| Monday, August 23, 2021 |
| Monday Profile: Health scare leads MSU professor to volunteer with cross-country team | |
 | Almost every day after school, members of the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District middle and high school cross-country teams spend the fall honing their sport. For the past decade, student-athletes have run along Starkville's streets under the guidance of assistant coach and volunteer Steve Shaffer. Coach Steve, a Starkville resident, has been a political science professor at Mississippi State since 1979. Since starting, he has volunteered as a coach for the cross-country teams at Partnership Middle School, Armstrong Junior High and Starkville High School. "It's funny. I was running on my own with this guy, Joe MacGown, whose son, Joseph was the fastest guy in the state of Mississippi," he said. "So we'd run on weekends -- Joe, Joseph, me and some college guys. Then, Joseph went to Starkville High School and started running there. And I just kind of followed him there and have been here ever since." Shaffer hasn't always been a runner. His fitness journey began 37 years ago, when at the age of 30, he was overweight. "I had borderline high blood pressure and that really scared me," Shaffer said Saturday, after running the Starkville Foundation for Public Education Hannah Pote Run for Education virtually with the cross-country team at MSU's North Farm. |
| MSU to Host Mississippi Poet Laureate Catherine Pierce | |
 | Catherine Pierce, Mississippi's Poet Laureate and a professor in Mississippi State University's Department of English, will lead a live Facebook event on Tuesday, Aug. 24, during which she will give a public reading and discuss her statewide appointment. Gov. Tate Reeves appointed Pierce, who serves as co-director of the MSU English department's creative writing program, as the state's poet laureate in spring 2021. Pierce recently received the 2021 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Poetry Award for her book "Danger Days." She is also an awardee of the 2020 Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Artist Fellowship for her poetry. Her other poetry books include "The Tornado Is the World," "The Girls of Peculiar" and "Famous Last Words." The MSU College of Arts and Sciences' Institute for the Humanities is hosting the public reading, which will take place at 4 p.m. The Institute for the Humanities will livestream the free event on its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/msu.humanities.institute. |
| Cotton District Arts Festival unveils poster | |
| Starkville Area Arts Council recently announced two upcoming projects. Cotton District Arts Festival 2021 is set for Oct. 2. Presented by the Starkville Area Arts Council (SAAC) and the Cotton District Arts Festival (CDAF) Committee, the historic festival is being brought (safely) back to the Cotton District this fall with over 150 artisans, 20 local food vendors and food trucks, local musicians, fun arts activities for all ages, and more. Earlier this week, the CDAF Committee revealed the official #CDAF2021 poster created by Morgan Hollis. It was chosen over a dozen student submissions to their annual contest in Mississippi State University graphic design classes taught by Suzanne Powney. At the moment, masks will be required for vendors and encouraged for attendees. Social distancing guidelines will be followed. This is subject to change based upon recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and/or the Department of Health at the time of the festival. For information on the COVID-19 vaccine, contact a medical professional. For more up-to-date notices about the festival, follow CDAF and SAAC on social media. |
| Schools in Golden Triangle plan to remain in person for now | |
| While the Mississippi Department of Education announced Thursday that Mississippi schools could choose to go to a hybrid style of learning, public school districts in the Golden Triangle plan to keep instruction in person -- at least for now. Columbus Municipal, Lowndes County and Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated school districts all began the school year in-person, following a year where they each offered virtual or hybrid models. So far, only Caledonia High, part of LCSD, has changed after a COVID-19 outbreak among students and staff forced a two-week stint of virtual learning that runs through Friday. MDE had previously encouraged all public schools in the state to return to in-person learning but approved a hybrid scheduling option to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through Oct. 31. MDE will reevaluate after that point. Schools who adopt a hybrid model, which combines virtual and in-person learning, must ensure students participate in 330 minutes of instruction per day. Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District is not considering hybrid instruction at this time, SOCSD Superintendent Eddie Peasant told The Dispatch. The board of trustees will be discussing a potential virtual learning policy at its September board meeting, he said. |
| Analysis: Gov. Tate Reeves now says COVID response is not political | |
 | Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves stared into cameras during a news conference and said he is not advancing any political agenda in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as the state experiences a sharp rise in new cases and hospitalizations. "There are those on the right who would like me to make masks and vaccines into a political battle," Reeves said Thursday at the Sillers state office building. "There are those on the left, including most of the reporters in this room, who really want to make political hay and grow their Twitter platform because I will not issue mandate after mandate after mandate. "Let me be clear," he said. "I do not give a damn about any political agenda." Reeves was speaking to about a dozen reporters and photographers in the room, at least that many journalists on a video conference and an audience of thousands watching on a Facebook livestream. The governor made his declaration about not promoting any political agenda only three weeks after he stood in front of a conservative audience at the Neshoba County Fair and used us-versus-them rhetoric to criticize the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for changing its guidance on masking. |
| Mississippi COVID-19 cases top 7,200 over weekend; 56 deaths reported | |
 | The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 7,249 new coronavirus cases Friday-Sunday, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. A single-day record of 5,048 new cases was reported Friday. The previous highest one-day total was a week prior, on Aug. 13, with 5,023 cases. From Aug. 13-19, the state reported over 25,000 new COVID-19 cases. On Monday, the state reported 56 deaths with 43 occurring Aug. 12- 22 and 13 occurring Aug. 6-16, identified from death certificate reports by MSDH. On Aug. 17, the state saw the highest coronavirus-related deaths daily total since the beginning of the pandemic, at 67, reported over a course of days. Since the virus hit the state in March 2020, a total of 413,498 cases and 8,047 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported. According to a New York Times database, Mississippi leads the country in the number of cases per 100,000, with 120 compared with 45 nationwide. Clarke County reportedly has the fourth highest rate of new infections in the country at 230 per 100,000, according to the database. Residents between the ages of 25 and 39 represent the largest portion of the infected population in the state, with 89,148 cases reported Aug. 17, the latest figure available. |
| Top Mississippi hospital tightens its COVID vaccine policy | |
| Mississippi's only Level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital announced Friday it will now mandate all employees and students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The policy is a reversal from a rule put in place last month that allowed employees or students to skip the vaccine if they agreed to wear an N95 mask while on campus. In a letter Friday, a top official at the University of Mississippi Medical Center said it's time for the institution to take aggressive action. Mississippi has the highest per capita rate of new COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 case tracker. "COVID-19 in Mississippi is a raging wildfire but not everyone is helping throw water on the flames in their own backyard," wrote Dr. Alan Jones, University of Mississippi Medical Center's associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs. "We -- as an institution and as the workforce for the state's leading health system -- need to be a leader in this fight." The University of Mississippi Medical Center's policy requires that employees and students be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1. Vaccinations will be required to be completed in phases: By Sept. 15, all managers and supervisors must be vaccinated; by Oct. 1, all other employees; by Nov. 1, all students. |
| Miss. health officer: COVID-19 isolation order includes fully vaccinated people who are infected | |
 | Any Mississippian, regardless of vaccination status, who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to immediately isolate at home, according to an order issued Friday by State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs. The statewide order that is effective immediately, came the same day the Mississippi State Department of Health reported 5,048 new infections -- the highest one-day case count since the virus first arrived in the state in March 2020. Dobbs released a similar missive in August 2020, however, this new isolation order includes fully vaccinated people who test positive and guidance for Mississippi's K-12 students and faculty. Failure to comply is, at a minimum, a misdemeanor that carries a fine of $500, six months imprisonment or both, according to the order. If a life-threatening disease is involved, disobeying the order of a health officer is a felony, carrying a $5,000 fine, five years imprisonment or both. There is no set expiration of the state health officer order. |
| Mississippi officials warn against using ivermectin for COVID-19 amid spike in poisonings | |
 | Mississippi health officials are warning residents against using ivermectin, a horse dewormer medication, to treat COVID-19 infections at home amid a spike in poisoning calls to the Mississippi Poison Control Center. The Mississippi Department of Health sent a letter out to to the MS Health Alert Network on Friday warning health professionals of the spike in poisonings from individuals digesting ivermectin. "At least 70% of the recent calls have been related to ingestion of livestock or animal formulations of ivermectin purchased at livestock supply centers," the letter stated. Only one person was told to seek further help due to the amount of the ivermectin ingested and 85 percent of callers had mild symptoms. Some of the symptoms individuals can experience are rash, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, neurologic disorders, and sometimes severe hepatitis. The increase in ivermectin use comes as Mississippi is struggling to deal with an increase in coronavirus cases as the state has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the U.S. |
| Pfizer's COVID Vaccine Gets Full Approval From The FDA | |
 | The Food and Drug Administration has formally approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. The widely anticipated decision replaces the emergency use authorization granted by the agency last December. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be subject to a full review by the U.S. regulator and to get an approval that puts the vaccine on par with other marketed vaccines. The full approval could make it easier for employers, the military and universities to mandate vaccination and may reassure some people hesitant about the vaccine. A June poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 31% of unvaccinated people said they would be more likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine once one receives full approval from the FDA. "While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated," acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement. "Today's milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S." The FDA acted Monday without convening a customary public meeting of expert advisers to vet information about the vaccine and make recommendations to the regulator. |
| States gripped by Delta variant face case surge with fewer health workers | |
 | Hospitals and lawmakers in states gripped by the Delta variant are offering nurses tens of thousands of dollars in signing bonuses, rewriting job descriptions so paramedics can care for patients and pleading for federal help to beef up their crisis-fatigued health care workforces. The alarming spread of new cases is draining the pool of available health workers in ways not seen since the pandemic's winter peak, forcing officials to improvise and tear up rules dictating who cares for whom. Governors and hospital directors warn that the staffing crisis is so acute that patients, whether suffering from Covid-19, a heart attack or the effects of a car accident, can no longer expect the level of care that might have been available six weeks ago. Nearly 87,000 people are hospitalized with Covid-19 in the U.S., the most since early February. The overwhelming majority are unvaccinated. Mississippi opened a second field hospital this week in the parking garage of the state's only children's hospital. State officials are now allowing some paramedics and emergency medical technicians to care for patients inside hospital emergency rooms. The staffing crunch is more than just a nursing shortage. Radiologists, laboratory technicians, custodial staff and food-service workers are all in short supply. Some leave because of burnout, having battled the pandemic for nearly 18 months. Some who've stayed need time off to care for an infected loved one. |
| Drawing the lines: Residents voice concerns on redistricting Mississippi after 2020 Census | |
| Transparency, equity and fairness were the prevalent themes of those voicing their opinions at a Mississippi redistricting hearing Thursday night at the University of Southern Mississippi. The Standing Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment and Standing Joint Congressional Redistricting Committee has been traveling the state for the last three weeks holding similar hearings in all four of the state's congressional districts. One more hearing is scheduled before the redistricting work begins in earnest. That meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday in Room 216 at the Capitol in Jackson. Redistricting occurs every 10 years after Census numbers are returned to the states. The figures show how the population has increased or decreased in different parts of the state and will determine where legislative and congressional lines are drawn. This will be the first post-Census redistricting that will not be overseen by the federal government since 1965, when the Voting Rights Act was passed. For nearly 50 years, Mississippi had to submit its redistricting plans to the federal government to approve before its new districts could be formalized. This concerns many Mississippi residents, some of whom attended the hearing to implore the committees to set aside the practice of gerrymandering and create fair districts that will reflect the racial diversity in the state. |
| Blowing smoke? Chad McMahan, key lawmakers offer conflicting accounts of medical marijuana legislation | |
 | Dueling comments between state lawmakers have shed at least a little light on the current shape of negotiations over a complex medical marijuana bill that is expected to spark a special legislative session in the near future. At a civic club meeting in Tupelo on Friday, Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, shared what he claimed were current details of a medical marijuana proposal, citing conversations with lead legislators in the state Senate -- including Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven. Blackwell, the architect of Senate medical marijuana negations, and Rep. Lee Yancey, his counterpart in the House, confirmed that some of McMahan's comments are accurate, but disputed other portions of the Lee County lawmaker's remarks. Blackwell told the Daily Journal that the current version of a medical marijuana bill includes a 7% sales tax, some type of distance restriction and allows physicians to certify patients for medical marijuana treatment. The Southaven legislator said he's currently on the 12th draft of a marijuana bill and that a definitive version does not yet exist. McMahan, who admits he has not seen a draft of any marijuana bill, said he has been told that the latest Senate version contains a 7% sales tax and a 10% excise tax. The Lee County lawmaker strongly opposes all excise taxes. Blackwell confirmed that a 7% sales tax is very likely, but said any tax beyond that remains subject to further debate. |
| Donald Trump booed at Alabama rally after telling supporters to 'take the vaccines' | |
 | Former President Donald Trump was briefly booed at a rally on Saturday in Alabama after telling his supporters they should get vaccinated against COVID-19. Trump, who held a rally in Cullman, about 50 miles north of Birmingham, touted to rally goers that the three vaccines -- Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson -- were developed in under nine months during his presidency. He then suggested that they get the vaccine. "You know what? I believe totally in your freedoms. You got to do what you have to do, but I recommend: Take the vaccines. I did it -- it's good," he said. Shortly afterward, some boos could be heard in the crowd, which was mostly maskless. Trump acknowledged the crowd's reaction and said it was OK. "That's alright. You got your freedoms. But I happen to take the vaccine. If it doesn't work, you'll be the first to know. I'll call Alabama say, 'Hey you know what?' but it is working. But you do have your freedoms." Alabama has the lowest percentage of people in the nation who are fully vaccinated at 36%, according to a USA TODAY analysis. Only four states -- Idaho, Wyoming, Mississippi and West Virginia -- have a lower percentage of people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Alabama is at 48%. |
| As an economic indicator, copper is worth its weight in gold | |
| Here's an economic indicator for you: copper. If you've been paying attention to the copper market, you might be a bit worried. After reaching an all-time high in May, copper prices have tumbled around 10%. Yes, other commodities are seeing similar dips. But when it comes to forecasting the macroeconomic future, copper has its own special reputation. So much so that the slang term commodities traders use for the copper market is Dr. Copper. It's thought to be so good at predicting the economy, it has a Ph.D. in economics. "So, that's where the nickname comes from. Copper has always been viewed as a precursor for the direction of local and global economies," said Bob Iaccino, a Chicago-based commodities trader. He said the reason is pretty simple. "Regardless of what era you're talking about economically, copper has been a factor in anything that needs to be built." The recent dip in copper prices can be traced to many things, said Phil Streible, chief market strategist with Blue Line Futures: tapering the Federal Reserve's stimulus, the delta coronavirus variant, but mostly, "copper's really connected to the Chinese economy." China is responsible for about 50% of the world's copper consumption. The drop in prices coincides with a general cooling of the Chinese economy, Streible said. |
| Classes Begin Monday at Ole Miss | |
| The new fall 2021 semester at the University of Mississippi begins Monday with students returning to campus. This semester, as COVID-19 is increasing in the state, all faculty, staff and students are required to wear a mask while indoors. This procedure is for all vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals. Two weeks ago, Chancellor Glenn Boyce released the new campus protocols for the fall semester. "Effective immediately, the university will require face coverings in indoor public spaces on campus, regardless of vaccination status. This includes public office spaces, classrooms, conference rooms and other academic spaces like laboratories and libraries. Additionally, masks will be required while traversing public spaces in residence halls, dining facilities, the Student Union, Campus Rec, and retail spaces. Masks will be required for extracurricular activities held in indoor on-campus spaces. Face coverings are not required when outdoors." |
| Two Ole Miss students started a moving business in the midst of COVID-19 | |
 | Packing for a trip or vacation can be a hassle. Two Ole Miss students started their own business to help the community. It's common for college students to get a job at a restaurant or in retail just to make ends meet. Before even receiving their degrees, they had had one simple idea that turned into an entrepreneurship opportunity for them. Tim Herrington and Tyson King are the owners of T & T Moving and they also do all the heavy lifting. The duo brainstormed the idea to start their business after helping one of their family members. "We took a picture of the truck and trailer and posted it on Snapchat and was like if anybody needs help moving just reach out to us and the attention that we got from that we just knew we had an up and coming business," said King. That idea soon turned into a business in July of 2020, and the impact is bigger than they could've imagined. "We have quadrupled the number of moves that we did last year. We had to go and buy a box truck and we had to go and get a five-man crew to help us out with different moves and stuff like that so we've been pretty busy but blessed at the same time," said Herrington. Customers can request other services. "We offer tv mounting services, we offer furniture pick up and assembly and even just small moves; it doesn't have to be like a bed or dresser if just have some clothes or bins or anything or just need the truck to use it for anything you can rent our truck out," said King. |
| Hattiesburg Pocket Museum welcomes new USM, WCU students | |
 | Downtown Hattiesburg was a popular place Saturday afternoon for university students as they toured the Hattiesburg Pocket Museum and other parts of the historic downtown area. Students from the University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University, as well as many families, enjoyed a Woodstock theme at the museum. It included lots of tiny Volkswagon buses and posters on display. It was also part of "Home Sweet Hattiesburg," a project to introduce new USM students to different parts of the city. "I think it's a great place for young people," said Maria Enger, a Hattiesburg native who is in her first year of medical school at William Carey University. "I went to school at Sacred Heart and so, I always loved going to downtown and now that we have all these fun things to do, I'm really hoping that more people come out and really support the downtown association and stuff like that." The Pocket Museum opened in 2020. |
| William Carey University unveils 2021-22 theme, 'Be Still and Know' | |
| For the last several years, officials from William Carey University have operated under stressful and chaotic conditions, starting with the January 2017 tornado that ravaged the campus and continuing through the rigors of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Their hopes for this year to be less difficult are reflected in the university's recently-unveiled 2021-22 theme: "Be Still and Know." The theme comes from Psalm 46:10, which reads "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." "We have prayed that we would be able to get back to a regular routine, so we're still praying for that," said William Carey president Tommy King, who conceived of the theme. "That's what the theme is for, is to focus our attention on why we're here, and that we need to press on with the purpose that we have in mind." King said when students think about that particular Bible verse, it brings to mind academics, such as their classes and knowing what they need to be successful in that environment. "But in addition to that, William Carey is a faith-based school, and we care just as much about our students' social and spiritual growth as we do their academic and physical growth," he said. "So the theme is intended to include all of that." |
| Auburn University to offer booster shots to campus when available | |
| Auburn University offered the Moderna vaccine during the spring semester to students, faculty and staff through a mass vaccination drive, and Dr. Fred Kam, director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic, said the University is ready to do the same for booster shots once they are publicly authorized. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance Wednesday for those vaccinated with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines that booster shots may be necessary to renew the vaccines' protection against COVID-19, as studies have shown their efficacy is decreasing over time. The CDC said it aims to make booster shots available to the public starting the week of Sept. 20 pending an evaluation from the Food and Drug Administration and that people should receive their booster shot eight months after their second vaccine dose. "We've actually already picked some dates with the extent that we're waiting for the FDA approval and the CDC approval to proceed with booster shots," Kam said. The University held its spring vaccination drive in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum for individuals on campus first and later Auburn community members, and Kam said booster shots would be provided in the facility as well. "I'm not sure that it's going to be the same location, it may be the third floor ... [or] the scholarship room of the Coliseum," he said. |
| UF faculty and staff demand vaccine and mask mandates from university leadership | |
| University of Florida faculty and staff gathered at the steps of Tigert Hall Aug. 20 to protest the university's COVID-19 policies and demand change as the Fall semester approaches. Renewed fears of infection come as the virus' Delta variant spreads, leading UF researchers to predict a new peak in late August or early September. The rally's organizers, UF's chapters of the United Faculty of Florida and Graduate Assistants United, hand-delivered their demands to UF President Kent Fuchs' office. Their demands included: mask requirements for all indoor gatherings; a vaccine requirement for all faculty, staff and students; an online option for classes during the first three weeks of the Fall semester; and transparent and frequent UF COVID-19 reports. "We are doing our part to stand up against leadership who refuse to listen to the advice of public health experts," Meridith Miska, co-president of GAU, said at the rally. "We will continue to fight for the common-sense right to public health and safety requirements, like wearing a mask and getting vaccinated." The crowd of about 40 demonstrated a common feeling of frustration with UF administration's lack of clear communication about its COVID-19 plan for the Fall semester. |
| Texas A&M professors tackle questions on Critical Race Theory, racism | |
 | Texas A&M sociology professors Troy Harden and Joe Feagin fielded questions Saturday afternoon during a forum about Critical Race Theory and systemic racism in the United States and the local community. The forum, which was hosted via Zoom by the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Brazos Valley, covered topics from Critical Race Theory and teaching history in schools to discrimination in the legal system and the question of changing how cities fund police departments. At one point, nearly 90 people were on the call. "Naturally, a discussion about racism can be very divisive, but I think you will all agree that such discussions are very important," moderator Pam Johnson, president of the Brazos Unitarian Universalist Church board and co-chair of the Confronting Our Racism Group, said to open the forum. "CORG's goal is to start conversations and to educate ourselves about systemic racism and the ways racism impacts individuals and our communities." Feagin said when people attack Critical Race Theory, they are attacking the teaching of the country's accurate history, which is rooted in racism and slavery. He and Harden both said they do not know of any K-12 school environment or undergraduate university program using Critical Race Theory. Harden said he has only seen it in graduate programs and literature. |
| U. of Memphis will pursue campus vaccine mandate 'immediately' after FDA approval | |
| Monday will mark the return of almost all students to the University of Memphis campus amid the ongoing spread of COVID-19, which, in recent weeks, has overwhelmed local hospitals and led to a renewed countywide masking mandate. The U of M has put precautions in place to mitigate the danger of the fast-spreading delta variant but a new development in the FDA approval process might soon lead the school to take further action. U of M President M. David Rudd had earlier said that a vaccine mandate would not go into effect due to legislation preventing the university from treating the emergency authorized vaccines the same way as required immunizations. "Once the CDC provides full authorization, as is the case for the other vaccines, we will absolutely pursue (mandating COVID vaccines)," he said. "My guess is once (full approval) occurs, it will be more difficult at the legislative level to disallow mandatory vaccinations simply because we have mandatory vaccinations in a number of areas." Friday evening, the New York Times reported that the FDA aimed to provide full authorization to the Pfizer vaccine by Monday, possibly paving a way for Rudd's mandate to be pursued. At the latest, the agency set Labor Day as its final deadline. Asked to react to the news, Rudd said: "If in fact the vaccine is authorized within the coming week, we will be pursuing the issue, in coordination with the state immediately." |
| FDA Approval of Covid Vaccine Is Reportedly Imminent, With Big Implications for Colleges | |
 | The Food and Drug Administration may give full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine as soon as Monday, The New York Times reported on Friday. That's big news for colleges, many of which have indicated that they will require students to be vaccinated as soon as full approval -- as opposed to the current emergency-use authorization -- is given to one of the three vaccines. Among the campuses that have said a requirement hinges upon full FDA approval are the University of Minnesota system, Louisiana State University, and others. The approval will remove yet another roadblock for administrators weighing whether to issue a mandate. The legal landscape has been favorable to such requirements even under the current emergency-use authorization, with a legal challenge to Indiana University's mandate being rejected by several courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. But some campus leaders have hesitated. The president of Eastern Oregon University previously told The Chronicle that administrators had made their requirement contingent on full approval because they believed it would help alleviate hesitancy around getting the shot. The approval may come at an opportune moment for college leaders hoping for an uninterrupted, in-person fall semester. The more students who are vaccinated on campus, the lower the risk of transmission, experts have said, although some have cautioned that other mitigation strategies may be necessary even with high levels of vaccination. |
| What Colleges Should Know About the New Yik Yak | |
| The social-media app Yik Yak, where users can post anonymous messages visible to anyone within a five-mile radius, returned on Monday after a four-year hiatus. And for some colleges, it was not welcome news. Yik Yak's first iteration, popular with college students from 2013 to 2017, was fertile ground for cyberbullying, harassment, and even threats of bomb and gun violence. It was banned from at least half a dozen campuses, prompted legal action, and created headaches for administrators. Touted as "a place to be authentic" and "connect with others nearby," Yik Yak's reprise could offer a new way for students to build community as they face a second fall semester disrupted by the pandemic. Or, critics fear, the app could sow division. The new Yik Yak, which users in the United States can download in Apple's App Store -- an Android version is not yet available -- operates on the same principles of anonymity and hyperlocality as the original. Anyone can post a "yak," a short text post visible to others to comment on and either "upvote" or "downvote." If a post is downvoted five times, it will be immediately removed -- an automated form of content moderation. But in Yak Yak's first run, even if a yak was quickly downvoted and removed, it could often live on -- and attract controversy -- through screenshots shared on other social networks and by media outlets. |
| Efforts underway to aid scholars, students in Afghanistan | |
 | Efforts continue to rescue scholars, students and higher education personnel in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover and the collapse of the Afghan government eight days ago. President Joe Biden provided an update Friday on efforts to evacuate American citizens, third-country civilians, Afghan allies and vulnerable Afghans. "We've secured the airport, enabling flights to resume, not just military flights but civilian charters from the other countries and the NGOs taking out civilians and vulnerable Afghans," Biden said. "Now we have almost 6,000 troops on the ground ... providing airport security. We're going to do everything, everything that we can to provide safe evacuation for our Afghan allies, partners and Afghans who might be targeted because of their association with the United States." Leslie Schweitzer, a member of the Board of Trustees for the American University of Afghanistan and president of Friends of AUAF, a Washington, D.C.-based nongovernmental organization, said the university is "constantly in the process of arranging flights to get our students out of the country. It seems the most feasible timeline will be to get the majority of them out ... after all Americans are evacuated, and then we can have access to the military flights, although we're continuing to try to arrange private charter flights." Schweitzer said Friday that only a few students have gotten out so far. The biggest challenge, she said, is safely getting them from their homes to the side of the airport controlled by U.S. military personnel. |
SPORTS
| Defensive intensity, turnovers highlight Mississippi State's second fall scrimmage | |
| Takeaways were the tale of Mississippi State's second fall camp scrimmage on Saturday -- or turnovers were if you look at it from the other side of the ball. Mike Leach admitted it's hard to gauge in a scrimmage whether one side is being effective or another is lacking, but when it came to the four interceptions that were thrown – two of which were taken back for touchdowns -- it's usually a testament to poor offensive execution unless a defender made a rare spectacular play. "It's the quarterback," Leach said before pausing. "I mean, good plays by the defense, yeah. They caught them and took off with them and all that, but the starting point is don't throw it to them." Leach said a series of plays goes into those mistakes, from protection to pass accuracy and vision to separation at receiver. Ultimately, Leach pointed at offensive execution -- or lack thereof -- for those mistakes. Will Rogers, Chance Lovertich, Daniel Greek and Sawyer Robertson each threw a pick. The scrimmage started with the offense coming out hot on Lovertich's opening drive, but it ended with linebacker Nathaniel Watson snagging an interception in the end zone -- a sign of of red zone play would go in the scrimmage. |
| After second scrimmage, improving Bulldogs not there yet | |
| Collin Duncan knows Mississippi State isn't ready yet. The junior safety is well aware of what it takes to win college football games, especially in the Southeastern Conference. But with two weeks to go before the Bulldogs kick off the 2021 season against Louisiana Tech, he knows his team doesn't quite have it yet. "We all know who we have to face this year in the SEC and in the nonconference as well," Duncan said Saturday. "We've got some tough nonconference games. We know who we have to face, and we know how well we have to perform to beat those teams. We know that we're not there." But Saturday's scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium was another positive step on the way. Duncan, head coach Mike Leach and several other Mississippi State players praised the Bulldogs' play as the maroon-clad offense and white-clad defense fought to a draw for the second straight week. "I thought we improved as a team on both sides," Leach said. "I don't think there were any long streaks that anybody got in." That fits the second-year Mississippi State coach's description of a strong scrimmage, and it's what Leach oversaw Saturday as the Bulldogs barely beat a downpour over Scott Field. |
| Bulldogs Extend Home Winning Streak Against Louisiana | |
| An impressive crowd helped Mississippi State ring in the new athletic year with a 2-0 victory against Louisiana in the first home soccer match of the season. The victory extended MSU's home winning streak to six matches when including exhibitions. State scored just before the halftime break on a free kick and added an insurance marker with less than 10 minutes to play. The Bulldogs fired 16 shots and put seven on target. Maddy Anderson picked up the third shutout of her career, making three saves. "We watched the game that they played Friday night and warned the girls that this would be a completely different Louisiana team and that would be up for it for sure," head coach James Armstrong said. "They came out and were physical and organized like we knew they would be. They were dangerous on the counterattack. Credit to our girls for matching them in the intensity and keeping the game in front of them." Louisiana had the first crack at goal, taking a free kick from the top of the box in the third minute, but that effort sailed wide. In the 13th minute, the Ragin' Cajuns broke through for a short-range shot, but Anderson made the sliding save at the near post. From there, the Bulldogs locked down defensively, allowing just two additional shots for the remainder of the match, both of which Anderson saved. The Bulldogs remain at home on Thursday, Aug. 26 to host Arizona State at 7 p.m. CT. |
| The making of Macey Hodge: How the Mississippi State midfielder lost soccer and found herself | |
| Nestled inside a memory box in Douglasville, Georgia, Kandi Vaughn still has the letter, filled with the words her daughter couldn't bring herself to say. Macey Hodge wrote it in February 2019, when things were at their worst. Her sister was sick. Her birth father wasn't there. The sport that used to bring her joy brought only anxiety. So the girl who loved soccer -- who knew by the time she was 8 years old she wanted to play in the Southeastern Conference, who was months away from realizing that dream -- stepped away. In the letter she wrote to her mom and her stepdad Michael, Hodge broke the news: She was quitting the sport and leaving her college scholarship behind. But Macey Hodge's soccer career didn't end there. Two and a half years later, though plenty of things have changed, Hodge is playing in the SEC after all. She's a captain at Mississippi State, she's leading on and off the field, and -- most important of all -- she feels like Macey Hodge again. "The transformation of her from what she's been through, what she's had to deal with that most don't deal with, and where she is today is just incredible," Vaughn said. |
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