| Monday, April 17, 2023 |
| Fans use Super Bulldog Weekend as way to mark reunions, wedding showers, more | |
 | This weekend, record breaking numbers of Mississippi State fans, alumni and visitors flocked to the city for the 37th Super Bulldog Weekend, which was focused mostly on the Maroon and White spring football game and the Bulldogs' three-game baseball series against Ole Miss. But for many, the sports were just an excuse to be together with the people they love, as they celebrated the spring version of homecoming. On Saturday, walking from Davis Wade to Dudy Noble felt like stepping into reunion after reunion. Between Davis Wade and Dudy Noble, there was another tent overflowing with a family who were also using Super Bulldog Weekend to get back together. But upon closer inspection, their tent contained more than an average tailgate. Instead, the family was hosting a wedding shower. Jeremiah Dumas, a Starkville resident and former alderman whose family has been on the Mississippi State campus "in some form" since 1958, said Super Bulldog Weekend is an integral part of their family traditions, and seemed like the perfect time for the shower. "We're big tailgaters for football, which means a lot to us," Dumas said. "And the couple actually... their first date was a football game, so it felt fitting to have a tailgate in their honor." Dumas said relatives from all over the state and Tennessee would be driving to the campus to celebrate a wedding shower for Stella Binson and Riley Bennett. They would also be going to the baseball game afterwards, which felt like a natural combination. |
| University leaders unveil new branding initiative, 'Taking Care of What Matters' | |
 | Mississippi State University hosted Reimagining MSU on Tuesday to reveal its new branding vision to faculty, staff and students. Student Association President Ellie Herndon opened the discussion by welcoming dozens of attendees. Herndon said she was delighted to speak at the event and appreciated university leaders listening to students' opinions. "It says a lot that faculty is very invested in how students feel not only about the branding of Mississippi State but just overall, all that they're doing for students," Herndon said to The Reflector after the event. After Herndon spoke, a short promotional video played before university President Mark Keenum took the stage. Keenum noted how higher education continues to change and develop, presenting challenges and opportunities. "Changes higher ed is going through are, in many cases, transformational changes," Keenum said. "As an institution, we must change as well." Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw noted the importance of Reimagining MSU. "I believe today may be one of the most impactful events in the university's 145-year history," Shaw said. Shaw spoke about MSU's new slogan, "taking care of what matters," and how it encompasses the university's mission. |
| School of Rock: High-schoolers use IDEA Shop to build guitars, then play them for a public concert | |
| Joseph Balzli, 17, stepped onto the stage at Rick's Cafe Thursday night, his Van Halen-themed guitar in hand, wearing denim from head to toe and a Motley Crue pin on his jacket. He said he was nervous and had never played in front of a crowd before, but that was the easy part. The hard one? Learning how to build an electric guitar in the first place. The final product that made it on stage with hot red color and white zig-zagged striping. "It just really stressed me out, and it took much longer than I thought it would," Balzli said. "I really like Eddie Van Halen, so I modeled mine off his, but mine is a Les Paul and his was not. So I had to do something a little different." Balzli joined seven other Starkville teenagers over the last three weeks to build Les Paul electric guitars through a workshop at the Mississippi State University IDEA Shop -- an outreach effort of the College of Business and located in downtown Starkville. Students conceptualized, built and painted their electric guitars before playing them Thursday in a public concert at Rick's. MSU E-Center Director of Outreach Jeffrey Rupp, who organized the event, told The Dispatch he obtained a $5,000 grant from International Paper to pay for kits and also received guitar cases from Backstage Music in Starkville. Students involved paid $50 to participate. Rupp, a musician who frequently plays gigs locally, said he began the annual project in 2020 to utilize the Idea Shop downtown and help area teenagers learn useful skills like building, electrical wiring and even some social skills as they prepare to play a set in front of a crowd. |
| 'Cancer impacts everyone': MSU's Camp Kesem preparing for second in-person camp, hosting fundraiser | |
| Cancer. The dreaded word no one wants to hear at their doctor's appointment. The diagnosis often has profound effects on not only the ones fighting the disease, but also their loved ones. Namely the children. This was the motivation for Madelyn Slaten to found Mississippi State University's Camp Kesem in 2018. Though she is no longer involved with the organization since graduating last year, she is responsible for its creation. "I just came to school and when I saw there was not one, I figured I would do whatever I could do to bring it here," Slaten said. "Cancer impacts everyone and kids in Mississippi should not have access taken away from them." Camp Kesem is an organization that supports children who are dealing with a parent's cancer diagnosis or even death. Part of the way in which it does this is through a week-long camp for the children. "We have a variety of games and projects for all our kids to participate in," said Samuel Stewart, director for the chapter. "This includes arts and crafts, hiking, singing songs, playing messy games (just throwing paint all over each other), along with giving them an opportunity to talk about what they're going through. We are working to create a sense of normality in their life." This year will be the second in-person camp for MSU. |
| Is your child in danger? Check the Urban Dictionary | |
| Parents find a string of emojis in their child's phone they don't understand. Little do they know, these emojis mean their child is using drugs or they are the target of human trafficking. For Lead Law Enforcement Officer Lee McDivitt of the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, this scenario is a daily reality. He warned parents of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District about these threats at a child abuse prevention event at the Greensboro Center on Thursday night. "These are all innocent," McDivitt said. "But anything -- I have seen in law enforcement today -- can be turned into something nefarious. Things that we enjoy ... bad people turn into things that are not good for us, or our kids, or our family." McDivitt said the problem starts with a breakdown in communication, as slang changes and parents don't keep up. He said parents should research unfamiliar words and phrases children are using day-to-day through the Urban Dictionary to know if there are any illicit implications. But if a parent finds an abbreviation or emoji on their child's phone they don't understand, McDivitt said to go deeper, as these could be indicators of coded drug slang. McDivitt gave the examples of the snowman emoji, which stands for cocaine, the horse emoji, which stands for ketamine, and a school bus, which stands for xanax. "When you see these things, and they look odd in a conversation, you need to take the time to sit down and talk to your loved one," McDivitt said. |
| Two arrests made after gunfire at KFC | |
| Two teenagers were arrested after a gun went off at the KFC on Highway 12. Jordyn Barrett, 18, and another 16-year-old male were arrested on Saturday afternoon at 127A Highway 12 W. Barrett and the other teen were physically fighting in the parking lot outside of the KFC when the 16-year-old allegedly drew a gun. The teenagers started fighting over the gun until it went off, a Starkville Police department press release said. There were only minor physical injuries from the fight, said Brandon Lovelady, public information officer with the police department. Barrett has been charged with simple assault. The 16-year-old male, who is being referred to youth court, was charged with simple assault and possession of a firearm by a minor. Barrett is being held on a $594.25 bond, Lovelady said. |
| GOP candidates for lieutenant governor scheduled for West Point forum | |
 | One of the more interesting races in the 2023 primaries is expected to be featured in a political forum Monday night in West Point. Local Republican groups plan to have the party's four candidates for lieutenant governor together at The Ritz. Incumbent Delbert Hosemann is being challenged by state Senator Chris McDaniel, Shane Quick and Tiffany Longino. Hosemann is in his first term as lieutenant governor after serving three terms as secretary of state. McDaniel is the challenger with the most name recognition across Mississippi with two unsuccessful bids for U.S. Senate. Quick appeared on the primary ballot for lieutenant governor four years ago, but Hosemann walked away with an overwhelming victory. Longino is a college professor who is positioning herself as a political outsider. The four were invited to the event sponsored by the Mississippi State University College Republicans, the Oktibbeha Clay County Republican Women and the Oktibbeha County Republican Party. |
| Brandon Presley builds solid blue campaign team in deep red Mississippi | |
| This week, Brandon Presley announced his new campaign staff, headed by Ron Owens. Owens, a Michigander who boasts helping to elect Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and flip the legislature from Republican to Democrat in his native-state last year, is joined by a series of other national operatives with experience on high-level Democratic campaigns. Those campaigns include the failed efforts of Congressman Tim Ryan (D) to win a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio against populist author J.D. Vance (R), and Stacey Abram's (D) unsuccessful attempt to unseat Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in Georgia. They also include successful efforts to elect Democratic governors in places like Louisiana and Kentucky, where Jon Bel Edwards and Andy Beshear were both successful in bucking the state's partisan demographics. In announcing the new hires, Presley said that "with my record and these talented and battle-tested individuals, our campaign is in an even stronger position to shock the world this November so we can build a Mississippi that serves working families, not the special interests." The hires, though, serve to highlight the tightrope act that Presley will have to perform to become viable. As Northern Public Service Commissioner, he has always evaded his district's shift toward the Republican Party by convincing people that he is not that different from them. His persona as a centrist "Blue Dog" Democrat that is pro-life and pro-gun will be tested by who he surrounds himself with in this campaign and by his need to pull down national Democratic dollars that lean progressive. Henry Barbour, political strategist and National Republican Committeeman for Mississippi, told Magnolia Tribune voters need to look no further than Presley's hiring of Owens and his connection to Whitmer to see how the Democratic candidate would run Mississippi. |
| Mississippi to require consumption-based water billing | |
 | Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed legislation Friday requiring localities to base water bills on personal consumption, blocking a proposed reform by the federally appointed manager of the troubled water system in the state's capital city. The Republican governor signed House Bill 698 months after Ted Henifin, who was appointed in November by a federal court to help improve Jackson's water infrastructure, released a proposal calling for billing water based on property values rather than personal use. Henifin said the new billing model would be a more equitable method of pricing water in a city where roughly 25% of residents live in poverty. It would be unfair to charge people for water based on factors unrelated to how much they consume, Reeves said in a statement on Friday. "Water bills based on property values squeeze the middle class," Reeves said. "They can't afford to pay more for the home they already own. Water bills will continue to be based off of personal consumption -- just like what is being done throughout the rest of the country." |
| McCarthy's pitch to shrink food aid drawing skepticism from fellow Republicans | |
 | House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's new debt limit negotiating proposal set to be unveiled Monday morning will include broad moves to restrict food assistance for millions of low-income Americans. His GOP colleagues in the Senate aren't optimistic any of those measures will survive. McCarthy's initial list calls for expanding the age bracket for people who must meet work requirements in order to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program or SNAP, while closing what Republicans say are "loopholes" in existing restrictions, according to two people who were granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations. Cutting spending on federal food assistance programs is a perennial Republican target, and House conservatives are eager to make it part of any agreement to raise the debt ceiling, which the country must do later this year to avoid a default crisis. But Senate Democrats have said such measures are dead on arrival in the upper chamber, and with the help of key Senate Republicans, they have killed off a series of similar House GOP efforts over the years --- including a 2018 push involving McCarthy and his current top debt limit lieutenant Rep. Garret Graves (La.). The early response from Senate Republicans this time around does not bode well for a different outcome in 2023. |
| From highs to lows, FEC reports offer an early 2024 temperature | |
 | The first three months of this year saw a new Republican majority take control of the House and, after a bumpy start marked by a prolonged speaker election, try to exert its influence on Democrats who control the Senate and White House. But while the start of a new Congress in 2023 may have seemed like a time to put campaigns in the rear-view mirror, the reality is the first primaries of 2024 are less than 11 months away, and many lawmakers used the first quarter to replenish depleted accounts or build bankrolls for fights ahead. Filings to the Federal Election Commission over the weekend show that during the three months ending March 31, House Republicans got off to a fast start and some candidates seeking open Senate seats posted eight-figure totals. At the same time, some incumbents' skimpy hauls could be a sign of retirement announcements ahead. Republican incumbents in battleground House seats, on average, raised more and had more cash on hand at the end of the quarter than similarly situated Democrats, a CQ Roll Call analysis found. Colorado Democrat Adam Frisch appears to have raised the most of any House challenger facing an incumbent during the quarter, taking in $1.7 million for his repeat bid to unseat firebrand Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert. |
| Speaker McCarthy vows to pass debt bill -- with a big 'if' | |
| House Speaker Kevin McCarthy pledged on Monday to pass legislation to raise the nation's debt ceiling --- but on condition of capping future federal spending at 1% --- as he lashed out at President Joe Biden for refusing to engage in budget-cutting negotiations to prevent a debt crisis. In a high-profile speech at the New York Stock Exchange, McCarthy, the Republican leader who is marking his 100th day as speaker, said the nation's debt load is a "ticking time bomb" and Biden is "missing in action" as the deadline nears to raise the debt limit. "Since the president continues to hide, House Republicans will take action," McCarthy said. "Defaulting on our debt is not an option," McCarthy said seeking to shift blame for the standoff and draw the White House back into talks. "The longer President Biden waits to be sensible to find an agreement, the more likely it becomes that this administration will bumble into the first default in our nation's history." McCarthy's Wall Street address comes as the Washington is heading toward a potential fiscal crisis over the need to raise the nation's debt limit, now at $31 trillion, and avert a federal default. The Treasury Department has said it is taking "extraordinary measures" to continue paying its bills, but money will run short this summer. |
| Weyerhaeser, America's Most Prolific Logger, Recasts Itself as Environmental Do-Gooder | |
 | Weyerhaeuser Co. has cut down more trees than any other American company since its founder started logging before the Civil War. Environmentalists have long treated it as an enemy. Now, the new math of carbon emissions is enabling the lumber producer to cast itself as something quite different: a force for environmental good. Its 10.6 million acres of U.S. timberland act as a giant sponge for carbon dioxide, which Weyerhaeuser says more than compensates for the greenhouse gases it emits by felling trees, sawing them into lumber and distributing wood products. Although Weyerhaeser is cutting down as many trees as ever and plans to increase lumber production 5% in the next few years, it says its net carbon footprint is negative---so much so that it is offering carbon dioxide storage capacity to other companies. Weyerhaeuser expects a new unit dedicated to helping other firms offset their emissions to generate $100 million a year in profit by the end of 2025. "I don't think there are many companies in the world with a better environmental story than Weyerhaeuser," said Devin Stockfish, chief executive officer of the Seattle-based company. "The moment is really ripe for us." Weyerhaeuser is America's largest private landowner. Its timberlands range from expanses of Douglas fir in the Pacific Northwest to pine plantations across the South to the North Maine Woods. Altogether, its trees cover an area roughly twice the size of New Jersey. |
| As summer approaches, labor shortages make seasonal hiring tough | |
| Even if the economy is cooling off a bit, the labor market is still pretty hot. And in many parts of the economy, labor shortages remain a big problem. This is particularly acute for those businesses looking to hire seasonal workers this summer. Between low unemployment and tight caps on worker visas, summer hiring is going to be tough. It's been tough to staff summer jobs for years, so businesses have tried to get visas to bring in foreign labor. But even with more worker visas available this year, there still aren't enough workers to fill all the open jobs. "And they need everything from cooks, to waitstaff, to landscapers," said Steve Hubbard at the American Immigration Council. "All those different types of jobs that you see at a resort or at a recreational facility that you may visit in the summer." And consumers are probably going to notice, according to Stephen Yale-Loehr, who teaches immigration law at Cornell University. "They're going to see it in terms of increased prices," he explained. "When you go to a restaurant, because there's not enough workers, you're going to see it in terms of reduced hours" at restaurants and at the community recreation center. " |
| No appetite for MSMS relocation among legislators | |
| As Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science Executive Director Donnie Cook awaits survey results from stakeholders about potentially relocating the school, there seems to be no appetite for the move among legislators and community leaders. State Representatives Andy Boyd and Dana McLean, State Sen and Chuck Younger, all of whom represent Columbus or Lowndes County in the legislature, all told The Dispatch they would not support any effort to move MSMS from the Mississippi University for Women campus, despite recent efforts from Cook to "explore" moving it to property adjacent to Mississippi State University in Starkville. "Cook's job is not to decide where MSMS is. His job is to run the school to the best of his ability," Younger said. "He's a good guy. I like him, but I think he kind of overstepped his bounds maybe. We try to get more funding for them and MUW, and that's all we can do." Since legislation in 1987 established the residential high school's location at MUW, it would take legislative action to move it. MUW President Nora Miller told The Dispatch on Wednesday hosting MSMS is a point of pride for the university and she wants it to remain where it is. |
| USM alumna donates $1M for recruitment scholarship | |
 | University of Southern Mississippi (USM) alumna Mollie Magee Van Devender donated $1 million to the school to establish the Mollie Van Devender Leadership Scholarship Endowment. USM leaders said the scholarship will aid in the recruitment of a highly engaged high school seniors. "This gift will allow us to recruit outstanding high school leaders who will make a transformational difference at USM, just as Mollie did as a student here," said USM President Dr. Joseph S. Paul. Van Devender graduated from the school in 1978. She was a member of Chi Omega, the Student Senate, the University Activities Council and Omicron Delta Kappa. Currently, she's a member of the USM Foundation Honor Club at the Black and Gold Society Level, the Eagle Club and is a Life Member of the Alumni Association. She previously established the Mollie Magee Athletic Scholarship Endowment for students from Simpson County. |
| Jackson State wins $100k grant for campus improvement project | |
| Jackson State University has received a big payday. According to the university, JSU secured a $100,000 Home Depot Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant after the Jackson State community voted in favor of receiving the grant. JSU is one of 36 Historically Black Colleges and Universities set to be awarded. The program is part of Home Depot's ongoing efforts to recognize how HBCUs provide students with the academic success and professional development necessary to improve and impact their communities. "We truly enjoy this grant because it is something Home Depot invests in yearly. With this being our sixth year winning, we would like to thank our amazing students and alumni base for always showing up and voting out," said Heather Denne', Ph.D., JSU director of community engagement. "We look forward to hearing back from our students on how they want to allocate these funds this year and make sure we always prioritize and accommodate their needs." JSU garnered enough votes to take home the second-place spot in the Campus Improvement Grant Cluster 1, landing them $100k. |
| Coast police officer among at least 4 injured in shooting on last day of Black spring break | |
 | A Coast police officer and other civilians were injured Sunday when shots rang out on U.S. 90 on the final day of Black spring break. The shots could be heard in the 2400 block of the beachfront highway near Surf Style and elsewhere, authorities confirmed. Biloxi police spokesperson Grandver Everett said authorities are still trying to piece together exactly what happened, where and how many were injured. "We were all outside our vehicles working traffic and it started," Everett said Sunday, noting that he could only speak for what he saw from his vantage point. "It was all around us," Everett said. " We had officers responding to multiple locations." The Biloxi police officer who was shot and injured was among other officers from different agencies responding to the action that also prompted crowds in the area of gunfire to run for safety. The incident Sunday comes a day after reports of gunfire at Edgewater Mall that resulted in its early closure, though police said they had not found any gun or evidence of a shooting there. There was also a fatal shooting Saturday night at a Biloxi apartment complex. Miller said that the incidents police have dealt with this year are not usually an issue during spring break. |
| Why are teen girls in crisis? It's not just social media | |
| Anxiety over academics. Post-lockdown malaise. Social media angst. Study after study says American youth are in crisis, facing unprecedented mental health challenges that are burdening teen girls in particular. Among the most glaring data: A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report showed almost 60% of U.S. girls reported persistent sadness and hopelessness. Rates are up in boys, too, but about half as many are affected. Adults offer theories about what is going on, but what do teens themselves say? Is social media the root of their woes? Are their male peers somehow immune, or part of the problem? The Associated Press interviewed five girls in four states and agreed to publish only their first names because of the sensitive nature of the topics they discussed. The teens offered sobering -- and sometimes surprising -- insight. Zoey, 15, was raised in Mississippi by a strict but loving single mother who pressures her to be a success in school and life. "School can be nerve racking and impact your mental health so much that you don't even ... recognize it, until you're in this space where you don't know what to do," Zoey said. She's also had friendship struggles that ended in deep depression and felt the discomfort of being the only Black kid in class. |
| Auburn University names its 14th College of Engineering dean | |
| More than 14 months after then-Dean of Engineering Christopher Roberts was named President of Auburn University, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering finally has its new leader. On Friday, Mario Eden, the Joe T. and Billie Carole McMillan Professor and chair of Auburn University's Department of Chemical Engineering, was named the college's 14th dean. "Serving Auburn University's Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering has been one of the greatest blessings of my life," Eden said. "I am so thankful for the chemical engineering department faculty, staff, students and alumni for the past decade, and I am humbled at this opportunity to take Auburn Engineering to the next level. This is truly a group effort, and together we can achieve even greater things because we believe in Auburn and love it." Following a lengthy search that saw nearly 60 applicants from around the country vie for the position, it turns out the university needed to look no further than its own ranks. Before arriving at Auburn, Eden earned master's and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Denmark in 1999 and 2003, respectively. Before becoming a professor, Eden served as a research assistant at his alma mater and as a visiting lecturer at Auburn during the 2002-2003 academic year. |
| Louisiana Republican Party pushes ban on diversity studies | |
 | Louisiana Republican Party officials want state lawmakers to forbid the study of racism at colleges and universities, arguing in a resolution approved Saturday that classes examining "inglorious aspects" of United States history are too divisive. The resolution, passed by voice vote with no discernible dissent at the state party's quarterly meeting in Baton Rouge, asks the Legislature to pass laws removing diversity, equity and inclusion departments and agencies "within any institution of higher learning within the state." Without citing evidence, the resolution asserts that these programs have bloated budgets and inflamed political tensions on campuses. The move comes amid efforts by Republican lawmakers nationwide to exert more control over educational materials and curricula, including books containing LGBTQ+ themes and classes about racism. They hope the effort will endear them to the GOP's grassroots base as the party recovers from its 2022 midterm losses and prepares for the 2024 presidential election. In approving Saturday's resolution, state party officials urged the Legislature to take steps similar to those of other conservative states that have considered curtailing programs deemed to increase tribalism and hostility on campuses. The resolution targets both classroom content promulgating critical race theory and efforts to improve diversity in higher education staffing and campus programming. The resolution drew a rebuke from University of Louisiana System President Jim Henderson, who in a written statement called the depiction of life on campuses "so foreign to the reality at our institutions it defies comment." |
| Going out on a high note: Choral director retiring after 20 years at U. of Missouri | |
 | The audience broke into a standing ovation earlier this month at First Presbyterian Church as University of Missouri choral director R. Paul Crabb conducted the University Singers for nearly the last time. Crabb will retire in May after 20 years with the MU School of Music. "It's amazing to see how many lives he's touched, so many voices he's fostered --- it was a perfect day," said Jeremy Wagner, one of many students who packed the church April 8 for Crabb's penultimate performance. Wagner has known Crabb since he came to MU as an undergraduate student in 2013 and now teaches choir himself at Missouri Valley College. He said he tries to teach passionately and empathetically, welcoming everyone, crediting Crabb and how much he cares for his students. "The beauty he has as a person shines through his teaching and musicianship," Wagner said. "I owe a lot to him. He is one of the best if not the best person I know." Crabb started teaching music at the collegiate level in 1983 at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, moving in 1991 to Truman State University. He came to MU in 2003 as director of choral activities. |
| While some students skip college, trade programs are booming | |
| It's almost 4 p.m. at the Nashville branch of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, and the students in the auto collision repair night class are just starting their school day. One is sanding the seal off the bed of his 1989 Ford F-350. Another is patiently hammering out a banged-up fender. A third, Cheven Jones, is taking a break from working on his 2003 Lexus IS 300 to chat with some classmates. While almost every sector of higher education has fewer students registering for classes, many trade programs are thriving. Jones and his classmates, seeking certificates and other short-term credentials -- not associate degrees -- are part of that upswing. Trade programs are often more affordable than a traditional four-year degree, students note, and, for many, skilled trades offer a more obvious path to a job. Mechanic and repair trade programs saw an enrollment increase of 11.5% from spring 2021 to 2022, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. In construction trades, enrollment grew 19.3%, and in culinary programs, it increased 12.7%. Meanwhile, overall enrollment declined 7.8% at public two-year colleges, and 3.4% at public four-year institutions. In Tennessee, the state's overall community college enrollment took a hit during the pandemic, despite a 2015 state program that made community college tuition free. But at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, a network of 24 colleges that offers training for 70 occupations, many trade programs have continued to grow. |
| Here Are the Parts of Their Job for Which Presidents Want More Training | |
 | The college presidency -- which has seen a wave of turnovers in recent years -- has long been recognized as a challenging job that can sometimes put those in the position on the path to burnout. That's among the reasons that the average time presidents have held their current position has dropped to 5.9 years, according to a new survey of college presidents. That survey also offers some insights into what can make the job so tough: If presidents are spending less time in their jobs, they also need to quickly learn more about some aspects of higher education. The latest American College President survey, released on Friday by the American Council on Education, asked college leaders about areas in which they would like more training. Of the 32 options that respondents could select, at least one out of five presidents said they wanted to learn more about roughly one-third of them. Among that group were topics like diversity and equity issues, fund raising, and capital improvement projects. The survey, which embraced responses from more than 1,000 presidents, also revealed that the most popular professional-development prospects for men and women were largely the same. In the mix for women, however, was crisis management; for men, it was enrollment management. Among the areas that nearly all college presidents reported feeling most confident about: student life or conduct issues, and the role of their spouses. Only 4.3 percent and 5.2 percent of leaders, respectively, said they wanted more training on those topics. |
| Higher ed's game of thrones: ACE plans to debut new Carnegie Classification methodology this year | |
| It's a tale as old as time, or at least as old as several decades for higher education: colleges hyperfocusing on climbing the tiers of the Carnegie Classifications, a frequently used system of categorizing like institutions that debuted in 1973. This dynamic is most frequently on display when colleges with doctoral programs try to hop into the Research 2, or R2, ranking -- which designates institutions with high levels of research activity -- or when they're trying to move from R2 to R1, the top tier of institutions with very high research levels. The perks of R2, and particularly R1, are many. Colleges tout their classification as a mark of prestige, which attracts student and donor attention. The most federal research dollars flow to R1 institutions. Yet critics bemoan that some colleges have compromised their missions -- and thus the quality of undergraduate education -- in pursuit of R1. The allure of reaching this status won't dissipate anytime soon. But colleges will have a new path to get there. Either in late 2024 or early 2025, the American Council on Education -- which as of last year administers the Carnegie Classifications -- wants to release colleges' placements under a new formula. ACE says this new iteration will capture a more nuanced view of institutional missions. ACE officials shared this planned timeline at the higher ed lobbying group's annual meeting Friday in Washington, D.C. It first intends to publish the methodology behind the revised classifications this summer or fall. |
| GOP states targeting diversity, equity efforts in higher ed | |
| Frustrated by college diversity initiatives he says are "fomenting radical and toxic divisions," Texas state Rep. Carl Tepper set out to put an end to diversity, equity and inclusion offices in higher education. The freshman Republican lawmaker filed a bill to ban such offices. Three months later, he filed a new version of the legislation doing the same thing. The difference? Tepper switched the wording to align with a new model bill developed by the Manhattan Institute and Goldwater Institute, a pair of conservative think tanks based in New York and Arizona, respectively. Republican lawmakers in at least a dozen states have proposed more than 30 bills this year targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education, an Associated Press analysis found using the bill-tracking software Plural. The measures have become the latest flashpoint in a cultural battle involving race, ethnicity and gender that has been amplified by prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, potential rivals for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. "There's a tremendous appetite on the right to deal with this issue," said Joe Cohn, legislative and policy director for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which in February added its own model bill to the swelling ranks of proposals. |
| One last effort to explain MAEP to Speaker Gunn | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Responding to questions from members of the media recently about funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, asked for a show of hands of those who understood the school funding formula. "Nobody really understands it. (School) superintendents don't understand it," Gunn said, making it clear his question was rhetorical. "We had a plan five or six years ago that was incredibly understandable." Gunn was referring to the plan put forward by him and then-Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. That plan was rejected by the Senate despite both Gunn and Reeves putting on a full-court press to pass it. The fact of the matter is that there are many similarities between his failed plan and the MAEP. Both are vehicles to provide the state's share of funding to meet the needs of local school districts -- needs like teacher salaries, utilities, custodial help, textbooks and other basic needs. And both meet those needs by providing some amount of money on a per pupil basis. The key difference is that the per pupil spending, known as the base student cost, was determined in the Gunn plan by the Legislature. Legislators could make that base student cost whatever they wanted it to be. The Legislature could lower or increase the base student cost each year based on their whim. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs take seventh-straight series against Ole Miss | |
| There seemed to be no hangover from Saturday night's record-setting night at Dudy Noble Field on Sunday as Mississippi State baseball led 3-1 in the seventh inning. A second-straight Southeastern Conference series win was well-within grasp, only until Ole Miss tied things up at 3-3, forcing the hand again for Mississippi State late-innings magic. The Bulldogs got Hunter Hines' at-bat in the bottom-half, sailing a two-run homer over the Bulldog faithful in right field. It was perfect timing, and reliever Aaron Nixon took care of the rest in a 5-3 win on Sunday and a seventh-straight series win for Mississippi State over the Rebels. "Yeah, I was looking for a breaking ball," Hines said. "He had just thrown [Colton] Ledbetter five or six in a row, mostly sliders to left-handed hitters, so I made an adjustment in the box and sat on it." Hines has fared well in his career against Ole Miss, with Sunday's two-run shot now giving him five homers against the Rebels in seven games. The sophomore relished in the opportunity offensively, hitting a homer on Saturday as well, and he was one of two Mississippi State (22-15, 5-10 SEC) players with a homer in Sunday's win. Dakota Jordan, Saturday's hero, hit the other, a three-run shot that traveled 420 feet to the opposite field in the third inning. "It helps to have good guys in front of you and behind you," Hines said. "I'm just lucky to be in the middle ... It's hard to pitch to our lineup when we're rolling." |
| Mississippi State baseball claims series over Ole Miss thanks to Hunter Hines homer | |
| For the seventh season in a row, Mississippi State baseball has claimed the SEC series against rival Ole Miss. The Bulldogs won 5-3 at Dudy Noble Field on Sunday, taking two out of three over the Rebels, who won the series opener on Friday. The difference came from a two-run home run by designated hitter Hunter Hines, who broke a tie in the seventh inning with a 418-foot no-doubter to right field for his 17th of the season. These two programs will meet on April 25 for a midweek game at Trustmark Park in Pearl, giving the Rebels (20-16, 3-12 SEC) an opportunity to even the season series. Still, the Bulldogs (22-15, 5-10) have now built a two-game cushion between themselves and Ole Miss at the bottom of the SEC standings. The game's first meaningful swing came in the bottom of the third inning, when Dakota Jordan took an outside fastball from Ole Miss starter JT Quinn and drove out to right-center field for a three-run homer. It added to an outstanding weekend for the Bulldogs freshman, who had delivered a walk-off single on Saturday. The Bulldogs host Southern on Tuesday (6 p.m., SEC Network+). |
| Mississippi State shatters own NCAA attendance record with 16,423 fans | |
| One thing is for certain -- Mississippians love their college baseball. In what turned out to be an epic series between Mississippi State (22-15, 5-10 SEC) and Ole Miss (20-16, 3-12 SEC) during Super Bulldog Weekend, MSU fans showed out in droves to watch their team take on their in-state rival and exit the basement of the SEC standings. Following Ole Miss' 3-2 victory on Friday night, an NCAA-record 16,423 fans showed up on Saturday to witness Mississippi State walk off the Rebels 8-7. Prior to Saturday's record-breaking crowd, MSU faithful had the standing all-time record for college baseball attendance when 15,586 fans watched the Bulldogs take on the Rebels on April 12, 2014. Mississippi State currently holds 23 of the top 25 attendance records in college baseball history. On Sunday, MSU carried the momentum from game two into the rubber match, defeating Ole Miss 5-3 to claim nine consecutive series' against their in-state nemesis. The Bulldogs' series win placed them at fifth in the SEC West standings and kept hopes of playing postseason baseball alive. Meanwhile, for Ole Miss, the Rebels now sit alone in the cellar of the division with expectations of a post-season berth all but eliminated. |
| Bulldogs Claim Series-Clincher to Cap Wild Weekend Against Rebels | |
| A statue honoring the legendary Ron Polk was unveiled with much fanfare on Friday. Saturday's game drew an NCAA record on-campus crowd of 16,423 at Dudy Noble Field. It seemed only fitting that Sunday would provide something special: a compelling rubber game in a drama-filled series in Starkville between Mississippi State and Ole Miss, college baseball's last two national champions. Behind a tiebreaking, seventh-inning home run by Hunter Hines -- his third bomb of the series -- and clutch relief work from Aaron Nixon, MSU won 5-3 Sunday to take the series and cap what really was a Super Bulldog Weekend. "What an unbelievable job we do there at the end of the game. (Nixon), that was impressive," said State coach Chris Lemonis. "Some big at-bats. Dakota (Jordan), huge swing (on a third-inning homer). Hunter Hines ... to be able to have an approach on a guy like that (Ole Miss' Jackson Kimbrell) and hit that ball out, man, that is huge." Never mind that the teams entered the weekend wallowing at the bottom of the SEC standings. The three games drew some 44,000 fans and produced one thrilling moment after another. MSU emerges at 22-15 overall and 5-10 in the SEC, perhaps building some momentum for the long stretch run ahead. |
| Mississippi State breaks its own NCAA on-campus attendance record | |
| The scoreboard at Dudy Noble Field read 16,423. That was Saturday's attendance between Mississippi State and Ole Miss, setting a new NCAA baseball on-campus attendance record set by the Bulldogs in 2014 against the Rebels. Fitting how Saturday afternoon ended much the same as nine years previous, a last-inning comeback and walk-off win, this time coming off the bat of freshman outfielder Dakota Jordan, the hero this time around as Mississippi State won, 8-7. On a historic day in the midst of Super Bulldog Weekend, The Dude Effect was the star of the show. "We preach to our kids, just give us a chance late," Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis said. "I thought Nate Dohm was big getting out of the ninth inning. We've been letting that ninth go to four or five runs and not give us a chance to win. Nate stayed out there, competed, and made a great pitch and gave us a chance for the Dude Effect...especially the ball chants. It's hard to pitch when you have all that going on." The Dude was packed to the brim, standing room all-around the concourse, from the outfield to behind home plate. Bottlenecks going in and out of the infield concourse made it difficult to maneuver, but everyone was focused on watching Mississippi State take down an in-state rival it had played more than 400 previous times. |
| Mississippi State baseball breaks NCAA on-campus attendance record at Dudy Noble Field | |
| Mississippi State baseball broke its own NCAA on-campus record Saturday against rival Ole Miss with a crowd of 16,423. That surpassed the old record of 15,586 set against the Rebels in 2014. The new record comes during Super Bulldog Weekend. Mississippi State football hosted its spring game in the early afternoon and country artist Brett Eldredge will perform a concert at Dudy Noble Field after the baseball game. Mississippi State is a familiar name atop the NCAA's attendance records. Of the top 25 crowds in on-campus stadiums, MSU owns 23. Arkansas (No. 13 with 13,742) and LSU (No. 23 with 13,068) are the other schools in the top 25. The closest Mississippi State has come to breaking the 2014 record was in 2016 when the Bulldogs drew 15,078 fans in a loss against Texas A&M. |
| Running game on full display at Mississippi State spring game | |
| One of the biggest storylines this spring for Mississippi State football has been the reimagined run game. Saturday afternoon, new offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay wasted no time running the ball, and did so in a big way during the annual Maroon & White Spring Game at Davis Wade Stadium, a 17-7 win for Team Maroon. On an end-around handoff to wide receiver Tulu Griffin, he caught the Bulldogs off-guard defensively and easily ran it in for a 43-yard touchdown. "Coach Barbay and Coach Chad Bumphis, they have been trying to find a way to get me the ball," Griffin said. "It's been going well so far." Barbay's new offensive schemes have gotten wide receivers involved in rushing plays, but fans didn't just see a slew of plays on the ground; receivers were getting open on deep post routes as much. Mississippi State starting quarterback Will Rogers took some deep shots down the field, connecting on a flashy 55-yard touchdown pass to Zavion Thomas. Rogers threw it at least 40-45 yards in the air before Thomas caught it one-handed as his momentum carried into the end zone. |
| Bulldogs Finish SEC Championship As Runner-Ups | |
| The Mississippi State women's golf team played one of the most exciting golf matches you will ever see. Contrary to the final team score, the Bulldogs played a brilliant back nine on SEC Championship Sunday to force a playoff with Texas A&M for the title. The Bulldogs struggled early on Sunday, trailing in all five matches for about the entirety of the front nine. However, the Bulldogs didn't let that dictate the day's outcome as they slowly made their comeback on the back nine of the round to force three championship playoff holes by freshman Surapa Janthamunee, who goes by SJ. Abbey Daniel earned the first point for the Bulldogs with a 1UP decision. She was followed by a 2&1 victory from Julia Lopez Ramirez to give Mississippi State two points on the afternoon. The Bulldogs will have some time to rest up before they enter NCAA Championship play. MSU will play in the NCAA Regionals May 8-10 with a site to be announced at a later date. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
