Student Spotlight
Tanner Marlar

By: Zoie Henson, student PR Intern

Tanner Marlar is a junior communication major concentrating in print and digital journalism. Originally from Kossuth, Miss., Marlar always had a passion for writing and sports, so he chose to combine the two, with hopes of covering sports for a major news outlet after graduation. Marlar is currently serving as The Reflector’s student editor and works with Sports Illustrated to cover Mississippi State Sports. He also cohosts a podcast/radio show that airs on WMSV at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays called “The Dudes.”

Marlar was nominated by Josh Foreman, the faculty advisor for The Reflector, who said, “Tanner knows exactly what he wants to do, and has the energy, confidence, and skill to get it done. His bright personality lifts the spirits of everyone in the Reflector newsroom. 
 
I watched him on the Paul Finebaum show last semester. His stories about his hometown, Kossuth, Miss., were making Paul and the whole studio laugh. I wasn’t surprised at all when Paul invited him back on the show a few weeks later.”

Any internships?
I currently work with the Sports Illustrated affiliate here at MSU, Cowbell Corner. Currently, I’m covering both the men’s and women’s basketball teams for them, and I did cover football when the season was in full swing - basically working double time for them and the Reflector. My favorite story to write, for them at least, is recruiting profiles. I just finished one on the men’s basketball signee Kimani Hamilton, and it’s probably my favorite thus far. Being able to break down a player’s game piece by piece is always incredibly interesting to me. My favorite part of writing about sports is that you get to kind of romanticize something that others can sometimes see as an incredibly masculine, rough and tumble thing. Sports are an emotional affair, and to be able to put those emotions into words for as many people as I can is the best part about what I do. 

Why MSU Communication?
chose MSU solely based off of scholarships and connections. I had it narrowed down to here, UT Knoxville, and UGA, but in the end, this is where I felt the most comfortable. When I initially came here, I was an international business major, but a major change in the first semester of my sophomore year flipped that narrative entirely, and I’m so thankful that it did.

Favorite part of MSU?
My favorite part of MSU is by far the people here. By and large, the educational community at MSU has been my favorite part of it, and I mean professors included especially - not just the students. The best part of the communication department, though, is just how open everyone is. It’s never hard to get ahold of somebody you need to talk to, and the people in charge genuinely show a care for the field, and I think a lot of that comes from most of them having experience in whatever fields they tend to be teaching. 

Advice for incoming students?
Pick whatever you feel like you’ll enjoy most. Here at MSU, no matter what interest you have, there’s a place for you.

If you were singing karaoke, what song would you pick and why?
Friends in Low Places, easy. The best country song of all time, and it reminds of baseball season.

What’s the most interesting thing that you’ve read, watched or listened to lately?
The Texas Special Teams coach and his off the field extravagancies. 

If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with that extra time?
Read all the books I possibly could.