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The W is a friendly community for all

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Mallory Johnston

Reporter

In a fast-changing world, people can face the issue of not being accepted or appreciated for who they are or what they believe. This includes the group of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning ─ also known as the LGBTQ+ community.

Across the nation, people of this community endure hardships and ridicule because of their identities and their life choices. However, at The W, those who identify within this community have a different story to tell.

Campus security is a group effort

Liz Bosarge

Reporter

The recent fatal shootings across America have brought campus security to the forefront of the minds of many students at The W.

Mississippi University for Women administrators, campus police department and local law enforcement continually train and make plans for all types of emergencies. Every situation is different, and practice drills give them an opportunity to learn from each other. Resources are combined, and each entity has a role and responsibility. Students are able to get involved, too.

Dining Services hosts s'mores event for students

Frederick L. Brown

Reporter

The W's Dining Services tried out something new recently by offering s'mores, a popular campfire treat, in the cafeteria and selling them for $2 each.

Lakeydra Walls, marketing coordinator of Dining Services, said the additional charge for the s'mores bar was to cover the cost of extra ingredients. Only 27 students participated in the s'mores event, which was less than hoped. Still, Walls said she was pleased with the popularity of the s'mores.

How to: change a tire

Eric Wiggins

Reporter

Changing a tire can seem like a daunting task for someone who hasn't done it before. However, it is a very easy and safe procedure, as long as you know how to do it properly.

In the event of a flat, the first thing you need to do is make sure your car is on level, stable ground. A parking lot is ideal, but if there isn't one available, pull as far over onto the shoulder of the road as you can. While the car is still on the ground, use a tire iron to loosen the lug nuts. Do not fully remove the lug nuts until the car is completely off the ground.

"Wait Until Dark" begins production

Dylan Scott

Reporter

"Wait Until Dark," by Frederick Knott, is the first play to be performed by the MUW Theatre Department this fall.

"Wait Until Dark" is a thriller about a con man's search for a mysterious doll that leads him to a game of cat-and-mouse with the blind wife of a man who has the doll. This is the first suspenseful thriller that the department will be performing.

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All ages enjoy orchestra music at symphony event

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Toni Burkett

Reporter

On Friday, Sept. 18, the Starkville-Mississippi State University Symphony Orchestra performed at Rent Auditorium for the Southern Talent String Symposium II. 

The program included pieces composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Camille Saint Saens and Franz Shubert. The music director was Dr. Michael R. Brown, a professor of music at MSU. Dr. Jim Borsig, president of The W, was the narrator for the arrangement known as "Carnival of the Animals." Accompanying the orchestra were Dr. Valentin Bogdan and Dr. Julia Mortyakova, both of the MUW Department of Music. Mortyakova serves as chair of the department.

Students compete in boat race for the Parliament Cup

Chris Richardson

Reporter

On Sept. 24, Campus Recreation hosted the first event of the Parliament Cup at the pool. Each residence hall on campus had a small team of individuals who created boats for the race. The catch is that they could only use cardboard boxes and duct tape to create the boat. The man in charge of this event was Glenn Alexander, the residence hall director for Columbus Hall, Calloway Hall, Hasting-Simmons Hall and Grossnickle Hall. 

"I liked the event. It was a lot of participation. It was a couple of rough edges starting out, because we had to promote, but I think it's gonna be an overall good event. A lot of people turned out, even though it's a late-night event. And registration was a little late, because people weren't quite sure of how it was gonna go, but I think it's gonna turn out good," said Alexander.

Students learn to dig deep in acting workshop

Eric Wiggins

Reporter

The W recently hosted the Creatively Independent acting workshop. With the help of Christopher Beaulieu, the participating actors were able to "dig deeper" and find a depth to themselves that maybe they didn't know existed.

Beaulieu co-founded Creatively Independent in 2005, but he has been on the stage much longer. He started performing in plays in high school and began acting professionally once he graduated high school. At the age of 21, he started working for Shakespeare & Co. as a stage combat instructor. Over the years, he has played many roles, including Pistol in Shakespeare's "Henry V," Tilbot in "Romeo and Juliet" and both Vladimir and Estragon in "Waiting for Godot."