| Monday, July 12, 2021 |
| Mississippi State names new director of architecture school | |
 | A professional architect who has worked in higher education for nearly two decades is the new director of Mississippi State University's School of Architecture. Karen Spence began her role at the university on July 1. She is a registered architect in Maryland and Missouri and has served since 2015 as associate dean of the Hammons School of Architecture at Drury University, where she has taught since 2002. While at Drury, she directed the general education curriculum and played a key role in developing a minor in environment and sustainability. She recently finished serving a term as president of the American Institute of Architects chapter in Springfield, Missouri. Spence said her long-term goals include elevating national rankings and preparing for the upcoming reaccreditation and growing the program. "Sustainability and equity are critical to me as an architect, as these values are essential to designing a better world. I know that the school has a strong foundation in these, but I would like to extend and expand them," she said. |
| Mississippi State's Department of Communication to offer master's degree | |
 | The Department of Communication at Mississippi State University is offering students a new Master of Arts in Communication program beginning in January 2022. The new curriculum that encompasses crisis, health and leadership communication, was approved by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning this past spring. The degree is designed with the educational and preparatory needs of communication professionals in mind -- those looking to advance careers, preparing to become educators of speech, media and communication, or planning to pursue a Ph.D., Likes said. Melody Fisher, an associate professor in the communications department, will serve as graduate coordinator for the new program that is a 33-credit-hour degree. For information or to apply, contact Fisher at 325-8078 or e-mail her at mfisher@comm.msstate.edu. |
| Mississippi Coastal Cleanup: Volunteers tackle beach cleanup despite heavy rain | |
 | Heavy rain was a common sight Saturday, and when it rains more and more trash is blown into our beach waters. Saturday's showers didn't stop one group from cleanup efforts to protect the animals in the Mississippi sound. Plastic, glass, and other forms of trash were picked up and sorted. "All of the debris we collect is weighed," said Elizabeth Englebretson, with Mississippi State University Coast Extension. "We sort out plastic, then we brand audit the plastic." Volunteers joined Mississippi Coastal Cleanup and other partners like the Mississippi. "With Fourth of July lots of people come out here to shoot off fireworks and they're so toxic for our beach creatures and they're ugly," Englebretson said. "So we wanted to come out and do a coast-wide cleanup," she said. Englebretson said usually more than 100 volunteers show up each year ready to get a bucket and hand grabber to get to work, but when the rain began to fall, volunteers grew thin. |
| The Hub at MSU, JSU COVID-19 Health Literacy Program and USM Health Sciences Camp | |
 | The Mississippi State University Research and Technology Corporation is carrying out renovations to convert a former bank building in downtown Starkville into a new facility called "The Hub." The project began on July 1 after Cadence Bank relocated to a new branch on Russell Street. MSU Research and Technology Corp. purchased the building from Cadence in 2019 to create a Downtown Innovation Hub. Renovations to the 34,000 facility, located at the intersection of Main and Jackson streets, cost $1.4 million. MSU received $300,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission for the project. The Innovation Hub provides additional space for companies looking to expand their presence in Starkville or startups looking to call the city home, a release from MSU says. Babel Street has been a tenant of the building since 2019, and moved its innovation center into updated spaces on the building's third floor. For more information about The Hub, call the MSU Research and Technology Corporation at 662-325-9575. |
| Men of Alpha aims to bridge the gap | |
 | For Dr. Cedric Ruffin, giving back means using his knowledge to help his community. "I've always been aware of the need for better healthcare in rural communities, like the one I grew up in," said Ruffin, an assistant professor at Mississippi State University-Meridian. "I can't say I had a specific example as a kid, but I knew I wanted to give back." Ruffin is hoping to raise awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine by establishing a fraternity called Men of Alpha. The group will be a local chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., a historical Black fraternity founded in 1906. Ruffin said lack of knowledge, trust and access to adequate medical care are factors in vaccine hesitancy for some people in the African-American community. Men of Alpha aims to bridge that gap by encouraging people to get vaccinated, he said. "Our community is disproportionally affected," he noted. "We want people to know that the vaccine is okay, and it's something that can be trusted." Ruffin, who has been practicing medicine locally for the last five years, is an assistant clinical professor in the physician assistant program at MSU-Meridian. He received his bachelor's degree in biology from Morehouse College, a master's degree in rural community health from the University of Alabama and a medical degree from Mississippi College. He also holds a doctorate from the University from Lynchburg in Lynchburg, Virginia. Ruffin hopes to work with other Black fraternities to spread awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine. With increased awareness, more people will get the vaccine, he said. |
| Young LGBTQ+ residents share challenges of living in Mississippi, desire for better future | |
| For much of their life, Kyle Simpson, a Perry County resident who identifies as non-binary or as someone who identifies neither as female or male, has felt invisible. Like Simpson, many people are feeling unaffirmed in Mississippi, where 3.5% of its population identifies as LGBTQ+. Several LGBTQ+ Mississippians responded to Mississippi Today's NextGen survey and shared their experiences. While each respondent's perspectives varied, several overarching themes emerged: feeling tension between upbringings and finding acceptance in the state, wanting to stay in the state but feeling a lack of community or a lack of resources, and struggling to reckon with harmful policies championed by some of the state's elected officials. Melanie Walsh, a Mississippi State University researcher who also works with the LGBTQ Fund of Mississippi, has sat on the organization's grants review committee for two years and has studied the extent of Mississippi's resources that support organizations aiding LGBTQ+ people. Walsh knows that even with some resources in the state, LGBTQ+ life in the South can be an isolating experience. |
| Camgian Microsystems adds 25 jobs at Starkville plant | |
| High-tech research and product development company Camgian Microsystems is adding 25 new high-paying jobs to support its growth in the Golden Triangle. Located in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park in Starkville, Camgian develops intelligent software systems powered by big data and artificial intelligence that drive improvements in the speed and quality of critical decisions for the U.S. military and some of the world's leading corporations. "When some people think of the Golden Triangle, they usually think manufacturing," Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said in a press release. "Well, we also do high tech, and Camgian is a world class example of a leader in their field. We are lucky to have them calling the Golden Triangle home." Camgian is headquartered in Starkville with additional offices in Jackson and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Founded in Starkville in 2006, the company employs 70 people, many of whom were recruited from Mississippi State University and the region. The additional 25 software development and engineering jobs will focus on creating the future of artificial intelligence, machine-learning, and cognitive computing. |
| Road closure at Old West Point Road in Starkville starting Tuesday, July 13 | |
 | A portion of Old West Point Road will be closed indefinitely to remove and replace a substandard bridge beginning on Tuesday, July 13, 2021. The road closure will begin at the south side of Garrard Road through Trotter Lane. No traffic will be allowed during the closure. Travelers are to use alternative routes such as Montgomery Street, Garrard Road and Highway 12. The Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund by the Mississippi Legislature is funding the bridge replacement project. Officials say the project will provide a safer intersection at Garrard Road, improve drainage efficiency as well as provide stabilized channel slopes. The estimate time for completion will be on or before January 1, 2022. |
| Starkville police investigating restaurant robbery | |
 | Police are investigating the armed robbery of a Starkville restaurant just after it closed Thursday night. According to Starkville police spokesman Sgt. Brandon Lovelady, two suspects entered Slim Chickens at 518 South Montgomery Street just after 10:30 p.m. on July 8. The armed suspects robbed the store and fled on foot, heading west toward Vine Street. "Detectives continue to work closely with Slim Chickens management as they actively investigate this incident," Lovelady said. "Further details will be released as available." If you have information please contact the Starkville Police Department at 662-323-4131 or the Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151. |
| Chris Chain chosen as Mississippi Main Street Association president | |
| Chris Chain of Columbus and Michelle Jones of Starkville have been chosen to lead the Mississippi Main Street Association board as president and vice president for 2021-22. Chain has extensive experience working with Main Streets across the state and has served on the MMSA past board as treasurer. He helped develop Columbus' Main Street Association, one of the first associations in the state, and served as president for multiple years. Chain works as the president of Renovation Inc. in Columbus. He is a general contractor, developing and rehabilitating more than 100 buildings across the state. Jones, owner of the Cottage Industry in Starkville and conference coordinator for the Vernacular Architect Forum, has been involved with MMSA for many years and previously serving as the preservation planning and development director with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and as an association board member. "I believe in the organization," Jones said. "I believe in what it does for communities. I've seen it at the state level and what it does for my own community. I'm just really excited to be able to serve." |
| Analysis: Mississippi might have to rethink Capitol statues | |
| Mississippians find unity in bragging about the state's influence on American culture. The state prides itself on being birthplace of the blues and home of towering literary figures. Yet, even as the nation reconsiders the public display of Confederate monuments amid a reckoning over issues of racial injustice, Mississippi -- a state with a 38% Black population -- still represents itself inside the U.S. Capitol with still-life images of Confederates. Each state can have two figures in the Capitol's Statuary Hall collection, and Mississippi donated bronze statues of Jefferson Davis and James Zachariah George in 1931. Davis served in the U.S. House and Senate from Mississippi before becoming president of the Confederacy. George was a member of Mississippi's Secession Convention in 1861, and he signed the secession ordinance that included these words: "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery -- the greatest material interest of the world." Even among the states that tried to secede from the Union, Mississippi is the only with two Confederate figures in the Statuary Hall collection. Mississippi legislators have shown no appetite for this debate, but they took a landmark vote in June 2020 to retire the last state flag that included the Confederate battle emblem. They don't need to wait for a directive from Congress to start discussing other historical figures who could become Mississippi's still-life representatives. |
| For Joe Biden, politics are often framed by the personal | |
| When grieving with those who lost loved ones in a building collapse, President Joe Biden invoked the car crash that claimed members of his own family decades ago. When explaining his decision to pull troops from Afghanistan, he remembered his veteran son. When discussing the importance of education, he recalled the teachers who helped him overcome his childhood stutter. And when he met with Queen Elizabeth and then Vladimir Putin on a recent trip abroad, he couldn't resist bringing up his mother with both of them. The personal has always been the political for Biden. Far more than his recent predecessors, the president publicly draws on his own experiences when he makes connections with voters and considers his decisions. Many politicians make their background a central component of their political identity, but Biden is particularly prone to draw links between his own life story and the day-to-day workings of his presidency. And the strongest connection is often the saddest one. Few public figures speak as powerfully on grief as Biden. And it was on vivid display recently when he spent more than three hours in private with people mourning the loss of loved ones in the building collapse in Surfside, Florida, going from family to family to hear the stories of those still missing in the debris. |
| Trump, DeSantis lead Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) straw poll | |
 | Former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) led the pack in the Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) straw poll for the 2024 GOP presidential nominee. Trump held a commanding lead, with 70 percent of those who responded to the survey saying they would vote for him in the Republican primary if it were held today. DeSantis came in second with 21 percent. But when polling the 2024 Republican primary ballot without Trump, DeSantis led the pack with 68 percent of the vote. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Fox News host Tucker Carlson, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (R) all received 1 percent in the poll that included Trump. In the survey that left off Trump, Pompeo came in second at 5 percent, and Donald Trump Jr., the former president's son, came in third with 4 percent. Former Vice President Mike Pence clocked in at zero percent. The results from the regional CPAC convention come after DeSantis ran narrowly ahead of former President Trump in a poll of potential 2024 candidates conducted last month at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver. |
| Pew analysis: Sermons turned to political messaging in 2020 amid election, protests, COVID-19 | |
 | Two-thirds of American congregations heard explicitly political messaging in sermons in the immediate run-up to the 2020 election and more than a quarter of churches posted something overtly political on their websites, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center. Politics weren't mentioned evenly across sects, though; Pew found 71% of evangelical Protestant congregations heard at least one sermon referencing the election versus 63% of both mainline Protestant and historically Black Protestant congregations and only 41% of Catholic congregations. The analysis examined 12,832 publicly available sermons from 2,143 churches from Aug. 30 to Nov. 8, 2020, the height of a fierce election season and a period of rising coronavirus cases nationally. The COVID-19 pandemic was the most discussed topic by clergy, with 83% of congregations hearing at least one sermon touching on the pandemic. Clergy who mentioned the pandemic often also did so multiple times while preaching. The study is not necessarily a representative sample of what Americans heard in religious messages because it doesn't account for non-Christian faiths or churches that didn't share their sermons publicly online. Yet the report's findings do underscore the need that many congregants and clergy felt to address the top issues in the national conversation, including the ongoing pandemic, racial justice and the 2020 election. |
| MSDH: People 65+, immunocompromised should avoid mass gatherings through July 26 | |
| Rising numbers of COVID-19 cases has spurred the Mississippi State Department of Health to issue new COVID-19 safety guidance. MSDH is asking all Mississippi residents 65 and older, along with anyone who has chronic underlying health conditions, to avoid indoor mass gatherings, regardless of vaccination status, through July 26. MSDH officials are also recommending all unvaccinated individuals wear a mask when indoors in public settings to help slow the spread of the virus. "We have a lot of COVID circulating again, unfortunately," State Health Office Dr. Thomas Dobbs said during a Friday afternoon press conference. "And it's pretty much all Delta. We know it's very contagious, it may have an increased mortality effect as well, and although the vast majority of cases we're seeing are in the unvaccinated." State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers compared the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases between two recent two-week periods. From June 10-23, a total of 1,843 cases were confirmed. In the past two weeks, June 24-July 7, a total of 2,467 cases were confirmed. MSDH reported 416 new COVID-19 cases on Friday alone. "We're seeing a pretty alarming increase in the number of cases, hospitalizations and outbreaks across the state," Dobbs said. |
| Young Americans Aren't Getting Vaccinated, Jeopardizing Covid-19 Fight | |
 | Millions of Americans have rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated against Covid-19, but one group is well behind: young adults. Their reluctance is a significant part of why the U.S. missed the Biden administration's goal of getting 70% of the adult population a first dose by July 4, and it is impeding efforts to develop the communitywide immunity sought to move past the pandemic and fend off Delta and other variants. Now government health authorities are dialing up efforts encouraging 18- to 29-year-olds to get vaccinated. The outreach will have to overcome the hesitancy of many young adults who don't see the urgency given their relatively low risk of severe cases, are spooked by confusing information on social media and generally feel invincible, public-health experts say. "It's a problem because young people are out and about and social," said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. "They're more likely to be interacting with more people than a 75-year-old" and could spread the virus if they aren't vaccinated. Young adults aren't at high risk of developing severe Covid-19, but they can spread the virus without knowing they are infected if they aren't vaccinated or don't take precautions, according to health experts. Doctors have also warned about the risk of long-term effects in young people who contract the virus, such as shortness of breath, fatigue and cognitive issues. |
| Its future in limbo, limiting telehealth in the Gulf South could be troublesome for rural areas | |
 | Telehealth became a necessity for many people during the COVID-19 pandemic. But with state health emergencies expiring, laws that have made it more available could go away, leaving the region's more rural areas hurting the most due to access barriers and disparities. Adding to the region's problems is a below-average number of primary care physicians available. "We have one of the lowest numbers of primary care physicians in the state of Mississippi," Dr. Saurabh Chandra, chief telehealth officer at the University of Mississippi Medical Center said. "Then you look at how spread out the rural areas are ... it means less access to primary care." Hospitals like the UMMC and the University of Alabama at Birmingham have invested in telehealth long before the pandemic. Chandra says the center recognized the benefits of telehealth over a decade ago to try to reduce the physician-to-patient gap. Chandra says he believes those flexible insurance policies from the COVID-19 pandemic have been helpful and ought to stay in place. He acknowledges there is a risk of creating a gap between "the haves and the have-nots" when it comes to patients who are not as tech savvy or cannot afford the technology. But he says it's important to invest in telehealth, because that is the only way to prove that closing that gap is important. "That's how private companies or the federal government will see the value [of telehealth] and create the infrastructure so that people who are being left behind can get access to it," Chandra said. |
| Professors to join Zora Neal Hurston conference | |
| English professors from universities in Louisiana and Mississippi are among 25 scholars invited to participate in a virtual conference about the Black writer Zora Neale Hurston. LaToya Jefferson-James, an assistant professor at Mississippi Valley State University, and Angela Watkins, a visiting assistant professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, are among 22 professors and three graduate students to attend the conference July 11-30. "The 25 selected scholars will work with top Zora Neale Hurston literary scholars from the U.S. and abroad," the University of Kansas said in a news release. They were chosen from among more than 100 applicants -- the largest number for any conference arranged by the Project on the History of Black Writing, according to the university. The institute is supported by a $200,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. |
| Congressman Thompson announces over $300K awarded to Hinds Community College-Utica | |
| United States Rep. Bennie Thompson announced that The National Science Foundation has awarded $313,960 to Hinds Community College-Utica. This project, entitled "Targeted Infusion Project: STEMulating the M in STEM," is under the direction of Consuella Davis. This project focuses on strengthening the math performance of students who aspire to earn STEM degrees. The long-term benefit of the project will increase numbers of qualified African Americans in STEM workforce and careers, says Thompson. |
| U. of Alabama begins transition to new Tutwiler residence hall | |
 | A year from now, University of Alabama women will be moving into a Tutwiler dorm where the elevators, plumbing and air-conditioning work efficiently; where each double-occupancy room will come installed with updated Wi-Fi and other tech capabilities, and more importantly, its own bathroom. Gone will be a faux-14th floor. The only building of such height on the UA campus followed an old construction superstition: the current Tutwiler's actual 13th floor is labeled 14. The new 1,284-bed Tutwiler Residence Hall will open in August 2022, after having been under construction since June 2019, over space that was once Verner Elementary School, west of the distinctive tower that's stood out on campus since 1968. The old Tutwiler, the second UA residence hall named for education and prison reformer Julia Tutwiler, will come down faster than its elevators, with plans for demolition on July 4, 2022. The new Tutwiler, at the northeast corner of 10th Avenue and 12th Street, will be wider than it is tall, about half the height of the current tower, with a green space quad in its center. It'll sport lounges, study and fitness rooms, and a 16,600-square-foot multipurpose space that will double as a Federal Emergency Management Agency-rated storm shelter capable of housing all the residents. Julia's Market, with sandwiches to go and other basic groceries, will be on the ground floor. |
| Auburn women's athletics pioneer Dr. Jane B. Moore passes away | |
 | Dr. Jane B. Moore, perhaps the most influential woman in Auburn Athletics history, has passed away. Auburn's softball complex was named Jane B. Moore Field in her honor in 2002 and dedicated on April 26, 2003, in recognition of Moore's service to athletics at Auburn. "For more than 50 years, Dr. Jane Moore made an indelible impact on Auburn University and Auburn Athletics," Director of Athletics Allen Greene said. "She believed in the human touch, a quality she consistently demonstrated to student-athletes, who have benefited profoundly from her example." Moore continued to regularly attend events and support Auburn student-athletes until her passing. "No one loved Auburn, Auburn University, the Auburn way of life, more so than Jane Moore," said former director of athletics David Housel. "You can easily say, and should say, that Jane Moore is the moral standard by which Auburn's women's athletics program is judged." In 1975, Moore became the first woman to serve on the Auburn University Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics. She served on multiple athletics committees for men's and women's sports for more than 40 years. |
| This LSU engineering prof has an idea to find underwater oil leaks faster, easier | |
 | An LSU professor's research into better detecting small leaks in underwater oil and gas pipelines before they create environmental disasters has led her to a solution using fiber-optic cable. The cables, which use strands of glass fiber inside insulated casing to send pulses of light, are used for networking and communications. Fiber-optic cable is relatively inexpensive, so it could be wrapped along the length of pipelines, says Jyotsna Sharma, an LSU petroleum engineering assistant professor. A pipeline leak would cause a vibration on the cable, which would alert workers of a potential breach. "The key advantage we have with fiber optic cable is that the whole fiber is sensory," Sharma said. "It increases the 'visibility' of leaks tremendously." It would beat current methods of leak detection, such as placing pressure gauges every 100 feet along a pipeline, Sharma said. "Even with that, it's hard to detect with reliability where the pipeline is leaking," she said. The research by Sharma and LSU graduate student Gerald Ekechukwu was published last month in a leading international science journal, Nature. Part of the funding for the research came from the nonprofit National Academy of Sciences' Gulf Research Program, founded as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf. |
| Summit of academic unions envisions broad changes in higher education | |
 | Organized labor in higher education -- representing faculty members on the tenure track and adjuncts, graduate students and other employees -- came together last week for the first Higher Ed Labor Summit: Building a Movement to Transform U.S. Higher Education. And on Friday evening, those in attendance issued a platform for consideration by the individual unions represented at the conference. More than 75 union locals were present at the meeting, and they represent more than 300,000 people in academe. Those in attendance back the document, union leaders said. "We envision institutions of higher education that prioritize people and the common good over profit and prestige," says the introduction to the platform. "We envision institutions that redress systemic oppression and pursue equity along lines of race, gender, class, sexuality, nationality, indigeneity, age, (dis)ability and immigration status for students and higher ed workers across all job categories. We envision institutions that honor the right of all workers to organize a union and collectively bargain." The tone of the press conference, which came immediately after the closing session of the meeting, was of achieving the goals set out. There was no mention of politically partisan obstacles such as Republicans in the U.S. Senate or in control of many state legislatures, who traditionally oppose unions and have been more willing to limit higher education funding in recent decades. |
| Could the Summer Slide Become a Covid Crash? | |
 | When officials at Georgia State University dug into their data from this spring, what they found was alarming: After a year of remote instruction and pandemic-induced stress, first-year students earned more D's and F's in foundational courses, and their drops and withdrawals were up 30 percent to 40 percent. These early indicators of learning loss are worrisome for college officials across the country, as they plan for this fall. Perhaps more concerning still is uncertainty about how much ground has been lost by entering first-year students. SATs and ACTs, placement tests and reliable grades -- the markers colleges have counted on to place students and plan classes -- were largely shelved or skewed last year. "Many institutions will be flying blind," said Timothy M. Renick, executive director of the new National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State. Forget summer slide -- the well-documented skills slippage students experience over summer break. This year, some fear, it might seem more like a Covid crash. Among those who have fallen the furthest behind, experts say, were students who lacked reliable technology and quiet places to study, had to work and take care of siblings, and worried more than others about losing their loved ones to the pandemic. They're disproportionately low-income and minority. Achievement gaps were widening even before the pandemic. Now, those gaps could become chasms. |
| Last fall saw 'unprecedented' drops in college persistence rates, report finds | |
| First-year persistence rates, which measure whether incoming students continue into their second year, dropped to 73.9% in the fall of 2020, their lowest level since 2012, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The declines were driven by attrition at community colleges, where first-year persistence rates sank 3.5 percentage points to 58.5%. Private and public four-year colleges also saw their rates fall, though the losses weren't as severe. The share of first-year students transferring to another institution by their second fall declined 1.5 percentage points from the decade average to 7.7%, signaling constrained student mobility, the report notes. The report adds to mounting evidence that the pandemic hurt enrollment and made it harder for students, particularly those at community colleges, to persevere in their studies. Of some 2.6 million students that started college for the first time in the fall of 2019, only 73.9% of them returned the next year. That rate is two percentage points lower than the prior year (75.9%), marking the single largest drop in first-year persistence since the Clearinghouse began tracking such data with the 2009 student cohort. |
| Education Department approves 1,800 more borrower-defense claims | |
| The Department of Education is continuing to address its backlog of claims from borrowers who contend they shouldn't have to repay their student loans, announcing Friday that it has delivered another $55.6 million in relief to students of three closed institutions that made "widespread, substantial misrepresentations" about their programs. Over 1,800 claims were approved for borrowers who attended Westwood College, Marinello Schools of Beauty and the Court Reporting Institute. The borrowers will receive 100 percent loan discharges. The latest approvals increase the amount of relief the department has provided to students with borrower-defense claims over the last several months, which now stands at more than $1.5 billion in total loan cancellation for close to 92,000 borrowers. In March, it provided $1 billion in debt forgiveness for borrowers who were previously granted only partial relief, and last month it approved claims for borrowers who attended ITT Technical Institute. The Education Department is no longer processing borrower-defense claims as it did under the Trump administration, when the department calculated the amount of harm done to students by deceptive institutional practices and only provided relief proportionate to that harm. That approach has merit in theory but didn't work in practice, adding to a backlog of claims, said Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. |
| Mississippi's favorite issue to dominate national elections | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: Get ready. The next national election cycle is upon us with 34 Senate seats and 435 House seats up for election. With a 50/50 split in the Senate and a 222 to 213 split in the House, control will be up for grabs in 2022. With soaring spending and related debt, continued COVID concerns, awakening inflation, surging ransomware attacks, and a myriad of economic, social, and international issues at play, what will be the critical issue? Looks like it may be Mississippi's favorite issue -- race. "Race central to Republican strategy for 2022 and beyond" was the headline to an article from Axios.com that began: "With or without Donald J. Trump atop the party, the Republican strategy for the 2022 elections and beyond virtually assures race -- and racism -- will be central to political debate for years to come. In an era when every topic seems to turn quickly to race, Republicans see this most divisive issue as either political necessity or an election-winner -- including as it relates to voting laws, critical race theory, big-city crime, immigration and political correctness." |
| How many Mississippians voted for medical marijuana? It's hard to say, and that's by design. | |
| Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: The narrative has developed that 74% of the people who went to the polls in November supported medical marijuana legalization. But in reality, the convoluted process enacted by legislators used to place an alternative to a citizen-sponsored initiative on the ballot makes it difficult to gauge the precise level of support for medical marijuana. Still, that narrative led to the creation of the "We are the 74" group and Facebook page referencing the 74% of voters who presumably voted in favor of legalizing medical marijuana. "We are the 74" is the rallying cry of a large number of people who want the Legislature to approve medical marijuana -- sooner rather than later -- after the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down the medical marijuana initiative approved overwhelmingly by voters. It is inaccurate to say that 74% of people who went to the polls in November favored the legalization of medical marijuana. It would be true to say that the November vote indicates a strong majority favored medical marijuana legalization. Granted, in the grand scheme, it makes little difference whether medical marijuana support at the polls in November was at 65%, 75% or some other overwhelming number. Still, it is important to provide accurate information and the context of that support. |
SPORTS
| Another Will In San Francisco | |
| After shinning on the biggest stage in college baseball and earning the NCAA College World Series Most Outstanding Player, right-handed pitcher Will Bednar became the 18th first-round pick in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft in Mississippi State history. Bednar's selection by the San Francisco Giants marks the eighth time since 2016 that an MSU pitcher has been selected in the top 10 rounds, including five going in the top three rounds. With the 14th overall pick, Bednar is the highest selected right-handed pitcher in program history, edging out Jay Powell, who was the No. 19 overall pick in the 1993 draft. He is also tied for the fifth-highest pick overall in MSU history with Justin Foscue (No. 14, 2020 -- Texas Rangers). Overall, seven Diamond Dawgs have been selected by the Giants, with the last three all making their big league debut for San Francisco. That trio includes Will Clark (1st round; 1985), Jeff Brantley (6th round; 1985) and Chris Stratton (1st round; 2012). He joins Powell, Carlton Loewer (1994), Matt Ginter (1999), Stratton and Dakota Hudson (2016) as MSU right-handed pitchers picked in the first round of the MLB Draft. Bednar's selection in the first round marks three straight seasons for the Diamond Dawgs with at least one first round selection. Since 2012, Mississippi State has eight first round choices on its resume, which is tied for No. 4 nationally across college baseball. |
| Mississippi State pitcher Will Bednar selected by San Francisco Giants with No. 14 pick in MLB draft | |
| From Will Clark to Will Bednar, the Mississippi State baseball team and the San Francisco Giants continue to form a connection. Bednar, the Bulldogs' ace right-hander, came off the board Sunday evening in the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft, selected by the Giants with the No. 14 pick in the first round. "It's awesome," Bednar told MLB Network from his house in Pennsylvania, minutes after he fielded the phone call and embraced his father Andy and his mother Sue in turn. "It's truly electric." The right-hander cashed in after a historic postseason run, starring in the College World Series as the Bulldogs claimed the first national title in school history. He delivered a 15-strikeout start against Texas in Mississippi State's opening contest and held Vanderbilt hitless over six innings on short rest in the winner-take-all championship game June 30. And he'll be rewarded handsomely. The No. 14 pick carries a slot value of $4,036,800, although Bednar might receive a larger or smaller signing bonus. But he told MLB Network's Harold Reynolds his rising draft stock during the Bulldogs' Omaha run wasn't really on his mind. "I was just trying to lock in with us trying to win a national championship, just kind of taking it a game at a time and doing whatever I could to help the team," Bednar said. |
| How Will Clark helped make Will Bednar's selection by San Francisco Giants extra special | |
 | When Will Bednar's name was called in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft on Sunday, the moment was special for two unexpected reasons for the Mississippi State pitcher. The obvious reason was that Bednar was drafted 14th overall one week after leading the Bulldogs to their first College World Series title. But what made his selection even more special was the story behind the exchange of his draft card and the announcement that followed. Former San Francisco Giants star Will Clark, a legendary player at Mississippi State, handed over the No. 14 draft card to high school pitcher Logan Howard, a Colorado native who announced the pick. Howard, a Giants fan, suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body. Despite being told he may never play baseball again, Howard persevered and made his return five years later as a senior this season. Clark's name remains in the MSU record books as the career leader in batting average (.391). He also ranks second in home runs (61) and has a statue outside Dudy Noble Field in Starkville. Clark was the Giants' No. 2 overall pick in the 1985 MLB Draft. |
| Ole Miss signee Jackson Jobe, Mississippi State's Will Bednar, Rebels' Gunnar Hoglund all taken in first round | |
| Jackson Jobe was the first player with Ole Miss or Mississippi State ties taken in the Major League draft. He was later joined by Mississippi State's Will Bednar and Ole Miss' Gunnar Hoglund in Sunday night's first round. Hoglund's season was cut short by torn elbow ligaments. Jobe, a right-handed pitcher from Oklahoma City and Rebels signee, was selected by Detroit with the third overall pick Sunday night. Jobe is ranked the No. 4 overall high school prospect, the No. 1 right-handed pitcher, by Perfect Game. Slot value for the No. 3 pick is $7.22 million. Eleven picks later Bednar, a sophomore, was taken by San Francisco at Pick No. 14. Bednar, with his elevated fastball, was a key piece in the Bulldogs' championship run. "It's been crazy, a whirlwind to be honest. It's really cool," Bednar said in an ESPN interview after the pick was announced. Bednar said he was "kind of conscious" of how his draft stock improved late in the season. Bednar went 9-1 with a 3.12 ERA in 92 1/3 innings this season. Slot value for Bednar's pick is $4.04 million. |
| 'Hey man, we're national champs': How a Socastee grad led Mississippi State to CWS title | |
 | Jake Mangum knew after just one season with Chris Lemonis as his head coach. Following Mississippi State's exit from the 2019 College World Series a win shy of the semifinals, the then departing senior gave an impassioned farewell directed at Lemonis during the postgame press conference. "Thank you for everything," Mangum said while holding back tears. "You're going to bring the first national championship to this baseball program. You are, and it's going to be awesome. I can't wait to see it." The SEC career hits leader didn't have to wait long. Lemonis delivered the predicted title last week when the Bulldogs defeated Vanderbilt 9-0 in the championship game of the first College World Series held since Mangum's prophecy.It's the first NCAA national title in any sport at Mississippi State, and there was cause for celebration among some in Myrtle Beach as well, as it was delivered by a Socastee High School alumnus. "Our state is so excited about their first national championship and it's really cool," said Lemonis, a 1988 Socastee grad. "I mean, I've gotten more fans crying and everything else, they're just so excited that we finally won, which has been pretty special." Lemonis credits Rick Hardwick, Socastee's baseball coach his senior year, with keeping him in the game through college, leading to his collegiate coaching career. Hardwick had recently graduated from The Citadel and convinced Lemonis to attend the Charleston military school and walk onto the baseball team. |
| Mississippi State senior Blair Stockett Qualifies For U.S. Amateur | |
| Mississippi State will once again be represented at the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship after Blair Stockett qualified for the prestigious tournament. The senior follows Ashley Gilliam, who advanced to match play in the 2019 Championship held at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi. Stockett finished sixth in her Sectional Qualifier at Walnut Grove Country Club this week after shooting a 1-under 71. She picked up a huge eagle on the par-5 16th tee and forced her way into a three-player playoff for the final qualifying spot. On the second playoff hole, the Jackson, Mississippi, native sunk a birdie putt to clinch a berth at the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship. This year's tournament will be held at Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, on Aug. 2-8, featuring 156 players. The competition will consist of 36 holes of stroke play over the first two days before the field is cut to 64 for match play. Beginning with the Round of 64 on Aug. 4, the action will air on the GOLF Channel. NBC's Peacock will also stream match play on Aug. 5-6. |
| Former Noxubee County, Mississippi State star Jeffery Simmons hosts second annual football camp in Starkville | |
| After holding a very successful camp in a COVID-stricken 2020, Jeffery Simmons and many other former Bulldogs came together to host Simmons' second annual football camp at the Starkville Sportsplex. "I feel like it went really smoothly last year, and it's going a lot smoother this year because it's our second year doing this," Simmons said. The Tennessee Titans defensive lineman, who is a native of nearby Macon and a Mississippi State football great, was eager to start a football camp. During his first NFL offseason last year, he was able to hold a safe and successful camp, opening the door for him to host the event again in 2021. This year's edition saw around 330 first- through eighth-graders Friday and about 280 high school and college athletes on Saturday. Simmons was elated at the turnout and the opportunity to teach, coach and influence the kids who attended. Among the Bulldogs who came back was Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. A Starkville native and an instrumental part of Mississippi State's defense over his three years with the Bulldogs, Gay said it was a great opportunity to help the younger generation of players. Gay said while he was able to go to football camps when he was younger, none was put on by an NFL star who played in his hometown, so it was special to give the kids the opportunity to learn under Simmons and the other former Bulldogs. |
| NSPARC seeking participants for golf research study | |
 | Mississippi State's National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center is seeking participants for its study designed to collect 2D and 3D golf swing data. Those who meet the following criteria are eligible to participate in the study: male or female age 18 and older, have played golf for over 1 year, and have no injury or previous injury in the last six months that has hindered your performance. Appointments for the study will be conducted July 13-15, and there is no cost to participate. Total time commitment for the study will be approximately 45 minutes on one day at the Starkville Country Club driving range. Study organizers are looking to record participants' golf swing using three different clubs, a driver, mid-iron and wedge. They will use a biomechanical analysis of the golf swing during the study, which will include 3D motion capture, Foresight Launch Monitor, and 2D video. Those interested in participating in the study are asked to please email their name and phone number to Tony Luczak, NSPARC assistant research professor, at tluczak@nsparc.msstate.edu. |
| Fan Donations Keep Mascot Traditions, and Actual Animals, Alive | |
| At the start of every Colorado football game, a 1,000-plus-pound bison charges around the perimeter of Folsom Field. "Here comes Raaaaaalphie," a voice bellows through the speakers as the anticipation builds. Despite her name, Ralphie actually is -- and always has been -- a female bison, for size and temperament reasons. When Ralphie runs, she's flanked by five handlers, donning black button-downs and cowboy hats. The fastest two run in the front, with the strongest three in the back to slow her down. She can, after all, run up to 35 miles per hour, but typically she tops out around 20 mph during her leisurely gameday lap. Ralphie lives for free on a secret donor-owned ranch near the Boulder campus. Monetary gifts, from fan donations and a small endowment, cover her other expenses, including feeding, care and travel. Handler gear is also paid for by private donations, while the athletics department covers staffing costs. "Anything we can do to encourage people to donate, we definitely do [because] monetary donations are key to the success of our program, and we've been lucky to have some very generous donors in the past," said Taylor Stratton, manager of the Ralphie Live mascot program and a former handler herself. It may all sound a bit extreme, but Colorado is hardly alone. The Buffs don't have the only fanbase this invested, literally, in their live animal mascot. Other programs have similarly dedicated donors. There are, of course, the smaller, less costly sort of live mascots---South Carolina's gamecock, Sir Big Spur; Yale's Handsome Dan and Mississippi State's Bully (both bulldogs, like Uga); and Temple's owl, Stella, are merely a few. |
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