| Friday, June 11, 2021 |
| MSU Libraries offering variety of fun, skill-enhancing workshops this summer | |
 | MSU Libraries is offering a variety of fun, skill-enhancing workshops for the MSU community this summer. Whether you're looking for information and digital literacy skills development workshops for your students or you want to learn more about the research databases offered through MSU Libraries, we have a session for you! Learn how to use new citation software (such as EndNote, Mendeley or Zotero), learn how to use Adobe Spark, Premiere Pro, InDesign and Illustrator, or brush up on your Microsoft Excel skills. MSU Libraries also is offering a series of "Christmas in July" workshops in the MakerSpace at Mitchell Memorial Library's MaxxSouth Digital Media Center. To see a complete schedule of workshops, visit library.msstate.edu/workshops/list. Don't see what you need? Use the Ask-a-Librarian feature at http://lib.msstate.edu/help. |
| For Popular Twitter Seminarian, Sassiness Is a Spiritual Gift | |
 | Going to seminary was Leah Boyd's "Plan F." A music education major, performer, and pageant winner, she had planned on becoming a professional opera singer. But now Boyd's seminary education has become the most prominent thing about her -- at least among the 17,000 followers who know her as "Sassy Seminary Student," @LeahBSassy on Twitter. The Mississippi State University alumna and student at Baylor University's Truett Seminary shares reflections on theology, evangelical culture, and gender dynamics with one-liners, pop culture riffs, and memes through her popular account, which launched in February 2020. "How I, a seminary student, know exactly how to fix every issue in the church today and I can't believe no one has thought about this stuff before: a thread 1/245," read one sarcastic tweet. Sassy Seminary Student began as a way to inject humor into online evangelical debates, and her approach worked, boosted by her sharp wit, Gen Z sensibilities, and lighthearted approach to everything from politics to contemporary worship. At 22, Boyd is part of a new era when female seminary students find community, connections, and their own voices online and alongside each other. |
| New restaurant coming to Hotel Chester | |
 | We're adding another restaurant in downtown Starkville. Magnolia Social is opening soon in the historic Hotel Chester at 111 N. Jackson St. Owners Ellen and William Rogers are hoping to add a little bit more seafood to our area. "We're not a certain genre," Ellen said. "One thing we found out when we were doing our research was there's not a lot of seafood in Starkville. ... We're going to do seafood heavy, but not all seafood. We're going to have chicken, pork and steak and all kinds of stuff. We're going to have a lot of options." Magnolia Social will take the place of The Library and Beer Garden in Hotel Chester, which closed in December. Hotel Chester owner David Mollendor confirmed the incoming restaurant and said he's excited to see what the new couple brings to Starkville. William, Ellen's husband and the Magnolia Social chef, is a Starkville native. He's been working the culinary scene in Birmingham, Alabama, for the past few years. "We are excited to get to know everybody and to be a part of the culinary scene here," Ellen said. "We want this to be a fun, vibrant place with lots of good energy." The couple is currently renovating the space but hopes to open the restaurant by football season this year. |
| Ben Carver's lead narrows in Ward 1 as affidavits are counted | |
| Incumbent Republican Ben Carver's lead in the Ward 1 alderman race narrowed to five Wednesday morning after election officials processed affidavit ballots in that race. Carver, seeking his fourth term, now leads Democratic challenger Christine Williams by a 319-314 margin. Six absentees that were mailed out to voters before the election have not been returned, according to City Clerk Lesa Hardin. Those must be postmarked by election day and must arrive at City Hall by 1:30 p.m. June 15 to be counted. On Wednesday, election officials accepted and counted 10 of the 15 affidavit ballots cast for Ward 1, with Williams winning those by an 8-2 margin. That allowed her to cut into the 317-306 advantage Carver had after Tuesday's tally. Five affidavits were rejected Wednesday because it was determined the voters did not live in the ward. Still, Carver said he feels confident going forward even with the tarrying ballots. "I feel wonderful," Carver told The Dispatch. "I just know they will go through the procedural process and check. It's great to win my fourth term, and I'm looking forward to continuing working for Starkville." |
| Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley highlight achievements, plans at CREATE meeting | |
 | Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley each spoke lavishly about efforts being made to improve the state and region. They spoke Thursday morning to some 300 attendees at the annual CREATE State of the Region meeting, held at the BancorpSouth Conference Center. For his part, Presley spoke about what he calls Northeast Mississippi's broadband "revolution." As of Thursday morning, nearly 25,000 home owners statewide have fiber-to-the-home broadband, with most of those centered in Northeast Mississippi. "It's been a monumental success in less than a year," he said. "In much the same spirit that Northeast Mississippi led America out of the dark in bringing electricity to rural areas, we're doing the same with fiber-to-the-home broadband service. This time last year we had less than 100 people hooked up to an electric cooperative with broadband service. As of this morning we're at 24,632, and that number is climbing by the day." Hosemann, meanwhile, spoke about the achievements of the state legislature and some of the efforts underway for the next session on how to best invest an influx of money related to the pandemic. "We're blessed, and a bit surprised, that we're running about $900 million over in our budget for the state," he said. "And we've been given about $1.8 billion by the federal government in the rescue plan. In addition, $1.6 billion into education and another $900 million went to the cities and counties. So between all of us, we got approximately $5 billion by the time you add it all up." |
| Northern Mississippi deluged with days of heavy rainfall | |
 | Heavy rainfall this week has flooded homes, businesses and farmland in north Mississippi, washing out some roads and making travel dangerous. The National Weather Service said more than 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain fell in Tallahatchie County from Tuesday to Thursday. It also said Thursday that 7.8 inches (19.8 centimeters) of rain had fallen within 24 hours at Greenwood-Leflore County Airport, and 3.9 inches (9.9 centimeters) of rain fell Wednesday in Tupelo. The weather service also warned Thursday about the "high probability" that a dam in rural Carroll County could fail. Bolivar County Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Lamb told the Clarion Ledger that water went into 150 to 200 homes. "We've had to use boats to rescue people and get them to safe ground," Lamb said. "All the roads are under water, so we'll have to wait until the water goes down before we can see if we have some infrastructure damage." The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency released video of farmland that flooded in Tallahatchie County. Delta Council, which represents agriculture interests, said farmers were losing thousands of dollars worth of crops and chemicals because of flooding in soybean and rice fields. |
| Farmers Must Wait and See What Damage Heavy Rains Have Done | |
| Too much of a good thing is often, well, just not good. While farmers need the rain to grow their crops, the more than 11 inches that have fallen in Lafayette County in just three days has definitely been too much, according to Aileen Bost, owner of Bost Farm. "It's a little too much water for any type of farming," she said Thursday. "The crops need sunshine and dry weather." Some of Bost's row crops are still underwater, and she won't know the real damage until the water dries up and the fruit of the crop is revealed. Lance Newman, agricultural extension agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service branch in Lafayette County, called this week's rain a "significant event" for farmers. "We don't get this much rain at one time often," he said. "Our creeks, rivers, tributaries and streets are all flooded. There are not enough places for the water to go, and then it backs up onto land." Newman said he's been in touch with several local farmers, and while many expressed concerns for their crops, only time will tell how much they have been affected. "It's a wait-and-see," he said. "Not much they can do right now. Got to let some of this water get off the land and then they can begin assessing the damage." Newman said he believes most crops will be OK if the rains are able to drain off fairly quickly. |
| Mississippi shipbuilder plans to hire 3,000 new workers | |
| A shipyard that's the largest private employer in Mississippi says it is planning to hire about 3,000 new fulltime employees. Ingalls Shipbuilding held a hiring event Wednesday in Pascagoula. Its parent company, Huntington Ingalls Industries, said in a news release that it has been recruiting potential workers in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. "We are steadily adding new team members to our growing workforce," Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said in the release. "Shipbuilding is a challenging, extremely rewarding and potentially life-changing career." Ingalls is hiring ship fitters, electricians, pipefitters, pipe welders and structural welders for the Pascagoula site. It is seeking people with mechanical, hot work or carpentry experience. The news release said free training is available to those without the required skills or work experience. The shipyard recently finished improvements that include more than a million square feet of covered work area, better access to work sites and tool rooms, cool down and hydration stations and a second dining area, the news release said. |
| The rise of independent elected officials in Mississippi | |
| Hattiesburg is, no matter how you strike it, a Democratic city. In 2020, Democratic President Joe Biden earned at least 60% of the votes in the state's fourth-largest city. Of the 16 voting precincts that are within the city limits, Donald Trump received above 40% of the vote in just two. Democrat Jim Hood earned at least 65% of the city's votes in the 2019 governor's race, and a Democrat previously served as the city's mayor for 16 years. That's why when 39-year-old independent Toby Barker won a second term Tuesday with an astounding 85% of the vote against Democrat Lakeylah White, it turned heads. Barker, who previously served as a Republican in the Legislature, wasn't the only successful independent winner this week. Notably, independents unseated several prominent local officials of both major parties. In Columbus, independent candidate Keith Gaskin appears to have unseated Democratic Mayor Robert Smith. Well-known independent Mayor George Flaggs coasted to re-election in Vicksburg, and independent Mayor Robyn Tannehill was re-elected in Oxford. In today's political environment rife with polarizing pandering and intense partisan bickering, what explains the appeal of these independent candidates in so many Mississippi cities? |
| State Sen. Chad McMahan pushes for more hearings on Medicaid expansion | |
| A Lee County lawmaker is voicing renewed openness to the possibility of expanding Medicaid to the working poor. State Sen. Chad McMahan, a Republican who represents much of Lee County and a small portion of Itawamba County in the Mississippi Senate, penned an op-ed in the Daily Journal on June 6 saying he has not yet taken a position on expanding Medicaid, but he wants more legislative hearings on the topic. "If it makes sense for the taxpayers, and it brings healthcare to all working Mississippians, it's my duty to at least review and consider the information," McMahan wrote. Mississippi is one of 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid to provide coverage to people making up to 138% of the federal poverty level. McMahn's latest op-ed largely restates the view he's held for the past two years. He told the Daily Journal in January 2020 that he would be open to more hearings on Medicaid expansion. "I'm for at least having some hearings and at least trying to understand what Medicaid expansion might do for this region in economic terms," McMahan previously said last year. "I'm neither for it nor against it. I'm for having some hearings." But he's now taking a more forceful tone and actually advocating that more hearings be conducted. |
| Jobless Mississippians fear what's next as $300 unemployment checks end | |
| It takes $80 to fill the gas tank inside the beat-up white cargo van 34-year-old Michael Beard calls home. He can't afford that, so he usually fills it in $20 increments. He spends no more than $5.40 on food each day. The shower and washroom at a nearby Pearl River County truck stop are his biggest expense, eating up one of the largest chunks of his weekly unemployment checks after child support. Each shower costs $13. "I have to, though," Beard said. "No one wants to hire someone who hasn't showered." That's what Beard says he's wanted for the last year: to land a job. But all he has to show for his efforts is an inbox of auto-generated rejection emails. Soon, the money he's relied on to get by will be more than halved because Mississippi is dropping out of the federal pandemic aid program. Ahead of the June 12 end date, about 87,000 Mississippians were collecting an extra $300 in unemployment on top of the state's average payout of about $200 per week. Mississippi is one of the first states to drop the federal benefits, creating a mess of anxiety for people like Beard who say finding a decent, stable job after losing work to the pandemic has been a struggle. |
| Why can't companies find workers? Spurred by COVID-19, many are launching new businesses | |
 | Worker shortages that are slowing the recovery from the COVID-19 recession largely have been blamed on generous unemployment benefits and people caring for kids and sick relatives. But there's another reason companies are struggling to find workers to meet a historic boom in customer demand: Many Americans have started their own businesses. Entrepreneurs have filed applications to launch firms at a record pace since last summer, and the start-up frenzy has accelerated this year. Many of the budding business owners lost jobs because of the pandemic and are looking for new ways to generate income. Others are drawing on government stimulus checks and soaring home values to fulfill lifelong dreams and make the most of a revived economy that's expected to usher in the fastest growth in decades as consumers return to dining out, traveling and other activities. "Demand in the economy has taken off," says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics. At the same time, "a lot of businesses failed (because of the health crisis) and there's less competition...It's a very positive backdrop for business formation." |
| Bipartisan Senate group announces infrastructure deal | |
 | A bipartisan group of 10 senators Thursday afternoon announced an agreement on a "compromise framework" to invest $1.2 trillion in infrastructure over the next eight years. Sources familiar with the deal said it would provide $974 billion over five years. They also said the framework is focused on "core, physical infrastructure" and would not increase taxes, though it includes an option to index the gas tax to inflation. Further, it would provide $579 billion in new funding over what would otherwise be spent without any new legislation. "Our group -- comprised of 10 senators, five from each party -- has worked in good faith and reached a bipartisan agreement on a realistic, compromise framework to modernize our nation's infrastructure and energy technologies," members of the bipartisan group said in a joint statement. "This investment would be fully paid for and not include tax increases," they added. The statement was issued by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), the leaders of the group that also includes Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), John Tester (D-Mont.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Mark Warner (D-Va.). |
| Moderate Democrats Hold Power In Divided Senate, Splitting Party | |
 | Democrats who hoped that narrow control in Washington, D.C., would lead to a rush of votes to approve new progressive policies are facing a major roadblock -- moderates in their own party. Moderate Senate Democrats from Republican-leaning states and swing states are flexing the power that comes along with a 50-50 Senate, where every vote has the potential to make or break a bill. Members of the small-but-mighty group worked this week with a handful of Republicans to reach an agreement on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure framework. Earlier this year, they won concessions in President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. And they stand as gatekeepers on the path for other major progressive priorities like voting rights legislation, immigration and possibly even infrastructure. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., has become one of the leading moderates willing to work outside traditional leadership channels on issues like border security and infrastructure. On the latter issue, she launched her own talks with Republicans, led by Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, to form a 10-senator working group -- even as top Senate Democrats began work on their own, entirely partisan, legislation. The negotiation is the latest sign of the enormous influence a few senators can have in a closely divided Senate. |
| President Biden wants the G-7 to unite against China. Beijing's trade wars are helping. | |
 | China will dominate discussion during President Joe Biden's first foreign trip, as the G-7 summit kicks off Friday. And that's exactly what he wants. The Communist-led country isn't a member of the club of rich democracies established in 1975. But the leaders assembled in Cornwall, England, will spend much of their time discussing how to confront its growing influence. During the meeting, the leaders will unveil an infrastructure lending program for developing nations intended to counter China's aggressive debt diplomacy. They'll also discuss ways to extract production lines for crucial industries, like pharmaceuticals and computer chips, from China. And they'll seek to unite their economies while isolating Beijing's state-led model by signing a new trade and technology agreement and discussing ways to combat China's massive dominance in steel and aluminum production. For Biden, the meeting is a chance to build a united front with European allies and Japan to push back against China's trade practices, a key plank in his diplomatic platform. Europe is also eager to join up after four years of former President Donald Trump's go-it-alone foreign policy. On that count, China seems to be playing into his hands. |
| Hunting Leaks, Trump Officials Focused on Democrats in Congress | |
 | As the Justice Department investigated who was behind leaks of classified information early in the Trump administration, it took a highly unusual step: Prosecutors subpoenaed Apple for data from the accounts of at least two Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, aides and family members. One was a minor. All told, the records of at least a dozen people tied to the committee were seized in 2017 and early 2018, including those of Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, then the panel's top Democrat and now its chairman, according to committee officials and two other people briefed on the inquiry. Representative Eric Swalwell of California said in an interview Thursday night that he had also been notified that his data had been subpoenaed. Prosecutors, under the beleaguered attorney general, Jeff Sessions, were hunting for the sources behind news media reports about contacts between Trump associates and Russia. Ultimately, the data and other evidence did not tie the committee to the leaks, and investigators debated whether they had hit a dead end and some even discussed closing the inquiry. The zeal in the Trump administration's efforts to hunt leakers led to the extraordinary step of subpoenaing communications metadata from members of Congress -- a nearly unheard-of move outside of corruption investigations. While Justice Department leak investigations are routine, current and former congressional officials familiar with the inquiry said they could not recall an instance in which the records of lawmakers had been seized as part of one. |
| New internal audio intensifies debate over how Southern Baptist leaders handled sex abuse crisis | |
 | A Texas pastor says he is blowing the whistle on two top Southern Baptist leaders for how they responded to allegations the sexual abuse crisis in the denomination was mishandled. On Thursday, Phillip Bethancourt, a former executive vice president for the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, released five audio clips and a letter he wrote to executive committee members Ronnie Floyd and Mike Stone refuting recent statements they made. The audio clips are recordings of two separate meetings; one in May 2019 and the other in October of the same year. "I am writing to you in regard to your public responses to the recently publicized letters from Russell Moore. Ronnie, you said you 'do not have the same recollection' of the events. Mike, your video called Moore's claims 'absolutely slanderous,' 'ungodly,' and an 'outrageous lie,'" Bethancourt said in his letter. "I cannot remain quiet in light of your responses, so I am compelled to do something no one would want to do -- become a Southern Baptist whistleblower." Stone, the former chairman of the executive committee and an expected nominee for convention president, did not immediately respond to The Tennessean's request for comment. In a Thursday statement, Floyd, the president and CEO of the executive committee, said the convention is divided over how to respond to sexual abuse, but it is not divided on prioritizing care for abuse survivors and protection of the vulnerable. |
| Governor Reeves 'adamantly opposed' to Critical Race Theory being taught in Mississippi schools | |
 | Governor Tate Reeves says he is adamantly opposed to critical race theory "sneaking into our curriculums in the state of Mississippi," and he is prepared to sign legislation to prevent it, should that become necessary. Reeves appeared on SuperTalk's Gallo Show on Thursday morning where the host, Paul Gallo, asked the Governor his thoughts on the national topic. "I am not aware of any school district that currently allows for it. Should that become an issue, I believe we ought to pass legislation, pass a law to make these school districts unable to teach CRT in our classrooms," Governor Reeves said. "We've seen that in other states. I'm willing to do it. We don't have to do it if no districts are currently operating. But if that becomes apparent, I am prepared to support any legislation that eliminates the ability for CRT to be taught in Mississippi's classrooms, much like many, many, many states around the country." Conservatives of all races across the country are raising the red flag on the curriculum that claims the U.S. has a legacy of systemic racial inequities and that America is overdue for a racial reckoning. The left-leaning propaganda is viewed by many as anti-American and dangerous. Lawmakers and state leaders in over 20 states have undertaken efforts to stop CRT as well as the teachings of the 1619 Project from entering their classrooms -- and it is not just in Southern states like Florida and South Carolina. For example, a bill in Michigan would exclude race theory education from public school curriculum and names the 1619 Project, describing it as "anti-American." |
| Can Schools Mandate Covid-19 Vaccines for Children? What We Know | |
 | Many education officials, public-health officials and parents believe that vaccinating children against Covid-19 will play a key role in resuming normal life in time for in-person learning in the fall. That stance has led some parents to wonder: Will K-12 students be mandated to receive the vaccine to be allowed on campus this fall? Children as young as 12 years old are now eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. Moderna Inc. said Thursday it has asked U.S. health regulators to authorize the use of its Covid-19 shot in adolescents ages 12 to 17, setting up the potential availability of a second vaccine option for adolescents. About 23% of youths 12 to 15 years old have received at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine since U.S. health regulators cleared it for use among that age group last month, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 51% of people are in favor of mandating vaccines for middle-school students, 56% for high-school students and 61% for college students, according to a Gallup poll of more than 3,500 adults conducted in May. Schools and school districts generally don't have the authority to mandate student vaccines. But other authorities can: namely, state legislatures or health officials acting under legislative authority, said Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, a public-health law professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Every state requires children to be vaccinated to attend school, with inoculations for mumps, measles and rubella, as well as polio and diphtheria among the most common. But there are exemptions. Six states -- West Virginia, Mississippi, New York, Maine, California and Connecticut -- allow only medical exemptions. |
| Auburn's College of Agriculture welcome high-tech vertical farms | |
| On June 10, at 9 a.m., Auburn's College of Agriculture gave a tour of their new high-tech vertical shipping containers, all the way from Freight Farms in Boston, Massachusetts, now located on Lem Morrison Drive. Present were Desmond Layne, head of the department of horticulture; Daniel Wells, associate professor of horticulture; Glenn Loughridge, director of campus dining and concessions; and Kyle Hensarling, Master's student in horticulture studying hydroponics and aquaponics. "What they are is a container -- like a shipping container -- that's been retrofitted with the latest technology in indoor growing systems," Loughridge said. "Basically, it's like having four farms ... We could potentially grow, say, 4,000 heads of lettuce all at the same time." Subsequently, each wall has about 1,000 plants. Every wall is outfitted with both red and blue LED lights, which Loughridge said gives them a "space age" look. "You can think of it as a three-dimensional growing system," Wells said. "We are able to do that because we can control all of the growth factors: temperature, relative humidity, CO2, water, nutrients and, of course, light." These are a part of the "variety trial" for the campus dining chef to assess what works and what does not. The plants will remain in the container for four to five more weeks before heading to campus dining. |
| U. of Florida hit 80% student vaccination in May, officials say | |
 | As the University of Florida prepares to fully reopen at the end of the month, 80% of the school's students were vaccinated as of May, Board of Trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini announced at a Thursday meeting. While it remains to be seen how incoming students for the summer B and fall semesters will affect that number, Hosseini and Dr. David Nelson, senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health, congratulated and thanked Dr. Michael Lauzardo, head of the UF Health Screen, Test & Protect initiative, and his team for the vaccine success and STP program efforts over the past year and a half. In Alachua County, about 55% of residents are vaccinated. In Florida, 53% have been, per Department of Health data. With that vaccination level and over 60,000 doses administered by UF around the state, the university still plans to fully reopen without social distancing on June 28, the start of the summer B semester, according to Charlie Lane, senior vice president and chief operating officer. UF also aims to hit full attendance for athletic events, like the upcoming football season, Lane added. Face masks have not been required on campus for all students, faculty, staff and guests since mid-May, except in hospitals and clinical settings. |
| First semester for Bush School's Washington, DC, site deemed a success | |
 | The Texas A&M Bush School of Government and Public Service's Washington, D.C., site recently completely its inaugural semester, and students are undertaking their summer learning mere blocks from the country's foremost buildings of power and governance. The Bush School site, at the intersection of 16th Street and L Street NW, is a few blocks from the White House and is also close to Black Lives Matter Plaza and Freedom Plaza. The facility has undergone renovations throughout the spring semester and is nearly complete. The space contains nearly 47,000 square feet of space across five floors and includes a 150-seat lecture hall and theater, as well as murals depicting A&M's College Station campus. "We think it's going well so far, and we're excited about the potential it has, not just for the Bush School but for A&M," said Mark A. Welsh, dean of the Bush School. "It also gives us a facility where other colleges at A&M can do policy workshops and roundtables. The facility has been designed to support that." The Master of International Policy program is designed for working professionals and can be completed in a minimum of two years. Silveria said the number of certificates and degrees offered has since grown and will grow further by 2022. |
| U. of Missouri campus workers complain of cut hours, jobs over summer | |
 | Members of Laborer's International Union representing University of Missouri workers on Wednesday delivered a message to campus leaders. "Our message to Mun Choi and the Board of Curators is 'stop union-busting,'" said Andrew Hutchinson, field representative for the local union. It was a continuation of the occasional strife between union workers and university leadership on campus. Around 30 workers gathered outside Plaza 900, a campus dining hall, to complain that hours had been cut or jobs eliminated completely. They carried signs with messages including "Shame on MU," "Essential Workers Deserve Essential Pay" and "Essential or Expendable Workers." All campus dining workers were offered alternative jobs on campus at the same rate of pay and the same benefits, said MU spokesman Christian Basi. The number of hours may not be the same, he said. "It's important to know that we have done a lot of work to offer alternative employment for the summer," Basi said. "We have offered those opportunities to employees in order to make sure they continue to have income." The workers' complaints also included the removal of the union's right to file grievances on behalf of workers and what they said was the removal of third-party arbitration. |
| Spring Data Show Further Declines In College Enrollment | |
| Undergraduate college enrollment fell again this spring, down nearly 5% from a year ago. That means 727,000 fewer students, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse. Despite overall enrollment declines nationally, graduate program enrollments were up by more than 120,000 students this spring. That means there are more students who already have college degrees earning more credentials, while, at the other end of the spectrum, students at the beginning of their higher ed careers are opting out -- a grim picture of a widening gap in America. The value of a college degree -- and its impact on earning power and recession resilience -- has only been reinforced by the pandemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans with a college degree were more likely to stay employed during the pandemic, and if they did lose a job, they were more likely to get hired again. Unemployment rates were higher for those without a degree or credential beyond high school. The biggest question now: Will those students return to college? Experts say the farther a student gets from their high school graduation, the less likely they are to enroll, because life gets in the way. |
| After Deep Drops, International Applications Rebound, Survey Finds | |
 | After steep declines in international-student numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic, a new snapshot survey from the Institute of International Education paints a more optimistic international-enrollment picture for the coming fall. Forty-three percent of colleges said international applications were above 2020 levels, according to the survey results, which were released on Thursday morning. Of that group, about 15 percent reported a "substantial" increase in overseas applicants. "Confidence is surging from higher-ed institutions for international-student enrollment coming out of the pandemic," said Mirka Martel, the institute's head of research, evaluation, and learning. Colleges are planning to welcome international students back to campus but are preparing for contingencies. Eighty-six percent of the respondents said they expected to hold at least some in-person instruction for international students this fall, and none of the institutions reported planning for only virtual instruction. Still, it's clear that colleges are planning for the fall with what-ifs in mind. Although the U.S. government has eased travel restrictions for international students and made a priority of processing of student visas, there are huge backlogs. Colleges are also mindful of continuing Covid outbreaks. India, which in a typical year sends about 200,000 students to study in America, has been dealing with a recent surge in cases. |
| Some Purdue professors say the university is unilaterally pursuing a civics requirement | |
 | The Board of Trustees for Purdue University and all its regional campuses is set to vote on a civic literacy requirement today, without the formal endorsement of any faculty body and over the objections of some faculty members. The irony was not lost on Alice Pawley, an associate professor of engineering education at Purdue's flagship West Lafayette campus and a member of its University Senate and American Association of University Professors chapter. "It's like democracy and civic literacy are so important, we're willing to be dictators about it," she said. "We are bringing about this big, precedent-setting change to thousands of undergraduates in a way that does not demonstrate an awareness of governance." Other professors, including the chair of the University Senate, support the requirement -- and fault its faculty critics for not engaging the issue more fully, and faster. President Mitch Daniels first proposed in 2019 that undergraduates be required to pass a civics test, similar to the U.S. naturalization test. The faculty surveyed students and held a town hall and then formed a working group to consider how such a requirement would work. That group presented its findings in 2020, but the Senate voted down the requirement, 28 to 51, with two abstentions. Faculty concerns were varied: Indiana high schools already have a civics requirement, some said. |
SPORTS
| Houston Harding on stand-by as Mississippi State hosts Notre Dame | |
| There may not be a bigger weekend than the one coming up for Mississippi State pitcher Houston Harding. Harding, a senior left-hander, has become a staple for Mississippi State on Sundays in SEC play. He has both come out of the bullpen in relief and started, and his efforts could be desperately needed this weekend at Dudy Noble Field. No. 7-national seed Mississippi State plays host to No. 10 Notre Dame this weekend in a super regional matchup. The best-of-three series will be played at 1 p.m. on Saturday, 5 p.m. on Sunday, and 6 p.m. on Monday, if necessary. "We have a tough weekend coming up," head coach Chris Lemonis said. "There's not an easy super regional in the country and we feel like we have one of the hottest teams in the country coming in here." Notre Dame is 33-11 this season and won the ACC regular season outright. The Fighting Irish lost in the ACC Tournament, which was likely the reason they dropped out of a Top 8 national seed. And after dropping to No. 10 during the NCAA Tournament selection show, Notre Dame took out its frustrations on its regional opponents. Notre Dame swept its regional and outscored its opponents, 50-5, over three games with its closest game being a 10-0 win over Central Michigan. If Harding (7-2, 2.34 ERA) does pitch this weekend, it will likely be in Monday's winner-take-all game. |
| Tom Noie: Baseball paradise of Dudy Noble Field awaits Notre Dame at NCAA Super Regionals | |
| Well versed even as a freshman in what college baseball means across the Mississippi State University campus, former Mishawaka multisport standout C.J. Fisher had to see it for himself. So on a Friday afternoon in February of his first year, Fisher, who will be a junior finance major this fall, made the walk from his dorm to Dudy Noble Field... It was Opening Day. Temperatures struggled to make it into the 50s, which in Starkville is bundle-up cold. Fifties in February back in Mishawaka for Fisher often meant shorts and a hoodie. That day down south, the folks were downright freezing. Fisher kind of, sort of knew what to expect that afternoon with Wright State in town. There would be fans. It would be fun. He was stunned to see that the stadium was sold out. There were fans standing two and three deep along the concourse. Fans in the lower and upper decks. Fans in the outfield, especially the area known as the "Left Field Lounge." Fans -- mostly fraternities and sororities -- populated center and right field. Fans wearing maroon were everywhere. For a non-conference game. In February. Yeah, Fisher thought to himself that afternoon, college baseball might be college baseball on most campuses, but in Starkville -- Stark-Vegas as the locals like to say -- it's downright different. "Until you've actually seen it, you've never really experienced it," Fisher said earlier this week by phone from Jackson, Miss., where he's spending the summer working a banking internship. "I played in a few big games in high school, but when I came to Starkville, the craziest sports experience I ever had was a Mississippi State baseball game." |
| Ron Polk's Summer Paradise | |
| There are always markers for the changing of the seasons. Leaves shift colors to indicate fall has arrived, soon followed by the first blast of cold air foreshadowing winter's chill. Then the flowers blossom come the spring. At least in the state of Mississippi, one of the surest signs summertime is just around the corner is that Ron Polk heads northward. It used to be those trips were to Nebraska as the legendary coach at Mississippi State and other stops totaled eight College World Series appearances in his career. For the last decade though, Polk's trek has shifted more eastward than Omaha as he has become a staple as an assistant coach in the Cape Cod Baseball League in Massachusetts. "I enjoy it," Polk -- now a Special Assistant to the Athletic Director at MSU -- said last week, only days before heading up to the Cape. "I enjoy the weather and enjoy the competition. I enjoy the coaches up there. It's kind of a working vacation." This year marks Polk's ninth season as a CCBL assistant. What used to be annual trips to the Cape to see his own players back when he was a collegiate head coach evolved into more in the years following his retirement from MSU in 2008. |
| Cowboys QB Dak Prescott leaves Adidas, signs deal to become Jordan Brand's highest-paid NFL athlete | |
| The face of the Dallas Cowboys will now be repping the apparel of a different company. Dak Prescott has left Adidas -- the apparel company he partnered with since his rookie season -- and signed a five-year deal with the Jordan Brand to become the company's only quarterback, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to announce the deal publicly. The Jordan Brand is the apparel giant offshoot of Nike that is inspired by NBA legend Michael Jordan, and all Jordan Brand gear displays the "Jumpman" silhouette logo that Jordan made famous. Prescott, 27, signed a four-year, $160 million contract with the Cowboys in March that includes up to $126 million guaranteed and a no-trade clause and prevents him from ever receiving the franchise tag again. Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his ankle in an Oct. 11 game against the Giants last season, underwent an emergency surgery and had since been rehabbing. During this week's minicamp practices, Prescott has been on the field as a limited participant and is moving closer toward returning to full health. "I've buried the injury, honestly guys, you know me," Prescott said Wednesday afternoon. "From the point of practice, from the point of just moving forward and going about my life, I've buried it." |
| Group recommends expanding College Football Playoff to a 12-team bracket | |
| A subcommittee tasked with evaluating the future format of the College Football Playoff recommended on Thursday a drastic change that would broaden the bracket to 12 teams split evenly between conference champions and at-large bids. Termed "the first step in a long process," the recommendation would bypass a simple doubling of the current four-team format and revolutionize the final stages of college football's race for the national championship, while raising concerns over whether such expansion would further dilute the stakes at play during the regular season. The proposal came from the four-person expansion working group of Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick. "This proposal at its heart was created to create more participation for more schools and more players," said College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock. "In a nutshell, that's the working group's message: more participation." Under the recommendation, the bracket would consist of the six top-ranked conference champions and six at-large bids. No conference would automatically qualify for the playoff, and there would be no cap on the number of participants from one conference. The rankings would still be determined by the selection committee. |
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