| Tuesday, August 22, 2023 |
| Mississippi State sees largest freshman class in school history | |
 | As the 2023-24 academic year commences at colleges and universities across the state, Mississippi State is reporting the largest freshman class in school history. According to MSU vice president of strategic communications Sid Salter, the incoming freshman class in Starkville is shaping up to be over 3,700 students. "We're excited. The largest freshman class in the history of the institution is getting acclimated to being a Bulldog and learning the campus," Salter said. "We're right around 3,700. Maybe a few more. The last number I saw was around 3,750." While classes at Mississippi State began last Wednesday, most colleges and universities are kicking off the school year this week. Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Jackson State, Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State, Mississippi College, Millsaps College, and Belhaven University began Monday morning. Tougaloo College and Delta State joined Mississippi State in starting last week. For most schools, enrollment numbers will not be finalized until later in the fall. However, other universities are expected to announce record classes in the coming days. |
| Starkville issues burn ban on Monday | |
 | The City of Starkville issued a burn ban on Monday, Aug. 21. It'll remain in effect until further notice. "Please do not burn anything outdoors and be careful when disposing of cigarettes and charcoal," the Starkville Fire Department announced. The city cites current weather conditions and extreme heat as the reason for the ban. Cities and towns have the ability to issue their own burn bans separate from county and state-issued bans. The governor issued a burn ban on Friday for 40 counties in southern and central Mississippi. |
| Weekend burglaries in Starkville leaves 9 juveniles behind bars | |
 | Weekends are usually seen as a relaxing and peaceful time to unwind; however, that wasn't the case for some Starkville residents and law enforcement. Almost 30 cars were burglarized over the weekend mostly at one apartment complex. "Starkville has experienced 27 auto burglaries four stolen weapons on the street and as a result, we've made nine arrests," said Starkville police chief Mark Ballard. Ballard said arrests came from Friday night burglaries and six came from Saturday night. Eight were charged as juveniles. 17-year-old Tyson Barrett was charged as an adult because he was out on bond for felony stealing of a vehicle. "If you are a parent know where your children are because of the nine arrests we made, one is an adult the rest are juveniles between ages 12-17 years of age so we've got four stolen weapons in the hands of juveniles," said Ballard. 17 of the 27 auto burglaries happened at Redpoint Apartments. Ballard said most of the burglaries came from people not locking their doors. However, there were cases where windows were broken and items were stolen. Ballard said ringing doorbells plus the help of the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office and Mississippi State University police helped make quick arrests possible. He said if people choose to commit crimes in his city, there will be consequences. |
| Mississippi could face hottest week in state history | |
| Mississippi's brutal summer is about to get even hotter. The National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting that residents will be met with daily high temperatures nearing or surpassing 100 degrees throughout the week and that Thursday's heat could shatter multiple calendar day records across the state. NWS Jackson is forecasting that temperatures will reach up to 107 degrees in certain areas of the state on Thursday, which would break the all-time records in Greenwood, Hattiesburg, and Natchez, and tie the records in Jackson and Meridian. "We are forecasting an all-time high for Thursday," a representative with NWS stated. "This week could be one of the hottest weeks we have ever experienced in our history -- at least in recorded history." While the Magnolia State continues to face extreme heat, NWS is urging residents to limit outdoor activities and to remain hydrated at all times. Central and southern portions of Mississippi remain under a burn ban as the current drought continues to plague the state. NWS does not expect any rainfall to occur in the state throughout the week. |
| What caused Hurricane Hilary | |
| Californians unaccustomed to facing the powerful winds and heavy rains of tropical storms -- the last time was 84 years ago -- may be wondering today why Hurricane Hilary became the rare tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Golden State. To understand that, it's helpful to know why the event is so uncommon in the first place. According to the Los Angeles Times, "California has been protected from the wrath of hurricanes by three robust natural defenders:" A cold current along the Pacific Coast, which reduces the strength of storms reliant on heat; a prevailing east-to-west wind pattern that pushes storms out to sea; and a downward flow of air over the state that suppresses storms. But this year, those conditions have shifted. The cold current has been mitigated by record-setting air and water temperatures around the globe this summer, due to climate change and El Niño, a band of warm ocean water that develops in the Pacific Ocean. Southern California has recently experienced severe heat waves and Baja California, Mexico, where Hilary made landfall, has seen higher-than-average ocean temperatures this summer. This is part of a long-term trend, driven by rising global average temperatures. Kim Wood, a Mississippi State University atmospheric scientist who studies tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific, told Inside Climate News that Southern California's waters have been warming a half-degree Fahrenheit every 10 years for the last six decades. |
| New state bar president credits father for career choice, looks forward to serving her profession | |
 | The new Mississippi Bar president Jenny Tyler Baker is a Coast attorney who followed the lead of her late father, attorney Bob Tyler. "He is definitely the person who inspired me to pursue a career as an attorney," she said. "He also encouraged service to the profession and the community, which led me to where I am today." Baker is a cum laude graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. She earned her Juris Doctor from Mississippi College School of Law. Baker, a lifelong Biloxi resident, serves as counsel in Carr Allison's Gulfport office. She enjoys practicing law because she gets to help people. "Over the years, I have been involved in so many different types of cases: adoptions, estates ... I am (also) a public defender. I enjoy resolving conflicts for my clients," she said. In her practice, Baker focuses on defending matters involving workers' compensation along with general litigation, premises liability, professional liability, and labor and employment. An active participant in the activities of the Bar for several years, Baker feels she's gained friendships that will last a lifetime. She was recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of Mississippi's Leading Lawyers in 2014 and received the Community Spirit Award from Mississippi College School of Law. |
| Hosemann sets sights on healthcare, tax cuts | |
 | Mississippi's Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann says he has a list of objectives to start working on with the state legislature this fall. Healthcare, tax cuts and environmental issues are all topics that the Lt. Governor plans to tackle in the coming months. While all of these were discussed and debated by lawmakers in 2023's session, he says the "work is not done." Following the Dobbs decision, Hosemann tapped a committee of senators to focus on the well-being of women and children in the state. Hosemann hopes to establish something similar for healthcare as a whole to confront hospital closures and disparities in access to care. "And during the last few months, I've discussed it in detail, but I believe healthcare is a salient point for the legislature this year and we need to go find out what's going on in healthcare." Hosemann is also chairing the Legislative Budget Committee this year, which works to draft recommendations for the state budget. He says he hopes to see more progress on promises made by state leaders on tax cuts, both to groceries and income. "You know, realistically, we have to absorb about a $525 million tax cut," he said. "I think we were over about 690 million this year. So you can do the math and you know, that would have left us another 150 million or so that we would have had before the tax cut." |
| The Worker Bidding War Is Over. Companies Are Cutting Pay for New Hires. | |
 | Pay for new hires is starting to shrivel after years of hefty salary bumps, requiring workers to reset what financial gains to expect from switching to a new job. Wages, especially for people who changed jobs, climbed in recent years as companies competed for workers to fill pandemic-induced labor shortages. Now, as the job market cools and businesses become more cautious in their hiring, many companies are paying new recruits less than they did just months ago -- in some cases, much less. Among postings for more than 20,000 job titles on ZipRecruiter's site this year, the average pay for a majority of roles has declined from last year. Some of the steepest drops have been in technology, transportation and other sectors that experienced frenzied hiring sprees in 2021 and early 2022. The declines mark a stark turnaround from 2022, when compensation for three-quarters of advertised job titles rose from the year before, according to ZipRecruiter. In a July survey of about 2,000 employers conducted by the online hiring platform, nearly half said they had reduced pay for recent job openings. Overall wage growth continues and it surpassed inflation in June for the first time in two years as consumer price increases slowed. Still, wage growth peaked last summer and has since declined to 5.7%, according to Labor Department figures. It isn't just white-collar roles that are feeling the crimp. During the pandemic, the Unionville, Tenn., pizza restaurant where Valerie Breshears works as a delivery driver boosted wages to $13 an hour to draw new workers. More recently, Breshears discovered from newly hired staff that the restaurant's starting pay had been lowered to $11 an hour. |
| House GOP hard-liners lay out stopgap funding demands | |
 | The hard-right House Freedom Caucus announced Monday that the group would oppose the stopgap funding measure needed to avert a partial government shutdown next month unless it includes conservatives' policy priorities relating to overall spending levels, the border, the Justice Department and the military. The caucus' position highlights the obstacles that Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., faces next month with just a dozen legislative days after lawmakers return to Washington until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Any controversial add-ons risk losing support from all or almost all Democrats and even some GOP moderates; if all Democrats are present and voting "no," McCarthy won't be able to lose more than four votes on his side. In its statement Monday, the Freedom Caucus said that supporting a "clean" continuing resolution, which typically extends the prior fiscal year's funding rate, "would be an affirmation of the current [fiscal 2023] spending level grossly increased by the lame-duck December 2022 omnibus spending bill that we all vehemently opposed just seven months ago." The group vowed to oppose any spending bill that does not include the House-passed immigration and border security bill; does not "address the unprecedented weaponization of the Justice Department and FBI" that the group says has targeted political opponents; and "end the Left's cancerous woke policies in the Pentagon." The Freedom Caucus said Monday that it opposes short-term funding extensions to set up a December deadline and force the passage of an omnibus. The caucus will "use every procedural tool necessary to prevent that outcome," the statement said. |
| Can South Carolina's Haley and Scott woo the GOP's white evangelical base away from Trump? | |
 | In 2015, Nikki Haley and Tim Scott attended the funerals of those slain by a racist gunman at Mother Emanuel AME Church. Scott would later tear up on the Senate floor recounting the faith of the fallen and their families. Haley would go on to write that she leaned on God and her faith deepened as she grappled with the trauma of the Charleston shooting. If the state's first Asian American governor and its first Black senator since Reconstruction embodied how far South Carolina has come on race, the murders of the Emanuel Nine showed just how far it has to go. Eight years later, the region around Charleston, known as the Holy City, is home to the two Republicans' presidential campaigns. Scott grew up in North Charleston, and after leaving her post as U.N. ambassador, Haley moved to nearby Kiawah Island. Both are still waiting for a breakthrough moment, possibly in the first GOP debate on Wednesday. Both have been part of influential S.C. churches, and as candidates of color must appeal to their party's white evangelical base to have a prayer against former President Donald Trump, whose hold on the GOP and its Christian voters remains strong. "These two have managed to make their mark nationally, in part because they are candidates of color, and they have done it without emphasizing that fact," said Danielle Vinson, a political science professor at Furman University. "It's still a bit of a necessity in a Republican Party that wants to focus on a colorblind society that has made great strides." |
| RNC announces Hutchinson, 7 others will participate in Wednesday debate | |
| The Republican National Committee announced Monday evening that eight candidates will participate in the Republican Party's first presidential debate, with former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson among those set to appear on Wednesday's debate stage. Hutchinson and seven other candidates met certain criteria established by the Republican National Committee pertaining to donors and polls and additionally signed a pledge promising to support the party's eventual nominee for the White House. Other candidates who will participate in the debate include former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Fox News will host the debate, which will begin at 8 p.m. Central on Wednesday. To appear on the stage, candidates were required to sign a pledge agreeing to support the eventual Republican nominee and boycott all non-sanctioned debates. Hutchinson told CNN on Sunday he will sign the pledge, expressing confidence that former President Donald Trump -- the party's current front-runner -- will not win the Republican nomination. "I'm going to support the nominee of the party," he told Kasie Hunt. "I do not expect it to be Donald Trump." The debate comes with Trump maintaining a significant lead over his Republican opponents. |
| After Dominion case, GOP debate gives Fox News chance to burnish image | |
 | Months after a blockbuster defamation lawsuit raised questions about Fox News's dedication to accuracy and fraught relationship with Donald Trump, two of its star anchors will have a chance to bolster the network's image Wednesday night when they moderate the first Republican debate of the 2024 presidential cycle. Anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum spoke of the debate as business as usual for them in interviews with The Washington Post, citing their lengthy careers in Fox's news division -- rather than the conservative-leaning opinion wing, some of whose hosts were cited in the case that Fox settled with an election technology company for $787.5 million in April. "I think that Fox has fantastic political reporters," MacCallum said. "We have great war correspondents. We have a very strong news division, and I'm proud to be part of it, and I'm proud to be co-moderating this debate with Bret, and I've always felt really good about what we do." Last fall, Baier was forced to explain a leaked email showing that he had lobbied Fox colleagues to revoke an election-night decision to award Arizona to Joe Biden and to "put it back in [Trump's] column." He told The Post last week that his email exchange was misread and mistyped -- that he meant to say that Arizona, which most other media outlets had not yet called, should be put back in the up-for-grabs column -- and quibbled with how reporters interpreted his words. Baier reinforced his journalistic bona fides with a tough interview of Trump in June that the former president initially described as fair before deriding as nasty. ("I like the first answer," Baier told The Post.) |
| Court limits Trump social media use | |
 | A judge on Monday limited former President Trump's social media use in connection to the an indictment in Georgia that charged him with 13 counts related to his and his allies' efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state. Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee signed the order banning Trump from contacting his codefendants or witnesses in the case, except through their attorneys. It also bans the former president from intimidating codefendants or witnesses in the case, including through posts on social media. "The Defendant shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice," the order says. "The above shall include, but are not limited to, posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media," it states. This is not the first time the former president has been warned to limit his social media use and public statements in one of his ongoing legal battles. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing Trump's federal 2020 election case, warned both sides of the case to take "special care" to avoid making any statements that could intimidate witnesses or prejudice the jury pool earlier this month. Trump confirmed in a Truth Social post on Monday that he would turn himself in Georgia on Thursday. |
| It's more than a poll. The Iowa survey is grim news for everyone but Trump. | |
 | Before Monday, the conventional wisdom of the Republican political class in Iowa held that any day now -- as the rest of the field campaigned across the first-in-the-nation caucus state -- an alternative to Donald Trump was bound to catch fire. But then came the highly anticipated Iowa Poll, the most credible assessment yet of the state of the field in Iowa. For everyone other than Trump, it was a heavy dose of cold water. There was no magic for Trump's rivals with the flip of a pork burger at last week's Iowa State Fair. The state's devout evangelical voters -- believed by many Republicans to be interested in finding a more palatable nominee -- are still standing behind Trump in droves. And despite marginal increases in support for some lower-polling candidates, everyone but Trump and Ron DeSantis -- his closest competitor, who remains a whopping 23 percentage points behind Trump -- are stuck in the single digits. "Everything, in a way, is kind of falling flat," said Kelley Koch, chair of the Dallas County Republican Party. For candidates busily traversing the state, she said, "You would expect a bump." Instead, "It's almost like Trump's got his grip on Iowa." The former president, with the support of 42 percent of likely GOP caucusgoers in the new poll, has solidly maintained his position as frontrunner in Iowa, despite making few visits to the state and skipping major cattle calls there. And Trump's four indictments appear to have only helped him in Iowa, never mind the arguments made that his legal woes continue to damage his general election prospects. |
| UM launching nation's first center for narrative intelligence | |
| The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning has approved the creation of a new National Center for Narrative Intelligence at the University of Mississippi, the first of its kind in the country. Narrative intelligence -- a human and artificial intelligence-driven process that analyzes large amounts of data to derive meaning, trends and outcomes -- is particularly useful in identifying the patterns and flow of misinformation and disinformation. It has broad professional applications in various fields including journalism, health care, national security and public policy. "Information is more prolific and accessible than any other time in our history," said Noel Wilkin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. "This is largely because anyone with a smartphone, tablet or computer and social media account can create, disseminate and propagate information. This makes knowing the source and veracity of information much more difficult. "This center will make a valuable contribution to society as it develops and uses tools and strategies to ascertain the sources and veracity of information. This work is critical to our ability to make decisions and develop our opinions based on truth, not just a social media post that received the most forwards or likes." |
| UMMC chief to remain at helm for another four years | |
| Dr. LouAnn Woodward will continue to lead the University of Mississippi Medical Center, one of the state's largest employers and its only academic health science center, for another four years. Trustees on the Institutions of Higher Learning board, which governs all universities and colleges in Mississippi, unanimously approved the Chancellor of the University of Mississippi's request to give Woodward another four-year contract in executive session at the board's June meeting. "Under Dr. LouAnn Woodward's tremendous leadership, the University of Mississippi Medical Center plays a vital and growing role in serving the health care needs for all Mississippians," said Chancellor Glenn Boyce in an emailed statement. "I'm deeply grateful for her guidance, commitment and talent, and how she continues to empower her home state and shape UMMC for an even brighter future." The new four-year contract began July 1 and will be in place until June 30, 2027, confirmed Jacob Batte, the director of news and media relations for the University of Mississippi. Woodward, whose official title is UMMC's vice chancellor of health affairs and the dean of the school of medicine, became the first woman to lead the medical center and school when she was appointed in 2015. She was trained as an emergency room physician at UMMC after graduating from Mississippi State University. |
| Murphy takes reins as dean of UMMC grad school | |
| Dr. Sydney Murphy's love of experimentation was nurtured under the expert eye of her first mentor, her grandfather, an organic chemist whose career focused primarily on sugar research. "We would do 'experiments' in the kitchen, which usually resulted in a candy product," said the new dean of the School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "While 'experimenting,' he would explain the basics of atoms, chemical bonding properties and crystalline structures. "I was always intrigued by how something so intangible resulted in a very tangible, and tasty result." It was no surprise Murphy pursued a career in the sciences. After a year majoring in biomedical engineering at Mississippi State University, she decided to switch to microbiology. That's when divine intervention stepped in. Sent to the wrong building to register for classes, in one of those classic mix-ups movie scripts are made of, Murphy unwittingly ended up transferring to biochemistry instead. Because the two majors shared the same foundational courses, she didn't realize for another year that she was not who she thought she was: a microbiology major. But it was too late. "I had begun working in an on-campus laboratory in the plant and soil sciences department, assisting one of the professors in sequencing the genome of the Loblolly pine," she said. "It was my first experience in a research lab, and I loved the dynamic of it all." |
| Bioarchaeologist project works to exhume, identify some 7,000 asylum patients | |
 | Using just their hands and small shovels to remove soil one scoop at a time, archaeologists have begun the arduous task of exhuming the remains of what may be up to 7,000 people buried at a largely forgotten cemetery near Jackson's Fondren neighborhood. Called the "Asylum Hill Project," the work is focused on property owned by the University of Mississippi Medical Center in the northeast part of their campus, south of Lakeland Drive. Slated for redevelopment and future expansion by the medical center, the Mississippi Legislature in 2019 passed a bill allowing for exhumation and relocation of the remains located there and two years later $3.7 million was allocated to begin the project. Jennifer Mack, Ph.D., who is serving as lead bioarchaeologist for the project, explained that the site was originally part of what was known as the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum, a 140-acre mental hospital operated between 1855 and 1935. It was the predecessor of what is now known as the Mississippi State Hospital at Whitfield in Rankin County. Mack said existence of the cemetery was all but forgotten until 2012 when a road crew doing some culvert work on the campus unexpectedly discovered a single grave just south of where the current work is ongoing. That find soon led to the discovery of 65 other graves in the same vicinity. The overall project is being overseen by the Asylum Hill Research Consortium, a group of scholars from various disciplines formed in 2018 to ensure respectful exhumations and memorialize the lives of those buried on the grounds. Members of the consortium include Eric Hospodor, Dr. Sara Gleason, Dr. Ralph Didlake (Director), Mary Ball Markow, Misti Thornton, Dr. Amy Wiese Forbes, Dr. Caroline Compretta, Dr. Véronique Bélisle; Dr. Thomas Gregory, Dr. Tony Boudreaux, Dr. Patrick Hopkins, Dr. Janice Brockley, Dr. Shamsi Berry and Dr. Molly Zuckerman. |
| USM's Master of Business Administration program receives national recognition | |
 | Leaders with the University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) announced the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program has received recognition in the field of online education by Fortune Education in their prestigious rankings for Online MBA Programs. According to USM officials, the Online MBA Program rankings were based on quantitative and qualitative methodologies via survey data, Fortune research findings, and brand surveys. "We are thrilled that the Southern Miss Online MBA program has achieved remarkable recognition in Fortune Education's Best MBA Program rankings. These prestigious accolades are a testament to our unwavering commitment to delivering excellence in online business education," said Dr. Bret Becton, Dean of the College of Business and Economic Development. |
| How much does it cost to go to U. of Tennessee? | |
 | The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is expected to have record enrollment for the 2023-2024 academic year, welcoming about 35,000 students from around the world. For incoming and returning students, tuition costs and fees are a major consideration. It's part of the planning process to know just how much students and their families will pay toward a degree. We've compiled questions and answers about tuition, fees, room, board and more for those who are considering attending Tennessee's flagship university this fall and beyond. Tuition costs at the Knoxville campus depend on whether the student lives in Tennessee when they apply or lives in another state. In-state undergraduate tuition is $11,332 per academic year, and out-of-state tuition is $29,522, but that amount does not include additional fees. Students qualify for in-state tuition if they have lived in Tennessee for a year and have graduated from a Tennessee high school. These tuition figures, of course, are for the average undergrad student. It is higher if a student is a part of one of these four colleges: engineering; architecture and design; nursing, or business. Administrators are working to hold down costs. This is the fourth year in a row that tuition has stayed stable at UT. |
| Texas A&M students head back to campus, react to new police procedure | |
 | Over 70,000 students returned to campus Monday as Texas A&M University began its first day of classes for the fall 2023 semester. While some students struggled to navigate traffic and find a parking spot among the packed lots, others began advertising their student organizations and promoting their causes in front of a fresh new crop of Aggies. Animal Science pre-med sophomore Lily Lax, who was standing outside the Memorial Student Center (MSC) bantering with some fellow students, said she had to get to campus early to find a parking spot for her 8 a.m. meat science class. "It was terrible, terrible; I thought it was going to make me late honestly," Lax said regarding the morning traffic. "[I park] in lot 100 and it was terrible. I had to circle around a couple times, but I found a spot." Having lived on campus her freshman year, Lax said that getting to class on time is more difficult when living off-campus. "It was so much more convenient living on campus, everything's so much closer," she said. "I live in a sorority house now, so I live not that far off-campus and so traffic is bad. I didn't have to drive anywhere when I was on campus, so [the] buses were great." With more than 40 consecutive days of over 100-degree weather, Lax said she was not looking forward to walking around campus for her afternoon classes. "Right when it hit 9, that's when I started sweating," she said. "At 8 a.m. it was kind of nice, not too bad ... but I know later on, having classes in the afternoon is going to be terrible, just in the heat." Even though exact enrollment numbers for fall 2023 have not yet been released, A&M's student population has continued to grow year over year with a reported population of 74,829 in fall 2022. |
| U. of Missouri students kick off the 2023-24 school year | |
 | The fall semester began at the University of Missouri on Monday, where it saw a larger freshman class than last year, comprised of about 5,150 students. The school's retention rate, 91%, was also higher for returning students. While walking on campus, some students said they were focused on balancing various academic and extracurricular activities. Others expressed some angst about transitioning to a new lifestyle that includes the need to manage transportation or money issues. Some incoming students, such as Ellie Vice, a freshman from North Dakota, are experiencing a new academic atmosphere. The number of students in Vice's undergraduate class was a drastic change from her high school, she said. "Going to First Roar and Tiger Walk, I was like 'this is a lot of people,'" Vice said. "I had a class of 42 and now it's (about) 5,000. It's overwhelming." Students from smaller states are not the only ones making this adjustment. Transfer students from in-state also experience a change at the state's largest school. "I feel like the class (size) is going to be an adjustment," transfer student Kaitlyn Bergstrom said. "I'm from a smaller school so they're more smaller classes, so that's going to be really different." For senior Bethany Moore, making friends and getting involved was the key to finding her way through school. As a student who started during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said joining the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta helped her acclimate to college life. |
| At West Virginia U., Students Protest Cuts, Tell Gordon Gee to 'Go' | |
 | Just before noon on Monday, Tim Bragg crisscrossed the hallways of Woodburn Hall at West Virginia University. The senior poked his head into classrooms and encouraged his fellow students to abandon the day's lessons for a protest instead. "Hey y'all. It's walkout time," Bragg, a double major in history and women's and gender studies, and a first-generation student, told an English class on the ground floor. He gave a 20-second spiel about WVU's proposed cuts to academic programs and why he thinks they're unjust. The plan -- to eliminate 12 undergraduate majors and 20 graduate programs, along with 7 percent of full-time faculty members -- has angered and galvanized many on the Morgantown campus since it was announced this month. Four students got up to follow Bragg out of the building. One of them, Robbie Acree, a sophomore, said he was compelled to join even though his intended major of finance is not under threat. "If I'm gonna be part of an institution," he said, "I at least want it to be respected by its students." Acree and the others walked toward the student union. They joined hundreds of their peers who, along with professors and Morgantown residents, had gathered on the plaza for a lively, loud, and sweaty demonstration. Student organizers shouted into a megaphone about the importance of the disciplines that are now on the chopping block. They led the crowd, many of whom wore red to show solidarity, in call-and-response chants. Drivers in passing cars and trucks laid on their horns to show support. For the protesters, a fundamental question underlined their shouts and signs: What sort of education must a public flagship provide? |
| Slashing Its Budget, West Virginia University Asks, What Is Essential? | |
 | Christian Adams wants to be an immigration or labor lawyer, so he planned to major in Chinese studies at West Virginia University, with an emphasis on the Mandarin language. But as his sophomore year begins, he has learned that, as part of a plan to close a $45 million budget deficit through faculty layoffs and academic program consolidation, the university has proposed eliminating its world languages department, gutting his major. He will have to pivot to accounting, he says, and probably spend an extra year in college, taking out more student loans. "A lot of students are really worried," said Mr. Adams, 18. "Some are considering transferring. But a lot of students are stuck with the hand they've been given." In a move that shocked the faculty, students and their families, West Virginia University announced last week that it was proposing laying off 169 faculty members, or 7 percent of the faculty on its main campus in Morgantown. Thirty-two of the university's 338 majors would be shut down, and some other programs would be consolidated, like those dealing with the state's historically important but declining mining industry, which will probably be converted into an "energy" program, officials said. The cuts will affect 147 undergraduates and 287 graduate students, or less than 2 percent of student enrollment. The administration is calling the plan a "transformation." Some professors are calling it a "blood bath." The budget cuts have ignited debate about some of the biggest issues facing higher education. |
| These Are the Factors That End College Presidencies | |
| One certainty about the job of college president, known for its unpredictability, is that every one must eventually come to an end. Less certain are the circumstances under which that happens. Sometimes presidents leave on a high note, awash in praise from faculty, staff, students, and board members. Other times a presidency ends unexpectedly and is precipitated by a reputation-tarnishing event -- much like the one that recently claimed M. Katherine Banks's job at Texas A&M University's flagship campus. Her retirement, spurred by fallout from the compromised hiring process of a respected journalist and Texas A&M alum to lead the university's journalism department, was effective immediately. The unexpected end to Banks's tenure raises interesting questions about the lifespan of a presidency. What factors lead to a president's exit? And once the first stirrings of a controversy or of an ultimately unsolvable personal or professional challenge become known, how long does it take for presidents to announce their resignation or retirement, or to be fired? To find answers to those questions, The Chronicle turned to its data on executive compensation and job changes, among other sources, to analyze the departures of 119 presidents, chancellors, and system leaders over the past five years. We used news-media reports and statements by college officials to identify the nature of events that occurred before presidents announced their departure. |
| With loan forgiveness paused, Biden's new student debt plan steps in | |
 | It's official: The administration of President Joe Biden launched a student loan repayment plan Tuesday that it describes as the "most affordable" option yet for reducing that debt. Through the plan, called Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE), participating borrowers could see their payments cut in half, while some will see their amounts zero out. Borrowers can begin enrolling at StudentAid.gov/SAVE as of Tuesday. Those who participated in the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) Plan, the previous iteration of this option that generally capped payments at 10% of borrowers' monthly discretionary income, will be automatically enrolled. "This plan is a gamechanger for millions of Americans, many of whom are putting off having children, buying their first home or even starting a business because they can't get out from under their student loans," said White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden in a call with reporters Monday. "This administration is using every tool at our disposal to get student loan borrowers the help and the relief they need to reach their dreams and (Biden's) SAVE plan is the next step in this effort." As with REPAYE, the amount borrowers pay back through SAVE is based on their income and family size. Generally speaking, it's not tied to their loan balance. After a certain number of years, borrowers who participate in SAVE will see their remaining balances cleared. Meanwhile, some critics worry the SAVE plan will disproportionately benefit higher-income borrowers and amount to a handout. The administration, however, stresses that low- and middle-income borrowers, including those who attended community college or now work in public service, will be among the plan's biggest beneficiaries. |
| Students Mobilize for a New March on Washington | |
| Sixty years ago this weekend, an estimated 250,000 people gathered on the National Mall to demonstrate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans in the famed March on Washington. At the protest, which is credited with playing a role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Although progress has undoubtedly come in the ensuing decades, recent years have brought roadblocks. The Voting Rights and Fair Housing Acts have been gutted, as have the right to abortion and affirmative action. America has a yawning Black-white wealth gap and an epidemic of police violence. Hate crimes are up, and LGBTQ+ protections are being chipped away. And King's speech is often twisted in service of arguments for race blindness or "neutrality." With this in mind, civil rights leaders have organized a new March on Washington for August 26th, under the banner "Not a Commemoration, A Continuation." Much like the March 60 years ago, one of the key constituencies will be students. Reverend Al Sharpton, president and founder of the National Action Network, the civil rights organization that is spearheading the new March, said that the participation of college students and young people is critically important given the recent assaults on affirmative action and the Supreme Court's decision to reject student loan debt relief. Sharpton said that dozens of buses from colleges and universities from across the nation will be traveling to Washington, D.C. this weekend, and higher education leaders -- including many college presidents -- are planning to join their students. |
SPORTS
| CFP must be reconsidered amid realignment, SEC commish says | |
| As the winds of change continue to swirl in college athletics, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said more change is coming, particularly with regard to college football's postseason format, and reiterated that the SEC would not be reactionary to what the Big Ten or any other conference is doing. "Right now, you put it in bold letters that things are going to change. Period," Sankey told ESPN in a recent interview. "And we're all going to have to be prepared to deal with that change. Period." Sankey, one of 10 FBS commissioners who oversee the College Football Playoff along with Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, is convinced that the 12-team format, which he helped author and which was agreed upon for the 2024 season, needs to be reexamined. Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, who is the chair of the CFP board of managers, proposed a 12-team format with no automatic qualifiers last summer, but that proposal did not receive enough votes to pass. "We spent a lot of time and discussion when we started down this path on how to get beyond four," Keenum told ESPN. "My position was that I wanted the top 12 teams. I understand there's great prestige being a major conference champion. At the end of the day, though, it depends on where they're ranked. We want to make sure we have the best teams competing in our nation's playoff to determine the champion. So, that's where I've been. But again, as you work through something like this, you have to be willing to make compromises. Now, we're going forward with all the shifting of schools among conferences, and I don't think any of us know what the playoff will look like from 2024 on." |
| Mississippi State football scrimmages are lessons learned for OC Kevin Barbay | |
 | With less than two weeks before Mississippi State football kicks off its season on Sept. 2 against Southeastern Louisiana at Davis Wade Stadium, the Bulldogs are still working through fall camp adjustments. That was evident coming out of the team's weekend scrimmage. "I don't think you walk away from any scrimmage feeling excellent," MSU first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay said. "There is always room for improvement." Even for Barbay, who gave himself a modest grade after Saturday's practice. "A C-minus," Barbay said. "I am hard on myself. I thought there were some good things done out there today. I think the reality is you are always looking for something you could correct better on every single day." Although Barbay is a long-tenured coach in the college ranks, in his first season in Starkville, each day of practice has been a learning experience as he gets comfortable with a new group of players. "For me, it is just as important as I practice each of these situations," he said. "When is the time to go fast, take a shot, sequence a play call. Practicing those situations, going through it in my head, listening to the staff and what their ideas are. At the end of the day it is all of us together." Barbay enters the fray, taking over an offense filled with experience. The Bulldogs return seven starters on the offensive side of the ball, including four offensive lineman, two wideouts and a running back. But none will be more important to MSU's success than senior quarterback Will Rogers. |
| Three freshmen who should make an impact for Mississippi State football, Zach Arnett in 2023 | |
| Mississippi State football returns a cast of veteran players for first-year coach Zach Arnett, but what shouldn't be forgotten is the young talent the Bulldogs have with potential to play in Year 1. Among the biggest wins for Arnett came less than two weeks after he stepped in for Mike Leach. The Bulldogs were able to sign a top 30 recruiting class -- highlighted by beating out LSU for four-star safety Isaac Smith. That accomplishment gave Mississippi State players capable of stepping in immediately and pushing for playing time over experienced teammates. That doesn't mean sixth-year linebackers Jett Johnson or Nathaniel Watson are getting beat out. Freshman quarterback Chris Parson, who has participated in preseason practices after suffering an injury late in his high school career, won't be pushing for senior Will Rogers' starting spot. However, at positions with needs to be filled, the 2023 signing class could make an impact. Here's a look at three freshmen who could play a big role for Mississippi State this year. |
| Bulldogs draw with Arizona State to conclude season-opening road trip | |
| Mississippi State women's soccer looked to start out the 2023 season with two-straight wins Sunday night as it took on Arizona State in Tempe. Despite dominating in shots, shots on goal and corner kicks, the Bulldogs drew against the Sun Devils, concluding their season-opening West Coast swing with four points in two matches. Mississippi State (1-1-0) attempted 13 shots to Arizona State's three, out-shooting the Sun Devils, 8-3, in shots on goal. Both Rylie Combs and Ruthny Marthurin each had two shots on goal to lead the Bulldogs while Molly McDougal led in total shots with three. MSU also had six total corner kicks, three times as many as ASU. Senior goalkeeper Maddy Anderson made three saves on the night, all in the second half. The Bulldogs return to Starkville for their home opener against Northwestern State at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. |
| USM Pride marching band to host preview Friday | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi's Pride of Mississippi marching band and the Dixie Darlings will kick off the 2023 football season with Pride Preview at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25 at Southern Station behind the Thad Cochran Center on the Hattiesburg campus. The concert is free and open to the public. Under the direction of Dr. Travis Higa, the event is the traditional opening to Golden Eagle football season. The Pride will be playing their traditional pre-game show and a special preview performance of their first halftime show. "These students have worked incredibly hard to prepare multiple shows under extreme weather conditions," Higa said. "Students in The Pride of Mississippi are dedicated Golden Eagles and one of the best representations of the university. Since the band's founding in 1920 as a 20-piece brass ensemble, The Pride of Mississippi has evolved into a marching band of more than 300 members. The band is accompanied by the Dixie Darlings dance and drill team. |
| MHSAA allowing 8 o'clock kickoffs this week | |
| High school football teams in Mississippi have the option of starting games up to an hour later than normal this weekend. MHSAA executive director Rickey Neaves said in a video on Monday that due to this week's heat wave, teams will be allowed to start games at 8 p.m. instead of the normal 7 p.m. kickoff time. The forecast calls for high temperatures of more than 100 degrees in Northeast Mississippi both Thursday and Friday. Three area games are scheduled for Thursday, while the majority of teams open play Friday. Tupelo's game, against Whitehaven (Tenn.), is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at Northwest Mississippi Community College. Temps are expected to reach the upper 90s that day. The MHSAA established guidelines earlier this summer for dealing with excessive heat. Teams must use a measurement called WetBulb Globe Temperature, and a reading of higher than 92 means no outdoor activities are allowed. As it has done for years, the MHSAA will require "heat timeouts" during each quarter. Neaves said officials may call for extra heat timeouts this weekend if needed. |
| UMMC to offer Friday night injury clinic for high school football players | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) will be holding clinics for high school football players who are hurt during Friday night games throughout the regular season. Student-athletes injured in a Friday night football game during the regular high school season can be brought to UMMC's Physicians Pavilion in Jackson for care. With sports medicine specialists and radiological services on site, the Friday Night injury clinic is open to care for high school athletes whose injuries are not extreme enough for a trip to the emergency room. The clinic is open to athletes from all schools who need help with any football-related injuries. Conditions including bumps, bruises, broken bones; ligament, ACL, and tendon tears; and suspected concussions will be treated on-site. For an athlete's long-term safety and health, medical experts say it's critical to have suspected concussions examined and treated immediately. Even if nothing more serious is detected, a prompt medical examination can bring peace of mind to the student and his or her family. The clinic will be open on Fridays, from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m., or until the last student is seen. Walk-ins are welcome, but those planning to visit the clinic are encouraged to call ahead at (601) 815-4721. |
| Luke Altmyer selected starting quarterback at Illinois for opener against Toledo | |
| Luke Altmyer will be the starting quarterback for Illinois when it opens the season at home against Toledo on Sept. 2, coach Bret Bielema announced Monday. Altmyer transferred to Illinois in January after two seasons at Mississippi, where he started one game and appeared in three others last season. He beat out Ball State graduate transfer John Paddock and Donovan Leary for the Illini job. Altmyer appeared in nine games in two seasons at Mississippi, and 247Sports ranked him as the No. 10 transfer quarterback entering 2023. He was a consensus four-star recruit in 2021 out of Starkville, Mississippi. The Illini are picked fourth in the Big Ten West in the preseason media poll. Last season they were 8-5 and tied for second in the West at 5-4 -- their most overall and conference wins since 2007. |
| The first SEC championship game in 1992 changed college football. This is how it happened. | |
 | Roy Kramer and other Southeastern Conference officials walked through Legion Field down toward the lower level. It was late in the fourth quarter of the 1992 SEC championship, and they needed to reach the officiating crew in case the game ended in a tie. Alabama and Florida were knotted, 21-21, so they had to discuss what to do in case the score held. Angst hung in the cold, rainy air. The inaugural championship game had been widely questioned, and now the three-loss Gators had a chance to upend the undefeated Crimson Tide. Just then, Alabama cornerback Antonio Langham returned an interception for a touchdown. "We didn't see the play," said Mark Womack, Kramer's right-hand man and now the SEC executive associate commissioner, "but certainly heard it." Langham's interception prevented Florida from dashing Alabama's national championship hopes. The Crimson Tide went on to beat Miami 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl for their first title since the Bear Bryant days --- but that was not the lasting significance. Thirty-one years later, the initially controversial SEC championship game has become one of the most important matchups of the season. The winner has gone on to capture 15 national championships, and it paved the way for other leagues to implement their own title games. "The SEC being the first to do that, I think, led to a change in how college football was scheduled and played in the conferences," Womack said, "because everybody then was trying to get to a conference championship game, which created the expansion to get the numbers to be able to do that." |
| Alabama fans will notice improvements at Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2023 | |
 | After a 2022 season that brought major changes to Bryant-Denny Stadium, including adding beer and wine sales inside, ticketing going mobile-only, and all point of sale stations cashless, 2023's Crimson Tide fan experience will be more about tweaking and refining processes, through technology. One big difference fans may not notice as quickly as players and coaches will: the new playing surface. "We've got a SubAir system with a natural grass field," said Greg Byrne, who has served as director of athletics at the University of Alabama since 2017. "The only place there'll be synthetic turf is on the aprons." SubAir creates turf systems for golf courses, baseball and football fields, and soccer pitches, using Mother Nature's preferred playing surface, but with heating, drainage and monitoring systems beneath, to keep the grass at ideal conditions. Sensors monitor oxygen, moisture and temperature levels, and adjust aeration accordingly. If one of Tuscaloosa's sudden monsoons sweeps over, vacuum-assisted draining systems kick in. If later fall or winter games turn freezing, the surface underneath can be heated. Functions can be set to auto, or adjusted via tablets, computers or smartphones. The system also retains historical data, to better prepare for future seasons. "It's a beautiful surface," Byrne said, "real grass." Beer and wine sales over went very well for the inaugural season, he said. "We certainly heard a lot of feedback from fans, as an amenity for them," Byrne said. The successful adaptation led also to similar concessions for baseball and softball fans, at Sewell-Thomas and Rhoads stadiums. |
| WSU prez Kirk Schulz targets Fox as reason for Pac-12 collapse | |
| One of the Pac-12's longtime media partners had strategic reasons for taking the step that decimated the conference, according to a university president with knowledge of the media rights negotiations. Washington State's Kirk Schulz, chair of the Pac-12 board of directors, suggested late last week that Fox might have lured Washington and Oregon into the Big Ten in order to prevent the Pac-12 from signing an agreement with Apple. "We've got just a couple networks that are making the real decisions about who goes where based on the dollars they want to put into it," Schulz said during a conversation published on the university's YouTube channel. "I do think if I was Fox and ESPN, I'm not sure I want Apple in the marketplace, frankly. I don't want somebody with pockets that are that deep as a rival if I can afford it." Pac-12 presidents were expected to sign a grant-of-rights contract with Apple that would have kept the conference together. But a few minutes before their crucial meeting on Aug. 4, Washington and Oregon announced they were joining the Big Ten. The tectonic development prompted Utah, Arizona and Arizona State to seek shelter in the Big 12, leading to the collapse of the conference. Fox owns the Big Ten's media rights and was responsible for the $375 million (approximately) that Washington and Oregon will receive over six years (2025-2030) of the conference's media contract. Fox has not made a deep push into the streaming market, preferring to focus on delivering sports content over its linear networks. Meanwhile, Apple has distribution deals with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer and was attempting to break into the college football space through an agreement with the Pac-12. "Was it a strategic move on their part to say, 'If we kill the Apple deal, that gives us five or six years without them in college football?'" Schulz said. "People can say, 'Kirk, put on a tin-foil hat; that's kind of (a) conspiracy theory.' But on the other hand, I can see making a business decision -- I'm not talking about the value of the schools or any of that -- that might be seen as more strategic to have a corner on the marketplace." |
| Conference realignment will mean longer trips and greater costs for traveling college football fans | |
| In seven decades of following West Virginia football, little has gotten in the way when Terry Keenan wants to see his beloved Mountaineers. Conference realignment promises to be a headache. College sports and the traveling fan are on course for a big reset in 2024. TV money has lured Southern Cal, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will join the growing Big 12. And Oklahoma and Texas will head to the Southeastern Conference. Although a few regional rivalries have been created or preserved, longer trips will be the norm. How long? A one-way flight involving Oregon and Rutgers in the new Big Ten is 2,900 miles (4,667 kilometers) and slightly less for schools like Southern Cal, UCLA or Washington. That's more than five hours on a plane. Time will tell whether football fans will embrace this new concept, or whether realignment will put a dagger into the heart of the road warrior for games that aren't marquee matchups. For every chance for a new Big Ten school to play at Ohio State, there will be trips such as Utah playing UCF in Orlando, Florida, or Arizona State traveling to Morgantown, West Virginia. Keenan isn't thrilled, although he still has a year to figure it out, especially after the conference schedules are announced. "Just speaking for myself, I don't know. It's a bad deal, really," said Keenan, 74. "We're on the East Coast and everybody else is in the Midwest or on the West Coast. Probably the majority of the fans won't be able to do that. It puts a burden on them if they want to see the games in person." |
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