For years, Cotton District bars Fountain Bar and Mojo Maroons have hosted a deal each and every Tuesday night by the name of 3-4-1s, which consists of three drinks for the price of one. Last Wednesday, the businesses announced the seemingly unthinkable — 3-4-1s are coming to an end.
While seemingly such a small thing in a big world, 3-4-1-s were one of the most beloved aspects of Starkville’s bar scene, the ultimate place to relax during the week with your friends. 
3-4-1s were cancelled after a brawl that took place 15 minutes prior to closing on Sept. 19. As someone who was there, I cannot blame them. 
As I spoke with friends about the usual nonsense we pondered that day, commotion ended the conversation. We saw punches being thrown, security putting their bodies in between the conflicting parties and bystanders jumping over railings to get away. 
The cops came about three minutes later to clear the street, as this fight had hit University Drive. During those three minutes, we felt unsafe and unsure about what to do.
Once the street was cleared, I walked my friend back to her house so that we could wait out the chaos. While there, we finally voiced our thoughts on the safety of the Cotton District
I did not turn 21 until the summer before my senior year. I had heard endless stories from the District, none of which ever spoke about crime aside from the occasional public intoxication. I wish I could say that those charges were the only ones seen this year, but they have instead been the rarest.
This summer, a friend of mine mentioned people carrying guns in the district. This is also someone who said society will collapse in 2035 when he was made aware that the local business Hemp World existed, however, so I thought nothing of it. 
For the longest time I have not heard anything other than rumors about guns. While I have still not seen any personally, the fear of one constantly lingers. 
Naturally, 3-4-1s had both participating bars extremely packed on the night of their special, but they were not the only bar filled with patrons. Dozens of people crowded the streets. 
I could not tell what they were all doing. I did not understand what kept them from entering a bar, but it kept me from feeling perfectly comfortable that night. Every night the bars have had a solid turnout, the street becomes the hangout spot of choice for many. 
Sure, police officers have given out many loitering tickets and a few trespassing tickets, but that is on the weekends. As far as I have seen, they have not been there during the week, which explains how a brawl like that can happen. 
Security in the district is mostly great. It is highly rare that anyone under 21 is allowed into the bars. The Watch Dawg Protection security guards make sure of it. They cannot, however, do anything off the property of the bar they are paid to stay at.
Even then, with the amount of people in these bars, it is hard to stop a fight before it starts. 
I know I am going off only a few situations here, but the experience this past Tuesday was a scary one. It has not been the only scary experience this year. Earlier in the semester, a fight broke out on the street in between Two Brothers and Drifters, and that fight also had issues being stopped, as the cops were outnumbered. 
Starkville has always been a town that I have felt is superior in safety to many other college towns. In my experience, no matter what you alcohol you ingest, if you do not go actively looking for issues, you will most likely wake up safely in a familiar place. This year, that is a bit of a trickier gamble.
I do not know what can be done to solve these issues. A higher police presence with the same orders — so patrons do not feel overpoliced — could be a start. Also, there is an argument that since Watch Dogs is the main security company employed in the city, they should be given a stipend to be able to stop any public fights. This could also be a good start.
There are many different solutions that could work. Night life inherently comes with crime. With a town as small as this, with as little conflict on campus as we have had, it is very doable. Ultimately, this needs to be a wakeup call for more safety in the District.

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Gabriella Sutherland | The Reflector

Crowds enjoy the front porch of Drifter's, one of many locations for a night out in Starkville.