While many students vacationed during the summer break, the recently graduated student and Starkville Alderman Lee Beck continued to work on amending the beer ordinance, helping the city deal with a lawsuit and creating a better relationship between Starkville and the University. “It has been a very busy summer for me,” Beck said, “but when I look around, I see the entire city coming together with the University.”
Beck became the first Mississippi State student to be elected to the Starkville Board of Alderman just over a year ago.
Last Tuesday the board voted to extend the sale of beer from midnight to 1 a.m. of Friday and Saturday nights.
“I think the board is keeping in mind the students’ interests,” Beck said. “This is one of many issues the board is taking on to help unite the students with the city.”
Beck says the change will create a “trickle effect” of students leaving local drinking establishments and fewer “underground” parties will occur. In the past Beck has pointed out several studies supporting his opinion.
“These studies show when you give people more freedom with alcohol they are less likely to abuse it,” Beck said.
Beck says the next issue facing the board concerning students is a lawsuit filed in federal court against the city by members of the Oktibbeha County NAACP.
The lawsuit says MSU students should not be included in the drawing of district voting lines.
The lead plaintiff in the case is Oktibbeha County NAACP president and Mississippi State University political science professor Mfanya Donald Tryman.
“Speaking as a professor, I think students are here to get their degree and then they leave. Their interests must be weighed with the permanent residents, and I think the permanent residents’ interests are more important,” Tryman said.
Beck disagrees. “This (lawsuit) is a big deal for students-the lawsuit names them specifically as part of the problem. It says students should not have the right to vote since they are temporary citizens,” Beck said.
Mississippi State University Student Association President Parker Wiseman has little concern about the lawsuit.
“I really don’t believe it is realistic at all to think the disenfranchisement of the student vote will ever become a reality,” Wiseman said.
Wiseman said he is excited about the steps Beck has taken to bring students and the community together.
“In a year like this, when so many issues involving students have arisen, it has been very helpful for students to have Lee Beck as an advocate for the university,” Wiseman said.
“As much as students give to the city financially, Starkville needs to give back to the students. Although I don’t agree with him all the time, so much was gained by Lee Beck being elected and students voting.”