BY SARAH DALE SIMPKINSAssistant News Editor

Today Mississippi State University students will cast ballots to decide who this year’s Student Association senators will be.

Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Colvard Student Union Dawg House and the Drill Field entrance to the Mitchhell Memorial Library.

Student Association Vice President Braxton Stowe said students have a chance to elect 46 senators representing

different parts of the student population at MSU according to scale.

“The College of Education, for example, can elect up to three senators because of the population of students in that college,“ he said. “There are 12 spots for people off campus and that gives equal representation to people [liv-ing] on campus.”

Stowe also said students will be voting on two other things: class council repre-sentatives and an amendment to the SA Senate Constitution.

“[The class council] representative

raises money for their particular class senior gift,” Stowe said.

SA President Braxton Coombs said the recus-al amendment students will be voting on began making its way to the ballot last year.

“This is a process that was passed in Senate last year by Matt Bramuchi and will better serve as a source of account-ability for Student Association executive officers in order to prevent possible

conflicts of interest,” he said.SA Attorney General Blake Jeter said

the amendment will help get rid of any thoughts of unfair election practices.

“The recusal bill’s intent is to give an officer a chance to recuse his or herself from a situation that would be a con-flict of interest,” he said. “Recuse liter-ally means: to withdraw from a position of judging so as to avoid any semblance of partiality or bias.”

Jeter said the main benefit of vot-ing on the recusal and getting it into

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‘RAGWEED’ CROSSING

BY PATRICK YOUNG | Staff Writer

The ninth annual Bulldog Bash welcomed a near record crowd of MSU students, Starkville residents and visitors from all over the Southeast Friday night. Student Association Secretary Whitney Holliday said the SA was happy with the event’s set-up and outcome.“We have been setting up for the concert since 7 a.m. this morning and will be here all night cleaning up,” she said on

Friday, “but it’s all worth it for the university and the students.” MSU students appeared just as happy with this year’s show. Senior communication major Michelle Wood said this year’s event brought out a higher quality of musical talent.

DeGraw, Wertz and other acts entertained fans at Friday’s Bash

The

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TUESDAYSEPTEMBER 16, 2008

Successfully Bashed

College receives major donation

BY LAWRENCE SIMMONS

Staff Writer

PACCAR, a recognized leader in truck design and manufacturing, endowed $2 million to the engi-neering department in a ceremony Friday morning.

Interim MSU President Vance Watson said an occa-sion like this is a spe-cial time for the uni-versity.

“The gift is going to help us to move forward to become the most respected land grant university,” he said. “Once we get an endowment like this, it should encourage the opportunity for other internationally known compa-nies to partner with us.”

PACCAR plant manager Lex Lemmers said the grant funds would be used to establish the new PACCAR chair in the engineering college.

“The presence of an excellent teach-ing university helped bring PACCAR to northern Mississippi,” he said. “The area was chosen because of

BY AUBRA WHITTEN

Staff Writer

Lawmakers discussed a proposal that would replace the existing College Board and give each of the state’s pub-lic universities a board of trustees last week in Jackson.

The 12-member College Board, which oversees the eight Mississippi public universities, would be converted into a board of governors, oversee-ing budget issues and working as a liaison between the legis-lature and universities.

Each university would gain a seven-member, non-paid board of trustees. The governor and board of governors would appoint four and three mem-bers, respectively. All seven would have to be affirmed by the state Senate.

Faculty Senate presidents and stu-dent body presidents would join the trustees, acting as non-voting mem-bers.

The proposal, discussed Wednesday SEE REFORM, 3

PACCAR gives $2 million to engineering

Davis

Lawmaker proposes IHL reform

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Bulldog Bash headliner Gavin DeGraw performed his signature hits “Chariot,” “In Love with a Girl” and “I Don’t Want to Be” Friday night.

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Stowe

Students vote for senators, amendment

Watson

The

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