Thursday, September 27, 2018   
 
Best College in Every State: MONEY's 2018 Top-Ranked Schools
There are plenty of factors to weigh when researching your potential list of colleges: Cost. Graduation rates. Academic offerings. Social scene. One of the most important? Location. To help with that, MONEY sliced our 2018 Best Colleges list geographically to highlight the top-ranking college in every U.S. state, including Mississippi: Mississippi State University students embrace their rural roots. Thousands ring cowbells in the stadium as they cheer on their Bulldogs teams, a tradition that, according to legend, began when a stray cow wandered onto the football field and was embraced as a good luck charm.
 
Adolescents prefer open-system e-cigarettes
Adolescents are more likely to use open-system e-cigarettes, which may pose health and injury risks, according to research published in Pediatrics. Robert McMillen, PhD, a professor in the department of psychology and associate director of the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University, and colleagues reported that there are two types of e-cigarettes -- open systems, with refillable nicotine systems, and closed systems, which are either disposable or use disposable cartridges. Most studies on people's preferences of e-cigarettes have focused on adults, and the results have shown that the open-system devices tended to be more popular among the two types, they wrote. "Each type of [e-cigarette] system presents somewhat unique challenges to public health," McMillen told Infectious Diseases in Children.
 
Juvenile charged in hit-and-run involving SHS student
A juvenile is accused of leaving the scene of an accident after an alleged hit-and-run involving a Starkville High School student last week. SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady confirmed to The Dispatch on Tuesday that police made contact with a suspect in the hit-and-run, and since the charge involves a juvenile the case has been moved to Oktibbeha County Youth Court. Police have declined to identify the suspect. The suspect is facing a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident, Lovelady said. A female Starkville High School student was struck by a vehicle while walking along Yellow Jacket Drive on Friday afternoon shortly after school dismissed. The victim has since been released from the hospital, according to a Starkville Police Department press release issued late Tuesday afternoon.
 
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos coming to Mississippi
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will visit the Holmes County Consolidated School District next week to learn about the district's blended "distance learning" program, school district officials confirmed. The rural school system with an enrollment of more than 3,500 students is one of several districts participating in an initiative spearheaded by the Global Teaching Project, which provides students with access to online AP coursework and support. The program in its second-year has touted the results of its pilot class. Although this is DeVos' first stop in Mississippi as Education Secretary, the Trump official kept close watch of the state's school-choice reforms in her former role with the American Federation for Children.
 
Mississippi's Hyde-Smith: 'I believe Judge Kavanaugh'
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith used her first speech on U.S. Senate floor Wednesday to offer "strong and unyielding support" for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. "I believe Judge Kavanaugh when he says these events never happened, not three decades ago, not ever," said Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi, one of six Republican women in the Senate. "It seems opponents of Judge Kavanaugh are engaged in character assassination to destroy the reputation of a devoted public servant, a loving husband and father," she said. Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused him of attempt rape when he was in high school, are scheduled to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Two other women have accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior.
 
Sen. Hyde-Smith: Accusations against Kavanaugh 'unproven'
Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi said Wednesday that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh "quickly and convincingly" refuted accusations that he sexually assaulted women when he was young. "My heart breaks for victims of assault and abuse," Hyde-Smith said in a speech on the Senate floor in Washington. "It's an issue that must never be taken lightly. That is why unproven accusations are so very unjust. Faced with these disturbing accusations, Judge Kavanaugh quickly and convincingly refuted them without mincing any words." Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi also supports Kavanaugh and sat behind Hyde-Smith as she gave what she said was her first speech on the Senate floor. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant appointed her to serve temporarily when longtime GOP Sen. Thad Cochran retired in April.
 
Hyde-Smith: Defending Kavanaugh Is 'My Duty' as a Woman in Congress
While addressing the Senate floor for the first time, Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith defended Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, after a third woman accused the judge of sexual misconduct on Wednesday. "It seems opponents of Judge Kavanaugh are engaged in character assassination to destroy the reputation of a devoted public servant, and a loving husband and father," Hyde-Smith said. "I, for one, will not stand by and watch this happen." Explaining her decision to break with the tradition that newly appointed senators observe and listen for a period before speaking on the floor, Hyde-Smith in a tweet cited her status as Mississippi's first woman representative in Congress. In her speech, she said that while her heart "breaks for victims of assault and abuse," she considers the accusations "unjust" and a product of the Democrats' partisan goals.
 
Southaven readies for Trump rally
Southaven is set to receive a Presidential visit next Tuesday evening. Officials for the Trump campaign have announced that the President will make a stop for a rally at the Landers Center in Southaven on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. The "Make America Great Again" rally is the first visit to Southaven since Trump became president following the 2016 election and is the fourth time he has been in Mississippi since he first began his race for the White House in June 2015. Trump's visit will mark only the second time a sitting U.S. President has visited DeSoto County. Former President George W. Bush visited DeSoto County on Nov. 1, 2003. For a sitting leader of the United States to come to DeSoto County, and Southaven in particular, is truly an honor, said Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite.
 
Chris McDaniel tries to crash Trump's party
U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel just won't take no endorsement from President Donald Trump for an answer. McDaniel, a firebrand Republican who's running in a Mississippi special Senate election in November, sent out emails Tuesday urging his supporters to attend an Oct. 2 Trump rally in Southaven, Mississippi -- where the president will campaign for incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. "Let's get every America First Conservative out to the rally in support of President Trump," the McDaniel email reads "Show the President that Trump Country is McDaniel Country!" Hyde-Smith's campaign wasn't pleased. "This is a whole new level of pathetic, even for Chris McDaniel," said Melissa Scallan, a campaign spokeswoman.
 
Chris McDaniel seeks foothold in 2nd US Senate race in Mississippi
Tea party favorite Chris McDaniel nearly dethroned a Mississippi political icon four years ago, never conceding his Republican primary loss to longtime U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in the state's most bitterly fought election in a generation. McDaniel is now running again for the same U.S. Senate seat, but with less momentum. The appointment, the endorsement and the fundraising advantages all belong to Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, and Trump is scheduled to campaign for her Tuesday at a rally in north Mississippi. McDaniel campaigns at gun shows and relies on Old South imagery. He defended Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Twitter, and his campaign signs have "Chris McDaniel Country" written on the Mississippi flag, which prominently features the Confederate battle emblem. McDaniel, an attorney and third-term state senator, still contends that he, not Hyde-Smith, is the president's true ally.
 
McDaniel rallies supporters in Olive Branch appearance
Working to strengthen his support among conservatives in DeSoto County, state Sen. Chris McDaniel Tuesday evening brought his campaign for U.S. Senate to a Town Hall rally at Sweet Pea's Table and Event Center in Olive Branch. McDaniel is in the middle of the special election race for the seat formerly held by the now-retired Sen. Thad Cochran and currently held by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. As much as McDaniel spoke on Democrats however, the Ellisville Republican also attacked mainstream Republicans he said were "dancing the dance" and forsaking true conservative values, comments that resulted in "Drain the Swamp" remarks from time to time emanating from his audience. Despite President Trump's planned visit to Southaven next week in support of Hyde-Smith, McDaniel expressed support for Trump's agenda. The candidate has urged his supporters through a mass email campaign to attend the Trump rally in Southaven on Tuesday "and show the President that Trump Country is McDaniel Country," the email read.
 
Hosemann: 13 percent June voter turnout must be improved
A little more than 13 percent of Mississippi's registered voters (245,100 people) cast ballots in the June Republican and Democratic primaries for the office of U.S. Senate and for U.S. House posts. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said Wednesday 13 percent turnout "is not acceptable." His office and others are taking steps to ensure the turnout is much higher for the Nov. 6 general election where there will be two contested U.S. Senate races, four U.S. House races, two Court of Appeals contests and 19 contested chancery judge races and 16 contested circuit judge races across the state. Arekia Bennett, executive director of Mississippi Votes, a non profit striving to build and improve voter participation, said she believes interest in the Nov. 6 general election is intensifying. Bennett said Mississippi Votes also is working to register people to vote and thus far has registered about 1,500 just on Mississippi college campuses.
 
Insurance commissioner watching consumer issues
Vulnerable rural hospitals, surprise medical bills and emerging health insurance products are among the top issues the Mississippi Insurance Department is watching. Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, along with Bob Williams, who heads the department's life and health actuarial division, briefed the attendees at the 22nd annual Health Link Managed Care Conference on Wednesday about evolving health insurance and access issues in the state. "We try to protect the consumer," Chaney said. "That's our mission." Chaney is particularly concerned about the financial health of rural, independent hospitals. "They serve a community that tends to be older, sicker and more dependent on public insurance programs than their urban counterparts," Chaney said. Because of declining reimbursements and increasing costs, these hospitals are particularly vulnerable.
 
Hood met with Jeff Sessions on Google and other tech companies
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, who has filed litigation against Google, met Tuesday with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and others about the tech giant and other companies. Representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice and about 10 state attorneys general joined in the meeting at the DOJ in Washington. "We discussed technology companies, anti-trust issues and privacy," Hood said Wednesday during a news conference in his office in the Sillers building. "That was our primary concern." Last year, Hood filed a lawsuit in Lowndes County Chancery Court against Google, alleging the tech giant mined students' data through G Suite for Education accounts, even though Google's written agreement said it wouldn't. The lawsuit alleges Google tracks, records and uses the data to build a profile on each student for advertising purposes.
 
GOP anger over Kavanaugh allegations boils ahead of hearing
Lindsey Graham complained that Brett Kavanaugh's accusers are making him out to be "Bill Cosby." Orrin Hatch blasted "phony" accusations in The New Yorker. And John Cornyn urged the Senate to get on with a confirmation vote before more "reckless" allegations are lodged against the Supreme Court nominee. All three Republicans will be on the dais Thursday when Ford appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing that will determine whether Kavanaugh lands on the high court. They've been Kavanaugh's most aggressive defenders -- and appear most at risk of appearing dismissive of Kavanaugh's initial accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. "The people who are criticizing us are hypocrites. We're not going to let a thousand accusations" stop him, said Graham, perhaps the most aggressive Kavanaugh defender.
 
House battlefield expands as ad wars hit new peak
Voters across the country are being deluged by an onslaught of television advertising as candidates and big-spending outside groups dump millions of dollars on a growing battleground that stretches from the North Maine Woods to the posh suburbs of San Diego. The two sides and their outside allies have already spent or reserved nearly a half-billion dollars in television time in the fight over control of the House of Representatives, according to data compiled by several Democratic and Republican sources watching the media landscape. This week alone, candidates and outside groups are spending more than $63 million on television airtime in 51 districts across the country. The four outside groups spending the most on television advertising -- the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the House Majority PAC on the left, as well as the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Congressional Leadership Fund on the right -- are spending more than $24 million on commercials in 46 districts.
 
Commissioner of Higher Education Alfred Rankins Jr. Visits MUW
Commissioner of Higher Education, Alfred Rankins Jr., is touring campus to find out their concerns. He stopped by MUW Wednesday to listen to faculty, staff, students, and members of the community. He wants insight on how they view the university and how the IHL systems can better serve the campus. Many people showed wanting to ask Rankins questions and to voice some of their concerns. "I think it's important for me as commissioner if I want to do the best job in serving all of our campuses, I need to get insight from the campuses regarding leads and good work that's going on on our campuses. So I'm visiting all the campuses to get that intimate interaction with the employees and the students," said Rankins. Rankins will visit Mississippi State on Thursday.
 
UM Meek School leaders focus on student wellbeing
Three hours after Ed Meek shared his controversial Facebook post, Meek School of Journalism and New Media Dean Will Norton was on the phone with him. Norton said that that phone call is the only contact any Meek School faculty have had with Meek since the discussion surrounding his offensive comments began one week ago. Since then, Meek School faculty have unanimously voted to call for the removal of Meek's name from the school, beginning the process of officially cutting ties with the former vice chancellor. Meek responded to that call this past weekend by requesting that the university remove his name from the school. Wednesday morning, Meek declined to comment on the process for removing his name. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Mississippian that same day, Norton said Meek is "grieving" more than anybody else in the aftermath of his since-deleted post.
 
Students at U. of Mississippi encouraged to stack scholarships
More than $300 million of aid -- a new record -- was processed as of July 31, 2018, to Ole Miss students. Laura Diven-Brown, director of the Office of Financial Aid, said she encourages students to apply for as many forms of aid as they can to "cobble together as many things as you can to stack it all up to create a financial aid package that can make college affordable for that student and his or her family." Financial aid packages can encompass scholarships, grants, loans and work-study from the state and federal governments, outside sources and the institution. Students can stack as many scholarships as possible until their caps are reached. Students cannot earn more scholarships than their cost of attendance, which can vary from student to student. Even though the university saw its second consecutive year of enrollment decline, the financial aid budget has increased over the years and has exceeded the rate of enrollment, said Larry Sparks, vice chancellor for Administration and Finance.
 
Southern Miss' student-led food pantry 'a model' for other schools
The two-year success of the University of Southern Mississippi's free food pantry is one reason officials with the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi showed up there Tuesday with representatives from colleges and universities in tow. The Eagle's Nest, with the help of Hattiesburg's non-profit Extra Table, offers low-fat proteins, low-sugar fruits, healthy grains and a variety of other items to Southern Miss students, faculty and staff. The Partnership was at the food pantry because it recently got a grant from the Jewish Response to Hunger group, MAZON, for anti-hunger advocacy. Langston Moore, communications and community engagement director with the Partnership, wanted to show the schools what a thriving university food pantry looked like. "Food is the most basic need you can find," said Robert St. John, founder of Extra Table. "Survey after survey after survey talks about students who can't learn unless they're fed first."
 
Alcorn State Extension staff host Fall Field Day
Fall has long been the busy season for farmers but Alcorn State University Extension Service staff is inviting everyone to take a break Thursday for the annual Fall Vegetable Field Day. Extension has hosted the event, formerly called the Sweet Potato Jamboree for years, and this year's festivities promise to be just as entertaining and enlightening. "The purpose of this event is to allow small farmers, gardeners and local community members the opportunity to meet and network with other farmers and to connect with businesses, agencies and organizations who provide support and technical assistance to those in need," said Extension Farm Manager John Coleman. "This event has attracted more than 200 participants during the past. The Sweet Potato Bake-Off Contest is a yearly favorite," he added.
 
'Imagine the Possibilities' Career Expo returns to Tupelo next week
The annual "Imagine the Possibilities" Career Expo will return to BancorpSouth Arena and Conference Center Oct. 2-4, with eighth-graders from 17 counties absorbing career experiences from workers representing all corners of industry in Northeast Mississippi. The expo, which is in its fourth year, is a collaborative effort between the Toyota Wellspring Education Fund at the CREATE Foundation and local business that addresses the community challenges of inspiring and motivating students to pursue career goals. "The real magic happens when students can talk to the professionals from their county and are able to see themselves having careers close to home," CREATE Foundation Director of Communications Albine Bennett said. "We're dealing with this problem where everybody wants to move away for their career, but we're showing the opportunity here in our region."
 
College dining hall sent 'offensive' tweet after noose found on campus, South Alabama says
The cafeteria at the University of South Alabama in Mobile was in hot water with the college after a controversial tweet was posted after a picture of a noose hanging from a tree on campus had been circulating. The tweet came from the USA Dining Twitter account. The Twitter account is managed by an employee of Aramark, the campus food service vendor, according to a statement from USA officials. The picture of the noose, taken Tuesday night, was sent anonymously to NBC 15, according to the TV station. The tweet from USA Dining appeared Wednesday morning with a ghost emoji. It said: "The rope outside of the caf last night was just a sign that our food is KILLER! Come get some fried chicken and tell us any different!" University officials issued a statement after the tweet was deleted and confirmed an Aramark employee is the administrator of the Twitter account.
 
10,000: UAH draws closer to milestone mark in enrollment
As the University of Alabama in Huntsville set another enrollment record this fall, the school is getting closer to a long-awaited milestone. Using recent growth rates as a projection, UAH said it expects to eclipse the 10,000-student mark next year. The school announced earlier this month that it had an enrollment of 9,736 for the fall semester, marking the fourth consecutive year of record enrollment. It was a 7 percent increase over fall 2017. "It's becoming increasingly important that students view their choice for college as an investment. Prospective students are coming to realize that a diploma from UAH provides them with great value," UAH President Robert Altenkirch said in a statement. "The quality of our faculty and the opportunity to conduct hands-on research and gain practical experience through internships enhances their knowledge and helps develop their skills. UAH students are very well prepared upon graduation and are highly qualified to enter the workforce."
 
Another science building on the way at UGA
As research grants and spending surge at the University of Georgia, officials are planning a second new STEM building before the first one begins rising on the edge of the university's east campus. The State Board of Regents gave the go-ahead for the first STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) building last year, and earlier this year the state Legislature and Gov. Nathan Deal included it in their annual list of projects to be funded with bond proceeds. Called the "Interdisciplinary STEM Research Building and Parking Deck" by the university, the project combines 100,000 square feet of research labs, offices and related space atop a parking deck. The overall project budget is nearly $79.7 million. As that gets underway, UGA is asking for $1.6 million to design a second STEM building at the site. The second STEM building will be about the same size as the first, around 100,000 square feet, UGA President Jere Morehead said Wednesday. The buildings will house researchers in engineering and hard sciences such as chemistry.
 
U. of Tennessee professor resigns amid sexual misconduct investigation
A longtime professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville has resigned after the university "received a series of reports about inappropriate conduct (including some reports of sexual misconduct)" and that he was having "an intimate relationship" with a student, according to his personnel file. The reports about Henri Grissino-Mayer, a well-known geography professor at UT for more than 30 years and director of the UT Laboratory of Tree Ring Science, include a recent accusation he was having a sexual relationship with a student. Other reports describe inappropriate conduct and sexual misconduct, reported by current and former students, according to Grissino-Mayer's file, provided to the News Sentinel after an open records request. An investigation by the Office of Equity and Diversity at UT is underway. OED Director Jenny Richter received the initial report Aug. 7.
 
Who should get into Louisiana universities? Board of Regents to audit schools' admission standards
The policy-setting board for higher education Wednesday initiated an audit of university admission standards after LSU unilaterally lessened the importance of college board tests like the ACT. LSU's change to stop automatically disqualifying applicants who didn't score at least a 22 out of 36 on the ACT has proven controversial. Critics say the move towards "holistic admissions" threatens to allow less qualified students into the state's leading university. LSU counters that reviewing essays, recommendations and the student's achievements provides better indicators of success than relying solely on a test score. But the Board of Regents set the rules and they want to know how well the admission standards established more than a decade ago are being followed by the public universities. "We do have the authority to collect data to see if the universities are operating outside the lines," said Regents Chairman Robert W. Levy.
 
U. of Florida ranks 156 in the world in Times Higher Education list
The best university in the world? Times Higher Education's annual list, released Wednesday, says it is the U.K.'s University of Oxford. University of Cambridge, also in the U.K., won the number two spot in the influential rankings. Universities in the United States have dominated the list, with the California Institute of Technology in first place in recent years, but slipping to fifth from third last year. The University of Florida came in at 156th in the world. Among public universities in the U.S., it was 24th.
 
Officials, construction crews celebrate topping-off of Texas A&M's first building at RELLIS Campus
The Texas A&M University System commemorated the structural "topping out" of its first building at the RELLIS Academic Complex on Wednesday with guests, members of the various construction crews who worked on the project and Texas A&M System and Blinn College officials. The "topping out" ceremony, a construction tradition that celebrates the installation of the highest or last piece of steel, featured a free barbecue lunch for the guests and hardworking crews at the mostly completed structure. "Students will come here after two years at a community college, and they'll be able to get degrees from Texas A&M-Corpus [Christi], Texas A&M-Kingsville [and] Tarleton State University in everything from engineering to criminal justice to business to nursing," Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said.
 
Trial date set in guns on U. of Missouri campus case
The constitutional questions left unresolved by Circuit Judge Jeff Harris' ruling that University of Missouri gun regulations don't violate state law will be the subject of a three day trial staring April 30. Harris set the schedule Tuesday in a court order that indicates he won't accept any delays. "In both cases, cause shall receive priority number one setting and shall be heard ahead of all civil and criminal cases, and no Speedy Trial Act cases shall be set during the April 30 week," Harris wrote in his order. "In both cases, no trial continuances will be granted." Harris is presiding over two lawsuits seeking the same thing – to have the UM System rules governing firearms on campus overturned. No guns are allowed on university property "except in regularly approved programs or by University agents or employees in the line of duty," the rules state.
 
For student parents at U. of Missouri, finding child care remains an uphill climb
It was two days before orientation, and Kate Perry was panicking. She had just moved to Columbia to start her Ph.D. program in political science at the University of Missouri. She had to attend the orientation. And she had no idea what she was going to do with her 2-year-old son while she was gone. Perry had been looking for child care options, but every day care she found was too expensive. Her family of five was already stretched a bit thin: With Perry starting soon on a graduate student salary, her husband was working three jobs that first month to help make ends meet. "There was no way we were going to be able to afford it," Perry said. Hunting for child care can be an uphill battle for student parents, many of whom struggle to find nearby resources at a reasonable cost.
 
University tests free speech mettle, ensuring graduation of Charlottesville marcher
Marc Johnson can recall just three times in his life when the news changed everything: the Friday afternoon in November 1963 when John F. Kennedy was assassinated; the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001; and the Saturday night in August 2017 when he looked down at his phone and saw a wire-service photo of Peter Cvjetanovic holding a tiki torch. Johnson, late for a dinner party, was just ducking inside when he opened the urgent email with a photo attached. It was Aug. 12, two weeks before fall classes were to begin at the University of Nevada at Reno, where Johnson is president. The photo, by then circulating worldwide, showed a very angry young man shouting alongside a crowd of equally angry men, all of whom had marched the previous night at the front of the "Unite the Right" rally, which would soon descend into deadly chaos 2,500 miles away in Charlottesville, Va. Shannon Ellis, who heads student services at the university, called the registrar, who found that the angry young man was indeed Cvjetanovic, a 20-year-old history and political science major.
 
Cornell Food Researcher Brian Wansink's Downfall Raises Larger Questions For Science
The fall of a prominent food and marketing researcher may be a cautionary tale for scientists who are tempted to manipulate data and chase headlines. Brian Wansink, the head of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, announced last week that he would retire from the university at the end of the academic year. Less than 48 hours earlier, JAMA, a journal published by the American Medical Association, had retracted six of Wansink's studies, after Cornell told the journal's editors that Wansink had not kept the original data and the university could not vouch for the validity of his studies. In an internal review spurred by a wide range of allegations of research misconduct, a Cornell faculty committee reported a litany of faults with Wansink's work.
 
Unsettled debate over impact of Public Service Loan Forgiveness
For many borrowers expecting student debt relief from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, the latest set of federal data on applications provoked fears that they shouldn't count on loan forgiveness. Almost 99 percent of applications have been rejected between October of last year, when the first borrowers became eligible, and June 30 of this year. That's led some frustrated borrowers to speculate that the Trump administration, which has twice proposed eliminating the program, has been stingy with the benefits. But in reality those numbers reflect both the complexity of loan forgiveness and the lengthy timeline for meeting requirements, rather than policy choices made by officials at the U.S. Department of Education. That means political debates over the cost of the program, which has been the focus of complaints by some conservatives, likely will be reignited when large numbers of borrowers actually start to qualify.
 
UNC's President on Silent Sam: 'We've Seen Less Receptivity to Other Points of View'
Margaret Spellings, the president of the University of North Carolina system, has largely remained in the background during the heated debate about what to do with "Silent Sam," the Confederate monument toppled by protesters last month. The leading public face of the university's search for an answer -- which includes presenting a plan in November to the Board of Governors, the system's chief authority -- has been Carol L. Folt, the chancellor of the flagship Chapel Hill campus, who reports to Spellings. But Spellings gave a glimpse into her thinking about the monument in a brief interview with The Chronicle this week.
 
Boys Don't Read Enough
Developed countries like the United States have seen a remarkable transformation in education over the last century: Girls and young women -- once subjected to discrimination in and even exclusion from schools and colleges -- have "conquered" those very institutions, as a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) put it. Today, for example, women comprise a growing majority of students on college campuses in the U.S., up from around 40 percent in the 1970s. One understated contributor to this development has been that girls routinely outstrip boys at reading. In two of the largest studies ever conducted into the reading habits of children in the United Kingdom, Keith Topping found that boys dedicate less time than girls to processing words, that they're more prone to skipping passages or entire sections, and frequently choose books that are beneath their reading levels. But it's not just a phenomenon in the U.K.: These trends in girls' dominance in reading can be found pretty much anywhere in the developed world.
 
Data is in: Americans who don't finish high school less healthy than rest of US
On Sept. 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the latest numbers on health in the U.S. This report provides a snapshot of Americans' health up to 2016, revealing several key trends -- including that Americans who don't finish high school continue to lag behind. Again and again, the trends across educational levels indicate that adults with no high school diploma or GED are consistently at the greatest risk for the leading causes of disease and death. For example, heart disease has declined in the U.S. since 1997, down to 10.7 percent across the population. Heart disease declined among people with less than high school education across years, yet this population consistently had the highest reported percent for heart disease compared to adults with a high school diploma or higher. Why is education so closely linked with health?
 
Report highlights different ways community colleges help first-year students
First-year mentoring and support programs are common at universities and four-year colleges, but more two-year institutions are offering a variety of these programs to help students adjust to the college experience. A survey released Wednesday from Ithaka S+R, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and the nonprofit Two Year First Year organization found that 95 percent of two-year institutions offer orientations and 87 percent provide first-year seminars to help students be more successful in their first year of college. These efforts are commonly referred to as first-year experience programs. Two-year colleges were least likely to offer summer bridge programs, college readiness surveys or first-year mentoring programs, according to the report. But over all, 40 percent of two-year institutions reported offering some type of first-year experience program for students to help them earn their degrees.
 
Trump rally heightens McDaniel pressure
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Caleb Bedillion writes: Next week, Donald Trump plans to campaign in DeSoto County for Cindy Hyde-Smith's senate bid, a move that tightens the bind into which the president has pushed Chris McDaniel. After his near-miss at victory in 2014, McDaniel got a second shot at Thad Cochran's seat after the aging and ill incumbent retired earlier this year. Gov. Phil Bryant had other ideas. He hand-picked Hyde-Smith, the state's then agriculture commissioner, as Cochran's successor. Hoping to derail those plans, McDaniel is running primary-style attacks, zeroing in on Hyde-Smith, rather than the marquee Democrat in the special election, Mike Espy.


SPORTS
 
How Dan Mullen's influence on Mississippi State gives Bulldogs an edge
He went into their homes to recruit them. He prepared them to play in maroon and white. He won or lost with them, most often it was the former. Now he's coaching against them. Florida first-year coach Dan Mullen returns to Davis Wade Stadium this week as the Bulldogs' enemy after being the man they lauded for the better part of nine seasons. When Mullen has been asked about what it will be like to return to Starkville wearing different threads, he has always circled around to the Bulldogs' players. He knows them all well as people and athletes. Mullen said such intimate knowledge will aid in his preparation as his unranked Gators (3-1, 1-1 SEC East) try to take out the No. 19 Bulldogs (3-1, 0-1 SEC West) Saturday at 5 p.m.
 
Justin Johnson enjoying most productive year yet for Mississippi State
Justin Johnson admittedly didn't know a whole lot about Joe Moorhead when he was introduced as Mississippi State's new head coach late last November. But the more research and film study Johnson did on Moorhead's offense, the more he liked what he was seeing. Moorhead's offense prominently features the tight end and is an aspect that instantly enthused Johnson and his teammates about the new scheme. "I was excited to see how much the tight end was touching the ball in numerous games," Johnson said. "That brought a lot of excitement to our room. All of us were very excited just to get started and see what we can do because that's what we came here to do -- catch balls and score touchdowns."
 
Gators defense aware of challenge Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald presents
Florida's defense needed to look no farther than its own coaching staff to find out how much of a challenge it is to stop Mississippi State senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, regarded as an all-around quarterback now in his final season of SEC action, honed his craft under the watchful eye of coach Dan Mullen, and on Saturday he'll look to use that skill-set to beat his former head coach. As UF began preparing to face Mississippi State in Starkville Saturday, Mullen was straight to the point when asked about Fitzgerald's potential. "He brings so many different things to the table. He's a veteran guy, he's hard to shake, he's played a lot of football games. He's got a huge arm. He can make all the different throws, can throw it underneath, go through progressions, stand in the pocket, make reads. He can throw it 70 yards in the air and he can do that from the pocket or on the run," Mullen said.
 
Dan Mullen talks returning to Starkville; Nick Fitzgerald doesn't condone button circulating
Dan Mullen is saying it is just another game, but, on Saturday, the Florida coach leads his Gators to Starkville against his former team, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. On Wednesday, during the weekly SEC coaches teleconference, he was asked about his emotions returning to Starkville where he coached from 2009 to 2017. "I expect to go into a tough environment against one of the best teams out there," Mullen said about returning to Starkville. There's no question Mullen returning is a storyline. Photoshopped buttons are circulating around Starkville that show Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald giving the finger to Mullen. Mullen's former quarterback was quick to point out he doesn't support the buttons.
 
Mississippi State rallies for five-set volleyball win over Auburn
It could have been very easy for the Mississippi State Bulldogs to throw in the towel during Wednesday night's Southeastern Conference home volleyball match against the Auburn Tigers. After going down 2-0 to Auburn, MSU was faced with quite an uphill battle. The Bulldogs showed that they were up to the challenge. MSU rallied to win three-straight sets to pull out the victory 3-2 at Newell-Grissom Building and ended a five-match losing streak. It was the best win to date in the coaching career of Julie Darty with the Bulldogs. "We've been waiting for that breakthrough," Darty said. "I think this was our breakthrough and I am so happy it happened so early so maybe we can push the limits even more." The Bulldogs will not play again until they host Kentucky on Oct. 5.
 
Walsworth family donates $10 million to U. of Missouri athletics
The Walsworth family has given Missouri athletics a $10 million gift, the University announced Monday. The contribution will go toward the South End Zone Facility that is currently under construction and future department projects. With the donation, Don and Audrey Walsworth have now given more than $25 million in total to the Missouri athletic department. In response, MU has renamed Memorial Stadium's Columns Club to the Walsworth Family Columns Club. The change was unanimously approved by the University of Missouri Board of Curators. Don Walsworth graduated from Missouri in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. He serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Walsworth, an 80-year-old family-owned printing company. Audrey Walsworth is a 1956 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
 
How Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN 'College GameDay' makes his sons' Friday high school football games
Kirk Herbstreit's weekend schedule includes traveling around the country to be part of ESPN's "College GameDay" on Saturdays and then often boarding a plane to get to a different college football game as a color commentator that evening. However, on most Friday nights he is likely in Nashville at Montgomery Bell Academy or wherever the Big Red football team is playing. There he's supporting twin sons, Jake and Tye, who are seniors, and son Zak, who is a sophomore. "Oh I know (he's busy)," Jake said. "It doesn't matter. He has a lot of dedication. He'll come say, 'Congrats,' then he has to run. Every game he can get to, he does." "It's a once-in-a lifetime opportunity," said Herbstreit, who moved to Nashville with his family in 2011. "Your kids only get this chance one time. I told ESPN when the twins were in eighth or ninth grade that if the boys are ever playing on Friday night, we have to figure something out where I can do what I need to do on Thursday and Friday on location, then I need to get back Friday afternoon to their games."



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