| Monday, April 1, 2024 |
| Hall endows MSU mechanical engineering school | |
 | Mississippi State University's Department of Mechanical Engineering is becoming a named academic school with a cornerstone endowment gift from alumnus Michael W. Hall and his wife Valarie. The Michael W. Hall School of Mechanical Engineering's namesake originally hails from Pontotoc County and now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He is a 1995 MSU mechanical engineering graduate of the Bagley College of Engineering. He is the former managing principal of Mas Energy LLC, founder and CEO of Shady Grove Road Investments LLC and a 2022 Distinguished Fellow for the Bagley College. "Students, faculty and industry partners will benefit significantly from this generous gift from the Halls to our great university," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "Mr. Hall is one of many distinguished and highly successful alumni who have graduated from our mechanical engineering department, and we are grateful he and Valarie understand the many benefits of investing in our students and the future of mechanical engineering at Mississippi State." MSU Bagley College of Engineering Dean Jason Keith said endowment gifts supplement appropriated university funds, allowing a department to grow and excel in the major areas of teaching, research and service. |
| Behind the melody: 'Cold War Country' reveals how music shaped public sentiment | |
 | Dive into the unique nexus of country music and American military history with the launch of "Cold War Country: How Nashville's Music Row and the Pentagon Created the Sound of American Patriotism" by Joseph M. Thompson, assistant professor of History at Mississippi State University. To celebrate its release, Friendly City Books is hosting a launch party at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Munson & Brothers Trading Post. Thompson, a distinguished historian specializing in the U.S. South and 20th century U.S. history, brings a comprehensive background to the table. With accolades such as the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship and active memberships in several historical associations, Thompson's expertise provides a fresh lens on the intertwined narratives of music and patriotism. "Cold War Country" illuminates the strategic alliances formed between Nashville's Music Row and the Pentagon, showcasing how these partnerships were instrumental in shaping the soundtrack of American patriotism. Through stories of iconic figures like Johnny Cash and George Strait, Thompson navigates the reader through the evolving landscape of country music and its impact on American culture, race relations and international perceptions. |
| Gulf Islands National Seashore partners with Mississippi State University for marine debris removal on barrier islands | |
 | Gulf Islands National Seashore is partnering with Mississippi State University (MSU) Coastal Research and Extension Center to remove marine debris from barrier islands in Mississippi. The partnership will restore and conserve native habitats on federally managed lands through marine debris cleanup events over the next three years (April through October pending weather). MSU administers the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program, and that program will be the lead for outreach to educate the public on marine debris prevention and to recruit volunteers. Each cleanup will target small to medium-sized debris collection and removal from the National Park Service-managed islands (Horn, Petit Bois, West Petit Bois, Cat, and Ship Island). Additionally, data will be gathered for future planning and research purposes. "Cleaning up marine debris doesn't happen overnight," said Elizabeth Shadle, Gulf Islands National Seashore biologist and project manager. "In remote areas, such as our barrier islands, it requires a lot of planning and effort to not only collect marine debris, but to also transport it off the islands to approved dump areas. Over the years we have removed small amounts of marine debris, however never on the scale we are now planning. We are excited about this partnership." Gulf Islands National Seashore and MSU Coastal Cleanup Program hosted a trial event on October 30, 2023, on Horn Island. In just a few hours, 25 volunteers collected 607.5 pounds of marine debris within a two-mile distance. The debris took two small boats to transport back to the mainland. |
| MSU students do community service cleanup | |
 | On Easter Saturday, the Black Student Association at Mississippi State did a community service cleanup in Starkville. BSA is an African American organization that is known for community service and being involved on campus. It was the organization's final event of their BSA week and they chose to help clean up McKee Park. The organization also picked up leaves to take them to the community garden for the compost bin. The Community Service Chair, Summer Lewis, says the organization does community service at least twice a month. With a great sunny day, she said it was a great opportunity to help the community. "With BSA, our week always ends in a community service event so today, it was a beautiful day," Lewis said. "I looked at the forecast and I like nature personally so why not clean up for our community that we all share even the campus and the Starkville community share this park so, why not give back." |
| Thad Cochran MCITy grand opening held Thursday | |
| After years of planning, developing, and building, an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting was held Thursday for the Thad Cochran MCITy building on Washington Street. With a mission of advancing the high-tech environment and accelerating technology centered economic development in Mississippi, MCITy is the crown jewel of a partnership between research and development, tech transfer and collaboration, building the workforce of tomorrow and entrepreneurship, officials said. "On behalf of the Vicksburg-Warren Economic Development Foundation and the economic partnership led by Pablo Diaz, I want to thank you and welcome you to this very special day," MCITy Director Dr. Jeffery Holland told the crowd at Thursday's event. Holland said many people played a role in the creation of MCITy, which is named after the late Sen. Cochran, including Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who served as Thursday's keynote speaker. Holland said MCITy is already home to a number of groups, including Alcorn State University, ERDCWERX, Hinds Community College, the Mississippi State University E-Center, Broadway Ventures, the Vicksburg-Warren Partnership, The Mississippi Research Consortium -- made up of Mississippi State, the University of Mississippi, Jackson State, and the University of Southern Mississippi, the City of Vicksburg, Delta Regional Authority, and 2R3 Properties, LLC. |
| FCC Announces Working Group Members for Its Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force | |
| The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced the new members of the four "Working Groups" that will continue to assist its Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force. The purpose of the Task Force and the Working Groups is to provide advice and recommendations to the FCC on accelerating the deployment of broadband internet access service on unserved agricultural land to promote precision agriculture. These efforts support the FCC's focus on "precision agriculture" technologies and issues, as the agency has committed at least $1 billion to target the deployment of technologically innovative 5G networks that facilitate precision agriculture. These funds will be available in "Phase II" of the FCC's 5G Fund, the general goal of which is to bring 5G wireless broadband connectivity to rural America. The Public Notice announcing the adoption of the Order allocating these funds can be accessed. The chairs and members of the four Working Groups include Encouraging Adoption of Precision Agriculture and Availability of High-Quality Jobs on Connected Farms Working Group, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University. |
| Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years -- how he went from $30B crypto CEO to prison inmate | |
| The case of Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced on March 28, 2024, to 25 years in prison, is emblematic of the fast-paced world of cryptocurrency, in which vast sums of money can be made or lost in the blink of an eye. In early November 2022, the crypto exchange FTX was valued at more than US$30 billion. By the middle of that month, FTX was in bankruptcy proceedings. And less than a year later, on Nov. 3, 2023, its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, was found guilty of seven counts of money laundering and fraud, following a trial that featured less than a month of testimony and only about four hours of jury deliberation. D. Brian Blank and Brandy Hadley are professors who study finance, executives, corporate governance and financial technology. They explain how and why this incredible collapse happened, what effect it might have on the traditional financial sector and whether you should care. |
| Starkville high schooler Jennifer Jeffries wows judges during 'American Idol' Hollywood week | |
| Hollywood week is underway for season 22 of American Idol, and one Mississippian is looking to secure a spot in the next round. Jennifer Jeffries, a high schooler out of Starkville, took the stage on Sunday night with her original, "You Were a Child." Within seconds, all three judges were wowed with Luke Bryan telling Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, "Oh, that's great." Prior to the performance, Jeffries opened up about her songwriting and why she believes she could be the next American Idol. "The reason I believe I could be the next American Idol is because music itself has saved me," Jeffries said. "And the purpose of my writing and singing is for me to help other people the way it's helped me." The 17-year-old who has a voice reminiscent of Jade Castrinos with more of an Of Monsters and Men style told the judges that some of her siblings have struggled with mental health, and that's one of the reasons she started writing. "I come from a family of nine kids. I am the youngest. 14 nephews and nieces. It's a big family, but I love it. They are just so good to me," Jeffries said. "But music is my everything. When I'm playing music, that's my therapy session ... It's about watching some of my siblings struggle with mental health and the effect it has on them and me. |
| 20% of Mississippi's certified developers are at the LINK. That's no accident. | |
| Golden Triangle LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said in his profession, a Certified Economic Developer designation from the International Economic Development Council is "kind of the holy grail." Counting his own, Higgins has three such "holy grails" in his office. This week the LINK announced that Chief Operating Officer Meryl Fisackerly and Vice President of Economic Development Betsy Young both earned their CEcDs. "I think when you're dealing with site consultants and they see that credential, it brings a whole new level of credibility to it," Higgins said. The process of obtaining a CEcD designation requires substantial professional experience, as well as completing extensive coursework and several rounds of tests, including both written and oral components. According to the CEcD's website, about 1,200 people worldwide have earned the certification. Only 16 of those are in Mississippi, meaning the LINK holds almost 20% of them. That's not an accident, Higgins said. "Everybody that works for (the LINK) has a personal development plan," Higgins said. "When you start here, we sit down with you and outline a plan and what courses you're going to take and when you're going to take them, the whole nine yards." Working toward a CEcD is "absolutely" part of that roadmap, Higgins said. "That level of expertise is what people expect (from the LINK)," Higgins said. "I think it brings more legitimacy to us as an organization." |
| For the first time, U.S. dairy cows have tested positive for bird flu | |
 | Livestock at multiple dairy farms across the U.S. have tested positive for bird flu -- also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI -- in an outbreak that's likely spread to at least five states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed Friday that cows in Texas, Kansas and Michigan had been sickened by the virus, and there were presumptive positive test results for additional herds in New Mexico and Idaho. It's the first time the disease has been found in dairy cattle, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. The cases come just days after a group of young goats contracted bird flu on a Minnesota farm. Bird flu infects the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of birds and is often fatal to avian populations. It can spread from wild birds to commercial poultry and backyard flocks as well as terrestrial and marine mammals and humans. Government officials say the risk to the public amid the current outbreak remains low. Most past human infections have occurred after people had "unprotected exposures to sick or dead infected poultry," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And officials say the strain of the virus detected in Michigan is similar to the one found in Texas and Kansas, which was shown through initial testing not to include any changes that would make it more transmissible to humans. |
| At a town hall, residents oppose the upcoming expansion of the Capitol Police jurisdiction | |
 | With the jurisdiction of the Capitol Police set to expand July 1, Jacksonians attending a town hall hosted by Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes Thursday night at the Medgar Evers Library were downright opposed to the expansion. Come July 1, the Capitol Police, a unit of the state-run Mississippi Department of Public Safety, will have jurisdiction as far north as Northside Drive and as far south as Raymond Road. While the Capitol Police's jurisdiction will expand, it still leaves out certain areas of each ward, but mostly Wards 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, which house a large portion of the city's Black population. Capitol Police will be working in tandem with the Jackson Police Department, but will only be enforcing state laws. JPD enforce both state laws and city ordinances. Capitol Police will also be starting a dispatch service, taking residents calls, as part of the expansion. The expansion is part of the Capitol Complex Improvement District, which was signed into law last year as part of House Bill 1020. The bill is currently facing various lawsuits from opponents. Those in favor of the bill say the measures are an effort to decrease crime in Jackson. At Stokes' town hall, residents, all but a few were Black, expressed fear of the Capitol Police, who they characterized as aggressive, violent and unfamiliar with residents. All in attendance said they prefer and are more comfortable with JPD patrolling the area. Stokes criticized the Capitol Police for not making more of an effort to connect with Jacksonians. He also said he has talked with some residents who are in favor of the expanding jurisdiction, but have doubts because they aren't familiar with the Capitol Police like they are JPD. |
| Religious parents sued for vaccine freedom. Now hundreds of Coast kids are exempt | |
 | The long drives Amanda Bosarge kept making to Alabama, just so her daughter could attend cheer squad practice, are over. She has stopped homeschooling, because her children are no longer excluded from Mississippi's schools. "It was this huge relief," Bosarge said. Her solace came because the 34-year-old mother from Hurley sued Mississippi to make exceptions for families like hers, who believe vaccines threaten their health and defy God's will. She won. And now, nearly 600 children in the six coastal counties are exempt from vaccines on the basis of religion, according to the state Department of Health. Her case made headlines last year as distrust and rejection of vaccines began reaching its most fevered pitch in Mississippi and across the country after the coronavirus pandemic. "Nobody worries about their children dying of whooping cough anymore," said Daniel Edney, the state health officer who Bosarge and other religious parents sued in federal court in Gulfport. "But unvaccinated babies certainly can -- and will." The Coast, Edney said, is a pocket of the state where parents most often ask to be excused from vaccination because of religious convictions. That worries local pediatricians, who say they see more and more parents who are skeptical or misinformed about vaccines. They are also nervous because measles -- a vaccine-preventable disease not seen in Mississippi for three decades -- appeared in Florida, then New Orleans this year. |
| Supreme Court rejects case from fired worker denied jobless benefits after refusing vaccine | |
 | The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the appeal of a Minnesota woman who said she was wrongly denied unemployment benefits after being fired for refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19 because of her religious beliefs. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development determined she wasn't eligible for benefits because her reasons for refusing the vaccine were based less on religion and more on a lack of trust that the vaccine was effective. The case shows that the hot button issue of vaccines continues to smolder after the pandemic has ended and after the Supreme Court in 2022 halted enforcement of a Biden administration vaccine-or-testing mandate for large employers but declined to hear a challenge to the administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care facilities that receive federal funding. Still pending is an appeal from military chaplains who challenged the military's vaccination requirement. Although that requirement was later rescinded at the direction of Congress, the chaplains argue they lost out on training opportunities and promotions because they requested religious exemptions. Minnesota said the unemployment benefit appeal denied Monday wasn't worth the Supreme Court's time because benefits have been given to others who were found to have a sincerely held religious objection to the vaccine so there's no overarching issue to address. |
| Democratic group takes aim at GOP doctors in Congress on abortion | |
 | A group that works to elect Democrats with backgrounds in science and medicine is launching a digital ad campaign targeting GOP doctors in Congress over their opposition to abortion. 314 Action --- the name reflects the first three digits of pi --- is investing up to $200,000 on the ads, which accuse 14 Republican physicians who serve in the House and Senate of turning their backs on "a sacred oath." "As patients we trust our doctors," the ad states. "But this doctor broke [an] oath to do no harm ... [by supporting] an extreme ban on abortion. And they're coming after our birth control next. "We need doctors in Congress who honor their oaths and keep their promises," the 30-second ad concludes. The campaign is aimed at Republican and unaffiliated women. "Our goals are to speak to these voters and to let them know where their representatives stand on issues that affect their health and well-being," said Shaughnessy Naughton, the group's founder and president. The Alabama Supreme Court's Feb. 16 ruling that frozen embryos used in in vitro fertilization, or IVF, are humans came as a shock to many voters, Naughton said. "But this is something that Republicans have campaigned on for years, and people need to know that," she added. The campaign, dubbed "Oathbreakers," targets Reps. Scott DesJarlais and Mark E. Green of Tennessee, Neal Dunn of Florida, Ronny Jackson of Texas, Andy Harris of Maryland, John Joyce of Pennsylvania, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa and Rich McCormick of Georgia. In the Senate, the campaign is targeting Sens. John Barrasso of Wyoming, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Roger Marshall of Kansas and Rand Paul of Kentucky. |
| Democrats spar over registration as worries over young and minority voters grow | |
 | A confidential memo circulated among top Democratic donors has sparked a furious debate in Democratic circles about whether to narrow the focus of voter registration efforts to avoid signing up likely Republicans. For decades, nonpartisan groups allied with the Democratic Party have run wide-ranging efforts aimed at increasing voter registration among people of color and young people -- groups that tend to lean Democratic but have historically voted at lower rates than older and White people. In recent years, however, there has been a marked shift among the roughly one in five citizens of voting age who are unregistered toward Republicans, raising fresh questions about how much boosting nonpartisan voter registration could help presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump heading into November. Aaron Strauss, an influential data scientist who helps direct progressive spending at the firm OpenLabs, sparked private disagreements over this issue in January when he sent about a dozen major Democratic donors a confidential memo that challenged traditional nonpartisan registration. "Indeed, if we were to blindly register nonvoters and get them on the rolls, we would be distinctly aiding Trump's quest for a personal dictatorship," Strauss argued in the memo, which was obtained by The Washington Post and cited recent polling that showed Trump's strength among unregistered voters. At the root of the conflict is a shift in the political preferences of nonregistered voters. Gallup found in 2016 that about 51 percent of those not registered to vote identify as Democrats or leaned Democratic, compared to 31 percent who identify as Republican or leaned Republican. Those numbers were largely consistent with findings from 2012. But Gallup surveys in 2023 and 2024 have found the Democratic share of the nonregistered population has fallen to 42 percent, while the Republican share has risen to 40 percent. |
| The Church of Trump: How He's Infusing Christianity Into His Movement | |
 | Long known for his improvised and volatile stage performances, former President Donald J. Trump now tends to finish his rallies on a solemn note. Soft, reflective music fills the venue as a hush falls over the crowd. Mr. Trump's tone turns reverent and somber, prompting some supporters to bow their heads or close their eyes. Others raise open palms in the air or murmur as if in prayer. In this moment, Mr. Trump's audience is his congregation, and the former president their pastor as he delivers a roughly 15-minute finale that evokes an evangelical altar call, the emotional tradition that concludes some Christian services in which attendees come forward to commit to their savior. "The great silent majority is rising like never before and under our leadership," he recites from a teleprompter in a typical version of the script. "We will pray to God for our strength and for our liberty. We will pray for God and we will pray with God. We are one movement, one people, one family and one glorious nation under God." The meditative ritual might appear incongruent with the raucous epicenter of the nation's conservative movement, but Mr. Trump's political creed stands as one of the starkest examples of his effort to transform the Republican Party into a kind of Church of Trump. His insistence on absolute devotion and fealty can be seen at every level of the party, from Congress to the Republican National Committee to rank-and-file voters. Mr. Trump's ability to turn his supporters' passion into piety is crucial to understanding how he remains the undisputed Republican leader despite guiding his party to repeated political failures and while facing dozens of felony charges in four criminal cases. |
| In ALL-CAPS Easter message, Trump rips into his foes | |
 | Former President Donald Trump's Easter Sunday message on Truth Social consisted of seven words about Easter and 161 complaining about the legal system and various enemies of his. The all-caps message began "HAPPY EASTER TO ALL" and ended "HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!" but it otherwise consisted of attacks on those leading the legal cases against him, including Special Counsel Jack Smith, Fulton County (Ga.) District Attorney Fani Willis (whom he brands as "MRS. FANI "FAUNI" WADE) and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, with a secondary swipe at President Joe Biden and the Justice Department. Descriptive words in the message include "EVIL," "SICK" (which appears in quotes), "DERANGED" (also in quotes), "CORRUPT," and "CROOKED," which shows up twice. The post also includes "ILLEGAL" and "ILLEGALLY." Trump has been indicted on 91 charges in various cases, though he has yet to be convicted on any of them. The post was not unusual for a holiday greeting from the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. His posts last year on Christmas Eve and Christmas covered similar terrain with one ending "IT'S CALLED ELECTION INTERFERENCE. MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Another message concluded: "MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!" In contrast, Biden posted Sunday: "Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ's Resurrection." |
| Amid Health Concerns, Pope Delivers Strong Easter Message Calling for Gaza Cease-Fire | |
| Amid renewed concerns about his health, Pope Francis presided over Easter Sunday Mass, and with a hoarse but strong voice, he delivered a major annual message that touched on conflicts across the globe, with explicit appeals for peace in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine. The appearance came after the pope decided to reduce his participation in two major Holy Week events, seemingly at the last minute. Those decisions seemed to represent a new phase in a more than 11-year papacy throughout which Francis has made the acceptance of the limits that challenge and shape humanity a constant theme. Now, he seems to have entered a period in which he is himself scaling back to observe, and highlight, the limits imposed by his own health constraints, and to conserve strength for the most critical moments. On Sunday after the Mass, Francis took a prolonged spin in his popemobile around St. Peter's Square before ascending to a balcony overlooking it to deliver his traditional Easter message. "Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean," he said to the tens of thousands of faithful, dignitaries, Swiss Guards and clergy filling the square. Holy Week is one of the most demanding and significant on the Christian calendar, and Francis has been dogged all winter by what the Vatican has called the flu, bronchitis and cold-like symptoms. His doctor told the Italian news media on Saturday that Francis was in good shape for his age, but that flu season was difficult for him, as it was for many older people, partly because he had part of a lung removed as a young man. |
| More high schoolers are seeing greater value in on-the-job training than college: Study | |
| Fewer high schoolers are motivated to go to college and are prioritizing on-the-job training and certificate programs that can land them jobs faster, cheaper and easier, according to a new survey. College enrollment has decreased by 8% since 2019, previous reporting by USA TODAY shows. According to a new survey published this month, top reasons include an unwillingness to take on debt, the pressure that college brings and the fact that it may not be worth the money it costs to attend. Information for the survey, conducted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was collected from both high school juniors and seniors and young adults ages 18 to 30 who chose not to go to college. Respondents were asked in focus groups and online whether they see "excellent/good value" in a four-year degree, as well as other educational and vocational paths. College value is "middle of the pack" for high schoolers and non-enrolled adults, the survey found, with 72% of students saying four-year degrees have an "excellent/good" value and 57% of non-enrolled graduates saying so. That's down from 60% when non-enrolled graduates were surveyed the previous year. On-the-job training seems to be more valuable to both high school students and non-enrolled graduates, with 83% of the former indicating it is excellent or good and 77% of the latter saying so. Favor for trade and vocational schools are up 63% from 58% for non-enrolled graduates from the previous year. A two-year degree ranked at just under 70% and 63% for its value being excellent or good. |
| How Gen Z Is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation | |
 | America needs more plumbers, and Gen Z is answering the call. Long beset by a labor crunch, the skilled trades are newly appealing to the youngest cohort of American workers, many of whom are choosing to leave the college path. Rising pay and new technologies in fields from welding to machine tooling are giving trade professions a face-lift, helping them shed the image of being dirty, low-end work. Growing skepticism about the return on a college education, the cost of which has soared in recent decades, is adding to their shine. Enrollment in vocational training programs is surging as overall enrollment in community colleges and four-year institutions has fallen. The number of students enrolled in vocational-focused community colleges rose 16% last year to its highest level since the National Student Clearinghouse began tracking such data in 2018. The ranks of students studying construction trades rose 23% during that time, while those in programs covering HVAC and vehicle maintenance and repair increased 7%. "It's a really smart route for kids who want to find something and aren't gung ho on going to college," says Tanner Burgess, 20, who graduated from a nine-month welding program last fall. Though he'd originally figured he'd go to college, the route began to feel less appealing during the pandemic, when he watched his parents -- both tech workers -- gaze at their computers all day and realized he didn't like the idea of spending his life seated before a screen. A secure job track and the prospect of steadily growing earnings didn't hurt either. |
| Are Recent Graduates Ready to Work? HR Professionals Say Yes. | |
 | Despite graduates' skepticism on their preparation for life after college, recent survey data finds HR professionals are mostly confident in early career professionals' ability to succeed in their organization. The survey, conducted by SHRM and Handshake, found that 67 percent of recent graduates believe they have the skills they need to succeed in the workforce from the start. A slightly greater percentage of those in HR, 70 percent, believe emerging professionals are prepared to succeed in their first year. To best prepare current students to achieve their career goals and feel confident in their abilities in the workforce, higher education practitioners can learn from what HR professionals believe is important for a young worker. The most important skill a graduate can hold is adaptability and a willingness to learn (89 percent), according to HR respondents. Other top-rated skills are strong work ethic and reliability (87 percent), communication (81 percent) and teamwork (78 percent). Human skills, also called soft skills, outranked more technical skills a professional could hold, including project management, multilingual abilities and leadership. Among in-demand technical skills, employers are most likely to look for data analysis (57 percent) in new professionals, followed by business analytics (42 percent), information technology (35 percent) and product management (33 percent). Less popular were user experience/user interface design (5 percent) and artificial intelligence (8 percent). |
| Historical marker honoring MUW founders unveiled on campus | |
| Since 1949, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History has erected more than 1,000 historic markers recognizing notable people and events in the state's history. In 2021, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science history teacher Chuck Yarborough researched the 35 historic markers located in Lowndes County and found that only four recognized a woman. But Thursday, Mississippi University for Women, in collaboration with MSMS, unveiled a new historical marker in front of Callaway Hall honoring the three women who founded the school. "During the 19th century, Sallie Reneau, Olivia Hastings, Annie Coleman Peyton challenged our community, state and nation to live up to one of our most basic truths: that women and men are created equal and deserve equal opportunities," Yarborough said during the unveiling ceremony. The MUW founders marker is the culmination of research started in the 2021-2022 school year by MUW history students and students in Yarborough's MoreStory Monuments project, which aims to tell a more complete history of the local community through proposals for new historic markers celebrating unsung historical figures. MUW President Nora Miller opened the unveiling ceremony, noting the importance of March being Women's History Month as well as the anniversary of The W's founding. "We wanted to have a special way to honor our founding mothers here at The W," she said. "One hundred-forty years ago this month, our charter created us as the first state-supported college for women." |
| Mississippi schools offer scholarships to students at soon-to-close Birmingham Southern | |
 | After hearing the news of the impending closure of Alabama's Birmingham-Southern College, Mississippi University of Women said it welcomes affected students and will provide scholarship offers to those who qualify. "I am saddened by the closure of Birmingham-Southern College, a liberal arts college with 168 years of history. It's a sad day for their students, faculty, staff, alumni and the city of Birmingham," Mississippi University of Women President Nora Miller said in a news release Thursday. On Friday, Mississippi College said it was offering a scholarship to those who transfer to the school, based in Clinton, at the end of the spring term. In an open letter to students at the private Alabama university that will close its doors May 31, President Blake Thompson extended an invitation for qualified students to apply for a $13,500 transfer scholarship for each eligible year of study to attend Mississippi College. "Similar institutions whose primary purpose is to serve students feel the weight of your circumstances, and we want to help," Thompson wrote. |
| MUW hopes to land Birmingham Southern transfers | |
| Mississippi University for Women is offering scholarships to students transferring from Birmingham Southern College after the school announced its impending closure. MUW will automatically review applications from BSC for scholarship opportunities, offering up to $5,500 for qualifying students, according to a release from the university. MUW President Nora Miller said she hopes The W can help by offering students scholarship opportunities. "We feel really sorry for the students, and I know that's a hassle for Birmingham Southern to figure out (transfer) plans for everybody," Miller told The Dispatch on Friday. The W faces its own enrollment woes as well. In fall 2023, total enrollment dropped to 2,227, ranking seventh among the state's eight public universities. Miller said MUW's recent struggles weren't a consideration in the decision to offer a hand to BSC students. "Even with all the turmoil that we've been through, we're not in danger of closure," she said. Even so, Miller said she is concerned with the apparent frequency she's seeing small colleges close. Fontbonne University in Missouri, which is in the same collegiate athletic conference as MUW, recently announced it would shutter in summer 2025. "Then a week and a half later, this comes out with Birmingham Southern," Miller said. "It's frightening to see what is happening. There are so many of these small private colleges that are having to make these tough decisions." |
| FAFSA changes challenge first-gen, minority students | |
 | While recent changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid have kept all students from receiving their financial aid packages on time, some -- like minority and first-generation college students -- may feel the impacts of those delays more than others. The FAFSA Simplification Act, which passed in 2020 and was updated in 2022, was intended to improve the process of applying for financial aid, but students are struggling with complications associated with the changes implemented for the 2024-25 school year. The FAFSA is usually released on Oct. 1, but in 2023, it was delayed until Dec. 30 -- nearly three months. The U.S. Department of Education is still working to resolve a host of issues with the form. This may have a greater impact on minority students, who depend more on financial aid for college. According to data from the 2019-20 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, "White undergraduates who received federal student aid received on average $8,800. Compared to them, Black undergraduates and undergraduates of two or more races received higher amounts on average." The changes have also caused difficulties for first-generation college students and students whose parents have little to no experience with the FAFSA. "We do not have the fortune of parents who know how to work around this form," Edward Hunter, a sophomore political science major and vice president of the First-Generation Student Network, said. "We are learning just as they are with this process." |
| National Book Foundation makes two stops in Mississippi on annual tour | |
| The National Book Foundation's spring tour will make stops in 12 cities throughout the nation, and Mississippi has two spots on the list: Clarksdale and Oxford. Both Mississippi stops will feature readings and a panel discussion from National Book Award authors Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and José Olivarez. The Clarksdale and Oxford events mark the third consecutive year that NBF has brought its national tour to Mississippi. Adjei-Brenyah will read from his recent fiction novel "Chain-Gang All-Stars," and Olivarez will share excerpts from his recent poetry book "Promises of Gold." Admission for both events is free. Registration is encouraged but not required. Poet and author of the recently released "Glitter Road," January Gill O'Neil will moderate a panel called "Imagining New Worlds" with Adjei-Brenyah and Olivarez. The panel is presented in partnership with the Coahoma Community College and the Coahoma County Higher Education Center. The NBF's Oxford stop coincides with the 29th annual Oxford Conference for the Book. UM Associate Professor of Creative Writing and Literature Melissa Ginsburg will moderate the discussion titled "Myth Making and Breaking." The panel discussion will center around the myth of the "American Dream," and how both authors approach this subject within their writing. |
| Horne gifts $125K to UM accountancy school | |
| With a $125,000 gift to support the Patterson School of Accountancy's new building at the University of Mississippi, the professional services firm Horne LLP is honoring its many employees who graduated from the program. The firm's gift also reflects the firm's continuing practice of hiring Ole Miss accountancy graduates. "This is part of a bigger commitment," said Neil Forbes, managing partner at Horne, where he leads business strategy development, execution and operations for the firm. He also serves on Horne's board of directors. We're investing in not only the Patterson School but also the broader community. While our gift supports the new building fund, it's just one component in our commitment to Ole Miss and Mississippi as a whole." A longtime supporter of the university, Horne continues to invest in the community financially and physically. The company, which employs more than 55 UM accountancy graduates, is establishing an office at the edge of campus and has begun an initiative to recruit not only accountancy students but those from other academic backgrounds throughout Mississippi. In 2022, Horne committed $540,000 to establish the Horne LLP Accountancy Professorship Endowment. |
| JSU Meridian Lauderdale Chapter hosts 2024 Spring scholarship gala | |
 | JSU Meridian Lauderdale Chapter hosts 2024 Spring scholarship gala. The gala, which lasted from 7 to 10 pm, was held at the Copeland Center and attended by future, present, and past Jackson State students. All proceeds support their scholarships to local high school seniors who are enrolling into Thee Jackson State University. "When I was at Jackson State, I'm originally from East St Louis, Illinois, and the St Louis chapter was very instrumental in taking care of me. So I wanted to pay back what had been given to me by alums who came before me, and I felt that I needed to do my due diligence to do that same for students who are at Jackson State University," says National Alumni President Patrease Edwards. "Every president we've had, every member that we've had has kept that legacy going. It built the chapter up to national providence, to be honest, and it became an integral part of the National Association. We just look to continue that legacy by making sure we send students to Jackson State. We enable them to have no worries through a financial standpoint so we want to support them through scholarships like this occasion is intended to create opportunities like that for these kids," says Chapter President of the JSU NAA Meridian Lauderdale Chapter, Willie Nathan. |
| ICC's School of STEM to launch weather balloon | |
| Itawamba Community College's School of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) will launch its new High-Altitude Weather Balloon Friday, April 5, at 9 a.m. at the band practice field on the Fulton Campus. The band practice field is in front of the Natural Science Building. The public is invited to attend. Natural Science division chair Dr. Jada Mills will be using the balloon's launch as a research opportunity for her Special Topics in Biology course. The project will include learning general information about weather balloons, determining the purpose of a designed experiment, deploying the weather balloon and collecting and analyzing data. The balloon equipment was purchased from EdgeFlyte, a weather balloon company, Mills said. Included are a ground station transceiver, a GPS, a weather balloon and a parachute. The high-altitude balloon is expected to reach stratosphere level --- approximately 30,000 meters. "Students in the class wanted to send a payload with the weather balloon to see if a high-altitude environment affects nonpathogenic E. coli growth," Mills said. "We also plan to attach a GoPro to hopefully capture the edge of space." "We received FAA approval by providing details of our equipment, payload and experimental design," Mills said. "We will use the GPS unit to follow the path of the balloon. As of current information, the balloon is expected to burst in approximately two hours, and it will land close to Pell City, Alabama. Of course, this could change due to atmospheric conditions." |
| Rise in private school enrollments could pose a problem for public schools | |
| Some U.S. public school districts are considering closing and consolidating schools due to enrollment declines that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey from the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. Some 46% of private schools reported increases in their number of students over the 2022-2023 school year, the survey finds. It's all part of a tricky tug of war over student enrollment that ultimately impacts district finances. Four years after students were sent home from public schools during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the kids are still not alright. "We observe historic learning loss. There are multiple indicators of serious deterioration in students' mental health," said Stanford University's Tom Dee. "And as they return to in-person instruction, we've seen an extraordinary increase in chronic absenteeism." And some public schools are tackling those challenges as they face budget constraints, as their funding partly depends on the number of students enrolled. There's also the problem of pandemic relief funding drying up in September. "Many school districts have been using those federal resources to prop up their budgets during a period of sustained enrollment decline," Dee said |
| Kentucky's 'anti-DEI' bill appears dead after GOP lawmakers miss veto deadline | |
| A three-letter acronym became a target for Kentucky Republicans -- but they didn't hit their mark to meet a crucial deadline during this year's legislative session. Senate Bill 6, also known as the "anti-DEI" bill, failed to pass the General Assembly Thursday night. The 10-day veto period now begins. Although the bill can still be taken up during the final two days of the legislative session in mid-April, lawmakers wouldn't be able to override a potential veto if they pass it then. And it's likely a veto would happen, as Gov. Andy Beshear has spoken out in support of diversity, equity and inclusion, also known as DEI, programs. Other conservative states have passed legislation targeting DEI programs at higher education institutions. Since 2021, 21 states have introduced proposals that dismantle DEI programs, and nine of those states passed those laws. It's been a target for the Republican Party since 2020, after the police killing of George Floyd, when schools and businesses tried to come up with ways to make their environments more racially inclusive. So, what happened to Kentucky's bill? Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, introduced the bill, which is a version of the law passed in Tennessee in 2022. The Tennessee law states students or employees of public colleges and universities in the state cannot be required to endorse a specific ideology or viewpoint to receive admission, employment, promotions or graduation. Students and employees cannot be penalized or discriminated against if they receive support for what the bill defines as a "divisive concept." |
| 'Two renowned caretakers': UF announces keynote speakers for Spring 2024 graduation | |
 | The University of Florida announced the keynote speakers for its Spring 2024 graduation ceremonies Thursday morning. A news release said the two speakers are caretakers: one of wildlife and one of people. Carlton Ward Jr., a conservation photographer, and Gilbert Upchurch Jr., a UF vascular surgeon, will speak at the commencement. "Carlton Ward Jr. and Dr. Gilbert Upchurch Jr. are absolute rockstars in their professions -- and they're also trailblazing leaders devoted to life-changing and hugely influential work," UF President Ben Sasse said in the news release. "Their journeys to become champions of their domains are amazing, and I'm thrilled that the Class of 2024 will get to hear from them." Ward is a conservation photographer and known for his photographs of the Florida panther. He is also the leading advocate of the Florida Wildlife Corridor to conserve Florida's natural, native lands and species. Upchurch is not only a clinician, researcher and educator in the treatment of aortic and vascular disease, he's also the chair of the UF Department of Surgery and a member of the National Academy of Medicine, which has a mission statement of advancing science, informing policy, and catalyzing action "to achieve human health, equity and well-being." Around 8,500 students are expected to graduate in the Spring, according to the news release. |
| They came for Florida's sun and sand. They got soaring costs and a culture war. | |
 | One of the first signs Barb Carter's move to Florida wasn't the postcard life she'd envisioned was the armadillo infestation in her home that caused $9,000 in damages. Then came a hurricane, ever present feuding over politics, and an inability to find a doctor to remove a tumor from her liver. After a year in the Sunshine State, Carter packed her car with whatever belongings she could fit and headed back to her home state of Kansas -- selling her Florida home at a $40,000 loss and leaving behind the children and grandchildren she'd moved to be closer to. "So many people ask, 'Why would you move back to Kansas?' I tell them all the same thing -- you've got to take your vacation goggles off," Carter said. "For me, it was very falsely promoted. Once living there, I thought, you know, this isn't all you guys have cracked this up to be, at all." Florida has had a population boom over the past several years, with more than 700,000 people moving there in 2022, and it was the second-fastest-growing state as of July 2023, according to Census Bureau data. While there are some indications that migration to the state has slowed from its pandemic highs, only Texas saw more one-way U-Haul moves into the state than Florida last year. Mortgage application data indicated there were nearly two homebuyers moving to Florida in 2023 for every one leaving. But while hundreds of thousands of new residents have flocked to the state on the promise of beautiful weather, no income tax and lower costs, nearly 500,000 left in 2022, according to the most recent census data. Contributing to their move was a perfect storm of soaring insurance costs, a hostile political environment, worsening traffic and extreme weather. |
| As Texas students clash over Israel-Hamas war, Gov. Greg Abbott orders colleges to revise free speech policies | |
| As the Israel-Hamas war continues to ignite tensions among Texas college students, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order requiring schools to discipline what he described as "the sharp rise in antisemitic speech and acts on university campuses." Higher education institutions are expected to update their free speech policies to include the definition of antisemitism, as well as establish and enforce punishments for violating those policies. Expulsion from the college could be considered an appropriate punishment, Abbott said. "Texas supports free speech, especially on university campuses, but that freedom comes with responsibilities for both students and the institutions themselves," Abbott wrote in the Wednesday executive order. The Israel-Hamas war has tested free speech policies at universities in Texas and across the country. As pro-Palestine and pro-Israel students engage in protests and heated discussions, school leaders have struggled to strike a balance between their roles as moderators and facilitators of intellectual debate on campus. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an advocacy group for free speech on college campuses, said Texas colleges can and should go after antisemitic harassment, threats and violence. But Abbott's executive order goes too far and leans on a definition of antisemitism that would involve punishing students for "core political speech," including any criticism of Israel, the group said. |
| 'A Difficult Time to Be Working in Student Affairs' | |
| Amelia Parnell, the incoming president of NASPA, a national association for student affairs administrators, is a self-described optimist -- but, she stresses, she's not naïve. After nine years with the organization, where she is currently vice president for research and policy, she knows student affairs isn't the easiest profession. But what some see as a harrowing moment of change for higher education, she sees as an opportunity for student affairs professionals -- who play a role in everything from diversity, equity and inclusion to mental health -- to build partnerships, find solutions and continue to make a difference in students' lives. She spoke with Inside Higher Ed via phone about her new position, which she begins on July 1. Excerpts of the conversation follow, edited for clarity and length. |
| College Financial-Aid Officers Are Running Out of Time -- and Losing Patience | |
 | The news frustrated Stephanie Levenson, but it didn't surprise her. After all, she had been hearing about delays and technical problems with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, ever since the form went live, at the end of 2023. "Every day there's something," she said. "It's a soap opera." But Levenson, vice president for enrollment management at Monmouth College, in Illinois, was especially concerned about what her financial-aid director had told her: Many of the processed FAFSAs the college had received contained data discrepancies that would need to be resolved. Levenson also learned that financial-aid experts elsewhere are finding problems with the FAFSA calculation that determines each applicant's eligibility for federal aid. So Levenson took to X, formerly Twitter, and expressed her feelings about the latest FAFSA snags: "You can't make this sh$t up." As March ends, patience with the so-called Better FAFSA is evaporating rapidly. The U.S. Department of Education announced that it had processed more than 4.4 million FAFSAs as of March 25, and many colleges have been receiving big batches of processed applications, known as Institutional Student Information Records, or ISIRs, over the last two weeks. But several financial-aid experts say that some of the data colleges have been receiving is flawed. And a substantial number of colleges are doubting their ability to get aid offers out within the next few weeks. |
| Education Department Heeds Calls to Delay Gainful Reporting Deadline | |
| The Education Department said Friday it will push back the reporting requirements for its new gainful employment and financial value transparency rule (FVT/GE) from July 31 to Oct. 1. Under the rule, colleges and universities will have to report new program-level information, including the total cost of attendance and the amount of private education loans disbursed to students. They've argued in letters to the department that it's too much, too soon, largely because they need to focus on processing student aid applications and sending out award letters. Institutions have had less time this year than usual because of the fraught roll-out of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which has faced myriad delays and technical issues. In February, the department relaxed a number of other administrative requirements for colleges and universities because of the FAFSA issues. But delaying the gainful employment deadline was a top priority for institutions given the work involved to gather and submit the data. The department has estimated that complying with reporting requirements will take up about 5 million hours across 4,518 institutions. The gainful employment and financial value transparency rule, which will take effect July 1, aims to give prospective students and their families better information about college programs, including whether graduates can afford their yearly debt payments and whether they earn more than an adult in their state who didn't go to college. |
| GOP states sue to scrap Biden's student loan repayment plan | |
| Eleven Republican-led states sued on Thursday to overturn President Biden's new student loan repayment plan, arguing the program is a scheme to provide widespread debt relief that the Supreme Court struck down last year. The federal lawsuit, led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, largely mirrors the claims in the case that brought down Biden's plan to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loans last year. The states allege the president has again overstepped his authority in creating the Saving on a Valuable Education program, commonly known as Save. The plan, launched in October, provides lower monthly payments for millions of borrowers and a faster path to cancellation. It has already erased the balances of more than 150,000 enrollees, who originally borrowed less than $12,000 and have been paying for 10 years. The Biden administration has estimated the Save plan will cost $156 billion over the next decade, but the Congressional Budget Office says the figure is closer to $230 billion. The level of forgiveness has caught the ire of conservatives. "In completely brazen fashion the president pressed ahead and implemented another version of the student loan forgiveness program," Kobach told reporters at a news conference Thursday. Joining the suit filed by Kobach were attorneys general from Nebraska, Iowa, Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, South Carolina and Utah. They intend to seek a temporary injunction to block the Save program. |
| Will Biden's Support for HBCUs Bring in Votes? | |
| When Joe Biden ran for the presidency four years ago, young people and Black voters helped drive his win. But this election cycle, Biden has his work cut out for him. While 57 percent of voters ages 18 to 34 report they're "extremely likely" to vote, only 44 percent of Black young people say the same, and young voters overall are less sure of who they plan to vote for, according to a poll from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University. Of those "extremely likely" to vote, 51 percent prefer a Democratic candidate, but among youth polled overall, 31 percent say they're undecided. "I'm still waiting to hear what the candidates have to say at their presidential debates," Zuri Primos, a first-year student at Dillard University, a historically Black university in Louisiana, recently told The Hilltop, Howard University's student newspaper. "I find it is redundant and ineffective that we are forced to side with the 'lesser of two evils' each four years." The Biden administration is working to win these voters over with visits to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and appeals to their students. Some HBCU leaders say the Biden administration's outreach to and support for the institutions hasn't gone unnoticed, and his efforts may bring him one step closer to winning over Black and youth voters come election time. However, some HBCU scholars also say policy promises unfulfilled, the administration's strong support for Israel as it wages war in Gaza, and the administration's failure to make Black students more aware of policy successes that benefit Black communities could also lose him HBCU student votes. |
| Is work rule unworkable? | |
| The Greenwood Commonwealth's Tim Kalich writes: The Mississippi Senate has insisted that if the state is going to expand Medicaid, there must be a work requirement for most of those who become newly eligible for the government-provided health insurance. Philosophically, that seems reasonable. Medicaid expansion has been promoted for years by supporters, including me, as a way to provide health insurance to the "working poor" -- those who make too little to be able to afford private insurance and too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid. If that is the intent, then it logically follows that it is not asking too much for these new beneficiaries to prove that they are, in fact, working. But what seems reasonable in theory sometimes doesn't work all that well in practice. A line-in-the-sand attitude toward tying work to Medicaid expansion is probably one of those. |
| Even Sen. Roger Wicker is not conservative enough for much of northeast Mississippi | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker's loss in his native northeast Mississippi in the Republican primary earlier this month most likely says more about the region than it does about him. Not surprisingly, Wicker won his reelection bid in the Republican primary by a comfortable margin, garnering 61% of the statewide vote. He lost only nine counties, but all of those counties were within a figurative stone's throw of his longtime home of Tupelo in Lee County. In the northeast Mississippi counties, Wicker, who has served as a U.S. senator since 2008, won only two counties against Republican opponent Ghannon Burton, who worked hard to embrace the modern MAGA conservative movement. Wicker won Alcorn County with a plurality vote of 49% to 43% for Burton. Wicker captured Monroe Cunty just to the southeast of Lee County by a slim 47% to 46% margin. State Rep. Dan Eubanks of DeSoto came in a distant third. Burton won Wicker's home county of Lee by a 54% to 39% margin and also captured Pontotoc County, where Wicker's father served proudly as a circuit judge, 58% to 34%. Granted, turnout in the primary election was down -- way down. But outside of northeast Mississippi, Wicker won counties throughout the state where the MAGA movement spurred by President Donald Trump was strong. |
| Legislature, not local governments, should fund $26 billion PERS gap | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: The Legislature was going to make a serious effort to fix PERS this year. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann called it "the major issue" for this session. House Speaker Jason White said, "we want to fix this long term." That's not happening. Revamping the board and a one-time appropriation of a couple hundred million, while constructive, will not fix PERS. The fix will take one of two things, or some of both -- lots more money coming in or lots less money going out over a 30-year or so period. The financial health of a defined benefit plan like PERS must be calculated over a long time frame. Participants accrue benefits every year. Retirees accrue COLA benefits every year. PERS has to make sure projected income from employee and employer contributions and investment earnings will provide sufficient funds to cover projected payouts for current and future benefits. If there is a projected shortfall it goes on the books as unfunded accrued liabilities (UAL). In 2011, the UAL was $14.4 billion and growing. It is now $26 billion and growing. To fix PERS, the UAL must not only stop growing but be greatly reduced. For more than a decade PERS has increased employer contribution rates to try to fix the problem. That approach failed. In 2011, Gov. Haley Barbour's PERS Study Commission recommended changes to benefit payouts. The Legislature ignored recommended changes and they would no longer be sufficient to fix PERS. PERS now says, oh, we just need lots and lots more money from employer contributions. |
SPORTS
| Fueled by doubters, journeyman and 'weird arm slot guy' Cam Schuelke takes on the SEC | |
| Cam Schuelke has heard it all before. He's heard throwing from different arm slots wouldn't be effective against top level college competition. He's heard that throwing sidearm will lead to him blowing out his elbow. He's certainly heard that he doesn't throw hard enough to succeed in the strongest conference in college baseball. It all serves as fuel for Schuelke, who is at his fourth school in as many years but is now a big part of Mississippi State's bullpen. Opposing batters seldom know whether Schuelke's next pitch will be thrown overhand, sidearm or submarine. "The way I see it is, if you do it the right way with your technique, you're not really putting more stress on your arm," Schuelke said. "I can pitch pretty much every day. As long as you're doing it right, it's not bad for your arm. ... Everybody that saw it was like, 'Oh, it's a gimmick, it'll never work at the next level.' College coaches said that. It always just pissed me off and gave me some pretty good motivation." Schuelke has always been a natural sidearm pitcher, ever since he started playing in his hometown of Dorr, Mich., a short drive south from Grand Rapids. His father, Mike Schuelke, also threw sidearm in high school and encouraged Cam to become comfortable both sidearm and overhand. |
| Mississippi State still in Top 25 after tough series loss to Florida | |
| After another weekend of college baseball, only one Mississippi team is still in the national rankings. Mississippi State (19-10, 4-5 SEC), coming off a series loss to a Top 5 Florida team, came in at No. 22 in D1Baseball's rankings and No. 19 in Baseball America's. The Bulldogs fell to the Gators by one run on Friday night before storming back for a 12-2 win on Saturday. During Sunday's rubber match, Chris Lemonis' squad narrowly lost 4-3. "It was a tough weekend for Mississippi State, which lost in walk-off fashion twice in Gainesville," Teddy Cahill and Peter Flaherty of Baseball America wrote. "While this weekend might leave a sour taste in the Bulldogs' mouths, they remain a quality club with exciting pieces on both sides of the baseball." Ole Miss (18-11, 3-6), on the other hand, dropped out of the polls after being swept by Kentucky. In a series the Rebels were expected to win, they were outscored 37-13 and ended the weekend being run-ruled by the Wildcats. Defense continues to be an issue for Mike Bianco's team as Ole Miss has made 34 errors in 29 games, compared to 38 errors in 54 games in 2023. |
| Mississippi State's new-look offense starting to take shape | |
| The spring transfer portal window opens on April 15, but Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby wants to see how the team he has right now looks in practice before evaluating the Bulldogs' needs. "We'll continue to evaluate that as we go through practice. I'm not real comfortable in saying it today," Lebby said. "I'm going to wait and see a few more practices until I make that decision." MSU added 14 transfer players while the portal was open in December, including four offensive linemen -- much-needed additions for a team replacing all five starters up front. But just two of those transfers, Jacoby Jackson (Texas Tech) at left guard and Ethan Miner (North Texas) at center, were practicing with the first team during the portion of Tuesday's practice session that was open to media. Makylan Pounders (Memphis) figures to be a big part of the group as well. Juniors Albert Reese, Leon Bell and Canon Boone all took first-team reps Tuesday after playing reserve roles in 2023. Also joining the offensive line is sophomore Malik Ellis, who was recruited as an offensive lineman but played tight end as a freshman due to the Bulldogs' need for depth at that position. "Coaches have done a good job making sure everybody's on the same page," Reese said. "It's not like old guys know way more than young guys and young guys barely know anything. They're trying to keep us all mentally in the same place so nobody's playing catch-up." |
| Cameron Matthews: Mississippi State basketball starter returning | |
| Mississippi State basketball forward Cameron Matthews will be returning next season, he announced via social media Friday. Matthews will be using the extra COVID-19 year of eligibility granted to athletes by the NCAA. Matthews has appeared in 132 games during his four seasons with the Bulldogs, and he has started 67 of 68 games across the last two campaigns. He's coming off a senior season in which he averaged 9.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 28.5 minutes per game. Playing under coach Chris Jans, whose teams are known for their success on the defensive end, Matthews was an anchor who earned All-SEC defensive team honors. He ranked second in the conference with 2.1 steals per game. "We've got more memories to make and more goals to achieve," Matthews wrote. "I'm excited to announce that I'll be wearing the maroon and white one more time in 2024-2025. I'm appreciative to coach Jans and our staff for the lessons they've taught me and for trusting me to be a leader. I work hard every day to be the best player I can be and can't wait for what's in store next season." |
| Mississippi State basketball's Josh Hubbard to host showcase for top high school players | |
| Mississippi State basketball's Josh Hubbard is hosting a high school showcase at Madison-Ridgeland Academy on April 5-6. The event will feature the top 17 prospects in the state, according to the press release. Friday's activities will center around athletes taking part in practices. It sets up for a showcase game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at MRA. The showcase promises celebrity appearances and there will also be halftime entertainment along with interactive fan zones and giveaways. Hubbard was an All-SEC selection as a freshman guard this season. He led Mississippi State with 17.1 points per game and was the top scorer among freshmen in the SEC. Hubbard is a product of MRA where he was a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The 5-foot-10 guard originally signed with Ole Miss where he was set to play under coach Kermit Davis. However, Hubbard was released from his National Letter of Intent following Davis' firing last year. Hubbard elected to stay in the state to play under coach Chris Jans at MSU. |
| No. 13 MSU Rallies Past No. 21 Alabama, 4-3 | |
| No. 13 Mississippi State earned its fourth-consecutive ranked win by rallying past 21st-ranked Alabama on Sunday. After winning the doubles point, the Bulldogs fell behind 3-2 and needed wins on the final two courts to keep their streak alive. Freshman Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes and senior Carles Hernandez both came through with third-set victories to earn MSU its eighth ranked win of the year and fourth over a top 25 opponent. "I'm proud of the guys for coming out sharp in doubles," said head coach Matt Roberts. "We were really committed and clean in doubles. Then in singles, we battled on every court. We just got outplayed in a couple of spots today. I'm just really proud of how Rob trusted his game towards the end there. That was a big win for Rob. And then Carles, I'm so proud of how committed and clear he was with what he wanted to do in that third set. He didn't let that moment deter him from swinging out and bringing a lot of intensity." The Bulldogs (15-5, 7-2) have won 11 of their last 13 matches and gone 7-2 against ranked foes during that span. It was also State's 14th win over the Crimson Tide in their last 16 meetings. "We feel like we're getting deeper into singles with six courts that are fighting," Roberts said. "Doubles is coming along since we got Michal Novansky back. We're just trying to figure out how we can get better every week. I feel like we're controlling what we can control as a program really well and using these matches to apply it." |
| Mississippi State's Lopez Ramirez, Horder to play at Augusta National Women's Amateur | |
| Julia Lopez Ramirez is no stranger to the Augusta National Women's Amateur. But although the Mississippi State star golfer played in the event last year, she never actually got the chance to play on the iconic course. That's because the first two rounds of the tournament are held at Champions Retreat Golf Club in nearby Evans, Ga., with only the final round taking place at Augusta National. Lopez Ramirez missed the cut by two strokes in 2023, finishing four shots over par. Such a fate is highly unlikely for Lopez Ramirez this year. The native of Malaga, Spain, is now the No. 2 ranked amateur golfer in the world and is coming off a co-championship at her last event, the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in Hilton Head Island, S.C. She was also the 2023 Southeastern Conference individual champion and won the European Ladies' Amateur Championship in Sweden last July. "You learn a lot on those courses," Lopez Ramirez said. "I learned to just go have fun and enjoy yourself out there, because being there it can get to you. I'm so happy to go at it again and try and be out there with the best amateurs in the world." Lopez Ramirez will be joined by a Bulldogs teammate, fellow junior Chaira Horder, at this year's tournament, which will take place from Apr. 3-6. Horder, who grew up in Munich, Germany, is currently ranked No. 165 in the world and won The Women's Amateur Championship in England in June 2023. |
| 'I promise to continue to represent Starkville': Two-time Super Bowl champion Gay comes home | |
| Willie Gay Jr. was moved to tears when he saw the crowd gathered for him at the YMCA Plaza on Mississippi State's campus Thursday morning. Before making a name for himself as a two-time Super Bowl champion as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Gay made a name for himself in Starkville -- as both a Yellow Jacket and a Bulldog. When his mother told him there would be a celebration to honor Gay in his hometown, he was not expecting an audience like the one assembled Thursday, two weeks after Gay signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints. "I didn't believe it was going to be as big as this," Gay said. "I'm overwhelmed with joy and thankful. It's a big deal." Gay has dealt with plenty of adversity, some of it self-inflicted, during his college and professional career. He missed eight games during his junior season with the Bulldogs in 2019 due to a violation of team rules, and in 2022 he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of criminal property damage, which landed him a four-game suspension. Still, Gay remains beloved in Starkville and was a key piece of MSU's outstanding defense in 2018, which allowed the fewest points per game (12) and third-fewest yards per game (268.4) in all of college football. A two-way star at Starkville High, where he played running back in addition to linebacker, Gay drew interest from such programs as LSU, Michigan and Ole Miss but always knew deep down he wanted to stay home. |
| Travis Scott's Cactus Jack, Mitchell & Ness to launch 'Back to College' apparel collection | |
| Cactus Jack, a brand launched by rapper Travis Scott, is set to launch a new college-inspired apparel collection in a partnership with Mitchell & Ness. The "Jack Goes Back to College" collection will launch April 4 -- just in time for the NCAA Tournament Final Four. The launch will feature 28 schools and include snapback hats from Mitchell & Ness, as well as a variety of clothing items, according to the announcement. T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, crewnecks, seat pants and backpacks will complete the "head-to-toe" look. Retail prices will start at $68 and go up to $168, Fanatics said. In addition to Scott's website and Fanatics, the collection will be available at Lids and bookstores operated by Barnes & Noble College of the 28 participating colleges, including Mississippi State. Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin shared the news via Instagram and expressed his excitement about what's to come. "This is major!" Rubin wrote. "My guy @travisscott and @cactusjack teamed up with @fanatics @mitchellandness @lids for the 'Jack Goes Back to College' limited edition collection!! Such a unique collab – fusing our university partnerships with Trav's incredible vision and Cactus Jack's high-end signature streetwear to give sports fans something they've never seen before. Can't wait for launch on 4.4 on fanatics.com ... and stay tuned for some fun Trav and me have planned!!" |
| U. of Kentucky can't move ticket holders' seats after Rupp renovation, judge rules | |
 | A Franklin Circuit judge has stopped the University of Kentucky from changing the seats of two UK men's basketball ticket holders. Under a proposed change, those tickets would have been given away to the highest bidder. Judge Phillip Shepherd granted the order to John Meyers and Kathy Walker. Both of them sued UK after they were told they would lose their current tickets and get new ones handed out in order of donations to the K Fund, a sports booster organization. In January, UK told 178 lower arena and courtside ticket holders that aging infrastructure required them to rebuild the risers, which would change the configuration of seats. Everyone would still get tickets, but each ticketholder would pick where they now wanted to sit based on the K Fund Priority list. The deadline was to be Friday, March 29 at 5 p.m. According to the order, UK can proceed with the renovations, but they cannot give away Meyers' or Walker's tickets. Meyers and Walker both had worked out deals for lifetime donations in exchange for lifetime tickets. Shepherd did not rule on whether those agreements constitute contracts. But he wrote, "the Plaintiffs raise a substantial question whether they have a valid, enforceable contract under KRS 45A.245 that is outside the scope of sovereign immunity, and whether those contracts were breached by UK when it moved forward with its plan to perform a seat reconfiguration by sending each of the Plaintiffs their respective 'Happy New Year' letters about the new seat selection process." |
| Notre Dame AD: Independent status 'more valuable than ever' | |
| While college athletics undergoes sweeping changes, Notre Dame's desire to remain independent is constant, as Notre Dame leadership feels "as secure as ever" in its football status, first-year athletic director Pete Bevacqua told ESPN on Thursday. Bevacqua, who began his new role on Monday following the retirement of longtime athletic director Jack Swarbrick, cited multiple reasons for the athletic department's continued sense of security. He said the university's most recent television deal with NBC, its partnership with the ACC for all other sports except hockey, and the new College Football Playoff deal all provide financial security. He also said he's "bullish" on the future of the football program as coach Marcus Freeman enters his third season. "We are now in as good of a position as we've ever been in the modern era of college football to be independent," said Bevacqua, a 1993 Notre Dame graduate who returned to the school in 2023 in an administrative role after serving as the third chairman in the history of NBC Sports. "You see all the conference realignment, you see everything that's happened, I think our position as being independent in football quite frankly is certainly more unique than ever, but also more valuable than ever." |
| UNC Tennis Player's Antitrust Case Could Slam NCAA Amateurism | |
| Attorney Michael McCann writes for Sportico: NCAA rules limiting college athletes' economic opportunities face yet another antitrust attack, as University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tennis player Reese Brantmeier recently sued the association over its prize money restrictions. Central to Brantmeier v. NCAA is a rule prohibiting tennis players from accepting more than $10,000 per calendar year in prize money prior to attending college, with allowances for additional prize money not exceeding actual and necessary expenses. Like other antitrust lawsuits brought against the NCAA, Brantmeier's core argument is that the NCAA and its member schools and conferences -- i.e., competing businesses that join hands through NCAA rulemaking -- illegally boycott college athletes who violate amateurism rules and illegally conspire to price fix what college athletes can earn. Much of the complaint depicts the NCAA as hypocritical for, on one hand, permitting NIL deals and effectively allowing NIL collectives to target high school recruits and transfer portal players in pay-for-play arrangements while, on the other hand, still restricting prize money. Prize restrictions are portrayed as vestiges of amateurism, a system that attempts to distinguish college athletes who play in a multibillion-dollar industry as amateurs by denying them economic opportunities. Antitrust threats against NCAA rules governing tennis, skiing and other lower-profile college sports (relative to football and basketball) might not seem like grave threats to amateurism. But the reality is quite different. Each case against the NCAA builds on others, and successful cases create favorable precedent for other parties to use against the NCAA. |
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