| Monday, September 30, 2024 |
| Gov. Reeves appoints MSU professor to statewide psychology board | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves has appointed a Mississippi State University associate professor to the governing board regulating practicing Magnolia State psychologists. Kevin Armstrong is serving a five-year term on the Mississippi Board of Psychology. The board protects the well-being of the state's citizens by ensuring only qualified individuals practice psychology. This is achieved through education and training credential review, basic competency exam administration, ongoing professional education requirements, practice complaint investigation, and professional standards and ethics violation penalty enforcement. "I look forward to contributing to this board in any way I can," said Armstrong, a veteran MSU faculty member with 27 years of experience. "I think this will be a good service opportunity for me as I both teach a doctoral-level graduate course that focuses on ethical and professional issues in clinical psychology and supervise doctoral students training in our department's Psychology Clinic. I know this experience will be challenging and will also be informative for my training responsibilities back here on campus." |
| Mississippi State University's White Coat Ceremony honors nursing students | |
 | Mississippi State University held its White Coat Ceremony at the Riley Center to honor and initiate students of the School of Nursing. The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage that serves to welcome students to clinical practice and to elevate one's values and nursing profession. It's for first-year students in nursing, medicine and other healthcare professional educational programs. Students recited an oath in front of family members, school leadership and peers to acknowledge their achievements and obligations. |
| MSU hosts historian, author to speak on Ulysses S. Grant's battle to protect Reconstruction | |
 | Historian and author Fergus M. Bordewich will discuss his new book "Klan War: Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle to Save Reconstruction" at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. "Klan War" (Deckle Edge, 2023) explores President Grant's determined efforts to dismantle the Ku Klux Klan and preserve the hard-won achievements of Reconstruction. Bordewich's analysis offers crucial insights into one of America's most critical historical struggles. "This talk is important because 'Klan War' highlights Grant's resolve to enforce the 14th and 15th Amendments, which secured citizenship and voting rights for African Americans," said Anne E. Marshall, executive director of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Museum. "Enforcing these rights was no small feat, given the strong opposition in both the South and many parts of the North." Bordewich relied heavily on the "Papers of Ulysses S. Grant," (Southern Illinois University Press, 1967) a collection curated by Grant Presidential Library, Marshall said. Marshall said she encourages students, faculty and local residents to attend the talk and book signing. The event will take place in the John Grisham Room, third floor, Mitchell Memorial Library. MSU parking gates will open at 6 p.m. for closer proximity to the library. |
| 'Go to Hell Ole Miss' is about more than just school rivalry | |
| For Jeff Barry, the phrase "Go to Hell Ole Miss" is not just about school rivalry. Though, he doesn't tell everyone that before they buy his bestselling novel with that name. "I've gotten to where I don't usually tell the Mississippi State people that this isn't an anti-Ole Miss book. I just let them buy their three books and move on," Barry joked at an author signing at the Starkville Public Library on Thursday evening. "But Ole Miss people, I definitely do." While the title may help Barry with some readers, and hinder him with others, he said the phrase is not about hatred. It's the phrase his father -- who served as a bomber pilot in WWII -- saw carved into the wall of a shed while being held as a prisoner of war in Germany. Seeing the fighting spirit of the prisoner before him, Barry said, gave his father hope to keep going. "It really gave him a sense of humor," Barry said. "Like, if this guy can have that kind of spirit, I can raise my chin a little bit more. And he would talk about how it helped him get through those 13 months. He was a prisoner for 13 months until the war ended." Years later, Barry's father told him the story of his plane going down and parachuting into enemy territory before being captured. Even later, the same story worked its way into the fictional characters and plot of "Go to Hell Ole Miss." |
| WISHH Nigerian Feed Trade Team Gains Insights at Good Farms and Mississippi State | |
 | Nigerian aquaculture feed manufacturers are taking new ideas and inspiration back to Africa's most populous country as a result of participating in ASA's World Initiative for Soy in Human Health program's educational trade team. USB Executive Committee Member Philip Good and family hosted the team at their Mississippi farm on Aug. 30 where they witnessed U.S. soy's quality as well as its role in catfish production. Trade team members reported that the farm visit demonstrated good stewardship of natural resources, quality grain storage, the value of attracting the younger generation to agriculture for sustainability, and more. They also saw how U.S. soy benefits from the use of technology that optimizes productivity and greater potential to source U.S. soy. Mississippi State University also hosted WISHH's USB-supported trade team. They met with leaders of the Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish. A tour of the Mississippi Chemistry Lab paired well with WISHH's ongoing work with these feed manufacturers to produce quality feeds and to train farmers on them as well. The availability of commercial feed pellets is a bottleneck for Nigeria, which is home to a 2.5-million-ton deficit production of fish. USB's partnership with WISHH includes projects that support building the use of U.S. soy in feeds and foods in Nigeria. |
| Clock ticking for petitions opposing OCH sale | |
| With Oktibbeha County attempting to sell OCH Regional Medical Center for the second time in seven years, the clock is once again ticking for any petitions opposing privatization to force the issue to the ballot. So far, county officials have not heard much about a petition forming. County board of supervisors attorney Rob Roberson told The Dispatch Thursday he hasn't heard about any "serious" petitions going around to oppose the sale or lease of the hospital. "I haven't heard of a serious presentation to get it on the ballot," Roberson said. Deputy Circuit Clerk Sheryl Elmore told The Dispatch the same on Tuesday. "That doesn't mean I won't get some, but I have not heard anything," Elmore said. In 2017, when supervisors last attempted to offload OCH Regional Medical Center, Oktibbeha County citizens opposed it, submitting a petition and forcing a referendum that ultimately led to the hospital remaining public at that time. n late August, Raymond James Financial Services presented its findings from a commissioned "due diligence study" to the board of supervisors. Based on that report -- which included information on the hospital's income, debt profile, capital spending, utilization, nursing staff and retention and revenue leakage -- it recommended the county sell the hospital. The county then held its public hearing Sept. 19, where Mississippi State University and the Greater Starkville Development Partnership endorsed the sale, though a few hospital staff members expressed concerns about how the transition could affect patients and staff. |
| SAAC and Proof Bakery host 'Discourse' art exhibit in new space | |
 | Art provides an opportunity to connect with people by showing a glimpse into someone else's view of the human experience. For someone to take part in this process, art first needs to be shared. This makes the space in which art is displayed almost as important as the art itself. That's why the collaboration between the Starkville Area Arts Council and Proof Bakery to put together a new exhibition space in the reopened bakery is a positive development. Walter Diehl, SAAC Art in Public Places chair, said why the move was desirable. "It's a good partnership." Diehl said. "It actually is good fiscally for her. It's good fiscally for the Arts Council. We're still in a downtown space, which is desirable." Mo Balaa, Proof Bakery partner, said the opportunity was perfect. "It was the perfect opportunity to finally get everything going again and kind of come back full swing and continue to serve the community with amazing baked goods, and now amazing art," Balaa said. Max Hyche, a Starkville D.I.Y. booker, said what the effect of new talent in the art scene means for Starkville. "Being in a college town, I think having the constant, like, refresh with, like, new students coming in every four years is really interesting," Hyche said. |
| Brent Funderburk exhibit opens at MMA Oct. 4 | |
 | "Path of Light," an exhibition featuring new paintings and drawings by artist Brent Funderburk, will open at the Meridian Museum of Art with a public reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4. A Mississippi resident, Funderburk is a 2024 Mississippi Governor's Arts Award recipient and William L. Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Mississippi State University. Funderburk will be in attendance at the reception to speak about "Path of Light," which will be on display at the Meridian Museum of Art until Nov. 30. The exhibition will feature 105 works, spanning from 1979 to 2024, and will include 70 from the past six years when he retired from full-time teaching at MSU in 2018. The works represent watermedia and oil paintings, pastel, graphite, charcoal and mixed media. Many have never been exhibited publicly, and some are on loan from private and public collections. In association with the art museum, Funderburk will give an illustrated lecture at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in conjunction with a new touring exhibit at The MAX, "The South's Most Reclusive Artist: Walter Inglis Anderson." Funderburk has taught university courses and curated national touring shows of Anderson's art. |
| What's new at the Mississippi State Fair this year? Hint: another unusual fried food | |
 | Circus shows, rodeos and the biscuit booth on the midway have all become well-loved staples at the Mississippi State Fair. This year's festivities include several new additions from food to attractions to an updated, streamlined ticket purchasing process. Read on and grab your tickets for the 165th Mississippi State Fair taking place starting Thursday through Oct. 14 in Jackson. Any good state fair includes an array of classic dishes like hotdogs and popcorn as well as plenty of deep-fried food options. The Mississippi State Fair is no exception and has often offered unusual fried delicacies in past years including fried mac and cheese, alligator and beer-battered burgers among others. This year, guests can try out the latest dish -- fried marshmallows. These are different than your typical s'mores roasted marshmallows. If you want to see for yourself, head over to the Mr. Turkey Leg booth stationed near the livestock barns. Convenience was at the forefront of this year's planning stages, Mississippi Fair Commission Director Michael Lasseter said. This year, there is a new system to purchase tickets. For the first time, you can get tickets online. Those who purchase tickets online in advance can skip the lines, or you can visit one of the kiosks set up at one of the seven entry points and purchase tickets that can then be sent to your phone. |
| Education key part of formula to improve Mississippi workforce participation, AccelerateMS tells lawmakers | |
| Mississippi's low workforce participation rate could be partly addressed through a more educated population. That was the message shared with members of the Mississippi State Senate's Labor Force Participation study group by AccelerateMS Executive Director Dr. Courtney Taylor on Thursday. In order to address the low workforce participation rate, Dr. Taylor said everything must be considered. "Everything from Pre-K to elder engagement and elder care has to be on the table if we're going to truly make a difference in our workforce participation," Taylor described. Workforce participation rates in the country have fluctuated from 58.6 percent in 1948 to today's rate of 62.7 as of August. Mississippi's Lt. Governor, Delbert Hosemann, has said that Mississippi's rate is the lowest in the nation, reported at 53.8 percent earlier this year. Dr. Taylor suggested the Legislature look at every aspect of the labor and education system, from birth to death, to fix the problem. "We can't continue to throw a little money at the problem and never review the genuine outcomes," Taylor said. "We cannot allow federal policy to dictate our entire approach, all things I'm proud to say Mississippi leaders have not only said but prioritized through decades of policy and establishing our office and subsequent policies discussed here." In spite of the low workforce participation rate, Mississippi has seen job growth over the past five years. Dr. Taylor said that from 2019 to 2024, the Magnolia State saw a 3.2 percent growth, adding close to 37,000 jobs. |
| 100 new attorneys take oath to practice law in Mississippi | |
| One hundred new attorneys have taken their oaths to practice law in the state. Oaths were administered by Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens and Hinds County Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin. Martin administered the oath to practice in chancery and circuit court. Kitchens gave the oath to practice in the Supreme Court and the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Kitchens reminded lawyers of the responsibilities they have to their future clients to give sound advice. He also admonished them to never do anything to endanger the licenses the new attorneys just earned. "Your law license always will be one of your best and most valuable worldly assets," he said. "Use your law license to make the world a better place." Others attending the ceremony were U.S. District Judge Sharon Aycock, Magistrate Judge Lakeysha Greer Isaac, and Mississippi Bar President Meade Mitchell, as well as University of Mississippi School of Law Dean Frederick Slabach, and Mississippi College School of Law Dean John Anderson. |
| New agricultural hauler permit coming to Mississippi | |
| As a result of new federal legislation, the Mississippi Department of Transportation has created a new Special Interstate Agricultural Vehicle Permit that now allows interstate travel in Mississippi for commercial vehicles hauling agricultural products and unprocessed forestry products. The new permit is an annual blanket permit that entitles the vehicle to transport certain agricultural products up to 88,000 pounds. To be eligible for the permit, the agricultural vehicle must transport unprocessed agricultural crops used for food, feed or fiber, or raw or unfinished forest products, such as logs, pulpwood, biomass or wood chips. Movement under the Special Interstate Agriculture Vehicle Permit is only allowed during daylight hours, and travel is strictly prohibited on low-weight routes. U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith included the new provision in the FY2024 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4366), which was signed into law by President Biden in March. |
| Americans Are More Reliant Than Ever on Government Aid | |
 | Americans' reliance on government support is soaring, driven by programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. That support is especially critical in economically stressed communities throughout the U.S., many of which lean Republican and are concentrated in swing states crucial in deciding the presidential election. Neither party has much incentive to dial back the spending. The big reasons for this dramatic growth: A much larger share of Americans are seniors, and their healthcare costs have risen. At the same time, many communities have suffered from economic decline because of challenges including the loss of manufacturing, leaving government money as a larger share of people's income in such places. For its analysis of government spending, EIG used a government definition of income that includes spending on programs that Americans pay into, such as Medicare and Social Security. Another major government health program -- Medicaid -- is also counted. The analysis also includes unemployment insurance, food stamps, the earned income tax credit, veterans benefits, Pell grants, Covid-era payments and other income support. States help pay for some of these programs, such as Medicaid, but the federal government covers roughly 70% of the total cost. The EIG analysis doesn't include other ways government spending floods into corners of America, such as through farm subsidies or military bases. This spending accounts for a big and growing share of the national debt. |
| 'The Power Broker' at 50 -- and what author Robert Caro is still uncovering | |
 | In Robert Caro's Upper West Side office, it is 1965. "Like right now, just at this moment, Lyndon Johnson is creating Medicare," Caro told me in the middle of a recent interview. "It's July, 1965." Right now. The acclaimed historian lives, works and exists in 2024, of course. But interviewing him about Lyndon Johnson and about Robert Moses -- the two men he's been writing about since 1967 -- is like journeying into a time machine. This month marks the 50th anniversary of Caro's first book, The Power Broker. It told the story of how urban planner Robert Moses reshaped New York City and state through the roads and bridges he built -- and the lives and communities he destroyed. And it began to tell the story how political power really works, and how it's welded in this country. It's a story that, 50 years later, has Caro still hard at work, still time traveling through his research, writing and conversation. The office itself is a mostly out-of-time setting. It's quiet and sparse, and the 88-year-old is almost always in there alone. There's a typewriter on the L-shaped desk -- a metallic blue Smith Corona Electra 210. There are wooden boxes filled to the brim with typewritten pages of his latest drafts, and those papers are all covered in the ink of strikethroughs, edits and notes written into the margins. And there's a big bulletin board spanning the entire wall behind him filled with the pages of the typewritten outline of his final Johnson book. It will be the fifth volume of what started as a three-volume project, and will cover Vietnam, the creation of Medicare and the titanic year of 1968, among other weighty topics. |
| Jimmy Carter Approaches the Century Mark, Eclipsing His Presidential Peers | |
 | When Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at his Georgia home last year, his family and friends thought he had only days to live. More than 19 months later, he is set to celebrate his 100th birthday on Tuesday, the first president in American history to hit the centennial mark. The last chapter of Mr. Carter's already remarkable life story is turning out to be one of astonishing resilience. The peanut farmer turned global statesman has over the years beaten brain cancer, bounced back from a broken hip and outlived his political adversaries. And now he is setting a record for presidential durability that may be hard to break. Though frail and generally confined to his modest ranch house in Plains, Ga., Mr. Carter has not only refused to surrender to the inevitability of time, he has perked up in recent months, according to family members. He has become a little more engaged again, telling his children and grandchildren that he has a new milestone he wants to reach -- not his birthday, which he professes not to care that much about, but Election Day, so that he can vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. Once seen as a failed president who lost re-election only to become a globally admired humanitarian after leaving the White House, he has benefited from a re-evaluation in the last 19 months. "He's already a part of history and so many people who are getting to know him now don't remember his presidency," said E. Stanly Godbold Jr., author of a two-volume biography of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. "And that might be a good thing. They may have a more detached view." |
| Israeli Special Forces Launch Raids Into Lebanon Ahead of Possible Ground Incursion | |
| Israeli special forces have been carrying out small, targeted raids into southern Lebanon, gathering intelligence and probing ahead of a possible broader ground incursion that could come as soon as this week, people familiar with the matter said. The raids, which have included entering Hezbollah's tunnels located along the border, have occurred recently as well as over the past months, part of the broader effort by Israel to degrade Hezbollah's capabilities along the border dividing Israel and Lebanon, the people said. The timing of any ground action could change, the people said. The U.S. has urged Israel to seek a diplomatic solution and keep any ground operation targeted. It wasn't immediately clear how long Israel would aim to hold territory, or whether the incursion would be more like a series of larger raids. Amir Avivi, a former senior Israeli military official who continues to be briefed by the defense establishment, said a ground incursion by Israel is imminent and that the raids are part of the preparation. Hezbollah appears so weakened by Israeli operations -- including a strike that killed the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah -- that Israel's dilemma would actually be how far Israel should go into Lebanon, Avivi said. When and under what terms Israel would leave remain unclear, he said. The U.S. also has beefed up its forces in the region to deter countries such as Iran from getting involved and to be prepared to respond to any escalation. |
| Supplies rushed to communities isolated by Helene as death toll rises to nearly 100 | |
| A crisis unfolded in Asheville as officials pledged to get more water, food and other supplies to flood-stricken areas without power and cellular service Monday, days after Hurricane Helene ripped across the U.S. Southeast. The death toll from the storm approached 100. At least 91 people across several states were killed. A North Carolina county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed. Gov. Roy Cooper predicted the toll would rise as rescuers and other emergency workers reached areas isolated by collapsed roads, failing infrastructure and widespread flooding. Supplies were being airlifted to the region around the isolated city of Asheville. Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder pledged that she would have food and water to the city by Monday. "We hear you. We need food and we need water," Pinder said on a Sunday call with reporters. "My staff has been making every request possible to the state for support and we've been working with every single organization that has reached out. What I promise you is that we are very close." Officials warned that rebuilding from the widespread loss of homes and property would be lengthy and difficult. The storm upended life throughout the Southeast. Deaths also were reported in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia. |
| Appalachian State classes canceled for several days due to Helene flooding, damage | |
| Appalachian State University announced Saturday it will be closed for several days as the town of Boone recovers from Helene. Helene moved through North Carolina on Friday as a tropical storm, with several mountain towns suffering the worst of the impacts in the state. According to the school, classes will remain closed through Friday, Oct. 4, on both Boone and Hickory campuses, and the university will operate under an "Adverse Weather Condition 3" status, which is done to ensure an "orderly shutdown of campus facilities and to sustain only the most critical campus utilities and services." The university said its campus has sustained some damage from Helene. "Our residence halls are safe and largely unaffected," the university said Sunday. "Our classroom buildings have not fared as well. We are still assessing the magnitude of the damage. Crews are roping off dangerous areas on the Boone campus and restricting them to emergency personnel only. "We have canceled all classes and have limited operations to only essential personnel through 5 p.m. Friday, October 4." Authorities roped off dangerous areas of Boone's campus, with school officials saying anyone entering the roped off areas will be subject to disciplinary action, or arrest. School officials said the residence halls, along with the central dining halls, campus markets, the student union, student health services and student recreation will remain open for students. |
| Helene's Aftermath: Classes Canceled, Students Relocated | |
 | The University of North Carolina at Asheville canceled classes until Oct. 9 as the university and surrounding community recover from Hurricane Helene's historic flooding, which wiped out roads, bridges and homes, largely cutting off western North Carolina. "Conditions at UNC Asheville are difficult," Chancellor Kimberly van Noort said in a message to the campus community Saturday afternoon. "Significant tree damage has occurred and parts of campus are inaccessible. Everyone is safe. Cell and internet coverage is nonexistent at this point." Van Noort assured families that students in the residence halls were safe and told nonmandatory employees and the public to avoid the campus. At Western Carolina University, officials made a landline available for students to call home to let family know they are safe. They encouraged students to stay on campus, because the roads aren't safe for travel. "The catastrophic devastation to western North Carolina is like nothing we have ever seen," Governor Roy Cooper said in a statement Saturday. n South Carolina, Clemson University opened some of its facilities to members of the public who needed to recharge devices or access the public Wi-Fi. Other universities in the western part of the state are without power and canceling classes, Greenville News reported. Furman University in Greenville doesn't expect to have power until Tuesday, so the campus is closed and classes are canceled through at least Wednesday. |
| Sorry, Harvard. Everyone Wants to Go to College in the South Now. | |
| A growing number of high-school seniors in the North are making an unexpected choice for college: They are heading to Clemson, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Alabama and other universities in the South. Students say they are searching for the fun and school spirit emanating from the South on their social-media feeds. Their parents cite lower tuition and less debt, and warmer weather. College counselors also say many teens are eager to trade the political polarization ripping apart campuses in New England and New York for the sense of community epitomized by the South's football Saturdays. Promising job prospects after graduation can sweeten the pot. The number of Northerners going to Southern public schools went up 84% over the past two decades, and jumped 30% from 2018 to 2022, a Wall Street Journal analysis of the latest available Education Department data found. At the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, total freshmen from the Northeast jumped to nearly 600 in a class of about 6,800, up from around 50 in 2002. At the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, they increased from 11 to more than 200 in a class of about 4,500 in 2022. At the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, 11% of students came from the Northeast in 2022, compared with less than 1% two decades prior. |
| Ole Miss professor uses STEM to help solve food security in Mississippi | |
| David H. Holben has spent most of the last decade educating children in north Mississippi using food, gardens and nutrition. Now, his work and others' are being recognized by the White House. Holben is a member of the National Institutes of Health and USDA-funded FoodMASTER Initiative, a national collaboration of scientists who show teachers and students how to use food as a pathway to STEM learning. That program was recently announced as a White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Year of Open Science Recognition Challenge winner. Members of each winning team were invited to the White House this month to celebrate their success. "When you look at food security, there's great need in Mississippi, but nutrition-based STEM education was a solution that the kids came up with – they wanted to learn about food, science, and gardening to improve food security," Holben said. "The nice thing about the work our team does is that communities invite us to come in alongside them to help solve a problem -- not for them, with them." The National Institutes of Health recently awarded a $1.35 million Science Education Partnership Award to Holben, professor of nutrition and hospitality management, a Gillespie Distinguished Scholar and director of the Office of Food and Nutrition Security. |
| Vincent named East Central Community College's university transfer adviser | |
| East Central Community College has named Chelsey Vincent as the new university transfer adviser. Vincent, an ECCC alumna, will take on this important role, assisting current ECCC students as they navigate their academic pathways and prepare for successful transitions to universities. She will collaborate with faculty on course schedules, assist students with transfer and career planning, and serve as a liaison to four-year institutions across Mississippi. "We are thrilled to have Dr. Vincent join our staff," said ECCC President Brent Gregory. "Her expertise in this area and passion for student success make her an excellent fit for this position. She will undoubtedly help our students thrive as they prepare for the next steps in their academic careers." Vincent earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Mississippi State University and brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles at Mississippi State, where she served as an instructor and coordinator for the Center for Academic Excellence. With over a decade of experience in student advising, academic support and leadership, Vincent will play a pivotal role in guiding students through their academic journeys at ECCC and beyond. She will be responsible for advising students about bachelor's programs and continuing their education at the university level. |
| MGCCC hosts automotive technology expo, connecting students with professionals | |
 | It's all gas, no brakes for some employers in the automotive industry. That's why Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College hosted its second annual Automotive Technology open house event. "It's about 100% if you want a job you're going to have a job. Basically, what we're seeing is employers coming in and they choose to hire our students," said Monica Donahue, the Dean of Teaching and Learning. Opportunities range from careers in automotive technology, collision repair, paint and body, or maritime multicraft. "There's a huge demand for diesel technicians right now. 100% of my students that are wanting to work are actually employed before they finish my program and working part-time with an industry partner," instructor Benjamin Bowman said. Students at the Harrison County Campus can complete automotive technology or collision repair courses in as little as 10 months. Even during that time, they pursue internships or apprenticeships. |
| Auburn University Housing speaks about the future of on-campus living | |
| On Tuesday, Sept. 26 in a meeting with the presidents of major campus organizations at Auburn University, Nyerere Tryman, executive director of university housing, spoke about ways the university is moving toward a larger and more accommodating version of on-campus living. The current residential hall construction project adjacent to the Haley Concourse is set to open in fall 2026 and augment 371 beds to The Quad residential community. Added to this construction project is the renovation of both Little and Teague Halls, which will finish in the fall of 2025. Those two are the final projects to produce a fully renovated Upper Quad. The university, however, is currently at 99.71% capacity for on-campus rooms, with only 14 spaces left vacant this semester. So 371 spaces, while substantial, is not enough to accommodate the influx of students who want to live on campus. Tryman said that percentage is "great for [the university] and some of our revenue projections moving forward, but not the best for someone trying to find on-campus housing." In order to compensate, University Housing is looking to create a new position that will help people who aren't able to get on campus housing find other options of living arrangements. Bryan Rush, associate vice president for student affairs, said this new position will "focus on helping students as they navigate the campus and community market and find housing solutions." |
| 10 years after Tucker Hipps' death, hazing is alive at South Carolina universities | |
 | On an early Monday morning 10 years ago, a group of 30 Clemson University fraternity brothers and pledges ran across a bridge near campus. Among them was 19-year-old Tucker Hipps. He had pledged the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter in the hope it would help him pursue a career in politics. But something happened as the group crossed the Highway 93 bridge, sending Tucker plunging into the water below. The fall proved fatal. In the decade since her son's death on Sept. 22, 2014, Cindy Hipps has pieced together a still-incomplete picture of what unfolded that morning. But after years of litigation and the case growing cold, no arrests have been made, nor has anyone come forward to confirm what happened to her son. Witness testimony revealed that as pledge class president, Tucker was responsible for mistakes other pledges made. For that morning's run, the fraternity brothers' breakfast wasn't up to par. Tucker's parents believe he fell to his death after being forced to walk the bridge railing as punishment. But for Cindy and her husband Gary, the prospects of ever finding out the full truth have grown dim. Tucker Hipps' death, and his mother's activism, pushed state lawmakers to pass an eponymous law in 2016 requiring South Carolina universities to publicly report hazing and other misconduct from fraternities and sororities. Those disclosures show hazing is still alive in the state a decade after the deadly incident at Lake Hartwell, even as the number of reported incidents has declined. |
| Students at U. of Missouri feel impact of increased dining prices | |
 | As national inflation touches the helm of on-campus dining options at local colleges, some University of Missouri students are getting creative when managing their prepaid meal plans. At MU, all meal plan costs are once again up by roughly 5%, but the cost of meals at campus dining locations is more expensive than last year. As a result, students like Avery Mezyk, a sophomore at MU, are having to figure out different ways to budget. "When you go to all-you-can-eat places, you just tap your card and walk in," Mezyk said. "I had no idea things had gone up in price until I started looking at my account." Mezyk received an email Aug. 29 saying her account balance was "below the recommended amount" for spending across the semester. She had selected the same meal plan as her freshman year, the Zou Gold plan, but she said her money isn't going as far. "My roommates and I have been worried about running out of money in our dining plan and have been going to Walmart and Aldi to get groceries to supplement our meals," Mezyk said. According to MU, the increase is due to higher prices from food distributors. |
| Americans Have Not Actually Turned Against Higher Education Like the Media Says | |
| As many colleges grapple with declining enrollment and intense political criticism, sagging public support for higher learning has become a journalistic given, the kind of as-we-all-know fact that can be simply asserted as context before advancing an argument or presenting the news of the day. But many of these articles are getting the story wrong. The polling data that form the basis for the narrative of college declinism is far more limited and nuanced than this framing suggests. Much of the data don't actually measure changes over time. News accounts routinely confuse people's attitudes toward colleges as political and cultural institutions with their desire to attend college or to send their children there. They also ignore basic demographic and economic trends. Americans are stressed out, bummed out, and aggravated for understandable reasons. Recent years have been a lot. Colleges have been swept up in the general souring of public confidence. Looking at polling data for higher education in isolation misses this crucial context. We rely on colleges and universities for many things: job training and acculturation, research and scholarship, sports entertainment. The decisions we make about what to study and what to teach are decisions about what kind of society we want to be. That makes them unavoidably subject to controversy. College campuses also serve as high-profile public squares for debate on some of the most difficult and divisive issues of our time. All of this makes higher education vulnerable to larger forces of ideological polarization. |
| 'Adult money' and no college debt: Harris and Trump back alternative routes to good jobs | |
 | Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump disagree -- a lot. But, as the 2024 campaign heats up, the candidates appear to have found consensus on at least one topic: the need to get more young Americans into apprenticeships and trade schools. Harris announced recently she would cut college degree requirements for some federal jobs and encourage private sector employers to do the same if she is elected in November. She told the crowd in the former mining town of Wilkes-Barre, Penn., that "for far too long," the U.S. has "encouraged only one path to success: four-year college." "Our nation needs to recognize the value of other paths," Harris said, noting the importance of apprenticeships and trade programs as she spoke in a largely blue-collar district in the most critical swing state. Trump has pitched similar policies, too. As president, in 2020, he signed an executive order mandating that federal agencies prioritize a job applicant's skills over college degree requirements when hiring. The policy is among the few Trump-era orders President Joe Biden chose not to axe when he took office. The growing bipartisan focus comes as American attitudes toward higher education have shifted during the last decade. |
| Brett Favre plays the victim | |
| The Greenwood Commonwealth's Tim Kalich writes: Brett Favre wants us to feel sorry for him. He says he's being unfairly raked over the coals, his reputation tarnished, over a welfare scandal in which he was an unwitting participant. And now the NFL Hall of Fame quarterback tells us, eight months after the diagnosis, that he has Parkinson's disease. That revelation, announced during Favre's testimony Tuesday before a congressional committee, is sad. Parkinson's can be a terrible neurological disorder. If his illness follows the course that many sufferers endure, his body movements will steadily deteriorate, as will his speech, and he will wind up bed-ridden and helpless at the end. It is not surprising, given Favre's fame and the heightened concerns about brain injuries to football players, that news of his illness deflected attention from what the hearing was supposed to be about -- the ease with which a federally funded welfare program can deviate from its stated intent, if those who administer it at the state level are inclined to use it to reward their cronies and aid pet causes rather than to help the poorest of the poor. It is also not surprising, given Favre's celebrity status, that members of the congressional panel were more inclined to fawn over the three-time MVP than grill him. |
| Mississippi Symphony Orchestra undaunted by challenges | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: Despite its homeless status and a "gut punch," a Jackson mainstay remains undaunted. When the city abruptly closed Thalia Mara Hall on August 1st due to unsafe conditions, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra found itself homeless along with Ballet Mississippi, Broadway In Jackson, and others. When esteemed MSO President and Executive Director Jenny Mann unexpectedly announced her pending resignation on September 18, board member Uriel Pineda called it "a punch in the gut." Many organizations might collapse under such circumstances, but not Jackson's 80-year-old symphony orchestra and its support organization. "We have a great program," assured MSO Chair Elizabeth Boone. "We have an outstanding symphony with appeal for all ages," added MSO Treasurer Tom Parry. "A lot of people do not realize all that we do," said Mann, so much more than a full orchestra playing classical music on the Thalia Mara Hall stage -- regular performances in Vicksburg, Pascagoula, McComb, Brookhaven, Poplarville and other cities around the state; a chamber orchestra, a woodwind quintet, a brass quintet, and a string quartet that perform in intimate venues in and around Jackson and provide "informances" (lecture demonstrations) to 120 schools annually; an education program that provides daily instruction in violin, viola, and cello to over 800 school children; the 80-member Youth Orchestra; various festivals, competitions, and a week-long summer string camp for aspiring young musicians; and the popular Pepsi Pops at the Ross Barnett Reservoir. |
| Tax cut supporters' numbers might not tell the whole story | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Politicians often depend on numbers to make their argument. But numbers can be confusing and misleading. Supporters of eliminating the income tax cite a lot of numbers to bolster their contention that the state can afford to phase out the tax. Both Gov Tate Reeves and House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, recently cited some of those numbers during House Speaker Jason White's daylong summit on the state's tax structure. While White stressed that the summit was a "fact finding" mission, it is no secret that the speaker, Lamar and Reeves all are strong advocates of eliminating the state's personal income tax. The income tax accounts for between 25% and 30% of total general fund revenue even after the $145 million cut to the tax in 2016 followed in 2022 by a $525 million income tax cut that is still being phased in. At the summit Reeves used the 2016 and 2022 income tax cuts "to dispel the myth" that complete elimination of the income tax would curtail jobs growth. ... The myth the governor cited – that cuts to the personal income tax would curtail jobs growth – has not been prevalent during debate of the issue. Instead, the main debate is whether eliminating such a large source of revenue would make it difficult for the state to provide vital services, such as for education, health care and law enforcement. |
SPORTS
| No. 9 State Soccer Improves to 9-1 After Another Dominant SEC Performance | |
| Mississippi State soccer continues to reach new heights in the 2024 season and continued their impressive run with a commanding victory on Sunday night at the MSU Soccer Field. With the victory, the Dawgs move to 9-1-0 overall and 3-0-0 in SEC play, picking up an ever-important three points on home turf. State has shown a remarkable blend of attacking prowess and defensive stability, outscoring their conference opponents 5-0 and outshooting them by an overwhelming 53-18 margin across the three matches. Through three SEC matches, Mississippi State has showcased their ascent into the top 10 through outstanding complimentary play on the pitch. Their success is built on controlling both sides of the ball and maintaining relentless offensive pressure while smothering opposing attacks. The Bulldogs have yet to concede a single goal in conference play, a testament to the defense and their airtight coordination. Keeper Maddy Anderson's unwavering presence between the posts has been vital as State's ability to not only shut out opponents but also limit them to just 18 shots combined over three conference matches highlights the collective defensive effort. On the other side, State's 53 shots demonstrate their relentless attacking mindset, a trend that has carried them to the top of the SEC standings. With their perfect start in SEC play, the Bulldogs now turn their attention to the current top team in the nation in Arkansas who the Bulldogs will welcome to Starkville on Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be featured on national television via SEC Network. |
| Insights From A First Time AD With Mississippi State's Zac Salmon | |
| Podcast: "The days are long but when you're driven by purpose... it's fun." That's Mississippi State Director of Athletics Zac Selmon in conversation with ADU's Tai M. Brown at the 2024 NACDA Convention, where the two reflect on Selmon's first year as an AD. Selmon discusses the personal side of a career transition, including the impact his move to the Big Chair had on his family and the importance of learning the nuances of a department's local community. Selmon: "Train yourself, if you want to be in [an AD] position, so that when it does come, it doesn't feel so unnatural. .... having a network has been really helpful for all the transitions." Selmon and Brown also discuss the value of storytelling, the reason Selmon calls his senior leadership team "entrepreneurs," and why Selmon strives to make MSU the "most connected athletics department in the country." Selmon: "The most connected team wins." |
| Evaluating Michael Van Buren Jr.'s first start in Mississippi State football's loss to Texas | |
 | It was last Sunday night when Michael Van Buren Jr. officially received the news that he was chosen to be Mississippi State football's new starting quarterback after Blake Shapen's season-ending shoulder injury. It wasn't going to be a typical first-career start for the true freshman from Maryland. It was at Texas, who was ranked No. 2 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. There were over 100,000 fans in attendance at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The results were a 35-13 loss, but one that was closer than the score indicated. Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2 SEC) trailed Texas (4-0, 1-0) 14-6 before the final play of the third quarter. It played well enough to have a chance to steal an upset win, in part due to Van Buren. "Really tough. I'm proud of his effort," MSU coach Jeff Lebby said. "I'm proud of who he's been all week, his energy in the building, the way he's prepared and a guy that's really, really hard to shake. A ton to have to go clean up, a ton to have to make sure that we're playing close attention to as we're getting ready for Georgia on the open date. But I'm proud of who he is and the way he battled." |
| State Men Head Into Blessings Collegiate Invitational Alongside Bulldog Women | |
| One of the most unique events on the collegiate golf calendar returns this week as Mississippi State's men's and women's programs prepare to tee off at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational. Hosted by Arkansas, the Blessings crowns an individual men's and women's champion, a men's and women's team champion, a combined team champion and an individual best-ball champion. In the best-ball format, each men's player is paired with a women's player, and they count they best score between them on each hole to determine their pairing's score and name a champion duo. The Bulldog women won the event in 2022, and State's Julia Lopez Ramirez and William Wann won the combined best-ball title that same year. Additionally, rather than the traditional tee time format that sees each golfer paired with two individuals from other teams, all five Bulldog men will tee off together and play the same holes together in a fivesome. State is slated to tee off at 9:30 a.m. CT on Monday morning. "This is a great event on a very challenging golf course," head men's coach Dusty Smith said. "This event is unique in that you are paired with your entire team throughout the tournament. I think it's a great way to learn more about your team and for the team to be able to create momentum during the round. This week is all about great body language, great attitudes, being together as a team and playing with confidence and discipline." |
| Sanderson Farms Championship underway in Jackson with $7.6 million purse | |
| Golfers are flooding onto the grounds of the Country Club of Jackson as the Sanderson Farms Championship is underway once again. The tournament, which is Mississippi's lone PGA Tour event, began Monday morning with the pro-am portion teeing off at 8 a.m. Two more pro-am rounds will take place on Wednesday, one for adults and another for youth, before the hopeful moneymakers hit the course on Thursday. Over the last decade, the purse at the Sanderson Farms Championship has grown into one of the Tour's most competitive. Rivaling the Farmers Insurance Open and The Honda Classic for the fall's largest purse, this year's prize money in Jackson is $7.6 million, with the winner taking home a check of $1.368 million. Proceeds from the event go to various charities across Mississippi, with Children's of Mississippi being the forefront grantee. As for course conditions at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi avoided impacts from Hurricane Helene as it ravaged other Southeastern states. As other tropical development is currently being tracked, it looks like rain will hold off and the Sanderson Farms Championship will see mostly sun with some cloudage. Even if that changes, Steve Jent, executive director, touts what he calls the best greenskeepers on the PGA Tour and their ability to make the tournament happen one way or another. |
| Paul Finebaum labels Lane Kiffin's latest team 'same old Ole Miss' after Kentucky loss | |
| Paul Finebaum isn't shy with praise, and he isn't shy with dishing out criticism either, especially for a program like Ole Miss that was desperately trying to become a true national championship contender in 2024. On Saturday afternoon, at home, against an unranked Kentucky team, the then-6th-ranked Rebels completely fell on their face in a stunning 20-17 loss that reminded the college football world of the program's past failures. On Monday morning during an appearance on the "McElroy & Cubelic in the Morning" show, Finebaum went straight after Ole Miss and specifically its head coach, Lane Kiffin. "There's no way to say they're not (the same old Ole Miss)," said Finebaum. "I didn't think they were, I thought they had changed. "The problem now is you look at Ole Miss and Georgia. One suffered a loss against what's now the No. 1 team in the country, the other one lost at home. The calculus is far worse for Ole Miss. That patsy schedule did not help them when they played a physical team, and I think they have a very difficult path to the Playoff. And if they don't get to the Playoff, it creates a whole other sideshow and side story about Lane Kiffin and his commitment to Ole Miss and whether or not he would consider leaving." |
| Clemson criticized for holding football game after Helene | |
| Just 24 hours before kickoff, the night sky was illuminated with the screens of Death Valley -- the brightest light visible for miles into eastern Oconee County, where traffic lights and homes remained dark. And as the Upstate recovers from what is now known as a historic and catastrophic storm, the one thing many locals struggle to understand is why Clemson University would invite 80,000 people to the eight-square-mile city and strain its resources while thousands are struggling to meet basic needs. The area around campus recovered quickly from the storm, becoming a hub of traffic and activity as students and locals alike flocked to its stores and fast-food restaurants for meals, gas stations to fuel their generators and ice to keep groceries from ruin. Those same resources -- ice and gas -- are tailgating staples for the tens of thousands of fans who flood campus during home games. Social media posts showed mile-long lines to get gas and people trying to refuel generators pulling up to empty stations after the tailgaters made their way to campus. "Frankly, it's unconscionable that a land-grant university is willing to imperil thousands of people in its community for the sake of thousands of visitors to its football stadium," Central Mayor Andrew Beckner said via text message. "My neighbors are angry. I am angry." From what Clemson City Administrator Andy Blondeau could tell from recovery conversations with Clemson University, it was clearly always, "Game on" for homecoming. |
| Donald Trump hands out hot dogs, schmoozes with fans at Alabama vs Georgia game | |
 | Donald Trump is no stranger to college football. Based on his track record, he just might be an Alabama Crimson Tide fan. Saturday's game against Georgia was the Republican presidential nominee's third time watching Alabama football in the flesh and his second watching the Crimson Tide defeat the Bulldogs. Alabama pulled out a 41-34 victory in a nail-biter. It was, however, Trump's first time sitting in Bryant-Denny Stadium without the title of president. Earlier this month, Trump showed up to the Cy-Hawk series to watch Iowa and Iowa State. Maybe the Cyclones' 20-19 thriller inspired him to lock down a suite for what was touted as the game of the year between Alabama and Georgia, two teams ranked in the top five nationally. As a campaign stop, Trump seized an opportunity to boost his favorability in Alabama, a state that hasn't voted or a Democratic candidate since 1976, but also the swing state of Georgia, which he lost to President Joe Biden during his 2020 run for reelection as president. Trump was only in attendance for about a quarter-and-a-half of action. His stay might have been longer had he not encountered a lengthy delay in his travels following an 2:30 p.m. engagement in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Prior to assassination attempts on July 13 and Sept. 15, it would've been labelled a "rally." On Saturday, the event was described as Trump "delivering remarks." Compared to the six college football games he attended while in office, Trump's security presence was at its peak for Alabama-Georgia. |
| SAFE Bet Act Eyes Public Health Response to Sports Betting | |
| It's been six years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Murphy v. NCAA that it was unconstitutional for Congress, through the Professional and Amateur Sports Betting Act of 1992 (PASPA), to compel states to deny sports betting when there was no accompanying federal standard. The opportunity remains for Congress to reassert its authority and adopt a federal standard. A new bill introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet (also called "the SAFE Bet Act," H.R. 9590 and S. 5057) would do just that. The act aims to address the public health challenges posed by sports betting. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the act would require states to gain approval from the Justice Department to offer legalized sports gambling. Approved states would need to adopt sports betting frameworks that, among other things, prohibit sports betting broadcast advertising between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time, ban those ads during live sporting events, disallow ads that try to induce gambling through "bonus bets" and similar promotions and block marketing tactics that target problem or ineligible gamblers (such as those under the age of 21) and urge them to place bets. The act would also outlaw proposition bets, which are also called "prop bets" or in-play bets and refer to wagers on specific events or outcomes in a game. The time for Congress to do something increasingly appears overdue. |
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