Thursday, May 13, 2021   
 
MSU accepting applications for SEC Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program
Mississippi State faculty members can now submit applications for the Southeastern Conference Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program until June 25. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program, sponsored by the SEC Academic Consortium, is intended to enhance faculty collaboration that stimulates scholarly initiatives between SEC universities. It gives faculty from one SEC university the opportunity to travel to another SEC campus to: exchange ideas; develop grant proposals; conduct research; consult with faculty and/or students; offer lectures or symposia; or engage in whatever activities are agreeable to the visitor and host unit. Mississippi State University can select a maximum of 12 faculty members to receive 2021-2022 travel grants of $850 each for transportation, room, board, etc., to use for travel to another SEC campus. Travel dates for these visits are between August 2, 2021 and June 10, 2022. The selected faculty members will be responsible for arranging coverage of their duties during their absence. After the visit, the faculty member must submit a brief report describing the outcomes of the visit.
 
Starkville Utilities plans to turn wastewater into fertilizer
Starkville is getting an upgrade to the city's wastewater treatment system. Starkville Utilities Department plans to reuse the water and sewage and turn it into fertilizer. SUD General Manager Terry Kemp said "sludge" has been discharged for decades into a lagoon at its wastewater plant on Sand Road, creating extreme buildup over time. Now, the waste will go through machines called "screw presses" and come out as sustainable soil for growing plants. "What this allows us to do is to divert the sludge from not going into the lagoon anymore," Kemp said. "It actually goes through a process of what they call 'screw presses' and then into a drying operation and a treatment operation so that the outcome would be a 'Class A' usable product similar to topsoil." The project is being funded through a $10 million bond approved by the board of aldermen in 2019. Kemp said this upgrade will not raise taxes or impact customer rates. Kemp said SUD will take much of the produced fertilizer to Mississippi State University for application to green areas on campus. "We're working closely with Mississippi State as a joint effort from the regional approach," Kemp said. "Mississippi State will be using it for pasture land, bidding materials, things that you typically would use topsoil for."
 
SOCSD announces new Partnership School principal
Partnership Middle School will have a new principal next year. The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees named Jorine Neal as the principal for the 2021-22 school year at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday. She will replace Julie Kennedy, who is moving to Overstreet Elementary School to be its new principal. Neal currently serves as the health and human service academic house principal at Starkville High School and has worked for the district since 2009. She holds a specialist of education degree from Arkansas State University, a master's from Florida International University and a bachelor's in special education and early childhood education from the University of Florida. "Mrs. Neal is a passionate, instructional leader with 20 years of experience in education," SOCSD Superintedent Eddie Peasant said in a press release. "Her experiences as an elementary and secondary educator uniquely prepare her as principal of Partnership Middle School." Neal will begin her position July 1.
 
Starkville Police Department adds new camera equipment for officers
A police chief in the Golden Triangle is hoping new, high-tech body cameras may shed light on the work officers put into their day. The Starkville Police Department is under a week away from getting 60 new body cameras and 40 new car cameras with technology that could change the game for officers, according to Starkville Police Chief Mark Ballard. "Technology can be the ultimate witness," said Ballard. "It doesn't carry the bias, the politics, or what the situations are." The equipment is called BodyWorn. The technology allows officers to respond to calls without worrying about turning on their body or dash cameras. It also offers a live feed, giving all officers the ability to know where to respond and push out mugshots so all officers are aware. However, Ballard feels the most beneficial feature is that the camera is lodged into the officer's uniform, allowing officers to fight or pursue someone without worrying about the camera falling off. It also is located in the middle of the chest, giving wide range and create footage off the officer's body.
 
Federal judge dismisses fitness gym's suit against Starkville over pandemic closure
A federal judge has dismissed a civil suit filed by a local fitness gym against the city of Starkville. In an opinion issued Tuesday, Senior U.S. District Judge for North Mississippi Glen H. Davidson said the plaintiff, Starkville Athletic Club, had not proven the city had violated the business owners' rights when forcing it and other non-essential businesses to close in April 2020 to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Tate Reeves issued executive orders in April 2020 that temporarily shut down non-essential businesses -- which included fitness gyms, spas, salons and barbershops, among others -- and aldermen approved local ordinances that mirrored the state order. Reeves' orders did not allow fitness gyms to reopen until early May 2020. Starkville Athletic Club managers John and Joe Underwood filed suit against the city, claiming the city's ordinance amounted to taking their property for public purposes without just compensation and violating their rights under the U.S. and Mississippi constitutions. The suit also claims the fine and possible imprisonment penalties the city imposed via the governor's order violated the Fifth Amendment. Attorney Jim Waide of Tupelo, who is representing the Underwoods, said Wednesday he hasn’t decided whether to advise his clients to appeal.
 
Pipeline shutdown highlights need for more cybersecurity experts
The Colonial Pipeline has resumed operations days after a ransomware attack forced it to shut down. As these kinds of cyberattacks are becoming more common, demand is growing for cybersecurity experts. And there aren't enough of them to go around. The U.S. needs at least 360,000 more cybersecurity professionals, according to Clar Rosso, chief executive of cybersecurity professional association (ISC)². "It really is a matter of the supply not being able to keep up with the demand. And the demand is growing at exponential rates," Rosso said. Cybersecurity is still a relatively new field, Rosso said: "A lot of businesses don't truly understand what their cybersecurity needs are." The number of people going into cybersecurity is growing, said Chris Bronk, an associate professor at the University of Houston. "We had 100% growth in my graduate program last year," Bronk said. It's going to take a while to get an adequate number of workers trained, he added. "We have a very hard time finding educators who can teach this stuff."
 
Mississippi revenue collections are on record pace
Mississippi revenue collections through April are on near-record pace for the largest percentage year over year increase in the modern era. Through 10 months of the fiscal year, the state has collected $5.35 billion in general fund revenue -- a $756.9 million or 16.5% increase over the amount collected during the same time period last year, according to the April revenue report recently released by the Legislative Budget Committee staff. Factors surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could be playing a strong role in the revenue collections. Still, if the 16.5% increase holds for the next two months, that means it would be the strongest year-over-year increase since 1981, which also saw a 16.5% increase. There are two key numbers to assess in the monthly Budget Committee revenue reports. One is how revenue collections look year over year, which is generally viewed as an economic indicator. The second is whether revenue collections are meeting the official estimate, which is the number the Legislature used in making its budget. If collections do not meet the estimate, the governor or Legislature could be forced to make mid-year budget cuts. For the month of April, collections continue to be strong -- $212.1 million or 28.5% above the estimate. For the year, collections are 17.7% or $804.2 million above the estimate.
 
State revenues continue to exceed expectations
State revenues for April are way above expectations. Representative Scott Bounds says they're about $207-million above estimates. "That puts us at $799-million above the estimate for the year," he explained during an appearance on The Gallo Radio Show on SuperTalk Mississippi. And he doesn't think it's all stimulus money. "Corporate income tax was 129% above the estimate. That's not stimulus, that's corporations that are driving the economy...paying taxes and making money. Sales tax was up 48% above the estimate. ABC liquor was up 47%." Mississippi is primed to receive more than $1.8-billion as part of the American Rescue Plan. State leaders are vowing to allocate the funds wisely and with an eye on the future.
 
Exclusive: Negotiations underway for state to acquire two hotels, defunct restaurant near Jackson fairgrounds
The state of Mississippi will soon spend millions to acquire and demolish three properties near the state fairgrounds, including two hotels still functioning but "needing a lot of work," according to Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson. The area, located in the 300 block of Greymont Street, sits across the street from the fairgrounds. One property, the old Dennery's Restaurant, has been abandoned for years. The OYO Hotel and Regency Hotel remain open. Gipson has long considered those properties an eyesore to visitors. "There's more traffic that flows here than anywhere else in this state," Gipson said, indicating the proximity of that property to Interstate 55. "We want it to be a beautiful picture window into the not only the State Fairgrounds, but to the Capital City." In 2018, Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 766, which authorized the Department of Finance and Administration to purchase those properties for the Mississippi Fair Commission's use. "I envision a place perhaps with premier campsites, landscaped spaces, some buildings that would promote and highlight Mississippi agriculture and commerce," Gipson said. The commissioner said the state and those three owners are in the negotiation phase now, having already secured agreements in principle with two of them. "Bottom line is we're going to build our own city inside the Mississippi State Fairgrounds and make it the very best you can be to support our programs: agriculture and industry," Gipson said.
 
Governor signs tribal bill
Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben traveled to Jackson last Thursday to Gov. Tate Reeves' Capitol office to witness the ceremonial signing of House Bill 277, which allows for the state to recognize Tribal identification cards as a legal means of personal identification, and House Bill 1230, which is a bill that allows businesses located on Tribal lands to be eligible for certain discretionary Mississippi Development Authority programs. Following the signing, Chief Ben attended the 70th Mississippi National Day of Prayer ceremony at the Mississippi Coliseum. During the ceremony, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson, on behalf of the state, read Senate Joint Resolution 14, enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2009. The resolution served as an apology to Native Americans on the wrongs and injustices carried out by the federal government over the past few centuries and also honored the stewardship of the land by Native Americans before the arrival of the settlers. Commissioner Gipson then personally turned to Chief Ben, representing the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and apologized to the Tribe and closed his remarks with a prayer.
 
Miss. Sen. Chris McDaniel speaks at Jones Co. GOP Women meeting
Republican State Sen. Chris McDaniel was the featured speaker at a monthly meeting of Jones County Republican Women on Wednesday. McDaniel spoke on a number of state and national issues and reacted to the removal of Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership position in the U. S. House of Representatives. Cheney has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump. "The establishment still doesn't get it," McDaniel said. "It's Republicans like Cheney that led to the rise of Donald Trump. The party as a whole, conservatives as a whole, we were tired of being lied to. We were tired of our politicians not fighting for us. Trump gave us that. At least somebody who would fight for us, and so to watch them now come back and criticize him, it just shows they never understood why he rose to power in the first place." McDaniel also reacted to the decision by Governor Tate Reeves to opt out of additional federal unemployment benefits for Mississippians. Those COVID-19 unemployment benefits will end June 12. "I never thought I'd see the day where people preferred handouts to jobs and unfortunately, that's a lesson that's being taught by the American left right now," McDaniel said. "Look, we need jobs, enough handouts, enough government assistance, give us jobs and so, by taking the action he took, that should push people back into the marketplace, where they belong."
 
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson guest of business leaders
In a rare public appearance, U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson will be the featured guest at a Madison County Business League and Foundation event honoring him later this month. The League is hosting Coffee with the Congressman featuring Thompson, a Democrat who represents portions of Madison County. The event is Tuesday, May 25 from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Two Mississippi Museums in downtown Jackson. Seating is limited and reservations are required for attendance. The reservation deadline is May 21. Contact Jan Collins of the Madison County Business League and Foundation at collins.jan01@gmail.com for questions about reservations and seating. Thompson is currently serving his 13th term in the United States House of Representatives. He represents Mississippi's Second Congressional District and is the longest-serving Black official in Mississippi and the lone Democrat in the Mississippi Congressional Delegation.
 
Tech critic Lina Khan gets bipartisan committee nod for FTC post
Lina Khan, the progressive tech critic President Joe Biden nominated to the Federal Trade Commission, won bipartisan approval from the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday, earning support from all but four GOP members. The panel agreed to move forward with Khan's nomination by voice vote. Sens. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Lee of Utah and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, all Republicans, asked to be recorded as opposed to putting Khan on the FTC. Khan's support from Republicans -- eight of the panel's 12 GOP members voted in her favor -- may indicate growing bipartisan appetite for reining in major online platforms like Google, Facebook and Apple. On Wednesday, Commerce's top Republican, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said he has concerns about "over-regulation," but decided to support Khan's nomination. Khan "is focused on addressing one of the most pressing issues of the day: reining in the big social media platforms," Wicker said. Consumer and anti-monopoly groups hailed the vote as a sign the Biden administration intends to hold tech companies accountable and reinvigorate antitrust enforcement.
 
U.S. Senate panel approves tech bill to address China
A U.S. Senate committee voted 24-4 to pass a compromise measure authorizing more than $110 billion for basic and advanced technology research over five years in the face of rising competitive pressure from China. The "Endless Frontier" act would authorize most of the money, $100 billion, over five years to invest in basic and advanced research, commercialization, and education and training programs in key technology areas, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, advanced communications, biotechnology and advanced energy. The bill must still be approved by the full U.S. Senate and the U.S. House is working on a similar effort. Though there is broad consensus to increase funding for U.S. innovation, concerns are mounting among some Republicans that the bill lacks tough rules to prevent U.S. entities that benefit from the massive spending package from later sending research and development overseas, including potentially to China. The measure would also authorize another $10 billion to designate at least 10 regional technology hubs and create a supply chain crisis-response program to address issues like the shortfall in semiconductor chips harming auto production.
 
A key Biden judicial nominee is poised for confirmation. Here's why that may matter for the Supreme Court.
When President Joe Biden said in late March that he would nominate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to a federal appeals court some braced for an intense confirmation fight. After all, Jackson is also a top contender to be Biden's first Supreme Court nominee. But coordinated opposition to Jackson -- a federal judge placed on the bench by President Barack Obama in 2013 -- has yet to materialize. Her recent Senate confirmation hearing produced few fireworks. And the small armies of outside groups organized to wage war over a president's judicial nominees have mostly held their fire. A drama-free confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the most prominent appeals court, could ease Jackson's future path to the Supreme Court, experts said. It may also signal less confrontation for Biden's other judicial nominees -- for now. "She wouldn't be my pick, because I don't agree with her judicial philosophy, but I don't think Republicans are going to climb over glass trying to stop her," said Mike Davis, president of the Article III Project, a group that strategizes with Republican lawmakers on judicial confirmations. Democrats, Davis said, made a "huge mistake" by opposing so many of President Donald Trump's nominees. The tactic may have "felt cathartic for them," Davis said, but it rubbed centrist Republicans the wrong way, uniting the GOP around Trump's picks. Republicans, Davis said, are eager to avoid running into the same trap under Biden.
 
Senate GOP dismayed by vote to boot Rep. Liz Cheney
Senate Republicans are expressing dismay, publicly and privately, over the House GOP's vote to remove Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from leadership, which some GOP lawmakers see as a worrisome sign of former President Trump's continued grip on the party. It's not lost on them that their own leader, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), has also dismissed Trump's claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election as "repeated election lies" and they themselves are under pressure from Trump to find a new leader. Many GOP senators, however, are keeping quiet about their concerns and would prefer to talk about other subjects, namely what they view as President Biden's far-too-costly infrastructure agenda and plan to raise taxes on corporations. Several members of the Senate GOP leadership as well as other prominent GOP senators expressed disappointment over Cheney's fate on Wednesday, shortly after House Republicans fired her from the leadership ranks on a voice vote. Unlike their House counterparts, Senate GOP leaders led by McConnell have firmly rejected Trump's baseless claims that Biden won the presidential election because of widespread fraud. Senate Republican leaders say their party needs to move on instead of constantly rehashing the 2020 election.
 
US cities see surge in deadly street racing amid pandemic
Jaye Sanford, a 52-year-old mother of two, was driving home in suburban Atlanta on Nov. 21 when a man in a Dodge Challenger muscle car who was allegedly street racing crashed into her head-on, killing her. Sanford was remembered by friends as kind and thoughtful, but now she will also be remembered for something else: a new state law that requires jail time for all convictions for drag racing and stunt driving. Across America, illegal drag racing has exploded in popularity since the coronavirus pandemic began, with dangerous upticks reported from Georgia and New York to New Mexico and Oregon. Street racers block roads and even interstates to keep police away while they tear around and perform stunts, often captured on videos that go viral. Packs of vehicles, from souped-up jalopies to high-end sports cars, roar down city streets, through industrial neighborhoods and down rural roads. Experts say TV shows and movies glorifying street racing had already fueled interest in recent years. In Mississippi, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law in March a bill that allows state troopers to respond to incidents in cities. On New Year's Eve, drivers blocked traffic on an interstate highway in Jackson, the state capital, for an hour while they spun out and did donuts, etching circles in the pavement. Even though the highway patrol headquarters was nearby, troopers couldn't respond because they were prohibited from handling incidents in cities with over 15,000 people. That prohibition will be lifted when the new law takes effect July 1.
 
Poll Finds Public Health Has A Trust Problem
"I don't trust them -- I don't," says Sandra Wallace. She's 60 and owns a construction company in Arizona. To her, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance has been inconsistent. "It's all over the board," she says. "They say one thing one minute and then turn around and say another the next minute." Wallace was one of the respondents in a poll published Thursday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The survey of 1,305 people was conducted from mid-February to mid-March of this year. Overall, the poll found that only 52% of Americans have a great deal of trust in CDC. Other health agencies were even lower -- only 37% of Americans said they had a lot of trust in the National Institutes of Health or the Food and Drug Administration. "We're in a period of distrust of government in general," notes Robert Blendon, emeritus professor at the Harvard Chan School, who oversaw the survey. "If we substituted the FBI for the CDC, it would not do a lot better." The poll found that trust isn't just a problem for federal health agencies. State health departments have the trust of 41% of Americans, and local health departments only did slightly better at 44%.
 
Gulf and Ship Island Building set for USM blue economy renaissance
A historic building in downtown Gulfport is becoming the blueprint for continued growth in South Mississippi's Blue Economy. The University of Southern Mississippi is setting up its business accelerator for the present and future at the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad Building. "This building was built in 1902 by Joseph Jones, and Joseph Jones came from Pennsylvania and he was an oilman," said Anita Arguelles, Southern Miss Ocean Enterprise brand manager. The former hub for railroad business and Mississippi Power is now becoming a hub for the college's blue technology economy programs, very similar to what Joseph Jones did in Gulfport more than a century ago. "What makes this really special and how it connects to the blue tech economy is that he also saw there would be a need for a channel," Arguelles said. "So he built the channel or dug the channel that runs from Ship Island to the Port of Gulfport." Soon the G&SI building will be a business start-up logistical channel of sorts for college's blue tech, or ocean business colleagues. "We're seeing such an explosion in blue technology companies that they really needed a touchdown point, and they needed to have access to us and our research and our facilities as well as some of the prototyping space," said Kelly Lucas, Associate Vice President for Research, Coastal Operations. "So this really does give these companies a landing pad if you would."
 
After 51 years, JSU's Class of 1970 to finally receive their diplomas
After more than five decades, Jackson State University's Class of 1970 will finally be given their commencement ceremony. Their first graduation ceremony was canceled due to the Gibbs-Green tragedy in May of 1970, where 2 were killed and twelve others shot on the campus of JSU. Then as part of the 50th commemoration of the tragedy, Jackson State invited the 1970 class to participate in the spring commencement ceremonies. This was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, on Saturday, May 15, the commencement ceremony for the Class of 1970 will happen. Members of the class will march in their regalia and receive their diplomas, presented by President Thomas K. Hudson, J.D. A posthumous presentation of Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters on behalf of Phillip Gibbs and James Green will be presented to their families as well as other special presentations from honored guests.
 
MSMS student recipient of $40K Amazon engineering scholarship
A senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) is the recipient of a $40,000 Amazon engineering scholarship. Sam Hill from Laurel received the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship to continue studying computer science at a college of his choosing. He plans to attend the University of Southern Mississippi. Hill's one of 100 students across the United States, and the only winner in Mississippi, to receive the scholarship. The money will be used during the course of four years. The scholarship also includes a guaranteed paid internship offer at Amazon after his freshman year of college.
 
U. of South Carolina President Robert Caslen resigns, Harris Pastides to serve in interim role
Robert Caslen resigned as president of the University of South Carolina on Wednesday, bringing his short but controversial stint at the helm of the state's flagship public university to a quick end. Caslen will be replaced in the interim by former USC President Harris Pastides, according to an email from USC spokesman Jeff Stensland. "Trust is the most important ingredient of effective leadership, and when it is lost, it is nearly impossible to lead. I believe that is the case right now between the University of South Carolina and its president. Therefore, I have submitted my resignation to the Board of Trustees this evening, May 12, and they have accepted it," Caslen said in the email. "I am sorry to those I have let down. I understand the responsibilities and higher standards of senior level leadership. When those are not met, trust is lost. And when trust is lost, one is unable to lead." Pressure for Caslen to resign mounted this week as some students, alumni and even Board of Trustees members questioned whether Caslen should remain president. While some called for Caslen's resignation, others -- such as women's basketball Coach Dawn Staley, USC Student Body President Alex Harrell, outgoing USC Provost William Tate, S.C. State Sen. Ronnie Cromer and more -- publicly supported Caslen.
 
South Carolina President Caslen resigns as plagiarism scandal ends rocky tenure: 'Not the right fit'
University of South Carolina President Bob Caslen resigned May 12 amid a plagiarism scandal that capped two rocky years as leader of the state's largest college. Caslen, a retired three-star general and West Point superintendent, admitted to plagiarizing lines from the Navy SEAL who was in charge of the mission to take out terrorist leader Osama bin Laden during commencement addresses last weekend. He also called the school "the University of California." The missteps were met with calls for his removal online and in messages to trustees. It was the latest in a series of stumbles for a leader who had trouble with the social nuisances of a job that requires wooing donors, lawmakers and students. Caslen's end was a far cry from 2019 when he was seen as a president who could help tighten the school's checkbook and win work with his military contacts. Lou Kennedy, one of USC's major donors, said she hopes the school can find a president who reflects the state's diversity: "Now is the time for the Carolina community, and that includes the board, to stand up and be counted." USC did not have a woman among the finalists when the president's job was last open.
 
Georgia public campuses will require ACT/SAT next year
The University System of Georgia notified the presidents of state public colleges and universities today that 2022 applicants will have to submit ACT or SAT scores. According to a USG spokesman, this information was sent today to campuses: "The University System of Georgia will resume test score admission requirements for Spring 2022 and subsequent semesters. Students' eligibility will be decided based on all criteria established by USG institutions in accordance with Board of Regents policy." In addition, the USG announced that campuses will return to normal operations in the fall. Despite calls by faculty, USG has yet to mandate that returning students be vaccinated against COVID-19, which many other campuses around the country have done, including Agnes Scott, Emory, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College. The USG decision on SAT/ACT scores could influence other state systems that have not yet decided whether to extend test waivers granted last year because of widespread cancellations of test dates due to COVID-19.
 
UF's first gender-neutral Living Learning Community will officially open to students this Summer
After scrolling through different housing options when applying to the University of Florida, the name Lavender Living Learning Community caught Kate Eggenberg's eye. "I was curious about what the Lavender LLC was, and I kind of knew that 'lavender' was a queer coded word,'" the 18-year-old UF computer science incoming freshman said. "So I looked into it and I realized this is a gender inclusive housing option, so I was like, I kind of want to partake in that." LGBTQ+ students can look forward to living at UF's first gender-neutral housing, the Lavender LLC this Summer -- an initiative to build a more inclusive, unified and welcoming community on campus. The LLC will officially open in Summer B in the Springs Complex for all current and incoming UF students. Living Learning Communities are designed to foster unity within different groups and identities, especially those that are marginalized. There are 16 LLCs at UF for races, ethnicities and areas of interest. To ensure residents are respectful and supportive, first-year UF international studies major Dayanna Peek said the community has set behavioral expectations for students living in the LLC and that it is up to the resident assistant to share that information and reinforce it.
 
Chief of staff to U. of Missouri System President takes Arkansas chancellor job
Christine Holt, chief of staff to the University of Missouri System president, will leave the position to become chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope-Texarkana. UM System President Mun Choi announced Holt's departure in a campus email on Wednesday. Holt joined MU in 2015 as an American Council on Education fellow. She served as associate provost before taking her current position. Before MU, she also worked as the dean of academic instruction at the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College, one of the largest community colleges in the nation. "I'm extremely grateful for the time she has given to Mizzou," Choi wrote of Holt. "Please join me in wishing her the best in her new journey."
 
These Colleges Won't Mandate a Covid-19 Vaccine. Instead, They'll Try to Entice.
To encourage students and employees to get vaccinated against Covid-19, West Virginia University is hoping to harness their desire for a more normal campus life. If the campus hits 50-percent vaccination, concerts, plays, and the rec center will open at 50-percent capacity, the administration promises. At 60 percent, outdoor intramural sports activities like volleyball and basketball would resume, residence halls would be open to all student visitors, and Greek-letter organizations could host in-person recruitment. At 75 percent, many programs would run at full capacity, and homecoming would be in person. The university is one of several that have eschewed immunization mandates in favor of telling students that if enough of them voluntarily choose to get Covid shots, they'll get a more normal, social fall. As of Wednesday, The Chronicle has documented over 300 campuses that plan to require Covid-19 vaccinations for the fall. At the same time, many colleges remain constrained by state orders and fears of pushback from their communities. Some of them have turned to the "carrots" of promising in-person activity at certain vaccination thresholds, instead of the "stick" of a mandate. While acknowledging that some colleges may be limited in their ability to mandate Covid-19 vaccines --- especially while they remain under the Food and Drug Administration's emergency-use authorization, rather than full approval --- public-health experts that The Chronicle consulted were mixed in their assessments of how well a voluntary numerical goal works instead.
 
Some colleges stop holding transcripts hostage over unpaid bills
Nearly all higher education institutions withhold transcripts from students who have even the smallest of balances, according to the higher education consulting firm Ithaka S+R, which has estimated that about 6.6 million Americans are blocked from obtaining their transcripts or degrees because of unpaid bills. But some institutions are changing this policy as they recognize the huge impact -- and very bad optics -- of withholding transcripts, a practice that almost exclusively affects low-income students. Anger over this has only grown at a time when many families are suffering through the financial fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the most significant development, Southern New Hampshire University has now stopped blocking transcripts; it says it is has begun releasing these records to the 2,257 students from whom they were withheld over the last year alone because of unpaid balances that average $728. SNHU has an enrollment of around 150,000, most of it online, a spokeswoman said, which makes it one of the nation's largest single nonprofit providers of higher education.
 
Colleges pushed anew for reparations for slavery, racism
For Brown University students, the Ivy League college's next step in its yearslong quest to atone for its legacy of slavery is clear: Pay up. Nearly two decades after the Providence, Rhode Island, institution launched its much-lauded reckoning, undergraduate students this spring voted overwhelmingly for the university to identify the descendants of slaves that worked on campus and begin paying them reparations. At the University of Georgia, community activists want the school to contribute to Athens' efforts to atone for an urban renewal project that destroyed a Black community in the 1960s to make way for college dorms. And at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., there's growing dissatisfaction among some slave descendants about the Catholic institution's pioneering reparations efforts. Nearly a year after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police sparked the latest national reckoning on racism, student and community activists from New England to the Deep South are demanding institutions take more ambitious steps to atone for past sins -- from colonial-era slavery to more recent campus expansion projects that have pushed out entire communities of color.
 
How critical race theory became Enemy No. 1 in the battle against higher ed
Republican lawmakers have long been frustrated with higher ed's liberal tilt and its supposed quashing of conservative viewpoints. Now, they're taking a new tack: Instead of resolutions and bills to protect the speech of visitors on the campus quad, the recent wave of legislation often steps into the classroom to restrict what can be taught. It's part of a larger battle playing out in state houses, schools, and the media between dueling versions of American history. Over the past few months, lawmakers like Ammon have wielded references to the decades-old theory as they argue with their colleagues about whether racism persists and if it exists at all outside of the hearts and minds of individuals. "People are going to wonder, am I going to get in trouble with the state legislature if I teach history accurately, or if I assign literature that is challenging to some people?" said Ben Trachtenberg, a law professor at the University of Missouri who studies how conservative discontent is changing higher ed's legal landscape. "Which is precisely what so many of these politicians said students shouldn't be afraid to accept: challenging ideas in the classroom and on campus." For Trachtenberg, the bills highlight a complicated dynamic for college leaders, whose job is partly to get along with state politicians. “Naturally,” he said, “if the people in charge of that money start yelling at you, you don’t want to yell back.”


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State softball beats Ole Miss in SEC tournament for eighth straight win
Before its Southeastern Conference tournament matchup with Ole Miss, the Mississippi State softball team papered its locker room at Nusz Park with the tweets the Rebels posted after sweeping the Bulldogs to open conference play, hoping to instill a little motivation. In Wednesday's rematch in Tuscaloosa, Mississippi State got the chance to send its own message. The ninth-seeded Bulldogs (33-22, 9-15 SEC) beat the No. 8 Rebels (34-20, 12-13) by a score of 3-1, winning for the eighth straight game and advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Mississippi State will play top-seeded Florida (40-8, 19-5) at 11 a.m. Thursday. "It's just motivation all the way around reading them after the series and then just putting them up again," senior Carter Spexarth said. "I think that just inspired us to come out here and play our best game." The Bulldogs won Wednesday in largely the same fashion as they composed the seven-game win streak that rounded out their regular season: effective offense, clutch pitching and a much improved defense.
 
Bulldogs strike early to eliminate Rebels
A physical Mississippi State team hit Ole Miss ace Anna Borgen early and often, and the Bulldogs eliminated Ole Miss from the SEC softball tournament with a 3-1 win on Thursday. MSU picked up its eighth-straight win and proved it was a different team from the one that was swept by the Rebels on the opening weekend of conference play in mid-March. The Bulldogs (33-22) advance to face No. 1 seed Florida Thursday morning at 11. The Rebels (34-20) will learn their NCAA Tournament destination on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs had only four hits in three appearances against Borgen in the regular season. This time they had six hits before Borgen had gone through the lineup twice. Chole Malau'ulu, Fa Leilua and Carter Spexarth greeted Borgen with three-straight hits to start the game. When Borgen walked Mia Davis the Bulldogs were on the board. After an RBI groundout the lead was 2-0. It became 3-0 when Spexarth led off the third with a home run to left. Ole Miss reliever Savannah Diedrich pitched three scoreless innings, but the Rebels could not break through against MSU closer Alyssa Loza, who earned her fifth save with 2 2/3 innings of hitless, scoreless relief.
 
Is Mississippi State softball the hottest team in the SEC Tournament?
Mississippi State softball has won eight straight games and has the SEC buzzing as it looks to knock off 1-seed Florida on Thursday (11 a.m. CT) on the SEC Network. The Bulldogs started conference play 1-15 and had little hope of making a postseason run as the calendar flipped to May. This month, Mississippi State is undefeated. It started off with a pair of wins over South Carolina and No. 19 Tennessee, followed by a three-game sweep over Georgia. The No. 9 seed Bulldogs (33-22) stayed hot in the first round of the SEC Tournament with a 3-1 win over in-state rivals, No. 8 seed Ole Miss (34-30), on Wednesday. While Alabama holds a 10-game win streak in the SEC, there is an argument to be made for the Bulldogs turnaround being the most impressive streak in the conference. Mississippi State has a plus-22 run differential in the month and has allowed just 14 runs against. The pitching staff has struck out 36 batters with only 18 walks in that stretch.
 
NCAA's controversial decision ends season for Mississippi State women's golf, 11 other teams at regional
The Mississippi State women's golf team didn't expect to be at Topgolf in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday afternoon, but there the Bulldogs were. They took swings with the rest of the public on a day in which they were supposed to be competing in the NCAA Tournament at the Baton Rouge Regional -- a regional they learned two days later wouldn't be played at all. Gathered among players and coaches from 17 other qualifying teams at LSU's University Club on Wednesday, MSU coach Charlie Ewing's team braced for an announcement they feared was coming ever since wet course conditions forced them to stay sharp at Topgolf on Monday and another local course Tuesday. "Look, this is one of the most gut-wrenching decisions and announcements that I've ever been a part of," NCAA Committee representative Brad Hurlbut said. "Even though the course is playable, it's not playable at a championship level. Therefore, the top six teams that were seeded will advance, along with the top three individuals that were not on those six teams." Mississippi State was the No. 12 seed. Just like that, the Bulldogs' season -- one booming with postseason promise after MSU finished as an upstart runner-up at the SEC Tournament last month -- was over. And there was nothing they could do about it. "There's no way for us to be prepared for something like this," Ewing told The Clarion-Ledger.
 
Diamond Dawg Gameday: host Missouri
The final home weekend series of 2021 will begin on Thursday (May 13) as the No. 2 Mississippi State baseball program welcomes Missouri for three games on Dudy Noble Field. The series opener will throw the first pitch at 7:30 with the game airing on ESPNU. Mississippi State (35-11, 16-8 SEC) is coming off of a 3-1 week that saw a series victory at South Carolina follow a midweek win over The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. Missouri (12-32, 5-19 SEC) is in the midst of a nine game losing streak, with four of those game being decided by three or fewer runs. Tanner Allen continues to be one of the hottest hitters in the Southeastern Conference, as he is hitting .406 in conference play though 24 games. Overall, Allen is the only baseball student-athlete in the SEC with at least a .300 batting average that ranks among the top 15 in hits, runs and RBIs in the conference. He enters the final two weeks of the regular season ranked No. 2 in the SEC with a .379 average, leads the conference in hits (66), ranks No. 3 in the SEC in runs (50) and No. 7 in RBIs (46). Starting pitchers Christian MacLeod and Will Bednar became the 97th and 98th Diamond Dawgs, respectively, to reach the 100-strikeout mark for a career.
 
Chris Lemonis makes pitching change ahead of Missouri series
With Mississippi State needing as many wins as possible to keep the SEC regular-season championship within reach, head coach Chris Lemonis has made a slight change to his weekend rotation. No. 3-ranked Mississippi State (35-11, 16-8 SEC) is hosting Missouri (13-32, 5-19) for a three-game series starting tonight at 7:30. The other games: Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. And with that, Lemonis and company announced on Wednesday afternoon that Jackson Fristoe is no longer a guarantee to start this weekend. The starter for the final game on Saturday will be announced at a later time. Fristoe (3-3, 5.04 ERA) has started seven-consecutive SEC weekends but has only pitched over three innings in one of his last five starts. This past Sunday, he pitched three innings and allowed two earned runs on one hit and four walks. He was pulled after 64 pitches and Mississippi State went on to lose, 4-3, in extra innings. Fristoe may still start, but junior left-hander Houston Harding seems like the more likely answer. Harding (5-1, 2.21) has started four games but come out of the bullpen since SEC play began. He has relieved Fristoe on Sundays in recent weekends, and has pitched seven innings between the last two weekends.
 
All these decades later, little 'JT' Bell gets his day at Miss. State
Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: In a more fair and just Mississippi, James Thomas Bell -- JT to his family and friends around Starkville -- probably would have attended his hometown college, then Mississippi A&M, where he surely would have become a baseball star. Of course, in a more fair and just Starkville, Bell and other Black children could have attended 12 years of high school and not had to work the fields to help feed their families. Those schools did not exist in Bell's day. Yes, and in a more fair and just America, Bell would have become a famous Major League Baseball player -- and/or perhaps an Olympic track star -- and never had to worry about money the rest of his life. Sadly, there was little fair or just for a child of African American and Native American descent, born in 1903 on a farm three miles from downtown Starkville. So at age 17, JT Bell moved to St. Louis to live with older brothers, earn money in the factories there and attend high school in night classes. ... The high school thing never happened. Factory work didn't last long. Baseball discovered Bell, his dazzling foot speed, natural baseball instincts and quick bat. He became a professional baseball player in the old Negro Leagues. He became Cool Papa Bell, the most accomplished Mississippi-born baseball player ever, the only native-born Mississippian enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. ... And if you are wondering why this is written today, you should know that his hometown college --- now Mississippi State University --- will pay tribute to him Thursday night. An area on the left field terrace at Dudy Noble Field will be dedicated as Cool Papa Bell Plaza, replete with a handsome plaque.
 
Philadelphia football standout Greg Eiland signed by the NFL's Seahawks
Philadelphia High School graduate Greg Eiland has signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Eiland, 6-8, 335 pounds, started his football career in Philadelphia Youth Football League. He was a two-way starter during his varsity years at Philadelphia High School and went on to play four seasons at Mississippi State as a guard and tackle on the offensive line. "It seems crazy that it is finally here," Eiland said. "As I sit back and think about it, it seems like time flew. But it has been some long years on different levels. I have worked hard all through school to reach this point. I had a good training program and I thank God for everything else that has come about." Eiland said the Seahawks made the free-agent offer during the sixth round of the NFL Draft last month. He said the Saints and the Bills also showed interested in him but he went with the Seahawks. Eiland said he would be flying out to Seattle on Wednesday morning to join the Seahawks training camp.
 
Brady-Prescott kicks off NFL season plus a return to London
The NFL is returning to London in October and Tom Brady begins his pursuit of an eighth Super Bowl title against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys when Tampa Bay hosts the league's annual kickoff game on Sept. 9. The first game in London since the coronavirus pandemic will be played on Oct. 10 as the Atlanta Falcons face the New York Jets. A week later, the Jacksonville Jaguars meet the Miami Dolphins. Both games will be played at the stadium of Premier League soccer team Tottenham. The Falcons and the Jaguars will be the home teams. The NFL's first 17-game season opens on the same field where the Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs to become the first team to win a Super Bowl at home. It'll be Prescott's first game since sustaining a gruesome ankle injury last October. Brady returns to New England to face Bill Belichick and the Patriots in a Sunday night game on Oct. 3. Most teams are expected to be at full capacity following a season played before limited crowds because of COVID-19. The regular season concludes on Jan. 9, 2022, featuring all divisional games for the 12th consecutive season. Super Bowl 56 is on Feb. 13, 2022, in Los Angeles.
 
SEC baseball tournament tickets to go on sale for Hoover Met, reduced capacity announced
Tickets for this year's SEC baseball tournament will go on sale Wednesday, May 12, and will be limited. Fans can purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET) on Wednesday for the tournament -- set for the Hoover Met in Hoover May 25-30. All-session ticket books are $110 each. Single session tickets, if available, will sell for $20 beginning May 22. Tickets can be purchased at www.SECticketoffice.com or by calling 1-877-332-7804. The tournament will feature 12 teams with seeds 5-12 playing in a single-elimination format on the opening day of the tournament, followed by traditional double-elimination play Wednesday-Friday. The tournament will return to single elimination play on Saturday. Auburn (20-23, 6-18 SEC) sits last in the SEC's West division and second-to-last in the entire conference, standing ahead of last-place Missouri by one game. It is among four teams battling for the final two spots. The tournament will operate at reduced capacity, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All seats will be reserved, and there will be no general admission seating due to COVID protocols.
 
Missouri baseball enters penultimate series with a slim shot at postseason play
Somehow, at 5-19 in the Southeastern Conference, Missouri baseball is still in the running for the 12th and final spot in the conference tournament. The Tigers are last in the SEC, but have a chance to snag one of the last two spots in the tournament if they do well in their final two series. The door is open just a crack for Missouri to take advantage. The top 12 teams in the SEC, regardless of division, make the tournament in Hoover, Alabama. Like Missouri, Auburn has just been bad. The Tigers from Alabama started off the conference season with two series sweeps and didn't do much to improve from there. They added four more series losses before finally getting things done in Athens, Georgia, where they took two games from the No. 20 Bulldogs, including a 14 inning Game 2. Like the Aggies, the Auburn Tigers have a favorable final two series. They play at home against Texas A&M, which they have an opportunity to leapfrog in standings. Things may come down to the final series in Columbia, where Missouri hosts Auburn in the last series of the year.
 
Could college athletes profit off their names? Why Louisiana is in a hurry to allow it
Louisiana lawmakers slowed their applause inside the State Capitol. Kim Mulkey, LSU's recent blockbuster women's basketball head coaching hire, set her notes down on the podium, lowered the microphone stand, picked her notes up again. She whooped. She smiled. She began her recruiting pitch for a landmark bill that holds implications for both collegiate athletes seeking the opportunity to earn revenue based on their stature and Louisiana universities that don't want a slow start in what is seen as an inevitable change in college sports. "The NIL," Mulkey said, addressing representatives of both the House and Senate. "Please, please listen to me. It's going to change all of college athletics. It's going to change your life, your grandchildren's life and everybody's life. Study it. I'm not a lobbyist. I'm just an old country girl that loves to compete and loves this state as much, if not more, than most of you. I appreciate, I'm honored to be here. Make a difference. Make a difference in somebody's life." Yes, a bill addressing NIL (the colloquial abbreviation for "name, image and likeness") is working its way through the Louisiana state legislature. Similar legislation has already been enacted into law by 15 states, and six will go into effect by July. Among those states are Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi. All of them have a start date pegged for July 1. All of them are homes to universities that compete directly with Louisiana schools.
 
Auburn coaches, athletic director preparing for Alabama's name, image and likeness law
The state of Alabama joined the name, image and likeness conversation last month when governor Kay Ivey signed an NIL bill into law. The law, along with potential NCAA rule changes regarding NIL, has put the onus on the state's universities to prepare their student-athletes accordingly. As it turns out, Auburn has begun laying the groundwork to do just that. Auburn athletic director Allen Greene as well as football coach Bryan Harsin and Bruce Pearl outlined their plans for NIL during the Tigers' AMBUSH speaking engagement tour on Tuesday. The three explained the value in educating the student-athletes and how important their roles are in ensuring they are able to be properly compensated under the new guidelines. For Greene, the biggest point of contention is how the laws between states could differ and what that would mean for the various schools involved. "I think the toughest part -- if anybody can pin down NIL, I'd like to know who that person is, right? Because it is, it's a little bit all over the place," Greene said. The University of Alabama unveiled its plans for educating its student-athletes on May 4 in the form of The Advantage, a branding platform that will provide Crimson Tide student-athletes with the education and tools necessary to build and elevate their personal brands.
 
Search firm for UGA AD hire received six figures from the school
The University of Georgia needed just 36 days between the announcement on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend that Greg McGarity was retiring as the school's athletic director to the job being offered and accepted by his top deputy, Josh Brooks, on Jan. 5. The school completed the quick search with the help of Collegiate Sports Associates. UGA paid the Raleigh, N.C., search firm $60,378.50, according to information obtained by the Athens Banner-Herald in an open records request on Wednesday afternoon. According to the one page invoice billed to the UGA Athletic Association, Collegiate Sports Associates was paid $60,000 for executive search services for the athletic director opening, $92 for social media background checks on Dec. 31 and $286.50 for formal background checks on candidates. Brooks was promoted from senior deputy athletic director. He had served in various capacities at Georgia over 10 years include football operations director and overseeing facility improvements. He also spent 16 months as AD at Millsaps College.
 
Knight Commission publishes recommendations to address systemic racial inequity in college sports
The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics issued a set of recommendations Wednesday in a new report, which urges college athletics directors to address the lack of diversity in the upper ranks of their departments, as well as barriers to academic success among athletes of color and racially hostile team environments. These issues have long plagued college sports but gained renewed attention from athletes, scholars and advocates for athletics reform, such as the Knight Commission, as the country and higher education institutions confront systemic racial barriers brought to light after the murder of George Floyd. The report is authored by members of the commission's racial equity task force, which was created in the wake of Floyd's death. It echoes demands made recently to leaders of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, including calls to examine and decrease the wide gaps in graduation rates between white and Black athletes at Division I institutions. About one-fifth of the Division I teams that competed in the 2021 men's basketball tournament had a gap of 30 percent or more between the graduation rates of their white and Black athletes, according to the report. Previous research has found that significant numbers of Black athletes who play for colleges in the Power Five conferences, which include the most lucrative and competitive programs in college sports, do not graduate within six years and trail their nonathlete peers.
 
NCAA Corporate Sponsorships Are for 90 Championships. They Revolve Around One.
Companies including AT&T Inc., Coca-Cola Co . and others together pay more than $200 million every year to associate their brands with the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Their sponsorship fees give them the exclusive right to associate with 90 NCAA sports championships. Yet the big sponsorship dollars aren't helping any of the sports except one --Division I men's basketball -- prove the commercial worth of their championship events and attract new investment that could expand their audiences. That's because the corporate sponsorship dollars aren't paid to the NCAA at all. Instead, a decade ago the NCAA handed off its sponsorship program to CBS and Turner Sports as part of the broadcasting deal for the men's basketball tournament. CBS and Turner make a fixed annual payment -- currently $850 million -- to the NCAA that increases each year. The networks make most of their money from that deal by selling ads for the men's basketball tournament. But they also control the rights to sell sponsorships for all NCAA-run sports championships. The exclusive sponsorship tie-ups that are made via the men's basketball deal can deprive the other sports of potential revenue, says Robin Harris, Ivy League executive director and a former member of the NCAA Competition Oversight Committee, which oversees championships other than basketball and football. She said that hosts of NCAA championships -- universities, conferences and local sports commissions -- long have been frustrated that they aren't allowed to sell sponsorships in numerous product categories because of exclusivity agreements in the NCAA's sponsorships sold by CBS and Turner.



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