| Wednesday, April 24, 2024 |
| 'Cicada-geddon': Big brood of bugs plans to emerge | |
 | This sound will become much more familiar, possibly as soon as this week. Dr. Blake Layton is the Extension Entomologist Specialist at Mississippi State. He said North Mississippi is about to experience something it has not seen in a while. "What we are about to see is the emergence of these 13-year cicadas, and they look a lot different from the annual cicadas that we see. These are going to be black with red eyes, so you cannot mistake them for anything else," said Layton. Richard Brown, MSU Professor Emeritus, said the cicadas have been laying low for a while, but now they are becoming more visible. "These things have lived the last 13 years under the ground, where they have fed off of roots of trees, shrubs, and plants. Now they are mature and coming out to emerge with their wings fully developed. They will call each other to mate and then it will start all over for another 13 years," said Brown. Layton said the cicadas will not cause much harm, but they will be very loud. "The biggest problem that people will have is the constant noise that they are going to cause in neighborhoods and areas that have a lot of them. These things can have populations from a half of a million to a million per acre in the right kind of habitat," said Layton. |
| Who's at fault for failed $7M sewer plant upgrades? | |
 | The City of Starkville, an engineering firm and several other entities are involved in a standoff in federal court over the failure of aerators at the city's wastewater treatment plant. The city argues that six aerators installed as part of a $7.7 million project to expand capacity failed almost immediately after their 2020 installation. It sued the companies involved -- Volkert Inc., J&P Construction, Evoqua Water Technologies and Environmental Technical Sales -- late last year in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court. The case was removed in January to federal court in the Northern District of Mississippi. The city is alleging breach of contract, negligence and breach of warranty. Meanwhile, the various defendants are arguing that the city fails to state a legally actionable claim against them and are asking the suit be dismissed. According to the city's complaint, which is only one side of a legal argument, "Construction took place in 2020, and immediately after the disc aerators were installed, they began failing. While the parties have attempted multiple repairs, the disc aerator system has ever consistently worked as promised or intended." The city claims it spent thousands of dollars trying to fix the problem and has received notices of violations from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality due to the equipment failure. The city also claims it will "more than likely" have to completely replace "the entire system that was installed during the project." The case is set for trial June 2, 2025, in front of Judge Sharion Aycock. |
| Why the AI Industry's Thirst for New Data Centers Can't Be Satisfied | |
 | The frenzy to build data centers to serve the exploding demand for artificial intelligence is causing a shortage of the parts, property and power that the sprawling warehouses of supercomputers require. The lead time to get custom cooling systems is five times longer than a few years ago, data center executives say. Delivery times for backup generators have gone from as little as a month to as long as two years. A dearth of inexpensive real estate with easy access to sufficient power and data connectivity has builders scouring the globe and getting creative. New data centers are planned next to a volcano in El Salvador and inside shipping containers parked in West Texas and Africa. Bill Vass, vice president of engineering at Amazon Web Services, said a new data center pops up somewhere in the world every three days. It generally takes a year and a half or two years to put up a large, new data facility, said Jon Lin, the general manager of data-center services at Equinix, one of the world's biggest data-center operators. It is difficult for the industry to suddenly scale up when demand skyrockets because of the extensive planning and supply-chain management required, he said. Cloud giants like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and Alphabet's Google are investing billions of dollars in new data centers. The rush to build has ratcheted up the time needed to acquire some critical data-center components. Transceivers, which connect different networks of servers, now take months longer to arrive than before. Labor costs have also become an issue as data-center builders have faced a shortage of construction workers trained on these types of sensitive installations. |
| Mississippi lawmakers haggle over possible Medicaid expansion as their legislative session nears end | |
 | Top Mississippi lawmakers started negotiating Tuesday on what could become a landmark plan to expand Medicaid coverage to tens of thousands of people in one of the poorest states in the U.S. But even with Republicans controlling both the state House and Senate, it's far from clear that they will reach a compromise during the final days of their four-month session that is scheduled to end by early May. Mississippi is among the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage to people who work low-wage jobs that don't provide private health insurance. Expansion is an option under the federal health care overhaul signed into law in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said for years that he opposes putting more people on government programs. Expansion is getting its first serious discussion in the Mississippi Capitol this year because the new House speaker, Republican Jason White, says it is one of his priorities. House Medicaid Committee Chairwoman Missy McGee, a Republican from Hattiesburg, offered a compromise Tuesday. It would allow Mississippi to receive the full amount of federal money possible for Medicaid expansion. People earning up to 100% of the federal poverty level would be covered by Medicaid, while those earning between 100% and 138% of the federal poverty level would receive subsidies to buy insurance through a federal health insurance exchange. Senators offered no new proposals Tuesday and did not immediately respond to the one from the House. |
| Medicaid expansion negotiators still far apart after first public meeting | |
 | Kevin Blackwell, the main Senate negotiator trying to reach agreement on expanding Medicaid to provide health insurance for primarily the working poor, urged his House counterparts Tuesday to accept the Senate's scaled-down version of Medicaid expansion. "Both chambers are off the porch" in terms of passing bills to expand Medicaid, Blackwell said. "... Both have taken a step forward. But if your position is my way or the highway, it is going to put us right back on the porch." House negotiators, meanwhile, offered a compromise expansion plan to the Senate on Tuesday, but Blackwell and his Senate negotiators did not reciprocate, saying only they would take the House counter back to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and other Senate leaders for consideration and casting doubt that they can gin up more Senate support. Blackwell made his warning Tuesday near the end of the first open-to-the-public conference committee meeting, which was packed to capacity with onlookers eager to witness a key meeting of the Legislature's first-ever earnest debate of Medicaid expansion. The issue has become the major focus of a contentious 2024 legislative session, with hundreds of Mississippians, top state business leaders, health officials and even religious leaders publicly advocating at the Capitol for full Medicaid expansion that stands to significantly help the poorest, unhealthiest state in the nation. |
| Mississippi lawmakers still can't agree on Medicaid expansion | |
 | Medicaid Senate and House conference committee members seem to agree on only one thing: They should keep working on a compromise to expand Medicaid in Mississippi. With four days left to file conference committee reports in the Mississippi Legislature, House Medicaid Chairwoman Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, offered one compromise to the House Medicaid plan for Senate members to consider. That change would shift the age and income criteria that are already on the table. "The biggest obstacle for us to address is the federal poverty level as how far we can take that," McGee said. "The house is committed to drawing down the maximum federal dollars available ... (This) is what we like to offer to you guys to take to your membership, your leadership. We realize there's more than one way to get to 138% FPL. I think that for today, this is our biggest the biggest obstacle." However, the idea was met with skepticism from Senate conferees Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, and Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula. Despite the tension, both sides agreed to keep the conversation alive, with Blackwell noting that continued dialogue could be the only chance they have in the foreseeable future to pass Medicaid expansion. |
| Former, incoming heads of state chamber, other business leaders endorse full Medicaid expansion | |
| A delegation of major business leaders, including the incoming president of the state's chamber of commerce and the former commander of the Mississippi National Guard, pleaded with lawmakers on Tuesday to not adjourn their session without passing a bill that fully expands Medicaid coverage to the state's poorest citizens. Jack Reed Jr. the former Republican mayor of Tupelo and the owner of Tupelo-based Reed's Department Store, spoke on behalf of the business leaders at the state Capitol, where he urged lawmakers to support expansion because of the positive financial impact it would have on the state's economy. "It's the right thing to do morally," Reed said of expansion. "Legislators, by virtue of your offices, you are in a position to make it happen. We Mississippi businesses are supporting you." Reed, former chairman of the Mississippi Economic Council and leader of the store that's been an anchor of north Mississippi for over a century, and his family have a storied history of advocating causes that are now considered visionary but were not politically expedient at the time. Reed's father, Jack Reed Sr., served as the MEC chairman in the early 60s when he used his position to urge state leaders to keep public schools open and comply with court-ordered integration. "There comes a time in every legislator's life when he or she has the opportunity to really do something that makes a difference to thousands of their fellow Mississippians," Reed said. "This is one of those times." |
| Sign language now an option for Mississippi high school foreign language requirement | |
| Starting in July, Mississippi's high school students will have another option to meet their foreign language curriculum graduation requirement -- sign language. Authored by State Senator Angela Hill (R), SB 2339 was signed into law by Governor Tate Reeves (R) last week. The new law directs the State Board of Education to develop a curriculum related to the study of sign language. "Any such class developed by the board may count as an academic credit for foreign languages for the purposes of high school graduation requirements," the law states. Senator Hill said the bill came at the request of a teacher in the Pearl River County School District. "I think it's just one more option to have for a foreign language credit," Hill said. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 50-0 and the House by a vote of 121-0, gaining universal support in both legislative bodies. Governor Reeves signed it into law on April 15th. "Usually, the simple things are the hardest to get passed," Hill said. Now, Mississippi will join a growing number of other states across the nation that allow students to choose sign language as a foreign language option. |
| Track star tells state senators it's time for change at the MHSAA | |
| Andrew Brown is known for his skills on the track. Tuesday morning a proclamation was given to the Tupelo High Schooler by District Six Senator Chad McMahan, highlighting Brown's athletic accomplishments. The teen then gave a speech on the Senate floor. He says student-athletes should never be punished for having opportunities to represent the state on a national stage. "I would like to see change and modernization of the rules at MHSAA and how they apply the rules to athletes, and I want to see Mississippi be known for having national-level runners," Brown said. The MHSAA says Brown broke rule 6.2.3 which states an athlete cannot take part in an event as an unattached contestant, or not representing his or her school. The MHSAA upheld its decision after it was appealed. McMahan says he wanted to have the Tupelo teen, known as one of the fastest runners in the country, at the state Capitol to bring attention to Brown's story and about MHSAA rules. "We will have a hearing and try and get to the bottom of what happened. with this ruling," Sen. McMahan said. Even though MHSAA is not a state entity, McMahan says he has a lot of questions. "Most of their funding comes from dues paid by public school systems across the state, therefore they come under my authority as municipality chairman..." McMahan has given MHSAA thirty days to respond. |
| City or State: Who is equipped to address Jackson's biggest issues? Depends on who you ask | |
| If there's only one thing state and local leaders seemingly agree on, it's that Jackson needs solutions to various issues the city is facing. Exactly how to go about solving the issues is the issue, and communication between area leaders and the state is practically non-existent. Whether it's warranted or not, the hand the Mississippi Legislature has played in the governance and development of Jackson remains a major point of contention between the majority-Black, Democratic local leadership and white Republican supermajority in the Capitol. State lawmakers say their efforts to provide infrastructure improvements through the creation and expansion of the Capitol Complex Improvement District is a necessary step to attract more people to the city. Legislators also point to their attempts to regionalize the representation of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority and hand the Jackson Water System over to a third-party nonprofit as beneficial for the city. Some lawmakers think continued attention could only do more good for Jackson and its residents. "I think the state would love to come alongside a partner with the City of Jackson in economic development opportunities," Sen, David Parker, R-Olive Branch, said. Parker has filed two bills so far to hand the Jackson Water System over to a mostly state-appointed nonprofit board. "I see a lot of real estate in this area that is just vacant, and I see just a lot of opportunity that has been missed. I think with a willingness to work together, I think there's certainly opportunity to move our capital city forward." |
| A conservative quest to limit diversity programs gains momentum in states | |
| A conservative quest to limit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is gaining momentum in state capitals and college governing boards, with officials in about one-third of the states now taking some sort of action against it. Tennessee became the latest when the Republican governor this week signed legislation that would prohibit banks and other financial institutions from considering a customer's participation -- or lack thereof -- in "diversity, equity and inclusion training" or "social justice programming." That came shortly after the Democratic governor in Kansas allowed legislation to become law without her signature that will prohibit statements about diversity, equity or inclusion from being used in decisions about student admissions, financial aid or employment at higher education institutions. Last week, Iowa's Republican-led Legislature also gave final approval to a budget bill that would ban all DEI offices and initiatives in higher education that aren't necessary to comply with accreditation or federal law. The measure expands upon a directive last year from the Iowa Board of Regents to eliminate DEI staff positions. Higher education institutions and many businesses have long devoted resources to improving diversity and inclusivity. More recently, conservative groups began raising concerns that DEI initiatives are promoting an agenda that elevates racial or gender identity over individual merit. Since 2022, about half a dozen conservative or libertarian organizations have offered model measures to state lawmakers to eliminate DEI offices or prohibit the use of DEI criteria in training programs or employment, academic and financial decisions. |
| Wicker, Ezell lead resolution marking anniversary of the establishment of the Seabees | |
 | U.S. Senator Roger Wicker and U.S. Representative Mike Ezell led a bipartisan, bicameral resolution recognizing the 82nd anniversary of the establishment of the United States Naval Construction Force, known as the "Seabees," and thanking them for their service to our country. Mississippi's entire Congressional Delegation joined Senator Wicker and U.S. Representative Ezell in honoring the Seabees, including U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, U.S. Representative Trent Kelly, and U.S. Representative Michael Guest. "The Seabees are an integral part of Mississippi's military history and Gulfport's community. They have often put themselves into dire situations, whether assisting with natural disaster recovery or humanitarian missions across the globe. Our country and world are better off because of them," Senator Wicker said. "For more than eight decades, the Seabees have served with honor, ingenuity, and a 'can do' attitude," Representative Ezell said. "I am proud to have the Atlantic Fleet Seabees call South Mississippi home, and I am incredibly grateful for their contributions to our nation and to our coastal communities." In addition to building critical infrastructure in support of Navy and Marine Corps operations overseas, the Seabees have played a major role in disaster relief and recovery in the United States, especially on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. |
| U.S. Speaker of the House to speak in Jackson | |
| U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R) will be in the Magnolia State on Thursday to participate in an event at Jackson Preparatory School hosted by the National Apostolic Christian Leadership Conference (NACLC). The NACLC is an organization with the mission of developing and implementing a strategic alliance of Apostolic organizations to foster unity and meaningful interactions. The organization also works to engage with officials on issues they believe are vital to protecting the rights of people of faith without discrimination from government. "Now more than ever, the NACLC emphasizes the importance of listening to leaders and comprehending their motivations. Instead of presuming the worst about each other, it's crucial to understand people's beliefs and the reasons behind them," the NACLC said in a statement. "The faith community has been fortunate to collaborate with like-minded leaders, such as Mississippi Treasurer David McRae. Together, we have initiated leadership forums in Mississippi to introduce citizens to their leaders and their ideologies." Johnson, a Republican Louisiana Congressman, was elected as the 56th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in October 2023 following a lengthy process that ensued after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the office. |
| GOP senator: Greene 'dragging our brand down' | |
 | Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) took a shot at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Tuesday, saying she is "dragging our brand down." "She is a horrible leader," Tillis said of Greene, according to audio played on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront." "She is dragging our brand down. She -- not the Democrats -- are the biggest risk to us getting back to a majority." He added that the Georgia Republican is "uninformed" and "a total waste of time," per the clip, highlighted my Mediaite. His criticism comes as Greene has been in the spotlight over her motion to vacate threat against Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and her outspoken opposition to providing more aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia. A package of foreign aid bills -- including Ukraine and Israel aid -- easily passed the House over the weekend, and after debate, advanced through the Senate earlier Tuesday. President Biden is expected to sign the bills Wednesday. Following the House vote, Greene lashed out at Johnson and her GOP colleagues who helped push the additional aid through. She specifically called out the Speaker as a "traitor," in a post on social media platform X. Tillis wasn't the first Republican to call out Greene. Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) said in an interview last week that the Georgia lawmaker's political "theater" must "come to an end," likely referring to her threat to oust Johnson Last Thursday, in an interview on former White House aide Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast, Greene said she did not care if the "Speaker's office becomes a revolving door." |
| How McConnell and Schumer beat hardline conservatives on Ukraine | |
 | Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden might have been in lockstep on aiding Ukraine, but some things the Senate minority leader had to shoulder alone. Like battling his own party for the better part of the year. "I don't want to take a bit away from Chuck. He didn't have any Ukraine problems, I had all of them. But, we agreed on the overall goal," McConnell said in an interview on Tuesday. "It was not possible for him to help me with my members. Nor was it possible for the president to help me with my members. It was a Republican family argument." That argument has been settled, for now, as a majority of GOP senators took McConnell's side in the long-running fight over $95 billion in foreign aid on Tuesday. McConnell punctuated the win over his party's non-interventionist wing by flipping the votes of more than a half-dozen past opponents, tweaking Tucker Carlson for his vocal anti-Ukraine commentary and taking a victory lap in an extended press conference. Beyond the intraparty GOP battle, though, Congress' passage of $60 billion in aid for Ukraine traces back to something simple but rare in modern politics: an ironclad pact of trust between leaders of opposite political parties. It's all the more surprising given the years of animus between Schumer, the majority leader and relentless political tactician, and McConnell, the outgoing minority leader celebrating what may be his foreign policy coda as the top Senate Republican. |
| Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature | |
| The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges and disrupt the lives of content creators who rely on the short-form video app for income. The TikTok legislation was included as part of a larger $95 billion package that provides foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel and was passed 79-18. It now goes to President Joe Biden, who said in a statement immediately after passage that he will sign it Wednesday. A decision made by House Republicans last week to attach the TikTok bill to the high-priority package helped expedite its passage in Congress and came after negotiations with the Senate, where an earlier version of the bill had stalled. That version had given TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, six months to divest its stakes in the platform. But it drew skepticism from some key lawmakers concerned it was too short of a window for a complex deal that could be worth tens of billions of dollars. The revised legislation extends the deadline, giving ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, and a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress. The bill would also bar the company from controlling TikTok's secret sauce: the algorithm that feeds users videos based on their interests and has made the platform a trendsetting phenomenon. The passage of the legislation is a culmination of long-held bipartisan fears in Washington over Chinese threats and the ownership of TikTok, which is used by 170 million Americans. |
| Big Business Groups Sue to Block FTC's Ban on Noncompete Agreements | |
| The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups filed a lawsuit seeking to block a ban on the use of noncompete agreements, kicking off a legal battle over the fate of contracts that prevent most workers from joining rival firms. The suit, which was anticipated after the Federal Trade Commission issued the ban on Tuesday, has argued that the agency lacks the legal authority to issue the rule. The FTC has historically operated like a law-enforcement agency rather than a rule-making body. The chamber, a lobbying group for many of the biggest U.S. employers, was joined by the Business Roundtable and other business groups in its suit, filed in a federal court in Texas. The ban announced on Tuesday prohibits companies from enforcing existing noncompete agreements on anyone other than senior executives. The FTC says that noncompete clauses, which typically prevent workers from taking a new job or starting a business for a period after leaving an employer, hamper competition for labor and result in lower pay and benefits for workers. Companies have long said that noncompetes are an effective way to protect their intellectual property and other investments. Noncompetes originally were associated with higher-paid executives and people with access to trade secrets or strategic plans. Over the years, the clauses have been imposed on a wider range of lower-wage workers, including hairdressers, schoolteachers, baristas and security guards. |
| A Mississippi Exhibition Takes on a Provocative Topic | |
 | If museum exhibitions are meant to inspire and unsettle, the Mississippi Museum of Art has embraced its mission wholeheartedly, shining a light on a topic that is still largely taboo: mental illness and the state's response to it. Its exhibition "What Became of Dr. Smith" is thought-provoking, heart-wrenching and deeply personal, focusing on a contemporary, Nashville-based artist's reckoning with a mental disorder; the struggles of his great-grandfather, who was institutionalized for the last 40 years of his life; and the history of the Mississippi State Insane Hospital, the state's former public mental health hospital on whose grounds were recently found the remains of 7,000 unidentified people institutionalized there. On display through Sept. 22, the exhibition at the Mississippi Museum of Art, in Jackson, will have three parts: a 122-foot-long painting comprising 183 canvases by Noah Saterstrom that depict episodes in the life of his great-grandfather, Dr. David Smith, a traveling optometrist, and his descendants, including Saterstrom; historical artifacts illustrating Dr. Smith's life; and a third section on the Asylum Hill Project, exploring the history of the Mississippi State Insane Hospital. Saterstrom, 49, obtained his fine arts degree from the University of Mississippi in 1998 and, newly married, moved to Glasgow in the summer of 1999 to continue his art studies. "Within two years," he wrote, "I was back in the U.S., divorced, and in the midst of an episode of depersonalization so intense I became convinced that not only did I not exist, but I had never existed." What eventually pulled him back "from the existential abyss," he said in the essay, was painting scenes from old family photograph albums. |
| Fifth annual UM Giving Day brings in $11.5 million | |
 | The University of Mississippi held its fifth annual Giving Day on April 9-10, raising $11.5 million through just over 3,000 donations from alumni and students. Giving Day is a day open for donors to give back to the university's 10 academic schools plus the College of Liberal Arts, among other organizations. In promoting Giving Day, the university aims to raise as much money as possible through collective donations to support university programs, scholarships, facilities and other areas of the university. The biggest gifts given during Giving Day were three seven-figure gifts for the Department of Chemical Engineering, the School of Journalism and New Media and STEM scholarships for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. Barbara Beckmann committed a $5 million gift to the Department of Chemical Engineering, which will be named in her honor. Jean and Jerry Jordan committed a $4 million gift to initiate the Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation. Jan and George Pilko made a $1.5 million donation gift to the Excellence in STEM Scholarship Endowment. The Giving Day campaign's mission is also to bring the university community together around a common cause of supporting the institution. Angela Atkins, associate director of annual giving in the Office of University Development, believes that Giving Day allows students to support causes and programs that are important to them through their donations. |
| Becker's ranks UMMC among top 150 places to work in health care in US | |
 | Their experiences say it all when it comes to job satisfaction for Children's of Mississippi nurses Elaine Hobson and Nikki Cowan. "Historically, we've had a culture revolving around quality care and safety," Cowan said. "Kids are so resilient and fun, and my job here is so rewarding." Cowan, a 16-year employee of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, has helped foster that culture from all sides -- as a high school volunteer in the activity rooms, a bedside nurse on 5C, a patient of the cardiology department and on a personal level. "I've also been here as a mom to a 27-weeker who lived in the NICU for four months," she said. Hobson has had a servant's heart for kids and their families for more than four decades, starting in 1982 as a student nurse, then as an RN/charge nurse with pediatric patients and later as head nurse/nurse manager for pediatric surgery patients. Service is now a legacy in her family, too, with her son, Darius, and daughter, Kendra, also employed as nurses at Children's. "The focus has always been on the kids and their families," Hobson said. It's a culture that's been quantified across all facets of the Medical Center for 2024 as Chicago-based Becker's Healthcare has UMMC as one of the top 150 places to work in health care in its annual hospital review. The recognition is a point of pride and adds to a nurturing environment where employees and patients thrive, said Frank Lenior, chief human resources officer. |
| Whitney Hudson named director of USM Dixie Darlings | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Music is welcomed Whitney Hudson as director of the Dixie Darlings, the Pride of Mississippi's precision dance team. Hudson, a Waveland native, succeeds Tracy Smith, who retired after 20 years with the organization. "I am excited to come back to my alma mater," Hudson said. "I hold the traditions of this team and Southern Miss very close to my heart and am honored to begin this journey." With more than 10 years of experience in both the dance team and competitive dance industry, she will collaborate with The Pride of Mississippi to create entertaining halftime performances for USM football games. Hudson is a 2018 graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Science. During her time at Southern Miss, she was a four-year member of the Dixie Darlings, serving in multiple leadership roles on the team. Following graduation, she moved to New Orleans and danced for three years as a member of the New Orleans Saints' cheerleading team, the "Saintsations." Since 2021, Hudson has worked for DanceSouth, an elite competitive dance studio in the greater Pine Belt area where she has taught classes and choreographed routines for all ages. She currently resides in Purvis with her husband and daughter. |
| Belhaven is first Mississippi university to pair with Amazon for new curriculum | |
| Belhaven University is the first college in Mississippi to pair with Amazon to offer a new data science curriculum. The university announced Tuesday morning that it will work with Amazon Web Services Academy to create the curriculum, which will center around cloud computing. The curriculum aims to shape the next generation of the growing tech workforce. This new curriculum comes during a time of significant investment by Amazon Web Services in Mississippi. AWS recently initiated a $10 billion project in Madison County. The project will build two hyperscale development centers. The new Belhaven courses, debuting in fall 2024, will include lectures and labs. Experts at AWS have designed the courses to pair well with existing Belhaven curriculum. Belhaven professors will receive training to meet the courses' demands. In a Tuesday press release, Brett Andrews, dean of Belhaven's school of business and program director for data science, said he is proud of the new curriculum. "The rapid rise of computing is creating a growing number of high-quality jobs at organizations around the world," Andrews said. "The technical skills that students develop through this program will position them well for their careers today and in the future." |
| East Central Community College asks supervisors for more money | |
| East Central Community College has asked the Board of Supervisors for more financial support in the upcoming school year. Dr. Brent Gregory, president of East Central, on Monday, presented the Board of Supervisors with a resolution from the college's Board of Trustees for fiscal year 2024-25. The resolution, to be considered during the 2024-25 budget and tax levy discussion in August, proposes tax levies of 2.75 mills for Maintenance & Support and 1.5 mills for Enlargement, Improvement, and Repairs, totaling 4.25 mills. Currently, the levies stand at 2.25 mills for Support and 1.5 mills for Enlargement & Improvement, totaling 3.75 mills. This request, if levied, would require a 0.5 mill increase in taxes to support ECCC. "We are the fastest-growing community college in the state of Mississippi," Gregory said. "We had over a 13 percent enrollment increase this semester and over 10 percent in the fall. There's a lot of really good things going on at the institution right now, and we still want to be the best two years of people's lives." |
| Texas' Constraints on Employee Affinity Groups Place Minority Faculty and Staff on Edge | |
 | For many Black, Hispanic, Asian, and gay people at the University of Texas at Austin, employee affinity groups have been a source of community bonding and celebration on a campus whose faculty and staff are overwhelmingly white and straight. To celebrate the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, for example, the Hispanic Faculty Staff Association has sponsored a fiesta with a mariachi performance, ethnic food, and dancing. The Pride and Equity Faculty-Staff Association has offered sessions with strategies for coming out at work and an opportunity to join a transgender reading group. But in the wake of a new state law prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at public colleges, university lawyers have deemed such groups too much a risk. In what seems to be an effort to scrub the campus of anything that might sound to watchful lawmakers like DEI, the university has issued a list of new restrictions the groups say are essentially pushing them off campus. Leaders of the groups say they can no longer meet during paid work hours, use any university resources, or have departments pay members' dues. Colleges' failure over the years to diversify their faculty ranks has been blamed on both discriminatory hiring practices and, in some disciplines, a shortage of people with Ph.D.s. The effects, though, are clear. When colleges have few faculty of color, it's harder to attract professors and students of color. A university spokesman confirmed the restrictions placed on the affinity groups, which also include the Black Faculty and Staff Association. They're banned from using university resources "the same way you wouldn't be permitted to use university resources for personal reasons, such as making photocopies for your kids' soccer booster-club meetings," he said. |
| Pro-Palestinian students protest Gaza conflict on Texas A&M campus | |
 | Students at Texas A&M University joined other college students across the country in protesting against the conflict in Gaza on Tuesday. The afternoon protest in Rudder Plaza was organized by the Texas A&M branch of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (TAMUYDSA). Protestors wearing face scarves and face masks marched around A&M's campus holding hand-painted anti-Zionist signs while shouting chants against the invasion of Gaza -- which began after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis. Since the subsequent Israeli military response, over 30,000 Palestinians are reported to have died in Gaza. Akkad Ajam, the outreach coordinator for TAMUYDSA, said the protest was part of a series of monthlong events in support of Palestinians. "We had eight events planned for, as we called it, 'Palestine Awareness Month,'" he said. "We wanted to do it during Ramadan. ... We had a mic night, a visual, a movie night and then [Monday] during the festival we read poetry." The events were also set up as a means to raise money for a family that Ajam said is currently stuck in Rafah in southern Gaza and is trying to escape to Egypt. According to Ajam, this can be a very expensive process. Ajam said the protest on Texas A&M's campus was not antisemitic in nature and was only trying to raise awareness about the conflict. Although Ajam said the protesters did have some worries about whether the university would interfere with their protest, he said they faced no resistance from the Texas A&M Division of Risk, Ethics and Compliance. |
| U. of Missouri marks return of the Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Museum of Anthropology | |
 | After spending time in exile, the Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Museum of Anthropology are home at the University of Missouri campus, in the lower level of Ellis Library. The space was once occupied by the State Historical Society of Missouri, but it now has its own building on Elm Street. They both had been at Mizzou North, on the Business Loop, but university officials decided to demolish the building. The Museum of Art and Archaeology closed in summer 2021, while the Museum of Anthropology closed in October 2021. "We've moved twice in 10 years," said Candace Sall, director of the Museum of Anthropology. It's the only anthropology museum in the state, she said. "We have teamed up with the tribal nations," Sall said. "They are sovereign governments." The museum worked closely with the Osage nation on an exhibit, Sall said. It will feature explanations in Osage and English. "We're lucky to have such a good relationship with the Osage nation," Sall said. In the art and archaeology museum, there's a collection of Rembrandt prints on display through July 28, said museum director Dan Eck. 'We made our journey back to campus," Eck said. Chemistry classes are performing research on some of the European art, said Rima Girnius, curator of European and American art history. The equipment the students use doesn't touch or damage the artwork and they use the MU Research Reactor for their analysis. |
| UVa suspends 2 frats, terminates another one entirely after hazing allegations | |
| The University of Virginia has suspended two fraternity chapters and terminated another one entirely after reports of significant hazing activity. Theta Chi and Sigma Alpha Mu have had their fraternal organization agreements, or FOAs, with UVa suspended, while Pi Kappa Alpha has had its FOA terminated for at least four years. In addition, Pi Kappa Alpha's national leadership has announced it will be pursuing civil litigation of several brothers at UVa. The university has yet to disclose any additional details, including when the alleged violations of the school's hazing policy took place or when the school made its decision. University spokeswoman Bethanie Glover told The Daily Progress Tuesday that information will be published online in coming weeks. Glover also said she was not aware of any hospitalizations connected to the alleged hazing incidents. UVa's Kappa Sigma chapter was suspended at the beginning of March due to a reported hazing incident that resulted in the hospitalization of a second-year transfer student who fell down a set of stairs and hit his head on a wall. There has not been an update on the student's medical condition. A division of UVa Student Affairs is investigating Pi Kappa Alpha, Theta Chi and Sigma Alpha Mu, as well as 20 individual members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity for their "alleged involvement in hazing," according to the university. The cases will then be adjudicated according to the procedures of the University Judiciary Committee, which could result in expulsion. |
| The Politically Invincible Chancellor: N.C. State's Randy Woodson has served nearly three times as long as most college leaders. What's his secret? | |
| On a Sunday night in March, a Delta flight from Atlanta to Raleigh was late, but the delay didn't diminish the spirits of a team of North Carolina State University students coming off a weekend victory. One student spotted the university's chancellor, Randy Woodson, in the boarding area. After some hesitation the whole group crowded around him, snapping photos and filling him in on their recent win. Although the airport encounter coincided with the height of the March Madness basketball tournament, the teammates were members of N.C. State's chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, which had just been awarded chapter of the year among mid-Atlantic colleges. "I think people in the airport were pretty confused -- who's this older, white-haired guy getting mobbed by 40-some 19- and 20-year-olds?" said Kanton Reynolds, a director of undergraduate programs within the College of Engineering. "A lot of times, it's the big things, the sports, that get attention, so it was cool to see the chancellor celebrating academics." Athletic success has put N.C. State in the national spotlight of late --- its men's and women's basketball teams made an improbable joint run into this year's Final Four. But during Woodson's long tenure, the university has quietly burnished its academic reputation. Among its scholarly wins: increasing the selectivity of the students it admits, improving graduation rates, hiring world-class professors, and attracting tens of millions more in research dollars. Woodson's style is affable and engaged, familiar and low-key. In more than two dozen interviews for this article, people again and again singled out his qualities as an attentive listener. Woodson more often than not stays out of the headlines. "No, I'm not flashy," he said. |
| FBI director says agency is sharing intelligence to prevent violence on college campuses over Israel-Hamas war | |
 | The FBI is coordinating with college campuses to make them aware of antisemitic threats and possible violence in connection with the ongoing wave of protests over the Israel-Hamas war, FBI Director Christopher Wray told NBC News' Lester Holt in an exclusive interview Tuesday. He said the FBI is "keenly focused on working with state and local law enforcement, campus law enforcement and others to try to make sure that we stay ahead" of any threats of violence. Wray said the FBI doesn't monitor protests, "but we do share intelligence about specific threats of violence with campuses, with state and local law enforcement." In a wide-ranging interview on "NBC Nightly News," he spoke expansively about what he views as the national security threat from TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by a Chinese company. Congress is moving toward passing legislation requiring that company, ByteDance, to divest itself of TikTok. Asked to describe the real-world threat from TikTok, Wray said, using an acronym to refer to the Chinese Communist Party, that national security officials are concerned it provides Chinese intelligence services with "the ability to collect the data, the ability to control the recommendation algorithm, which means the ability to push CCP narratives, pro-CCP narratives, downplay criticism of the Chinese government, in effect, enlist millions of users as unwitting advocates of CCP propaganda." |
| Why Are Students Camping on University Lawns? | |
 | Since Columbia University shut down an encampment last week where pro-Palestinian protesters were demonstrating for divestment from companies with ties to Israel, students on other campuses have set up their own encampments, making similar demands. At more than a dozen institutions across the country, students have set up tents and sleeping bags on central quads or thoroughfares, where they are spending nights, hosting teach-ins, reciting prayers, and waving signs and Palestinian flags, in an effort to get administrators to hear out their demands. In some cases, proximity seems to have fueled the spread of encampments; students at three private institutions in the Boston area -- Emerson College, MIT and Tufts University -- all pitched tents this week. Students say their motives in erecting encampments are twofold: to support the more than 100 students who were arrested for protesting at Columbia and -- more importantly -- to revitalize and escalate their existing campus movements in support of the people of Gaza. Elaine Carey, a dean at Oakland University who has researched student movements, noted that encampment-style protests are not particularly common on college campuses. Historically, sit-ins and occupations of campus buildings have been more popular. |
| Biden tries to navigate the Israel-Hamas war protests roiling college campuses | |
| Student protests over the war in Gaza have created a new and unpredictable challenge for President Joe Biden as he resists calls to cut off U.S. support for Israel while trying to hold together the coalition of voters he'll need for reelection. The protests at Columbia University in New York and other campuses have captured global media attention and resurfaced questions about Biden's lagging support from young voters. His handling of the Middle East conflict is also being closely watched by both Jewish and Arab American voters in key swing states. At best for Biden, the protests are a passing distraction while the White House presses forward with negotiations over a cease-fire and the release of hostages held by Hamas while pushing Israel to limit casualties with more than 34,000 Palestinians dead. At worst, they build momentum toward the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, potentially triggering scenes of violence that could recall the unrest of protests against the Vietnam War during the party's convention there in 1968. "If it ends with Columbia, that's one thing," said Angus Johnston, a historian focused on campus activism. "If this sends the national student movement to a new place, that's a very different situation." Already, Biden's aides have had to work to minimize disruptions from antiwar protesters, holding smaller campaign events and tightly controlling access. Demonstrators forced his motorcade to change routes to the Capitol on his way to deliver the State of the Union, and they've thrown a red substance intended to symbolize blood near his home in Delaware. |
| Morehouse College: Biden's planned commencement speech sparks concern among the school's faculty | |
 | A commencement speech that President Joe Biden is expected to deliver at Morehouse College next month has sparked some concern among the school's faculty amid heightened tensions on college campuses across the country over the US' continued support for Israel in its war in Gaza. The White House on Tuesday formally announced that Biden will deliver the May 19 commencement at Morehouse, but faculty at the school -- one of the nation's preeminent historically Black colleges -- expressed concerns about Biden's presence on campus after hearing rumors that he would deliver the commencement earlier this week, according to an email from Morehouse Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Kendrick Brown, which was obtained by CNN. In the email, Brown writes that the concerns "prompted me to consult with elected faculty leaders" and those leaders "expressed clearly that providing such a forum for discussion would be valued by many faculty." Biden's visit to the Georgia college comes as he seeks to convince young voters to send him to the White House for another term, even as many have expressed frustration for Biden's continued support of Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Biden is also expected to deliver a commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 25. |
| Biden Administration Finalizes Overtime Rule | |
| Colleges and universities across the country will be forced to provide either a pay raise or overtime benefits to thousands of admissions officers, student affairs professionals and athletics staffers under a new rule finalized by the U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday. Previously, universities were exempt from clocking work hours and providing overtime pay to any employee salaried at or above $35,568. The new rule raises that bar nearly 65 percent to $58,656. With a final implementation deadline of Jan. 1, 2025, employers have less than a year to comply, and experts say that's bound to be a tall order. “Still grappling with the chaotic FAFSA rollout, public universities are also now contending with changes in Title IX policy [and] a new gainful employment rule with substantial new urgent demands,” said Mark Becker, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). “This raft of new regulations presents unprecedented challenges that will strain already stretched resources, and thereby impede public universities’ mission to serve students, advance path-breaking research and address the challenges facing their communities.” |
| After Wayfair, collecting (and paying) sales tax across state lines remains confusing | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: Back in 2018, the Supreme Court changed the way remote sales tax was assessed and collected, and in doing so, how government revenues will be impacted moving forward. The ruling came in a case styled South Dakota v. Wayfair. Over five years later, Wayfair enforcement is still like trying to read Sanskrit. If you engage in online commerce -- if packages arrive regularly at your home from online purchases -- this look back will make sense but few claim to have mastered the Byzantine rules of how sales tax is collected on remote purchases. By the way, retail e-commerce sales are projected to hit $8 trillion by 2027. Government tax collection agencies struggle to keep up. In a Forbes interview last year, one expert gave what I thought was a remarkably lucid explanation. Scott Peterson is the vice president of U.S. tax policy and government relations for Avalara Inc. Before that post, Peterson was director of the South Dakota sales tax division and later became the first executive director of the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board. In 2023, Peterson told Forbes' reporter Andrea Muse: "I would say that after five years that the states were right, that there was a lot of sales being made in the state for which there was no tax being collected. And all the arguments over the years that this is a $10 billion, a $15 billion, a $25 billion issue -- the high numbers have all been proven right. And the business community was right as well. If you don't make changes in the way tax is administered, you just expand the complexity. "I tell people that Wayfair didn't make sales tax complicated. Wayfair just exposed everybody to all the complexity that was already there." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State takes down Memphis in midweek action | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the Memphis Tigers 6-4 from FedEx Park on Tuesday evening. Dakota Jordan led the way at the plate as he hit his 16th home run of the season and had four RBIs. The Maroon and White recorded nine hits and drew seven walks on their way to victory. Pico Kohn drew the start on the mound against the Tigers, went two innings of work, and struck out three. Cam Schuelke earned the win in the longest pitching outing of his Mississippi State career. In four innings of work, he gave up one hit and no runs and struck out a career-high seven batters. Tyler Davis earned the save as he came into the ninth and struck out two of the three batters he faced. Dakota Jordan and David Mershon led the way again at the plate tonight. Jordan went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, three of which came from his three-run homer in the fifth. Mershon went 3-for-5, one of which was a double, and he scored two runs. Amani Larry and Ethan Pulliam also put up impressive performances at the plate. Larry drew three walks, scored two runs, and stole a base. Pulliam went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and he also drew a walk. Mississippi State is back in action on Friday as they take on No. 11 Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn. First pitch is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on SECN+. |
| Retooled Mississippi State offensive line shows potential in spring game | |
| If Saturday's spring game was any indication, the play clock will not be much of an issue for Mississippi State this fall. The Bulldogs' offense hustled to the line of scrimmage without huddling after almost every play, using tempo to keep the defense on its heels. But in addition to tiring out opposing defenses, playing fast also means a lot of running around for MSU's offensive line, a group that does not resemble last year's unit in the slightest. None of the six offensive linemen to start a game for the Bulldogs in 2023 are still around, all leaving for either the NFL Draft or the transfer portal. MSU has retooled under new head coach Jeff Lebby and offensive line coach Cody Kennedy, and if the starting five up front looks like it did Saturday, the Bulldogs will be using a mix of transfer additions and holdovers from last season who saw limited playing time. "We've meshed very well," said junior Albert Reese IV, who appeared in every game last year as a reserve and started at left guard in the spring game. "I feel like I've known (the transfers) since I've been here. It doesn't really feel new even though it is." Reese was one of two returners on the first-team offensive line along with redshirt junior Leon Bell at right tackle. Bell spent his first two collegiate seasons at Kilgore (Texas) Community College and appeared in four games last year, his first season at MSU, without allowing a sack or committing a penalty. |
| State Set For Final Non-Conference Game Of The Regular Season | |
| No. 18/18 Mississippi State softball will make the short drive to Birmingham, Alabama, on Wednesday to meet Samford in its final non-conference game of the regular season. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT on ESPN+. State (30-13, 9-9 SEC) enters the game with an 8-3 record on the road. With one victory this week, the Bulldogs will match 2021 for their highest road win total under head coach Samantha Ricketts. With two more wins, they'll reach double-digit wins in true road games for the second time in the last 10 years. This will be the second time that this pair of Bulldogs meet this year. State won the first meeting, 11-1, in five innings at the Bulldog Invitational in March. That was one of MSU's school-record 15 run-rule victories this season. Meanwhile, Samford has been much improved of late, winning four straight conference series after being swept on the opening weekend of Southern Conference play. They have played three SEC teams this year, adding midweek games with No. 17/17 Alabama and Auburn. State is gearing up for its annual Saturday-Monday series in conference play and will be the showcase series on the SEC Network this weekend. The Bulldogs travel to No. 14/14 Missouri on Friday afternoon and will play the Tigers on April 27-29. State enters the series looking to win all four of its road series in conference play for the first time on record, and doing so would add to the Bulldogs' school-record 11 wins against ranked teams this year. |
| Julia Lopez Ramirez to Represent Mississippi State at the Arnold Palmer Cup | |
| Julia Lopez Ramirez was named to the International Team for the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced on Tuesday. Longtime Arnold Palmer partner Rolex is continuing its more than 50-year relationship through its support of the matches, which will be played July 5-7 at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland. The selection to the Arnold Palmer Cup marks the third consecutive season that Lopez Ramirez has earned the honor of playing of playing in one of the most prestigious collegiate golf events. Lopez Ramirez is one of three golfers to be making their third consecutive appearance and one of four to be making a third appearance overall. Lopez Ramirez has been adding onto her spectacular career in the Maroon and White during her third collegiate season. She currently holds the third best stroke average in the SEC at 70.24. The junior from Spain has also won two tournament titles this season, most recently winning the SEC Championship for the second-straight season and becoming just the fourth golfer in SEC history to win back-to-back individual titles. |
| Texas A&M athletics lays off more than a dozen staff members | |
| Texas A&M's athletic department laid off more than a dozen staffers Tuesday, including several high-ranking administrators. Among those released Tuesday were Justin Moore, executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer, as well as Chris Park, deputy athletic director for external relations and business development, Tyler Pigg, associate athletic director for branding, creative and communications, and James Duncan, director of football technology, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. Deputy athletic director Kristen Brown confirmed with The Eagle that she was a part of the group laid off, after serving as a deputy athletics director since 2020. Jamie Wood, assistant athletics director for NIL, also confirmed with The Eagle that he was let go. He served in that role since May 2023, moving to Aggieland from Ohio State. Associate athletic director for equipment and apparel Matt Watson, A&M Class of 1995, confirmed he was one of the cuts after serving in the Aggie equipment room for 34 years. He will be able to draw his retirement early, he confirmed. New Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts told The Eagle that the layoffs were not related to budgetary concerns regarding former head coach Jimbo Fisher's buyout, but "reorganization related to existing and emerging threats to our business model." "We are on the cusp of unprecedented change in the world of intercollegiate athletics," Alberts said in a statement provided to The Eagle. |
| Laird Veatch officially named next athletic director at Missouri | |
| It took nine weeks and a day, but the wait is over. Missouri has found its new athletic director: Memphis' Laird Veatch. MU announced Veatch as its next athletic director on Tuesday morning, making him the Tigers' fourth AD in the past nine years. The UM System Board of Curators will meet Wednesday morning to approve the hire. Veatch's official start date is May 1. Veatch has two previous stints with Missouri, having spent five years with the university between 1997-2002, holding titles such as assistant AD for development; director of athletics development for major giving; and director of annual giving and development coordinator. He also worked for Learfield Sports, managing Mizzou Sports Properties between 2003-06. Veatch is a graduate of Kansas State, where he was a linebacker under head coach Bill Snyder. He spent several years in various roles in the Wildcats' athletic department before becoming the AD at Memphis, including as deputy athletic director. He brings three years of SEC experience, as he was the executive associate athletics director of internal affairs at Florida from 2017-19, his final stop before becoming Memphis AD. Memphis also has been forward-thinking in the Name, Image and Likeness age. Last Friday, Veatch and Memphis secured a $25 million NIL partnership with FedEx. |
| Charlie Condon's rise to college baseball stardom almost didn't happen | |
| If then-Georgia coach Scott Stricklin hadn't received a call from a friend in October of 2020, Bulldogs star Charlie Condon might have been playing quarterback at a Division III school instead of producing one of the most memorable seasons in college baseball history. Before his senior season at The Walker School in Marietta, Georgia, the only schools that were recruiting Condon were Division III Rhodes College in Memphis and the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, which expressed interest in him playing baseball and football. A preferred walk-on spot to play baseball at Tennessee didn't pan out, so Condon was prepared to play two sports at a smaller school. But then Stricklin's friend persuaded the Georgia coach to take a chance on a skinny 6-foot-5 hitter who hadn't stopped growing and had somehow been overlooked by nearly every college baseball program in the country. Four years later, the prospect almost everyone missed can't seem to miss at the plate. Condon leads NCAA hitters in batting average (.483), home runs (26), slugging percentage (1.119), total bases (169), hits (73) and home runs per game (.67). Now a 6-6, 216-pound sophomore who has played first base, third base and all three outfield spots for the Bulldogs, Condon is in line to potentially be the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft on July 14. "No one saw this coming," Stricklin said. How did the once-overlooked high school prospect rise to become the hottest commodity in the MLB draft? |
| Outgoing athletic director Jack Swarbrick discusses college athletics | |
| A major transfer of power became official last month when former NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua officially took over as Notre Dame's athletic director. The University announced last summer that Bevacqua would succeed Jack Swarbrick, who took over the role in July 2008, with Bevacqua working under Swarbrick throughout the academic year to get a feel for the role. Notre Dame and the college sports landscape are in a much different position than when Swarbrick arrived. The Irish have won 10 national championships in five different sports during his tenure, the most of any athletic director in school history. The biggest part of Swarbrick's legacy is arguably what he's done off the field, impacting everything from campus architecture to athletic facilities and the school's media capabilities. Swarbrick recapped all that and more last Thursday in a public talk at DeBartolo Hall. The event was hosted by Maria Wainscott, a senior at Notre Dame who planned and hosted the interview as her capstone project for the sport, media and culture minor. Here are the most noteworthy points from the hour-long conversation. |
| As college football transfer portal becomes more chaotic, focus on educational values continues to dwindle | |
| Jake Smith was born a year too soon to enjoy ultimate college football freedom. The Arizona State redshirt senior wide receiver is at his third school having transferred from both Texas and USC. He hasn't seen the field since 2020 -- first suffering a foot injury, then undergoing surgery before being denied a waiver appeal to play for the Sun Devils last season. Tuesday marks the beginning of a new era for both Smith and college football. As the spring transfer portal window opens, players are allowed to transfer more than once without restriction thanks to a U.S. District Court injunction issued in December that blocks the NCAA from enforcing its rules against multi-time transfers. "It's hard to put into words. I can't wait, really," Smith said of the prospect of playing again. Experts are predicting a flood of players entering the portal Tuesday for reasons that could range from being upset at playing time to hating the color of the wallpaper in their dorm room. They can change schools on a whim without roadblocks. For the first time, it's totally up to them. As the enterprise moves away from the educational component of college athletics, the question must be asked: What thread of academics tied to athletics will be left? Are players moving closer to majoring in football? We're not necessarily talking about a degree program -- although, who knows, maybe that's in the cards -- but eroding academic integrity in this transfer climate. |
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