| Friday, September 27, 2019 |
| Public health officials, educators concerned with rise in youth vaping | |
 | As the public is focused on the emergence of vaping-related lung disease, public health officials and educators are equally worried about the rapid rise in vaping among high school students. "Five million American teenagers are vaping right now," said Robert McMillen, Mississippi State University researcher and professor who led the Mississippi Youth Tobacco Survey. "What is going to happen with that addiction is really alarming." Helping young vapers kick the habit is not simple. Because the Juul-style vape devices deliver higher concentrations of nicotine, youth are developing addictions more quickly. "It's a level of addiction to nicotine our pediatricians have never seen before," McMillen said. Youth under 18 can't purchase over the counter smoking cessation aids, and the increase in vaping has been so rapid that there are no standard recommendations for physicians to follow. "We don't have best practices yet because there's no research yet," McMillen said. |
| First death related to vaping confirmed in Mississippi | |
 | The Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed Thursday the state's first death related to vaping. However, it did not say if the victim was the same person identified by a coroner last week as the likely victim. On Sept. 17, Anna Russell, 27, of Smithville, died at North Mississippi Medical Center/Gilmore/Amory, 12 hours after she had been admitted to the hospital, Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley previously said. Russell had a "history of using vape pens," and her death is believed to be vaping-related, he said. Monday, the health department issued a press release announcing three vaping-related illnesses statewide. In the release, they stated, "currently, there are no confirmed vaping-related deaths in the state." Thursday, they issued the release saying, "Today the Mississippi State Department of Health reports its first vaping-associated death. The death was in an individual under the age of 30." No other details about the victim were provided. Gurley said he saw the release from the health department but did not know if the death they were referencing was Russell's, as he has not yet received the results from her autopsy. |
| Mississippi State Hosting Esports Egg Bowl | |
 | Mississippi State University's Esports club will host the second-annual Esports Egg Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the university's Humphrey Coliseum. One hundred gamers from MSU and the University of Mississippi will take part in a best-of-seven video game competition. MSU's Esports club is school-sanctioned and has approximately 600 members, a release from the university says. The group holds bi-monthly Wednesday meetings in the Colvard Student Union's Fowlkes Auditorium. The club won the inaugural Esports Egg Bowl in 2018. The competition is free to attend and is open to both students and the public. MSU will also live stream the event at twitch.tv/esportsmsu. |
| Software company sues Oktibbeha for breach of contract | |
 | A Ridgeland-based data recovery software company filed suit in federal court last week against the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors and Chancery Clerk Sharon Livingston for breach of contract. Medir Government Solutions alleges the county's switch to another firm unlawfully broke a contract and allowed the other firm to steal their intellectual property. The company filed its complaint in the Southern District of Mississippi on Sept. 19, and the summons was issued Monday to Livingston and the board of supervisors. According to the complaint, Medir began a contract with the county in April 2015 for the use of MGS Recorder, a database used to store and search county property deeds and other public records. The software was installed into a computer at the chancery clerk's office. Then-clerk Monica Banks died in 2016, and Livingston was appointed and later elected to succeed her. The complaint further alleges Livingston and the board of supervisors broke two federal laws and one state law in addition to the breach of contract claim. |
| 2nd former MDOT employee indicted for embezzlement | |
| The former public affairs director for the Mississippi Department of Transportation has been indicted for embezzlement for allegedly converting more than $10,000 in department gift cards to his own use. MDOT said the gift cards weren't intended for employees. They were supposed to be used as incentives given to schools as part of an educational program. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced the indictment Wednesday of Jarrod Ravencraft, 49, of Jackson. Ravencraft is the second former MDOT employee charged within a week for allegedly converting the department's gift cards to personal use. On Friday, Selena Standifer, 40, of Brandon, turned herself in to authorities after her indictment by a Hinds County grand jury on one count of embezzlement. MDOT Executive Director Melinda McGrath said the department discovered evidence of financial misconduct within the agency. "As soon as the administration was made aware, an internal review was performed," McGrath said. "As a result of the review, MDOT contacted the Mississippi Attorney General's office and turned over all evidence collected to this point." |
| What on earth is happening at MDOT? Two embezzlement indictments in a week | |
 | In a week's time, not one but two MDOT employees have been charged with embezzlement. Selena Standifer of Brandon and Jarrod Ravencraft of Jackson have both been indicted by a Hinds County grand jury for embezzlement charges relating to converting gift cards procured by MDOT for their own use. Standifer was the deputy director of public affairs during her time at MDOT, and Jarrod Ravencraft was the director of PR for the agency, most notably during the investigation of Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' alleged pressure on MDOT to complete roadwork near his home. Ravencraft played a pivotal role of helping to communicate between reporters and MDOT Executive Director Melinda McGrath and helping to craft MDOT's messaging during that investigation. Answers from MDOT regarding questions about the dollar volume of gift cards, the source of funds for the gift cards, and who gift cards were presented to were not provided by press time. |
| Abortion Clinic 'Buffer Zone' Draws Ag Commish, Protesters to City Hall | |
| Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson was among people lined up this morning in Jackson City Hall against a proposed 15-foot "buffer zone" to limit the often-loud and contentious anti-abortion protests that crowded the sidewalks near the Jackson Women's Health Organization in Fondren, Mississippi's only remaining abortion facility. Gipson has protested with his wife against abortion outside the clinic, where protesters from inside and beyond Mississippi often gather with large photos of features, signs and magnified sound, often attempting to interact with and "counsel" people going in and out of the facility, which is now known as "the pink house" due to a bright paint job reminiscent of Pepto-Bismol. It is in the middle of the thriving Fondren business district and next door to a large hotel currently under construction. Jackson Police Department Commander Keith Freeman also told the council that JPD has gotten a large number of calls to the abortion clinic in recent years, adding that he hopes a buffer zone ordinance will decrease such problems. The ordinance would apply to any health-care facility in Jackson, not just the abortion clinic. |
| Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith supports full border wall funding in appropriations bill | |
| U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on Thursday fully supported a Senate Appropriations Committee measure to provide full funding for President Trump's border security initiatives, including the border wall. Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate funding will support S&T laboratories, Cargo and Port of Entry Programs, Port and Coastal Surveillance, University Programs, as well as the Canine Detection Teams, among other important research initiatives. USM, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg are among the organizations involved in numerous projects for the S&T Directorate. The Senate Appropriations Committee also approved the three other FY2020 appropriations measures, which completes the panel's markup of bills for the upcoming fiscal year. |
| The Process Of A Presidential Impeachment | |
 | Impeachment is one of the most serious duties delegated to Congress. It can also be one of the least understood, largely because it is so rarely used. On Tuesday, a formal impeachment inquiry was made against President Donald Trump. House Democrats are moving forward with looking into the conduct of the president. Mississippi State University Associate Professor Dr. Brian Shoup said this is typically the first step in an impeachment process. "Impeachment is a procedure by which the House of Representatives essentially provides a sort of constitutionally mandated rebuke of the president based on constitutionally identifiable criteria," Shoup said. "That's treason and bribery, which are specific crimes, then a third category known as high crimes and misdemeanors." If a president is accused of a crime, the House Judiciary Committee will then hold meetings and will draft articles of impeachment. If a president is impeached, the case is then turned over to the Senate where a trial will begin. "The Chief Justice of our Supreme Court will preside over hearings that are intended to convict the president of those charges for which he had been impeached," Shoup said. |
| National Institutes of Health could do more to address foreign threats, reports say | |
 | The National Institutes of Health should do more to ensure that investigators and grant reviewers aren't susceptible to foreign influence, according to a trio of reports from the Health and Human Services inspector general released Friday. The inspector general recommended that the NIH enhance its vetting processes for the independent researchers who review grant applications. The agency could also do more to ensure that research institutions comply with requirements to ensure that investigators disclose all of their funding sources. The reports stem from congressional fears that NIH-backed researchers could share the fruits of their taxpayer-funded labor with foreign governments. "The Chinese government has started a program to recruit NIH-funded researchers to steal intellectual property, cheat the peer-review system, establish shadow laboratories in China, and help the Chinese government obtain confidential information about NIH research grants," reads a report accompanying the Senate's draft fiscal 2020 spending bill that funds the NIH. |
| Fraternity enrollment up at UM following diversity training, hazing legislation | |
 | It's not your parents' Greek system anymore -- at least that's what the university hopes new training programs accomplish by mandating diversity training for every potential Greek student. Provost Noel Wilkin committed to providing diversity training for all students going through Greek recruitment at the Provost forum on Sept. 12 in response to a photo that depicted UM fraternity members posing with firearms in front of a bullet riddles Emmett Till memorial. This program is in addition to other educational programs about alcohol, sexual assault and substance abuse. "We've had convocations previously, but this year ... we had a pre-recruitment education where (potential new members) learned about various topics that are hot in the Greek community such as hazing, diversity and inclusion, a drugs and alcohol seminar and a sexual harassment seminar," Colton Terrell, IFC Vice President of Recruitment said. Of the 937 students who signed up, 894 officially went through IFC recruitment this fall, an increase over the past two years. 866 students with through IFC recruitment last year. |
| U. of Florida names three finalists in search for vice president for student affairs, including Brandi Hephner LaBlanc | |
| Five months and 110 candidate applications later, the University of Florida's search committee for a new student affairs vice president has come down to three finalists. UF was left without a vice president for student affairs when the university fired David Parrott in April following an investigation into misused administrative funds. Brandi Hephner LaBlanc, D'Andra Mull and Kent Porterfield are the final candidates in the running. One will be chosen for the position in a few weeks, said Chris Hass, the search committee chair and associate provost for academic and faculty affairs. The winner will likely start in January. Hephner LaBlanc is the vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Mississippi. She helped establish the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, which provides programming and services for minority groups and the LGBTQ+, and the William Magee Center for Wellness Education. The center helps students recover from substance addictions. |
| Sammy Britt exhibition to be held at Delta State University | |
| Delta State University will host the Sammy Britt Retrospective with an opening reception on Oct. 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Wright Art Center Gallery. The exhibition's namesake, Sammy Britt, remains an important figure for Delta State University, the Delta and Mississippi as a whole. A Ruleville native, Britt has long been one of Mississippi's celebrated artists. "Sammy is a real treasure to the state," said Michael Stanley, chair of DSU's department of art. "He helped build the reputation of Delta State University's art program. He's a really well known and respected painter. Britt focused on using light and color to distinguish his paintings. "He had an education unlike anybody else," Stanley said. "He worked under a master painter named (Henry) Hensche, and he's delivering this education that nobody else in the whole country is getting. It's a really unique way to look at light and color, and to apply it with a palette knife in broad strokes is a really unique thing." |
| 'Show Us You Are Not Racist': Students Demand Answers After Dean's Resignation at U. of Alabama | |
 | When the University of Alabama announced that it had recruited Jamie R. Riley as its new dean of students, it lauded him as an educator with "invaluable" leadership skills who had a "proven track record of advocating for students." But seven months after Mr. Riley arrived at the university's flagship campus in Tuscaloosa, he resigned in what the university called a "mutual agreement." It is a decision that administrators have not explained and that came one day after a conservative news website published an article about old tweets in which Mr. Riley, who is black, described the police and the American flag as fixtures of a "systemic history of racism." Mr. Riley's resignation has morphed into something that eclipses the dean and any debate over academic freedom, and has instead become a release valve for the pent-up frustrations of those who see themselves as marginalized, especially black students. |
| Arkansas' community colleges gaining students for first time in several years | |
| Arkansas community colleges' enrollments are getting bigger for the first time in several years, thanks in large part to high school students taking courses while still working toward their high school diplomas. Despite the community colleges' successes, enrollment at the state's public and private colleges and universities continues to contract, according to preliminary enrollment figures published this week by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education. The schools enrolled 158,788 students this fall, down from 2018 when 160,615 students were enrolled. That's not expected to turn around anytime soon. Nationally, experts expect a decline in the number of high school graduates and the number of students enrolled in colleges or universities. "We call it the cliff-pocalypse," said Maria Markham, Higher Education Division director. The enrollment cliff -- the point where postsecondary enrollments drop sharply after years of lower birthrates -- will pose a challenge across the nation. That's expected in 2025, Markham said. To prepare, institutions are looking harder at retaining and graduating students, she said. |
| Texas A&M enrollment up slightly for fall semester | |
 | Texas A&M University's fall enrollment has climbed to 69,465 students -- a 98-person increase since last year. Numbers include students in campuses at College Station, Galveston and Doha, Qatar. At the main campus in College Station alone, there was a 174-student increase from last year, putting enrollment at 64,300. The increase in total enrollment comes after announcements in January from university officials that freshman enrollment would decrease this fall. The fall enrollment means A&M remains the largest university in Texas. Enrollment is determined based on the 20th class day, since those numbers are reported to the legislature and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, according to a press release. |
| U. of Missouri System curators seek to build on recent turnaround | |
 | Over the past two years, the University of Missouri has made substantial gains in financial stability, enrollment and reputation with state government, UM President Mun Choi said Thursday. But at a UM System Board of Curators meeting where Choi made his presentation, it was clear that the statewide university system is still striving to improve in areas including online education, facilities, academic programs, teacher evaluation and graduation rates. The board approved a preliminary five-year capital plan. It includes construction projects that have already been included in the finance plan, as well as those that are still early in the planning process. During his presentation to the board, Choi emphasized MU's turnaround since racial protests on campus made national news. The flagship Columbia campus saw double-digit enrollment increases the past two years after experiencing a drop in applications after the 2015 protests. |
| U. of Memphis president declines raise amid calls for university to up minimum wage to $15 | |
| University of Memphis President M. David Rudd says he will not accept a salary increase this year, according to an email sent to the campus community and shared with The Commercial Appeal. After discussions at a Sept. 4 quarterly board meeting, Rudd was expected to sign a new contract for $525,000. "After considerable thought, I have decided not to accept a salary increase this year. I appreciate the thoughtfulness, support and offer from our Board of Trustees, but ultimately believe it in the best interest of the institution to forgo any salary increase at this time," the email said. "Overall institutional efficiency has been at the forefront of my agenda from the day I started, a value I firmly believe and will continue to live. Thank you for your hard work on behalf of our students, University, and community." Rudd, 58, is declining the contract as the university faces calls for a raise to its minimum wage. Rudd said a "definitive plan" was in place for a $15 per hour minimum wage for employees of the state college within two years, but a recent review by The Commercial Appeal found no record of a such a plan. |
| NACAC conference opens as key vote on recruiting standards looms | |
 | Cracks appearing in higher education's predominant admissions model loomed large as the National Association for College Admission Counseling opened its national conference Thursday. The exhibit hall bustled with vendors, as always. NACAC leaders listed the usual long string of corporate and university sponsors. But early sessions contained many nods to the high-profile Varsity Blues admissions scandal, simmering legal issues and votes scheduled for Saturday to try to resolve a federal antitrust investigation. "This year, the issues we faced together weren't necessarily the ones we anticipated when we signed up for board service," said Stefanie D. Niles, NACAC president, at the conference's opening general session. "Yet together we did our best to navigate the rocky terrain. We made some very tough decisions." As many as 215 voting delegates from NACAC's 23 affiliates now have an important decision before them. Saturday they will vote on whether to remove several sections from the association's Code of Ethics and Professional Practices. Those sections restrict colleges from offering incentives for early-decision applicants, prevent them from recruiting first-year undergraduates who have committed to another college and limit how they recruit transfer students. |
| U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander proposes long-term changes to HBCU funding | |
| Tennessee's historically black colleges and universities could be in line for a revamp in how they are funded under newly introduced federal legislation. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander's proposal is one of several of a bipartisan package of bills that would make changes for minority-serving colleges across the country. His proposal would designate $255 million in permanent and mandatory funds each year for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. "This package of bills will make it easier for millions of students to get a college education by simplifying the Federal Application for Student Aid, providing Pell grants to parole-eligible prisoners, allowing Pell grants to be used for short-term programs, and increasing the maximum Pell grant award," said Alexander in a statement. The package of bills was drafted by 20 Democrat and 15 Republicans and creates would create the Student Aid Improvement Act of 2019. |
| Alexander Releases Narrow Higher Ed Package | |
| U.S. senator Lamar Alexander released a package of bills Thursday that would narrowly update the Higher Education Act, including how financial aid is awarded to low-income students. There appears to be little chance that the Tennessee Republican's legislation moves forward. At the same time, his opposition to the FUTURE Act, which would renew $255 million in annual funding for minority-serving institutions for two years, means that money is likely to expire before a Sept. 30 deadline. The 169-page bill fleshes out a proposal Alexander, the chairman of the Senate education committee, outlined last week when he blocked the FUTURE Act from passing on a voice vote. In its place, he offered a deal that would attach long-term funding for those colleges to several proposals with bipartisan support in the Senate. The legislation would streamline the FAFSA, simplify financial aid award letters, expand Pell Grant eligibility for students in prisons and allow Pell to be used for short-term programs, among other changes. |
| Hillsdale College to expand to Capitol Hill with graduate school in government | |
| Hillsdale College, a conservative private institution located in Michigan, plans to introduce a Washington, D.C.-based graduate program this January. The Steve and Amy Van Andel Graduate School in Government will offer a master's degree in government. "Our students will study politics as a human activity oriented toward justice -- a series of choices that require prudence to achieve the best attainable results," Matthew Spalding, the new school's dean, said in a news release announcing the launch. The graduate program is aimed toward working professionals in law, media, government or the nonprofit sector. Hillsdale has long drawn attention, and criticism, for voluntarily opting out of federal aid programs so it can avoid regulations on dealing with sexual assault or discrimination based on gender and sexuality. The college, which does not accept any state or federal funding, is well-known in some conservative circles, and Vice President Mike Pence gave the commencement speech at Hillsdale in 2018. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's Garrett Shrader proving to be far more than just a quarterback | |
| As Mississippi State freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader strolled to the podium in the media room at the Leo Seal Jr. football complex last week, the familiar tune of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" whispered off his bearded lips. "I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Ohhhh lordddd," Shrader melodically bellowed. "What's up guys?" he then posited as he abruptly cut off Collins' chorus. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Shrader is a walking paradox. His hair is short and well kempt -- almost business like. But below his thoughtfully manicured hair and boyish face, is his infamous bushy beard. Boasting a look that would rival most Civil War generals, the long and rugged facial hair has become a hot topic of conversation both in Starkville and at home in Charlotte. After losing his helmet twice during his collegiate debut against Southern Miss on Sept. 7, Bulldogs quarterbacks coach Andrew Breiner said he'd cut the beard himself if Shrader's headgear fell off one more time. He was only half-kidding. Shrader's parents, Tracey and Christie, aren't exactly fans of it either. "We've been wanting him to cut it," Tracey told The Dispatch. "But he's going to be his own man." |
| Three matchups to watch as Mississippi State takes on Auburn | |
| For the first time in 2019, Mississippi State is hitting the road -- well, kind of. Saturday's visit to No. 7 Auburn marks the first true road game for MSU after it opened the year with a neutral site trip to New Orleans to take on Louisiana. Facing a stiff Tiger defense in a place the Bulldogs have won just twice since 2001, this weekend is the toughest test to date for coach Joe Moorhead's bunch after they dispatched of Kentucky in their SEC opener last week. Here are three matchups to watch on The Plains this weekend: MSU offensive line vs. Auburn defensive line. MSU pass rush vs. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. MSU vs. the Auburn crowd. |
| What Mississippi State coach, players think of Bo Nix, Auburn offense | |
| Mississippi State has a true freshman quarterback who has wowed the college football world in recent weeks. Auburn has one who has done the same since the opening night of the season. Garrett Shrader versus Bo Nix. A baby Bulldog versus a Tiger tot. It's a head-to-head battle between first-year signal callers football fans would love to watch from coast to coast on ESPN at 6 p.m. CT Saturday. "I think Bo and Garrett both have some of that 'it factor' and are a little more mature beyond their years," MSU head coach Joe Moorhead said. But it's a duel fans yearn for but might not be privileged to. Moorhead said MSU senior quarterback Tommy Stevens is throwing the ball as well as he did during preseason training camp after battling back from a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 2. Even if Stevens returns and forces Shrader to the sideline, one thing is for certain: Nix will make his third career start at Jordan-Hare Stadium and the fifth of his Auburn career as a whole. |
| Gus Malzahn embarrassed by last year's loss to Mississippi State | |
| Gus Malzahn and the Auburn Tigers haven't forgotten what happened in Starkville last season. Mississippi State rushed for 349 yards and held Auburn out of the end zone in a 23-9 victory that stunned the then-8th-ranked Tigers. As the two teams prepare to meet again this weekend on the Plains, Malzahn doesn't plan on mentioning last year's loss in an effort to motivate his Tigers. "We've got most of our guys back, so you really don't have to say anything," Malzahn said. "They know exactly what happened. We left that thing and they embarrassed us ...When you have experiences, whether you're a player or a coach, you remember them. We've got to respond." Former quarterback Nick Fitzgerald paced the Bulldogs' ground game against Auburn last year with 195 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries, followed by Kylin Hill with 126 yards on 23 totes. Hill has had a monster season so far, eclipsing the century mark on the ground in each of MSU's first four games and currently leads the Southeastern Conference with 551 yards and five touchdowns. |
| SEC's leading rusher Kylin Hill carries Mississippi State to Auburn | |
 | Joe Moorhead kept looking up from his notes, introducing the media to Auburn in his press conference this week. He might as well have rolled his eyes. There's no introduction needed. Everybody over in Starkville knows who Gus Malzahn is, he said. Everybody's heard of Derrick Brown. Everybody saw Bo Nix throw the game-winning touchdown pass against Oregon. They all know what kind of challenge the Bulldogs face this week against the No. 7 team in the nation -- running into the Tigers' teeth at Jordan-Hare Stadium. There are no mysteries left between these SEC West rivals. Moorhead's impressed with what he's seen --- and of course, on the other side, Malzahn and his team only need to think back to last year's gut-wrenching loss in Starkville to know they'll have to take Mississippi State seriously. Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill is the SEC's leading rusher so far this season, averaging 137.8 yards per game. Malzahn called him one of the best running backs in the country. |
| Auburn's defensive line has been 'a bunch of bullies' this season | |
 | Auburn's defensive line has been on a hot streak. The unit has produced three consecutive SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week winners and has been a menacing force against opponents one-third of the way through the season. Derrick Brown was the most recent recipient of that weekly honor following his big-time performance against Texas A&M, and it came after fellow senior Marlon Davidson took home the award in back-to-back weeks against Tulane and Kent State. "We want to keep the train going," Brown said. "Yeah, that's something we want to do, but I mean, everybody else out there, they don't like that, so they want to stop it." Stopping Brown, or Davidson, or anyone along Auburn's defensive line has been far more challenging this season than it already sounds. |
| 'Big bruiser' Boobee Whitlow still improving at running back, finishing games strong | |
| Boobee Whitlow saw the hole created by Auburn's pulling guard and tackle, bounced off a couple of would-be tacklers and dove toward the goal line before popping up and waving goodbye to the drove of Texas A&M fans in Kyle Field's southeast end zone. Auburn's redshirt-sophomore running back put the game out of reach last weekend against Texas A&M -- giving the Tigers an insurmountable 28-10 lead with 8:27 to go in the fourth -- and put a finishing touch on another impressive effort to start the season. The 6-foot, 210-pounder out of LaFayette has rushed for 408 yards and four touchdowns so far this season, with a pair of 100-yard performances against Oregon and Kent State. He is second in the SEC in rushing -- behind the running back that will stand on the visiting sideline Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Mississippi State's Kylin Hill (551) -- and ranks 13th nationally in rushing yards, as well as 21st in rushing yards per game (102). |
| Mississippi State's Darryl Williams named candidate for Senior CLASS Award | |
 | A preseason All-American and candidate for both the Rimington and Outland Trophies, Mississippi State center Darryl Williams is now also one of 30 candidates for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Just 15 credit hours away from earning his undergraduate degree in human development and family sciences, Williams has maintained a 3.0 cumulative GPA and has been on the SEC Academic Honor Roll throughout his career and has interned at the Starkville Sportsplex as part of his degree program. |
| Barrin Simpson named MSU Football's 2019 SEC Legend | |
| Barrin Simpson, an All-American and two-time All-Southeastern Conference linebacker, has been selected as Mississippi State's 2019 SEC Football Legend, the league office announced Thursday as part of the full class. The class will be honored at the 2019 SEC Football "Weekend of Champions" Dec. 6-7 in Atlanta, Georgia, highlighted by the annual SEC Legends Dinner on Friday, Dec. 6 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. The group will also be recognized prior to the SEC Football Championship Game, which will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 7. Simpson is one of the greatest linebackers in school history, totaling 296 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks, 30 quarterback pressures and three interceptions during his career from 1996-99. As a senior, he became the first Bulldog linebacker to receive first-team All-America laurels since 1981. That same year he was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation's top linebacker. |
| It's Mississippi vs. Alabama (twice) Saturday; history tells us to batten down the hatches | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: It's Mississippi-Alabama week in college football, and a word of caution to readers who pull for Mississippi State and Ole Miss: This usually does not turn out well. Mississippi State plays at No. 7 Auburn Saturday at 6 p.m. in a game that will be televised by ESPN. The two teams have played 92 times over the years. Auburn has won 63 times. State has won 27. There have been two ties. And if you think that's one-sided... Ole Miss plays at Alabama Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on CBS. The Rebels and Crimson Tide have played 66 times, with Bama winning 54, Ole Miss winning 10 and two ties. Clearly, past results do not bode well for the Bulldogs and Rebels. Neither do the oddsmakers. Auburn is a 10-point pick over State. Alabama is a whopping 38-point favorite over Ole Miss. I have been following Mississippi football closely for five decades. I do not recall Ole Miss ever being that huge an underdog. |
| Mississippi State men's basketball begins practice | |
| The Mississippi State men's basketball team came together for its first official practice of the 2019-20 season on Thursday. Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Ben Howland, the Bulldogs returned to the NCAA Tournament last season. Mississippi State has posted consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in nearly a decade. The spirited opening day workout lasted approximately two hours, 25 minutes and featured several drills focused on shooting, rebounding and defense. The Bulldogs also had the opportunity to showcase their talents in live 5-on-5 action. "I thought the guys did a really good job on day one of our official practice today," Howland said. The Bulldogs will carry a SEC-best, 22-game non-conference home winning streak into their season opener versus Florida International on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at Humphrey Coliseum. |
| Mississippi State's Mitchell Storm named SEC Men's Basketball Leadership Council Vice Chair | |
| Mississippi State's Mitchell Storm has been voted to the vice chair position of the SEC Men's Basketball Leadership Council announced Thursday by the league office. Storm, who has already served on the leadership council for multiple years, was elected by his peers at a meeting of the SEC Basketball Leadership Council earlier this month in Birmingham. One representative from each of the SEC's 14 institutions form the council. In addition, Florida's Dontay Bassett will serve as the chair. Storm and Bassett will attend a portion of the SEC Spring Meetings in May. The goal of the SEC Basketball Leadership Council is for student-athletes to serve as a conduit of communication from their teams to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience, student-athlete wellness, and to provide feedback on proposed rules governing the SEC and NCAA. Storm is a two-year letterwinner and has appeared in 12 career games for the Bulldogs. |
| Magnolia Cup returns to Oxford as Mississippi State and Ole Miss battle to a draw | |
| As the persistent banging of drums reverberated throughout the stands at the Mississippi State Soccer Field Thursday, senior forward MaKayla Waldner began her run. As a ball from classmate Hailey Zerbel trickled a touch past her and toward the feet of an Ole Miss defender, Waldner quickly gathered. Catching just enough to poke it free, Waldner corralled the ball, took one step and flung it under the outstretched body of Rebels' keeper Ashley Orkus. Sprinting toward the MSU sideline, Waldner joined a raucous group of orange penny-clad teammates. The Bulldogs had their equalizer. "Zerbel kicked it long and I knew I'm going to have to run through some people," Waldner quipped. "So I ran through the first girl and said 'OK, let's just hope I can get this one.' And so just a little dink touch and that's all that matters and then that brought the intensity to the game." Playing in front of 1,015 fans, MSU battled to a 1-1 draw Saturday night against their cross-state rivals. |
| Georgia Tech basketball banned from postseason play | |
| Georgia Tech's men's basketball team is banned from postseason competition this year and will be on probation for four years for several recruitment violations during 2016 and 2017, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced Thursday. According to a report by the NCAA Division I infractions committee, Josh Pastner, head coach of the Yellow Jackets, and Darryl LaBarrie, the former assistant coach, permitted boosters from outside the organization to participate in "impermissible recruitment efforts." The infractions included LaBarrie organizing a night out at an Atlanta strip club for a high school recruit, and booster who was a friend of Pastner's giving more than $2,000 in gifts to a potential transfer recruit and other Yellow Jacket team members, the report states. The NCAA started investigating the allegations against Georgia Tech in 2017. The NCAA committee said it found the actions of Georgia Tech Athletics representatives especially egregious. |
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