| Tuesday, September 10, 2019 |
| Mississippi State AD John Cohen tells Rotarians that concessions will be improved | |
 | Mississippi State Athletic Director John Cohen and his staff were also busy making adjustments with the game day atmosphere. When the Bulldogs hosted the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, many concerns were raised about the long lines and quality of service at concession stands throughout Davis Wade Stadium. Cohen was excited to announced last year about lowering concession prices and providing the best deals in the Southeastern Conference. He was just as disappointed over the weekend when the process to achieve that did not meet expectations. "The prices, we are going to keep them there and keep working to improve this," Cohen told the Starkville Rotary Club on Monday. "All I'm going to say is last weekend was not where we wanted it to be in terms of concessions. We had some very lengthy, good, frank discussions about concessions this past weekend. I think you are going to see a drastic improvement in that." |
| Mississippi State's athletic director promises better concession service at Davis Wade | |
 | It was hot Saturday and it was still hot Monday, and the subject is not the weather. A day after Mississippi State Athletic Director John Cohen took to Twitter to apologize to fans for problems with concessions at Davis Wade Stadium for Saturday's football home opener versus Southern Mississippi, Cohen was still biting his tongue Monday during his visit to the Starkville Rotary Club. MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter said three of the stadium's 17 concessions stands were unstaffed. Those that were open featured long lines that moved very slowly. Salter said for the first eight years of the contract, MSU received a guaranteed payment. Since then, MSU and Aramark share profits/losses with MSU paying Aramark a management fee. Last year, MSU drastically reduced the cost of concessions. The concessions contract expires next June, Salter said, adding, "There are a few other vendors in this space that will receive a chance to bid on the next concessions RFP (request for proposals)." Aramark officials did not respond to questions about game day concessions by press time. |
| D'Iberville man charged with misdemeanor after Cotton District fight | |
| A D'Iberville man has been charged with misdemeanor simple assault following a Sunday morning brawl in Starkville's Cotton District. The Starkville Police Department in a press release on Monday said 22-year-old Nathan Cvitanovich has been charged on a simple assault warrant. The release confirms the arrest is connected to a fight captured on video early Sunday morning on University Drive, which showed more than dozen people involved in a physical altercation on the lawn of St. Joseph Catholic Church. The SPD says the incident remains under investigation and more arrests are expected. |
| Blue Delta Jeans named official jean of US Ryder Cup Team | |
 | Some of the world's best golfers will be sporting jeans made in Tupelo. Blue Delta Jeans announced over the weekend that it has partnered with the PGA to be the official jean of the Ryder Cup team, which will compete in the 43rd Ryder Cup matches Sept. 25-27, 2020 at the Straits course at Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin. "The Ryder Cup partnership is a game-changer for us," said BDJ chief executive officer Josh West. "This will allow our brand to be on an international stage. As a golf fan, it's an honor to put our made in America product on the U.S. team." The company began talks with the PGA of America in 2018, and the sides reached a partnership agreement this past May. The company will launch a nationwide marketing campaign around the Ryder Cup in January 2020. The company plans to promote the custom craftsmanship and versatility of the jean throughout the country, culminating with the company being onsite for the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2020 Ryder Cup Tournament. The company got its start in 2011 with West and childhood friend Nick Weaver, who serves as chief operating officer. |
| Relativity hiring 190 people as it prepares to use 3D printing to make rockets | |
 | Hancock County is soon to be home to a 3D printing rocket factory. In just a few years, the rocket company Relativity says it plans to have its manufacturing operations up and running at Stennis Space Center. The company is now hiring to find the right men and women to make it all a reality. As the future of aerospace continues to lift off in Hancock County, David Sykes and Jon Oliver say they are excited to be a part of it. Both men have returned home to Mississippi to work for Relativity Space, a company that builds and tests rockets. The California-based company has signed a nine-year lease to take over Building 1901, which was once the home of the Army Ammo plant at Stennis Space Center. "To be able to come back home to South Mississippi and be able to work on some revolutionary and game-changing ideas in the aerospace industry was pretty amazing," said Oliver. |
| All 8 Mississippi GOP statewide nominees campaign together | |
 | Republican nominees for all eight statewide offices in Mississippi appeared together at a campaign rally Monday, and the nominee for governor, Tate Reeves, predicted that all eight will win this fall. Speaking to standing-room-only crowd of Republicans at a Madison restaurant, Reeves said: "I've just got one question for you. Are y'all ready to take the fight to the Democrats in November?" The crowd cheered. Mississippi law limits governors to two terms, so Republican Gov. Phil Bryant could not seek re-election. He long ago endorsed Reeves. Bryant stood with the nominees Monday and said he will ask President Donald Trump to travel to Mississippi to campaign for them. Trump won Mississippi in the 2016 presidential race and made multiple appearances in the state last year to campaign for Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. |
| Mississippi GOP brings all statewide nominees together to campaign | |
 | The Republican party is working to send a message of unity less than two weeks after the primary runoffs. "We are united and we will fight till the last dog dies to make sure everyone of these eight candidates and everyone of our Republican candidates up and down the ticket are elected," said Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Lucien Smith. The GOP event comes less than a week after that unity was called into question after Tate Reeves' runoff opponent Bill Waller, Jr. said he wouldn't be making an endorsement and will stay out of the general election. "Oh my goodness, if somebody doesn't give an immediate endorsement like light speed, they're all over that," explained Governor Phil Bryant. "We're here to say we love one another. We're not mad at anybody." Governor Bryant called Waller's decision "disappointing" last week. "I don't think any of my primary opponents eight years ago endorsed me when I ran for Governor," added Bryant on Monday. "I think endorsements are way overrated. I hope that mine helps. I know the President's does." |
| Gov. Bryant proclaims GOP candidates loving, hugging, endorsing each other after key Republicans waver on supporting Tate Reeves | |
| After several news articles last week highlighted questions about unity among Republican Party statewide candidates, GOP leaders knew the party needed a jolt. Former Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr., the losing candidate in the Republican runoff for governor, said last Tuesday he would not endorse Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, the party's nominee. Later, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, the party's nominee for lieutenant governor, did not give a straight answer to reporters about whether he'd endorse Reeves. Gov. Phil Bryant, who has discussed the serious threat Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood poses in the November governor's race and how the election could affect his own legacy, called Mississippi GOP Chairman Lucien Smith last week, and the two planned an event. The Republican Party sent the invitation to the public on Friday afternoon and billed the event as a "victory kickoff" at a popular buffet restaurant in Madison. |
| MSGOP statewide candidates reaffirm need for Republican statewide officeholders | |
 | After a week of a barrage of media stories trying to manufacture stories of disunion amongst Republicans, all 8 statewide nominees from the Mississippi Republican Party gathered at Mama Hamil's in Madison to show unity for the upcoming November 5 election, and their desire to see all 8 GOP candidates advance to the desired posts. "This is your Republican team you see here," said Governor Bryant in his opening remarks to the crowd. This event was hosted by the Mississippi GOP, chaired by Lucien Smith. Bryant emphasized that when it comes to elections labels and parties do matter. Bryant said the coverage is not equal when it comes to asking Democratic candidates who they will endorse among their party members and asking Republicans. He asserted that it is almost expected for Republicans to endorse each other, but not the other way around. "We just want to know, I think it is an important question to ask to see who is supporting who in the Democratic Party," said Bryant. Delbert Hosemann, running for Lt. Governor also stressed the importance of the party sticking together. He said that those in attendance today are not "purple," these candidates are true Republicans. |
| New staff announced at Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce | |
 | Commissioner Andy Gipson announced two new staff members of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Hayes Patrick was named director of the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum. In this position, Patrick will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations as well as establishing the direction of the museum. Patrick earned his Master's Degree in Secondary Education from Mississippi College and his B.A. from Mississippi College in Christian Studies and Philosophy. Gipson also named Lisa Rippy as the new manager of the Mississippi Farmers Market. She will be responsible for managing the operations of the farmers market as well as coordinating and assisting with additional market development programming. Rippy earned her B.S. from Mississippi College in Elementary Education and has worked in education, ministry and business. |
| Trump administration faces internal concerns over unprecedented farm bailout | |
 | Senior government officials, including some in the White House, privately expressed concern that the Trump administration's nearly $30 billion bailout for farmers needed stronger legal backing, according to multiple people who participated in the planning. The bailout was created by the Trump administration as a way to try to calm outrage from farmers who complained they were caught in the middle of the White House's trade war with China. In an attempt to pacify farmers, the Department of Agriculture created an expansive new program without precedent. As part of the program, USDA authorized $12 billion in bailout funds last year and another $16 billion this year, and Trump has said more money could be on the way. But two Department of Agriculture officials involved in the bailout program told The Washington Post they were worried the funding could surpass the original intent of the New Deal-era Commodity Credit Corporation, which is being used to distribute the money. The CCC, as it is known, had previously been used only to create substantially more limited programs. |
| NOAA Chief Scientist Says Move To Contradict Agency And Back Trump Was 'Political' | |
 | NOAA's top scientist said Monday that he's investigating why the agency's leadership endorsed President Trump's false tweet that Alabama was in the path of Hurricane Dorian, after Birmingham-based meteorologists from the National Weather Service publicly pushed back on it. In an email, Craig McLean, acting chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, called the move by the agency to back the president inappropriate, suggesting it was politically motivated. "I am pursuing the potential violations of our NOAA Administrative Order on Scientific Integrity," McLean wrote. "My understanding is that this intervention to contradict the forecaster was not based on science but on external factors including reputation and appearance, or simply put, political." He also said that the unsigned agency press release that came out Friday backing the president compromises NOAA's ability "to convey life-saving information necessary to avoid substantial and specific danger to public health and safety." |
| Retiring lawmakers will face tough market on K Street | |
 | K Street recruiters are poring over the list of 21, and counting, lawmakers planning to exit Congress, but the lobbying sector may offer a shrinking supply of big-money gigs heading into the 2020 elections. As more House members and senators consider making their escape from Capitol Hill, the realities of the K Street economy and the well-worn revolving door will be among their considerations, say insiders at lobbying firms and downtown headhunters. "K Street is not hungering for former members," said Norm Coleman, a former Republican senator from Minnesota who leads the government relations practice at Hogan Lovells. Coleman and others who make hiring decisions on K Street say ex-lawmakers can sometimes struggle in the lobbying sector where they no longer receive the trappings that come with elective office, such as a team of staff members. In most cases, it's the congressional staff members that K Street really clamors for. |
| Higher federal gas taxes? Businesses are pushing the idea | |
 | The influential U.S. Chamber of Commerce is renewing its push to convince Congress to raise the federal gasoline tax --- but it's about to run into strong political resistance. The GOP-friendly Chamber has been on a summer-long blitz around the country, pressuring skeptical Republican and Democratic lawmakers to support a tax increase, and urging state and local businesses to promote the need for more revenue. But there's also a major conservative push against a higher tax. Americans for Prosperity has launched a campaign of its own against higher fuel taxes. And as the election year approaches, many members of Congress are skittish about raising taxes. Lawmakers are struggling to find a way to pay for infrastructure improvements, and the fuel tax is regarded as an important source of revenue. Many business interests at the state level have rallied behind increasing the fuel tax. |
| Southern states have closed hundreds of polling places since Supreme Court decision: civil rights group | |
 | Southern U.S. states have reportedly closed nearly 1,200 polling places in the years after the Supreme Court in 2013 overturned a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act. Since the 2014 midterm elections -- the first since the Supreme Court's Shelby County v. Holder decision -- at least 1,173 polling sites in places formerly covered by a controversial provision in the law have shut down, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights said in a report released Tuesday. Texas, Arizona and Georgia saw the most polling sites close in recent years, the report found. Arizona, for example, say more than one in five polling locations shut down, while in Georgia, seven counties now only have one polling location. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska and North Carolina saw less-significant declines, the report found. One state -- South Carolina -- has not followed the trend, instead adding dozens of locations. |
| UM Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks touts growth of school to Tupelo Rotary Club | |
| Larry Sparks, the interim chancellor at the University of Mississippi, spoke to the Tupelo chapter of the Rotary Club on Monday where he updated the group on construction projects on campus and informed the organization how the university is attempting to keep more college graduates in Mississippi. Sparks, former vice chancellor for administration and finance, addressed the increasing problem commonly referred to as the "brain drain," where students often leave the state once they graduate. "I'll say what many of you are probably thinking: There's a perception out there that Ole Miss doesn't recruit Mississippians hard and doesn't want Mississippians, and I'm here to tell you that is not only not true -- that is a lie," Sparks said. Sparks said that he has worked with officials to try and correct that perception, but clarified that the university does have to maintain about 30% of out-of-state students in order to be financially stable as a university. Sparks told Rotarians that after a new chancellor is chosen, he hopes to return to his former role as the chief financial officer for the university. |
| Remembering Ally: Friends and family hold celebration ceremony | |
| Ally Kostial loved to celebrate birthdays, especially her own -- so much so that she would not just celebrate on her birthday, but instead make it a week-long celebration. Wednesday would have been Kostial's 22nd birthday, and to honor her tradition, friends and family held a memorial at the Ole Miss Student Union Ballroom on Sunday Evening. The ceremony was titled "Celebrating Ally Kostial," and featured all the things she loved to do. The event was put together by Hannah Chauvin, Elizabeth Brock, Morgan Hull and Clair Sigrist, just a few of Kostial's closest friends. Kostial was murdered on July 20 and found 30 miles away from the Ole Miss campus in Harmontown, near the Buford Ridge area. One of her former classmates sits accused of killing her with a charge of capital murder, awaiting trial. During the ceremony, the Alexandria "Ally" Kostial Mind and Body Fund was announced in partnership with the University of Mississippi Foundation. The purpose of the endowment is to honor the life of Kostial and to provide income to support collaborative work between the William Magee Wellness Center education and the Violence Prevention Center at Ole Miss. |
| UM law school students visit Emmett Till memorial in Sumner | |
 | The Ole Miss School of Law chartered a bus to Sumner on Friday, to visit the Tallahatchie County Courthouse and Emmett Till Interpretive Museum. The visit came in response to the photo of three Kappa Alpha fraternity members holding firearms at the river site sign, which made national headlines this summer. Susan Duncan, law school dean, said that the purpose of the visit was to educate students to make them continually aware of events like that of the Till murder and to show how derogatory the photo was. "I think it's very important for law students especially," Duncan said. "(They) will be the leaders in their communities and should be leaders on campus, so they can have an open dialogue with each other about how we can make sure things change. They should try to make something positive out of a negative situation, and I thought this was a step that would help us do that." |
| This fall, Memphians will vote in the newly-renamed James Meredith Building | |
| Monday was the most important day of his life, said civil rights activist James Meredith. On June 7, 1966, he began his "March Against Fear," an attempt to walk from Memphis to Jackson, Mississippi, to promote black voter registration. He started his march at the Peabody Hotel, but then went past 157 Poplar. On the second day of the march, he was shot -- an assassination attempt he survived. On Monday, 157 Poplar, the downtown headquarters of the Shelby County Election Commission, was renamed the "James Meredith Building." This fall, early voting will resume in the building. Nothing could be more fitting than naming a building where voting occurs after him, Meredith said. "I think this is the most important event of my lifetime," Meredith said. "I've been saying, I didn't even think the people who sponsored this name on the building ... actually knew what they were doing." Meredith was the first African American to attend and graduate from the University of Mississippi. |
| WCU, PRCC receives grant to continue program to help teacher shortage | |
 | Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation has renewed their grant with the William Carey University of College of Education and Pearl River Community College for their partnership to attack Mississippi's lasting teacher shortage at the local level. The $36,000 grant was announced at a luncheon at Pearl River Community College on Wednesday, Sept. 4. CEO/President of Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation Clyde Dease Jr. said that the foundation supports the efforts of William Carey University, and the schools and communities will benefit from it. "The foundation supports the efforts of William Carey University to partner with PRCC to address the shortage of certified teachers in our district," said Dease "Our schools and community will be the long-term beneficiaries." WCU and PRCC houses a third and fourth-year teacher education program at the PRCC campus through the partnership, and participating education students can remain at the community college campus after their graduation and finish their bachelor's degree at WCU. |
| Mississippi Delta to gain second charter school | |
| The charter school sector is continuing to expand outside of Jackson. On Monday, the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board approved Mississippi's ninth charter school to open in Greenwood. Leflore Legacy Academy will open in the 2020-21 school year as a middle school. The school will serve grades 6-8 by 2023, but open with just sixth grade in its inaugural year. The September meeting was the end of a rigorous process the board goes through annually to vet potential operators. The evaluation committee found that only Mississippi Delta Academies met the standard in each area. The school's founder, Tamala Boyd Shaw, was nearly approved last year but her application needed more detail. On Monday Boyd Shaw told Mississippi Today she was both humbled and elated to earn approval this year. |
| U. of Alabama, donor Hugh Culverhouse Jr. agree to disagree | |
 | The University of Alabama and controversial donor Hugh Culverhouse Jr. had "different views" about the future of the law school in their recent tug-of-war over a $21.5 million donation to the school. That's how a joint statement released by both last week defined the fracas that resulted in the university's Board of Trustees voting in June to return Culverhouse's gift and strip his name from the law school. The statement appears to signal a truce in the public spat between the two. Culverhouse called for a boycott of Alabama -- both the school and the state -- over its near-total abortion ban law after the trustees' vote. Emails released by the university showed it planned to return Hugh Culverhouse Jr.'s donation and remove his name from the law school at least four days before Culverhouse called for the boycott. The statement, posted online last week, said the university and Culverhouse "agree that they had different views regarding the future of The University of Alabama School of Law." |
| Alumni, students, others question U. of Alabama dean's departure | |
| Alumni and national figures are questioning the circumstances surrounding the resignation of a University of Alabama dean last week following a report of controversial social media posts he made before he was hired there. But the university has not stated whether the departure of Jamie Riley from his post was related to a Breitbart story, or whether the university had previously been aware of tweets the story spotlighted contending the American flag and police are racist, among other opinions. Riley had been on the job for seven months as the university's dean of students and resigned last week a day after Breitbart published the story. AL.com last week requested any emails sent or received by university officials regarding the issue. The university had not provided those emails as of late Monday afternoon. A post currently circulating on social media is requesting anonymous comments from UA faculty members regarding Riley's resignation and the university's handling of it for possible presentation to the Faculty Senate. |
| Online enrollment grows at U. of West Alabama | |
 | The University of West Alabama continues to see online enrollment growth. The regional institution, however, will not meet its goal for traditional student enrollment growth this fall, said UWA President Ken Tucker and Vice President of Student Affairs Richard Hester. The university is still finalizing its numbers for fall enrollment of traditional students, Tucker said. However, the university administration presented online figures during the UWA board of trustees meeting on Monday in Livingston. Provost Tim Edwards said the online growth trend for UWA remains positive. The university's online enrollment for the fall was 3,578, up more than 600 students from its 2018 numbers. The university's online enrollment has grown by nearly 2,000 students since it partnered with the online education company Learning House to grow the sector. Last fall, the overall enrollment including online and traditional students was 4,542. In 2018, UWA also saw a slight decrease in the incoming class of traditional students. |
| A Boy Was Bullied for His Homemade T-Shirt. Now the University of Tennessee Is Selling It. | |
 | In a state where the Gators, Noles and Canes vie for college football supremacy, an elementary school student in Florida recently showed up to class in a homemade T-shirt design bearing his allegiances to the University of Tennessee --- and he was teased because of it. Now, the boy's hand-drawn U.T. design can be worn by fellow Volunteer fans clad in orange. When the university learned of the bullying episode, which was shared by the boy's teacher, Laura Snyder, in a viral Facebook post, it began offering replicas of the T-shirt for sale at U.T.'s online campus store. "Now you can share in this student's Volunteer pride by wearing his design on your shirt too," the store website said. Proceeds from the shirt's sale will be donated to the national group Stomp Out Bullying, according to the university, whose online campus store received so much traffic after promoting the shirt, it said, that the website crashed. A university spokeswoman said Monday that more than 16,000 shirts had been pre-ordered. |
| U. of Tennessee among top 50 in U.S. News and World rankings | |
 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville has been ranked in the top 50 among public universities by U.S. News and World report, improving their rankings by 8 spots from last year. UT-Knoxville has been ranked No. 44 among all public universities and No. 104 among all universities in the country in the 2020 Best Colleges rankings. Last year, UT-Knoxville was ranked 52nd among public universities and 115th nationally. "I think ratings are important and we always like to trumpet them but I think more important is what goes into rankings and what that reflects," said Provost David Manderscheid. The boost in rankings also came from increased retention and graduation rates in recent years for the school. UT's peer assessment score also increased. "We are really emphasizing student success," Manderscheid said. "That's President Randy Boyd's first priority, that's our chancellor Donde Plowman's first priority and that's my first priority," Manderscheid said. "Those investments are paying off." |
| UGA ranked 16th by U.S. News & World Report | |
 | U.S. News & World Report again ranked the University of Georgia among the nations top universities. The magazine placed UGA at No. 16 in its latest list of Best Public Universities. UGA has ranked in the top 20 for four consecutive years. UGA is one of only two universities in the Southeastern Conference to be listed among the top 20 public universities. UGA and the Georgia Institute of Technology are the only Georgia schools to rank in the top 20. UGA's six-year graduation rate increased by 1 percentage point to 86%, while the retention rate held steady at 95%. The first-year retention rate and graduation rate account for 22% of the university's overall score in the magazine's ranking criteria. Of the record 29,300 students who applied for admission this fall, fewer than half were accepted. The Class of 2023 brought an average high school GPA above 4.0, an average SAT score of 1359 and an average ACT score at a new record of 31. |
| Texas A&M research uncovers theories on the first Americans | |
 | Texas A&M University researchers say artifacts found in Idaho that are about 16,000 years old are a substantial discovery that indicates the first Americans may have entered by the Pacific coast. The study in Idaho was led by Loren Davis from Oregon State University, who said the research might also show connections between early Americans and Japan. While A&M researchers were not involved in the excavation, professors at the university's Center for the Study of the First Americans said the research is important to the field as a whole. Center Director and Anthropology Professor Michael Waters said Davis' discovery adds to growing evidence that Americans may have traveled the Pacific rather than other theories that suggest people came through an inland corridor. This is because at the time when Cooper's Ferry, Idaho, was occupied, the ice-free corridor was blocked by massive ice sheets in Canada. |
| U. of Missouri drops again in closely watched college rankings | |
 | The University of Missouri fell again in the annual college rankings produced by U.S. News & World Report, dropping 10 places in the list of "National Universities" and marking the fourth consecutive year that MU has dropped in the closely watched report. The new ranking, 139th out of 399 schools, puts MU below nine of the 14 Southeastern Conference schools and last among U.S. public members of the American Association of Universities, which includes the top public and private research universities in the U.S. and Canada. "The University of Missouri moved down in the rankings due to a decline in financial resources, graduation and retention rank, selectivity, faculty resources, grad rate performance, alumni giving and reputation," Madeline Smanik, spokeswoman for the publication, wrote in an email. "Over the last four years, there have been declines across the board in almost all major ranking indicators." MU does not dispute the rankings but has taken steps that should show a rebound in its position in coming years, said Christian Basi, spokesman for the university. |
| Survey suggests who pays for college drives partisan divide | |
 | The real divide over higher ed may be driven by who shoulders the cost of -- and who benefits from -- education after high school, according to survey results released Tuesday by New America. Recent surveys have suggested Republicans increasingly doubt the positive effects of higher ed. But the think tank's third annual survey of Americans' views of higher education, like previous editions, adds some nuance to narratives about an intractable partisan divide over the role of colleges. The results show that Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, generally agree that some kind of education beyond high school is valuable, especially for individuals seeking a better paying job. But they split sharply on who should pay for higher ed: Eighty percent of Democrats said the government should, because education is good for society. The majority of Republicans, 59 percent, said individuals should fund higher education because they personally benefit, while 37 percent said the federal government should pay for the costs of college. |
| Young Americans for Liberty Convention Galvanizes Attendees | |
| "We want viable, principled candidates." That was the message that Cliff Maloney Jr., president of Young Americans for Liberty, emphasized to the crowd of several hundred college activists during his opening remarks on Friday in downtown Austin. The 2,700-member organization -- which boasts 19,000 alumni -- recently moved its headquarters to Austin, leaving the nation's capital city for Texas. Mitch Strider, a YAL chapter president at Mississippi State University, lauded YAL's growth since inception. About the convention, Strider said, "I am excited to take what I learn here and take it back and apply it on campus." Strider specifically cited training in how to handle confrontations, both with fellow students and administrators, over political speech on campus. At the convention, various other like-minded organizations are invited to "table" (handing out freebies and disseminating information). Strider mentioned this has allowed him to become more knowledgeable on various topics such as climate change and guns. |
| HBCU Conference Focuses on Building Federal and Local Ties | |
| At the opening ceremony of the 2019 HBCU Conference, Johnathan M. Holifield, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities quoted Booker T. Washington, telling those in the audience to "Cast down your bucket where you are." He meant that HBCUs need to not only build federal partnerships but draw on local resources and advised the crowd to encourage their cities, counties and states to develop HBCU support plans and designate HBCUs as small businesses, among other regional efforts. "Yes, we have to win Washington D.C.," Holifield said. "We know that. But we also have to take the fight where we are and replicate what's happening here where we live." The importance of strategic alliances at the federal and local level -- and the interplay of the two -- was a theme that ran throughout the first day of the conference. On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump is expected to deliver remarks before the crowd that includes HBCU leaders and students. |
| Lumina-convened task force releases quality assurance model focused on outcomes, equity and institutional finances | |
| Better and more specific data is becoming available about what works in higher education, and what doesn't. As a result, accreditors and federal and state policy makers face new choices about which measures of student success and value to include in their oversight of the industry, as well as how to assess the financial stability of institutions in an increasingly volatile market. Amid this backdrop, the Lumina Foundation pulled together a group of regulators, college leaders and workforce experts to develop a starting point for a new model for advancing quality and equity in postsecondary education. The 20-member task force, which released a report on their conceptual model today, hopes it will start a broad conversation across higher education, with implications for lawmakers and regulators. "Profound changes in the economy, in society, and in educational systems and institutions require equally profound changes in the way we regulate the sector and assess the quality of college degrees and other credentials earned after high school," the report said. |
| Federal report says U.S. needs more technical workers, not necessarily with bachelor's degrees | |
| The National Science Board released a report Monday calling for, among other things, a cultural re-evaluation of America's "skilled technical workforce" -- people who use science and technology skills in their jobs, but don't possess a bachelor's degree. While demand for professions like electricians, welders and autoworkers is projected to rapidly increase, the supply of labor for these jobs is estimated to fall short by nearly 3.4 million workers by 2022. The federal report suggests that the shortage may be in part due to students lacking encouragement to pursue technical careers from parents and guidance counselors, and an overall culture that values bachelor's degrees. Victor McCrary, vice president for research and graduate programs at the University of the District of Columbia and chair of the board's task force on the skilled technical workforce, cited stigma around technical jobs among parents and high school educators. "There are many opportunities for students coming out of high school," he said. "There's not just one path to the middle class which is a college education." |
| In college admissions scandal a judge must decide: Does it matter how much parents paid? | |
 | As a judge in Boston prepares to sentence parents in the college admissions cheating scandal, prosecutors, defense lawyers and others are battling over unresolved questions: Is prison the right punishment? And, if so, should the amount of money a parent paid in the scam determine their time behind bars? So far, 15 of the nearly three dozen parents charged with conspiring to commit fraud with the scam's leader, college admission consultant William "Rick" Singer, have pleaded guilty. The first two in the group were slated to be sentenced this week, but U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani hit pause in the proceedings to resolve a stark disagreement over how she should calculate the parents' culpability. The dispute revolves around whether Singer caused the universities and testing companies he exploited any financial loss. Under federal sentencing guidelines, prison terms for fraud are typically pegged to a victim's financial loss. If the loss cannot be tallied, the amount a perpetrator gained can be used instead. Singer has pleaded guilty to four felonies, acknowledging he rigged SAT and ACT exams for his clients and misrepresented their children as recruits for sports they didn't play. |
| Sociologists and more than a dozen other professional groups speak out against student evaluations of teaching | |
| Questioning what student evaluations of teaching actually measure, various institutions have already said they use won't them in high-stakes personnel decisions or as the primary measure of teaching effectiveness. Now the American Sociological Association and 17 other professional organizations, including the American Historical Association, are urging all colleges and universities to do the same. "Because these instruments are cheap, easy to implement, and provide a simple way to gather information, they are the most common method used to evaluate faculty teaching for hiring, tenure, promotion, contract renewal and merit raises," reads a new statement from the sociological association, endorsed by other scholarly groups. More specifically, the association recommends that questions on student evaluations should be framed as "an opportunity for student feedback, rather than an opportunity for formal ratings" of teaching effectiveness. |
| US funding scramble leaves science agencies in limbo | |
| The US Congress has a busy few weeks in store. When lawmakers return from their summer break on 9 September, they'll have just three weeks to hammer out a 2020 spending deal --- and funding for the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and other key science agencies is on the line. Negotiations this year could be markedly different from those in recent budget cycles. Democrats regained the House of Representatives in January, dividing control of Congress between the country's two main political parties for the first time since 2010. Science-policy experts are cautiously optimistic that the altered dynamic could be good news for science funding, in part because in early August, lawmakers approved a plan to increase overall government spending in 2020 by US$320 billion. But much uncertainty remains. |
SPORTS
| Joe Moorhead more confident calling Mississippi State offense | |
| Joe Moorhead arrived at Mississippi State having been named the National Offensive Coordinator of the Year in 2016 and 2017. However, the Bulldogs' offense didn't exactly click consistently last season with Moorhead continuing his play-calling duties. MSU ranked 13th in the SEC in passing offense at 173.8 yards per game and were held to seven points or less in four of its five losses in 2018. But two games into this year, the Bulldogs' offense has flourished in Moorhead's system. State has scored 38 points in each of its wins over Louisiana and Southern Miss and also shown balance -- averaging 235.5 yards on the ground and 206 through the air. The Bulldogs ran for 223.6 yards on average in 2018 so that part is nothing new. But the passing component has improved by 32.2 yards per game and the completion percentage is up from 51.1 percent to 70.6 percent, which is Mississippi State's best connection rate through two games since 2001. |
| SEC football: 3 questions Mississippi State must answer against Kansas State | |
 | Mississippi State throttled Kansas State in the Little Apple last year. It wasn't even close. A year later, the Bulldogs get the Wildcats on their home turf at Davis Wade stadium. This game, though, should be much closer than the 31-10 beatdown from last season. Mississippi State opened as a 10-point favorite, according to VegasInsider.com, but the line had fallen to a touchdown. The Bulldogs (2-0) have many new faces this year. A lot of the players responsible for last year's 21-point victory have moved on. Thus, Mississippi must answer these questions if the Dawgs are to pull out another win to start the season 3-0: 1. Tommy Stevens is injured. Who's playing quarterback? 2. Will Kylin Hill have another career day? 3. Can MSU's d-line stop Kansas State? |
| Mississippi State cracks the Top 25 of Coaches Poll | |
 | After their win over Southern Miss on Saturday, Mississippi State entered the Top 25 of the Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 23 after Week 2 of the season. To top it off, after the 38-15 win over the Golden Eagles, senior offensive lineman Darryl Williams was selected as the SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week. In a press conference on Monday, head football coach Joe Moorhead said he was proud about his team making the Top 25 and congratulated Williams on his honor for the second time in his career. He also said starting quarterback Tommy Stevens' condition is on a day-to-day basis. Stevens suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's game. Moorhead said he's looking forward to the next game against Kansas State. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Davis-Wade Stadium. |
| Ex-Wolverine Kareem Walker cleared to play at Mississippi State | |
| The last piece of Mississippi State's 2019 signing class is settled. Former Michigan running back Kareem Walker has been permitted to play for the Bulldogs this season after a long awaited clearance from the NCAA. Walker was already attending classes at MSU and will begin practicing with the team on Tuesday but will have to go through the mandated two-day acclimation period before he can don pads. The 6-foot, 210-pound former four-star prospect was rated the No. 4 running back and the 45th-best overall prospect in the country coming out of DePaul Catholic High School in New Jersey, where he was an Under Armor All-American. Walker played in five games for the Wolverines as a redshirt freshman in 2017. |
| Mississippi State adds former Michigan football player Kareem Walker | |
| An already talented Mississippi State running back group added another Bulldog to the bunch Monday. Junior college transfer Kareem Walker has finally enrolled at Mississippi State, a school spokesperson confirmed with the Clarion Ledger. Walker was a part of the Bulldogs' 2019 signing class but had not joined the team because of academic enrollment issues. Walker played at Fort Scott Community College in 2018. He appeared in seven games, running 64 times for 207 yards and one touchdown. Before his one-year stint in the junior college ranks, Walker was an Under Amour All-American at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, New Jersey. He ran for 4,563 yards and 57 touchdowns in his high school career. Head coach Joe Moorhead called Gibson "instant offense." |
| NOTEBOOK: Tommy Stevens not ruled out for Saturday's game | |
| Tommy Stevens' status for Saturday's game against undefeated Kansas State is still up in the air. The Mississippi State quarterback sustained an injury to his right throwing arm after being sacked in the second quarter against Southern Miss and missed the remainder of the game. Coach Joe Moorhead stated that Stevens was "day-to-day" on Monday and that the graduate transfer received treatment from team trainers on Sunday and Monday. "We're going to see where it goes with Tommy and how he progresses during the week," Moorhead said. "I don't want to rule him out completely. We'll just see how it goes." True freshman Garrett Shrader finished out the Southern Miss game after Stevens' injury but Moorhead did not reveal which quarterback he would start on Saturday if Stevens is unable to play. |
| Moorhead Monday: Stevens day-to-day, Walker eligible, Williams earns award, more | |
| And so the quarterback turnstile has begun to rotate at Mississippi State. After starting signal caller Tommy Stevens was injured in the second quarter of Saturday's 38-15 win over Southern Mississippi, coach Joe Moorhead would not commit to him being healthy enough to play this week against Kansas State Monday. Toeing his usual line of trepidation in disclosing injuries, Moorhead said Stevens is day-to-day. In his absence, junior Keytaon Thompson, redshirt freshman Jalen Mayden and freshman Garrett Shrader are all preparing as if they'll be the starter when the Wildcats come to town. "We're going to see where it goes as the week progresses," Moorhead said. Given Moorhead's propensity to avoid injury talk, a decision on Stevens' status likely won't be disclosed till right before game time Saturday. |
| Mississippi State QB Tommy Stevens hopeful to play against Kansas State | |
| Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead dished out a slightly optimistic injury update on senior quarterback Tommy Stevens on Monday. Moorhead said he doesn't want to rule Stevens out completely for MSU's game against Kansas State on Saturday after Stevens suffered an upper-body injury against Southern Miss last week. "He's still day-to-day," Moorhead said. "He came through (Sunday) and got treatment. He's going to get more (Monday) on the players' off day. We're going to see where it goes as the week progresses." Stevens left State's game against USM at the end of the first half. He did not return. Instead, he stayed on the sideline in the second half to cheer on his teammates with his jersey on but no shoulder pads underneath it. Stevens was 9-of-10 for 105 yards and two touchdowns before exiting. Moorhead said his starter was on the way to having a "real, real big day" before it was cut short. |
| Kentucky-Mississippi State slated for another daytime kickoff | |
| Daytime football is becoming the norm for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are set to play their fourth straight day game on Sept. 21 when they welcome Kentucky to Davis Wade Stadium for a 3 p.m. kickoff on either SEC Network or SEC Network Alternate. Things could get a little toasty for MSU players and fans alike in the heat and humidity that is usually associated with September weather in the Deep South. The Kentucky game has been designated as a "blackout" game where fans are encouraged to wear black while the players will don all black uniforms. State leads the all-time series 24-22 against the Wildcats, including a 13-6 lead in Starkville. |
| How K-State coach Chris Klieman is handling rare underdog role vs. Mississippi State | |
| The question took Chris Klieman by surprise. When was the last time one of his football teams entered a game as an underdog? The K-State football coach chuckled and thought for a few seconds before responding. "It's probably been a while," Klieman said, "since we've been in that boat." Klieman has proven he can win as the favorite. Throughout his time at North Dakota State, the Bison entered most seasons expected to win championships. And they rarely disappointed. Klieman guided his old school to four FCS national titles in five seasons, ending his time in Fargo with a gaudy record of 69-6. He also had K-State firing on all cylinders in its first two games of the season, as the Wildcats crushed Nicholls 49-14 and then blanked Bowling Green 52-0. Now he gets an opportunity to prove what he can do when many expect his team to lose. The Wildcats will face their first true test of the Klieman era in their next game when they hit the road against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are favored by 7 1/2 points. |
| Fulton's Ally McDonald added to Solheim Cup team | |
| The United States was forced into a change three days before the start of the Solheim Cup after Stacy Lewis pulled out because of a back injury. U.S. captain Juli Inkster replaced Lewis with Ally McDonald (Fulton, Mississippi State), who will make her debut in the team event. "I'm sorry it happened this way, but I came prepared to be either a cheerleader or team member," said McDonald, who made the trip to Scotland as an alternate. "I hope Stacy gets better soon." McDonald, who finished ninth in the season-long Solheim Cup points chase, will be one of six first-timers on the 12-member U.S. squad. The Americans are defending the cup in Scotland and will be seeking a third-consecutive victory. |
| Stacy Lewis bows out of 2019 Solheim Cup because of back injury | |
| If the U.S. is going to win the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, it is going to have to do so without Stacy Lewis. The four-time Solheim Cup veteran withdrew from the competition Tuesday because of a back injury, which flared up on Lewis last week. "I'm extremely disappointed not to be able to play," Lewis said in a statement. "I'm a competitor and I want to play. ... I've done everything I could possibly do over the last week to be ready to play. For my health and what I feel is in the best interest of the team, I decided to take myself out. With Lewis, who was initially selected to the squad as a captain's pick, now serving her team from the sidelines, first alternate Ally McDonald will replace Lewis on the playing roster. McDonald, a fourth-year LPGA pro, will be making her Solheim Cup debut. However, the Mississippi State product did represent the U.S. at the 2014 Curtis Cup. That week, she partnered with Annie Park, also a member of this year's Solheim Cup team, and beat Charlotte Thomas and current European Solheim Cupper Bronte Law in fourballs. |
| Ed Orgeron confirms LSU did not have A/C in visitor's locker room during Texas game | |
 | LSU football coach Ed Orgeron confirmed Monday that the Tigers did not have air conditioning in the locker room Saturday for their game against Texas. Orgeron said he called Louisiana Tech, Texas' Week 1 opponent, before the game and in anticipation had his team bring extra fans. According to official stats, the game-time temperature was 98 degrees. "First of all, I called Louisiana Tech, and they told us about it," Orgeron said Monday. "So we did some things in the dressing room that were better. It wasn't great, but it was better. At least we had air in there. They didn't have air. We had some blowers in there. I don't think that caused as much as going out there and having to play 93 plays on defense. I think that had a lot to do with it." Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a written statement that Orgeron's comments were the "first we've heard of any issues in that area" and that "we've confirmed that our air conditioning in the visiting locker room is in good working order." |
| After LSU band got nosebleed seats at Texas, Longhorns band will get same treatment next year | |
| What goes around comes around, and when the Texas Longhorns come to Tiger Stadium next fall, their fans --- including the band --- better be ready to climb. The Tiger Marching Band sat in the upper deck at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in LSU's 45-38 victory on Saturday in Austin, Texas, as did the Tiger fans who bought tickets through the allotment provided LSU. Although visitors usually have seats in the lower level in Tiger Stadium, that won't be the case on Sept. 12, 2020, said Verge Ausberry, executive director for external relations at LSU. "We're going to do the same thing to them, too," Ausberry said. Southeastern Conference policy requires that 1,500 tickets for the visiting school must be in the lower deck, but that won't apply to Texas, of the Big 12 Conference, Ausberry said. The contract between the two schools allowed visitors only 3,000 tickets, less than the 5,000 the SEC requires for conference games. The LSU-Texas contract, however, doesn't specify where those seats must be, Ausberry said. |
| Alabama not happy with start time due to heat | |
| Alabama's administration isn't pleased that the Sept. 21 football game against Southern Mississippi will be played at 11 a.m. local time, when temperatures are routinely in excess of 90 degrees this time of year. University President Stuart R. Bell and athletic director Greg Byrne issued a joint statement on the heels of last weekend's 3 p.m. kickoff against New Mexico State, when the heat index was upward of 105 degrees. Cooling stations were set up throughout Bryant-Denny Stadium, but in the second half many fans began clearing out, especially those in sections not shaded from the sun. "We are disappointed that our game against Southern Miss has been selected as a daytime kickoff at home," the statement from Bell and Byrne read. "We realize we've played more non-conference day games at home in September than any other SEC team since 2014. There have been a number of conversations with our conference office, and they also recognize the challenges these kick times present for our student-athletes and fans." |
| Bobby Petrino says 'sorry'; Little Rock crowd applauds apology of ex-UA coach | |
| Seven years after being terminated as the University of Arkansas head football coach, Bobby Petrino returned to the Natural State to apologize for his actions. In front of a sold-out crowd at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's weekly meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel, Petrino expressed remorse for covering up his relationship with a then-25-year-old employee of the Razorbacks football program. "I wanted to be able to come here today and apologize to everybody -- the fans, the players -- and truly tell you how sorry I am for the way it ended," an emotional Petrino said. "I also wanted to come here and thank you for what this state did for me and my family." The Little Rock Touchdown Club crowd gave Petrino a standing ovation after his apology. Petrino was fired by then-UA athletic director Jeff Long in April 2012 after Petrino was not truthful about his relationship with Jessica Dorrell, who was hired as the football program's student-athlete development coordinator. Dorrell received $20,000 during the relationship with Petrino. |
| Jeremy Pruitt compares Tennessee football to the Titanic | |
| Jeremy Pruitt thought of the movie "Titanic" after Tennessee lost to Georgia State in its season opener. The movie, he recalled, came out when he was in college and provided a picture of the need for the Vols to rally together. "When the boat starts going down, remember all those mice running to the top, right?" Pruitt said to the Knoxville Quarterback Club on Monday. "We have had a few that's left our program, but you will figure out who wants to be a Tennessee Vol and who don't. I can tell you this: I want to. I know the standards and expectations that we have and the men on our staff and the character that we have. You will see the best of the players at Tennessee throughout the year." Tennessee lost its season opener 38-30 to Georgia State, then fell to BYU 29-26 in double overtime Saturday. "The way I look at this, the last two weeks are over with," Pruitt said. "We had 60 minutes to change the last two Saturdays at Neyland Stadium. We have to move forward. Did we improve the first week to the second week? Absolutely. We have to continue to do that because we have a young, inexperienced football team." |
| California Assembly passes bill that brings state to verge of rules showdown with NCAA | |
 | The California State Assembly on Monday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would allow college athletes to more easily make money off their own name, image and likeness, beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The vote -- initially posted as 66-0, but later shown as 72-0 with 7 not voting -- all but assures that the measure will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Because the bill was amended after it had passed the State Senate, it will have to return there for a concurrence vote that could come as early as Tuesday, according to the office of Sen. Nancy Skinner, the bill's sponsor. However, the Senate approved its version of the bill by a 31-5 margin, and the bill's basic intent remains unchanged. If the legislation reaches Newsom's desk, he will have 30 days to sign it or veto it. If he takes no action, the bill becomes law. Although an NCAA panel is studying potential changes in the association's policies regarding athletes' names, images and likenesses, this sets up the prospect of a conflict between the NCAA's amateurism rules and the laws of a state that has more than 20 Division I schools, including four members of the Pac-12 Conference. |
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