Mississippi State University - Reveille Yearbook (Starkville, MS)

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Rusty MiKm K ht FEATURES, !

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FEATURES Edited by Tammy Jones and Kim Walsh t ' s Saturday afternoon, and the Bulldogs are playing out of town. Unsure of which station is broad- casting the game, you begin to turn the radio dial: ' ' kksssbbh . . . This will be a good rest for Ole Miss . . . kksssshh . . . Today will provide a good indication of what Southern . . . kkssshh . . . And a big HELLO to Betty Sue and Billy Bob Smith of Pontotoc, Mississippi, Ahhh. There it is, that familiar sound of MSU sports; the unique style and voice of broadcaster Jack Cristil, the Voice of the Bulldogs. Jack Cristil began broadcasting sports, a career he had always wanted to pursue, in the late 40 ' s. His first sports commentating position was in minor league baseball, once a flourishing sport, but he left that when the popularity of minor league ball began to decline. He eventually became a staff an- nouncer for a Clarksdale radio station and kept in touch with sportscasting by announc- ing high school games. In 1953 Cristil made his first ever trip to Starkville to interview with athletic director Dudy Noble for the position of football announcer. He got the job on a trial basis, and he has announced every MSU season since then, winning Outstanding Sportscaster in Mississippi 17 times. ... it ' s third down and five yards to Jack Cristil The Voice of MSU Sports by Russell Sandidge go, a possession play for the Bulldogs ... In 1957, Cristil ' s responsibilities were expanded to include the broadcasting of basketball as well as some baseball games. He made the trip to Omaha for MSU ' s first appearance in the College World Series. Twenty-seven stations received the broad- casts from Omaha, which was a tremendous number of listeners for college baseball at that time. By the mid sixties, when most present day MSU students were born, Cristil was well-entrenched as the purveyor of Bulldog sports. Just the sound of his voice can bring back many childhood memories of Saturday afternoons by the radio. ... give is to the fullback-He cannot go! The Bulldog ' s defense has held! ... Today Cristil resides in Tupelo where he attends to his everyday job of selling television ads for WTVA. Luckily, the peo- ple of Nine- Alive are understanding enough to give Jack ample time to continue covering the Dogs. Cristil lives with his wife, Mavis, who is also understanding enough to loan him to MSU when necessary. The Cristils have two daughters who were both raised on MSU sports, and one of them, Rebecca, works here as an admissions counselor. ... so be sure to pick up your fine poly wool Maroon blazer at lupe ' s in Canton, on the square ... The best way to describe Cristil ' s broadcasting style is professional. It has been said that many of Cristil ' s descriptive phrases, and the pre-game hello ' s , are typical Mississippi State, but really they are typical Jack Cristil. In over thirty years of broadcasting, he has never been told how to run a program, or asked to tailor comments in any way. He has also gained the total con- fidence of the MSU coaching staffs, and is always given the total cooperation and sup- port of the Athletic Department. ... the kick is high enough, it ' s long] enough, it ' s gooood! . . . : In the words of Jack Cristil, The only reason someone listens to us is because they can ' t be at the game themselves. It ' s our job to present the game just as they would see it. So, if an opposing player makes a great play, or an opposing coach a brilliant move, the we must state it as such since that ' s what they would see if they were here. Cristil ac- complishes this task like no other. Regardless of the Bulldog ' s performance on the field, we can always count on Jack to pre- sent the game exactly as it is played-never imbellishing minor accomplishments or making excuses for mistakes. After 34 years of being the Voice of the Bulldogs, Cristil says that he will be happy to stay here as long as he is wanted. It will surely be a sad day when he does have to step down. His distinctive, gravelly voice has become an old friend who comes to visit every Saturday, and no Bulldog would be complete without the sound of: ' ... You can wrap this one up in Maroon and White! 18 FEATURES

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Mrara . . . Don ' t you just love Spring in Mississippi? The smell of magnolia blossoms and the singing of a mock- ingbird just fills the heart with joy. And spen ding Spring here at Mississippi State is even more enjoyable because the university carries on the tradition of keeping the spirit of Mississippi alive year after year. Every Spring is full of an- nual events and various activities for the pleasure of everyone. Some things you can be sure to see at Mississippi State are quality concerts of top-name musicians. And this Spring was no exception. MSU ' s Music Makers brought to campus the popular group Night Ranger with warm-up singer Joe Lynn Turner. The crowd enjoyed Turner ' s energetic, deep-gutted rock-n- roll singing and the special effects and great guitar solos of Night Ranger. Night Ranger performed all of their top ten hits along with their other smash songs to the pleasure of all in the au- dience. Music Makers was also responsi- ble for bringing five-time country music ' s Entertainer of the Year ALABAMA and long-time veteran of country music Charlie Daniels and his band. The two bands have separate suc- cessful careers, but when put together, they were even more awesome. Changing to a more serious note, the Student Association election is an event which the entire campus can and should get involved in every spring. This is a chance for the student body to exercis its power to vote. Last spring had th largest turnout in years. Close to 300 ' students voted. Dan Gibson, a senk majoring in Business Administratis was elected the new SA President. Half ' Fisackerly, also a senior majoring Business Management, was elected Vi President. The new Treasurer, Ti Knight, is a senior in Business At ministration. And Laura McMaster, junior in Public Relations was chosen be the new SA Secretary. Voting is: privilege; so if you have not taken pa. go out and voice your opinion next yea Every vote counts! 20 SPRING