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TUESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2020

136th YEAR ISSUE 6

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

HOME GAME HEARTBREAK The Mississippi State University Football Team suffered a 21-14 loss against Arkansas Saturday. Read more on page 6!

Suicide symposium at MSU draws awareness to the growing problem BAYLEE HILL STAFF WRITER

Mary Georgia Hamilton | The Reﬂector

Mississippi State University’s department of psychology partnered with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (MDMH) to host a virtual Suicide Prevention Symposium on Sept. 29. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., over 1000 people listened to six experts in psychology and suicide speak about the theme “Fitting Suicide Prevention into Our Changing Time.” Michael R. Nadorff, associate professor and director of the clinical PhD program in MSU’s department of psychology, said some of the topics covered were ways to help those struggling, the

the distance that would need to be traveled in between classes, technological challenges and size of the space, among others. “It was a lot of meetings, a lot of time in these spaces,” Dickerson said. Several spaces were considered that ultimately were not used, such as the Old Main parking garage. The idea of a “tent city” was tossed around but deemed too challenging to facilitate logistically. An MSU press release described all the hard work MSU staff put into preparing the campus for the return of students over the summer, including laying

29,000 feet of network cable, installing 159 cameras in classrooms in a matter of days and even making their own sanitizing wipes when they were sold out due to such high demand. “There’s been a lot of great cooperation, and everybody’s risen to the occasion to help,” Dickerson said. MSU Associate Professor of history Jim Giesen teaches a class of 800 students in the Humphrey Coliseum arena. Normally, he teaches two classes of 400 students in the Old Main Auditorium, but the classes were combined to be taught in the Hump this year.

effects of suicide on friends and family members, suicide and depression in minority groups and youth and adolescent suicide. According to Nadorff, this is the ﬁrst year the department co-hosted the symposium. He said the department of psychology cowrote a grant with MDMH a year ago where they received money from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to go towards youth suicide prevention in the state. “MSU was asked to take over and try to link the symposium with top researchers in the area in order to bring in that empirical basis,” Nadorff said.

From basketball to books: MSU utilizes and adjusts to unconventional classroom locations amidst COVID-19

HANNAH BLANKENSHIP

MANAGING EDITOR

“I told the students I was going to try and dunk in class, but I’m 47. So I’m not sure; it could be the most epic of fails,” joked Mississippi State University Professor Jim Giesen, one of the many MSU professors who are teaching their classes this semester in a variety of nontraditional learning spaces. Last semester, in response to the onset of the novel COVID-19 virus, the MSU campus closed its doors and conducted all classes virtually. However, this semester, after a summer

of planning and preparation and in response to student requests for a return to face-to-face instruction, the university announced their intention to offer in-person classes in a safe, socially distanced manner. This necessitated the use of many never-before-used classroom spaces on MSU’s campus, such as the Humphrey Coliseum arena, the NewellGrissom volleyball gym, the McCarthy Gymnasium, the Sanderson Center, the McComas Theater, Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall and the Leo Seal M Club in Davis Wade Stadium. John Dickerson, MSU

MSU Libraries and faculty dissect real versus fake news HEATHER HARRISON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Fake news isn’t just news you don’t like or news that you don’t agree with. It can actually take a variety of forms. It can be anything from innocuous misinterpreted parody or satire to malicious disinformation,” said Beth Downey, associate professor and instruction librarian at Mississippi State University. In a time when fake news seems all-too-common, people are ﬂushed with different, often opposing ideas of what the term means, causing confusion and misinterpretation of what is true. On Sept. 25, MSU Libraries hosted a virtual event via WebEx called “Evaluating Real vs. Fake News.” During the event, Downey shared how inﬂuential and harmful fake news can be and provided multiple perspectives on what fake news is and how

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registrar and assistant vice president for enrollment, said Provost David Shaw appointed a task force at the beginning of the summer to ﬁnd and set up additional classroom space that would allow for the necessary social distancing. “We knew if we were going to have any kind of face-to-face opportunities we were going to have to use some different space,” Dickerson said. The group compiled a list of potential spaces and then analyzed the logistics of each one with ITS and Facilities Management. The group considered factors such as entrance accessibility,

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In a spin on the t-shirt cannon used by the cheerleaders at basketball games, Giesen is now known for using a threeperson slingshot to launch t-shirts into the stands that say “making history in the Hump.” Giesen said that, aside from the slight delay in the microphone that comes from teaching in such a big arena, he has not had any technology issues, although he records his PowerPoints with voiceovers separately to accommodate for students that are unable to attend class in person rather than doing a live WebEx recording of his lectures. CLASSROOMS, 2

Catfish Comeback

it shapes the world today. According to Downey, news becomes fake when the main idea of a story is not in another source, the reader’s emotional state becomes signiﬁcantly heightened while reading the article or the author of the article is not a real journalist. Fake websites often produce fake news. Imitation news websites can design their page to look like a reliable, well-known source to spread false information to a broader audience. Biases control people’s interpretation of news, and everyone is subject to bias. Holli Seitz, assistant professor of communication at MSU and co-author of “Correcting Misinformation about Neuroscience via Social Media,” said people are susceptible to believing fake news because it helps them understand confusing information. FAKE NEWS, 2

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AWARENESS, 2

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Mississippi State University is on the forefront of the catﬁsh industry’s comeback. Check it out on our website! MSU graduate student Josh Neary overlooks tanks at South Farm aquaculture facility

Mary Georgia Hamilton | The Reﬂector FORECAST: It is looking to be a beautiful week! Temperatures will range from the low 80s during the day to the high 50s during the night. Expect sunny days and a slight chance of rain on Thursday.

Courtesy of National Weather Service

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CLASSROOMS

The historical value of teaching class in the Hump, something that is a first for MSU and hopefully a last, is not lost on Giesen. “I tried to tell the students that on that first day. I tried to say, ‘People are going to be writing history books, and this class is going to be a line in the history book,’” Giesen said. Brock Engel, a junior marketing major, has his principles of marketing class in the Hump on Mondays and Wednesdays, as well as classes in other nontraditional spaces such as Lee Hall and the McComas theater. Engel said the stark contrast between the atmosphere of the Hump filled with raging Bulldog fans on game days versus the Hump on weekdays for classes was shocking on the first day. “It’s just so bizarre not having it full and loud. When you walk in, it’s just dead silent because nobody’s really talking. It’s kind of funny,” Engel said. Recently, MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt sent out an email to the student body

acknowledging the university’s disappointment in the high rates of student unattendance in face-to-face classes over the last five weeks. “So many of you indicated a strong preference for faceto-face instruction. Thus, we are surprised by the drop in face-to-face class attendance, especially as we are also seeing a significant reduction in the number of positive COVID cases and students in quarantine or isolation,” Hyatt said in the email. Giesen said his highest class attendance was on the first day. Since then, his class averages about half attendance. “So much work has gone into students being able to show up and go to class, so I’m a little disappointed because I know all the work that everybody else has done to make it happen,” Giesen said. Registrar Dickerson said he was not frustrated by the drop in attendance, as it was something they knew was a possibility, but that the university is working on a set of guidelines for the spring. As of now, the university

CONTINUED FROM 1

Hannah Blankenship | The Reflector

Professor Jim Giesen teaches his Modern U.S. History class on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Humphrey Coliseum Arena. The Hump is just one of the many repurposed locations for classes.

is planning to continue conducting classes in various nontraditional spaces next semester. Dickerson said the

unprecedented times the university has had to navigate over the past year have been a great learning experience. “It’s your outlook on

FAKE NEWS “There’s something called confirmation bias, where we are looking for information that confirms our worldview. When we find it,” Seitz said, “we’re satisfied because we’ve been justified. It’s very uncomfortable sometimes to find information that contradicts your worldview. People tend to evaluate that information really negatively and are more likely to reject information that goes against their worldview.” Terry Likes, head of the communication department and associate professor at MSU, said an easy way to determine what is untrue is to diversify the sources of news a person is reading or watching. People tend to watch or read things they agree with, but they need to broaden their news intake to make sure they receive all the facts correctly. When watching news programs, make sure to differentiate between the news reporter giving facts and the commentator offering opinion.

to normal, whenever that may be, that are helpful to students, helpful to faculty, and so there are certainly some positives that have come out of it.” CONTINUED FROM 1

Likes continued, saying how some people favor one or two news sources and say other sources are “fake news” because they may say things the viewer does not like. This is an example of audience bias, meaning individuals think certain news outlets are biased because the viewer interprets the news through a subjective lens. Actual media bias occurs when a source or journalist continuously shows a pattern of untrue or misleading information. Media bias is not a one-time occurrence; it must be a pattern. How journalists handle the cry of fake news is often criticized, but Likes said journalists are working hard to curb the spread of inaccurate statements in their field. “We all have biases, but the journalist’s job is to report the facts that let the audience decide. Having a clearly verified, factual, trustworthy source of information is critical to our

democracy,” Likes said. “It’s one of the things that sets our country apart from so many others, but if we use claims of fake news as an excuse just to discredit something that we don’t want to believe or because we don’t want to answer a question, it’s a threat to our democracy.” Likes said the best way for the public to combat fake news is to use resources available online to discern false information. Downey offered ways readers can identify fake news. Tests like the CRAAP Test, which evaluates the currency — or timeliness of the story — relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose, offer quick tricks a reader can use to detect false information. Other websites, like Snopes and Politifact, break down viral stories. Since social media has become widely popular, the use of clickbait tricks readers into believing fake news. In these clickbait headlines, the source deliberately leaves out essential information to

get the reader to click on the article. Downey said people would see a headline they agree with and share the article without reading it, thus spreading misinformation to their social media feed. Downey said fake news is influential; it can make the reader share information which is noticeably misleading. She said people often inherently defend fake news they agree with, even if there is confirmation of it being untrue. The most important advice Seitz said she could give is: Do not repeat false statements, do not share before you research, be a critical thinker and become media literate. “Once you hear something, it’s really hard to unlearn it. It always remains in your brain,” Seitz said. “That’s what makes misinformation so incredibly dangerous and difficult; it’s one of the main problems faced by communication scientists today.”

AWARENESS “We had two past presidents of the American Association of Suicidology and other top people in the field that everyone was able to hear.” Nadorff and Emily Stafford, assistant clinical professor and director of the Psychology Clinic, spoke about The Alliance Project, a training program designed to help identify someone in distress and connect them to help. “It’s a set of skills we want to give to everyday people in the community to help them make connections with people around them, recognize distress, have a conversation with that person and refer them to mental health professionals,” Stafford said. “It is about building up that rapport with distressed individuals so you can offer assistance.” According to Stafford,

it. We’ve learned a lot,” Dickerson said. “There are a lot of things that we’ve learned that we can use going forward when things are back

CONTINUED FROM 1

The Alliance Project is a five-year grant with the state of Mississippi, and their goal is to train 5,000 people a year. She said they can provide virtual or in-person training for free to anyone in the state. “Dr. Nadorff, myself or Rachel-Clair Franklin will come to you wherever you are in the state and offer that training for free because the grant has paid for our time, travel and resources,” Stafford said. “It can be schoolteachers, religious groups, civic organizations and anyone else who is interested.” Hayley Bunch, a junior early childhood education major from Memphis, Tennessee, said she believes it is important to learn more about mental health and its warning signs as a college student, especially now when many people’s lives

are negatively affected by COVID-19. “Whether it be students having to stay inside for extended periods of time, taking classes online or not getting to do normal, fun activities, it is so important to be aware of your friends and check in on your loved ones,” Bunch said. “A lot of times people do not know the signs to look for.” Bunch said it can help to check up on friends you have not heard from in a while, meet them for coffee or FaceTime them if you cannot meet in-person. Additionally, she believes keeping in touch with people will also help a person’s mental health during this difficult time. Associate Professor Nadorff believes it is important for people to attend informative events like this because the suicide

rate is increasing. “The suicide rate has gone up every year for more than the last decade. We’re seeing really noticeable increases in youth and adolescents,” Nadorff said. “We also see greater increases in minority youth and adolescents than we do in Caucasian youth and adolescents.” According to Nadorff, even if you were up to date 10 years ago, you are not anymore. He said the world changes, and it is important for people to learn about those changes through training and research in order to help those around them. Assistant Clinical Professor Stafford said those in distress can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255. The lifeline offers 24/7 free and confidential support.

The Reflector 10/6/20 Sudoku

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020 @REFLECTORONLINE

BULLETIN BOARD

An In-Class Distraction

Reflector 10/6/20 Crossword

Across

PuzzleJunction.com

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

PuzzleJunction.com SUDOKU

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27 31 32 33 35 37 40 42 44 45 47 48 49 51 52 54 56 57 58 63

15 16 13 14 Metal fastener Perfume scent 18 19 17 “That was close!” 22 23 20 21 Door sign Prayer’s end 24 25 26 Priest of the East River of Orléans 27 28 29 30 31 32 Slender reed 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Zealous Rodeo ring? 42 43 40 41 Wish undone ___ slaw 45 46 47 44 Relating to form 48 49 50 51 French Riviera resort 52 53 54 55 Opera’s Pons Harbor craft 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 Small child 64 65 66 63 Gallic goodbye V.I.P. 68 69 67 Reggae relative Diver type 71 72 70 Big cat Copyright ©2020 PuzzleJunction.com Needing a lift Extreme 70 Retired fliers 14 Paper purchase 46 Repairs shoes Contradict 21 Crib sheet user 71 Birth place 48 Animal groups Disobedient 25 Old gold coin 72 Work station 50 Amateur video Big bird 26 Bigwig subject, maybe Costner role 27 Pubmates Down 52 Stacks Embroidery stitch 28 Creative spark 53 Election news Mine passage 29 Served up a 1 Hot spot 54 “The Playboy Squeegee whopper 2 Dwarf buffalo of the Western Leaching product 30 Slangy assent 3 Commotion World” author Offshore sight 32 Casual attire 4 Persian spirit 55 Bad thing to blow “If all ___ 34 Run-of-the-mill 5 Warhol subject 56 Splices fails...” 36 South American 6 Offense 57 “Crazy” bird Addition column 7 Asian capital animal 59 Lady’s man Awaken 37 After-Christmas 8 “Trick” joint 60 Ancient Monopoly card event 9 Unruffled alphabetic Look at 38 ___ Kringle 10 Mayhem character flirtatiously 11 “South Pacific” 39 Juice drinks 61 Horned goddess Pulitzer winner 41 Antiquity, once hero 62 Social misfit Pyle 43 Signature piece? 12 Walk in water 65 Collector’s goal

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CLUB INFO Copyright ©2020 PuzzleJunction.com Student organizations may Would you like to join the place free announcements in Club Info. Information Reflector staff as our online may be submitted by email to managing@reflector. editor? msstate.edu with the subject heading “CLUB INFO.” Duties include: The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is by 3 p.m. on Operating the website Thursday.

2 5 3 6 9 1 Publicize your club! Sudoku Solution 8September 29 Puzzle Solutions7 3 66 3 5 2 4 7 9 1 7 64 66 67 68 69

Overseeing web layout Managing online statistics

Email managing@ reflector.msstate.edu

Email managing@reflector.msstate.edu to apply!

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BAD DAWGS

Sudoku Solution

6 2 1 3 8 9 7 5 4

4 5 7 6 1 2 3 8 9

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Malicious mischief reported Receiving of stolen property, less than $1000, at the Bully statue in the Junction. reported on Fraternity Row. Monday, September 28, 2020 Lost, found or shortage of property reported in the university police station Lost, found or shortage of property reported at the lobby. Chapel of Memories. Friday, October 2, Property damage reported 2020 in the west parking lot of Allen Hall. Lost, found or shortage of property reported at Tuesday, September the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems on 29, 2020 Research Blvd. Malicious mischief reported in the Rosenbaum Lost, found or shortage of building on 5th Street. property reported on 5th Avenue. Malicious mischief reported at the side-of-the- Possession of marijuana 1 road parking near Critz ounce or less reported in Ruby Hall. Hall.

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020 @REFLECTORONLINE

OPINION

Pass or fail grading should be reinstated

REFLECTIONS

LUKE COPLEY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

William Faulkner “Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.” and homework students are doing is submitted via canvas to a professor they have only ever seen in prerecorded lectures, there is a disconnect. It is school in hyperreality, and failing to turn in assignments has the same weight as failing to practice guitar after watching a YouTube tutorial. It seems inconsequential. The structure students have had since kindergarten is suddenly unsafe to use, and if the faculty is going to ask old dogs to learn new tricks, they need to temper grace in return. Lots of students are preparing to take their Medical College Admission Tests and graduate school entry exams. To suddenly pull the rug out from under them, completely change how they have done their work until this point and still expect the same performance is not only reckless but also borderline cruel. It is the future of the students being gambled here — a future which will take place in a time without COVID-19 regulations. A failing grade currently is not

about failing to master the material of the class; it is failing to reorient oneself to the new system. The skills to handle remote learning may be useful, but will, in a matter of months, be largely obsolete, and for prospective graduate students to be penalized for this is shameful. According to Doug Lederman with Inside Higher Ed, the National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment said in the indepth conclusion of their August report institutions need to constantly offer grace and understanding because “we are in a pandemic. Still.” I am personally very tired of hearing how unprecedented these times are with no effort to adjust expectations accordingly on behalf of the grading policies of the school. Until MSU returns to the classical model of learning, students should be allowed the “pass or fail” grading option and GPAs should remain in the hands of the students, for their own sakes and for the sake of their futures.

Trivia Time! 1. First published in 1842, “The Masque of the Red Death” is a short story by which American writer? 2.

SpaceX,

American

aerospace

manufacturer, was founded in 2002 by which entrepreneur? 3. In the 2008 superhero film “The Dark Knight,” which actor played the character 4. Which U.S. state located on the eastern seaboard partially falls in the Central Time Zone?

Source: trivia.fyi

The Supreme Court needs supreme neutrality

MICHAEL BOURGEOIS is a senior majoring in English. Contact him at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

Following the recent passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court, the stakes of the most divisive election in modern American history have significantly raised at the eleventh hour. The debate rages over judicial supremacy over the nine justices. President Donald Trump and his Republicans want to push the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to a Senate vote before the November elections, as doing so would give the Republicans a 6-3 supermajority and guarantee conservative control for decades. The Democrats, however, want to delay confirmation until after the presidential election in the hopes Joe Biden, not Donald Trump, will be allowed to make the selection of who will fill Ginsburg’s vacancy. Both political parties are operating in their own best interest to increase their influence across all three

branches of government, but the Supreme Court’s rulings were supposed to be free from the political allegiances of the bench’s justices. The rapid politicization of the Supreme Court is a threat to our governmental structure because the justices, who are charged with interpretation of the laws that govern our nation, find their loyalties shifting from the Constitution to the president who appointed them and the political party they represent. When a Supreme Court justice position opens, the current president will utilize the power of his nomination to make an appointment which best suits the interest of his agenda. In 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court

despite the fact Kagan never served as a judge before her appointment to serve as a justice to the Supreme Court. According to Peter Baker and Jeff Zeleny of The New York Times, by nominating Kagan, Obama aimed to counter the rightleaning Chief Justice John G. Roberts and secure his Democratic base as he expanded governmental power, thus avoiding the future “obstacle” of a conservative Supreme Court. The purpose of the Supreme Court has never been to serve as an opposition to the president or to rubberstamp his agenda as many modern presidents have relegated its role to being. Rather, the Supreme Court uses the Constitution to ensure governmental officials

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of government power and the yielding of individual rights.” The dangers of judicial activism, armed with partisan incentives to expand governmental power hurts American citizens in their abilities to exercise their freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. Without inherent constitutional limitations placed on the Supreme Court, according to Mellor, “protection of economic and property rights is increasingly dependent on the self-restraint of government institutions — a commodity that is chronically in short supply.” Political partisanism cannot be allowed to corrupt the Supreme Court as the judicial branch is charged with being the defender of the Constitution and, by extension, the rights it guarantees every American citizen. If politicians and jurists place their party’s aims over securing individual rights, the American ideals of liberty and rugged individualism are merely mirages which can be stripped away by the rapid expanse of big government backed by judicial oversight. May the justices refocus their true loyalty to defense of the Constitution, before the allure of absolute power irreversibly corrupts the bench.

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are acting lawfully. However, the original purpose is lost since the loyalties of the justices are no longer to the Constitution as the supreme law of the land but instead are a mechanism for the president to justify his agenda. It is no wonder why, as noted by Joseph Ellis of The Wall Street Journal, after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, “we have watched the Supreme Court bend the law in two different directions, landing on one side or the other of the political spectrum based on what political party could command a 5-4 majority.” That of course can be attributed to the inherent corruption which stems from career politicians, the gradual encroachment of judicial

oversight which creeps into every facet of government as the bench accumulates more power. Agenda-based judicial oversight is a threat to the American governmental system, and judicial activism allows the Supreme Court to effectively legislate from the bench. On the basis of what political party is in power both among the Supreme Court and the other branches of government, the court is willing to base its opinion on how the court can help the party with whom the majority of justices agree. Chip Mellor of the Institute for Justice cites the example of liberal judges’ rulings regarding expansion of economic and property regulation have resulted in the fortification of the welfare state. The Supreme Court exercising its right to decide what is constitutionally permissible allows liberal legislators to further encroach on individual rights and governmental restrictions to further their own political agendas. The decisions made by the Supreme Court allow the branches of government to work in tandem to increase its own power. Mellor continues, “without judicially recognized constitutional constraints, perverse incentives lead inexorably to the expansion

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CORRECTIONS

M B W r M c e s m m s s

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Batman?

Answer: 1. Edgar Allan Poe 2. Elon Musk 3. Christian

Barton, Gene Brody, Tianyi Yu, Steven Kogan, Edith Chen and Katherine Ehrlich with the Journal of Adolescent Help, studies have been conducted that prove the importance of routine for young adults. The presence of a consistent routine helps regulate the mental, physical and emotional health of the individual. When a 20-somethingyear-old has nowhere to be at 10 a.m. and no lecture to sit in on where their attendance is required except once a week for a socially-distanced lab, why would they create a consistent sleep schedule? When a 20-something-yearold has all of their assignments due on Friday or Sunday at midnight, why would they watch their pre-recorded lectures on a Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.? Another issue contributing to the decline of attendance and assignment completion is the inability of the staff to hold students accountable during this era of COVID-19, at no fault of their own. When the classwork, essays

Bale 4. Florida

On Sept. 2, Regina Hyatt, Mississippi State University’s vice president of student affairs, sent an email to the student body where she noted, despite the student body’s indicated “strong preference” for a face-to-face model, there has been a drop in attendance for face-to-face model classes. Hyatt also mentioned this coincides with lower rates of assignment and exam completion in classes in general. I would be willing to hear the argument on how this is the fault of the student, but I think that would be a diminutive conclusion. Yes, the ultimate issue is students not doing work, but why the sudden change? These are largely the same students who have been at Mississippi State University for multiple years, and a sudden downward trend in attendance and assignment completion has been brought on by a sudden lack of routine and shift in learning model. It is for this reason I submit grades for this semester should return to the “pass or fail” model and remain this way for every semester going forward until our return to normalcy. The current freshman at MSU would have been using the standard learning model for 12 years up until this point and the current senior, 15. To expect the student to be able to suddenly handle a completely new model of learning, via asynchronous lectures, WebEx calls and fluid deadlines, is an egregious request on behalf of the faculty. While most students have lived their whole lives in the digital age and may be equipped to understand the technology necessary to complete these assignments, they have faced no precedent of such a lack of routine. As reported by Allen

The Reflector staff strives to maintain the integrity of this paper through accurate and honest reporting. If we publish an error we will correct it. To report an error, call 325-7905.

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020 @REFLECTORONLINE

LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT

Wesley Thomas leads millennials through music

SARAH MORGAN JOHNSON

LIFE & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

As the recent winner of Music Maker Production’s Battle of the Bands, Wesley Thomas’ talent has recently been highlighted on Mississippi State University’s campus. However, MMP’s event on Sept. 25 is merely a single point on the map of his musical journey. For Thomas, musical aptitude was not something he grew into but something innate to his being. Wanda Thomas, Wesley’s mother, explained Wesley’s talents came as no surprise to her, given their family’s musical history. “Music is in our family on both sides. We grew up listening to music and singing music wherever we are — church, school or at home. That’s our go-to. At an early age I noticed Wesley and my daughter Trameya could sing and could hit notes other people couldn’t. It came natural,” Wanda Thomas said. Sherwyn Thomas, Wesley’s father, provided a frame of reference for his son’s gifts, naming several family members on his side who are currently in the music industry or who have been in the past. His brother is a rapper based out of Atlanta, and his nephew is a saxophone player pursuing his career in Italy. Sherwyn Thomas’ father was

incredibly talented, writing songs for Motown and even Al Greene’s producers. The family recently found out their grandfather wrote a song for The Temptations lead singer, David Ruffin. A few years after Wesley was born in Memphis in 2000, the Thomas family moved to Ashland, Mississippi, where Sherwyn Thomas started running a record label out of their home. Although Wesley was only around 5 years old, he began to take note of his father’s passion for music. “As I was sitting there working with bands and musicians day after day, I just felt like I was working. But he was sitting there soaking it in,” Sherwyn Thomas said. Of the four children in the Thomas family, Wesley and his deceased older sister Trameya showed the most interest in music. The two children sang at nursing homes, at church and with their family. As a young boy, Wesley’s infatuation with all things musical grew, as he sang in children’s groups and even began to make up his own raps to entertain his family. However, Easter Sunday in 2015 served to distinguish his own individual style from his family’s rich history of talent. After performing a poem for his church, he received overwhelming

encouragement from his church members. Upon seeing the impact his words could have, Wesley became serious about his gift. “At a young age there I knew I couldn’t sleep on the gift God gave me. I knew I had to take it seriously because whatever I say, someone might need to hear. If I don’t say it, I never know what could happen. Someone might need the words, that inspiration or a push,” Wesley Thomas said. Focusing on encouraging and uplifting others despite his circumstances is central to Wesley’s life. Spoken word, rap and singing serve as the agency by which he connects with others. “When you can put encouragement in a form that young people are going to listen to, especially if there’s a beat, they can understand, relate and learn from you. And I think that’s where the power comes from. Rap can help, and it can heal. I feel like it’s not helping a whole lot right now because there’s so much negativity. That’s why 99% of my work is clean,” Wesley Thomas said. For Wesley Thomas, music has always been a source of healing and power. Following his sister’s tragic death in 2016, he has kept her legacy alive through his own gift. However, Thomas

explains there are times his musical journey feels lonely in light of Trameya’s absence. “It was hard after she died to hold onto all of those memories. It hit me yesterday that we started together, and this is the part in my life that, if she were here, we would be doing it together,” Wesley Thomas said. This keen acknowledgment of his loved ones, along with a fierce dedication to his art, sets Wesley apart as a young artist. Wesley has competed in competitions across the country and had played several shows on MSU’s campus. He adopted the stage name “Millennial” because as a self-proclaimed “2000 baby,” he desires to serve as a role model to his generation. Considering his musical passion, the fact Wesley is in his junior year at MSU pursuing a major in accounting may come as a surprise. For Wesley, accounting serves as a back-up plan to his calling. However, recently he feels school has been a distraction from the calling he feels to write music relevant to the racial tensions in America. “There’s so much going on, and I feel like school has been keeping me from being able to process what is going on. I can see what’s going on, but at the same time, we have something due at 11:59.

Sarah Morgan Johnson| The Reflector

Musician Wesley Thomas poses with his late sister Trameya Thomas’ obituary and his song book in the Dawg House.

I don’t want to rush through anything. Anything I write, I want you to have to go back and listen to. That’s how much I want to educate you, to relate to you,” Wesley Thomas said. It is this desire to relate and lead that propels Wesley Thomas to create. He expressed he feels the burden of this role now more than ever. “In this moment right now I feel so passionate about my music, and I feel so alive with my music right now.

When my sister passed away I told my mom, ‘Mom, I’m not afraid to die, but I’m afraid of not living.’ I can’t leave this earth with all of this still in me— I have to let my gift out,” Wesley Thomas said. While Wesley Thomas’s future is still unfolding, his heart for his generation of “Millennials” combined with his extraordinary talent has already impacted his audience. In the meantime, his music and poetry can be found on his website.

He seems to be saying that getting older does not mean having to compromise a person’s youth. “I’m Not My Season” is another somber, low-key cut with a sparse instrumental of pattering drum hi-hats and gently strummed guitars. The song explores concepts of reaching out to loved ones and helping them understand they are not defined by the temporary struggles they are going through. The track “Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman” is a beautifully expansive track that sounds like an amalgamation of ideas from their previous two albums. The thumping drum beat provides a forward momentum along with the rest of the instrumentation which sounds so massive that it could take up a performance hall. It finds solace in accepting where life takes you and realizing perfection is an unattainable goal. The final track “Shore” begins with beautiful, enveloping piano keys, and the song transforms into a euphoric crescendo in the

second half, much like the first song. Climactic drum rolls are accompanied by grandiose vocal harmonies. Pecknold uses the image of a shore to describe a place where the future is uncertain, but not a place of fear. Coming to terms with the present often involves accepting the uncertainty of what lies ahead. “Shore” is no doubt an important album in Fleet Foxes’ discography. It reminds the listener to appreciate the world and people around them because the tide of time is unpredictable, yet inevitable. In my opinion, there are no terrible songs on the album. Certain tracks such as “A Long Way Past the Past”, “Can I Believe You” or “For A Week or Two” were just not unique enough instrumentally or thematically. Still, Pecknold and company definitely broke new ground on the record, and it makes me wonder whether they will continue expanding this sound or move on to something else in the future. Until then, we can wade in the shore and expect the unexpected.

Album Review: Fleet Foxes’ new release, “Shore”

ARVIND LOGANATHAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Fleet Foxes, an indie-folk band led by singersongwriter Robin Pecknold, released their new album “Shore” on Sept. 22. The group gained recognition in the music scene when they released the EP “Sun Giant” back in 2006. Since then, Pecknold and company have released four studio albums including their most recent project. Like all previous Fleet Foxes albums, “Shore” is the brainchild of Pecknold, as he wrote and produced all of the tracks. It was released more than three years after their previous album, “CrackUp.” The contrast between these two albums is like day and night, with “Crack-up” being the more esoteric and experimental of the two. “Shore”, on the other hand, takes a straightforward approach, utilizing catchy lead melodies and more typical song structure. There is greater emphasis on drum and bass in this album, with the groove being the focal point of many songs.

Die hard fans should not be worried, however. The usual suspects that make up Fleet Foxes’ distinct sound are still here: warm performance hall reverb, earthly acoustic guitars and Pecknold’s rustic, soaring vocals. Once again, the group pushes their sound into a new directiwon with successful results. The album starts with the serene “Wading in WaistHigh Water.” Lead vocals are provided by guest singer Uwade Akhere instead of Pecknold, which is unusual for any Fleet Foxes project. In a sense, it makes the song feel like the album’s prologue. Akhere’s gentle vocals lend to the mellow yet beautiful start of the song, which eventually crescendos into a spiritual high with crashing drums and blaring horns providing a sense of open space. The lyrics talk about giving in to something greater than yourself, whether that be a relationship or a passion. “Sunblind” is the second track of the album, and it is the first sung by Pecknold. The song is a rousing tribute to Pecknold’s musical heroes, from Elliot Smith to Otis

Redding and many more. He “feels sunblind” while looking up at his influences and hopes to honor their legacy through his music. The next song “Can I Believe You” is the catchiest so far, with its passionately sung chorus line. Despite this appeal, it presents Fleet Foxes’ sound in a diluted manner, not really pushing forward any new ideas. While the song is enjoyable, it feels like generic indie-folk in the context of the previous two songs and the rest of the album. The song “Featherweight” is a detour from the so-far optimistic tone. This piece

of chilly folk finds Pecknold giving his most forlorn and despondent performance of the album. He uses war as a metaphor to describe the back and forth that comes with internal conflict. The song also gives a sense of isolation, like a cowboy riding his horse through a neverending, gray desert. The band ventures into folk-rock on the album with “Maestranza” and “Young Man’s Game.” The former gives a sense of elevation with the ascending guitars on the chorus. The latter has an infectious bounce to it as Pecknold reflects on the Fleet Foxes’ 15-year career.

Chanu Cherukuri is a friend to all

KATIE RAINWATER

STAFF WRITER

Chanu Cherukuri, a junior biomedical engineering major with an emphasis in pre-med, s a well-known student at Mississippi State University among peers and faculty alike. He is said by many to be a friend to all on campus. Cherukuri was born and raised in Madison, Mississippi and was a shy kid during his childhood. “I was pretty reserved. I had a couple of friends from kindergarten until high school. I met one of my best friends through our parents, and I joined his friend group around junior year. When I go back to Madison, I still hang out with those guys. Throughout college, I have made plenty of friends through involvement and various organizations,” Cherukuri said. In the back of his mind, Cherukuri always knew he would attend MSU. His parents, however, required a ittle more persuasion. They both got their undergraduate degrees in India and got their master’s degrees in the U.S. In

the end, however, they were supportive of their son’s decision to attend MSU. “My parents were against it at first because they thought I should go somewhere with a ‘really good education...’ But MSU is pretty good, ... and I had a full ride,” Cherukuri said. “Another reason is that MSU is also a much better school for engineering [than the other schools he was choosing between].” Cherukuri is currently involved in the Student Association, Maroon VIP and New Maroon Camp. Cherukuri is not only a member of these organizations but also serves in many of them from a position of leadership. Cherukuri is the president of Maroon VIP, a senator in Student Association and logistics coordinator on New Maroon Camp executive staff. Cherukuri spoke fondly of the Student Association and the various roles he has occupied during his time within the organization. His freshman year, he was a counselor for Freshman Forum, one of the freshman

groups overseen by SA. Sophomore year he was a cabinet member and a director for Freshman Forum. He said his current position as a senator has allowed for further growth of his love for MSU. “Being in SA has given me more of an appreciation of what makes campus run ... People don’t realize they do a lot here. I love being in the loop. People can ask me, ‘Hey, what is going on with so-and-so?’ And I can explain it to them,” Cherukuri said. “Also, my ideas are able to come to life, and I have the ability to make change here.” SA has taught Cherukuri valuable skills in organization, being intentional with his time and how extroverted he truly is. He said he has made his most meaningful friendships in SA, specifically during his time in Freshman Forum. This semester, campus organizations have been forced to get creative with how to have meetings and events during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Cherukuri, their hard work has not gone unnoticed.

Mary Georgia Hamilton| The Reflector

Chanu Cherukuri displays his love for Mississippi State University while clad in New Maroon Camp apparel. NMC is just one of the many campus organizations he is involved in.

“Every organization is still running smoothly to the best of their abilities. For example, in Maroon VIP, we are working to be able to give tours again because that is our purpose,” Cherukuri said. Anna Rose Harris, a junior childhood development major who serves alongside Cherukuri on Maroon VIP executive staff, commends his leadership style as president during this atypical semester. “Chanu’s amazing leadership in Maroon VIP sets a great example and

holds us all accountable to be the best we can be on campus and for everyone we give tours to,” Harris said. When asked to identify a role model that has encouraged him to go beyond his comfort zone during his time at MSU, Cherukuri answered without hesitation. “Hope Lee, ... she’s phenomenal. I want to be her when I grow up. She is so driven, organized and hardworking. She’s a joy to be around, and she’s so funny. She made the Donald

Zacharias Leadership Conference [for Freshman Forum] happen with our help, and I know she could’ve done the whole thing by herself,” Cherukuri said. Lee, a junior broadcasting major, has served alongside Cherukuri in various organizations and answered why she thinks he stands out. “The thing I admire most about Chanu is his ability to draw people in. His magnetic personality serves as a tool to lead a team and make friends simultaneously,” Lee said.

66-Sports SPORTS

THE REFLECTOR OCTOBER 6, 2020 @SPORTSREFLECTOR

Mary Georgia Hamilton | The Reflector

Mississippi State University’s starting senior quarterback KJ Costello from Rancho Santa Margarita, California keeps the ball from defenders in Saturday’s football game against the University of Arkansas where the Bulldogs lost to the Razorbacks in an upset of 21-14.

Bulldogs fall to Razorbacks in football GARRETT SMITH STAFF WRITER

The Bulldogs took the field Saturday in front of an ecstatic crowd anxious to see the Davis Wade debut of Mike Leach, KJ Costello and the legendary offense that had knocked off a defending national champion just one week earlier. This week though, they simply could not get it done against an unranked Arkansas squad, suffering through a brutal night from start to finish. It began when senior star running back Kylin Hill, from Columbus, went down with a head injury on his first carry, and ended with a muffed punt from Jaden Walley, a freshman receiver from D’Iberville, Mississippi, sealing the deal on a 21-14 loss for

the Bulldogs. Coach Leach was quick to take a share of responsibility, emphasizing the role Mississippi State University’s many mistakes had on the outcome. “A lot of our wounds were self-inflicted. One after the next, we had selfinflicted wounds. That starts with coaches and me as well. There’s a lot of things,” Leach said. “You preach all week about the urgency and all that stuff, but I didn’t feel like we had quite the edge this week that we did last week. That’s got to be maintained. We have to be full throttle and can’t make judgments about games and opponents. I felt like we did some of that. I felt like, as coaches, we tried, but we didn’t reach it. We didn’t get the message across. I thought that Arkansas came here with a determination

to take this game away from us, and they did.” The mistakes were certainly evident on Saturday. Quarterback KJ Costello, a graduate transfer from Stanford, threw three crucial interceptions, with Arkansas returning the first for a touchdown to open up the scoring. In addition to the three interceptions, the Arkansas defense repeatedly dropped back into zone coverage, and was able to limit Costello to just 313 yards passing, half of the damage he was able to do last week against LSU. Costello maintains confidence in their offensive game plan, however, and says they simply failed to execute when it was needed most. “I couldn’t care less if teams want to play that coverage,” Costello said.

“We completed the ball all over the field. At the end of the day, we got to execute in crucial situations. When it’s third and short, fourthand-3 (or) when its fourthand-1. I have to take care of the football, bottom line. It’s that simple. I got to take care of the football, take what the defense gives me and move the ball one play at a time.” The fourth down stops by the Arkansas defense were absolutely critical, as their red zone defense was a huge contributor to the victory. On the other hand, MSU’s red zone defense struggled, giving up 14 points on two different blown coverage touchdowns, allowing Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks to find wide open receivers in the end zone.

“I feel like the defense played good enough to win, but there’s a lot of work to do,” said MSU cornerback Martin Emerson, a sophomore from Pensacola, Florida. “I feel like we left plays out there that we should have made and could have changed the game.” Martin’s analysis seems accurate, as the Bulldog defense did an excellent job in limiting the Razorbacks to just 275 yards in total offense, yet those two touchdown passes stand out as plays the Bulldogs would certainly like to have back. Even limiting Arkansas to a field goal on either of those possessions would likely have given Mike Leach the confidence to kick a field goal or two of their own, instead of regrettably failing to convert multiple

fourth down opportunities in the red zone. The Bulldog defense, however, will not be the primary question mark going forward. The sheer inconsistency between the two games is preventing fans and analysts alike from making a sure judgment on how this Air Raid offense will translate to the toughest conference in the country. For now, fans are left to wonder which game was the fluke, or if both were radical examples of just how good or bad this team can perform. With a grueling SEC schedule ahead, Mike Leach and the Bulldogs are bound to provide an answer to that question sooner rather than later. MSU (1-1) will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 10th, at the University of Kentucky (0-2).

SEC tennis serves up a new season JARED CONERLY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SEC tennis play started back Friday in Baton Rouge as Louisiana State University hosted Mississippi State University, Arkansas and Texas A&M at the LSU Invitational. Six returning players and one new Bulldog represented MSU this weekend, bringing along upset wins and two appearances in the singles finals. MSU’s Florian Broska and Nicolas Ocana, the No.2 seed, beat LSU’s Tomas Descarrega and Tom Pisane 8-4 on Friday night. Alberto Colas and Gregor Ramskogler lost a hard-fought match 8-6 to Texas A&M’s Guido Marson and Pierce Rollins. Rounding out doubles play was MSU’s rookie Nemanja Malesevic and Stedman Strickland, when they went down swinging in a tiebreak loss to Arkansas’ Hunter Harrison and Maxim Verboven. Davide Tortora and Ramskogler both advanced to the semifinals in the Tiger Draw after the two Bulldogs won in upsets over seeded players in their respective matches. Ramskogler started singles action off by breezing past Arkansas’ Avery Zavala 6-1, 6-4 then took down the third-seeded Aggie Barnaby Smith 6-1, 7-6(5). Tortora won a marathon battle against LSU’s Nick Watson in a 6-4, 6-7(6), 6,2 win, then ousted the No.1 seed Valentin Vacherot from Texas A&M 7-6(7), 6-4. Vacherot was the No.3 ranked singles player in the nation when the COVID-19 epidemic ended collegiate play. The Bulldogs continued to notch wins on Friday as in the Purple Draw. Malesevic, after a first round bye, won his first singles match as a Bulldog when he beat Harrison 6-1, 6-3. Colas followed Malesevic’s lead and took down Melvin Manuel 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 and advanced to the quarterfinals but then fell to top-seeded

A&M’s Hady Habin. Broska, the No.2 seed, lost his only singles match Friday to the Aggie Pierce Rollins 6-4, 6-4. The Gold Draw ended action on Friday after Bulldog Ocana pulled out a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over LSU’s Ben Koch, before losing to top seeded Carlos Aguilar from A&M in a 6-2, 6-1 bout in the quarterfinals. Strickland fell to Verboven 6-2, 6-2 and then lost to another Razorback, Josh Bortnick, in a consolation match. Day two started off with doubles action as secondseeded Bulldog tandem of Broska and Ocana beat the duo of Habib and Stefan Storch 8-6. State would go on to lose 8-5 in the semifinals to Ronnie Hohmann and Rafael Wagner of LSU. Malesevic and Strickland made it to the quarterfinals but lost a hardfought 8-5 match to LSU’s Malik Bhatnager and Koch. Consolation doubles followed up the action as Colas and Ramskogler skated through their match against the Razerback duo of Bortnick and Foster Rogers in an 8-0 win. The Bulldog tandem would go on to lose 8-4 to A&M’s Habib and Storch. Malsevic and Strickland dropped an 8-4 match to Morson and Rollins from A&M. MSU’s Tortora paired with LSU’s Tom Pisane, but the split team ended up falling short to Arkansas’ Aleska Bucan and Rousset 8-5. In Saturday’s Tiger Draw, freshman Tortora and sophmore Ramskogler both advanced to the finals with outstanding wins in the semifinals. Tortora battled hard for three sets in a close 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-1 victory over Texas A&M’s Perot, and Ramskogler shut out Rousset in a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win. There was only one Bulldog in Saturday’s Purple Draw. The true freshman and No.3 seed Malsevic fought hard but ultimately fell short in the semifinals to the topseeded Habib.

MSU had four singles consolation matches to end the day. Bulldog junior Broska would go on to fall short, as he dropped a close 2-6, 7-6(4) to Vacherot. Colas scored a win as he triumphed over Koch 6-2, 6-4 but would go on to lose a close match to Arkansas’ Manuel. Strickland ended the day with a loss to Rogers. Sunday started again with doubles. MSU’s duo of Broska and Ocana defeated Bhatnagar and Koch in an 8-3 bout. Malesvic and Strickland teamed up and fought hard for an 8-6 victory against the tandem of Bortnick and Rogers. Schachater and Vacherot got the best of Colas and Ramskogler in a hard fought 8-6 loss. Two Bulldogs played in the singles championship on Sunday. Tortora battled Schachater in the Gold Draw championship, falling 6-0, 6-2 to the Aggie. Ramskogler took on Aguilar, also falling in the championship. Ending play in the tournament on Sunday, the Bulldogs played in five consolidation matches. Malsevic took down Vacherot in an impressive 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 triumph. Ocana breezed past Harrison in a 6-4, 6-2 win, while Broska dropped a tight match to Smith in a close 7-6 (6), 6-7 (4), 6-4 loss. Strickland also fell to Zavala with a 6-3, 6-2 loss. Ending Sunday’s consolidation play was Colas, where he retired against Rousset after losing the first set 6-1. The Bulldogs will now prepare to host the Bulldog Challenge beginning Oct. 23 and ending the 25th in their second of three scheduled tournaments this fall.