![DEC. 1, 2015
By JUSTINMALONE
jlm1153@msstate.edu
T
he Battle for the Golden
Egg, more commonly
referred to as the Egg
Bowl, is a big game in the state of
Mississippi in which the Mississippi
State Bulldogs and the University of
Mississippi Rebels go head to head in
football. It is one of the most heated
rivalries in all of college football, and
the winning team gets bragging rights
until the next time it is played.
This year the Egg Bowl will be
played on a national stage. Both
the Bulldogs and the Rebels enter
the game ranked in the top 25 and
are vying to be the Southeastern
Conference’s number two team. The
winner of this game will most likely
go to play in Sugar Bowl if Alabama
goes to the playoff.
There is a lot on the line for
this year’s matchup as far as bowl
projections go. However, that is not
why the Egg Bowl is so important this
year. The Egg Bowl the final home
game for a group of seniors, led by
quarterback Dak Prescott, which has
become possibly the most outstanding
in Mississippi State history.
There are 15 seniors on the Bulldog
roster. Many of whom were not
highly recruited out of high school.
In fact, most of these seniors were
members of the 2011 signing class.
“He's what Peyton Manning
is to Tennessee, what [Steve]
Spurrier and [Tim] Tebow were
at Florida and Bo
ackson at Auburn”
- Scott Stricklin,
MSU AD
BullyPost.com I Dec. 1, 2015 I Volume No.70, Issue No.13 I 50 cents
BULLDOG POST
The WE WILL GIVE YOU THE NEWS, WE PROMISE
See CONSUMING FIRE | Page 5
See EGG BOWL | Page 8
See THE MILL | Page 5
Photo courtesy of The Reflector
By MARY RUMORE
mr459@msstate.edu
T
he Mill, which
celebrated its
grand opening
ceremony on October 19,
is a welcome addition
to the Mississippi State
University and Starkville
community.
The Mill is located
adjacent to Missis-
sippi State University
at 600 Russell Street in
Starkville, Mississippi.
Dr. David Shaw, Vice
President of Research
and Economic Devel-
opment, said The Mill
houses a large conference
center, which is useful
for weddings, meetings,
and social events, as well
as many other useful
features.
“We have a confer-
ence center with a ball-
room that will seat 1,000
people,” Shaw said.
Along with the confer-
ence center, there is of-
fice space on the second
floor of the building
used by MSU’s National
Strategic Planning and
Analysis Research Cen-
ter, according to Shaw.
He also said a new
parking garage that has
room for 450 cars and
the Courtyard by Mar-
riot were built by The
Mill. There are also other
meeting rooms available
for smaller parties.
According to The
Mill’s website, the
Courtyard by Marriott
features 105 rooms, two
restaurants, outdoor
pool, and fitness facil-
ity, all within walking
distance of Mississippi
State University and the
Cotton District.
Shaw also said devel-
opment is underway to
bring in new restaurants
near The Mill.
According to The
Mill’s website, The Mill
first opened in 1902 as a
cotton mill in tiny town
of Boardtown, and was
the first building in the
area to have electricity.
The website said it
was a symbol then and
still is now of the eco-
nomic prosperity of the
Dr. David Shaw
Vice President for Research and Economic Development
The new cotton mill will feature a new conference center, ball-
room, office spaces, and the second floor will be used for strategic
planning and analysis research
Photo courtesy of The Reflector
Old Becomes New At The Mill
Going, Going, Gone
PAGE 1
By MARYRUMORE
mr459@msstate.edu
M
ississippi
State Uni-
versity’s
student enrollment is
increasing, and admin-
istration is working to
accommodate the grow-
ing student body.
Bill Broyles, Assis-
tant Vice President for
Student Affairs, said
20,138 students were
enrolled during the 2014
fall semester at MSU,
and 20,873 students are
enrolled this semester,
which is an increase of
four percent.
Broyles said MSU is
making plans for more
increased enrollment
in the future, and MSU
President Dr. Mark Kee-
num wants the university
to continue to grow.
“Dr. Keenum wants to
have 22,000 students by
2018,” Broyles said.
Dr. John Dickerson,
Interim Executive Direc-
tor of Enrollment, said
one way MSU is work-
ing to accommodate the
increased enrollment is
by building a new class-
room building.
“We’re building a
new classroom building
that is right behind the
YMCA that will hope-
fully be ready very soon,
because we need the
classroom space,” Dick-
erson said.
Dickerson said two
new residence halls are
also being built.
“They are building two
new residence halls, Aza-
lea Hall and Dogwood
Hall, which will add 750
beds,” Dickerson said.
Broyles said MSU is
also working to provide
additional dining op-
portunities on campus.
He said Fresh Food
Company opened in Au-
gust, Chick-Fil-A in the
Colvard Student Union
was expanded, Moe’s
South West Grill opened,
and POD Express was
added in Allen Hall.
Broyles said another
POD Express will be in
the new classroom build-
ing, and a POD Market
will open in Dogwood
Hall.
Broyles said the
SMART Shuttle system
has been expanded this
semester to encour-
age students who live
off campus to ride the
shuttles instead of driv-
ing their cars to campus.
This will help with traf-
fic and parking issues,
according to Broyles. He
said it would take around
20 acres to building
parking lots with enough
spots for every student,
which would mean pav-
ing over places like the
Drill Field or Junction.
Broyles said the uni-
versity is hiring more
teachers and support staff
to help with the growing
student population.
“We want to maintain
our student-to-faculty
ratio,” Broyles said.
Broyles said another
issue with growing
student enrollment that
many do not think about
is the availability of
organizations for stu-
dents to get involved in.
He said administration is
trying to encourage stu-
dent associations, such
as Freshman Forum, to
increase the number of
members that are al-
lowed to join.
Broyles said while
increased enrollment is a
MSU Planning For
Increased Enrollment
‘Consuming Fire’ Invades MSUBy NICK PRICE
nprice@athletics.msstate.edu
F
reedom of speech is a
hotly debated topic in the
United States, specifically
when we disagree with what is
being said.
The Mississippi State drill field
recently played host to a group
of anti-gay protestors known as
“Consuming Fire”. This group
tested the limits of the campus’s
tolerance.
The group’s protests drew large
crowds. Some there to protest the
protestors, some to stand with
them and many more there just to
witness the spectacle that was.
This is not the first time the
group has come to MSU. Over the
last few years they have come to
the campus to spread their anti-
homosexual message.
John Price, a sophomore ac-
counting major, witnessed the
protests for the first time in his
MSU career.
“Over the entire week they were
here I just kept going back to see
what they were up to,” Price said.
“The whole thing was just funny
to me. I was really interested to
see how other people were react-
ing to them.”
While Price disagreed with
their message, he still showed up
and gave them the attention the
sought.
Many have wondered why the
university allows such a group
on campus, but the university has
stood by the group’s right to pro-
test, no matter the public outrage
it has created.
In a recent article by The Reflec-
tor, MSU Police Chief Vance Rice
said there was little the university
could do to prevent the group
from protesting on campus.
“The things that were being
said to them (by Consuming Fire)
were horrible,” Rice said. “From
what the students described, it
was all protected speech and was
not illegal,” Rice said. “The easiest
solution we could give them was
to tell them to walk away.”
Walking away would be the
easiest solution. By doing so, stu-
dents would not give “Consuming
Fire” the satisfaction they seek by
coming to the MSU campus.
But many of the students did
not walk away. Like Price, they
gave the protestors the attention
they wanted in coming to the Spectators gather on the MSU drill field to witness ‘Consuming Fire’ first-hand
Bill Broyles
Asst VP, Student affairs
See INCREASED ENROLLMENT | Page 5
Photo courtesy of HailState.com
Dak Prescott scrambles in the
pocket during a Thursday night
matchup with defending SEC
East Champion Missouri](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/15f6e84a-ea7e-412c-b3b8-a79f511456bc-160826022937/85/CLASS-PAGE-DESIGN-1-320.jpg)
CLASS PAGE DESIGN
- 1. DEC. 1, 2015 By JUSTINMALONE jlm1153@msstate.edu T he Battle for the Golden Egg, more commonly referred to as the Egg Bowl, is a big game in the state of Mississippi in which the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the University of Mississippi Rebels go head to head in football. It is one of the most heated rivalries in all of college football, and the winning team gets bragging rights until the next time it is played. This year the Egg Bowl will be played on a national stage. Both the Bulldogs and the Rebels enter the game ranked in the top 25 and are vying to be the Southeastern Conference’s number two team. The winner of this game will most likely go to play in Sugar Bowl if Alabama goes to the playoff. There is a lot on the line for this year’s matchup as far as bowl projections go. However, that is not why the Egg Bowl is so important this year. The Egg Bowl the final home game for a group of seniors, led by quarterback Dak Prescott, which has become possibly the most outstanding in Mississippi State history. There are 15 seniors on the Bulldog roster. Many of whom were not highly recruited out of high school. In fact, most of these seniors were members of the 2011 signing class. “He's what Peyton Manning is to Tennessee, what [Steve] Spurrier and [Tim] Tebow were at Florida and Bo ackson at Auburn” - Scott Stricklin, MSU AD BullyPost.com I Dec. 1, 2015 I Volume No.70, Issue No.13 I 50 cents BULLDOG POST The WE WILL GIVE YOU THE NEWS, WE PROMISE See CONSUMING FIRE | Page 5 See EGG BOWL | Page 8 See THE MILL | Page 5 Photo courtesy of The Reflector By MARY RUMORE mr459@msstate.edu T he Mill, which celebrated its grand opening ceremony on October 19, is a welcome addition to the Mississippi State University and Starkville community. The Mill is located adjacent to Missis- sippi State University at 600 Russell Street in Starkville, Mississippi. Dr. David Shaw, Vice President of Research and Economic Devel- opment, said The Mill houses a large conference center, which is useful for weddings, meetings, and social events, as well as many other useful features. “We have a confer- ence center with a ball- room that will seat 1,000 people,” Shaw said. Along with the confer- ence center, there is of- fice space on the second floor of the building used by MSU’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Cen- ter, according to Shaw. He also said a new parking garage that has room for 450 cars and the Courtyard by Mar- riot were built by The Mill. There are also other meeting rooms available for smaller parties. According to The Mill’s website, the Courtyard by Marriott features 105 rooms, two restaurants, outdoor pool, and fitness facil- ity, all within walking distance of Mississippi State University and the Cotton District. Shaw also said devel- opment is underway to bring in new restaurants near The Mill. According to The Mill’s website, The Mill first opened in 1902 as a cotton mill in tiny town of Boardtown, and was the first building in the area to have electricity. The website said it was a symbol then and still is now of the eco- nomic prosperity of the Dr. David Shaw Vice President for Research and Economic Development The new cotton mill will feature a new conference center, ball- room, office spaces, and the second floor will be used for strategic planning and analysis research Photo courtesy of The Reflector Old Becomes New At The Mill Going, Going, Gone PAGE 1 By MARYRUMORE mr459@msstate.edu M ississippi State Uni- versity’s student enrollment is increasing, and admin- istration is working to accommodate the grow- ing student body. Bill Broyles, Assis- tant Vice President for Student Affairs, said 20,138 students were enrolled during the 2014 fall semester at MSU, and 20,873 students are enrolled this semester, which is an increase of four percent. Broyles said MSU is making plans for more increased enrollment in the future, and MSU President Dr. Mark Kee- num wants the university to continue to grow. “Dr. Keenum wants to have 22,000 students by 2018,” Broyles said. Dr. John Dickerson, Interim Executive Direc- tor of Enrollment, said one way MSU is work- ing to accommodate the increased enrollment is by building a new class- room building. “We’re building a new classroom building that is right behind the YMCA that will hope- fully be ready very soon, because we need the classroom space,” Dick- erson said. Dickerson said two new residence halls are also being built. “They are building two new residence halls, Aza- lea Hall and Dogwood Hall, which will add 750 beds,” Dickerson said. Broyles said MSU is also working to provide additional dining op- portunities on campus. He said Fresh Food Company opened in Au- gust, Chick-Fil-A in the Colvard Student Union was expanded, Moe’s South West Grill opened, and POD Express was added in Allen Hall. Broyles said another POD Express will be in the new classroom build- ing, and a POD Market will open in Dogwood Hall. Broyles said the SMART Shuttle system has been expanded this semester to encour- age students who live off campus to ride the shuttles instead of driv- ing their cars to campus. This will help with traf- fic and parking issues, according to Broyles. He said it would take around 20 acres to building parking lots with enough spots for every student, which would mean pav- ing over places like the Drill Field or Junction. Broyles said the uni- versity is hiring more teachers and support staff to help with the growing student population. “We want to maintain our student-to-faculty ratio,” Broyles said. Broyles said another issue with growing student enrollment that many do not think about is the availability of organizations for stu- dents to get involved in. He said administration is trying to encourage stu- dent associations, such as Freshman Forum, to increase the number of members that are al- lowed to join. Broyles said while increased enrollment is a MSU Planning For Increased Enrollment ‘Consuming Fire’ Invades MSUBy NICK PRICE nprice@athletics.msstate.edu F reedom of speech is a hotly debated topic in the United States, specifically when we disagree with what is being said. The Mississippi State drill field recently played host to a group of anti-gay protestors known as “Consuming Fire”. This group tested the limits of the campus’s tolerance. The group’s protests drew large crowds. Some there to protest the protestors, some to stand with them and many more there just to witness the spectacle that was. This is not the first time the group has come to MSU. Over the last few years they have come to the campus to spread their anti- homosexual message. John Price, a sophomore ac- counting major, witnessed the protests for the first time in his MSU career. “Over the entire week they were here I just kept going back to see what they were up to,” Price said. “The whole thing was just funny to me. I was really interested to see how other people were react- ing to them.” While Price disagreed with their message, he still showed up and gave them the attention the sought. Many have wondered why the university allows such a group on campus, but the university has stood by the group’s right to pro- test, no matter the public outrage it has created. In a recent article by The Reflec- tor, MSU Police Chief Vance Rice said there was little the university could do to prevent the group from protesting on campus. “The things that were being said to them (by Consuming Fire) were horrible,” Rice said. “From what the students described, it was all protected speech and was not illegal,” Rice said. “The easiest solution we could give them was to tell them to walk away.” Walking away would be the easiest solution. By doing so, stu- dents would not give “Consuming Fire” the satisfaction they seek by coming to the MSU campus. But many of the students did not walk away. Like Price, they gave the protestors the attention they wanted in coming to the Spectators gather on the MSU drill field to witness ‘Consuming Fire’ first-hand Bill Broyles Asst VP, Student affairs See INCREASED ENROLLMENT | Page 5 Photo courtesy of HailState.com Dak Prescott scrambles in the pocket during a Thursday night matchup with defending SEC East Champion Missouri
- 2. DEC. 1, 2015 opinion BULLYPOST.COM I Dec. 1, 2015 I Page 2 By KAIBRINAPARKMAN kabee1992@gmail.com T wo Mississippi State Univer- sity alumni recently reopened the former Club Rock in Starkville, Miss follow- ing last year’s bloody shooting and new county ordinance. Starkville natives Nicholas Madison and Greg Ware leased the building, located on North Montgomery St, last month from owner Larry Fair. The young entrepreneurs hosted their grand opening of Club City Limits Oct. 9. Madison said that despite the shooting he plans to change the face of the club. “When we leased Club Rock, we knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into,” said Madison. “It was a tainted situation.” March 30, 2014 chaos began around 2:30a.m at Club Rock. A crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered in and around the building. The capac- ity limit was 189 people. While the packed party carried on inside, a bru- tal incident began out- side. Five people were shot that night outside of the club. When Oktibbeha County officials were alerted about shots at the club, which sits adjacent to an overpass and a neighborhood, Sheriff Steve Gladney said it was impossible for para- medics to reach victims because of the crowd of people. “The roads were blocked by cars and people ran frantic,” Gladney said. “People actually brought the vic- tims to paramedics.” Four of the victims were treated at Oktib- beha County Hospi- tal Regional Medical Center and were shortly released, however one victim was airlifted to UMC Medical Center in Jackson were he recovered from a head wound. Club Rock had under- went scrutiny multiple of times. In Dec. 2011, the Board of Supervi- sors pursued a tempo- rary injunction to close Club Rock along with Club Rock Reopens After Shooting Teens Less Connected Than Ever Club BJ3 for safety vio- lations. Many petitions were created to perma- nently close down both clubs. The clubs dodged all allegations and re- mained opened. However following the shooting, the club was im- me- diately shut down, and Fair received a tempo- rary restraining order filed by the district attorney’s office to abate a public nuisance. The club remained closed until July 2014. The club was then leased to new management, and re- opened as Club Rock, but the manager faced the same scrutiny Fair received. Madison and Ware met with Sheriff Glad- ney before venturing into the nightlife scene. Ware said that today’s nightlife in Starkville is missing originality, and that is what the two friends plan to cre- See CLUB ROCK | Page 5 See SOCIAL MEDIA | Page 5 By KAIBRINAPARKMAN kabee1992@gmail.com R esearch shows that in to- day’s society, more than 98 percent of college- aged students use social media, making them more detached from their peers than ever before. According to a study conducted by the American College Health Association, reported that in 2014 that nearly 30 percent of students at UCLA admitted to spending more than six hours a week on social media sites. However, this type of behavior can become det- rimental to one’s mental health. Students have become accus- tomed to living in a virtual world were decisions and gratitude is based off of the numbers of likes and comments. This type of behavior, if not treated, could lead to identity crisis, depression, and even social anxiety. Social media’s goal is to connect people and promote positive beneficial and mutual relationships, however that is not quite how social media tends to work. Debbie Zepeda, a gradu- ate student at Mississippi State University, said that social media has become her way of escaping reality. “Being a full-time student, while working two jobs, and managing a social life can be kind of confusing,” Zepeda said. “I use Facebook and SnapChat to help manage my social life. It allows me to schedule a time when I want to converse with family and friends.” Facebook statistics showed ear- lier this year that it has nearly 1.5 billion monthly active users mak- ing it the number one social media (662) 320-7746 882 Hwy 12 West Starkville, MS 329 University Drive (662) 324-6055 829 MS Hwy 12 (662) 320-9003 315 MS Highway 12, Starkville | (662) 323 -5258 PAGE 2 Merry Christmas From Jimmy Johns Roney, a member of Bluff City, performing at Club City Limits homecoming party Facebook averages 15 billion active users per month Photo courtesy of Harris County Library Photo courtesy of Kaibrina Parkman
- 3. DEC. 1, 2015 By KAIBRINAPARKMAN kabee1992@gmail.com I t is freshman year, and my roommate has already snapped hun- dreds of pictures of me. I have done several of poses, made thou- sands of faces and I even attempted to look as if I was caught off guard. Finally she passes me my phone, and I immediately start swiping left. Yes! This picture is the one. I’m pretty sure it will get plenty of likes on Face- book. Over the past 10 years I have become accustomed to inter- twining social media into my everyday life. It all started with an earlier popular site called Myspace. In 2006, I was in the eighth grade, and all of my peers would sit around the lunch table and talk about how they decorated their Myspace page. My family didn’t have internet access at the time, so my best friend created a page for me. Now as a young adult, I look back at these moments and many more like them, and I ask myself what was the point? I’m not even one of the “cool kids” but yet social me- dia is the place where I could be potentially be who- ever I want to portray myself as. Ear- lier this year I was asked by one of my profes- sors to cre- ate a Linke- dIn account. I was hesitant at first. Once again I was back in the mind set I was a de- cade ago contemplating what profile picture I should post. Creating an account was actually one of the assignments for her class, therefore, I wanted my profile to be perfect. I picked my best picture to date, and I only posted the jobs and interns I was most proud of. After adding all the great details and wonderful descriptions about myself, I eventu- ally received an 80 out of 100. Is this the world we live in today? Do we really judge people by their portrayal on social media sites? According to the online site Debate, many opinions have been voiced on whether or not it is wrong for employers and col- leges to judge a person based on their personal social media activities. One writer made the statement that it is not wrong at for potential employers to snoop through social media accounts of future em- ployees. Another writer said it’s wrong because social media activity should be private. This discussion then led me to my next exploration. If users expect privacy and limitations for their social media accounts, then why have accounts in the first place? Statistics show that Facebook has over one billion monthly active users. According to Social Media Today, in 2013 over 13 mil- lion usesrs have never touched their privacy settings. It was also reported that nearly 30 percent of users shared all of their infor- mation ranging from their home- town, email address, and even phone num- bers. Look- ing back, I always regret some of the things I have posted. Majority of the things were pure stupidity. There are things out there that I wouldn’t dare want future employers let alone my parents know about me. I would hope that people wouldn’t judge me by the things I thought were “cool” 10 years ago, let alone five years ago. As a millennial, like many others, social me- dia is a part of my ev- eryday life. I can’t do away with it, because it’s a resource tool, an information gatherer, and a medium between two or more audiences. Social media is basi- cally everything I want to be as a journalist. After not receiving a perfect score on my LinkedIn project, I realized that no matter what I may post or re- post, there will always be some sort of conse- quence. Every time I click the share button, I am opening up the floor to people to pass judgement about my character and beliefs. We now live in a world where the delete button is merely an accessory found on a keyboard. It is meaningless in the social media world, because screenshots ex- ist. My advice to those who use social me- dia as much as I do, would be to clean it up. You never know who is watching. Eventu- ally someone will run across your account and grade you based on your presentation. bulldog post BULLYPOST.COM I Dec. 1, 2015 I Page 3 Social Media Consuming Students Antibiotic-Free Products Explained See ANTIBIOTICS | Page 6 PAGE 3 By TAYLOR BUFKIN tb1151@msstate.edu A ntibiotic-free animals and antibiotic- free animal products is a very hot and controversial topic in the world today. It can be confusing as to what antibiotic-free animals actually means. Antibiotic-free in some cases can mean the animal has been given no antibiotics ever, or it can mean that there are no antibiotics in the animals system at the time. The rules in which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been put into place concerning animal antibiotics technically means the animal can be considered an antibiotic- free animal if the animal has to be held and not used for production until the antibiotics are out of their system According to the FDA antibiotics have been used to maintain the health of animals for over 40 years. Antibiotics are important when preventing and controlling diseases among animals. Animals are just like people, if one animal gets sick there is an increased risk that more of the animals will end up sick as well. Some people agree with the use of animal antibiotics while others think that humans will eventually become resistant to antibiotics all together. What everyone does not know is that no products including meat or milk are used while an animal is being treated with antibiotics. It is not until after the animal has recovered from the illness and the appropriate waiting period has passed for the drugs to completely clear the system that products from the animal can be sold. Strict protocols have been set by the FDA as well as the USDA for antibiotic use in animals. The protocols address how much and what kind Students at Mississippi State all look at their electronic devices during a nice day on the MSU campus Photo courtesy of Kaibrina Parkman Photo courtesy of Kaibrina Parkman Antibioticshavebeen becoming moreand morecontroversial by theyear
- 4. DEC. 1, 2015 at all simple. The main problem occur when money and facilities are involved. How are schools sup- posed to evenly divide the money between men’s and women’s sports? The National Collegiate Athletics Association helped try to solve this problem by mandating that each institution have just as many women’s sports as they do men’s sports. Still, there is a prob- lem with the money. Women’s sports are entitled to the exact same amount of money as men’s sports. But, the major problem is in size differential of the sports teams. “Because most of our men’s athletes are on a full scholarship and now get a monthly stipend, we help out the women’s teams by allowing them to use the opportunity fund,” Smith said. Smith said that since women’s teams are en- titled to as much money as men’s teams this fund helps bridge the gap of monetary expenditure between men’s and women’s sports. Title IX, however, does not only cover monetary issues between men’s and women’s sports. It also covers gender equality in aca- demics. Each teacher at Mis- Mississippi State Uni- versity gives a brief explanation about Title IX at the beginning of each semester. This ex- planation says that both men and women will get equal opportunities when it comes to academics. There can be no bias By JUSTIN MALONE jlm1153@msstate.edu T he ranking of Mississippi State’s wom- en’s basketball team has many heads turning toward the university as the 2015-2016 basket- ball season begins. This year’s pre- season rankings for the women’s basketball team have been good for many reasons. The members Highly-Ranked Bulldogs Ready For Much-Anticipated Season BULLYPOST.COM I Dec. 1, 2015 I Page 4 For example, how can an institution fairly give a 12 member women’s basketball team the same amount of money as a 75 member football team? Some schools send their women’s teams to different tournaments and training camps to help make up for the money difference. Oth- ers just give the wom- en’s teams the use of an “opportunity fund”, a fund that helps student athletes that need mon- etary help. Steve Smith, who works for the Missis- sippi State compliance office, spoke about the opportunity fund and its correspondence to Title IX. By JUSTIN MALONE jlm1153@msstate.edu A round the country col- lege athletic departments are forced to adhere to a federal law called Title IX. This law mandates gender equal- ity in sports as well as academics and behavior. Most people do not understand what the law means when it says “equality”. This means that some schools do not effectively implement Title IX until there is an issue. Title IX’s “equality” means that men’s and women’s sports are to be treated exactly the same. Fairly simple, right? Ac- tually, this concept is not Truth Behind Title IX By NICKPRICE nprice@athletics.msstate.edu I t is the dawn of a new era for Mississippi State basketball. The Bulldogs have gone from perennial doormat of the SEC to con- ference championship contenders in less than six months. That credit goes to new head basketball coach Ben Howland. Sure, Mississippi State returns five seniors, the second-most of any team in the SEC. Many of those MSU Hungry To Compete Under Howland In 2016 seniors have had starting positions since they were freshmen. The team has also added a five-star point guard by the name of Malik Newman. None of those pieces are as valuable as Howland’s experience. That experience comes from 3 straight final four appearances, a feat he accomplished while leading the ship for the UCLA Bruins. In Howland’s 10 sea- sons as skipper of the Bruins, the team reached the NCAA tournament seven times. He also has four Pac-10 regular-season titles on his resume. In 2006, Howland led his squad to the National Championship game. Howland also brings with him the ability to attract elite talent to Starkville, Missis- sippi. The aforementioned Newman is a consensus five-star player, a McDon- ald’s All American, a top-10 overall prospect and the No. 1 ranked shooting guard in the class of 2015. He chose Mississippi State because of How- land. Hunter Richardson, secondary media relation’s contact for the Mississippi State basketball pro- gram, believes Howland changed the culture for the Bulldogs the moment he stepped on cam- pus. “From the first time you meet Ben,” Rich- ardson said. “You realize his passion for basketball. He has such a great basketball mind and it shows from his production at sports Mississippi State senior Bali Leffall-Young celebrates with her team- mates during the team’s match against Texas A&M. The Bulldogs lost 3-0 Malik Newman is finding his form after struggling out of the gate Photo courtesy of Kelly Price, HailState.com Photo courtesy of Kelly Price, HailState.com See HOWLAND | Page 5 See TITLE IX | Page 5 See SCHAEFER | Page 6 PAGE 4 of the team are having their hard work recognized while ensuring a bright future for the program. Also, the uni- versity gets national notice through the success of the team. The MSU Lady Bulldogs have been ranked at 11th in the country going into 2015- 2016 basketball season. This attention to the basketball team is bringing Mississippi State University national at- tention. Over the past couple of years the team has been on a steady incline under Coach Vic Schaefer. The team members have been work- ing hard to get prepared for this season. They hope to keep the momentum from last season going as they head into this year. Their mindset and hard work has not gone unnoticed, which is evident in their na- tional ranking. Sherise Williams, a forward on the team, said she is very excited about this season. She said that she believes this team can go further than last year’s team, which made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. “We got a taste of it last year,” Williams said. “We know can do better and that is what we are working for.” Williams said that last sea- son was only a taste. She said that the team has been working hard and has improved in preparation for this season. Williams said she is confident that the team is ready to show what it is capable of. Williams said that the Lady Bulldogs are facing a chal- lenging road this year. The team is comprised of mainly underclassmen with Wil- liams being the only senior of the group. Williams said that the season is a long one and for it to perform as ex- pected the younger ladies will have to play at a high level. While this seems to be an obstacle, re- member that one of the l e a d i n g scorers of last year’s team is r e t u r n i n g for her sopho- more year. Victoria Vivians is a key player for this team and will be called on as a leader, no mat- ter what her classification is. “The way I ap- proach the game hasn’t re- ally changed,” Vivians said. “This year more is expected because of the way I played last season but all I have to do is play my game.” Vivians said that she knows that she is needed as a leader to this young team. She is only a sophomore Vic Schaefer has the Top-10 Bulldogs ready for another incredible season Photo courtesy of HailState.com
- 5. DEC. 1, 2015 of people that admitted to consuming alcohol on a regular basis declined from 70 percent to 56 percent. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) played a huge part in increasing the drinking age by encouraging the federal government to cut the highway funding of any state by 10 percent if it did not enforce this new law. Since this law was put in to place, MADD claims 17,000 fatalities have been avoided on the road. Alcohol has a direct negative effect on the brain. This effect is magnified in those under 21, because the brain has not yet fully developed. Alcohol can damage certain areas of the human brain. In teenagers, these parts are not yet fully developed and are more prone to damage from the effects of alcohol. Another problem with underage alcohol consumption is that tolerance levels among those under 18 are different from those above 21. Adolescents can drink far more than adults before they get tired enough to stop and they are far less sensitive to hangovers according to the American Academy of Neurology. Although teenagers are less likely to become hung-over, that does not mean alcohol affects them less. In fact, alcohol affects teenagers greatly. Teenagers are much more likely to experience a “blackout” from alcohol consumption. That is, they drink so much they are site that allows users to connect and share with one another. However, not all users see social media as a beneficial source. Magen Rawls, a 2013 graduate of Pearl River Community College and Starkville na- tive, believes that social media intervened between her and her studies. “Back then we really only had Myspace at first, so once I started col- lege in 2011, Facebook was very popu- lar” Rawls said. “I remember skipping classes just to socialize with friends from back home.” Despite the downfalls and shortcomings of social media, it can be used to benefit many learning experiences. Students can use social media outlets as resources in majority of areas of studies. Tyson Miller, a sophomore at MSU majoring in Ki- nesiology, said he uses SnapChat and Instagram as a resource tool. “I follow personal trainers and athletic trainers on Instagram, such as Body by Bran and Bundle of Brittany,” Miller said. “Brittany has a million fol- lowers and her techniques are incredible. I follow users like them to help not only myself, but others get in great shape.” Social media has even become some student’s source of income. People with a lot of followers are sometimes asked by different vendors and compa- nies, both main stream and self-owned, to promote certain products. “I promote herbal tea and cleansing detox treatments for this one company based in California. They send me samples to try for free, and I basically get to decide if I want to promote them or not,” Miller said. “For other com- panies, I don’t even see the products sometimes. Majority of times I just post a picture to my Instagram and they pay me for doing it.” Social media has essentially become a way of life for many college students. To avoid mixing reality and the virtual world, students have to decipher the two. For some it can be an easy switch, but for most social media has just become something they have become accustomed to. “I don’t blame social media for my detachment from the real world. I just see it as a means to managing the world we live in,” Zepeda said. “It’s convenient, and allows me to be social on my own time.” based on gender. If there is a men’s academic club or Greek organization, there is a women’s one to match. If men’s clubs are allowed to hold par- ties then women’s clubs must be allowed the same opportunity. Title IX also delves deeper into equality than most people understand. This document does not only regulate the man- agement of sports and academics for gender equality it also manages behavior. The MSU football team about this par- ticular part of Title IX earlier this year. What the players and coaches learned about it shocked them all. Title IX states that any behavior that man perpe- trates against a woman, or vice versa, that makes her uncomfortable is grounds for dismissal from the university. This means that a lewd look, or licking your lips, or making a catcall could get you thrown out of school. The terms of pun- ishment for violating this rule of Title IX is for an undetermined amount of time. Basically, the perpetrator is not allowed on university property for as long as the victim attends school at the university or works there. The athletes and coaches knew about the equality in sports and academics rule but the behavioral rule caught them by surprise. Truthfully, most people do not know about this portion of the rule. This part of Title IX is usually overlooked until a legal issue arises. Martinas Rankin, a junior offensive line- man, said that he was surprised about the behavior rule of Title IX. He said the he had always been told about Title IX but did not know that it could govern how he was supposed to act. “I didn’t know that the way I look at someone could get me thrown out of school,” Rankin said. “I always thought that it was alright to look as long as I didn’t say any- thing rude.” Rankin said that after the meeting he would have to be more careful to not unknow- ingly offend a fellow student. He said that it would be unfortunate to get thrown at a school simply because he looked at someone the wrong way. John Hevesy, co-offensive coordinator of the team, said that the coaches would be sure to address the team about the seriousness of Title IX. “Treating women with respect is one of the core values of this team,” Hevesy said. “We always say how women can get the kids in a lot of trouble and Title IX shows how much.” Hevesy said that the coaches would use this knowledge to help the team use good judgement. He said the coaches would be ada- mant about the players being careful in their interactions with the op- posite sex or they would be risking their athletic careers and their futures. – BULLYPOST.COM I Dec. 1, 2015 I Page 5 Steve Smith Assistant AD / Compliance Ronald Reagan was instrumental in changing the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 Photo courtesy of Huffington Post previous schools. But more than anything, you can tell how im- portant his players are to him. You can clear- ly see that his goal is to provide the best environment for his players to succeed in college and beyond. That to me is what makes him one of the best coaches in all of college basketball.” The task of chang- ing the culture at Mis- sissippi State will not be an easy one. His 10 NCAA tournament ap- pearances are just as many as Mississippi State has in program history. MSU proudly displays its one final four banner; Howland has personally been there four times. “I’m just so humble and grateful to be the new basketball coach at Mississippi State University,” Howland said. “I’m elated and excited for the oppor- tunity to build a con- sistent winner here at State. I know we have some of the greatest fans in the country and I look forward to making them proud of our team and our efforts.” Howland and the Bulldogs will kickoff their season on Nov. 13 in Humphrey Coli- seum at 8 p.m. against Eastern Washington. From HOWLAND | Page 4 From TITLE IX | Page 4 PAGE 5 bulldog post 829 MS Hwy 12 (662) 320-9003 605 Highway 12 Starkville, Ms 39759 (662) 320-7022 I’m Lovin’it From THE MILL | Page 1 area and Mississippi State University. “Over a century after the cotton mill first opened in Boardtown, The Mill re-opened in Starkville to once again take its place as the city’s economic hub, a center of commerce and community re-shaping the town and ushering it onward just like it did 100 years before,” The Mill’s website said. “The cotton mill then and The Mill at MSU now both represent a gateway to the univer- sity and a bridge to the community.” The Mill’s Website also said that when to cotton mill opened in 1902, it caused the neighborhood to flour- ish, and it continues to do the same today. “As our friends at the Oktibbeha County Heri- tage Museum have hap- pily displayed down the street, the historic building blossomed into a neighborhood of local commerce, trade and housing when it opened, and the open- ing of The Mill at MSU has done the same for the most vibrant part of town,” The Mill’s web- site said. For more information about The Mill, visit its website www.themillat- msu.com. Facts About The Drinking Age In The US By NICK PRICE nprice@athletics.msstate.edu I n 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the National Minimum Drinking age act, increasing the legal drinking drinking age in the United States from 18 to 21. He did so for a reason. Since this law was put into place, the amount of teenage accidents where alcohol was involved has dropped by 54 percent. Because students do not have as easy of access to alcohol in their developmental years, this law also helped decrease how many individuals picked up drinking at all. From 1970 to 1991, the amount From SOCIAL MEDIA | Page 4 See UNDERAGE DRINKING | Page 7
- 6. DEC. 1, 2015 herself but she said that she needs to be ready to step into this role. “My classification doesn’t matter,” Viv- ians said. “I have ex- perience and the team is young so I have to step up as a leader.” This team was not built overnight. Schae- fer’s team has been coming together during his tenure with the team. The former players of this Lady Bulldog team helped set a standard for this year’s group. Kendra Grant, who played on last year’s team, said she is excited to watch the team this season. “It feels good to watch my team achieve this,” Grant said. “There is an incredible sense of pride.” Grant said that teams do not just reach a high national ranking without work. Years of prepara- tion goes into building a successful program. Grant said that it feels good to be a piece of the foundation that this year’s team was built on. The preseason ranking does not only provide a sense of accomplishment for both former and cur- rent Lady Bulldogs but it also puts the univer- sity consistently in the national spotlight. Throughout the fall, there is a national buzz around Mississippi State- because of the football team. The attention that the women’s basketball team is getting is making the buzz go year round. The success of the Lady Bulldogs has gotten the university national acclaim. The addition of the women’s basketball team to a national ranking puts Mississippi State into the national spotlight in four sports: football, baseball, and women’s golf, and women’s basketball. PAGE 6 MSU Learning From ‘Active Shooter’By TAYLOR BUFKIN tb1151@msstate.edu O n August 27, 2015 at 10:16 a.m. a “Maroon Alert” was issued for Mississippi State University stating that there was an active shooter on campus. The whole campus was put on lockdown until an “all clear” was given. The suspect was taken into custody only 10 minutes after MSU was informed of the possible threat on campus. A press conference was given after the suspect was taken into custody and an “all clear” was sent to students and faculty. “We take all incidents like this very seriously, and I’m glad to report that there was no weapon found in this incident and no shots were fired,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. After the potential active shooter threat Keenum began working on a plan to make the university as safe as it can be for the entire faculty, staff and students. Many meetings were attended by Keenum to come up with the best training, locks and communication “TLC” plan. Vice President for Student Affairs, Regina Young Hyatt said that faculty and staff training have been put into place. Faculty and staff have been given many opportunities to complete training for an occurrence of an active shooter. Training sessions have been placed on BANNER for convenience where faculty and staff can complete the training on their own time. There have been nine in person general sessions according to Hyatt as well as many departmental sessions. Hyatt said, “Emergency Procedure” guide booklets have been distributed to every classroom on campus where it will be in a place for reference in case of an emergency. These booklets include procedures for all types of emergencies including but not limited to tornadoes, fire, active shooter, etc. According to Hyatt the university has conducted reviews of all classrooms around campus to evaluate and determine which doors have locks as well as which ones do not. Some doors cannot have locks due to fire safety. At the time of the active shooter threat in August there were some doors that had locks but would not lock properly. “This event showed us areas where we need additional locks and better ways to block or barricade interior doors,” said Keenum. All communications and technology associated with emergency alerts are being evaluated to determine if the university needs to operate a different emergency alert system in the future. Hyatt said that the emergency alert systems are frequently being reviewed to determine what needs to change if anything. According to Hyatt there will be a training program for students as well as faculty and staff. A video is being developed that will be used for the training of students. The video will be the primary method of training the students on MSU campus. “The number one piece of advice we can share with students about personal safety is to be aware of your surroundings. If you notice something of concern, tell someone,” said Hyatt. Hyatt said that in cases of emergency the best way for students to stay informed with reliable information would be to stay connected to the maroon alerts as well as emergency.msu.edu. These are the best places to get information about what is happening on campus. opinion From SCHAEFER | Page 4 Photo courtesy of HailState.com Victoria Vivians leads a group of talented perimiter shooters for Schaefer of antibiotics the animal can receive for certain illnesses. Waiting periods are also determined by both the FDA and the USDA which is the time it take for the antibiotics completely be cleared from the animals system. Food and products are tested and sampled not only at the farm, but also at the plant in which the meat is processed at. If there is any trace of antibiotics in any of the products the meat or milk will not be sold, although that is very uncommon. There are many levels of protection that the farmer has to go to in order to be able to sell the products in order to keep human health the top priority. The first step is the FDA approval process which is when data is submitted on how safe the products are. The next step is ongoing governmental insight by the FDA, USDA as well as the Center of Disease Control (CDC) to ensure that antibiotic resistance will not be a problem. Then comes the risk assessment step where the FDA publishes the assessments. Finally, judicious use programs which is guidelines on how to appropriately and safely administer antibiotics for the different types of livestock. According to The Wall Street Journal sales of chicken labelled “antibiotic- free” rose 34 percent by value in 2013- 2014. The controversy with the labels is still “was the animal free of antibiotics in their system or had they never been given antibiotics.” Labelling the packages of chicken “antibiotic-free” was smart for the sale of the products, but in what context were the antibiotic-free. How many other companies that had not labelled their chicken lost money because those words were not on the package? There are many steps involved to make sure that humans are offered the safest food while still keeping the animals healthy. All of these steps are watched by the FDA and the USDA to make sure that all of the products are the safest, yet there is still controversy about the topic. There should be clarification of what exactly “antibiotic- free” means so that more people will hopefully understand that a lot of things are being done to see that products are safe whether the animals have had antibiotics in the past or not. From ANTIBIOTICS | Page 3 315 MS Highway 12, Starkville | (662) 323 -5258 BULLYPOST.COM I Dec. 1, 2015 I Page 6
- 7. DEC. 1, 2015 bulldog post PAGE 7 Texting And Driving Kills 3,000+/year See DISTRACTED DRIVER | Page 8 From UNDERAGE DRINKING | Page 5 By MARY RUMORE mr459@msstate.edu I t is no secret that being distracted while driving or walking can have fatal con- sequences, but national and local government and law enforcement are working to keep the roads safe. Journalist’s Resource said, ac- cording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, driver distraction was a factor in 3,328 deaths and approximately 421,000 injuries in 2012 in the United States, and the Federal Highway Administration has estimated that distracted driving may be a factor in 10 percent of all crashes. Stop Texts Stop Wrecks, an or- ganization for educating the pub- lic about the dangers of texting while driving, said people 15 to 19-years-old make up the largest portion of distracted drivers. “In 2013, 10 percent of all driv- ers 15-19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported dis- tracted at the time of the crashes,” Stop Texts Stop Wrecks said. “For drivers 15-19 years old involved in fatal crashes, 15 percent of the distracted drivers were distracted by the use of cell phones.” Mississippi Department of Transportation’s website said sending or receiving a text mes- sage takes a driver’s eyes away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, which, at 55 miles per hour, is equivalent to the length of one football field. MDOT’s website also gave the frightening statistic that 660,000 drivers are using electronic de- vices at any given daylight mo- ment in America. Stop Texts Stop Wrecks said as of 2015, 44 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands ban text mes- saging for all drivers, and all but five states have primary enforce- ment, which means that an officer cannot ticket the driver for the offense without any other traffic violation taking place, such as speeding. According to Stop Texts Stop Wrecks, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas prohibit text messaging by novice drivers (de- fined in Mississippi as any driver with a learner’s permit or provi- sional license), and Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas restrict school bus drivers from texting. According to Insurance Journal, House Bill 389 prohibits drivers from writing, sending or reading text messages, emails, or social media messages, and it set a $25 fine until July 1, 2016, and in- creasing to $100 after that. How- ever, making and receiving phone calls is still legal. Journalist’s Resource said that hands-free devices are also still legal for drivers to use in all states. “No states currently ban the use of hand-free phones for all drivers, even though research has shown that they offer no improve- ate, but in a way that is harmless and enjoyable for partygoers. “We thought long and hard before deciding to reopen Club Rock,” Ware said. “We want a place that is safe for the community to enjoy.” Sheriff Gladney said that the last club manager had trouble administering the club, which forced officials to intervene and shut the club down again. Since then, the doors to the club had remained closed since last sum- mer, and a court ordi- nance regulating places of public assemblage was put into effect Aug 21, 2014. The county of Oktib- beha ordinance states in Title 19 that, “the Mis- sissippi Code authorizes counties to protect the general health, safety, and welfare of its citi- zens were the legislature has not made provision.” Sheriff Gladney said that in order for Club City Limits to stay afloat, Madison and Ware must adhere to the new ordinance and understand the penalties for violations. “Club owners in Oktibbeha County must renew their license,” Gladney said. “They must go under a review of their previous year’s performance.” The ordinance regula- tions also states that at any time, The Regula- tions Committee can temporarily suspend a permit due to any safety violation. However, since the 2014 shooting, if Club City Limits be- comes overcrowded, or if the number of persons admitted is not properly recorded, then Madison and Ware could face misdemeanor charges. Since the club is lo- cated close to resident’s homes, Sheriff Gladney said it’s important that the club doesn’t become a nuisance in the com- munity. “I encouraged them to visit the neighbors,” Gladney said. “In the past, neighbors have complained about peo- ple parking and littering in their yard. They must make sure that their cus- tomers respect the folks around them.” Madison said that he hopes that visitors ap- preciate the hard work and effort that Ware and himself did. “The building never really had a positive identity,” Madison said. “Me and Greg spent many nights creating a place that is classy but simple.” The club is the friend’s second busi- ness venture this year, after opening up the first urban menswear store in downtown Starkville Continued CLUB CITY LIMITS | Page 2 Photo courtesy of ShutterStock.com Photo courtesy of SevenDays.com Texting while driving is scientifically proven to be more dangerous than driv- ing drunk The effects of alcohol are worsened in those under 21 unable to remember the events of the previous night. Teenagers are far less rational than their older counterparts. When teenagers drink, they do so to the point of intoxication. There are many studies that show the earlier a person drinks for the first time, the more likely they are to have alcohol abuse problems later in life. The amount of evidence stacked against underage drinking is staggering. Because of how harmful alcohol has proven to be on the teenage brain, and because of how prone to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated teenagers are, the drinking age should absolutely be kept at 21. BULLYPOST.COM I Dec. 1, 2015 I Page 7
- 8. DEC. 1, 2015 This particular class was said to be the worst signing class in school history at their time of enrollment. That, however, was not to true. This senior class will leave Starkville as the second winningest class in school history. This class now holds 47 MSU football records and have attended bowl games every season they have been part of the Bulldog roster. A class that was said to be the worst in school history ended up being the best. A major factor in the emergence of this year’s senior class was the play of senior quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott has been nothing less of sensational in his time at MSU. He holds 37 individual school records. Many of the seniors are sad to be playing their final game in Davis Wade Stadium. Probably none more so than Prescott. “This place has been my home for the last five years,” Prescott said. “I have found a family here.” Prescott said that he does not have teammates. He has brothers. He said everything that they do together, from early morning summer workouts to playing under the stadium lights on Saturdays, has created a bond between them that goes beyond being a team. Taveze Calhoun, senior cornerback for the Bulldogs, shares many of the same sentiments as Prescott. Calhoun said he firmly believes that Mississippi State is where he was supposed to be. He said that he looks as the entire Bulldog community, players and fans, to be part of his family. “If I did this only for me I probably wouldn’t have played quite the same,” Calhoun said. “But each day I look into my brothers’ eyes and see that I play for much more than just myself.” Calhoun said that his time as a Bulldog has been the best time of his life. He said that even outside of football players want to be around each other. The players can often be seen talking and joking with each other on campus. “We genuinely care for each other,” Calhoun said. “We push each other to be better and joke around together.” Cedric Jiles, junior cornerback, said that this Egg Bowl is about much more than the rivalry with the Rebels. Yes, the rivalry is important, but he wants to send senior class out with a win in their last game athome. “These guys have left a legacy here,” Jiles said. “They have done what no one has thought possible here. They deserve to go out with a win on senior night.” Jiles said that this senior class has built a foundation for this football team. They have set a standard for how MSU football should be. This class became ranked at number one in the country for the first time in school history as juniors and have overcome a preseason prediction to be last in the conference to be 8-3 at this point. Jiles said that it was just something this class expected of themselves. Dak Prescott said that it will be a tear-filled goodbye. He said the Bulldog family has been there for him in the good times and the bad times. Prescott said he will never forget his time as a Bulldog. “Although this may be my last game in Davis Wade Stadium, I will always be a Bulldog at heart,” Prescott said. PAGE 8 By TAYLOR BUFKIN tb1151@msstate.edu P aid tailgating venues are becoming common at university campuses around the world. There are many people that see paid tailgating as an opportunity while others think of it as a threat. Areas are designated on campus where tailgating is allowed and people are charged and “own” a designated space. Most of the time the university contracts with a firm that takes orders from customers, sets up the tailgating tents and then takes the tents down. After the game is over the firm typically pays the University a portion of the money that was made. MSU Director of Procurement and Contracts Don Buffum said that Mississippi State University does feature some paid tailgating venues around the campus on game days. When the paid tailgating concept first came to Mississippi State University several years ago people were not very happy about the initiative because they felt as though the “average mom and pop” tailgater would not get a good spot to set up or they would not get the spot that they have occupied for many years. MSU has always been known for their “first-come-first-served” program. The “First- come-first-served” program is free to tailgaters and whoever gets to a certain spot first gets to claim the spot for game day. Buffum said that the Game Day Committee conducted research and have come up with a way that is working to satisfy both people who want to pay for the convenience of not having to set up their tent as well as those who want to participate in the “first-come-first-serve” basis. Buffum said that at this time he does not see where MSU will move to a totally paid tailgating situation. There will be room for some paid tailgating expansion, but it is not expected to be the only method of tailgating anytime soon. Some of the good things about paid tailgating according to the purchasing department is there is no hassle for the fans that want to participate in tailgating. There would be no reason for tailgaters to arrive extremely early unless they just wanted to. Better control over the garbage situation could possibly be an outcome because the university would know who would be responsible for the tailgate. There are also reasons in which paid tailgating is not a good thing. Not everyone can afford the luxuries of paid tailgating. Students and the less wealthy would have a harder time being able to actually participate in this program that many think to be such a good idea. An “all pay” plan would possibly decrease the number of people tailgating in the junction and could possibly change the atmosphere in which MSU has been used to for many years. Buffum says that although people may stray away from the tailgating scene if it becomes “pay only” people would soon return because if it is something that a person really loves they will find a way to participate. MSU has no plan to move to an “all pay” plan anytime soon if anytime at all. This concept has been looked at because it is occurring on other college campuses around the world. Paid Tailgating Takes Off At MSU bulldog post Photo courtesy of Scout.com Senior Justin Malone also played his final game in Davis Wade Stadium Saturday against rival Ole Miss ment over hand-held devices,” the news source said. Stop Texts Stop Wrecks offers many helpful tips to help keep distrac- tions from cell phones to a minimum, including turning off or silencing cell phone notifications, keeping cell phones hidden from view while driv- ing, or designating a friend to text or answer calls so the driver can concen- trate on the road. There are also several apps available to help keep drivers from being distracted, such as AT&T Drive- Mode, which is part of AT&T’s It Can Wait pledge to keep drivers from texting behind the wheel. “Curb the urge to text and drive. AT&T DriveMode silences mes- sage alerts and auto-replies when driv- ing to let friends and family know you can’t respond,” It Can Wait’s website said about the app. According to MDOT, walking while distracted by a cell phone is just as dangerous and driving while dis- tracted. “Texting and walking is a known danger, but distracted walk- ing results in more injuries per mile than distracted driving. Consequences include bumping into walls, falling down stairs, tripping over clutter or stepping into traffic,” MDOT’s web- site said. “Though injuries from car accidents involving texting are often more severe, physical harm resulting from texting and walking occurs more frequently, research shows.” MDOT’s website gives the findings of the report “Teens and Dis- tractions: An In-Depth Look at Teens’ Walking Behaviors”. The study re- corded 34,000 middle and high school students crossing the street in a school zone. According to the research, 39 percent of the students were distracted while typing on a cell phone, 39 per- cent were listening to headphones, 20 percent were talking on the phone, and 2 percent were using a tablet or gam- ing device. Studies have shown that the best way to avoid injuries or fatalities is to avoid all distractions, especially texting, while behind the wheel or walking near a road. Photo courtesy of HailState.com Paid tailgating is growing in popularity every year at Mississippi State From EGG BOWL | Page 8 From DISTRACTED DRIVER Page 3