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Student News at Mississippi State University

Severe weather tests Maroon Alert System

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A severe weather system that moved through the Starkville area Thursday [Oct. 18] tested Mississippi State University's emergency response systems with mixed results, said MSU President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong.

"This real-life situation gave us an opportunity to see where we can improve, and we learned that some of our systems did not meet our expectations," he noted.

At approximately 1:05 p.m., a Maroon Alert text message was sent to the university's contract provider for distribution to approximately 11,000 current Maroon Alert subscribers.

"For some reason the system we rely on is not operating the way we need it to," Foglesong said. "Our hope is that our contractor will be able to resolve this issue before something more dramatic happens on our campus."

He added: "Meanwhile, we are aggressively investigating other options."

Other notification systems such as campus-wide sirens, instant messaging, notifications via campus radio station WMSV, and announcements on the university emergency Web site were put into place.

The university's Emergency Operations Center was opened at approximately 1:25 p.m. and began collecting data related to the incident, said Vance H. Watson, vice president for agriculture, forestry, and veterinary medicine. The on-call vice president, he acted as incident commander for the event.

In separate announcements, the campus community was alerted of the developing weather and given instructions about seeking safety. During the most severe part of the alert, at approximately 2 p.m., the crisis team announced a suspension of classes until the weather cleared. The all-clear notice was given at 2:28 p.m. and all normal activities, including classes, resumed.

Some uprooted trees were reported on the university's South Farm near the Mississippi Horse Park, and there were reports of scattered tin from the roofs of nearby buildings. No injuries were reported.

Watson said that an after-action discussion by the team showed the need to clarify some of the information-gathering processes. "We sometimes were receiving conflicting information about the existing weather conditions," he said. "We will identify a central and consistent source of accurate information for the future."

Foglesong said immediate reports indicated campus confusion about the siren system. "We will develop protocols that clearly differentiate between a test situation and a real emergency," he said.

In addition, Academic Affairs will develop instructions for faculty in the event that an emergency is sounded. "There was some confusion among some faculty about what to do with classes that were in session," Watson said.

Foglesong said that lessons learned from the weather event will improve response processes in the future. "We will always err on the side of caution in responding to potential emergencies on our campus," he said.

MSU's emergency site can be accessed at http://www.emergency.msstate.edu/.

MSU announces arrest of rape suspect

Mississippi State is announcing an arrest resulting from the Aug. 12 report of a campus assault.

"Our detectives have put in many hours on this case and we're confident that we have identified the correct suspect," University Police Chief Georgia Lindley said Thursday [Oct. 18].

The alleged assailant, Johnny Lamout Griffis Jr. of Houston, also known as "Radar Griffis" and "Johnny Lamont Griffis," has been arrested for rape. The Chickasaw County man is not an MSU student.

Griffis is being held in the Oktibbeha County Jail on a $100,000 bond, but also faces parole revocation charges from the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He potentially faces prosecution on the felony charge should he be indicted by an Oktibbeha County grand jury in January.

Last August, an 18-year-old female reported that she was raped as she was jogging on the western edge of campus. She described her assailant as a black male in his mid-20s, wearing a gray tank top, black shorts and tan gardening gloves.

"We have followed every lead since then and two weeks ago were able to tie another reported incident to this investigation," said lead MSUPD detective Don Bartlett.

Bartlett said he and fellow MSU investigator Ken Holbrook worked closely with both the Starkville Police Department and the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office throughout the investigation.

"This has been a very delicate, time-consuming and sensitive investigation, and all of the law enforcement officials involved are extremely proud to have it culminate in an arrest," Bartlett said. "We are very appreciative of the outstanding assistance from our local law enforcement agencies."

Bartlett said the arrest begins a long process of preparing the case for the consideration for prosecution and that investigators will continue their work.

University officials continue to remind students to take precautions that can help ensure personal safety. Among them:

• Never travel on foot alone after dark; travel only in well-lit areas with a group;
• Lock all doors and windows of vehicles and residences;
• Be conscious of surroundings at all times;
• Report suspicious activities or people to the MSU Police Department or call 911 in case of an emergency; and
• Request a campus escort by MSUPD officers.

Weekend Sports

The Mississippi State Bulldogs kick off the first of a two-game road trip this weekend when they travel to Morgantown, West Virginia for a non-conference match up against ninth ranked West Virginia University (5-1, 1-1 conf.).

The Bulldogs (4-3, 1-3 conf.) are coming off a tough 33-21 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers last week in Starkville hoping to chalk up another big win on the road. The game is slated for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff with play-by-play action heard locally on 107.9 WFCA via the Bulldog Radio Network. It will also be broadcast via pay-per-view on ESPN Gameplan.

Head coach Sylvester Croom said he felt pleased with the team's performance despite the loss and continues to see improved play across the board.

"The outcome of this past game was of course disappointing," Croom said, "but it was probably, overall, the best game we have played, probably since I have been here as far as overall performance top to bottom."

With the Mountaineers, Croom said they will be facing a fast, tough opponent with few weaknesses.

"I think everyone is aware that we are playing one of the best teams in the country this week in West Virginia," he said. "They have exceptional speed in every area of the game and that is our major concern going in. Pat White and Steve Slaton are two very outstanding players that make up a very explosive offensive unit."

In other athletic action the MSU Volleyball Bulldogs close out a four game home stand this weekend with conference math ups against the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky.

The Lady Bulldogs (8-11, 3-7 conf.) hope to stretch their current winning streak to three games with a win over the Volunteers (8-9, 3-7 conf.) when they face off at 7 p.m. Friday night in the Newell Grissom Building.

Then it's dogs verses cats, when the Volleydogs move on to face the Kentucky Wildcats (16-5, 3-7 conf.) in a 12:30 match on Sunday.

Student Profile: Keating Prather

Keating Prather

Mississippi State freshman Keating Prather wants to be known for her moves.

She's not an athlete, but keeping herself in good physical shape helps to practice her hobby. As a teenager, when other girls headed to the mall, the Meridian native studied Middle Eastern dance. Or more specifically, Belly Dancing.

"I was thirteen at the time and my instructor decided to start a dance troupe," said Prather, a psychology major. "Here I am at 19, still with it."

As part of a belly dancing group, the art enthusiast has traveled all over the Southeast to perform and hopes to contribute to a special performance next summer.

"We hope we will be able to perform in Atlanta this summer with a group called the Belly Dance Super Stars" Prather said. "They are very famous and it will be an honor to dance with them."

When not working on her art form, Prather likes drawing and painting.

A little more about Keating Prather:

Who in your life has inspired you the most? My grandmother.

What is on your MP3 player? Offspring, Evanescence.

Do you have any Pet peeves? People that smack their gum. I hate that.

What is your Favorite sit-com? Futurama, Family Guy, Frazier.

What is your favorite food? Chocolate.

If I could be anything I wanted? I would be an art therapist and famous belly dancer.

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