| Monday, August 30, 2021 |
| MSU moves to emergency operations for Monday, suspends classes and campus activities due to Hurricane Ida impacts | |
 | Mississippi State University (all campuses) will move to emergency operations for Monday [Aug. 30] with all classes and activities cancelled due to severe weather impacts from Hurricane Ida. The National Weather Service is predicting heavy rains with potential flooding throughout Monday, as well as potentially damaging winds and other possible severe weather conditions. "MSU expects to reopen and return to normal operations on Tuesday, Aug. 31," said Regina Hyatt, vice president for student affairs. Employees will be on administrative leave Monday, Aug. 30, but some designated employees who are instructed by their supervisors will be required to work remotely or on campus to complete essential functions. The Sanderson Center and Mitchell Memorial Library will close at 11 p.m. today [Aug. 29] and remain closed through Monday [Aug. 30]. Other university buildings will be closed Monday including the Colvard Student Union and Child Development Center. Because buildings are closed and locked, they will be presumed to be empty. For your safety should an emergency impact the closed/locked building, you should notify someone like a friend, family member or coworker, that you are going to be in the building. Monitor the MSU website and social media for updates. Monitor local news outlets for changing conditions and advisories. |
| MSU and MUW take precautions to prevent COVID-19 | |
 | COVID-19 cases remain on the upswing in the Golden Triangle during a surge in the delta variant of the virus. Area universities, now two weeks into instruction, have defined details of policies designed to limit any outbreak on campus. Mississippi State University is requiring anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 to isolate for 10 days. Students who test positive off-campus must report their results to the Longest Student Health Center by calling the MSU COVID-19 hotline, MSU Vice President of Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said. Students are not allowed to quarantine within their residence hall room if they live on campus. They can go home or choose another off-campus location of their choosing. Hyatt said the university has a limited number of isolation spaces available for students with extenuating circumstances such as being unable to return home due to distance or having immunocompromised persons in their households. If vaccinated people are in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus and are asymptomatic, they do not have to quarantine. "If fully vaccinated, students do not need to quarantine if you remain symptom-free," Hyatt said. "If unvaccinated and identified as a close contact, students are required to quarantine for the time specified by the Longest Student Health Center." |
| 'M' Marks the Spot: MSU Ag Scientists Get Creative Using Planter Technology | |
 | At a site viewable by airplane that is sure to thrill Bulldog fans who have the opportunity to fly over Noxubee County, an iconic Mississippi State spirit mark is being used in a new way by university agriculture researchers. The M-State logo symbolizes MSU's position as a top research university, ranking among the top 15 nationally in agricultural sciences year after year, but it's rare for the spirit mark to play a role in the research itself. When Dan Reynolds, associate vice president for international programs and former Hartwig Endowed Chair in Soybean Agronomy, tasked his research team with testing the accuracy of a precision planter, the project brought the chance to showcase the classic Mississippi State logo in an unexpected setting. The challenge resulted in twin two-acre fields lush with soybeans which have come to bear the M-State spirit mark at the Black Belt Experiment Station in Brooksville, a unit of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. The precision planter is a tractor equipped with GPS technology used to plant crops. Graham Oakley, research associate II, came up with the idea of using the M-State spirit mark to test the planter, and he uploaded a GIS file of the mark to the planter's software. In one plot, the team planted two varieties of soybeans, each resistant to different herbicides. One variety made up the foreground of the M-State logo, while another made up the background. Once the plant had grown lush and green, the researchers applied herbicide to terminate one of the varieties, which revealed the M-State design. In the other plot, they planted two different varieties of soybeans using the same method. |
| Feeding deer may not lead to hunting success for Mississippi hunters | |
 | Feeding deer is a common practice in Mississippi as hunters try to keep them fat and happy as well as improve the odds of seeing them. Mississippi State University shows it can have unintended consequences, including fewer deer observations and death for some wildlife. "Feeders are not necessarily the best thing to have for hunting because deer tend to not come to them as much as food plots during the day," said Steve Demarais of the Mississippi State University Deer Lab. "Corn is high energy and fat, so they tend to want to go there, but not stay as long due to nutrient density." The study was done over a three-year period when mature bucks were outfitted with GPS collars along the Big Black River in Yazoo and Madison counties. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and Mississippi State researchers were able to track movement of the bucks and data indicated food plots were preferred feeding locations over feeders. During firearms season for deer, use of summer food plots in daylight hours was about triple that of feeders. The same comparison between winter food plots showed deer used them about 25% more than feeders. According to the study, deer became more nocturnal when supplemental feed was provided and moved less overall, which reduces chances of hunters seeing them. "Feeders are not this great answer to holding deer and seeing deer," Demarais said. |
| MSU, ERDC partner on $7.8 million research project to advance military engineering | |
| Mississippi State University is leading a $7.8 million U.S. Department of Defense project to advance military engineering capabilities. The multidisciplinary project is led by MSU's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems and funded through the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg. Utilizing a wide-range of university research expertise, the three-year project focuses on remote sensing, developing the next generation of materials for force protection, force projection technologies and mobility modeling and simulation. "MSU is proud to once again partner with ERDC on impactful research that will pay dividends for the U.S. military," said MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan. "CAVS and the center's collaborators across campus have a strong track record of cutting-edge research in the areas of remote sensing, modeling and simulation, off-road autonomous vehicles and advanced materials, all of which will help make this project a success." The research conducted at MSU aims to develop new technologies to enhance ERDC's military engineering and force protection capabilities in support of national defense. Technical focus areas include sensor analytics and remote sensing, as well as the use of geo-materials, advanced, high-strength steels and future technologies for force protection and projection. MSU researchers will develop advanced materials and systems, garnering new insights into the protection capabilities of next generation materials used in military efforts. They also will conduct autonomous vehicle modeling and simulation for navigation in cold environments. |
| Get resources, training to launch small business | |
 | Entrepreneurs can get the resources and training needed to launch a small business in 30 days in an upcoming series of online courses. StartUp Mississippi is free and can be accessed with a computer, tablet or smartphone. Weekly Zoom sessions, hosted by Mississippi State University Extension Service faculty and staff, begin Sept. 9. The deadline to apply for participation is Sept. 3. Participants will learn how to create a small business plan, conduct a market analysis, promote their business on social media, gain the necessary resources for establishing a business, and create and maintain a webpage. "This series is for anyone looking to transform their idea into an actual small business," said Extension instructor Terence Norwood. "You'll learn the language, find out where to go when you have questions and develop a network of support with Extension community development specialists. This series will serve as a front door to additional MSU Extension programs that promote small business development, sustainability, renewal and growth." |
| MSU Establishes Center for Academic Advising | |
| Mississippi State University recently received an anonymous private gift through its MSU Foundation to establish a new Center for Academic Advising, which aims to ensure student onboarding and educational goal progression. MSU plans to hire a new executive director of advising to develop and maintain the CAA and oversee a pilot program of professional advisors to develop strategies for encouraging academic continuity, engagement and completion among students. The university is also adding new software as part of the three-year pilot program, which aims to link students with academic advisors and for provide early alerts when students need immediate assistance. The software generates data on those who might benefit from use of MSU's Learning Center, tutoring, study groups and Supplemental Instruction, a release from MSU says. MSU's current Navigator and Pathfinder programs, which utilize students to help guide freshmen through their first year, will combine and cooperate on an initiative to integrate with a new academic coaching model. The new model will employ professional staff and graduate assistants to engage with students. The university also plans to study and grow existing student success academic programs such as College Ready and First-Year Experience, the release says. College Ready, an early enrollment program for incoming freshmen, will provide more course offerings and student programming. FYE will take part in MSU's General Education Task Force, which is examining curriculum opportunities that could advance FYE offerings. |
| Officials prepared for storm; schools alter schedules | |
| Local emergency management is bracing for the potential of storms later today as the remnants of Hurricane Ida, now a tropical storm, move through the area this afternoon. Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Director Kristen Campanella said her office has been watching the weather situation carefully. "We can expect high winds and the possibility of tornadoes, especially the afternoon through evening," she said. "Our office has been monitoring the storm since it made landfall and we have been keeping our local officials and first responders informed so they can make preparations." The county's safe room on Lynn Lane will be opened if a tornado watch is issued. The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District announced on its website that all schools (including virtual classes) are closed today. The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the Golden Triangle until 7 a.m. Tuesday. Campanella urged residents to avoid flooded areas and stay off roads after the storms pass through. "We can't stress this enough," she said. "Emergency workers will be in the areas affected and sight-seeing only makes it harder for them to do their jobs. This afternoon is not the day to be outside." |
| Hurricane Ida traps Louisianans, leaves the grid a shambles | |
 | A fearsome Hurricane Ida left scores of coastal Louisiana residents trapped by floodwaters and pleading to be rescued Monday while making a shambles of the electrical grid across a wide swath of the state in the sweltering, late-summer heat. One of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. mainland weakened into a tropical storm overnight as it pushed inland over Mississippi with torrential rain and shrieking winds, its danger far from over. Ida was blamed for at least one death -- someone hit by a falling tree outside Baton Rouge -- but the full extent of its fury was still coming into focus at daybreak. All of New Orleans lost power right around sunset Sunday as the hurricane blew ashore on the 16th anniversary of Katrina, leading to an uneasy night of pouring rain and howling wind. The weather died down shortly before dawn, and people began carefully walking around neighborhoods with flashlights, dodging downed light poles, pieces of roofs and branches. In Mississippi's southwestern corner, entire neighborhoods were surrounded by floodwaters, and many roads were impassable. |
| How climate change helped make Hurricane Ida one of Louisiana's worst | |
 | From its birth, the storm was destined to become a monster. It formed from air that was hot, moist and thick with clouds. It incubated in the sultry Gulf of Mexico, drawing power from water that was unusually warm. By the time Hurricane Ida made landfall in Port Fourchon, La., on Sunday, it was the poster child for a climate change-driven disaster. The fast-growing, ferocious storm brought 150-mile-per-hour wind, torrential rain and several feet of storm surge to the most vulnerable part of the U.S. coast. It rivals the most powerful storm ever to strike the state. Lately, conditions in the ocean have been exceptionally bad. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, parts of the Gulf are three to five degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average for the end of the 20th century. Research shows that human greenhouse gas emissions have caused the ocean to warm faster in recent years than at any point since the end of the last ice age. Kimberly Wood, an atmospheric scientist at Mississippi State University, went to bed with a sinking feeling in her gut. She woke Sunday to reports from the National Hurricane Center that peak winds were at 150 miles per hour. She thought of all the people who would not have time to evacuate in response to the sudden escalation. She looked again at satellite images showing what scientists call a "well-organized" storm. Wood wishes that the scientific terminology didn't sound so much like a compliment. "It sounds like we're cheering it on, but we're not," she said. "I feel sick to my stomach." |
| Meteorologists ahead of Hurricane Ida arrival: 'We can't bear to see this on satellite' | |
| National Weather Service meteorologists and others expressed fear and alarm Sunday at the "monster" Hurricane Ida became overnight as it churned toward Louisiana. "As meteorologists at the National Weather Service Slidell office, we can't bear to see this on satellite," the NWS New Orleans tweeted Sunday morning. "We have hard times ahead, but we will all persevere. Take all messages we, public officials and broadcast media are saying SERIOUSLY. " "I feel ill watching this hurricane," Kim Wood, a meteorology professor at Mississippi State University, said on Twitter. "Sunrise reveals an absolute monster. The rapid intensification to the point of landfall is what meteorologists fear most with tropical cyclones," Steve Bowen, a meteorologist for reinsurer Aon, tweeted. The big picture via Axios' Andrew Freedman: Ida intensified at an astonishing rate early Sunday, leaping from a 105 mph Category 2 storm at 11 p.m. ET Saturday to the cusp of Category 5 intensity as it spun closer to the southeastern coast of Louisiana. The rapid intensification, which exceeded forecasts, was due to extremely warm ocean waters and ideal conditions in the atmosphere as well. The Gulf of Mexico served as gasoline thrown onto the fire of the storm. Human-caused climate change, by warming air and ocean temperatures, is leading to both stronger and wetter hurricanes, and also more storms that rapidly intensify. |
| Analysis: Few areas in Mississippi see boom in population | |
| Maps on display in the Mississippi Capitol give a vivid picture of how population has shifted within the state during the past decade, and legislators will use those in drawing new boundaries for legislative and congressional districts. Eight counties gained 5% to 18% in population during the decade. Lafayette County, which is home to the University of Mississippi, was the fastest-growing, with a 17.9% increase. That growth is evident with new shopping centers, subdivisions and apartment complexes that have sprung up in places that used to be covered in trees. Lamar County -- next door to the county that is home to the University of Southern Mississippi -- had a 15.4% population increase. DeSoto County had a 14.9% increase; it has been one of Mississippi’s fastest-growing counties the past three decades as people migrated southward out of Memphis, Tennessee. The other dark green counties on the map are Madison with 14.6% growth, Harrison with 11.5%, Rankin with 10.9%, Oktibbeha with 8.6% and George with 7.9%. Madison and Rankin are suburban communities for Hinds County and the capital city of Jackson. Harrison is on the Gulf Coast and has military installations and casinos. Oktibbeha is home to Mississippi State University, and George is just north of coastal Jackson County. |
| Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson wants no part in medical marijuana program | |
| As lawmakers haggle over a medical marijuana program to replace one passed by voters but shot down by the Mississippi Supreme Court, state Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson says because marijuana is still federally illegal, he doesn't want to help oversee any program. "All of us elected officials took an oath of office to 'faithfully support the Constitution of the United States ... and obey the laws thereof,'" Gipson wrote in a letter to Attorney General Lynn Fitch copied to lawmakers. "... please explain how this office or the Department (of Agriculture) could legally license the growing and/or processing of a marijuana crop in violation of federal law." Lawmakers proposed legislation this year, and are considering measures now, that would have Gipson's agency license and regulate marijuana growers and processors. Initiative 65, passed by voters in November, would have had the state Health Department oversee the entire program, although it could have brought other agencies in to help. The state Board of Health had opposed the Health Department being put in charge of the program, and opposed Initiative 65 as well. Gipson, in a Supertalk radio interview on Friday, said he does not see how his office could participate in a program that is still federally illegal. He said he already has a legal challenge drafted if lawmakers approve such a measure. |
| Democrat Abe Hudson resigning from Mississippi House | |
| A Democratic member of the Mississippi House says he is resigning the seat he has held the past five years. Rep. Abe Hudson Jr. of Shelby posted a Facebook video on Friday, saying that Monday will be his last day in office. He represents a district in Bolivar and Sunflower counties. "Serving in this capacity has been one of the highest honors and proudest accomplishments of my life," Hudson said. "I believe that my transition will allow both the Mississippi Delta and I to grow," he said. "Furthermore, it will allow someone with a fresh perspective to lead our area out of many of the challenges that we've aggressively started to address." Republicans have a wide majority in the 122-member House, and Hudson's departure will not affect the partisan balance. Gov. Tate Reeves will set a special election to fill the District 29 seat. The four-year term ends in January 2024. |
| When New COVID Surge Struck, Mississippi Was Uniquely Unprepared | |
| The current coronavirus spike has hit the South hard, but a combination of poverty and politics made Mississippi uniquely unprepared to handle what is now the worst coronavirus outbreak in the nation. The state has fewer active physicians per capita than any other. Five rural hospitals have closed in the past decade, and 35 more are at imminent risk of closing, according to an assessment from a nonprofit health care quality agency. There are 2,000 fewer nurses in Mississippi today than there were at the beginning of the year, according to the state hospital association. "If you look around, the state's hospitals were in bad shape before there was such a thing as COVID," said Marty Wiseman, an emeritus political science professor at Mississippi State University. "It was not a good time to layer a pandemic on top of that." Mississippi has waged decades of political battles over health care policy that can run almost as hot as the fights over the symbols of the old Confederacy. Most crucially, the state rejected a proposal to expand Medicaid, the federally subsidized health insurance program for low-income residents, a decision that critics say has deprived Mississippi of a much-needed infusion of federal money that might have strengthened small hospitals on the brink of failure and allowed them to recruit and retain doctors and nurses. That debate is being revisited by advocates who hope the pandemic will force a new reckoning. What Mississippi has been left with, after years of infighting, is a system believed to be the weakest in the nation. |
| House panel probing Capitol attack seeks records from Twitter, Facebook, 4chan and others | |
 | Chairman Bennie Thompson on Friday announced that the Jan. 6 select committee is seeking records from 15 social media companies -- including 4chan, Twitter, Facebook, Google, Parler, Reddit, TikTok and Snapchat -- to examine how they addressed violent extremism and misinformation leading up to the Capitol attack. The robust records requests focus on the spread of misinformation, domestic violent extremism, foreign influence and attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election victory of Joe Biden. The letters sent to the social media companies ask for communications, data, reports and analyses dating back to the spring of 2020. Lawmakers want information on what policy changes the companies made -- or didn't make -- to combat misinformation, violent extremism and malign foreign influence. This includes what policies those companies had prior to Jan. 6 to sanction or ban accounts associated with violent extremists or other accounts that attempted to interfere with the election. The panel wants all information on accounts, groups and other entities using the companies' tools or products that were banned or in some way disciplined for association with extremism tied to overturning the election and causing civil unrest. Also requested are accounts that were shared with or requested by law enforcement. Also targeted were Zello, YouTube, Twitch, theDonald.win, Telegram, Gab and 8kun. |
| A program that pays farmers not to farm isn't saving the planet | |
 | President Joe Biden wants to combat climate change by paying more farmers not to farm. But he's already finding it's hard to make that work. His Agriculture Department is far behind its goal for enrolling new land in one program that has that goal, with participation being the lowest it's been in more than three decades. Even though the USDA this summer more than doubled key incentive payments for the program that encourages farmers and ranchers to leave land idle, high commodity prices are keeping it more worthwhile for growers to raise crops. On top of that, the plan, known as the Conservation Reserve Program, takes land out of production for only 10 to 15 years -- so those acres could release carbon into the atmosphere if the land is planted again and thus cancel out its environmental benefit. The slow pace of enrollment and the temporary nature of the program raise questions about whether it will ever contribute significantly to efforts to reduce carbon emissions. It also shows how difficult it is for government programs to voluntarily draw in the farm industry to combat pollution. Zach Ducheneaux, administrator of USDA's Farm Service Agency, which oversees the conservation program, acknowledges that participation this year has been lower than hoped for, but he is still optimistic that the additional money the administration is providing will spur more landowners to join. |
| West Virginia Creates Jobs Farming Lavender at Former Coal Mines | |
 | Charles Bowman's hands used to be stained black with coal after work. Now, they smell like lavender. He is one of about 85 employees at Appalachian Botanical, a company that cultivates lavender on a former surface mine. Instead of coal, the company produces essential oils and other scented products and is part of a growing effort in West Virginia to reimagine an economy that is not dependent on coal. Mr. Bowman, 54 years old, said he once made $37.50 an hour as an electrician in an underground mine. Those jobs are mostly gone. Now he makes $11.50 an hour. Despite the pay cut, working on a farm that has doubled its acreage in the past year makes him hopeful. "A year ago I heard nothing about lavender. Now it's everywhere," he said, standing on a plateau surrounded by misty ridges. "I think it's going to get competitive." Amid coal's steady decline, efforts are growing to repurpose former mines and lead the way to diversifying the state's economy, creating jobs and cleaning up the environment, while helping to revive coalfield communities. Other former surface mines in southern West Virginia are being used by a solar-installation company, a company that uses aquaponics technology to produce lettuce and tilapia, and a third that is building cabins for tourists who visit ATV trails. The infrastructure bill in Congress currently would authorize $11.3 billion to pay for the reclamation of abandoned mine lands, with a significant portion of that heading to West Virginia. |
| Zoom Dysmorphia Is Following People Into the Real World | |
 | Last summer, when clinics began to tentatively reopen, dermatologist Shadi Kourosh noticed a worrying trend -- a spike in appointment requests for appearance-related issues. "It seemed that, at a time like that, other matters would be top of mind, but a lot of people were really concerned with feeling that they looked much worse than usual," she says. Kourosh, who is an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, soon discovered that others in her field and related ones such as plastic surgery had noticed a similar phenomenon. And when she and her colleagues asked patients what was driving their decision to seek treatment, a lot of them cited videoconferencing. The pandemic had catapulted them into a world of Zoom calls and Teams meetings, and staring at their own face on a screen all day every day was wreaking havoc with their self-image. In the age of Zoom, people became inordinately preoccupied with sagging skin around their neck and jowls; with the size and shape of their nose; with the pallor of their skin. They wanted cosmetic interventions, ranging from Botox and fillers to facelifts and nose jobs. Kourosh and colleagues surveyed doctors and surgeons, examining the question of whether videoconferencing during the pandemic was a potential contributor to body dysmorphic disorder. They called it "Zoom dysmorphia." Now, with the rise in vaccinations seemingly pushing the pandemic into retreat, new research from Kourosh's group at Harvard has revealed that Zoom dysmorphia isn't going away. A survey of more than 7,000 people suggests the mental scars of the coronavirus will stay with us for some time. |
| No COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public Mississippi universities for now, board says | |
 | The board of trustees for the Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning stopped short Friday of mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for students, faculty and staff at the state's public universities, choosing instead to strongly recommend the shots. The board hosted an emergency meeting to discuss the matter as new COVID-19 cases remain high throughout the state just weeks into the new school year. All of the state's public universities are asking students and staff to wear masks while indoors, but the University of Mississippi Medical Center is the only public university in the state that requires vaccinations for students, staff and faculty. A majority of the board expressed concern about issuing the mandate prematurely, stating they felt if cases got under control, the mandate would be hard to reverse. Board member Bruce Martin said he a vaccine mandate would not be effective because many students and their families have already made up their minds about the shot. "There are certain subsets of people that are just not going to get vaccinated," he said. "I don't know if mandating it will really do anything at all." Board member Teresa Hubbard said while she didn't agree with a vaccine mandate, she believes vaccinations should be encouraged because the shots are the best way to protect individuals on campus. |
| Board: Miss. public universities won't require COVID vaccine | |
| The board governing Mississippi's public universities voted Friday not to require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 despite the objections of the two medical doctors who are part of the board. During a special meeting, nine members of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees said the vaccine should not be mandated. Many said they support students getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but that shots should be voluntary. Dr. Alfred McNair Jr. and Dr. Steven Cunningham were the only two board members who voted to mandate vaccinations. Board member Bruce Martin, an insurance agent, voted not to mandate vaccinations. He said he was vaccinated and fully supports as many students being vaccinated as is possible. But he said some people will never agree to be vaccinated, even if it's mandated. "It just boggles my mind, but they will just not do it and us mandating it is not going to make those people do it," he said. "We've taken their money, they enrolled in the school, and I don't know how in the world, you're gonna get people to be vaccinated by demanding they be vaccinated." |
| IHL board votes against requiring COVID-19 vaccine for Mississippi universities | |
 | Vaccinations won't be required of students, teachers and faculty at Mississippi's public universities. During an emergency meeting on Friday, the State Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees voted against mandating COVID-19 vaccines for students and employees at the state's public universities. Despite two medical professionals on the board -- Dr. Alfred E. McNair Jr. and Dr. Steven Cunningham -- strongly urging their fellow trustees to mandate vaccination, the board ultimately voted 9-2 only to recommend those on any of the campuses. When asked how a vaccine mandate might effect enrollment, Dr. Alfred Rankins, Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education, said it's hard to say. "Conventional thought would lend you to believe that, if you had students that were strongly enough opposed, either the student or their parents, that they did not want to be vaccinated ... may choose to leave the university," Rankins said. Trustee Jeanne Carter Luckey suggested waiting, watching trends and revisiting the mandate option in the future. "I know some people would say that was late and it would be better to do it now," Luckey said. "But if we mandate the vaccine now, it would be difficult to go back and say, 'It is no longer mandated.'" |
| Mississippi bars vaccine mandates | |
 | The Mississippi board that oversees the state's eight public four-year and graduate universities has voted to ban the institutions from instituting a vaccine mandate for students or employees. "The Board of Trustees strongly recommends all eligible students and employees within the university system get vaccinated against COVID-19," said J. Walt Starr, president of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. "The vaccine is clearly the best protection against COVID-19 infections, transmissions, and has been medically reviewed and approved by our country's leading scientific experts. However, the board does not deem it prudent to require it as a condition of employment or enrollment, except at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and other clinical settings." The board created an exception for the University of Mississippi Medical Center and for students in other health care-related programs at the universities, given they may be required by a healthcare provider to get the vaccine to complete clinical hours within that facility. |
| Board Of Trustees Votes Against System-wide COVID Vaccine Mandate for Universities and Colleges | |
| The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning voted against mandating students and employees to show proof of vaccination as a condition of employment or enrollment at a special emergency called meeting. The Board of Trustees is following the recommendations from the Mississippi State Department of Health's COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for College and University Settings. To date, the Mississippi State Department of Health has strongly recommended eligible students get a COVID-19 vaccine, but has not mandated, nor recommended state institutions of higher learning mandate, a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of attendance. The universities have worked diligently to encourage and incentivize employees and students to get vaccinated. They have implemented robust outreach campaigns and offered numerous incentives, such as tuition credits, dining dollars, bookstore vouchers, housing credits, gift cards and parking passes, for students who show proof of vaccination. They have also provided numerous opportunities on campus for students and their families, employees and their families, and community members who are eligible to get vaccinated. "The Board will continue to monitor the situation on our campuses and make appropriate adjustments and exceptions necessary to assist our universities during these very difficult times," said Dr. Alfred Rankins, Jr. Commissioner of Higher Education. |
| IHL board will not require COVID vaccines for universities and colleges at this time | |
 | The Mississippi IHL board met for a special meeting on August 27 at noon to discuss the current COVID-19 situation and their stance on the vaccine. The meeting was held by phone, versus gathering in person. The intent of the gathering was to discuss whether or not colleges and universities would continue encouraging the vaccine or implement a mandate. While some trustees were in favor of a mandate, it was decided that was not the route to take at this time due to a lack of public support. Trustee Chip Morgan said that the board would release a statement in support of the vaccines but wait until a later date to impose a mandate. His motion on the matter, which left the language to the staff to provide, passed the group. "I would like for us to point out our support for the vaccine and that it is by far the greatest protection we have for our schools and that would be faculty, staff and student body," said Morgan. "At this time it is our view that we would not impose any requirement on the universities to mandate vaccination." Trustee Walt Starr said it seemed as if Mississippi State University was leading the state in promoting vaccination among faculty and staff. The school was also supporting drives on campus to allow easy access to vaccinations. |
| Most Mississippi college students will not have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination | |
 | Most Mississippi college students will not have to show proof of vaccination. Friday, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning voted down requiring students and employees to prove they got the COVID-19 vaccine as a requirement to enroll in a class or have a job with the university system. An exception is being made for students and for people who work at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and other clinical settings for classwork. Universities are requiring masks to be worn indoors, along with other health department guidance for college and university settings. Schools in the state have worked hard to incentivize employees and students to get vaccinated. |
| UMMC: All face-to-face classes and student activities canceled on Monday | |
| According to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, all face-to-face classes and student activities will be canceled on Monday, August 30. UMMC says there will be exemptions for students that participate in patient-care activities. In addition, online teaching activities will go forward as scheduled unless a student's course director says otherwise. According to UMMC, students with clinical assignments should report as usual unless directed otherwise by their supervisor. |
| Southern Miss closed Monday in preparation for Hurricane Ida | |
| All University of Southern Mississippi (USM) operations in Hattiesburg and on the Gulf Coast will be closed Monday, August 30, in anticipation of severe weather related to Hurricane Ida. Emergency personnel required to report to work will be contacted by their supervisor; all other faculty and staff are advised to refrain from traveling to any campus or location until regular operations resume. Students residing on the Hattiesburg campus will not be required to evacuate residence halls. Forrest County, including the Hattiesburg campus, is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning, with impacts that are expected to include strong winds, flooding and possible tornadoes. |
| Pine Belt college students brace for Hurricane Ida | |
 | While the majority of residents were getting things ready to ride out the storm with their families, what about the college students who are far away from home? College students are all around the Pine Belt. There's William Carey University, Southern Miss, Jones College and Pearl River Community College. Many of them are from out of town, leaving them alone without any family to find comfort in, during a hurricane threat. We were able to catch up with some USM students to see how they are preparing for Hurricane Ida's arrival. "I am semi-prepared because the last time when had a tropical storm I got the supplies that I needed but I'm still not fully prepared cause I'm actually on my way to go get some more stuff that I need, like any water bottles, batteries, extra flashlights, just to make sure I'm all good," says Jennifer Shields, senior at USM. Shields says she has been watching the storm for a few days. However, other students, like Lohn Lenior, didn't realize how close Ida is, to making landfall. "Sunday? Oh yeah, definitely, I gotta go make a run then. I'm on a budget so I might have to go to Dollar General," says Lenoir. Even though Lenoir says he's dealt with hurricane weather before, it's still nerve-wracking whenever that there is the threat of another one coming. |
| Former U. of Alabama president David Mathews plans to change role at foundation | |
 | A former University of Alabama president plans to relinquish his executive responsibilities as president and CEO of the Kettering Foundation after more than 40 years. David Mathews, who served as UA's president from 1969 until 1980, said he will focus on writing and research after the Kettering Foundation's board of directors chooses his successor. The foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan international research institute that seeks to address the challenges that democratic governments face. "Today, because of the threats to democracy, there is a heightened interest in what Kettering has learned from 40 years of research on what it takes to make democracy work as it should," Mathews said in an Aug. 18 news release. Mathews said he intends to turn his focus toward research and scholarly work. He said he plans to write new books and articles, update his eight previously authored books and make speeches about how regular citizens can make a difference in combating what he called the crisis in democracy now facing the United States and countries around the world. After graduating from UA in 1958, Mathews earned a doctorate in history at Columbia University and then returned to UA as a history instructor. In 1969, he became the youngest university president in the country at the age of 33 when he was chosen to succeed Frank Rose at UA. |
| Faculty, students face uncertainty as LSU denies requests to teach online: 'I was ready to resign' | |
 | It was the first day of school, but Jack Yeager thought it might be the last of his four-decade career. The 75-year-old French studies professor at LSU twice petitioned to teach remotely because his advanced age and heart disease makes him especially susceptible to COVID-19. Even though he is vaccinated, he couldn't be sure enough of his students were. Based on LSU's data, 61% of its 32,000 students have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine -- a far cry from herd immunity. Twice he was denied. Yeager contested the first decision, attaching a list of his medications to the appeal to make his case for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. But it still wasn't enough. On Aug. 20, three days before the fall semester, the school turned down that request, too. "That's when I knew this would not be as easy as I hoped," he said. So, he rushed to his cardiologist, who wrote a detailed report of Yeager's health conditions. In the days he waited for a response, Yeager said he faced a harsh reality. "Teaching online is absolutely crucial for me," he said. "If I didn't get permission to go remote or go on leave, I was ready to resign." LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard declined to say how many ADA requests were filed this semester, or how many were denied. But he said the university granted 75 such petitions to teach online. The uncertainty complicated plans for faculty and students alike. |
| Group pleas for UGA mask mandate in same week professor quits over lack of masking | |
 | Dressed in all black, more than 100 students, faculty, and staff stood outside the office of University of Georgia President Jere Morehead on Friday, holding signs that voiced their disappointment: "Here lies the public trust" "Spoiler alert: the pandemic isn't over" "Sick as a Dawg" "Help" Classes began at the university on Aug. 18, a little over one week prior to the demonstration. In that time, UGA reported 231 positive COVID-19 cases on campus for Aug. 16-22, more than double the number of cases from the previous week and the highest case count that summer. Masks are not required on campus this semester -- a change from the 2020 school year -- after officials announced in May that the university was returning to normal operations. Earlier in the week, one professor, a retired professor emeritus in the psychology department, walked out of his classroom after a student would not wear a mask, saying that he would not risk his life. Whether or not there is a mask mandate is not entirely up to UGA. The school is part of the University System of Georgia, which implements rules and guidelines for the 26 universities in the state. UGA officials are currently following guidance from the university system, which currently encourages but does not require face coverings inside buildings or outside on campus. Masks are required for passengers on the university's buses. Vaccinations are also not required and proof of vaccination can not be asked of employees or students. The demonstration on UGA's campus was organized by the United Campus Workers of Georgia. In a follow-up to last year's "die-in"-- where demonstrators laid on the ground -- participants held a funeral "for health and safety at UGA" while wearing all black. |
| UGA professor resigns mid-class after student refuses to wear mask | |
| A University of Georgia retiree-rehire professor resigned on Tuesday after one of his students refused to properly wear a mask in an upper division psychology seminar class held at the psychology building. During Irwin Bernstein's second class of the semester, the student, who was not present on the first day of class, arrived at the 25-person class unmasked and was asked by Bernstein to retrieve one from the advising office. The student was given a spare disposable mask from a peer but did not wear it over her nose. Bernstein asked the student to pull her mask up to wear it correctly, but she said she "couldn't breathe" and "had a really hard time breathing" with the cloth over her mouth and nose. Written on the board at the front of the classroom was, "No mask, no class," according to fourth-year psychology major Hannah Huff. The 88-year-old psychology professor explained to the student that he could die from COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and age-related problems, Bernstein said in an email to The Red & Black. Only about 15 minutes into the Tuesday lecture, which consisted of Bernstein taking the student attendance, he asked the student to pull her mask up again, but this time, the student did not respond. Bernstein, who was already informed that two of his absent students tested positive for COVID-19, then announced his resignation on the spot and left the class immediately. |
| Auditor: U. of Florida misused grant money from National Science Foundation | |
 | Flying business-class and $300 bartender fees were a few of the instances of University of Florida misappropriation of money granted by the National Science Foundation, an audit shows. The audit done for the foundation contends that $640,723 had been inappropriately claimed between Oct. 1, 2016, and Sept. 31, 2019. The audit was the most recent for UF. UF has contested many of the findings but has agreed to reimburse the foundation for some of the expenses. The value of the items cited in the audit is a small fraction of the $137 million awarded to UF for research during the time period that was audited. Still, the audit includes recommendations for how UF can improve its procedures for spending foundation money to ensure it is within the rules. "UF did not have sufficient policies/procedures and internal controls in place to ensure that it only charged allowable expenses to NSF awards," the audit states. The bulk of the money -- $412,363 -- was in a category of UF failing to get foundation approval before transferring research with the awarded money to other institutions. UF contends it did nothing wrong in this category. The audit found $113,816 in the category of unallowable expenses and $112,827 in inappropriately allocated expenses. Among them were $3,856 for food and beverages to UF employees at a workshop, including $300 in bartender fees; and $6,584 for business-class airfare and $1,255 in lodging for an "accompanying person" whose travel did not relate to the work. |
| U. of Kentucky will require unvaccinated employees to be tested for COVID-19 weekly | |
 | Unvaccinated University of Kentucky employees will be required to get COVID-19 tests each week, beginning Wednesday. Unvaccinated students were already required to have regular tests. Now, faculty and staff will need tests. Once someone is fully vaccinated, they are no longer required to be tested weekly, UK President Eli Capilouto announced in an email on Thursday. "I have made this decision in consultation with our elected faculty, staff and student representatives, based on their very thoughtful recommendations as we continue to navigate in response to emerging data and evidence related to the pandemic," Capilouto said. Employees will be able to get tested on and near campus. Hourly employees will be able to be tested without taking time off, Capilouto said. There will be employee-only testing locations on campus, including walk-up and drive-through options, UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said Friday morning. More details about those locations will be announced next week. UK students can get tested on campus, including at the Blue Box Theater in the Gatton Student Center. There is also a testing site open to anyone on College Way. As of Aug. 25, there are 123 cases of COVID-19 at UK, up from 37 last week. Students who are not vaccinated were required to submit a COVID-19 test this week and are required to be tested weekly throughout the semester. Blanton said while COVID-19 testing started slow on campus, almost 1,000 students were tested on Thursday. Additionally, 1,000 students are expected to get tested on Friday. |
| Pizza with Police resumes on U. of Missouri campus after COVID-19 canceled it last year | |
 | On hold during the pandemic, Pizza with Police at the University of Missouri resumed this week and was very popular. Storm clouds threatened the Thursday event at Hawleewood Lawn, between Hawthorn, Galena, Dogwood and Defoe-Graham halls, but plenty of students showed up to grab from free pizza. "More cops, more free pizza," said Jordan Dilley, 23, of Kansas City. It was his second Pizza with Police this week, having attended one on Tuesday. He had some slices of pepperoni. He said he's happy MU police were offering it. "Otherwise I wouldn't be getting free pizza," he said. The fall semester at MU started Monday. The university is requiring masks indoors and in meeting rooms, but not at outdoor events like Pizza with Police. It's outreach, said MU Police Chief Brian Weimer. "Usually, when law enforcement is involved, something bad has happened," Weimer said. "This gives us a chance to talk with students and build relationships outside of responding to a call." It allows students to know police are available if they need them, he said. "They can ask us questions," he said. |
| Report: The Pivot to Online Increased Challenges for Two Thirds of Students | |
| "Mastering new content was not easy. I do not feel that I learned it as well as I had previously during in-person lecture." "I struggle to understand the material and don't feel motivated at all." "I barely made it through this past semester. Prior to the sudden transition to online classes, I didn't even have internet or a computer at home." These are a few of the student responses highlighted in a new report issued by American College Testing (ACT), the non-profit entity that produces the eponymous college-readiness assessment taken by thousands of students every year. ACT surveyed 1,164 students who started their first-year of college in the 2019-2020 academic year specifically to understand how the pivot to online instruction impacted students' perceived successes and challenges, as well as their retention and persistence. "The most important part of the study is the key elements we found that could help alleviate student challenges and concerns: access to tech resources, learning resources, and prior online learning before formal instruction," said Dr. Joyce Schnieders, a research scientist at ACT and co-lead on the study. Over two thirds of respondents said they experienced increased challenges in their education due to the pandemic. Those who experienced the greatest difficulty transitioning online were first-generation and low-income students. |
| Beating COVID-19 vaccine bans: Can public universities defy state orders? | |
| Imposing vaccine mandates has been an immovable object for institutions of higher education in 20 states where bans on vaccine passports exist. Ohio State University earlier this week opted to go against the will of Gov. Mike DeWine, requiring preventive COVID-19 doses for staff, students and faculty. But OSU is the rare exception ... and even then, it offered some students an opt-out exemption for personal reasons. Most publicly funded universities have not even attempted to question these executive orders or legislation. But with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine, will those universities examine new requirements and challenge governors and their states? Would they be wise to do so? Steve Bell, a labor and employment partner at Minnesota-based law firm Dorsey & Whitney, which has offices across the United States, says there are deeper considerations that institutions are likely weighing than simply keeping students safe during a pandemic. The bottom line is, there may be a cost to imposing them. "[Vaccine bans] are certainly susceptible of being challenged, but if you're a university, you have to ask, what if we're successful? What are the long-term ramifications?" he says. "Are we just cutting off our noses to spite our face because we still rely on the state for funding? Fighting with the state isn't the best way necessarily to endear yourself if you want to have a continued source of funding. Obviously, they're going to fund them to some extent. But if you're fighting with the supplier of your revenue, chances are the revenue source is going to diminish. I think that there is probably a deep reluctance to get into a tussle with the state." |
| Mississippi public universities working to mitigate spread of COVID-19. Here's how. | |
| Alfred Rankins Jr., the Commissioner of Higher Education for Mississippi, writes for The Clarion-Ledger: The beginning of the fall semester on a university campus is always an exciting, but challenging, time. Welcoming students and faculty back to campus and preparing for fall athletics and events creates an energy and excitement that runs through the campus. In addition to the usual issues to address, this fall, Mississippi public universities must also help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, particularly the delta variant. Earlier this month, the Mississippi State Department of Health issued guidance to the universities, its COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for Colleges and University Settings. MSDH recommends that all eligible students, faculty and staff receive COVID-19 vaccination. The universities have been actively promoting the vaccine to the campus community... Additionally, the universities have ongoing outreach efforts to encourage students, employees, and the surrounding community to get the vaccine. The universities also offer vaccination clinics on campus. |
SPORTS
| Three storylines to watch as game week arrives for Mississippi State football | |
| Before a ball has been snapped in a competitive environment, the unknowns surrounding Mississippi State football are numerous. Yes, there are plenty of returning players. But how they developed this offseason remains to be seen, as does the group's growth as a whole. Coach Mike Leach's first season was complicated with COVID-19 restrictions, leaving players to learn a new playbook over video calls. But the familiarity on both sides of the ball has improved and with increased familiarity could come better results. The Bulldogs will have a better idea of where they are, though, once the ball is kicked off Saturday (3 p.m., ESPNU) at Davis Wade Stadium against Louisiana Tech. Then -- and only then -- does the coach speak and conjecture give way to actual results. So as game week arrives, here are three things to keep an eye out for in Week 1 that could also prove pivotal over the course of Mississippi State's season: Offensive stars taking next step. Defensive execution. New-look defensive line |
| Final projection for how Mike Leach will set up Mississippi State football's depth chart in 2021 | |
| One of major the benefits of starting a freshman quarterback, running back and receiver for much of 2020 is the experience gained and the continuity brought with them into 2021. So as Mississippi State football prepares for its opener against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 4, much of the offensive depth chart should look familiar -- just another year older. There are some areas in which shake-ups could still take place, though, such as along the defensive line or in the secondary. Here's a final projection for how Mississippi State's depth chart should look once the Bulldogs take the field at Davis Wade Stadium. |
| Mississippi State: Three things camp showed about the Bulldogs | |
| Through the heat, humidity and sweat, fall camp has turned to game week for Mississippi State football as it prepares to welcome Louisiana Tech on Sept. 4 to open the regular season. Coaches learn plenty in fall camp, from upperclassmen development to freshmen readiness. With Mississippi State among the most open programs allowing reporters into practice this camp, there's ample information that can be relayed to fans. Here's three things Mississippi State learned in fall camp: Will Rogers will be the guy. Transfers at wide receiver will play a crucial role. Bulldogs' defense is legit. |
| Predicting each game on Mississippi State football schedule in 2021 | |
| Entering the second season under coach Mike Leach, Mississippi State had a full offseason to better understand the air raid scheme and retool a defense that lost several key players. That extra time to prepare could go a long way. But the Bulldogs' schedule doesn't get much easier compared to last season's conference-only slate, even with the addition of four nonconference games. NC State is receiving votes in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and Memphis is coming off an 8-3 season, difficult lead-ins to an even more difficult conference schedule. Here are the Clarion Ledger's game-by-game predictions for how Mississippi State's season could unfold. |
| SEC PREVIEW: Mississippi State aims to take Air Raid higher after stumbling in 2020 | |
 | Mike Leach showed glimpses of what his Air Raid offense could do in his first year at Mississippi State, but growth was stifled by the elimination of spring drills because of COVID-19, which also altered the fall season. "Really good football, it's a byproduct of routine, and when you break up the routine, I think it's difficult," Leach said. "In our case, of course, it was difficult because of a new staff and a very young team. So perhaps it was even more disruptive." The Bulldogs have had routine since the end of the season, which has benefitted eight offensive returning starters led by sophomore quarterback Will Rogers. "True freshmen don't start very often [at quarterback] and part of the reason is they're true freshmen," Leach said. "But in Will's case, we needed a guy that could go out there and play. I thought he did a very good job, especially as far as being composed, and at times looked more experienced, certainly, than he was." Leach will make his first trip to Kyle Field since 2008, when he coached Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were 7-3 against Texas A&M during Leach's tenure. |
| Why self-described curmudgeon Zach Arnett is perfect for Mississippi State football | |
| Columnist Blake Toppmeyer writes for USA Today: Zach Arnett is a self-described curmudgeon. So, pardon Mississippi State's defensive coordinator if he isn't reveling in the Bulldogs ranking sixth in the SEC in scoring defense last season, during Arnett's first year in Starkville. That's six spots higher than Mississippi State ranked in 2019. And excuse Arnett if he isn't ready to predict defensive dominance in 2021, despite his unit returning eight starters and forming the backbone of the team. It's just Arnett's nature to be a touch of a pessimist. "Every week, (as a defensive coach), you're pretty convinced you don't have the pieces," Arnett told me Monday. "That's just the world of defensive coaching now. You're constantly miserable." Imagine how Arnett would feel if he didn't oversee a unit that once again should rank in the top half of the conference. Yes, MSU has holes to plug -- namely, the departures of Erroll Thompson, last season's leading tackler, along with defensive linemen Kobe Jones and Marquiss Spencer, who combined for five sacks last season. But a sturdy core returns, highlighted by linebacker Aaron Brule and cornerbacks Martin Emerson and Emmanuel Forbes. |
| Soccer: Freshmen stand out in Bulldogs' shutout victory | |
| Mississippi State found the back of the net just more than three minutes into the second half Sunday to claim a 1-0 victory against Southeast Missouri in a nonconference women's soccer game. Freshman Ally Perry made a run down the left side through the defense during the 49th minute. She lofted a ball into the box for her classmate Hannah Johnson, who was unable to win the header but saw the ball deflect right to her foot and poked it into space as she slipped to the turf. Her pass rolled to Onyi Echegini who fired a shot through the keeper's hands for the lone goal of the match. "Ally has great feet," Bulldogs coach James Armstrong said. "She can create and penetrate on the dribble. She beat a few players and played a great ball in to Hannah Johnson. "It got caught a little bit under her feet, but she had the commitment to keep the play alive and poked the ball in time for Onyi. Onyi took a great touch and does what she does. That's what we need. We need someone to step up and score goals. Thankfully, today, Onyi did that." The Bulldogs head on the road this week for two games against Big Ten schools. State will play 1 p.m. Thursday at Minnesota and at 1 p.m. Sunday at Iowa. |
| Bulldogs survive third-set scare in StarkVegas Classic | |
| Twenty-five points away from sweeping through the StarkVegas Classic at the Newell-Grissom Building with three straight-set wins, the Mississippi State volleyball team ran into some sudden trouble. The Bulldogs won the first two sets against Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday afternoon with ease, taking the first 25-8 and the second 25-15. After sweeping Gonzaga on Friday afternoon and again Saturday morning, MSU could see a perfect weekend not far away. "I think that the first two sets almost gave us this false sense of confidence that Southeastern wasn't going to get gritty and down and dirty and fight with everything they had," Mississippi State coach Julie Darty Dennis said. The Bulldogs (3-0) still finished an undefeated tournament, but the Lions gave them a battle before all was said and done. SELA (0-2) won the third set 25-18 and put up a good fight in the fourth before Mississippi State closed out its opponent with a 25-21 fourth set, securing a 3-1 win. "We just figured out a way to get it done," Darty Dennis said. Next up, Mississippi State will go on the road for the first time this season to play in the Flo Hyman Classic in Houston. The Bulldogs will face McNeese State at 10 a.m. Friday, the host Cougars at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Louisiana-Monroe at 2 p.m. Saturday. |
| Hurricane Ida forces LSU football to relocate to Houston before UCLA game | |
| LSU will relocate all football operations to Houston and practice there next week because of Hurricane Ida, team spokesman Michael Bonnette said Saturday. The Tigers plan to then leave directly from Houston for their season-opening game Sept. 4 against UCLA. Hurricane Ida has moved through the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to strengthen into a Category 4 storm before making landfall Sunday night along the Louisiana coast. The state climatologist said Friday if Hurricane Ida remained on its projected path and maintained its forecasted level of intensity, the storm could bring the strongest winds through Baton Rouge since Hurricane Gustav in 2008, which knocked out power for weeks in some places. LSU's equipment staff packed the team's buses Saturday in preparation for the move. The team held a mock game inside Tiger Stadium as scheduled before leaving Saturday night for Houston. As it approached its first game, LSU intended to practice in Baton Rouge next week before leaving Thursday afternoon, but the area is expected to experience hurricane-force winds and between eight to 16 inches of rain, East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said Saturday. LSU will practice three days next week in Houston and then leave for Los Angeles. The team canceled coach Ed Orgeron's typical Monday news conference. |
| Fans see potential price hikes as Arkansas seeks 'equity' in baseball tickets | |
| University of Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek cited ticket demand and equity as the driving forces behind the change in seating priority at the Razorbacks' baseball ballpark, Baum-Walker Stadium, beginning next season. Yurachek said 43% of season-ticket holders have not paid "market donation rates" for their seats at the stadium. Yurachek said market rates are determined by demand and an analysis of costs at other SEC ballparks. "When the stadium opened up 25 years ago, there are some loyal fans who have been sitting in, I would call them the best seats in Baum-Walker Stadium, that have not been Razorback Foundation members ever," Yurachek said. "As there has been attrition there have been people who have come sat beside them who are Razorback Foundation (members) at some of our highest levels, because that's what is required to get into those seats now." According to an email sent to season-ticket holders, all seats in Sections 107-109 behind home plate will require a minimum annual donation of $10,000 beginning in the 2022 season. Seats in Sections 103-106 and 110-112 will require a minimum donation of $5,000, with the exception of seats in Section 105, where families of players and coaches receive complimentary tickets. Other starting donation points for seats in the stadium are $100, $500, $1,000, $2,000 and $3,000. Previously some chair-back seats were available without a donation requirement. Yurachek said he expects to lose some season-ticket holders over the change, but he said there are enough people on a waiting list to offset any losses. |
| UF AD Scott Stricklin applauds LSU mandate, but says Florida public schools don't have same authority | |
| The University of Florida does not have the authority to require COVID-19 vaccines or a negative test to campus events, including football games, according to athletics director Scott Stricklin. Nor does any other public university in the state, Stricklin said Wednesday on Sports Scene with Steve Russell on ESPN Gainesville. "Florida will not be requiring vaccines or a negative test to attend any event on campus, whether it's classes or a football game," Stricklin said. "The short answer there is the authority to require that does not rest with our state university campuses. The universities here in Florida, the public universities, don't have the authority to make the decision. That decision's already been made above us. And so, there will not be vaccine requirements. There won't be negative test requirements." While Stricklin said UF can't make that call, he encouraged radio listeners to get vaccinated. "This is an incredibly simple, easy way for us to get on the other side of this and be able to have sports call shows that are about sports and not about medical issues," Stricklin said. "Over 200 million Americans have gotten the vaccine. You always hear anecdotal stories but if you're playing the odds, which I guess if you make the decision to get the vaccine or not get the vaccine, you're placing a bet on what's going to keep you safest." |
| Auburn fans enjoy gameday atmosphere outside Jordan-Hare for first time in a long time | |
 | Brad Hughes echoed the sentiment of a whole fanbase: "We're just ready for some football to start," he said. Hughes and a few hundred other Auburn fans came to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday for their best preview yet, seeing the Tigers during an open practice just one week before kickoff on Sept. 4. The Tigers may be a week away from live action, but Saturday's preseason event brought back the game-day atmosphere that had been missing since 2019. Auburn put together a tailgate experience on the Campus Green outside the stadium before the practice, complete with performances by the Auburn marching band, dance team and cheerleaders. Aubie arrived to entertain and pose for photos, and fans could also get their picture made with Auburn's eagle Aurea. Auburn prohibited tailgating outside the stadium in 2020 due to COVID-19. The Hughes family -- Brad, his wife and their 2-year old son and 4-month-old daughter -- was one of many to come out for the event. Kyla Tubbs, a freshman at Auburn, said she is excited to experience normal football weekends. "I am so excited," Tubbs said. "Last year, I did all online everything. Now being here, everything's back to normal, kind of, so I'm super-excited. And the stadium's 100-percent capacity, so yay." |
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