| Tuesday, October 15, 2019 |
| Blind people have increased opportunities, but employers' perceptions are still a barrier | |
 | Mississippi State University's Michele McDonnall, research professor and director of the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, and NRTC Assistant Research Professor Jennifer Cmar write for The Conversation: Communities across the world observe White Cane Day on Oct. 15 to recognize the contributions of people with blindness and low vision and to promote equal opportunities. The day was first observed in the U.S. in 1964, when Congress passed a law to increase awareness about the white cane's role in promoting independent, safe travel for people with blindness or low vision. More than 7.5 million Americans, or 2.4% of the population, are blind or have low vision. Some people are born with blindness or low vision, but most people acquire vision loss, often at older ages. Researchers estimate that the incidence of blindness and low vision will rise rapidly through 2050 as the population ages. As researchers who study issues related to blindness and low vision, we are interested in how society, its institutions, businesses and individuals currently perceive members of this population and how these perceptions may influence opportunities, particularly in terms of employment. |
| Poet Catherine Pierce on Danger, Tornadoes and Playing with Words | |
| Catherine Pierce recounted one of her first memories of poetry in an interview with Superstition Review in the spring of 2017: She remembers a cursive lesson from the fourth grade, copying down passages and lines from the chalkboard, including a quote from e.e. cummings. "Reading it was a revelation," she says. "I'd no idea that you could play with words that way -- or any way." Pierce has been playing with words -- both in that way and many others -- for some time now. Her work has been seen in prestigious journals; she was named an National Endowment for the Arts Creative Fellow for 2019; and her fifth book, Danger Days, is coming next year. She currently serves as co-director of the creative writing program at Mississippi State University. We caught up with Pierce in advance of her appearance in Denver on October 17, the guest of the University of Colorado Denver's creative writing program and its literary magazine. |
| Graduate School of Education Hosts Leadership for Student Success Panel | |
| Post-secondary education leaders highlighted the need for universities to adopt student-centered decision making during a panel on increasing student success in college at the Harvard Graduate School of Education on Friday evening. The event was held in conjunction with the Institute for Education Management's 50th anniversary symposium. The event concluded with a question and answer session from audience members hailing from schools all over the country. "What I didn't hear a lot about is it's pretty well documented that our students are coming to us today with more emotional issues than they have ever had," Dean of Mississippi State University's College of Education Richard L. Blackbourn said. "I personally have faculty that are struggling with how to work with these students." |
| Student tracking, secret scores: How college admissions offices rank prospects before they apply | |
 | Colleges are collecting more data about prospective students than ever before -- part of an effort, administrators say, to make better predictions about which students are the most likely to apply, accept an offer and enroll. Records reviewed by The Post show that at least 44 public and private universities in the United States work with outside consulting companies to collect and analyze data on prospective students, by tracking their Web activity or formulating predictive scores to measure each student's likelihood of enrolling. At Mississippi State University, a state school with more than 18,000 undergraduates, administrators use data to filter a large number of potential applicants down to a select pool of recruits who are a good fit for the school's academic programs and do not need much financial aid. Each year, Mississippi State buys data on thousands of high school students from testing firms including the College Board, which owns the SAT, said John Dickerson, assistant vice president for enrollment. |
| MSU-Meridian to offer GRE workshop | |
 | Mississippi State University-Meridian will have a GRE workshop from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Oct. 19 at the College Park campus. The workshop will include review areas of the tested areas such as verbal and writing, as well as test-taking strategies and a study guide. Lunch will be provided. Those interested must register in advance and call 601-484-0140. The cost for MSU-Meridian students is $45 and $65 for the general public. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Oct. 16 and money order and cash will be accepted as a form of payment. |
| Head Start ready to welcome students back Tuesday after MSU takeover | |
 | With MSU Extension Services at the helm, one of Harrison County's Head Start locations is ready to welcome more than 50 children into the classroom on Tuesday. Gorenflo Elementary is one of five locations in Harrison County that will offer the MSU Head Start program. "We just received the grant August 1st and we had a month of transition going on," said executive director Louise Davis. "Then we hired our new teachers." Davis has a long career steeped in research developing curricula for young students. "We're excited about the research possibilities that will come out," said Davis. "Tracking the children, seeing how much they grow, and how much they learn." To make the new program possible, MSU Extension established partnerships with Gulfport School District, Biloxi Public School District, Moore Community House, and Shine Early Learning. The program is funded for five years by the Office of Head Start under the Department of Health and Human Services. |
| Mississippi-farmed catfish: Sustainable and the perfect way to celebrate National Seafood Month | |
 | October is National Seafood Month. The seafood options available today are endless --- from shrimp to lobster to halibut, there are so many choices. If you are looking for healthy, sustainable seafood to enjoy all year, Mississippi-farmed catfish is one of the best options. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, sustainable, or ocean-healthy, seafood means it is fished or farmed in ways that are better for the environment. In a recent report, Seafood Watch gave U.S. farm-raised catfish high ratings in every category. Consolidated Catfish Producers, LLC in Isola, Mississippi, is one of the leading catfish farms and processors in the industry. It processes between 60 million to 70 million pounds of live fish per year. Its products -- ranging from whole catfish to fresh fillets to breaded nuggets and strips to frozen catfish fillets -- appear in grocery stores and in restaurants across Memphis. "The fresh U.S. catfish in the seafood case at Kroger comes from us," said Carolyn Ann Sledge of Consolidated Catfish. |
| Engineer Research and Development Center demonstrates system to stop aggressive vehicles | |
| It's an unusual looking contraption; a set of what appears to be a series of metal speed bumps topped with about a 3-foot tall arm-type gate of metal tubing preceded by a cargo net over metal. The Aggressor Vehicle Entry Readiness Technology, or AVERT, as it's known to the engineers at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center who designed it, is a lightweight barrier designed for the Army to stop the bad guys from driving their vehicles onto remote military bases. And it is beginning to attract interest in the civilian world. Christopher Price, chief of the Technical Engineering and Geoscience Branch at ERDC and one of AVERT's developers, said it was developed for use by the military for security at small base camps, entry points and remote checkpoints. "It's something that doesn't require a traditional construction effort where you're going in and building a foundation; a permanent vehicle barrier," he said. |
| John McKay officially takes reins of Mississippi Manufacturers Association | |
 | John H. McKay is the new president and CEO of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association. His ascendance to the role was unanimously approved by the MMA's board of directors last week. McKay had been acting as the interim president and CEO since July 30, when Jay C. Moon stepped down and assumed the position of senior policy consultant. Moon had led MMA since 2003. McKay has worked at the association for 11 years in the roles of deputy director of government affairs and executive vice president. McKay earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi with a concentration in Political Science and English, and he has a Master of Public Administration degree from the College of Charleston, in Charleston, South Carolina. He also is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma's Economic Development Institute in Norman, Oklahoma. |
| Jim Hood, Tate Reeves clash on education, taxes and mental health in Columbus debate | |
 | Attorney General Jim Hood said Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves had years to push for critical policy changes to improve Mississippi, but failed. Reeves countered that Hood's proposals would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and translate into higher taxes, which he has pledged not to raise. Monday was the gubernatorial candidates' second and possibly last televised debate before the Nov. 5 election, hosted by WCBI-TV in Columbus. Both Hood, a Democrat, and Reeves, a Republican, have said they want to do three debates in three regions of the state, but neither has mentioned a third date they agree on. The conversation was not as pointed as a Thursday debate in Hattiesburg, but the candidates still attacked each other several times as they sat at a table with a moderator. They hammered on familiar topics such as teacher pay and rural health care plans, but also discussed subjects including mental health and increased library funding, which rarely come up on the campaign trail. |
| Mississippi governor candidates spar over taxes, brain drain | |
 | The two major-party candidates for Mississippi governor debated Monday for the second time in less than a week, arguing over education, taxes and the "brain drain" -- the loss of people moving to other states for jobs. Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood and Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves faced off in the WCBI-TV studio in Columbus. Sitting near one other at a table, they aggressively criticized each other's records in public office. In response to a WCBI viewer's question, Reeves said he would support increasing funding for local public libraries. "And the reason is because reading is so critically important," Reeves said. Hood responded: "The lieutenant governor is just not being truthful with people. I mean, he's the one that caused these 18% cuts to these libraries." |
| Jim Hood, Tate Reeves spar over education, taxes in second gubernatorial debate | |
| Attorney General Jim Hood and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves squared off in the second debate on Monday for the upcoming governor's election, where the two candidates painted different pictures for the future of the state by offering opposing proposals for education, taxes and keeping more young people from leaving Mississippi. Hood, the Democratic nominee, spent a large amount of his allotted time accusing his opponent of failing to fix problems that plague the state while he has been in office and for giving taxpayer's dollars away to out-of-state corporations in tax exemptions. Reeves, the Republican nominee, touted the state's economic status and defended his time as the leader of the Mississippi State Senate for the past eight years while claiming Hood's proposals are going to cause tax increases for average Mississippians. One of the most notable distinctions of the night between the two occurred during a discussion about the future of education and how to adequately ensure students in the state are prepared to enter into the workforce. |
| Major Party Candidates for Governor Face-Off in Second Debate | |
 | Mississippi's Republican Lt. Governor Tate Reeves and Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood appeared live on WCBI-TV in Columbus for their second debate last night. The first question -- increasing teacher pay. Mississippi teachers make on average $45,000 per year, about $5,000 less than neighboring states. "We need to pay our teachers to the Southeastern average which is about $51,000. Tate Reeves has been over there for eight years and had opportunities to do that and has not done that so it will be a priority for me," said Hood. Hood says he'll increase education funding and provide free tuition to community colleges for students who can't get scholarships or grants which would cost $6 to $8 million. Tate Reeves commends education professionals, parents and students for increases in high school graduation rates and 4th grade reading. He discussed the pay plan he announced the day before last week's first debate. Two other candidates are running low-budget campaigns for governor. The general election is November 5. |
| Tate Reeves ad touting teacher pay raises filmed at private school, features private school teachers | |
| At least a portion of Republican Tate Reeves' new campaign ad touting his proposed $4,300 pay raise for public school teachers was filmed at the New Summit School, a Jackson private school founded by a Reeves campaign donor. It also featured several private school teachers and Republican political appointees. The 30-second spot features Kathy Henry, a member of the state Parole Board whom Republican Gov. Phil Bryant appointed to the full-time post. In a statement, Reeves spokesman Parker Briden said the campaign films ads at public and private schools because Reeves "isn't trying to pit them against each other." "We were proud to film this one at New Summit, a school that has helped many special needs children gain a quality education; Tate has a strong sense of mission to help those kids. They were very gracious with their time and space after a school day. The teachers featured in our ad were public school teachers." |
| Suit challenges speech rules at Mississippi abortion clinic | |
| Abortion opponents in Mississippi have filed a lawsuit challenging a local ordinance that will restrict noise levels and require protesters to remain a certain distance from the entrance of health care facilities. The lawsuit says the Jackson ordinance unconstitutionally limits free-speech rights as people try to persuade women not to end pregnancies. Owners of nearby shops and restaurants have complained about commotion outside Mississippi's only abortion clinic, Jackson Women's Health Organization. The bright pink clinic is in the eclectic Fondren neighborhood. Some protesters use bullhorns and the clinic plays loud music to cover the sound. A federal appeals court in February upheld the constitutionality of a 2009 Chicago ordinance that created an 8-foot bubble zone outside medical facilities. But, in 2014, the Supreme Court struck down a 2007 Massachusetts law that banned people from standing within 35 feet of an abortion clinic. |
| Mississippi Hospital Association touts Medicaid expansion alternative | |
 | Few topics have proven as divisive in Mississippi as Medicaid expansion and one state advocacy group made a stop in West Point on Thursday to make the case for its own conservative-leaning alternatives. Richard Robertson, the vice president of policy and state advocacy for the Mississippi Hospital Association, spoke in the place of CEO Tim Moore at the West Point Rotary Club, and provided both a developmental history of the organization's plans, in addition to numbers to tell the story. Robertson said MHA members have been lobbying politicians in Jackson to pursue Medicaid reform, as opposed to expansion of the state's current program. "One of the things we have been working on is different ways to address the Medicaid problem and how we find ways to leverage federal money to fix what is broken in Mississippi," he said. |
| End Grocery Tax on Mississippi-Grown Food, Dem Agriculture Candidate Says | |
| Mississippians will no longer have to pay a sales tax when they buy Mississippi-grown foods at the grocery store if the Democrat running for the state's top agriculture position gets his way. Rickey Cole, the 53-year-old Democratic nominee for commissioner of agriculture, first unveiled his plan to end the 7% tax on any food product that the state's farmers grow on Sept. 30. He says it would bolster the state's economy and local businesses. "Ninety percent of the food we eat in Mississippi is brought in from out of state -- much of it from foreign countries," Cole said. "So now we have to pay tariffs, we have to pay income tax, and then we have to pay taxes again at the cash register. We spend nearly $6 billion a year on this long-distance or foreign food when we could be producing much of what we eat right here in Mississippi." Cole, who served as the Mississippi Democratic Party chairman from 2001 to 2004, is challenging incumbent Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Gipson, the Republican nominee. |
| 'I'm standing here in the middle of climate change': How USDA is failing farmers | |
 | American farmers are reeling after extreme rains followed by a "bomb cyclone" -- an explosive storm that brought high winds and severe blizzard conditions---ravaged the heartland, turning once productive fields into lakes, killing livestock and destroying grain stores. The barrage of wet weather across the country this spring left a record-shattering 20 million acres unable to be planted. Other weather-related disasters, from fires in the West to hurricanes in the Southeast, have converged to make the past year one of the worst for agriculture in decades. But the Agriculture Department is doing little to help farmers adapt to what experts predict is the new norm: increasingly extreme weather across much of the U.S. The department, which has a hand in just about every aspect of the industry, from doling out loans to subsidizing crop insurance, spends just 0.3 percent of its $144 billion budget helping farmers adapt to climate change. Even these limited efforts, however, have been severely hampered by the Trump administration's hostility to even discussing climate change, according to interviews with dozens of current and former officials, farmers and scientists. |
| Report: Underground hackers and spies helped China steal jet secrets | |
 | Chinese government hackers working with the country's traditional spies and agencies plotted and stole U.S. and European aircraft engine secrets to help Beijing leapfrog over its Western competitors in developing a domestic commercial aircraft industry, according to researchers at the cybersecurity protection firm CrowdStrike. "Beijing used a mixture of cyber actors sourced from China's underground hacking scene, Ministry of State Security or MSS officers, company insiders, and state directives to fill key technology and intelligence gaps in a bid to bolster dual-use turbine engines which could be used for both energy generation and to enable its narrow-body twinjet airliner, the C919, to compete against Western aerospace firms," CrowdStrike said in a report released Monday evening. The MSS Jiangsu Bureau, China's intelligence and security agency responsible for counterintelligence, foreign intelligence and political security, also has been tied to the 2015 hack of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management that led to the theft of highly confidential information on more than 20 million U.S. government employees. |
| IHL releases timeline of process for hiring Chancellor Glenn Boyce | |
| In an attempt to add clarity to what instantly became a controversial and polarizing decision 10 days ago, the Institutions of Higher Learning released the timeline of its search for the University of Mississippi's next chancellor. Dr. Glenn Boyce was announced by the IHL as the University's newest chancellor on Oct. 4 via an email after the press conference scheduled to introduce Boyce was cancelled, due to public safety and other issues. Since that day, University groups and others have condemned the process in which Boyce, who was a paid consultant for the search, was subsequently hired. Last week the University's Faculty Senate passed a resolution demanding an explanation of the process of Boyce's hire. Along with a graphic that depicted the search process timeline, the IHL provided a statement. The statement references IHL policy 201.0505 E titled "Recruitment," which "allows the Board, at any point in the process, to add additional candidates to the pool being considered without starting the process over." |
| Protesters march into Lyceum, demanding Chancellor Glenn Boyce resign | |
 | In their third protest in 10 days, members of the Abolish IHL movement marched to the Lyceum on Monday to call for the abolition of the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees and the resignation of newly appointed Chancellor Glenn Boyce. Monday was Boyce's first school day in his new role as chancellor. About 60 protesters chanted, "We have a voice, no Glenn Boyce" as they marched toward the Lyceum. "We want Glenn Boyce to resign, the abolishment of the IHL and to gain campus autonomy," Quay Williams, organizer and sophomore graphic design major, said. Anne Twitty, associate professor of history and organizer, and Williams gave speeches to the crowd on the steps of the Lyceum before they entered the building. Before student and faculty protesters could begin chanting their demands in the Lyceum, Dean of Students Brent Marsh asked them to "wrap up" because people were working. "Did you guys hear that?" one protester replied. "People are working in here. That means we've got to be louder." |
| Abolish IHL Coalition holds protest on Lyceum steps | |
| A group of students, workers, faculty, alumni and local stakeholders have come together to create the Abolish IHL Coalition, and on Monday they made their presence known. The group, which is against the Institutions of Higher Learning's Board of Trustees' hiring of Dr. Glenn Boyce as the University of Mississippi's newest chancellor, held a march and protest demanding Boyce's resignation. A group of approximately 40 students and other members of the community assembled at the Grove's Amphitheater stage to make signs. Around 12:30 p.m. the group began marching from the Grove to the Lyceum. A sheet was handed out prior to the march with 11 specific chants to be yelled, an abbreviated list of the Coalition's demands and protest etiquette. Once the group arrived at the steps of the Lyceum, they were met with a group already assembled and joined in the chanting. A couple of people spoke during the protest, including Anne Twitty, who is an associate professor and chair of the undergraduate committee of the University's history department. |
| Delta Chinese history to be represented in New York City | |
| The Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum will see one of its pieces featured at the Museum of Chinese in America in New York City as part of the exhibit "Gathering: Collecting and Documenting Chinese America History." The exhibition is one of two, along with an exhibition to highlight the Chinese contribution to American railroads, to highlight critical pillars of research and work conducted across the U.S. to preserve Chinese immigrant contributions and communities to the American narrative. Emily Jones, Delta State University archivist and the director of the Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum, will represent the museum at a symposium on Oct. 18. "It's to bring all of these historical societies and foundations and museums from all over the United States together to finally be in one place so that we can all figure out how we can collaboratively support each other and support the story of Chinese in America," said Jones. |
| President Scott Alsobrooks gives EMCC update at Rotary | |
| Plans to increase enrollment and the benefits of community college education were among the topics East Mississippi Community College President Scott Alsobrooks discussed at the Starkville Rotary Club Monday. Alsobrooks spoke to the club as EMCC continues to grapple with declining enrollment and financial woes, including a general operating balance, which originally contained $10 million a decade ago being depleted to approximately $710,000 in the most recent budget. He also discussed EMCC's enrollment, which has declined year after year over the past several years and currently sits at 3,882. In a previous interview, Alsobrooks listed enrollment as his number one concern relating to the state of the college. Enrollment on the Golden Triangle campus is currently at 2,536, while enrollment in Scooba is 933. He said the drop on the Golden Triangle campus had been more drastic than in Scooba. He said the enrollment concerns weren't unique to EMCC, with nearly half of the state's community colleges showing a decline. |
| Breaking: Auburn University will no longer change logo, per SGA president | |
| After many objections from the Auburn Family regarding the University changing its logo, SGA president Mary Margaret Turton announced Monday evening at SGA senate that Ronald Burgess, Auburn University's chief operating officer, told her that the University will not be changing its classic logo. "Because we've had conversations regarding the visual identity system for the past few weeks in here, I do want to share an update that I got this morning," Turton said. "General Burgess announced that we will not be moving forward with the new logo this morning. We have plans from that directive to continue using the traditional Auburn logo, so I just wanted to share that." The initial logo change, which was first reported by Brandon Marcello of Auburn Undercover in early August, was supposedly not a logo change -- it was a new "visual identity system," according to Auburn University. |
| Looking to grow, UGA asks Board of Regents to approve new dorm | |
 | The University of Georgia is seeking state Board of Regents approval for a new residence hall on Baxter Street to house first-year students. The board is scheduled to meet on the UGA campus Tuesday and Wednesday, when Regents will also be asked to approve an $80 million renovation and expansion of the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall for the football team. UGA also wants permission to sell one of its research farms to fund "strategic initiatives" in the university's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The preliminary budget for the new first-year residence hall is about $49.9 million. The building is planned for the site of the former Bolton Dining Commons, just downhill from UGA's three large Baxter Street dormitories, and is targeted to open in fall 2022. The project "would allow for incremental growth in UGA's first-year class, while also providing beds to use as 'swing space' as UGA continues to renovate or replace other residence halls on campus," according to a summary included in the Board of Regents' agenda for this week's meeting. |
| The story behind the scuffle: UF grad assistant arrested after snatching MAGA hat | |
| While hundreds protested Donald Trump Jr. and senior campaign adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle's speech Thursday, a confrontation between two men led to a University of Florida graduate assistant's arrest. Richard Tate, 36, was arrested after grabbing a man's "Make America Great Again" hat at the protest outside of Trump Jr.'s speech at UF. The man wearing the hat, Brian Patrick Smith, was holding a poster that read, "ISLAM IS RIGHT ABOUT WOMEN." Smith got his hat back by tackling Tate. The confrontation appears to be the only physically violent incident at the protest. Tate was charged with robbery by sudden snatching after Smith pressed charges, according to court records. Tate was released from jail on his own recognizance Friday afternoon. Trump supporters such as Smith were also outside the University Auditorium. Smith was standing outside the auditorium holding the poster above his head while walking through a crowd of people. When behind Smith, Tate grabbed Smith's cap and started running away. Smith followed Tate and tackled him to the ground. Tate declined to comment until he spoke with his attorney when The Alligator contacted him. |
| U. of Missouri grant will expand outreach to communities affected by opioid epidemic | |
 | A $1.2 million federal grant will expand an MU Graduate Psychology Education program that trains psychology interns to help underserved communities battle the opioid epidemic. Laura Schopp, chair and professor of health psychology and principal investigator of the training program, said she is excited to have the funding from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration because it will help enormously to fight the opioid crisis. "Our opioid prescription rate is much higher than the national average," Schopp said. "Unless we address the underlying challenges, we will not battle the opioid issue." According to Schopp, 29% of opioid users are not using them the way they are prescribed. "The opioid crisis has hit Missouri hard," Schopp said. The graduate program is focused on training the next generation of healthcare officials who will continue to grapple with the issue, she said. |
| Two Decades of Change in Federal and State Higher Education Funding | |
| States and the federal government have long provided substantial financial support for higher education, but in recent years, their respective levels of contribution have shifted significantly. Historically, states provided a far greater share of assistance to postsecondary institutions and students than the federal government did: In 1990 state per student funding was almost 140 percent more than that of the federal government. However, over the past two decades and particularly since the Great Recession, spending across levels of government converged as state investments declined, particularly in general purpose support for institutions, and federal ones grew, largely driven by increases in the need-based Pell Grant financial aid program. As a result, the gap has narrowed considerably, and state funding per student in 2015 was only 12 percent above federal levels. |
| College students with friends with different worldviews are more tolerant, study finds | |
 | At a time when many people are trying to figure out how to increase tolerance on college campuses (and elsewhere), the authors of a new study believe they have part of an answer: encourage students to make friends with people with worldviews different from their own. The study done by the Interfaith Youth Core found that relationships between students from differing faiths and political views encourage them to be more empathetic and understanding of others' beliefs. This study was a part of the organization's Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey, which focuses on undergraduate students' interactions with others of diverse worldviews and religions. The more friends students have across worldviews, the more likely they are to grow in their appreciations of those religious groups and different identity groups in general. |
| HBCUs Plan Cuts After Congress Misses Funding Deadline | |
| The Senate's failure to renew $255 million in annual mandatory funding for historically black colleges is already having consequences on campuses, wrote Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, in a letter to lawmakers Monday. The group, which represents public historically black colleges, had called on the Senate to pass the FUTURE Act, which would have provided a short-term extension of Title III, Part F, funds that pay for STEM education at HBCUs. Senator Lamar Alexander, the GOP chairman of the Senate education committee, blocked the bill from passing on a voice vote before those funds expired on Sept. 30. Alexander proposed that the Senate instead pass a package of higher ed bills that included a 10-year extension of the HBCU funding. Democrats, who want to reach a deal on a comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, rejected the offer. |
| Harold Bloom, A Rare Best-Selling Literary Critic, Dies At 89 | |
 | Harold Bloom was a rarity: a best-selling and widely known literary critic. Affectionately dubbed the "King Kong" of criticism, Bloom died Monday at the age of 89, at a hospital in New Haven, Conn., according to his wife. Over a redoubtable career, Bloom wrote scores of books, edited hundreds more and irritated innumerable intellectuals by arguing, for example, for the superiority of Western literary traditions. Bloom was born in the Bronx, N.Y., to a Yiddish-speaking family that had emigrated from Eastern Europe. His father was a garment worker, and Bloom did not hear English spoken until the age of 6. Educated first at Cornell University and then at Yale University -- which at the time still maintained an informal Jewish quota -- Bloom quickly established himself as a brilliant student. Yale would become Bloom's intellectual home for more than five decades. He taught classes there up until the week before his death, and his lectures on William Shakespeare drew throngs of enthusiastic undergraduates and a not-insubstantial following online. |
| PERS trying to stay invisible until after elections | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: Did you get a glimpse of Mississippi's invisible black hole? It briefly appeared over the past year in the Bigger Pie Forum, an Associated Press article by Jeff Amy, and the Jackson Jambalaya blog. "The Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi is a ticking fiscal time bomb," headlined the Bigger Pie story. "Analysis: Public retirement plan pressure won't end soon," was the headline on Amy's article. "PERS Results Delayed," read the headline in Jackson Jambalaya. Afterwards, Mississippi's political and financial black hole, PERS, disappeared again, until last week when Jackson Jambalaya wrote,"Will PERS Need More Money?" PERS' leadership really wants to keep it invisible until after November elections, so delayed release of its usual October evaluation report until December. No surprise, politicians in both parties want it to stay invisible, too. Here's why. Despite good investment returns recently, things aren't looking so good for PERS. |
SPORTS
| Joe Moorhead still excited for Mississippi State's future | |
| Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead stood behind the same podium that he does most Mondays during the season, preparing to conduct his weekly press conference. But instead of reviewing last week's game and looking ahead to the next, Moorhead used that platform to address the current state of the program following back-to-back losses in an unprompted opening statement. "Coaching in the SEC for about a year and a half now in a lot of ways has been a humbling experience," Moorhead said. "I don't think you get to the level where I am without a certain level of success and confidence. But this game and the SEC has a way of keeping you honest." Moorhead's most recent dose of reality came last weekend when the Bulldogs lost 20-10 to a Tennessee team that had only won once all season after having two full weeks to prepare for the game. "At the end of the day, there's no excuse," Moorhead said. |
| Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead gets emotional at press conference | |
 | Before Joe Moorhead could comfort himself, he had to console his daughter. Most everyone wearing maroon and white who walked off the field at Neyland Stadium last Saturday had their heads down. They looked dejected after Mississippi State's 20-10 loss to Tennessee. Perhaps the most downtrodden Bulldog of them all was Moorhead's 18-year-old daughter, Kyra. She wiped tears from her eyes as freshman cornerback Jarrian Jones wrapped his arm around her neck in support. "She understands football and what Mississippi State means to her and what it means to me," Moorhead said. The coach caught up to them.The group walked toward the tunnel in unison when they heard a shout that made Kyra's tears flow faster. "You hear a few fans as she's walking out of the stadium telling her that her dad sucks," Moorhead said. "And they were right. On this day, I did suck. But that's part of it. The support you get from your family means everything." |
| Mississippi State switches to Garrett Shrader at QB | |
| After back-to-back losses, Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead has finally decided to make a move at quarterback. True freshman Garrett Shrader will be the starting signal caller when the Bulldogs take the field against No. 2 LSU on Saturday. "I think what we're doing is giving our team the best opportunity to succeed," Moorhead told reporters on Monday while making the announcement. Shrader led MSU to a 28-13 victory over Kentucky in his first career start last month and has relieved senior Tommy Stevens on four other occasions, three of which were due to injuries to Stevens. "Garrett led us to the win over Kentucky and the way that he came in at the end of the Auburn game and provided a spark and did the same thing at Tennessee," Moorhead said. "Tommy's still not completely over some of his (injuries) right now. We just feel like Garrett's been playing and moving the ball well and gives us a great shot." |
| Garrett Shrader to start at quarterback for Mississippi State against LSU | |
| Joe Moorhead has made his move. It might've taken longer than many Mississippi State fans would've liked, but the Bulldogs' head coach has decided to start true freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader over graduate senior Tommy Stevens against No. 3 LSU (6-0, 2-0 SEC) this Saturday. Shrader has played in five of Mississippi State's first six games but has started only one, a 28-13 victory over Kentucky in Week 4. Stevens has started the rest of MSU's games in spite of nagging injuries that spawned in the second week of the season against Southern Miss. Moorhead considered starting Shrader against Tennessee last week but chose to go with Stevens because he was the healthier of the two. Stevens went 6-of-11 for 67 yards and two interceptions. Shrader replaced Stevens in the second half against the Volunteers despite a fairly serious injury to his left foot. He went 5-of-10 for 79 yards with one touchdown and an interception. |
| Moorhead Monday: Shrader starting, Zuber finding role, running game woes | |
 | Speaking with the media Monday, there was a quiver in Joe Moorhead's lip. Generally soft-spoken and easy-going, Moorhead boasted an audible tension and cognisense of Mississippi State's on-field shortcomings the past few weeks -- most notably with Saturday's 20-10 loss to lowly Tennessee. "We talk to our kids all the time about reasons and excuses," He said. "And at the end of the day, there's no excuse. We were outcoached, we were outplayed with 13 days to prepare. We need to, we can and we will do better because our program deserves it." Recognizing the need for a change in Starkville, Moorhead's impassioned plea to the fan base closed with a seemingly overdue change at quarterback. After six games of back and forth between Penn State transfer Tommy Stevens and freshman Garrett Shrader, Moorhead officially handed the reins to the latter Monday. |
| LSU receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. (injured) will not play against Mississippi State | |
 | LSU wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. will participate in some drills at practice this week, but he will not play Saturday against Mississippi State, coach Ed Orgeron said. "He's going to do some individual this week," Orgeron said Monday, "but he's not ready to play yet." Marshall, a sophomore with 20 catches for 304 yards and six touchdowns during LSU's first four games, injured his right foot against Vanderbilt on Sept. 21. He had surgery the next day. Marshall returned to practice last Monday in a limited capacity. He did not appear during LSU's open practice period the next two days. Then, Marshall warmed up in full pads before LSU played Florida. Marshall did not play in LSU's win over the Gators. Senior Derrick Dillon started in his place. Dillon did not catch a pass. Instead, sophomore Ja'Marr Chase and junior Justin Jefferson received the majority of the targets. |
| Mississippi State-Texas A&M set for early start | |
| There will be another early kickoff for Mississippi State on Oct. 26 when the Bulldogs meet Texas A&M in College Station at 11 a.m. on SEC Network. It marks the seventh time in the first eight games that the Bulldogs play during the day and the fourth time they've started at 11 a.m. MSU leads the all-time series 7-5 over the Aggies and is currently riding a three-game winning streak in the series. The Bulldogs beat Texas A&M 28-13 in Starkville last season and won 35-14 during their last trip to Kyle Field in 2017. |
| Alabama student accused of making threat against LSU's Tiger Stadium | |
 | A University of Alabama freshman being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail is suspected of calling in a threat to LSU's Tiger Stadium during the school's football game against the University of Florida on Saturday night, The Tuscaloosa News has learned. Connor Bruce Croll, 19, was booked into jail early Sunday, where records list him as a "fugitive from justice." He is being held without bond and is expected to face charges in Baton Rouge. University of Alabama Police arrested Croll. Neither UA nor LSU officials provided details about the incident, but UA spokesman Chris Bryant released a statement to The News on Monday afternoon: "We are aware of the arrest of a UA freshman over the weekend. Threats and pranks can have serious ramifications and necessitate an appropriate response. The university and UAPD are cooperating fully with the investigation, but we cannot provide any additional details on a pending matter. "UA will follow its student conduct policies and procedures. The LSU community has always been gracious to us, and we regret these events." LSU's media relations director Ernie Ballard said he couldn't comment on a pending investigation. |
| South Carolina apologizes for damage to Sanford Stadium hedges | |
| South Carolina has officially apologized for tearing off pieces of Sanford Stadium's treasured hedges to celebrate Saturday's upset over the Bulldogs. Georgia athletics director Greg McGarity said that South Carolina athletics director Ray Tanner contacted him on Sunday afternoon. "Ray just apologized for those actions," McGarity said. What did McGarity, who has taken a strong stance against "property destruction" to the hedges in past years, think about what happened after Saturday's game? "I don't like it all. We sure don't do that when we win at an opponents' venue under [coach Kirby Smart's] leadership." The historic privet hedges that surround Vince Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium, coincidentally, celebrated 90 years Saturday, having made their debut on Oct. 12, 1929, against Yale. On Saturday, unranked South Carolina upset then-No. 3 UGA in college football's biggest upset of the season. To celebrate the historic win, the celebrating Gamecock players ripped off pieces of the hallowed hedges as souvenirs. |
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