Peter, Bjorn and John go mostly instrumental on Seaside Rock See page 6.
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TOMORROW
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S P The
Serving Southern Miss since 1927
Thursday, September 25, 2008
MCT Campus
Volume 93, Issue 11
First presidential debate tomorrow Bob Worth Meryl Dakin Printz Writer
Zachary Lee/Printz
Gabe Robbins, a physics major from Denver, Colo., and Joseph LeBeau, a political science and enterpernuership major from Denham Springs, La., register to vote at a booth set up in the Union by the Civitan Club. Deadline for vote registration in Mississippi is Oct. 6.
With only five weeks remaining until the 2008 Presidential election, the two major-party candidates will meet in Oxford Friday night for the first of three televised debates. The subject of the debate, to be moderated by Jim Lehrer, host of the PBS show Newshour, will be foreign policy and national security. The event will mark the first time a presidential debate has been held in Mississippi. Many Americans still associate Ole Miss with the riot that broke out
Barack Obama
John McCain
over the admission of African American student James Merideth 46 years ago, which left two people dead and 166 federal marshals injured. A wall of the Lyceum building, the symbol of the university, is still pockmarked from bullets fired during the riot. Stephanie Meincke, director
of the Mississippi Campus Compact, described the significance of the debate’s location further. “I think it’s been talked about in terms of Ole Miss being the site 40 years ago of voter discrimination,” Meincke said, “and to be able to have the first debate there is an astounding sign of how far we’ve come as a nation.” She added that statistics from the Mississippi Campus Compact Voter Registration and Engagement Project showed a steady rise in youth voters in Mississippi. Most recently, voter turnout increased to 52 percent in 2004 as compared to 43 per-
cent in 2000. Kara Palmer, freshman elementary education major from Minneapolis, Minn., said she will definitely tune in when the debate begins at 8 p.m. “I think as the elections approach it’s important that we all take the time to look at the candidates and their platforms and decide for ourselves,” Palmer said. “I think debates are a good way to see if they do have solid answers for big questions.” USM Political Science department chair Alan McBride said that hosting the debate offers the school and the state a chance to show that progress has been DEBATE continued on page 3
Saunders addresses plans for USM Lesley Walters News Editor
During the Fall Convocation held in Bennett Auditorium Wednesday afternoon, President Martha Saunders gave a State of the University address. Saunders recognized new members of the university community, celebrated recent achievements of students, faculty and staff, and announced her “personal priorities” for the rest of the year. Those priorities included increasing student retention, raising employee salaries, developing the new Gulf Coast campus and planning for next year’s centennial celebration. This year, Southern Miss saw its highest freshman enrollment on both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses. “I think the fact that we have a record freshman class and the campus morale with faculty and staff is so positive just sets the tone for a great year,” said Joe Paul, vice president of student affairs, “and I think a lot of the credit goes to the president because she’s an optimistic, positive person, and it causes everybody else to feel that way.” “This outstanding class also reflects great quality with more than 50 Presidential scholars, nine National Merit scholars and 50 members of the Honors College,” Saunders stated. David R. Davies, dean of the Honors College, said after the convocation that the college has also seen its highest enrollment ever at 150, with an average ACT score of 31. “All the statistics and indicators within the college are great,” Davies said, “and when things are looking good for the Honors College, they’re looking good for all of Southern Miss.” Saunders said the Strategic Enrollment Plan will be ready for implementation by January. She added that a new freshman resi-
At A Glance • Record enrollment • Increased salaries • Allocate resources and lower engery costs •Give back to the community dence hall, which will house 900 students, should be “coming out of the ground” early next semester. It is planned to open for the fall semester of 2010. Student athletes are also doing well, Saunders said, with 78 percent of female students graduating from the program and 77 percent of male students graduating, which is the highest of any university in the state. Saunders also announced that this year there are 90 new faculty members, 57 new staff members since August alone, three new deans and two vice presidents, “and what a wonderful difference this infusion of new blood makes.” While Saunders would like to see a raise in employee salaries, she also recognized a growing economic problem. The Chief Financial Officer provided reassurance, Saunders said, when he reported: “’The bills are paid and there’s money in the bank.’” “That is good news during these difficult times, but we don’t need to forget that the country and the state are facing some serious economic challenges,” Saunders stated. “We will work hard to secure our fair share of state resources, but the size of the pie appears to be shrinking ... In other words, we’re going to have to get creative.” She added that the Division of Business and Finance is working with the Office of the Provost to develop a program to allocate resources. The Office of Sustainability has been set up in that division to help lower energy costs. Fundraising efforts with alumni and friends of the university are
Top: Members of the USM executive cabinet join other Southern Miss faculty and staff to hear President Martha Saunders give the State of the University address during the 2008 Fall Convocation. Right: President Saunders addresses the audience on where the university is and where the university is going over the course of the year during her State of the University address.
also being strengthened and refocussed. Meanwhile, funding for research and sponsored programs during the past fiscal year reached about $91 million, Saunders stated, which “far exceeded that of some of our peers.” She compared this figure to the funds secured by Texas Tech and the University of Alabama, who received $48.7 million and $68.9 million respectively. “Although congressionally-directed funding is becoming more difficult to obtain,” Saunders said, “we are encouraged by the quality and size of our competitive awards.” Saunders also suggested that members of the university com-
munity should give back to the community so that “we at Southern Miss will become known as a caring campus.” She pointed out that while the Hattiesburg campus is urged to raise $100,000 for United Way this year, that same organization has contributed $300,000 to centers on campus, “so you see, we receive each year far more than we give.” “As you seek out opportunities to give back, consider this: the average salary of Southern Miss employees is 50 percent higher than the average salary of all Mississippians,” Saunders stated. “Much has been given to us, and for that I’m grateful.”
Planning committee to hold forums on Cross Creek Lesley Walters News Editor
The Gulf Coast Cross Creek Planning Committee is holding three forums this week to gather input from students, faculty and staff as they plan the design and eventual construction of the seventh Southern Miss teaching site. Faculty and staff are invited to the first of the forums today from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center Room 218 A and B. Another forum for students will be held Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Union RC’s Lounge, during which pizza will be provided. A third forum will take place Wednesday
from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for faculty and staff in the Union Hall of Honors. Sid Gonsoulin, associate vice president of student affairs, and Bryan Billings, the director of project planning at the Gulf Park campus, are co-chairmen of the Planning Committee, which is made up of about 40 students, faculty and staff. Gonsulin said the forums were scheduled to “throw a net out as wide as we can to receive input from students, faculty and staff.” Pat Joachim, Gulf Coast associate provost, is chair of the Leadership Team which operates under the Planning Committee. She said that forums on the Gulf Coast will be held at
‘‘
We are there to serve the students; that’s who we are responsible to...So if we are going to plan the very best campus for them, we need to know what they want and what they think they are going to need.
’’
-Pat Joachim, Gulf Coast Associate Provost
the same time as those in Hattiesburg with the same format and presentation “so that everyone is getting exactly the same information.” “We are there to serve the students; that’s who we are responsible to,” Joachim said. “So if we are going to plan the very best campus for them, we need to know what they want and what they think they are going to need.”
Gonsoulin said that students have the rare opportunity to help build a campus “from scratch,” adding that in the past 20 years or so, only a handful of universities have had such a chance. He added that while he would like to see students from every college of study represented at the forum, “the students who really should participate are the ones who might be taking coursework not only here, but
on the coast as part of their curriculum.” “It’s a great opportunity for anybody involved in the process and an incredible opportunity for the University of Southern Mississippi and the Gulf South,” Gonsoulin said. Since President Martha Saunders signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in April, a major focus of the planning process is to build with the environment in mind. The commitment requires that all new construction projects be built within certain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. “I hope we can turn it into a
model sustainable campus,” Saunders said. Billings said the Cross Creek campus will also give Southern Miss the opportunity to build a campus “in an area more accessible to the residents of the Gulf Coast region” that is well out of harm’s way in case of another major hurricane. The 200-acre site selected by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning in April 2007 was donated by Cross Creek Technology Center LLC, which is jointly owned by Hancock Bank and W.C. Fore. It is located approximately five miles from the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, just north of Interstate 10.