February 5, 2012

MSU Young Americans for Liberty Say Stop Trampling the Constitution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mississippi State Students Fight Against the Shredding of the U.S. Constitution by the Federal Government
Mississippi State, MS – September 17, 2010 –  Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) student activist group at Mississippi State University will demonstrate on the Drill Field this Friday, Constitution Day, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. to warn students about the dangers of refusing to follow the U.S. Constitution. ??Members of the Young Americans for Liberty chapter will display posters that warn against the country not adhering to the Constitution as well as have fun quizzes with great prizes.

Alongside their display, chapter members will hand-out free pocket Constitutions and talk to their classmates in an effort to educate and attract new recruits.??”Our elected leaders have trashed the very document they swore to uphold,” said YAL Mississippi Chair, Cuylor Reeves. “As a result, our country is bankrupt, and my generation will have to pay for it. It’s unacceptable.”??”Students need to know their rights and know how to advocate for limited government and individual liberty,” Reeves went on to say. ??Reeves expects his YAL chapter to double in size at their Constitution Day event and draw attention from the campus Left.??”I have no doubt the campus progressives will try to attack us,” said Reeves. “Their ideology is divisive and advocates for strong centralized government. This is directly contrary to the American system our Founding Fathers established.”

Young Americans for Liberty at Mississippi State University is part of a national network of more than 150 active YAL chapters. YAL seeks to recruit, train, educate, and mobilize students on the ideals of individual liberty and the U.S. Constitution.??For more information or an interview, please contact Cuylor Reeves at MS@yalsouth.org or call 601-479-1612.

For first time, MSU turns away housing applicants

KRISTIN MAMRACK

Hundreds of Mississippi State University students can attest to the university’s growth.

For the first time, MSU has had to turn away about 400 upperclassmen requesting on-campus housing.

“They approached us desiring a space in housing,” explained MSU Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Bill Kibler, noting the requests of the upperclassmen were declined in time for them to find off-campus housing before school began. “In other words, they submitted an application for housing, and we had to notify them we did not have sufficient space to house them. We’ve not had to do that before.

“Our enrollment continues to grow,” he continued. “Our enrollment has been up significantly for the last three years, prior to this one, as well. Part of that has been our freshmen class has continued to grow. Growth in enrollment means a demand for on-campus housing. The enrollment is growing faster than we can build housing.”

With few exceptions, incoming freshmen are required to live on campus. The university currently is housing more than 4,000 students.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

Ex-NASA official pleads guilty in MSU-related case

From the Clarion-Leger;

NASA’s former chief of staff has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a case stemming from a $600,000 contract for Mississippi State University, a client of his consulting firm.

Sheila Wilbanks, a U.S. Attorney’s office spokeswoman, said Courtney Stadd pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Gulfport.

Stadd faces up to five years in prison at sentencing on Nov. 18.

Read article here.

Starkville braces for the return of MSU students

TIM PRATT

With move-in day set to take place Wednesday at Mississippi State University, businesses around Starkville are bracing for an influx of students.

Traffic is set to increase on Highway 12 and other major arteries; visitors to Walmart will encounter packed aisles, as they have on every other move-in day in recent memory; and businesses that saw sales drop during the hot summer months are preparing to welcome back a significant portion of their customer base.

“We really do rely on the college kids,” said Oooh-La-La manager Kim Taylor, who has worked at the Main Street boutique for three years.

Taylor and other business owners in town estimated sales typically increase 50-60 percent when Mississippi State students return in August for the fall semester.

“It’s like three different seasons,” Taylor said. “Spring is good, summer is bad and fall is great.”

The students and their influx of money play an integral part in the city’s economy.

Sales tax receipts this year in the city of Starkville totaled approximately $448,312 in March and $450,470 in April, then dropped down to $423,737 in May, after the spring semester concluded at Mississippi State. Figures for June and July are not yet available, but in previous years, sales tax totals have decreased throughout the summer and then increased again in August and September.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

Hundreds say goodbye to Suttle Hall

TIM PRATT

Hundreds of onlookers packed the hills and parking lots around Mississippi State University’s Suttle Hall Wednesday afternoon as a wrecking ball brought down chunks of the 43-year-old building.

The crowd erupted with applause and pointed cameras at the former dormitory as the wrecking ball dropped repeatedly on the nine-story structure and brought down pieces of roofing, concrete, brick and rebar.

Among the onlookers was Gerald Berry, a former Mississippi State student and photography instructor. As a student, Berry lived in Hull Hall, but moved into Suttle Hall in January 1968 and stayed there until he graduated in May 1970.

“It was nice back then,” Berry said. “It was neat to us because it had a suite arrangement – four rooms with two people in each and we shared a bath. We had come out of Hull dormitory with one big bath and one big shower, so it was real neat.”

But over the years, Suttle Hall fell into disrepair. Onlookers Wednesday described the dorm in recent years as “rusty,” “dirty” and “gross.”

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

No new developments in sexual assault case

DISPATCH STAFF REPORT

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State University Police Department is still investigating the report of a sexual assault reported to have taken place last weekend on campus, but had no new leads as of Wednesday.

“I haven’t got any further developments to report at this time,” MSU Police Chief Georgia Lindley said.

“It’s still an ongoing investigation. We’re encouraging anyone with information or anyone who might have seen anything to contact us.”

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

Let the cowbells ring

DISPATCH STAFF REPORT

MSU president Dr. Mark Keenum just issued the following press release:

“College football is such a popular sport in part because of its rich traditions. There is not a more unique example of that tradition than the cowbell at Mississippi State. I appreciate the willingness of the SEC’s athletic directors and presidents to work with us to find a way to preserve a great tradition and still remain within the framework of SEC rules and regulations.”

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

CD: MSU faculty, staff members honored

SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State faculty and staff members are being honored for their hard work and dedication in ensuring the successful educational development of university students.

Kevin M. Hunt and Janet S. “Jan” Odom are 2010 winners of recognitions given by the National Academic Advising Association. He is receiving an Outstanding Academic Advising Award/Faculty Category, while she is a selection for an Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit/Primary Role Category.

Hunt is an associate professor in the department of wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture; Odom, a member of the University Academic Advising Center professional staff.

CD: Stricklin tapped for Mississippi State athletic director job

DAVID MILLER

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State will introduce Scott Stricklin as its 16th director of athletics at 2 p.m. today, capping the university’s month-and-a-half long search to replace Greg Byrne.

First reported Thursday night by the Clarion-Ledger, Stricklin will be promoted from associate athletic director for external operations at MSU, a position he’s held since 2008 after leaving his post as associate athletic director for media relations at Kentucky.

An MSU alum, Stricklin has numerous ties to the university. His wife, Anne, is the daughter of Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member and MSU great Bailey Howell.

Stricklin has a strong relationship with Byrne, who left last week to take over as athletic director at Arizona.

The pair worked together at Kentucky from 2003-05 when Byrne was associate AD for development and fundraising. When Byrne was named athletic director at MSU, he hired Stricklin to his staff.

Parker Executive Search Firm, hired to assist in finding Byrne’s replacement, and university president Dr. Mark Keenum cap the search near the deadline the latter tentatively set when Byrne announced his decision to head to Arizona.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

CD: Miss. State police investigate strong-arm robbery

TIM PRATT

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State University police seek more information about a weekend robbery reported on Monday.

An MSU student reported that Friday night at about 10 p.m., two black males accosted him on East Lee Boulevard near Cobb Institute of Archaeology.

After saying one of them had a knife, the assailants walked the student to their vehicle near Critz residence hall. After forcing the student inside their vehicle, the men robbed him and then dropped him off near apartments on Locksley Way.

The assailants are described as two black men, one with a large build and the other with a small build. No additional information was released.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.