences that can

Studying abroad introduces students to com-Studying abroad introduces students to com-pletely foreign cultures and experiences that can

Studying abroad introduces students to com-Studying abroad introduces students to com-

cause them to feel anxious before traveling to cause them to feel anxious before traveling to pletely foreign cultures and experiences that can pletely foreign cultures and experiences that can cause them to feel anxious before traveling to pletely foreign cultures and experiences that can pletely foreign cultures and experiences that can

their destination. their destination. cause them to feel anxious before traveling to cause them to feel anxious before traveling to their destination. cause them to feel anxious before traveling to cause them to feel anxious before traveling to

According to Katherine Frantes, interim manag-According to Katherine Frantes, interim manag-er and coordinator for the Offi ce of Study Abroad, er and coordinator for the Offi ce of Study Abroad,

According to Katherine Frantes, interim manag-According to Katherine Frantes, interim manag-er and coordinator for the Offi ce of Study Abroad,

According to Katherine Frantes, interim manag-According to Katherine Frantes, interim manag-

students traveling overseas should be cautious but students traveling overseas should be cautious but er and coordinator for the Offi ce of Study Abroad, er and coordinator for the Offi ce of Study Abroad, students traveling overseas should be cautious but er and coordinator for the Offi ce of Study Abroad, er and coordinator for the Offi ce of Study Abroad,

not worried about living in a foreign country.not worried about living in a foreign country.Frantes said the Offi ce of Study Abroad requires Frantes said the Offi ce of Study Abroad requires

not worried about living in a foreign country.not worried about living in a foreign country.Frantes said the Offi ce of Study Abroad requires

not worried about living in a foreign country.not worried about living in a foreign country.

students to complete an online orientation before students to complete an online orientation before Frantes said the Offi ce of Study Abroad requires Frantes said the Offi ce of Study Abroad requires

students to complete an online orientation before Frantes said the Offi ce of Study Abroad requires Frantes said the Offi ce of Study Abroad requires

leaving the United States.leaving the United States.students to complete an online orientation before students to complete an online orientation before leaving the United States.students to complete an online orientation before students to complete an online orientation before

“That orientation has a lot of information for “That orientation has a lot of information for leaving the United States.leaving the United States.

“That orientation has a lot of information for leaving the United States.leaving the United States.

students on staying safe,” Frantes said.students on staying safe,” Frantes said.Frantes said keeping a friend nearby is import-Frantes said keeping a friend nearby is import-

students on staying safe,” Frantes said.students on staying safe,” Frantes said.Frantes said keeping a friend nearby is import-

students on staying safe,” Frantes said.students on staying safe,” Frantes said.

ant when traveling abroad.ant when traveling abroad.Frantes said keeping a friend nearby is import-Frantes said keeping a friend nearby is import-

ant when traveling abroad.Frantes said keeping a friend nearby is import-Frantes said keeping a friend nearby is import-

“If you go out, go with someone, especially if “If you go out, go with someone, especially if ant when traveling abroad.ant when traveling abroad.

“If you go out, go with someone, especially if ant when traveling abroad.ant when traveling abroad.

you go out at night,” she said. “We can’t really you go out at night,” she said. “We can’t really “If you go out, go with someone, especially if “If you go out, go with someone, especially if

you go out at night,” she said. “We can’t really “If you go out, go with someone, especially if “If you go out, go with someone, especially if

control this, but students should never go to a control this, but students should never go to a bar alone or go home with someone they don’t bar alone or go home with someone they don’t control this, but students should never go to a control this, but students should never go to a bar alone or go home with someone they don’t control this, but students should never go to a control this, but students should never go to a

know.”know.”bar alone or go home with someone they don’t bar alone or go home with someone they don’t know.”bar alone or go home with someone they don’t bar alone or go home with someone they don’t

Frantes said studying abroad is comparable in Frantes said studying abroad is comparable in many ways to taking a trip to New York City.many ways to taking a trip to New York City.

Frantes said studying abroad is comparable in Frantes said studying abroad is comparable in many ways to taking a trip to New York City.

Frantes said studying abroad is comparable in Frantes said studying abroad is comparable in

“If you were to go to New York, you would try “If you were to go to New York, you would try many ways to taking a trip to New York City.many ways to taking a trip to New York City.

“If you were to go to New York, you would try many ways to taking a trip to New York City.many ways to taking a trip to New York City.

to protect yourself against pickpockets,” she said. to protect yourself against pickpockets,” she said. “If you were to go to New York, you would try “If you were to go to New York, you would try

to protect yourself against pickpockets,” she said. “If you were to go to New York, you would try “If you were to go to New York, you would try

“You would keep your purse closed, keep your be-“You would keep your purse closed, keep your be-to protect yourself against pickpockets,” she said. to protect yourself against pickpockets,” she said. “You would keep your purse closed, keep your be-to protect yourself against pickpockets,” she said. to protect yourself against pickpockets,” she said.

longings at your side, and guys would move their longings at your side, and guys would move their “You would keep your purse closed, keep your be-“You would keep your purse closed, keep your be-longings at your side, and guys would move their “You would keep your purse closed, keep your be-“You would keep your purse closed, keep your be-

wallet to their front pocket.”wallet to their front pocket.”longings at your side, and guys would move their longings at your side, and guys would move their wallet to their front pocket.”longings at your side, and guys would move their longings at your side, and guys would move their

Study abroad safety taken to new level

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The Zipcar program will adjust compatability changes after its implementation in 2011.

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ZIPCAR continued from 1

BADDAWGS

Thursday, January 10• 9:52 a.m. An employee reported a possible theft at the Perry Cafeteria.• 10:12 a.m. A student was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of controlled substance, shoplifting and suspended driver’s license on Louisville Street.• 1:18 p.m. A student reported she had been receiving harassing text messages.• 1:54 p.m. An employee reported a fuelman card was stolen from the vehicle while parked at Thompson Hall.• 3:27 p.m. A student reported there was damage to her vehicle while parked in the Commuter East parking lot.• 4:58 p.m. A student reported damage to his vehicle while leaving the parking lot in front of Humphrey Coliseum.• 5:18 p.m. A student reported a fire at his residence on Bulldog Circle. Starkville Fire Department was dispatched.

Friday, January 11• 12:14 a.m. A student was arrested for driving under the influence and careless driving.• 1:31 p.m. A student reported damages to her vehicle while parked in the North Hall parking lot.• 1:41 p.m. A student passed out while in Perry Cafeteria. OCH arrived and transported the student to the hospital.

Saturday, January 12• 3:06 p.m. A non-resident/visitor reported she had been bitten by a dog while judging a class of Akitas at the Horse Park/Agricenter.• 1:54 p.m. An employee reported fuelman cards stolen from an MSU vehicle.• 5:19 p.m. A student reported suspicious activities taking place in Cresswell Hall.

Sunday, January 13• 1:13 a.m. A non-resident/visitor was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle, no tag, no insurance and suspended driver’s license at the corner of George Perry and Barr Avenue.• 2:33 a.m. A student was found lying in the street at Bully Boulevard. OCH arrived and transported the student to the hospital.• 4:37 a.m. A student was arrested for possession of marijuana at Eckies Pond.

Citations:• 8 citations were issued for speeding.• 1 citation was issued for running a stop sign.

“Since many amenities stu-dents need are off campus, the Zipcar allows them to borrow a car from the university to get off campus,” Balius said. “Particu-larly, it helps our international students and students who do not have a car on campus.”

Kennard said students using Zipcar will be fortunately have reserved spots for parking and will not have to fi ght other stu-dents for spaces.

“You do not lose your park-ing place because Zipcar has re-served parking places,” Kennard said.

Sharing timeslots with friends can also save students money.

“It’s a pretty good deal,” Ken-nard said. “Gas is furnished up to a certain number of miles.”

The Zipcar program also has the potential to help minimize the number of cars on MSU’s campus and therefore, its park-ing problem.

“Some universities have uti-lized Zipcar to minimize the number of cars on campus by

buying entire fl eets,” Balius said.Additionally, Kennard said

Zipcar can help to reduce MSU’s carbon footprint.

“It can replace some vehicles and help the greenery of the university and its emissions and number of vehicles,” Kennard said.

MSU does not receive any monetary gain from the Zipcar program.

“It is a service to students,” Kennard said.

Kennard said Transportation Services continues to work on making the Zipcar program more benefi cial to students.

“We would like to see more student usage, and we are still in the mode of trying to see how many cars are needed,” Kennard said.

MSU’s university organiza-tions look to help students save money and Balius said by utiliz-ing Zipcars, they can.

“Students who use Zipcar can save hundreds of dollars every month,” Balius said.

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ABROAD continued from 1

Valik Koshka, junior computer sci-ence major and native Ukrainian, said he, too, compares traveling abroad to visiting a large city in the U.S.

“You have to watch out for pickpock-ets in any big city,” he said. “Be alert, and keep your wallet in your front pocket.”

Koshka said study abroad partici-pants should avoid carrying passports on their persons.

“Don’t carry any documents that are not easily replaceable; keep them in a safe,” he said. “A stolen passport is a big pain.”

Koshka added students should limit the amount of money they carry.

“Be minimalist,” he said. “Carry a driver’s license, some cash and maybe a few cards.”

Frantes said students tend to bring far more than they need when studying abroad.

“We tell students to pack their suit-

case, and then remove half of what they packed,” she said. “You can survive on a lot less than you think.”

Koshka said drawing attention to oneself in a strange country can be dan-gerous.

“Don’t be fl ashing money or expen-sive objects like iPhones, which are con-sidered luxury items in many places,” he said. “Don’t give anyone a reason to want to harm you.”

Koshka also said researching the country to which students are traveling is vital.

“Do your homework before you leave for your destination,” he said. “Be mindful of the culture, because you don’t want to do something offensive.”

Frantes said Mississippi State Univer-sity students who study abroad are gen-erally required to purchase internation-al health insurance, and the university provides such insurance for the MSU faculty-led study abroad programs.

“International health insurance is actually pretty inexpensive, and all the providers we work with offer the insur-ance,” she said.

Frantes said international health in-surance helps to ensure students’ safety and well-being in case of an emergency.

“If a student needs things like treat-ment or medical evacuation, they are covered under the insurance,” she said.

Frantes also said in the event of a nat-ural disaster, the Offi ce of Study Abroad would try to contact students in the af-fected area and confi rm their safety.

“We would also try to contact their parents and make sure they know they’re okay as well,” she said.

Frantes said the Offi ce of Study Abroad has no serious health or safety problems on record.

“We haven’t had any real issues so far,” she said. “One student broke an ankle, but other than that, no major is-sues have been reported.”

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OPINION the voice of MSU studentsInDesign is very

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 | 3REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM

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ReflectorThe

Females of my generation, including myself, since I am unarguably female, were

raised to believe we could have it all: the career life and family life.

I spent years not ruling out any career possibilities because I thought there was nothing in my way; I had the drive, the ambition and the intellect. But then as I got older, I started recalculating my future, realizing I had left one im-portant variable out of the equa-tion: kids.

Yes, I want to have kids. Call me crazy or just a woman, pret-ty much the same thing. (Calm down, feminists, it was a joke.) I don’t want to have them soon, but I do think babies are adorable and cannot deny I have an over-whelming maternal instinct.

It was when I acknowledged this that I began to hear a little tick-tock going off in my head.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not

going to run off and get knocked up because I think my biological clock is running out, but I think girls of my generation need to take a step back and realize, wait, maybe you can’t have it all.

Maybe you need to prioritize.We see celebrities giving birth

well into their 40s, seemingly without a p r o b l e m . It gives us c o m f o r t that we have so much time for settling down and having a family; we can go to school till we’re 30, establish our career and then decide it’s time to pop one (a child, that is) out.

What we don’t see is the fertil-ity struggle, the IVF treatments, the 40-year-old waking up ev-ery two hours for feeding, the

42-year-old chasing a toddler around the house.

Scientists seem to agree with my concerns (scientists and I are just so in sync.); it has been known for some time that older mothers have a greater chance of bearing a child with chromosom-

al abnormal-ities, such as Down Syn-drome.

A recent study dis-cussed in TIME shows that it is not

just older mothers that control the likelihood of abnormalities, but older fathers as well.

(And, since when you fi nd an older mother, you will probably fi nd an older father paired with her, the child will be at higher risk for more than just Down Syn-drome.) Older fathers were found

much more likely than younger fathers to have children with au-tism or schizophrenia.

So now, ladies, it’s not just our biological clock we have to worry about; it’s our potential partner’s as well. These studies are espe-cially benefi cial to help increase knowledge of risk for these devel-opmental or psychiatric disorders stem. In America, the rate of chil-dren born and diagnosed with au-tism has skyrocketed to one in 88.

These increased rates may have something to do with new gene mutations passed down, called “de novo mutations,” which have been found in the same study to be 97 percent attributed to the father’s age.

For example, the study found a 20-year-old father will pass 25 ge-netic mutations to his offspring; a 40-year-old father passes 65 ge-netic mutations.

A mother will consistently pass

down 15 mutations, no matter her age. The increase in genetic mutations translates to an in-creased risk for developmental or psychiatric disorders.

Another recent study conduct-ed in Iceland compared genetic mutations in children born in 1980 compared to those born in 2011.

From 1980 to 2011, the av-erage genetic mutation number increased from 60 to 70, parallel-ing an increase of fathers’ average ages, which rose from 28 to 33. So yes, dream of doing whatever you’d like.

You can have a great career and also have a beautiful healthy fam-ily, but realize the rate of autism is most likely not going up just because of something in the air. It is likely increasing due to the increasing age of parents.

I understand the desire to have it all, and I am in no way advo-

cating dropping out of school to immediately have babies; but, people, realize there are biologi-cal factors involved when having kids.

Not only does female fertility decrease, making it more diffi cult to conceive, but more and more studies are tying developmental problems and other problems to the age of the parents.

Trust me, I read Newsweek.

Biological clocks really tick; not a myth, age can influence mental illness

Wendy Morell is a senior majoring in communication. She can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

WENDY MORELL

Older fathers were found much more likely than younger fathers to have children with autism or schizophrenia.”

“

Patrons poured out of the-aters with red eyes and mascara-stained cheeks.

Facebook exploded with post after post exclaiming, ‘Oh my gosh, you HAVE to go see Les Mis! It was amazing! I cried the whole time!’

And I know exactly why “Les Misérables” makes every-one cry. I’ve fi gured it out. I had an epiphany after I saw it for a second time in theaters.

First of all, “Les Misérables” makes a swift stab at your heartstrings with the music. Forget the lyrics for now; the music alone has the power to stir your soul; to make you hurt, to make you feel, to make you cry.

“Les Mis” wouldn’t pack the punch it does without such a powerful score. But the mu-sic simply sets the stage for a beautiful story to be told.

It’s a story most people have heard of, yet few understand.

Let’s take a look at Jean Valjean. (By the way, if you aren’t familiar with the plot, stop here, see the movie/musical, then start reading again.)

V a l j e a n spent a good chunk of his life serving a prison sentence for a crime done out of mer-cy to save his starving sis-ter’s child. He stole a loaf of bread—big deal, right? Did Valjean deserve prison for stealing bread?

According to the law, yes. After 19 years, he is allowed parole.

After 19 years of abuse, he is

free from prison but not from its implications.

He cannot fi nd work be-cause he bears papers declar-ing he’s dangerous — his sin is still in chains around him.

Valjean is taken in by a kind Bishop and ends up stealing his silver — but the Bish-op shows him mercy by not only getting him out of trou-ble with the law, but also by giving him all of his precious silver. Did Valjean deserve the Bishop’s generosity?

No. Of course not. He actu-ally stole from the man — not to feed his starving nephew — after the good Bishop took him in and cared for him. Val-jean deserves punishment but is given mercy.

The Bishop gives Valjean something Inspector Javert doesn’t understand: grace. Yes, Valjean gets a second chance as a new man. Several songs and plot twists later, Javert discovers Valjean’s new iden-tity and vows to bring him

to justice for breaking the law because Javert lives by the law: “On the doorway to paradise / That those who falter and those

who fall / Must pay the price!” Javert doesn’t understand grace because it doesn’t make sense to him.

In his eyes, Valjean is a criminal, and his job is to bring him to justice. Javert doesn’t see the good in Val-jean; he doesn’t see the truth in Fantine’s situation (a wom-en forced into prostitution to

feed her daughter); no, Javert is blinded by the law.

Flash forward a few more songs, and the audience views the encounter we’ve all been hoping for: Javert’s hands are tied, with a rope around his neck, and Valjean gazes over him with not only a pistol in hand but a knife as well.

Valjean has the chance to end Javert’s relentless pursuit of him — he and Cosette (Fantine’s daughter he raised after her death) can live in peace. All he has to do is pull the trigger. But what does Val-jean do? He shows grace.

Not only does he set Javert free, he also tells him he’s done his job and he understands Javert will still pursue him.

Every fi ber of our human nature tell us, “Valjean! Kill him! Make it easy on your-self!” Why on earth would he set the inspector free? Why the grace?

What is grace? Merriam-Webster tells us

grace is “unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sancti-fi cation,” but I like to defi ne grace as something wonderful given to someone who doesn’t deserve it.

Grace isn’t something you earn or work for; grace is a gift. And the thing about grace is, we don’t understand it. It doesn’t make sense. It counter-acts our instinct.

“Les Misérables” tells the story of grace. It is a story of revolution and rebellion, but ultimately one of how a sin-gle act of kindness can change someone’s life forever. A single act of kindness: grace.

In the last few minutes of

the fi lm, we see a dying Val-jean pass away to join the ones who died before him, singing a familiar song with new words:

“Do you hear the people sing? / Lost in the valley of the night / It is the music of a people who are climbing to the light / For the wretched of the earth there is a fl ame that never dies / Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise / They will live again in freedom in the garden of the Lord / They will walk behind the ploughshed, they will put away the sword / The chain will be broken and all men will have their reward!”

The wretched of the earth — the sinners, thieves, adul-terers — will live in freedom one day. Their chains will be broken.

Grace is given to the ones who don’t deserve it.

There is another story with similar themes of “Les Misérables” — unlike “Les Mis,” it’s one I believe to be true. It’s about a man who gave his life and took my place — our place — for the pun-ishment of sin.

He gave me something I couldn’t possibly earn and do not deserve.

I eye my phone as it sits on my bedside table. The blackness of the screen

resembles that of an abyss of sorrow and loneliness.

It’s been 24 agonizing sec-onds since I last got a notifi -cation, and I’m freaking out. Thoughts cloud my mind —why isn’t anyone talking to me?

Does everyone hate me? That must be it. Everyone hates me, oh God.

At last, the screen magically glows. In slow motion, with “O Fortuna” thundering in the background, I reach for my phone with deadly preci-sion.

“Ten percent battery re-maining” fl ashes on the screen. So not only does ev-eryone in the entire universe hate me, so does my dwin-dling battery. Thanks, phone, I appreciate your killing of my self-esteem.

But then, I have a total epiphany.

Much like I crave Big Mac sauce, I constantly crave social interaction.

I’m literally on the edge of my nerves wondering when I’m going to exchange words with someone.

If I’m not in the presence

of another human being, I might as well as worthless as Lindsay Lohan’s singing career (although “Bossy” is my jam).

Although I’m clearly no so-cial scientist, my cravings for interaction might result from the fact that I’m terrifi ed of being lonely.

To whom will I make “Liz-zie McGuire” references?

Who will I complain about Netfl ix’s painful buffering speeds to?

The thought of sitting in my room, by myself, for more than three hours gives me the bad kind of chills.

But why does being by my-self sound so night-marish?

In the past, I’ve relied on the theory that you must never be single. I know, I know. Be-ing single, right?

Who doesn’t have a signif-icant other, geez? Losers, am I right? To not be single, you have to settle.

To settle, you must over-

look everything about a per-son that makes you unhappy.

I was unhappy while trying to force myself to be…happy. Doesn’t make much sense, does it?

This constant search for a signifi cant other has taken un-countable hours of refreshing my OKCupid profi le.

It’s become stressful fi lling out About Me forms, asking questions on whether or not I like seafood and admitting on the Favorite Movie section that only Tyler Perry movies can make me cry.

Instead of worrying about fi nding “the one,” (which is

one of the d u m b e s t phrases I’ve ever heard) I’m going to learn to be by my-self. I won’t search any-more.

I will learn to sit in a room

with myself and be happy about it. Last time I checked, I’m a pretty cool guy. I’m good company. I will start by enjoying time alone. Like real-ly enjoying the silence.

I’ll read a book without checking my phone after ev-ery sentence.

I’ll watch copious amounts of “That’s So Raven” with-out worrying if someone will laugh with me.

I’ll drown myself in Poly-nesian sauce from Chik-Fil-A without someone sitting next to me in the Union.

I will go on a walk on the Drill Field without someone walking next to me.

Basically, I’ll be in relation-ship with myself and hope I don’t get weird looks when I hold my own hand and tell myself how pretty I am.

There are much worse things than being alone. Take watching “The Big Bang The-ory,” for example. Bazi-…no, I just can’t, I’m sorry.

EVERYBODY NEEDS TO CALM DOWN | ZACK ORSBORN

To be single, you have to settle. To settle, you must overlook everything about a person that makes you unhappy. I was unhappy while trying to force myself to be...happy. Doesn’t make much sense, does it?”

“

Zack Orsborn is the life editor at The Reflector. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

ZACK ORSBORN

THE CONSTANT | MARY CHASE BREEDLOVE

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

MARY CHASE BREEDLOVE

ʻLes Misérablesʼ tells story with deeper meaning

Grace isn’t something you earn or work for; grace is a gift. And the thing about grace is, we don’t understand it.”

“

Our generation doesnʼt know how to be alone

THE GOLDEN THREAD | WENDY MORELL

I want to write to you and tell you how much I ap-preciate the article that

addressed the issue of human traffi cking that appeared in the Jan. 11 issue of The Re-fl ector. It is such a big issue, and the main problem right now is awareness.

The majority of people don’t even know that people are being bought and sold and used and abused right under their noses.

Most (if not all) of us are supporting human traffi cking without realizing it by the purchases we make. Forced labor has crept into a l m o s t every in-d u s t r y , including electron-ics, appar-el, jewelry and coffee (all things we col-lege students especially love).

I would like to highlight some useful resources that I have found that can be used when buying products that are known to usually involve some form of slave labor.

When I am at the grocery store or shopping for new clothes or in the market for a new computer, I want to be able to know which compa-nies are fi ghting to end forced labor in their supply chains. These are the companies that I want to support over others.

One useful tool that I have come across is Free2Work.org. On the homepage of this website, you can plug

in an industry (like apparel) and receive a list of compa-nies within that industry that have been given a grade of A-F based on their policies and procedures that help to reduce forced labor in their supply chain.

There is also a Free2Work app that can be downloaded to some iPhones.

This app functions as a more mobile version of the website so that while you are out shopping, you can make better choices about what your money is going toward.

Another great thing to keep an eye out for is the “Fair Trade” certifi cation. Companies that bear this certification have been ensured to

greatly reduce or eliminate slave labor from their supply chain.

These companies are also good stewards to the environ-ment and economic develop-ment.

One popular company that sells Fair-Trade-certifi ed products is Ben & Jerry’s. What a great excuse to buy some ice cream!

Thank you for your notice on this issue. I would love to see other articles in the future that detail organizations such as these, so that readers can not only be aware of the issue but also be educated about practical ways that they can get involved.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR | MORGAN WENGER

Human trafficking needs awareness

The majority of people don’t even know people are being bought and sold and used and abused right under their noses.”

“

BULLETIN BOARDCLASSIFIEDS POLICY

The 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

Couch and chair that reclines in good condition. Burgandy recliner in good condition. Two barstools. One-year-old computer, Acer desktop. Call 773.6895.

FOR RENT

One bedroom studio apartment. Appliances furnished. Old Highway 25. 418.8260.

2,800 square feet. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms. Brick home, two car garage, screened patio. Master suite separate. Next to Browning Creek. 418.8260.

Three bedroom, two bathroom brick house. Two car carport, fenced yard, large den and kitchen area. 418.8260.

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.

WESLEY FOUNDATION

Insight Bible study and worship on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at the

Wesley Foundation Worship Center on East Lee Boulevard next to Campus Book Mart.

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 Dr. All are welcome to $2 Tuesday night dinner at 6 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/msstatecsa

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.

SOCIOLOGICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION

The Sociological Student Association is based in the Department of Sociology. Undergraduates of all ages are welcome. Meetings are held the last Thursday of every month in Bowen Hall room 250 at 5 p.m.

STUDENTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS

SSC meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. in McCool room 212. Come and meet really cool people who all share interests in saving the environment. Don’t forget to opt-in for the Green Fund.

MSU STUDENT DIETETIC ASSOCIATION

SDA meeting on Jan. 15 in Moore Hall 100. A light meal will be served at 5:45 p.m., business meeting at 6 and guest speaker at 6:30. Guest speaker is Beverly Lowry, director of child nutrition for Starkville School District.

1-15-13AN IN-CLASS DISTRACTION ...

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Life & EntertainmentFRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 | 5REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM

For all of you star-crossed lovers on campus who just went from spend-

ing every waking second with your sweetie during the break to fi nding yourself hours away because of a long distance re-lationship: you are not alone. Though these fi rst few weeks may be the hardest to readjust to this drastic change, there are some tips to keep in mind re-garding staying in touch with your signifi cant other.

My fi rst bit of advice is to use the mail service to your advan-tage. A heartfelt note received by snail mail is a great way to show your loved one you took time to make them feel special.

The possibilities are endless pertaining to what you can mail. Some suggestions would be his or her favorite candy — Hershey Kisses and Hugs — or my favorite, gift cards. Sending a Starbucks, Smoothie King or other kind of gift card will perk up his or her week with a little something sweet.

Remember: thoughtfulness is key. Try to relate any personal touches or experiences through these little happies.

Another idea is to spend time planning an event-fi lled week-

end together for the next time you will see each other. Be a tourist in your own town, and look into going to museums, zoos and local restaurants. This could be even more fun if your boyfriend or girlfriend lives in a town large enough to offer lots of activities.

Sporting events, such as Mis-sissippi State University basket-ball and baseball games, are a great excuse for your honey to make a drive to Starkville. Make a weekend out of it by going to eat somewhere the two of you have never been before. If your other half goes to another col-lege, consider taking a drive for one of his or her athletic events.

Making mixed CDs offer a thoughtful way to get personal. Each track could mean some-thing special to your relation-ship, or it could simply ease his or her drive home from visiting you.

Sending photographs is easy, and seeing pictures of the two of you together can brighten both of your days, since you don’t get to see each other in person very often.

Another idea for some cou-ples is to choose to watch a movie at the same time or keep

up with a TV series whether live or on Netfl ix. These are fun ways to connect and have something in common to dis-cuss, rather than the day-to-day grind.

Last but not least, there are live video feeds. Skype and Facetime with iPhones are two ways to keep in touch while get-ting to see their face and hear their voice.

A long distance relationship is all about patience, trust and thoughtfulness. It is great to go ahead and prepare yourself, knowing you are not going to be able to see him or her as much as you did over the break, but that it will be worth it in the end.

How to deal with the distance: tips for long term relationships

SOCIAL GRACES | CHRISTINE BOWMAN

Christine Bowman is a sophomore majoring in communication. She can be contacted at zorsborn@reflector.msstate.edu.

CHRISTINE BOWMAN

If you’re at all like me, you were standing alone as the ball dropped at midnight

on Jan. 1, 2013. No one kissed you good luck on making this year better than the last, on achieving your dreams or on becoming a better you. You woke up the next morning, ate some black-eyed peas and some hogjaw, scribbled down some resolutions on the back of a napkin and waited for the wet January air to somehow morph you into a new and improved version of yourself. Maybe you went to the gym or resolutely tossed out your half-empty packs of cigarettes, continually repeating “this year will be different” in your head as your New Year’s mantra. And then Jan. 2 rolled around

and you ran out of time to go for a run or you bummed a smoke off a friend just for

the heck of it. And all of your heartfelt, genuine resolutions went straight down the drain.I’ve made resolutions in the

past. Go for a run fi ve times a week, drink three cups of water a day, the usual. And I’ve bro-ken them. And I’ve been dis-appointed and frustrated with myself. These tangible resolu-tions are fragile promises; we are human, and we make mis-takes. I know there will never come a day when I will just naturally wake up and natu-rally want to run a half-mara-thon. And that’s okay. In my 19 years of wisdom, I

have learned the best we can do is to make a heartfelt at-tempt at becoming a better person with each passing year. This year, I’m making the res-olution to be a more patient person, a less selfi sh person and a healthier person. I’m

not making empty promises to myself, and I’m not having an accountability partner who will only bring me down when I forget myself and eat an en-tire bag of Jalapeño Cheetos on a Friday night. My only resolution is to fi nish out 2013 a better, stronger, more intelli-gent person than I was when I started it, and I hope that is an attainable goal.

Become a better person in 2013MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING | CATIE MARIE MARTIN

Catie Marie Martin is a sophomore majoring in English. She can be contacted at zorsborn@reflector.msstate.edu.

CATIE MARIE MARTIN

Club to hold candlelight vigilfor Martin Luther King, Jr.

BY DANIEL HART

Staff Wrtier

The beginning of recently retired Michael Ballard’s interest in Civil War history is, as he said, a study in irony: it began with an over-stuffed chair once used by the namesake of his future workplace.

“It’s really ironic that the one thing in the (Vicksburg Courthouse) Museum that was al-ways the fi rst place I went as a kid was an old leather chair that had stuffi ng coming out of it; they had it in a glass case, and it was a chair that (General Ulysses S.)Grant supposedly used when he was in Vicksburg,” Ballard said. “I loved that chair. There was something about it. I can’t tell you why, but years and years after I wound up working for Grant papers.”

Ballard, a native of Ackerman, Miss., re-ceived three degrees from Mississippi State University: a B.A. in history in 1975, an M.A. in history/archives in 1976 and a Ph.D. in his-tory in 1983. Ballard joined university staff in archives in 1983, going on to become university archivist, coordinator of the Congres-sional and Political Research Center and associate editor of Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library publishing projects. As well as making a sizable contribution to MSU through archive work, Ballard has also authored 11 books centered on the Civil War, an interest, which he said, stemmed from a childhood in history-steeped Mississippi.

“When I was a kid I had one brother, and my parents used to take us to Vicksburg oc-casionally; I immediately fell in love with the town and the battlefi elds,” he said.

Ballard also visited battlefi elds with a cous-in to search for Civil War relics buried in the ground. Heading to Port Gibson, Miss., to hunt for animals as well as relics, Ballard said these searches got him rooted in another loca-tion: the pages of books.

“That’s what got me to reading; I really got interested in the war. I wanted to know where the troops were when we got to the battle-fi eld,” he said.

Ballard changed his major from music to history once beginning college, taking his fi rst Civil War class under John Marszalek, and beginning another ironic cycle that Marsalek, current director and managing editor of Ulyss-es S. Grant Presidential Library, said Ballard had laughed about for years.

“He used to (jokingly) tell people, ‘I thought I got rid of Marszalek when I got my degree,

and here we are working to-gether in the same place,’” he Marszalek.

Marszalek, also a Civil War expert with a list of credentials including 13 books published, has worked with him since Ballard’s doctoral dissertation, including together co-found-ing the Civil War Historians-Western Theater group. Aside from the extensive list of scholas-tic achievements of Ballard (his vita is 20 pages long), Marszalek said his good nature shone through all else. Even at a reception honoring his retirement, Marszalek said Ballard focused attention onto others, and away from himself.

“The library had a big reception for him we were all talking about him, and what does he do? He said, ‘Some of you may or may not know that a group of Marszalek’s graduate stu-dents put together a book, and this book has just been published, and I want to present it to you,’” Marszalek said. “It’s his retirement,

and he’s defl ecting attention, and he’s putting it on the ed-itors, nice enough to put my wife (and my own) picture in it, and dedicate the book to my wife and me.”

Ballard’s focus on his friends and colleagues is also revealed in his attention to the human-ity of the Civil War, his quick-ness to share stories of soldier diaries and correspondence he

has studied and the unimaginable trials they endured.

Ballard said one soldier left behind an account of blisters on his feet so large that he could not fi t them into boots salvaged from a deceased sol-ider that would have otherwise fi t him perfectly.

Ballard spoke often of how fascinating and enjoyable his work has been, and said he will continue to research the Civil War, because, it’s what he is interested in.

He said he plans to seek out a few other in-terests, as well, including possibly publishing a work of fi ction he wrote and working on a bit of music.

“I’ve been writing Southern Gospel songs, which I love, I’d like to learn a language or two, get better at the guitar, which I can only strum,” he said.

Marszalek said Ballard’s retirement is a huge loss to MSU, but he also spoke of what he said Ballard means to him and his colleagues as a person.

“He’s a really special person to me and to a lot of people. It’s an amazing, amazing thing, the kind of good human he is.”

Retired professor researches Civil War

BY CALEB BATES

ContributingWriter

Nearly 45 years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr., was shot while standing on the second fl oor balcony of his motel in Memphis, Tenn. Along with his wife and four children, King left behind a legacy of peace, love and free-dom. Tonight at 6, his legacy will be honored with a candlelight vigil at The Junction.

The event is sponsored by the Holmes Cul-tural Diversity Center, a campus organization that strives to enhance the college experience of culturally diverse students. The HCDC has coordinated a variety of different outreach events aimed at cultural awareness and sen-sitivity since its conception in 1979, when it was known as the Offi ce of Minority Affairs. The HCDC will provide over 300 candles to illuminate the night in King’s honor.

A keynote address will be given by Michael Williams, assistant professor of history here at Misssippi State University, titled “Upholding the Legacy.” Ra’Sheda Forbes, assistant direc-tor of the HCDC, is spearheading the organi-zation and planning of the event. Forbes said this is the fi rst time the center has done some-thing to honor the life and legacy of King. She said Alpha Phi Alpha Inc., a prominent African American fraternity on campus, will

also be making an address.“I think a lot of people don’t realize that

Dr. King was actually a member of Alpha Phi Alpha,” Forbes said.

Two different groups will give musical trib-utes at the event. One of these is Doss Family Singers, a Southern Gospel group consisting of a mother and her three daughters based out of West Point. Also paying musical tribute is the Black Voices Choir, a student operated praise group that has been active for the last 39 years.

Junior kinesiology major Erika Lowe, pres-ident of the Black Voices Choir, explained how grateful the group was to be a part of this event.

“I think it’s such an honor to be a part of this type of refl ection,” Lowe said.

When asked if the group had selected any songs with special meaning for the occasion, she said, “One of the songs we’re singing is ‘Ride on King Jesus,’ and in that song, it says no man can hinder me. When you believe in something, you’ve got to push on, no matter what stands in your way. I think that describes the life Dr. King lived.”

In the event of inclement weather, the cer-emony will be moved to the Bill Foster Ball-room on the second fl oor of the Colvard Stu-dent Union.

Ballard

When I was a kid I had one brother, and my parents used to take us to Vicksburg occasion-ally; I immediately fell in love with the town and the battlefi elds.”- Michael Ballard

“

What’’ In Youu

Queue?NETFLIX the good,the bad,the shameful

ROBBIE RICHARDSONSenior, art major

1. “Breaking Bad”

2. “Jackie Brown”

3. “Battlestar Galatica”

Although the series isn’t complete, a lot is on Netfl ix, and it was one of the most thrilling shows on television.

Quentin Tarantino is a personal favorite director of mine, and as usual, he delivers with this one.

A very smart sci-fi show. Exciting action with a great political subplot that references turmoil in the Middle-East.

LIFE6 | FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 THE REFLECTOR

On Feb. 5, NBC’s mu-sical drama “Smash” will premiere its sec-

ond season. Many “Smash” fans (like myself ) felt the show’s plot meandered from its original exciting pilot to something predictable and frustrating. However, season two will not disappoint.

Don’t get me wrong; season one was not necessarily disap-pointing. Viewers watched a musical come together about the life of Marilyn Monroe, complete with original music that managed to tell Monroe’s life story and refl ect the char-acters’ lives as well. That’s im-

pressive and entertaining.After watching the fi rst

45 minutes of the two-hour season premiere on nbc.com (you can, too), I have faith this season will have several solid things going for it.

1. The Cast: “Smash” al-ready has a star-studded cast; American Idol’s Katharine McPhee, Broadway darling Megan Hilty and Debra Messing give the show ini-tial star power. This season, Jennifer Hudson, Jesse Mar-tin and Nikki Blonsky, along with many others, will add to the cast in a way that actually works for the show. (Meaning,

I don’t see them being like Uma Thurman was on the show. Thank God.) Most of the newest cast additions have proven themselves to be tal-ented singers. I realize Thur-man’s character wasn’t sup-posed to be a bad singer, but featuring guest stars who can’t sing on a show about people singing isn’t a smart move for a show like “Smash.”

2. The Songs: What makes “Smash” so different is the original music. The original songs for the fi ctional Bomb-shell musical give the show the edge to set itself apart from shows like “Glee.” The begin-

ning of the season two pre-miere opens with an original song that will not disappoint.

3. The Story: The messy story lines from season one will come to a fruition of sorts in season two, and I don’t think they will end up derailing all over the place. There is complexity among relationships, work, the fu-ture of Bombshell and the future of Bombshell’s cast members.

4. Ivy vs. Karen: I have a feeling Ivy (Hilty) and Kar-en (McPhee) may not be at each other’s throats for the entire season. One of the

initial things about “Smash” I loved so much was that I didn’t hate the two wom-en in competition to play the role of Marilyn. In fact,

I liked both of them a lot. Writers later made Ivy out to be a complete jerk and the stereotypical antagonist. I’d like to see Ivy and Kar-en regain a friendship in the midst of competing for the role of a lifetime. (Let’s be honest; Karen will never be “safe” as the lead role.)

However, I could be prov-en wrong in all of this. I hope I’m not. I foresee season two being more consistent with the pilot episode: exciting, different and captivating. You won’t have to be a fan of musical theater to enjoy “Smash.”

“Smash” sings a better melody in second season previewTHE CONSTANT | MARY CHASE BREEDLOVE

Mary Chase Breedlove is a senior majoring in communication. She can be contacted at zorsborn@reflector.msstate.edu.

MARY CHASE BREEDLOVE

TJ VAUGHT | DAYS AND CONFUSED

FOLLOW @LIFEREFLECTOR ON TWITTER. FOR REAL. SERIOUSLY.

WE REALLY LIKE PEOPLE, AND YOU ARE A PERSON.

BY JOHN GALATAS

Campus News Editor

Following MSU’s 8-5 2012 campaign, head coach Dan Mullen has offi cially closed the books on 2012 and can now turn his attention to 2013.

“We had our team meeting last week and this year’s team, the 2013 team, was born,” Mullen said. “That was the birth of a team and we have a one-year life, this team, to leave their mark on history. And I know they are fi red up and ready to get after it.”

After a 7-0 start, the Bull-dogs lost fi ve of their last six games, including a loss to Ole Miss and a Gator Bowl loss to Northwestern. But Mullen said he is still optimistic about the direction he is leading the program.

“The program is certainly going in the direction I want it to go in, which is the op-portunity to continue to win football games, to put ourselves in a discus-sion, as the season wears on, to go and compete for con f e rence c h a m p i o n -ships which is our ulti-mate goal here,” he said.

Task number one for Mul-len following the New Year’s Day loss was to evaluate and

adjust his coaching staff. Co-defensive coordinator Geoff Collins was promot-ed as full-time coordinator, and Mullen brought in Tony Hughes as safeties coach after Melvin Smith left for Auburn.

Last week, Mullen an-nounced the hiring of Da-vid Turner as defensive line coach, and Mississippi native and former Arizona Cardinals assistant Deshea Townsend as cornerbacks coach. Turner was with the Bulldogs from 2007-2009 before joining Joker Phillips’s staff at Ken-tucky in 2010.

“We’re really excited about all of the new guys coming in here,” Mullen said. “David Turner has a lot of experience here and knows the state of Mississippi, knows recruiting, knows what our program is about, knows about our guys. I know we were disappointed to lose him when we lost him a couple years ago, and I was

really thrilled and excited to have him come back and join our staff.”

Mullen said he was not in-vested in hir-ing specifi c individuals for each vacancy but rather ap-proached the task by en-visioning his

whole staff as a unit.“When you go to hire

somebody, it’s not about just hiring a specifi c coach,” Mul-

len said. “To me it’s about hir-ing a coaching staff and mak-ing sure that staff has a great combination of people that we’re putting out there and can feed off of each other, and that’s what we’ve done.”

Now that his coaching changes are taking shape,

Mullen can focus on next year’s roster and recruiting.

MSU listed 19 seniors on its 2012 roster, including four defensive backs, four receiv-ers and seven linemen. Last week, junior All-American offensive lineman Gabe Jack-son announced he will return

to MSU for his senior season, which will bring experience to a growing offensive line.

“I talked it over with coach Mullen and my parents and came out with a good deci-sion to come back and fi nish my education,” Jackson said. “I talked to (Johnthan Banks)

about his choice, and oth-er guys who had the choice to leave, and he said ‘Think what’s best for you and the team, just don’t be selfi sh about this season.’”

The biggest losses the Dogs will face are at the receiver and defensive back positions, but Mullen said his coaches are looking to recruit players at every position.

“Offensive line is obvious-ly a big need for us this year. Quarterback is a big need for us this year, receiver,” he said. “Here’s the thing I guess when you look at it: there are the ones you expect guys to have to come in and play right away. But I think you have to, as we’ve been able to do I think with the program, to build the depth within a program, to go compete in the Southeastern Conference; you better have solid recruit-ing across the board at every position. You can’t have lapses in years of positions or you’re going to get yourself caught at some point.”

The Bulldogs currently have 20 verbal commits and are projected to have a top-15 recruiting class according to 247sports.com. The Dogs also have two junior college trans-fers, safety Justin Cox and re-ceiver Jeremy Chappelle, who already enrolled earlier this month, and Mullen said he expects them and every junior college transfer to make an immediate leadership impact.

The 2013 season and roster will become more clear after National Signing Day Feb. 6.

SPORTSREFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 | 7

BY AUSTIN CHANCE

Staff Writer

Darriel Gaynor leads the Mississippi State women’s basketball team on and off the court as the team’s only senior. Gaynor’s road to MSU has been a long, winding road in which she has been through injuries, transfers and multiple oth-er challenges to land her in Starkville.

Gaynor’s success on the court started early in life as she was impacted by the ped-igree of basketball she grew up around.

Darriel was taught the game of basketball by some-one she holds very close to her heart. Her teacher, the one whom she still looks up to this day, is none other than her sister.

At the age of fi ve years old, Gaynor’s sister Sequoia Holmes, versed Darriel in the game of basketball.

“Sequoia has been a big in-fl uence in my life,” Gaynor said. “She’s my mentor and my best friend.”

Holmes played in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury and the Houston Comets and now plays in Slovakia.

With the help of Holmes, along with practice and coaching throughout her life from other people, Gay-nor made her way to Bish-op Gorman High School and immedi-ately impact-ed the pro-gram. While at Bishop G o r m a n , Gaynor aver-aged almost 15 points per game, along with 4.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists during her junior year, lead-ing the Gaels to their second straight 4A State Champion-ship. The Gaels won three championships in Gaynor’s last three seasons.

The Oregon Ducks heavi-ly recruited Gaynor since she

began high school, and Gay-nor chose to attend college in Eugene, Ore.

“Oregon was the only school that recruited me all throughout high school,” Gaynor said. “I’m big on loy-alty, and they were loyal to me. It was an easy decision.”

Gaynor’s career at Oregon was short-lived, playing in 26 games for the Ducks in only one season where she averaged 1.3 points and one rebound per game.

After a short stint at Ore-gon, Gaynor transferred to Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas.

In her fi rst game at TVCC, Gaynor’s season ended as quickly as it began. Within the fi rst fi ve minutes of the game, Gaynor suffered a sea-son-ending knee injury that would cause her to become redshirted for the remainder of her sophomore year. But Gaynor was determined to continue her playing career.

After recovering from her injury, Gaynor committed to the University of Alabama, but shortly after, she decom-mitted and found her way to Starkville. Gaynor said her reason for choosing MSU was simple.

“I love the family atmo-sphere at State,” Gaynor said. “It’s different from the big city, but I like it here.”

Since becoming a Bulldog, Gaynor has been a leader

on and off the court. She has used her past experience in her career to help out the younger play-ers around her, such as ju-nior Candace Foster. Foster

spoke highly of Gaynor’s leadership ability.

“She is a hard worker and a great leader,” Foster said. “She goes the extra mile to do all that she can and leads by example.”

Sophomore guard Kendra Grant said she has also been highly infl uenced by Gay-

nor’s presence at State.“Darriel has been through

everything in her career, and she is still so positive and uplifting to everyone on this team,” Grant said.

Although it may seem as if Gaynor has been playing a high number of minutes for State, she only appeared in the starting lineup here once during her junior season. She is now a fi fth-year senior, and excels on the court in her fi -nal year as a starter. Head coach Vic Schaefer said he

credits her work ethic as a reason for her success.

“Darriel plays awfully hard,” Schaefer said. “We look to her on the court to be a leader for this team.”

During her career, Gay-nor has been through almost everything that any player could possibly go through to get to her fi nal destination as an athlete, but she has kept her head up and now leads the Dogs on and off the court during her fi nal stand in college.

Mullen ready for 2013, adds two new coaches

STEPHANIE GODFREY | THE REFLECTOR

Senior Darriel Gaynor started her collegiate career at the University of Oregon before transferring to a community college and ultimately finding her way to Mississippi State.

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SPORTSover the weekend

Women’s Basketball The women’s basketball team fell

62-42 at LSU Sunday afternoon. The

loss kept the Dogs winless in SEC play and moved them to 8-9 on

the season.

Sophomore Martha Alwal led State with 17 points and 14 rebounds

to record her eighth double-double of the season. Sophomore

Carnecia Williams added nine points and eight rebounds, and junior

Katia May came off the bench to score seven points to go along with

five assists.

The Tigers went on an 18-2 run to end the first half, and the

Dogs shot just 6-27 from the floor in the half. Overall, State was just

2-16 from long range and 6-14 from the free throw line.

In a press release, head coach Vic Schaefer said LSU’s run to end

the first half was the difference in the game.

“We had trouble scoring against the zone,” Schaefer said. “It was

long and athletic, but I thought we did a better job in the second

half. We made some good decisions and stopped turning the ball

over.”

MSU will travel to Lexington to take on the Kentucky Wildcats

Thursday at 6 p.m.

Indoor Track and Field At the UAB Invite Friday, the MSU track and field team captured

six top-10 finishes, including a first place finish by D’Angelo Cherry

in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.66 seconds.

The team competed in the Crimson Tide Indoor Opener

Saturday and recorded 10 top-five finishes. The men’s 4x400m relay

team of Daundre Barnaby, Brandon McBride, Randy Patterson and

Tavaris Tate won with a time of 3:06.50.

In the pentathalon, Erica Bougard finished top-three in three of

the five events, including a first place finish in the 60m hurdles.

Cornelia Griesche claimed a fourth place finish in the 300m run. Cherry finished second in the 60m dash, and Nathan Arnett captured second place in the 60m hurdles. The Dogs now turn their attention to the Auburn Invitational on Jan. 19.

Bulldogs will appear in Super Bowl XLVII After the conclusion of the divisional round of the playoffs, four former Bulldogs, one on each team, are left in the NFL playoffs. Anthony Dixon, who scored the game-sealing touchdown against Green Bay, and the San Francisco 49ers will take on Charles Mitchell and the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game Sunday at 2 p.m. Kyle Love and the New England Patriots will battle Pernell McPhee, who sacked and forced Peyton Manning into a fumble in the divisional round, and the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC Championship Sunday at 5:30 p.m.

Lone senior, Gaynor, finds her way to MSU

COURTSEY OF MSU MEDIA RELATIONS | THE REFLECTOR

Junior Gabe Jackson announced his decision to return for his senior year last week. Jackson said he talked to Johnthan Banks among other players to help make the decision.

To me it’s about hiring a coaching staff and making sure that staff has a great combination of people that we’re putting out there and can feed off of each other.”Dan Mullen,head coach

“

Darriel plays awfully hard. We look to her on the court to be a leader for the team.”Vic Schaefer,head women’s basketball coach

“

The college football season is over, which means it is time to start talking about

the NFL draft. Mississippi State has fi ve players at the moment who have a good chance of being drafted — cornerback Johnthan Banks, defensive tackle Josh Boyd, wide receiver Chad Bumphis, outside linebacker Cameron Law-rence and cornerback Darius Slay.

Banks is the stand-out player of this bunch and the only player among the group who has the tal-ent and potential to be a full-time NFL starter as a rookie. Scouts consider Banks the second best cornerback prospect in the entire draft class behind Alabama’s Dee Milliner.

Banks can cover, but his biggest strength is his ability to play the run, which is a rarity at his posi-tion. In coverage, Banks is capa-ble of playing both man and zone well but, of the two, is better in man coverage.

Banks has average speed at the corner position but his 6’2, 185-pound frame is great size for a cornerback and will allow him to be physical at the line of scrim-mage with receivers and to match up with a lot of the bigger receiv-ers at the NFL level who are 6’3 or 6’4. I think Banks, if he reaches his full potential, can be a bigger, more athletic version of Antoine Winfi eld, the three-time Pro Bowl cornerback who currently plays for the Vikings.

As of right now, three players from MSU have been invited to the NFL Combine: Banks, Boyd

and Slay. Banks got all the atten-tion this season, but Slay proved to be a ball hawk this year with fi ve interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

Of all the guys who are project-ed to be drafted from State, Slay is the only one who was not on the NFL radar at the beginning of the season, but he is now projected to go in the third round.

Slay has average speed for the NFL level, but being 6’1, 190 pounds helps his stock. Slay still has room to improve in terms of technique and pure coverage skills at the next level, but he’s rocketed up draft boards because of his ball skills and playmaking abilities.

Boyd is projected to be a fi fth rounder. In college, Boyd was a one-technique defensive tackle, and as of right now, scouts be-lieve he will be too small and not physically dominant enough to play that role in the NFL. Yet, at the same time, he is not athletic enough nor a good enough pass rusher to be a three-technique. But scouts praise Boyd for his high motor and his ability to play the run, and because of that, he will make an NFL roster.

Lawrence was named to the All-SEC second team for his out-standing play this season. As of now, he is only projected to be a sixth or seventh round pick, but that could change as he begins to work out for teams and scouts take a closer look at him.

He had 111 tackles this sea-son and 123 his junior year. That shows consistency, which

is always valued when looking at seniors who played well in their junior years. At only 230 pounds, though, he is small and needs to get bigger and stronger to hold up against the run at the next level.

Coming into the year, it looked like Bumphis might end up on the outside looking in on draft day, but after putting together the best season of his career during his senior campaign with 12 touch-downs, he put himself in a great position to be drafted.

He shows quickness rather than speed, and at 5’11 he best trans-lates as a slot WR in the NFL. He is currently projected to be a sev-enth-round pick. He brings value to a team as a kick or punt return-er, which should play a big role in him being drafted.

Cornerback Corey Broomfi eld, offensive tackle Tobias Smith and wide receiver Chris Smith are in the mix but may not get drafted; however, all three should be able to receive an invite to camp and have a chance to make a team as an undrafted free agent if they are not selected in the draft.

8 | TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013 THE REFLECTOR

SPORTSCOLLEGE HOOPS:

ALABAMA AT MSUWEDNESDAY, 8 P.M.

CSS

Five Dogs possess high draft stock

BY ANSON KEITH

Staff Writer

If the Mississippi State Bull-dogs defeat the Alabama Crim-son Tide Wednesday, it will be the fi rst time since 1936 a fi rst year head coach from MSU started out 3-0 in SEC play.

The Bulldogs, who have not started 3-0 in SEC play since 2010, also look to improve their stellar record at home. They are 5-1 at The Hump this year.

In their fi rst SEC road test Saturday, the Dogs came from behind to defeat Georgia 72-61.

Head coach Rick Ray said he thinks even though the guys are a young team and injuries are most defi nitely playing a big role in this season’s lineup, the team is improving steadily.

“Us going on the road and getting that win over Georgia was huge. The team is really trusting the motion-based of-fense, and even when the shot clock gets low, they don’t panic and continue to keep moving,” he said.

Ray repeatedly noted the importance of ball security and defense. The Dogs have been most successful when they have applied pressure on the ball handler.

“Our guys must take care of the ball on offense, but we preach defense,” Ray said. “That’s all we do: we practice defense and getting stops. The offense and easy buckets will come from that.”

Craig Sword, who was named SEC Freshman of the Week, played Saturday’s game against Georgia with a sprained ankle. He said he thinks the team’s ability to knock down easy shots and apply pressure defensive-ly are the keys to Wednesday’s game and for the rest of the sea-son.

“I think it’s all about me let-ting the game come to me and not trying to force things,” Sword said. “Sometimes I move too fast, but now with Jalen (Steele) back, it opens up my game a lot more. But defense is still the most important. Every-body can play offense. We know that, but we just really try to stay focused on defense. Some of

their players have more experi-ence than ours, so we know we need to be prepared.”

After scoring a career-high 18 points in State’s SEC opener against South Carolina, Sword scored 16 points and added two steals in MSU’s win over Geor-gia.

Jalen Steele missed eight games earlier this season with a wrist injury but scored a ca-reer-high 21 points on Saturday at Georgia. Steele said he is very excited about the upcoming game against SEC rival Ala-bama. He said the game on Sat-urday helped him get back into the fl ow of things.

“During the Georgia game ev-erything felt back to normal. Ev-erything felt good and my game is starting to come back now,” Steele said. “My teammates were setting good screens and really trying to help me get open. It really helped out.”

Steele, a Junior guard from Knoxville, Tenn., is averaging 11.5 points and 23.3 minutes per game.

The Dogs must face a Crim-son Tide team that is coming off a 68-65 win over Tennessee. Alabama is led by Trevor Rele-ford, who averages 16.3 points per game. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Hump.

BARTON DINKINS | THE REFLECTOR

Freshman Craig Sword, who was named SEC Freshman of the Week last week, has been a key part of State’s quick start, averaging 17 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in conference play.

STAT OF THE DAY: MISSISSIPPI STATE IS ONE OF ONLY EIGHT SCHOOLS GUARANTEED TO HAVE A FORMER PLAYER WIN A SUPER BOWL RING THIS YEAR.

THE COACH’S CORNER | FORREST BUCK State looks to stay perfect in SEC play

Forrest Buck is a junior majoring in sport pedagogy. He can be contacted at reflectorsports@gmail.com.

FORREST BUCK