| Friday, August 13, 2021 |
| Mississippi State, Delta Health Alliance push vaccination efforts | |
 | Mississippi State is partnering with the Delta Health Alliance to encourage more people at the university and around the state to get a COVID-19 vaccination. Funding from the Delta Health Alliance Mississippi RIVER Project is helping MSU's vaccine adoption efforts both on campus and via MSU Extension, which has offices statewide in all 82 counties. MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said the communication effort to encourage vaccination is a multi-pronged approach, including a new student team called Vaccine Ambassadors which will work during the school year to provide information to MSU students. "We're hiring 20 students who will work as our VA team going to student events and organization meetings. They will be able to discuss commonly asked questions and encourage fellow students to come to one of our pop-up clinics or the Longest Student Health Center to get vaccinated," Hyatt explained. Hyatt said many student and employee incentives also are being funded through the DHA grant. State Health Specialist David Buys said the portion of the DHA grant that impacts MSU Extension will provide outreach to community groups around the state. Speakers will be available to share current data and make referrals to trusted, accurate sources of information, he said. |
| Starkville Fire sees shortage in people joining the department | |
 | Restaurants and local businesses struggle to find workers as the coronavirus worsens, but agencies charged with keeping people safe are also feeling the hiring woes. "It's just as stressful as COVID," said Starkville Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough. Yarbrough has been chief at the Starkville Fire Department for six years. Since then, he's never been so short-staffed. "We have to have a certain amount of people on shift per day so it cuts back on people being off," said Yarbrough. "It affects everything." There are currently 60 employees at SFD, including administration. In order to be comfortable, Yarbrough said he needs to hire eight more firefighters. He believes a big factor in the shortage is the pandemic. The fire chief said it's frustrating being short-staffed, but more importantly, it could be dangerous. "My number one goal is the safety of the citizens of the city of Starkville and also the safety of my personnel," he explained. "When we run short sometimes it can put our guys' lives in danger and also it can put the public in danger." |
| Rising COVID cases could affect planned fall festivals | |
 | In 24 days, the city of West Point will welcome its biggest annual event with the return of the Prairie Arts Festival after a one-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At least that's the plan for now. As COVID cases spike -- on Wednesday, the state health department reported 4,412 cases, the second time this week the daily cases have reached an all-time high in the state -- West Point Main Street Director Lisa Klutts is keeping an eye on the numbers while awaiting further guidance from city and state officials. The Prairie Arts Festival is one of several large events scheduled in the Golden Triangle for September and early October for which the status may be threatened by the resurgence of the pandemic that forced the events to be canceled last year. Organizers say, for the present at least, there are no plans to cancel or reschedule. Among those events is the Columbus Market Street Festival, scheduled for Sept. 17-18. "Our plan is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Market Street Festival," Main Street Columbus Director Barbara Bigelow said. Main Street Starkville Director Paige Watson said no decisions have been made about the status of the Cotton District Arts Festival, scheduled for Oct. 2. “One of the big changes we’ve made because of COVID is that we’re doing everything on an eight-week schedule,” Watson said. “Because of that, we’ve not really had any discussions about what we’ll do with the festival, but we’ll definitely be turning our attention to that and having the discussions we need to make the right decision.” |
| Mississippi breaks its 1-day COVID hospitalization record | |
 | Mississippi has broken its single-day records of COVID-19 hospitalizations, intensive-care use and new coronavirus cases. The state Health Department said Thursday that 1,490 people were hospitalized Wednesday and 388 were in intensive care because of COVID-19. It also said 4,412 new cases were confirmed. The state's previous record for hospitalization was 1,444 on Jan. 4 and for intensive care was 360 on Jan. 12 -- before COVID-19 vaccinations were widely available. The new cases reported Thursday are a 26% increase over the 3,488 cases the department reported in the state Tuesday. The numbers reported Wednesday also exceeded 3,000. The sharp uptick in cases this week indicates more challenges in coming days for already-strained hospitals. The state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said the latest trends suggest the new virus cases reported Thursday are likely to cause about 93 more deaths and more than 300 new hospitalizations. "Let us be very clear that the vast majority of cases and hospitalizations and deaths are unvaccinated," Dobbs said. COVID-19 cases in Mississippi have risen sharply in recent weeks because of the highly contagious delta variant of the virus, and public health officials are imploring people to get vaccinated. Mississippi has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation. |
| Mississippi reports 5,023 new COVID cases, smashes single-day record third time this week | |
 | The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 5,023 new COVID-19 cases Friday, smashing the single-day case count record for the third time in a week. MSDH also reported 31 new deaths as a result of the virus, including two in Lee County. Previous single-day case records set this week were 3,488 cases Tuesday and 4,412 cases Thursday. The department of health reported new record highs in Mississippi's COVID-19 hospitalizations Thursday: 1,490 people were hospitalized, 388 were in intensive care units and 264 were on ventilators. Health experts -- including State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs and Jim Craig, Senior Deputy and Director of Health Protection -- have warned throughout the week that ICUs across the state are understaffed and constantly at capacity, with many patients waiting for care or being treated in emergency rooms. As of Thursday, there were 95 COVID-19 inpatients in the North Mississippi Health Services system. |
| 'We should not be here, y'all': Parking garage field hospital set to open for COVID-19 patients | |
 | Standing in a parking garage at the state's largest hospital, State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs' blue eyes, and the bags beneath, are the only visible parts of his face. The rest is hidden behind a mask. "All right," he told the group of hospital administrators around him. "So, we've come to this." Normally, cars and trucks are parked here. Parking Garage B. Thursday afternoon, there is a long, narrow, white tent with rows of hospital beds atop vinyl-type floors. Outside the tent, it's a typical Mississippi summer afternoon. Hot and humid. Droning portable air conditioning units provide relief inside. The tent does not look like it's in a parking garage, but the Ford F-150 visible through the rolled up section of tarp in the back gives it away. "We should not be here, y'all," Dobbs said. In about nine hours, this tent will be full of COVID-19 patients -- 20 to be exact, according to hospital officials. Another tent being constructed next to this one will hold an additional 30. "When you're standing in a field hospital at a major academic medical center, we're pretty much at a collapse," said Alan Jones, COVID-19 clinical response leader for the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "This is not enough beds to support the state of Mississippi." |
| Teachers, pediatricians urge Gov. Tate Reeves for masks in schools: 'It's never too late to do the right thing' | |
| The Mississippi Association of Educators and the Mississippi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians are asking Gov. Tate Reeves to issue a mask mandate in schools. The plea comes amid record-high COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations this week, in addition to an announcement from the University of Mississippi Medical Center that it is constructing a field hospital in a parking garage to increase capacity. "We are in the midst of a statewide crisis, and while we would typically defer to local officials knowing their communities' specific needs better than anyone -- we can all agree this situation is markedly different," the statement read. "It's never too late to do the right thing." But as Reeves announced he would extend the state of emergency for another 30 days, he also doubled down against any mask requirements: "There will be no lockdowns and there will be no statewide mandates." The teacher and pediatrician groups cited the stress on the hospital system and keeping children in school as evidence of the need for a mask mandate. "Educators, medical professionals, parents, state leaders -- we all want kids in classrooms. But if our priority is to safely keep our students in schools, we need to do what we can to mitigate the spread of COVID. It's that simple." |
| Visiting the Coast, maskless Gov. Tate Reeves says Mississippi should move on with life as COVID rages | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves says he is vaccinated against COVID-19 and moving on with his life. He thinks Mississippi needs to move on, too, and hopes more residents will decide vaccines are their best option. Ignoring the advice of his own state health officer, Reeves convened a crowd Thursday inside Diamondhead city hall and mingled maskless, as did many of those in attendance. He came to the Coast to announce more than 100 members appointed to his new Governor's Gulf Coast Advisory Committee on spending of millions in RESTORE Act funds coming in from the 2010 BP oil catastrophe. But Mississippi's epic struggle with COVID-19 was front and center as the state grapples with the highest caseload to date, the highly contagious delta variant spreads rapidly, and hospitals plead for staff and scramble for beds. While some in the crowd of 150 or so attendees wore masks, many did not, including most of the dozen or so state legislators who sat on the front row for Reeves' announcement. He opened by saying that the vaccine was the best choice for him personally, and he hopes others will discover the same. Mississippi, he said, needs to "move on." Reeves said he is actively working to relieve Mississippi's shortage of health care workers and beds. He told the Sun Herald that the state has requested 920 additional medical personnel and expects some to arrive Friday in Jackson, where the University of Mississippi Medical Center is setting up a field hospital in its parking garage. |
| Governor extends emergency declaration amid newest COVID-19 surge to ensure federal help | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday he is extending the state of emergency order in Mississippi for 30 days, but he will not issue mask mandates despite a warning that hospitals across the state are on the verge of collapse. Tate said the extension is meant to make it easier for the state to seek federal assistance during the current COVID-19 surge. The governor also said there will be no state-mandated lockdowns. "I didn't make this decision without extensive consideration of all factors but I am convinced this action is the best path forward given the ever-changing environment we currently face," Reeves wrote on Twitter on Thursday. In June, Reeves said he planned to let the state of emergency order expire Aug. 15, after other Republican leaders publicly urged him to do so. Reeves took to social media Wednesday evening and Thursday to announce the steps he's taking to help prop up the state's hospitals. On Wednesday, Reeves wrote that the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is contracting with private groups to hire more medical workers. MEMA also is reaching out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance with staffing. State health officials have said there are more than 1,500 vacant registered nurse positions at Mississippi hospitals. |
| White House announces funding to aid rural hospitals in fighting pandemic | |
 | The Biden administration on Friday announced the allocation of billions of dollars in funding intended to aid hospitals and combat the COVID-19 pandemic in rural communities. The administration announced $500 million in funding through the Department of Agriculture would be used to create the Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program, which will allocate most of that money to assist rural hospitals and boost COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts. The program will also provide more than $100 million in grants to make rural health care providers more viable in the long-term, the White House said. Separately, the Department of Health and Human Services is allocating $8.5 billion from the American Rescue Plan signed into law earlier this year to pay health care providers in rural communities who provide Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Plan services as compensation for lost revenue amid the pandemic. Other steps the White House touted included expanding telehealth access for Americans in rural communities, bolstering Veterans Affairs training programs in rural areas for health care providers and allocating $52 million to train health care workers for professions that have staffing needs due to the pandemic. Rural communities have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, and experts have cautioned that proximity and access to hospitals, testing and vaccination sites have added to those challenges. |
| FDA Authorizes Third COVID-19 Dose For Immunocompromised People | |
 | The Food and Drug Administration is authorizing an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine for certain people with weakened immune systems caused either by disease, medical treatments or organ transplants. The move comes after studies have shown these people may not have sufficient immunity to head off the more serious complications of COVID-19 after the standard vaccine regimen. Late Thursday night, the FDA amended the emergency use authorizations for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to allow for an additional dose for certain immunocompromised people, specifically, solid organ transplant recipients or those who are diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise. The CDC estimates the population to be less than three percent of adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is convening a meeting of its immunization advisory committee Friday to consider the scientific evidence supporting the FDA's action and whether to recommend the additional dose for these people. The committee will also evaluate more broadly the need for a booster for people who are not immunocompromised. |
| DeSoto and Harrison have most Mississippi residents per mile | |
| Mississippi's two most densely populated counties are on the far northern and southern ends of the state, according to 2020 census numbers released Thursday. DeSoto County is in the north, just south of Memphis, Tennessee, and it has been growing for two decades. The census showed the county has 389 people per square mile. Harrison County, on the Gulf Coast, is home to casinos and military bases. It has about 364 people per square mile. Next in population density are two counties in the metro Jackson area in central Mississippi -- Hinds County, with about 262 people per square mile; and neighboring Rankin County, with about 203. Hinds is the home to Mississippi's capital city, and it remains the largest of Mississippi's 82 counties by population, with 227,742 residents. But that number is a 7% decrease since the 2010 census. The new numbers also show that about 55% of Mississippi residents are white, 36% are Black, nearly 4% are Hispanic or Latino and nearly 3% are two or more races but not Hispanic or Latino. Mississippi legislators will use the new census numbers to reconfigure the state’s four U.S. House districts, 122 state House districts and 52 state Senate districts. Republicans hold three of the four congressional seats and have wide majorities in the state House and Senate. Redistricting is not expected to change the partisan balance. |
| Mississippi population declining, shifting to urban areas including DeSoto and Lafayette | |
| In Mississippi, as across the country, rural areas are declining and the population is shifting toward urban and suburban areas, according to U.S. Census data released on Thursday. In the Magnolia State, a majority of counties shrank, and only six counties showed a population increase of 10% or greater: DeSoto, Harrison Lafayette, Lamar, Madison and Rankin. Almost all are urban or suburban areas, primarily clustered in or around Memphis, Jackson and the Gulf Coast. In Lafayette County, Oxford saw a population spike of 34%, driving most of the population growth there. Out of that group of growing counties, Lafayette County showed the greatest increase calculated as a percentage, at 18%. DeSoto County saw the greatest total growth in raw numbers, at just over 24,000. Harrison County, on the Gulf Coast, was not far behind with a population increase of 21,516. "Smaller, rural communities are still struggling to maintain and grow," said David Rumbarger, president and CEO of the Community Development Foundation in Lee County. Education and job opportunities are key to revitalizing rural areas, Rumbarger said. As leader of a key economic development organization long central to Northeast Mississippi's regional vitality, Rumbarger also called for state government to devote its resources to what he considers a key conundrum: the Southeast United States is growing, even as Mississippi is not. "We still don't keep pace with the region," Rumbarger said. "How do we remain competitive? That is the major issue." |
| Senate recognizes Catfish Industry with resolution, facts and figures | |
| U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), U.S. Senator Rafael Warnock (R-Ga.), and other Senate colleagues today praised Senate passage of their resolution to designate August 2021 as National Catfish Month. The resolution recognizes the importance of catfish farmers and workers, and commends the contributions of the farm-raised catfish industry to the economy. The resolution (S.Res.353) was introduced by Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Warnock, Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). "Catfish is a source of pride for Mississippi and a big part of our state's economy," Wicker said. "Farm-raised catfish is wholesome, delicious, and already accounts for more than 50 percent of the United States' aquaculture industry. Designating the month of August as National Catfish Month recognizes the impact of catfish producers and helps to share this pride with the rest of the nation." Mississippi leads the nation in catfish production. With more than 200 catfish operations, Mississippi catfish farmers produced more than $226 million in production value on more 35,100 acres in 2020, according to the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. |
| Plenty of budget room seen to accommodate House, Senate earmarks | |
 | Lawmakers who secured earmarks in their chamber's appropriations bills will likely see that funding in a final spending package, as long as the House and Senate can reach agreement later this year. Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick J. Leahy and ranking member Richard C. Shelby said this week they don't anticipate trying to remove any earmarks from the House bills. Nor do they expect appropriators on the other side of the Capitol to try to strike senators' home-state project funding in conference. "I think they're gonna say, 'OK, put yours in and we'll put ours in.' And that's probably what will happen as long as they are within the limits," Leahy said. "I don't think the Senate is going to object, and vice versa." "The House got their earmarks. ... We have ours, the Democrats and the Republicans," added Shelby. "I think we ought to respect, when we can, each other's areas." Not all senators are eager to get in on the action, however. The majority of Senate Republicans have been wary of the process since the beginning, opting to keep a "permanent ban" on earmarking in their conference rules despite that provision not actually binding members and several high-ranking GOP senators requesting projects. In total, 34 Senate Republicans opted not to request funding through the new earmark process, as did two Democrats. |
| Looking for a roommate or a place to rent? Ole Miss grad has a solution | |
| Many college students have struggled with finding a place to live that won't break the bank while also trying to find a roommate they can trust and who can fit their lifestyle. Now, an app created by a recent Ole Miss graduate can help relieve the burden of house-and-roommate hunting for students living in Oxford. Brea Givens graduated May 2021 with a degree in finance and will launch Froomie, an all-in-one app that helps college students find roommates and find affordable and quality housing, on Aug. 23. Givens went through the trials of being a student herself and wants to make the process easier by working with universities, property managers and students through the application. "I transferred to Ole Miss from Austin Community College in 2019," she said. "I had trouble finding a roommate to live off campus with and finding an apartment since I came into Ole Miss not knowing anyone." Givens researched online but was disappointed to see the school did not offer many options to help students. "I was talking to a lot of Ole Miss parents and a lot of them are out of state so they don't help their children look for apartments," Givens said. "[Parents] can download the app as well and view all of the student housing complexes in Oxford." Givens participated in the Edwin C. Gillespie Business Plan Competition, an annual event presented by the University of Mississippi's School of Business, for the first time in 2020 and submitted an early version of the Froomie app. "I didn't get to the final round that time, but I ended up working on it all throughout 2020 and going into 2021," she said. Givens re-entered the competition in 2021, garnered first place for her app and received money from the School of Business' Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to launch it. |
| The Flagship in America's Coronavirus Hotspot | |
 | In the state with the country's highest coronavirus infection rates, faculty and staff members at the public flagship are sounding the alarm about returning to in-person learning. Classes begin in less than two weeks at Louisiana State University. Dorms and most classrooms will be filled to normal capacity. As of Monday, only 36 percent of students had reported being vaccinated against Covid-19, while 88 percent of employees had said the same. A vaccination requirement will not go into effect until at least one injection receives full approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. After calling for a vaccine mandate for students for months, faculty and staff members are now pushing for remote-work options, to keep them away from classrooms and offices full of people of uncertain vaccination status. Some faculty members, and the campus worker union, say they've messaged the administration, with one faculty petition garnering more than 300 signatures. Louisiana State's new president, William F. Tate IV, defended the safety of the university's plans for the fall of 2021, which include a universal indoor mask mandate and testing requirements for unvaccinated students. "The system that we have put into place is really outstanding," he said. "This is as good a surveillance system as you possibly could have." He said his administration has been clear that faculty members who fear bringing the virus home can work with their department chairs on solutions. |
| With tubas and textbooks, students begin moving into residence halls at UA-Fayetteville | |
| The parking lot at Adohi Hall was full of Texas tags and music majors. Students and parents dollied carts of clothing, couches, refrigerators -- and musical instruments -- toward the dormitory. Thursday was the first day that residence halls at the University of Arkansas were open for students to move in. Adohi Hall, which opened in 2019, is the UA's newest residence hall. It was designed with creative spaces in mind. Adohi Hall has seven sound-isolating practice rooms. "I love this dorm. I'm really excited about it," said Aidan Bing, a music performance and music education major from Fort Worth. Bing plays the trumpet. "I think this dorm is the best for a music kid," he said. "It's got a professional recording studio as well, so if I want to send in audition tapes, I've got the equipment to do it." Jessica Johnson, a freshman biomedical engineering major from Tulsa, said she chose UA because she liked the energy. She also visited Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. "I found it more welcoming here," she said. UA has been attracting out-of-state students -- particularly from Texas -- for several years. More UA students are from Texas than any other state besides Arkansas. |
| U. of Florida's robot dogs aim to be first responders' best friend | |
 | Many pet owners teach their dogs how to sit, roll, or shake hands, but they're not likely to train their pets to guide firefighters out of a burning building. A group of doctoral candidates led by Eric Jing Du, a professor in civil engineering at the University of Florida, has trained and developed robotic dogs with the intent of helping first responders virtually "see" through walls in situations that they would otherwise be blindsided by. Firefighters who have trouble navigating through fires in an unfamiliar environment would be able to escape these situations with the dogs' help. Since 2015, Du has aimed to understand how the robotic dogs can impact human interaction and possibly prevent unnecessary deaths. "Human beings cannot go into these dangerous rooms with fire and hazardous substances, but they can send this robotic dog there," Du said. Initially, the idea of helping first responders was not the primary mission for the robotic dogs. With an engineering background, Du said he's able to identify and use different sensors with ease and wanted to help other engineers with his findings. After learning about the number of firefighters injured or killed on the job, Du said he was inspired to build robotic dogs that would make the work safer. |
| After nearly 30 years, University Club will leave Mizzou alumni center | |
 | The University Club has been in the University of Missouri's Reynolds Alumni Center since the beginning of the alumni center in 1992, serving as the site of celebrations, lunches with donors, university events and gatherings. The University Club may be no more by the end of the month, without a decision by University of Missouri administration reversing the action. "I keep hoping they will say, 'We made a mistake, please stay,'" said Tootie Burns, board president of the University Club. On the second floor of the building, the University Club can go unnoticed if one isn't aware of it. "It was the university's best-kept secret," Burns said, adding that may be part of the problem. The 1992 donation from Donald Reynolds established the University Club in the alumni center, Burns said. "Part of his wishes was for a dining establishment in the building for social activities and to share fellowship," Burns said. Membership in the club ranges from $100 to $250 per year, with a $25 quarterly dining fee. It was open to everyone, Burns said. "Departments at the university could have retirement parties here," Burns said. "It was just a great way to show off the university." The decision was a financial one, based on lost revenues in the pandemic, said MU spokesman Christian Basi. |
| U. of Missouri researchers receive $3 million grant from DoD to test diabetes treatment | |
 | Two University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers will receive $2.2 million of a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to test a potentially life-changing, novel treatment for millions of people with Type 1 diabetes. The treatment is designed to stop the immune system from rejecting insulin-producing cell clusters transplanted from another person's pancreas. "Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death among military personnel, veterans and the general public, with an estimated annual cost of $242 billion," said grant co-recipient Haval Shirwan, professor of child health and molecular microbiology and immunology. "Two distinct and opposing immune mechanisms regulate rejection of transplanted pancreatic cell clusters," said grant co-recipient Esma Yolcu, professor of child health and molecular microbiology and immunology. Shirwan and Yolcu will work with Cornell University researchers, who received $922,000, to test a novel approach that uses a liquid droplet containing two biologics -- drugs that contain components of living organisms -- for targeted delivery to and controlled release within the transplanted pancreas cell cluster, according to a news release. These two biologics are designed to kill the Teff cells while expanding protective Treg cells, tilting the balance toward acceptance of the transplanted cell clusters, thus avoiding the use of chronic immunosuppression. |
| Campuses Anticipate Housing Shortages and Surpluses This Fall | |
 | Middlebury College in Vermont is offering students a 50 percent discount on room and board and a season pass to two ski mountains, with free ski equipment rentals, ahead of the start of the fall semester. But there's a catch: Those who get the free perks must agree to live in student housing some 11 miles away from campus. After enrolling about 2,880 students for this fall semester, 330 more than a typical year, Middlebury officials are hoping some students will find the tradeoff worth it and consider the off-campus option. Wright State University cut student housing prices by about 20 percent to 35 percent, depending on the residence hall, in a bid to get more students to move into dorms on the Dayton, Ohio campus. Residence life officials also threw in free laundry room facilities for good measure. Colleges and universities across the country are wrestling with similar housing headaches -- not enough housing to meet outsized student demand, or not enough students to fill surplus rooms -- ahead of the start of the new academic year. The problems come as the institutions struggle with maintaining dorm safety protocols and the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on enrollment numbers, causing inclines at some institutions and declines at others. "There's no single story here," said Kevin Kruger, president of NASPA, the professional organization for student affairs administrators. "It's very dependent on the institutional type, selectivity, and region. You'll see reports that say, 'This campus has more demand than they can accommodate and there's waiting lists,' and then you might go one state over, or even a different part of that state, and find a different story." |
| Letting students work and learn during a unique college gap year | |
| For decades, thousands of students have postponed the start of a college education to experience a "gap year," typically a period of travel, volunteering or working to save money for tuition. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many students to re-evaluate their college plans. About 120,000 more high school graduates opted to delay starting college last fall compared to the year before. Affluent students were more likely to make this choice, according to data from the College Board. In an effort to keep those wandering freshman from finding themselves at other schools, Boise State University tried something new: A reduced cost gap year program for college credit. Autumn Lay was one of several dozen students in the pilot program. She'd had a tough 2019-2020 as a sophomore and planned to take a break from college and work full time while she reconsidered her path. "Then gap year came and I was like, wow, this is exactly what I need right now," she said. While Lay said she thinks she would have returned on her own eventually, many students taking a break never return. Approximately 40% of students who start never finish a degree program. "I think this program is uniquely positioned to provide support for those students who do have interests or a goal of going to college, but get stuck for whatever reason or experience barriers," said Bronco Gap Year Program Director Kelly Myers. |
| Cornell won't approve disability-related requests to teach online | |
| Cornell University said this week it will not consider any faculty requests to teach remotely instead of in person, not even from those seeking accommodations for chronic illnesses or disabilities. Scholars questioned the legality and the wisdom of Cornell's stance in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to provide "reasonable accommodations" to individuals with disabilities who are qualified to fulfill the "essential functions" of a given job. Michael Kotlikoff, Cornell's provost, and Lisa Nishii, vice provost for undergraduate education, said in a letter to faculty and instructional staff Wednesday that Cornell has determined that face-to-face instruction is vital to the resumption of "normal operations." "In-person teaching is considered essential for all faculty members and instructional staff with teaching responsibilities," Kotlikoff and Nishii wrote. "Accordingly, the university will not approve requests, including those premised on the need for a disability accommodation, to substitute remote teaching for normal in-person instruction. For individuals with disabilities, the university routinely works to explore a wide array of possible workplace accommodations." In their letter, Kotlikoff and Nishii emphasized the safety protocols Cornell has put in place. The university is mandating vaccination against COVID-19, as well as requiring students to wear face masks indoors and to participate in surveillance testing. |
| Arizona Colleges Institute Mask Requirements, in Potential Defiance of Governor's Order | |
| Arizona's three public universities announced Wednesday that they would be instituting face-mask requirements in certain settings, possibly defying legislation that prohibits universities and community colleges from mandating several public-health measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Arizona State University was the first institution to push back, announcing it would be requiring face coverings in all classrooms and labs and in "close-quarter environments where physical distancing may not be possible." Northern Arizona University followed soon after, requiring masks in all classrooms, labs, and indoor and outdoor settings where social distancing is not possible. Then the University of Arizona announced a mask requirement, with President Robert C. Robbins stating that masks would be required in all indoor settings where social distancing is not possible. On Thursday, Maricopa County Community College District also joined in, announcing face masks would be required indoors across its 10 member campuses. Last semester, the system enrolled more than 86,000 students around the Phoenix metropolitan area. On June 15, Arizona's Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order preventing public universities and community colleges from requiring students to get the Covid-19 vaccine or submit proof of vaccination. The order also prohibits these institutions from requiring students to wear masks or get tested in order to attend class. |
| Classroom 'gag order' on mask and vax speech at U. of Iowa | |
| Following criticism, the University of Iowa says it's rethinking limitations on what faculty members may say in their classrooms about face masks and vaccinations. The initial Fall 2021 classroom speech guidance, posted earlier this week by the provost's office, said instructors "may only make statements regarding mask usage or vaccinations in the context of course material discussions of health-related issues." Beyond that context, and only if asked, instructors may share their "personal choice regarding the decision to wear a mask or be vaccinated," the guidelines said. That's "without making a statement regarding the value of the choice or any value judgments about decisions not to be vaccinated." Iowa's FAQ-style memo noted that "there is a power differential between you and your students, and they may perceive you asking them to wear a mask or if they have been vaccinated as a requirement that they do so." The provost also reminded instructors that they are not allowed to ask students to wear face masks or to ask students or colleagues if they've been vaccinated. Beyond vaccines, Iowa remains the only Big Ten Conference institution without a mask mandate. And the university appeared this week to double down on its no-mandate mandate by limiting what professors could say about masks and vaccines in their own classrooms. |
| Supreme Court declines request by Indiana University students to block COVID-19 vaccine mandate | |
 | The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to block a COVID-19 vaccine mandate at Indiana University, clearing the way for school officials to require students and faculty members to be vaccinated. Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected a request from Indiana University students for emergency relief. The case is the first challenge to a vaccine mandate during the coronavirus pandemic. The appeal arrived at the nation's highest court as a growing number of employers, restaurants and schools, responding to a rise in COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant, are requiring vaccinations. Slightly less than 40% of the country's adult population is not fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The students filed the emergency appeal last week, asking the justices to block enforcement of the university's requirement, which they said violates their constitutional right to bodily integrity under the 14th Amendment. "With a third ruling, now from the nation's highest court, affirming Indiana University's COVID-19 vaccination plan, we look forward to beginning fall semester with our health and safety policies in place. We are grateful to those who have stepped up to protect themselves and others," Indiana University said in a statement. The school said 85% of its students, faculty and staff are approaching full vaccination. |
SPORTS
| How revamped WRs can revitalize Mississippi State football offense | |
| Mike Leach's offenses are almost always more multi-dimensional than the one Mississippi State put on the field last fall. The 2020 Bulldogs only had two players with more than 500 receiving yards, the smallest number of any of Leach's teams in 19 years as a head coach. One of those two players, Osirus Mitchell, is in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys. By comparison, Leach's 2019 Washington State team had seven players go for over 500 receiving yards. His 2018 team, which went 11-2 and finished in the top 10, had four players reach that mark and his 2017 team, which went 9-4, had five players reach it. If Mississippi State's offense is going to produce as effectively as Leach's Washington State teams did, quarterback Will Rogers is going to need options. Hence the Bulldogs' noticeable roster overhaul at wide receiver. Jaden Walley, Mississippi State's leading receiver in 2020 with 718 yards, is back for his sophomore season. He's joined by third-leading receiver Austin Williams (372 yards) and fourth-leading receiver Malik Heath (307 yards). Other than running back Jo'quavious Marks, no other returning Bulldogs had more than 200 receiving yards last year. The big additions are transfers. |
| Vaccination rates are lagging in SEC country. Can the power of college football turn it around? | |
| When University of Mississippi head football coach Lane Kiffin announced that his team and staff was fully vaccinated against the coronavirus earlier this week, he punctuated the news by saying "it's irresponsible not to" get vaccinated. Kiffin's comments opened up an intriguing tension: Can the power of football in the South help boost lagging vaccination rates? The answer is ambiguous, as coaches and athletic officials are hopeful that athletes can set an example but acknowledge the issues run far outside the lines of the playing field. "I do hope people will see what our athletes are doing as an example to be followed," Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a phone interview with Yahoo Sports. "I hope they are following what our athletes are doing, setting a great example for the rest of our communities. SEC sports play a huge role in the cultural fabric of what we do. But so many people have politicized taking the vaccine. One thing you see often is people don't want their sports and politics to mix." Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne has also been vocal about vaccinations. "What we've tried to do is control what we can control," he told Yahoo Sports in a phone interview. "That's obviously educate and support student-athletes, coaches and staff. At the same time, too, share our opinion that we strongly believe in the vaccine within our community and fan base." |
| Scott Rabalais: LSU fans should know new president William Tate embraces competition, loves sports | |
 | New LSU President William F. Tate IV is a competitive guy. He wants more funding to make LSU a more attractive research university. And he wants LSU to produce graduates that are appealing to prospective employers. "We don't want companies to recruit Texas before they recruit LSU," Tate said Thursday during a meeting with The Advocate | The Times-Picayune editorial board at The Advocate's main office. "That's the kind of conversation I'm having on campus. 'Did the engineering company come to LSU or the petroleum (company) person, did they go to (Texas) A&M?' I hope they came to us. "If they didn't come to us, we have to do better." Tate also grasps that to run a competitive athletic program it takes spending money to produce wins. During the hour-plus visit, Tate was asked whether it was worth it to pay a women's basketball coach, new coach Kim Mulkey, almost $3 million per year ($2.5 million this season going up to $3.3 million by 2029) and $700,000 for new offensive line coach Brad Davis. Describing himself as having a "point guard's" mentality, Tate admitted his knees have forced him to trade basketball for golf. He has dived into the game with gusto, a game he aptly said in an interview at South Carolina, where he was provost before coming to LSU in May, "offers many opportunities for humility and the occasional moment of joy." Tate, who happens to be an epidemiologist by training, side-stepped a question about whether full attendance will be possible in Tiger Stadium this fall amid the latest COVID-19 surge, though he flatly said LSU will require coronavirus vaccines once they receive full FDA approval. |
| Coach Dave Van Horn receives raise, extension through 2031; contracts also extended for assistants | |
| University of Arkansas baseball Coach Dave Van Horn has signed up to stay on at his alma mater for the next decade. The Razorbacks have also worked out extensions and raises for Van Horn's top two assistants, pitching coach Matt Hobbs and hitting coach Nate Thompson, as the program comes off an SEC regular-season title and the school's first SEC Tournament championship. Van Horn signed last week an agreement that will raise his salary to $1.25 million and extend his contract through 2026 with automatic 1-year rollovers each season that would take him through 2031, when he will be 70. The contract calls for raises of $50,000 every year and raises of $100,000 each year the Razorbacks qualify for the College World Series. Van Horn has taken the Hogs to six College World Series during his 19 seasons, including the program's first back-to-back appearances in Omaha, Neb., in 2018-19. UA Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek promoted Van Horn's new deal on social media on Thursday with a graphic that read "Dave Van Horn: Head Hog Through 2031." |
| Nike's new approach to college football uniforms: clean and simple | |
| Uniforms are often a polarizing subject for college football fans; they can be the visual representation of your brand or a hand-in-hand embarrassment with on-field performance. But each new look is an opportunity to make an emotional impact on the fanbase for years to come, that's why uniform re-designs are a delicate balance. Nike's long-standing approach to uniforms has been to elevate each program's aesthetics with new looks, often pushing the boundaries of innovation and tradition. However, the Beaverton, OR based company has established a new trend the past few years: transitioning programs with out-of-the-box uniforms into clean and simple uniforms. The result? The brands have never been stronger and college football has never looked finer. A trend that arguably started in 2018 with Oregon, has resulted in 15 schools over the past 4 years taking part in this revolution, most notably, Arizona and Vanderbilt, programs that sported some of the most wild uniforms, released new traditional uniforms only weeks apart prior to the 2021 season. The 2010s trends of gradients, themes, multiple colors, and unique designs have mostly been reversed. The new era of college football uniforms is here, and it's establishing a formidable cornerstone for the future. Here are 3 reasons why this is Nike's best move yet. |
| Proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test required for New Orleans Saints games | |
| The Superdome remains on track to open at full capacity for New Orleans Saints games this season, but only to fans who provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours prior to games, and who wear masks. The City of New Orleans enacted new rules Thursday for entertainment venues and indoor facilities hosting large social gatherings on the heels of spiking COVID-19 related hospitalizations in the state in recent weeks. That came after the State of Louisiana enacted a mask mandate for such venues. Tulane, a private college located in New Orleans, said it will have the same vaccination and testing requirements to attend its home sporting events, becoming the first major college football team to make such a move. In a statement Thursday, the Saints expressed both an intent to enforce the new rules at homes games, but also empathy for fans who might be frustrated by the new hurdle to enter games. The club also said it would be joining with Ochsner Health System, one of the club's chief sponsors, to stage vaccination events in the New Orleans area as well as outside the Superdome on game days. |
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