BY LAWRENCE SIMMONSStaff Writer

Tropical storm Gustav is project-ed to arrive in the Gulf of Mexico by 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Landfall is expected Tuesday morning. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour declared a state of

emergency Thursday afternoon.Associate professor of meteorology

Michael Brown said the storm track-ing model has shifted west from New Orleans. He expects it to change over the next few days.

“We are still five days away from a U.S. landfall,” he said. “I would expect anywhere from Houston, Texas

to Panama, Fla. It is still a threat for [the Gulf Coast] area.”

Assistant geosciences professor Grady Dixon said storm tracking models typically change after three days.

“Most of the com-monly used computer models are in pretty good agreement on the approxi-mate path,” he said, “Nevertheless, it is not out of the question for the path and or the speed to change dramati-cally.”

Brown said local weather risks are

dependent on how strong the storm is during landfall.

“We could see some 70 mph winds as we saw during Hurricane Katrina,” he said. “In this month we have received eight inches of rain, which is six more than we usually get. Trees could become more vulnerable to the wind.”

Dixon said every students should make their own decisions concerning traveling this weekend.

“I think it would be unwise to travel to the Coast this weekend as mass evacuations will likely cause severe congestion all across the Gulf Coast,” he said. “Even if someone plans on

returning to Starkville before the storm arrives, the trip would likely be expen-sive, frustrating and dangerous.”

Executive director of Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Mike Womack said the agency have been reviewing the state emergency plans during the last several.

“Four battalions of soldiers have been moved to the Coast to notify people in travel trailers that they need to evacuate,” he said.

Womack said people should find what they need for three days and then leave the rest on the shelf for others.

“People shouldn’t be concerned,” he

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Program to loan bikes to students

BY COLIN CATCHINGS

Staff Writer

Collegiate Bicycle will supply 100 bicycles to be placed around the grounds of Mississippi State University for students to borrow as they trek across cam-pus.

Associate dean of students Thomas Bourgeois said the bicycles have been ordered and are expected to arrive at the end of the fall semester.

“We hope the bikes will be here in late October or in November,” Bourgeois said. “We will have an offi-cial unveiling and a roll-out of the program at that point.”

Vice president for student affairs Bill

Tropical storm Gustav heading toward Gulf Coast

SEE BIKES, 3

BY AUBRA WHITTEN

Staff Writer

An agreement sanctioning ESPN to televise SEC sports was announced by the network and the conference Monday.

The 15-year con-tract, which begins with the 2009-2010 season, is the longest national rights agree-ment in ESPN his-tory according to the network’s press release.

The deal will accompany an

SEE CONTRACT, 2

ESPN, SEC sign historic contract

BUD SOREY | THE REFLECTOR

The Old Main Plaza renovations added a walkway which provides students a connection from Colvard Student Union to Montgomery Hall.

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Initiative to start by November

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Bourgeois

FOOTBALL,FINALLY

Forecasters predict storm will make landfall by Tuesday morning

SEE GUSTAV, 2

BY LAWRENCE SIMMONS | Staff Writer

A walkway and additional parking spaces were added to the MSU landscape by construction crews during the summer months.

The concrete and brick walkway is part of the Old Main Plaza project, which is in commemoration of the historic Old Main Dormitory. Construction for the project began in December 2007. The walkway is located between Colvard

Student Union and Perry Cafeteria.Associate director of facilities management Peter Rook said due to a wet summer the landscaping around the walkway could not be fin-

ished for the first day of class.Rook said he hopes for the irrigation, landscaping and sod to be completed by Sept. 5.

FRIDAYAUGUST 29, 2008

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PLAZA PROGRESS

Facilities officials expect work to be completed in early September

Barbour

Byrne