As the spring semester begins and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, Mississippi State University is looking forward as they continue to meet the challenges.

As 2021 begins and the world seems to be far from normal, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s goals for transformation and healing remain as relevant as they did in the 1960s.

Mississippi State University is home to a variety of clubs and organizations, each meant to be a place for students to find like-minded people and pursue their interests by getting experience and education in real-world topics.

"We have three deer in that pen. Lucky is our tamest buck. I could probably get him to come to the fence if I gave him some oak leaves or something. He's a sucker for oak leaves," Mississippi State University graduate student Luke Resop said as he pointed over to a grassy enclosure.

Following the recent coastal impacts of Hurricanes Delta and Laura, Mississippi State University is reaching out to help affected families in numerous ways.

This semester was unparalleled to anything the Mississippi State University community has experienced before. Faculty, staff and students faced a variety of unique challenges due to COVID-19.

Come Nov. 3, eligible Starkville voters of all ages and races will be turning out to the polls for the highly anticipated 2020 election. However, Donald Trump and Joe Biden will not be the only names on their ballots. Mississippi voters will be choosing between Democratic candidate Mike Espy…

"Mayor of the Cotton District" Dan Camp passed away on Oct. 25, 2020, at age 79 due to complications from COVID-19. Camp is credited as the founder of the Cotton District in Starkville and served as mayor of Starkville from 2005 to 2009.

On Oct. 20, the University of Mississippi's Everybody Loves Lincoln club hosted an event over Zoom discussing the "Defund the Police" movement versus the "Back the Blue" movement. The event was attended virtually, with viewers capped at 40 people.

On Oct. 22,  Starkville businesses, citizens and students gathered downtown for the second annual Talladegourd 500, hosted by the Mississippi State University Idea Shop in conjunction with the Greater Starkville Development Partnership.

On Nov. 3, voters in Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District will decide between two candidates for the House of Representatives.

UPDATE: According to a MSU press release posted on Thursday, Nicholas Smith has been located alive and well in the neighboring city of Columbus. Smith has been reunited with his family. 

Yet another hope-dashing loss of Mississippi State University's football team was not the only tragedy to occur in Davis Wade Stadium this Saturday.

The Rotary Club and the City of Starkville are working together to begin plans of building an inclusive playground to provide opportunity and grow the town recreationally.

In Sept. 2020, The Association of Public Land Grant Universities (APLU) announced Mississippi State University's status as a national finalist in the 2020 APLU Innovation and Economic Prosperity University Awards in the "Place" category. MSU's mission to improve economics and quality of life…

As Mississippi State University persists in the battle against COVID-19, preparations for the annual outbreak of the influenza virus are emerging on campus. From spontaneous outdoor setups to appointments in the Longest Student Health Center, MSU is offering flu vaccinations to all students …

On the Nov. 3 ballot, Mississippi voters will have the option to vote not only for their next political leaders but also for a new state flag.

Mississippi State University recently instituted amendments to the official COVID-19 rules and regulations such as the cancellation of spring break, random testing of students and faculty and a change to the number of people allowed at an outdoor event, including Greek life parties and swaps…

On Oct. 6, Mississippi State University broke ground on Bulldog Way, a road construction project intended to alleviate traffic on heavily used roads such as Blackjack Road, Hardy Road and Stone Boulevard.

This Nov. 3, Mississippi voters will be provided with the option of legalizing medical marijuana on the ballot, but the vote will have multiple options. Voters will be able to vote in support of a medical marijuana program through the options of initiative measure no. 65 or alternative measu…

Outraged by the injustices surrounding Black lives, Mississippi State University sophomore Aspen Humes decided to organize The Sit Down. The event was initially planned to be held at the MSU Amphitheater, but it was relocated to Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall due to inclement weather.  

"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 lea…

Peter Allen stood on a catwalk overlooking two swirling, bubbling tanks. The droning noise of aerators did not bother them, but as Allen began to discuss the importance of Mississippi's catfish industry, the hundreds of blue catfish in the left tank instinctively moved into a tight ball whil…

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.

"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…

This month, Mississippi State University is honoring its Hispanic students and faculty with multiple events and initiatives in place for National Hispanic Heritage month. The Holmes Cultural Diversity Center (HCDC) and the Latino Student Association (LSA) along with other partners have organ…

The Mississippi State University Climate Reality’s second annual climate march was held in Starkville on Friday with the stated goal of bringing recycling back to the Starkville city budget and demanding MSU rewrite their climate action plan, as well as make more recycling initiatives in dor…

George Awuni, an assistant research professor in the department of plant and soil sciences in Mississippi State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, works consistently with soybean production and technology to improve food security in Ghana. Since Awuni is from Northern Gha…

Over the last 14 years, the Mississippi State University Space Cowboys have launched MSU to the top of competitive high-powered rocketry since its founding in 2006.

Mississippi State University faculty and students of the department of landscape architecture were recently recognized for their continued work at Africatown, a community near Mobile, Alabama.

Mississippi State University's Joe Frank Sanderson Center reopened for the fall semester with adaptations to meet health and safety guidelines for COVID-19. These changes include online or in-app reservations for individual and group workouts as well as distancing in group classes and heavy …

COVID-19 has brought many changes to the city of Starkville, including the way in which local small businesses operate. Some businesses have flourished during the onset of COVID-19, while others have seen a decline in their operations and are now functioning on a limited capacity.

An Instagram account calling for the abolition of Greek life at Mississippi State University has caused a stir among the MSU student body, Greek and non-Greek students alike. The account, featuring anonymous testimonials that detail negative experiences students have had with Greek life at M…

During the unprecedented time of COVID-19, bicycle shops, like Boardtown Bikes of Starkville, are facing many unforeseen challenges. The local business has dealt with a massive demand since schools and businesses shut down earlier this year and has been unable to keep a steady inventory of b…

On Monday, Sept. 7, the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors voted to impose a curfew on the county to cut down on gatherings of citizens amidst COVID-19. 

Mississippi history was made on Sept. 2 when a committee tasked with deciding the finalist for Mississippi's new flag selected the "New Magnolia Flag" with an 8-1 vote. 

When political science graduate Semaj C. Martin-Redd learned he had become Mississippi State University's latest Fulbright finalist, he was beyond excited to see the intense application process had paid off.

The City of Starkville has decided to eliminate the town's standard recycling process and has found another way to stay green. This new system ensures Starkville will remain an eco-friendly city while cutting recycling costs for the city and its residents.

Despite a less than normal start to the semester, Mississippi State University sororities found a way to push on. This August, the eight sororities on campus held an entirely virtual recruitment for the freshman class of 2020.

This year's Dawg Days have been different as Mississippi State University students and organizations continue to adapt to the university's Cowbell Well rules.

As students return to classes, Mississippi State University has implemented changes on campus to keep students safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

At 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, the sound of gunshots rang through Aspen Heights. Emergency responders from the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office as well as medical personnel were dispatched to the apartment complex on Blackjack Road and found a man who was shot at the scene.

Mississippi State University Libraries is creating a COVID-19 digital archive where MSU students, faculty and Starkville residents can document materials that tell a story about their experiences during the pandemic.

Citizens gathered for the Starkville Stand Up march at Unity Park in downtown Starkville on Saturday morning. Pastor Abdurdal Lee of Peter's Rock Church addressed the crowd, highlighting the vision and mission of the event before leading the crowd in an opening unity prayer.

"What I can tell you with a great deal of confidence is that it might not have been the exact right thing to do, but it was not the wrong thing to do. So from my perspective, it was better to have aired on the side of greater caution," Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said of the city's earlier…