Bills eliminating DEI programs in schools advance in state House and Senate
After President Donald Trump issued an executive order to phase out diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Mississippi lawmakers introduced separate bills paralleling his efforts at the state level.
JAYLYNN CONNER
The Mississippi House and Senate have passed respective bills that will prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion language and programs in public educational institutions, following a pair of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump that cut DEI programs on the federal level.
House Bill 1193, which passed Feb. 5 with a vote of 7441, prohibits “public schools, state accredited nonpublic schools and
public postsecondary educational institutions from creating, promoting and implementing diversity, equity and inclusion programs.” This bill also prohibits these institutions from using diversity statements and training in hiring, admissions and employment practices. Requirements for teaching and promoting that there are two genders, male and female, would also be implemented. This implementation would require higher education institutions to
submit annual reports to the Mississippi governor and legislature to ensure compliance.
If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the governor, the bill would take effect July 1, 2025.
Senate Bill 2515 passed Feb. 6. with a 3414 vote in favor of the bill.
This bill, which is also related to DEI, is being referred to as the “Requiring Efficiency For Our Colleges and Universities (REFOCUS) Act.”
The bill would cre -
Some of the most common words found in recent Mississippi state legislation and President Donald Trump’s executive orders related to the elimination of DEI
IHL approves Vardaman Hall renovations
Renovations to turn Vardaman Hall into a Student Engagement Center are expected to begin in spring 2026, according to Jacob Batte, director of news and media relations at the University of Mississippi.
Vardaman Hall, across from Rebel Market on Dormitory Row W, was constructed in 1929 to serve as a male-only dormitory but was renovated in 1988 to become an administration building. The nearly 100-year-old building was last renovated in 2011.
The Student Engagement Center will provide a space for hosting programs and events, according to Batte.
Changes will include a complete renovation of both the exterior and interior of the building, according to the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. The renovations will also include additions to provide accessibility to all floors.
“Proposed features include student spaces such as lounges and study rooms, staff offices and an outdoor plaza,” Batte said. “The university will work with current building occupants to identify temporary space while the renovations are underway.”
Batte said that plans for the facility were craft-
ed by students and staff.
“The university has worked with an advisory committee of students and staff on plans to renovate Vardaman Hall to become a Student Engagement Center,” Batte said. “The focus of the center is on cultivating success, strengthening a sense of community and promoting opportunities for all students.”
Housed inside Vardaman Hall is the university’s designated prayer room. Earlier this year, the Muslim Student Association petitioned the university requesting a new prayer space with more room and improved facilities for ablutions.
“I was informed last semester that once the renovations officially begin, the university will ensure that we are provided with another space on campus until the changes are completed,” Adam Soltani, president of the Muslim Student Association, said. “In the meantime, we have been given a space in the union for our weekly Friday prayers in addition to our current usage of Vardaman Hall for our daily prayers.”
Ole Miss Baseball will begin its 2025 season in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Rebels face Arizona in their opening game on Friday, Feb. 14, followed by Texas on Saturday, Feb. 15 and Clemson on Sunday, Feb. 16.
In the past two seasons, Ole Miss has fallen short of post-season NCAA Tournament play. Under head coach Mike Bianco, who has led the team for 24 years, the program has appeared in the tourna-
ment 18 times with eight Super Regional and two College World Series appearances. The Rebels won the College World Series in 2022 but lost a large number of star players after that championship run, including Tim Elko, Dylan DeLucia, Justin Bench and Hayden Dunhurst. While Bianco and his staff have not reproduced the impact of those departed players, they have grabbed some key
Assistant Editor
HANNAH IVEY News Staff Writer
Vardaman Hall
IAN SPARKS Sports Staff Writer
KHARLEY REDMON / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
ate a Mississippi University System Efficiency Task Force to examine the efficiency of public universities and colleges in Mississippi “as it relates to the universities’ collective mission of enrolling and graduating more degreed Mississippians and retaining them in the state.”
It would also bar any public institutions of higher learning or community colleges from establishing or maintaining DEI offices.
The bill states, “This act seeks to ensure that employment, academic opportunities and student engagement are based solely on individual merit, qualifications and academic performance, without consideration of an individual’s views on diversity, equity and inclusion.”
If passed by the Mississippi House and signed into law, the bill would go into effect immediately.
Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Ox -
ford, is a co-author on the bill. The Daily Mississippian reached out for comment from Boyd but did not receive a response.
Both bills are pending procedural reconsideration before moving forward.
The Mississippi House and Senate bills were introduced on Jan. 20, the same day President Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Racial and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.” This executive order was followed by another order on Jan. 21 titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.”
While both orders refer to DEI as “illegal and immoral discrimination programs,” the Jan. 20 order primarily focuses on DEI prohibition at the federal level.
The order signed on Jan. 21 enforces a DEI prohibition at federally funded educational agencies and higher learning institutions.
“Within 120 days of this order, the Attorney General and Secretary of Education
shall jointly issue guidance to all state and local educational agencies that receive federal funds and issues of higher education that receive federal grants to participate in the federal student loan assistance program,” the Jan. 21 order states.
In the Jan. 21 order, Trump also encouraged the heads of all executive agencies, with the assistance of the attorney general, to “take all appropriate action” to advance the ideals of individual initiative, excellence and hard work, as outlined in the executive order.
This plan will require each agency to identify nine entities to investigate, which can include investigations of institutions of higher education with endowments over $1 billion.
As of June 30, 2024, endowment funds for the University of Mississippi exceeded $925 million with the expectation to grow, putting the university closer to being under the jurisdiction of this executive order.
Similarly, any large
ASB restructures Secretary’s Department, confirms senators
AIDAN PONIATOWSKI
The Associated Student Body Senate passed legislation that reorganized the Secretary’s Department and approved nominations for various positions within the senate on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Three open seats were filled Tuesday by senate vote. Six candidates gave presentations about their motivations for running, qualifications and the type of legislation they would like to pursue. Sara Abdrabbo, Kayt Davis and Sheridan Garbe were elected and formally confirmed as senators.
“I’m excited. This is my second time going, so I was a little discouraged the first time,” Davis said. “But I had a senator reach out to me and kind of pump me up, so here I am again and I did it.”
Davis, a freshman English major, added that she wants to focus on student finances.
“I’m really into the financials of it,” Davis said. “I want to make college as affordable as possible because so many students are establishing themselves outside of their parents, and sometimes college isn’t really accessible for that, so I’d really like to make that happen.”
Abdrabbo, a biological science major, echoed Davis’ excitement.
“I feel really, really good. I hope to fix this attendance policy because I don’t believe that grades should be deducted if mental health reasons are at play,” Abdrabbo said. “I think that this is something the university can do better on.”
The Senate also unanimously passed SB 25-1, which would restructure the organization of the Secretary’s Department within the ASB code.
“I’m really excited that (this bill) got passed tonight,” Kayle Amos, a public policy leader-
Senators Sara Abdrabbo, Kayt Davis and Sheridan Garbe are sworn in during an ASB meeting on Feb. 11.
ship major, Campus Equity and Advocacy senator and co-author of the bill, said. “I started ASB in the Secretary’s Department as a freshman. That was the first ever hands-on experience I had with ASB, so I have a heart for the department and am really passionate about it.”
The Secretary’s Department records the minutes of all meetings held by the President’s Cabinet and executive officers and compiles senators’ voting and attendance records. The department is also in charge of organizing and executing event programming and leading marketing and public relations campaigns.
The objective of the legislation is to make the Secretary’s Department more efficient.
“This piece of legislation is going to make things run smoothly for the department and make their jobs easier,” Amos said.
“It’ll also make getting involved with the Secretary’s Department easier and more accessible. That makes our lives easier and helps us please the student body.”
ASB Secretary Braxton Dagg, a junior integrated marketing
non-profits that are affiliated with the university could be investigated as a part of the enforcement of this order.
“The university is aware of the executive order and is evaluating its potential impact on our campus,” Batte said.
communications major, said the organizational shift is welcome.
“With the structure now, it’s not hard to keep up with all that goes on, but it is a task,” Dagg said. “Now it’s structured in a much better way, and you can see what the secretary does in day to day life.”
Dagg elaborated on Amos’ description of the bill.
“(The bill) is going to help both within our organization and throughout the student body,” Dagg said. “This allows for more programming events and more outreach for students and for more transparency within our organization.”
The Senate also voted to confirm several deputy comptrollers within the Treasury Department, three nominees for ethical review board membership and a nominee for sergeant at arms. All were voted in unanimously.
ASB President Hannah Watts, a senior public policy major, also gave the Senate a beginning of the semester State of the ASB address.
In response to the Jan. 21 executive order, UM Director of News and Media Relations Jacob Batte said that the university is currently planning for the effects that this order may have.
Emily O’Reilly contributed reporting.
News Staff Writer
Mississippi state Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford
PHOTO COURTESY: ROGELIO V. SOLIS / AP PHOTO
NATE DONOHUE
A&C Staff Writer
Theatre Oxford will stage its annual 10 Minute Play Festival on Valentine’s Day weekend. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14 and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Powerhouse.
This year, Bethany Teames’ “95 Tiles” and Jenna Worsham’s “The Southerner” tied for first place in the 10 Minute Play contest, and Kathryn Ryan’s “Supergirls” placed third. In addition to the top three winners, five other plays were selected to be performed at the festival based on recommendations from contest readers.
Jennifer Mizenko, the festival’s coordinator, said that the contest this year was quite competitive.
“The 10 Minute Play Festival has been a Theatre Oxford fan favorite for years,” Mizenko said.
“The contest has grown considerably, and we now get 200-300 entries every year. This year there were (over) 230 entries.”
Mizenko selected the directors for each play and a guest playwright. This year, that guest is Desta Wondirad, whose play “Intruder” will be performed as part of the festival.
Wondirad will also lead character research workshops from 4-6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14 and 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Feb. 15.
Ryan believes that her play “Supergirls” will connect with audiences in a college town.
“The play is a dramedy. It’s a family story centering around adoption and the questions that
Short scenes, long impact: 10 Minute Play Festival begins Friday
come up when an adoptee comes of age,” Ryan said. “I’d like to think that a story about a young person coming of age and having questions about their identity would resonate with all sorts of people.”
Ryan is excited to see how the director, actors and crew interpret her work.
“As a playwright, it’s always exciting to see your work interpreted by others,” Ryan said. “Theater is, by nature, collaborative. What I write isn’t a play until a director, actors and all the other artists who work on it bring it to life. … So it’s always exciting for me to see what other artists bring to the work.”
For Jenna Worsham, who also lives in New York, her selection for 10 Minute Play Festival was a happy surprise.
“I never thought I would hear anything when I submitted the play back in the fall. I’m primarily a stage director and have only started to share my writing recently,” Worsham said.
“I was shocked to get the email that ‘The Southerner’ had won.”
Worsham’s play follows two women who begin a simple yet interesting dialogue while waiting for a bus.
“I wrote the play quite quickly, much of it while riding the subway in New York City,” Worsham said.
“I think that’s why the piece has a transient feeling. I’m not sure why I started to hear these two women. … Other than that, I remember being homesick at the time. I’m from Georgia and miss it often.”
Bethany Teames’s “95 Tiles” also offers a close-up of two
characters; however, in this case, the pair is a husband and wife rather than two strangers.
“‘95 Tiles’ is the story of a young couple waiting during the worst moment of their lives,” Teames said. “Their child is undergoing surgery, and we witness the pair grapple with what life will look like if the worst should happen.”
Like Ryan, Teames did not take long to write the play, though revision required a bit more time than she expected.
“I wrote this play rather quickly, but it took me a while to really sit with it and refine it,” Teames said.
“Although my spouse and I have never been through this experience, I know friends who have and can only imagine the feeling that your whole world might change in an instant. I think searching for coping mechanisms during moments of pain is something that everyone can empathize with, and I look forward to the audience going on this journey together.”
Jem Sands will work as the stage director for the festival. His role consists mainly of making sure that all parts of the production are coordinated smoothly.
“I am the bridge between communications of actors, directors and production team,” Sands said. “I am responsible for sending out emails with any information related to rehearsals or technical needs (sets, props and sounds).”
Sands is proud of how the crew has managed to bring these plays to life.
“The actors have worked hard these past few weeks to
bring to life both the story and the characters and have been guided by their wonderful directors in a way that draws you into the story to make you feel as if you are a part of it,” Sands said.
When asked why locals should consider attending the festival, Teames mentioned the importance of theater in everyday life.
“I think people should be interested in this festival because we all need more art in our lives,” Teames said. “Engaging with theater is a way of seeking to understand the perspective of people who may be different from you. Our world desperately needs more empathy, and I think there is no better way to seek to understand
Love and lassos are in the air
others than through theatre.” Worsham also highlighted the importance of small, local theaters.
“All types of theater are salient in a culture,” Worsham said.
“But I think, as someone who works regionally, on Broadway and Off-Broadway, that the kind that resonates deeply with people is often local community theater. … It’s my favorite kind of theater to watch … theater made by and for those for whom what they share — despite other differences — is the place they call home.”
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A&C Contributor
The Lafayette County PRCA Rodeo and Bull Bash is scheduled to come to Oxford on Feb. 14-15. Gates for both shows open at 6 p.m., and the shows start at 7:30 p.m. The rodeo will be located at the Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena, and tickets can be purchased at the gate. Attendees can expect to see bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, team roping, calf roping, steer wrestling and ladies’ barrel racing. The
participants in these events compete for cash prizes and the title of rodeo champion.
Madalyn Huff, the rodeo’s event and sponsorship coordinator, explained why the traveling rodeo decided to make a stop in Oxford.
“This rodeo is part of a traveling circuit rather than being exclusive to Oxford. The Oxford stop serves as the final opportunity for competitors to qualify before moving on to the championship event,” Huff said. “It is frequently hosted due to interest from rodeo promoters. When promoters
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approach the venue with a desire to organize the event, it is scheduled accordingly.”
Junior accounting and manufacturing double major Mac Parker is familiar with the rodeo scene in North Mississippi. Parker discovered the PRCA Rodeo through the Student Activities Association’s social media.
“My parents are from North Mississippi, so I remember growing up as a kid we would always go to this random rodeo,” Parker said. “My mom was on the board for this rodeo that came to Jackson, so I did hear a lot about planning a rodeo and
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all its moving factors, so I think it’s really fun and intricate.”
Despite coinciding with Valentine’s Day weekend, Huff is confident the rodeo will draw a crowd.
“The rodeo attracts a large number of local families as well as people from surrounding areas. Many attendees are also passionate about bull riding, and some individuals specifically inquire about the expected crowd size,” Huff said. “The appeal of the rodeo comes from a combination of a love for the sport and the strong sense of community it fosters.”
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Courtney Spilker, a sophomore hospitality management major from Los Angeles, appreciates the rodeo’s stop in Oxford.
“I’m from California. I’ve never been to a rodeo. (I have) always loved the idea because I see it everywhere,” Spilker said. “Even though I live in Los Angeles — the most non-country place in California — I think it’s a cool cultural aspect of the South I don’t get to see at home.”
SHAYNA BARNES
Actors Hannah Allen and Connor King rehearse “Hamlet Goes to Therapy.”
ASHLEY CHARLES / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Valentine’s schmalentine’s: the Arts & Culture Desk’s opinions on the ‘holiday’
Alana Brown-Davis
A&C DESK A&C Editors & Staff Writers
In “Ask A&C,” University of Mississippi students ask questions about university and Ox ford life and members of the arts and culture writing staff answer with their personal takes. This week’s question is: “Is Valentine’s Day a real holiday or just an opportunity for candy and greeting card companies to make a profit?”
Simone Bourgeois
Valentine’s Day is definitely a real holiday. I agree with the criticism that it is commercialized, but like any holiday, it is what you make it. In my opinion, it is never a bad time to appreciate those that you love, in whatev er form that may be. I will jump at any chance to celebrate love and friendship, and having a holiday dedicated to just that can be something special.
P.B. Jernigan
Personally, I enjoy Valentine’s Day. I like the idea of having a day to celebrate affection for friends, family and partners. I Valentine’s Day is a real hol iday, though in the con temporary it has been heavily commercialized. I can understand the dis like towards it, but I think there is a way to enjoy the holiday without a signifi cant other. You can celebrate with friends or family — or even treat yourself to something special.
Valentine’s Day is most definitely a holiday, especially when you look at the historical context of it with St. Valentine and the work he did to spread love through his faith. He would marry couples so that the hus bands would not be forced to go to war. Valentine’s is also one of those holidays that al lows people to reconnect with their loved ones and is sort of like a Thanksgiving for couples.
has tilted more toward capitalistic gain as opposed to sticking to its origins of a traditional feast day of St. Valentine. I also think that if we truly love the people we are celebrating, we should show them love every day of the year — not just on Valentine’s Day. So yes, Valentine’s Day is a real holiday, but I think it has been blown out of proportion from what it was originally meant to be.
Claire Reynolds
Lydia Waters
I think Valentine’s is a real holiday. The world deserves to celebrate love — even if it is not romantic. Platonic love, such as friendships and family, should be celebrated, too. Valentine’s is a good reminder of the people that bring joy in our life, and I think that is very important.
Jane Dunn
Even though love should be cele brated every day, I think it is sweet that there is one day dedicated to it. With so much negativity in the world, having a day that is all about love, appreciation and kind ness feels like a nice break. Wheth er it is for a partner, friends or fam ily, it is just a good excuse to remind people you love them. And let us be honest, the flowers and chocolate do not hurt either.
Sydney Stepp
I like the idea of Valentine’s Day as a way to celebrate loved ones, but I think in recent years it
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I think Valentine’s Day serves an important purpose in reminding us how we should live our lives everyday. Much like Independence Day, Earth Day, Christmas and all of the other holidays Hallmark would write a card for, the day itself represents a value we should always prioritize in our lives. While of course the day is now associated with the stress of finding the perfect gift or worrying about whether your status with someone deems a gift necessary, I think the celebration itself is legitimate. Furthermore, I am thankful for social deviance from the romantic aspect of the holiday by the popularity of things such as “Galentine’s Day” or shelter dog adoption events to find other ways to celebrate love.
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• Appointed by the Mississippi State Bar to the Mississippi Commission on Attorney Ethics and Attorney Violations of the Canon of Ethics and All Mandatory Rules concerning the Practice of Law. Occupied the positions of Vice Chairman and Chairman and served for 18 years.
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Academy Award-nominated ‘Nickel Boys’ tells a story from the Jim Crow South
AARON BARROW A&C Staff Writer
RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” has been nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Based on Colson Whitehead’s novel of the same name the 2024 film is Ross’ first foray into the world of narrative filmmaking.
“Nickel Boys” tells the story of a reform school in the Jim Crow South, detailing the journey of two Black teenage boys as they face a multitude of trials and tribulations brought about by those in power. The film is an awe-inspiring display of the resilience of the human spirit, but even more stunning are the methods in which Ross decides to tell this story.
Ross’ previous film, “Hale County, This Morning, This Evening,” is an Academy Award-nominated documentary feature film that intimately details the lives of the African-American community in Hale County, Ala. While the commonalities in theme and presentation between his previous film and “Nickel Boys” are clear, Ross finds a way, even while confined to a semi-formulaic narrative structure, to craft something truly unique.
The conceit of “Nickel Boys” is that it is shot entirely from the perspective of its two lead characters, shifting between the two whenever it is necessary or emotionally relevant. In short, we see what the lead characters see and not much more.
The mere thought of being tasked with directing a film with such technical barriers makes me shudder. The essence of a film being restricted to the point of view of its two leading roles would seem to limit what can be achieved, but as the film progresses it becomes exceedingly more evident that Ross thrives within the confines of this toolbox he has assembled for himself.
In an interview with Associated Press News, Ross spoke about the film’s influences and the reasons for the film’s technical choices.
“It’s an ode to looking out of the eyes of those whose eyes have been owned by others and whose perception has been managed by others,” Ross said.
Whitehead’s novel, much like the film, is a story of perspective. The film’s audience witnesses traumatic events unfold through the eyes of two young men who have very different ideals regarding the powers that be and, more specifically, how they will navigate a world in which the odds are stacked against them.
The film’s cinematographer, Jomo Fray, also spoke with AP News regarding the film’s unique challenges and technical achievements.
“The image is an invitation for the viewer to really place themselves in a body that they may or may not recognize,” Fray said. “For two hours, you truly are walking in the shoes of another person.”
More so than any other film I have encountered, “Nickel Boys” is a plea to those watching to embrace the thought of experiencing something
new. Unwillingness to learn is what stops films like this from being made. Furthermore, an unwillingness to learn stokes the flames of bigotry and ignorance that the film’s very thematic ideas rest upon.
Bigotry that the film details is not some amorphous, made-up concoction from a far away land that has long since died out. Instead, it is an ongoing truth that has reared its ugly head as recently as 2009 at the University of Mississippi when a dozen members of the Ku Klux Klan protested Chancellor Dan Jones’ decision to remove the song “From Dixie with Love” from the Pride of the South marching band’s repertoire.
This is one example of a truth that all university students, many of which are African-American, are forced to face in some fashion. At the very least, we owe it to each other to be knowledgeable of these truths. At most, we owe it to ourselves to stand up against said truths.
Films like “Nickel Boys” are not an answer to the confusion of the world, but a tool. When wielded correctly, I believe these tools can have quite an effect.
“We have only begun to scratch the very surface of what cinema is capable of,” Fray said. “Cinema is a language that shares a language with our dreams. We’re still at the infancy of this as an artistic art form.”
SEC revenue distribution increases; Ole Miss faces deficit
revenue is generated from television agreements, postseason bowl games, the College Football Playoff, the SEC Football Championship game, the SEC Men’s Basketball tournament and NCAA Championships.
“The SEC’s annual distribution of revenue helps member universities maintain strong athletics programs while supporting the academic and athletic ambitions of thousands of student-athletes across the conference,” Sankey said.
The revenue distribution in 2022-23 was $741 million, and the average per school was $51.3 million.
According to an Ole Miss Athletics press release, Ole Miss brought in $142.2 million total revenue during the 2023 fiscal year, while Texas A&M topped the conference with $279.2 million in total revenue.
The NCAA financial report for fiscal year 2023 shows that the Rebels rank 13th in the SEC in total revenues and are $47.7 million below the league average.
Ole Miss Athletics made approximately $600,000 more in revenue than Missouri, which ranked 14th in the report. The Rebels made $18.3 million less than South Carolina, which ranked 12th in the report. Mississippi State generated the smallest revenue in the conference with $115.7 million.
Operating expenses for Ole Miss were $150.2 million, which resulted in a net loss for the athletics department of approximately $8 million. The other two SEC schools operating in a deficit are Alabama, with $212 million in expenses and $199.9 million in revenue, and Mississippi State, with $121 million in expenses and $115.7 million in revenue.
RUSS EDDINS
Assistant Sports Editor
Club hockey teams at four SEC schools — Ole Miss, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama — are leaving their current league to form a SEC branch of the Atlantic Coast Conference Hockey League in the 2025-26 season.
All four teams are currently a part of College Hockey South (CHS). Originally, the league was called the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference, but the name was changed after the league began to add nonSEC teams. The CHS has 50 teams from 30 schools across eight southeastern states.
Josh Herbert is the Ole Miss Ice Hockey Club’s coach.
“We felt that it (CHS) was getting too big too fast,” Herbert said. “(I) feel like this is the best move for Ole Miss hockey.”
Another big motivator for making this move is an increase in recruitment. In the past two years, Ole Miss has had a spike in players interested in club hockey. Due to the high number of players, they had to field a Division III team.
The Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL) is unique in allowing teams to compete against opponents in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and participate in either the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) or AAU playoffs.
The ACHA is a legitimate and growing association that is more competitive than AAU hockey. Recently UNLV, a D1 ACHA team, upset Denver — the 2024 reigning NCAA D1 champions — on the road. Additionally, North Carolina and North Carolina State played an outdoor
Coaches push to reestablish
game in North Carolina, and 26,000 people attended. ESPN+ broadcasts all NC State hockey home games.
Herbert said that the ACCHL commissioner is onboard with SEC teams joining the conference, with the intention of breaking off to form their own league in the coming years.
“(The ACCHL commissioner) sees the value of the brand, and I don’t think it’s lost on anybody … that the SEC is a big brand,” Herbert said.
A timeline for when the teams will branch off into an SEC-only league has not been determined. In order to form an all-SEC league, eight teams are required
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to participate. Mississippi State is the only SEC school without a club hockey team.
Conversations about the new league have been going on since last summer. Max Mona, head coach of the Vanderbilt Club Hockey team, said that players have also been involved in the process.
“There’s been a lot of discussion around SEC, ACHA and other options,” Mona said. “We’ve given our players the flexibility to decide on leagues and scheduling.”
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Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 with no repeats.
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Ole Miss head coach Josh Herbert talks to his players in a game against MTSU on Feb. 7.
TAYLOR HILL / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
additions in the transfer portal in the past couple of years.
Returning from the 2024 season, catcher Campbell Smithwick and infielder Luke Hill hope to retain their positions in the lineup despite the influx of new talent.
Bianco noted Owen Paino and Hayden Federico as infielders who “could have an impact immediately” in the lineup during a presser in September 2024. Additionally, freshmen pitchers Cade Townsend, Owen Hancock and Kaden Lopez should contribute heavily for the Rebels on the mound.
Ole Miss also added some new transfers. Previously at Louisville, Isaac Humphrey transferred to Ole Miss after spending his first three years with the Cardinals. The outfielder boasts a career .300 batting average and ranks No. 44 on Perfect Game’s Top 75 Collegiate Seniors list.
Luke Cheng, a transfer from Illinois State, is coming in to give some needed infield depth. Although he has primarily been a shortstop, it is unclear where Cheng will play this season.
Returning pitchers Hunter Elliott and Mason Nichols will be huge for the pitching staff.
Nichols, one of the remaining members of the 2022 championship team, made 17 appearances last season and started six. He tied the team
There will be an intense competition between Cheng, Paino and Hill, who started a bulk of the games last year. With Andrew Fischer transferring to Tennessee during the offseason, Hill or Paino could potentially get some playing time at third base.
lead in wins with a 4-2 record and posted a 4.15 ERA. He joins Humphrey on the Top 75 Collegiate Seniors list at No. 61.
Elliott is returning for the Rebels after missing all of last season and the majority of the 2023 season with a UCL injury before having Tommy John surgery — an el-
Redistricting plan is
REN HITE Opinion Staff Writer
Redistricting and redlining are often weaponized as systemic tools to silence Black and minority voices, denying these communities fair representation.
To address this, Mississippi’s latest legislative redistricting plan aims to empow -
bow surgery — in May 2023.
In his freshman season, Elliott had a breakout campaign that put the country on notice. He made 20 appearances and finished second on the team in ERA (2.70) and strikeouts (102). He started the CWS title clinching game against Oklahoma, allowing two earned runs
a step in the
and striking out six. Elliott was named a Freshman All-American by D1 Baseball, Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball.
right direction
“The benefits of redistricting Mississippi far outweigh any negative concerns.”
er underrepresented groups by creating majority-Black districts and fostering equitable political participation.
According to Mississippi Today, a three-judge federal panel found that the Mississippi Legislature did not create enough Black-majority House of Representative districts when it redrew its districts in 2022. In order to create a voting map that is more representative of the state’s demographic makeup, the panel ordered the state to redraw the districts and create a new majority-Black district in north Mississippi’s Chickasaw County.
Federal courts have played a significant role in shaping the plan, working closely with Mississippi lawmakers. By addressing long-standing legal concerns, the proposed map aims to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act while creating a fairer and more competitive electoral landscape.
Pending court approval of this redistricting change, a special election will be held this year in affected counties, making five House seats up for grabs in November.
The federal courts also ruled that the Senate must redraw districts to create new Black-majority districts in DeSoto County and in the Hattiesburg area. Potential changes to those districts have not yet been taken up by the Senate Rules Committee.
So, how are these changes going to affect voters in the state? Simply put, there have been too few black voting districts in the state for too long and this plan will reshape the state’s political landscape.
The plans aim at strengthening the voices of underrepresented voters. And for
Opinion Policies:
college students and young voters, these changes present a chance to see how equitable representation can influence their communities.
Beyond improving representation, the plans ensure districts are more competitive. For example, Republican Sens. John Polk and Chris Johnson, both representing the Hattiesburg area, could be competing for the same seat in an upcoming election.
While this is not ideal for the politicians affected as it may split votes, the respective districts and their voters would potentially benefit from candidate diversity. Think of it like this, if a voter wants to vote party-line, but does not agree with one candidate, having other strong candidates to choose from breaks the monotony that currently exists.
This could lead to higher voter engagement and turnout, particularly for students who are often new to participating in local elections. With a focus on fair boundaries and diverse voices, Mississippi’s redistricting efforts could bring about meaningful change for the next generation of voters.
Despite the positive potential of these changes, they were met with reservations by some legislators. House Rules Committee Chairman Fred Shanks, R-Brandon, believed the redistricting plan should be further prolonged. Shanks said lawmakers should wait until the end of the 2025 session due to the change affecting 25% of the state’s current districts. These benefits and criticisms highlight the complex challenges involved in redrawing legislative districts in a manner that ensures fair representation while adhering to legal mandates and addressing the concerns of differing entities
However, even Shanks acknowledges the necessity of the change now. The idea of prolonging these changes would mean another voting cycle in an inequitable, non-representative map.
Ren Hite is a senior journalism major from Jackson, Miss.
CONTACT THE OPINION DESK AT thedmopinion@gmail.com
Columns do not represent the views of The University of Mississippi or The Daily Mississippian. The Daily Mississippian welcomes letters to the editor, which should be emailed to thedmopinion@gmail. com. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. They may be edited for clarity, brevity and libel. Third-party letters and those with pseudonyms or no name will not be published. Letters are limited to one per individual per month. Letters should include contact information, including relationship to the university, if applicable.
Grayson Saunier hits the ball against Iowa on March 2, 2024.
JOHN MATTHEWS / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
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