weekly_reports_11_01

A number of readers have requested the usmnews.net revisit the sad and sordid history of Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma Charter Revoked, Hazing Mess at USM Growing Is USM President Martha Saunders in over her Head?Enough has now happened concerning the hazing episode on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi to question whether or not new USM President, Martha Saunders, is in over her head.

Dear usmnews.net, The reason we keep coming back to usmnews.net is really stupid and offensive comments from people like (vice president of student affairs) Joe Paul. While he talks about students "looking for federal financial aid" (read federally guaranteed loans), budgeting their money, living a monastic life, etc., he makes no mention of the University cutting costs instead of looking for more income.

When did all this happen? is a desperate effort by USM football fans to understand how and why their football team became the worst in the nation. Currently zero wins and twenty losses (0-20) for the past year and a half.

The Whacky World of Sports Fans by: Duane Cobb The Wall Street Journal offers today's health advice for "fandom." In this excerpt from The Biology of the Sports Fan, USM football fans (whose team is currently at 0 - 20) may learn why they are feeling "stressed" and maybe a bit "crazy."

Lee Gore Out as General Counsel at UWF Pensacola - usmnews.net has confirmed that Lee Gore no longer appears as General Counsel or "Special Assistant to the President" within the General Counsel's office at the University of West Florida. According to Jesse Farthing, reporter for Rick's Blog, "Lee Gore, who was heading up the University of West Florida Office of the General Counsel, has been terminated from that position, as of Oct. 31, for failing to become a member of the Florida Bar before his contractual deadline for doing so was up."

Dear usmnews.net, A lot of old timers at Southern Miss are watching the reports about Lee Gore practicing law without a license. Talk around campus is that something is really screwy about West Florida's claims that Lee passed the bar in February [2013], but still doesn't have a license. What is going on?

Lee Gore, The University of West Florida and The Florida Bar Association Part 1 Zabetti Pappas has provided usmnews.net with documents relating to Lee Gore's employment obtained through a Florida Open Records request. The records paint a troubling picture which will not be surprising to many of Gore's former colleagues. Sources tell usmnews.net that fast and loose interpretation and application of rules were part of his history at Southern Miss.

Lee Gore, The University of West Florida and The Florida Bar Association Part 2 Part 1 published the agreement under which Gore became General Counsel for UWF. Part 2 addresses President Bense's letter to Gore dated 7-July-2013 in which she specifically instructed Gore to provide the documents necessary to be admitted to the Florida bar.

Lee Gore, The University of West Florida and The Florida Bar Association Part 3 ... However, usmnews.net can report that by letter dated 4-Oct-2013, the Florida Bar Association determined that Gore's activities as General Counsel "... do constitute the unlicensed practice of law 11". Based on this decision, it was impossible for Bense and UWF to pretend that Gore could serve as General Counsel. Bense could no longer delay removing Gore from the office of General Counsel.

Dear usmnews.net, There has been a lot of speculation about Lee [Gore][practicing law without a license in Florida] My lawyer friends say it makes no sense that Lee [former University Counsel at USM and former General Counsel at UWF] passed the [February 2013] bar examination in Florida and still hasn't gotten a license.

Rodney Bennett's Extravagance Part 4 - While we witness "TTT" of USM football ... Let's also witness costs of sports at USM. The details that USM does not volunteer. And wonder if public representations about the cost of USM sports is as inaccurate as the public representation of cost per flight hour and total cost of President Bennett's airplane.

Who're the fan(atics) responsible for this waste of student and taxpayer money? There's got to be a limit on silly behavior, especially when it costs so much money, year after year, decade after decade. And, especially when the expenditures have nothing to do with nor does it advance the mission of the organization, university in this case, that pays for it.

Editorial It doesn't get much dumber than this We're going to step a bit outside our usual world of reporting to comment on Mississippi state politics. We're not going too far, though, because the following report touches us personally. As college professors, academics, we seem to have failed our politicians.

Rodney Bennett's Extravagance Part 5 - While we witness "TTT" of USM football ... Let's also witness costs of sports at USM. The details that USM does not volunteer. And wonder if public representations about the cost of USM sports is as inaccurate as the public representation of cost per flight hour and total cost of President Bennett's airplane.

Editorial "We haven't quit." By coincidence I happened to be flipping through channels on the boob-tube last night and discovered a show, "Southern Miss Sports Today." I've never seen it before; didn't know it existed. It was, in fact, the Todd Monken show. Mr. Monken is the head coach of USM's football team. USM has had a record two seasons in football, so I was interested.

The Curious World of Administrators Part 1 usmnews.net readers are aware that Lee P. Gore, past University Counsel at USM, was seemingly "canned" from that job. They are now learning that he became General Counsel at University of West Florida and was canned from that position, too. We're learning more about Gore's peculiar discharge from his recent job at UWF and the curious world of administrators, the subject of this and the next few reports.

Mr. Gore, you have engaged in the unlicensed practice of law. By letter dated 6-Nov-2013, Lee Gore was advised that his conduct as General Counsel for the University of West Florida constituted the unlawful practice of law.

Dear usmnews.net, The question many of [Lee] Gore's old "friends" at Southern Miss are asking is why is Gore giving up his job [as General Counsel] at UWF, when he [or at least UWF on his behalf], claims to have passed the Florida Bar Exam? Passing the bar exam would seem to be the hardest part of getting licensed [to practice of law] in any state. So, if Gore actually passed [the bar exam], why didn't he get sworn in [with others who passed the bar exam at the same time]?

"Golden Eagles' losing skid affects recruiting" A Guest Editorial by C. Anna Hall A few days ago Jason Munz, sports reporter for The Hattiesburg American, wrote "Golden Eagles' losing skid affects recruiting." There is little doubt that many readers reacted with some version of "no kidding". The practical and simple fact is the "smart" young men that Head Coach Todd Monken says he wants for his team, are going to look at their options and choices. Here are some of the questions one of those bright, talented athletes are likely to ask themselves:

MORE MISERY On October 26, 2013, Craig Stephenson of GulfLive.com said. "... I asked Monken if the 24-23 loss to previously (and since) winless Florida International was 'the bottom.' He answered that he wasn't sure it could get much worse.' Monken was wrong. Southern Miss now has a two season 0-22 record and the situation seems to gets worse with every game.

"... it can't possibly get any worse." Fox News recently wrote a story about Southern Miss' football program. USM's national disgrace: zero wins in its last twenty-two (0-22) games. That is, for those of you who haven't been paying attention, the country's worst losing streak. Fox's conclusion was that for USM football, "... it can't possibly get any worse."

Déjà Vu? Yesterday Hattiesburg American sports reporter Jason Munz advised the community, "In a joint release, Southern Miss and Alabama announced the two schools [University of Alabama and Southern Miss] have agreed to schedule a football game that will be played on Sept. 13, 2014, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala." This announcement is an eerie reminder of what happened about a year ago.

Rodney Bennett's Extravagance Part 6 - While we witness yet another increase in tuition ... "TTT" of USM football ... Let's also witness costs of sports at USM. The details that USM does not volunteer. And wonder if public representations about the cost of USM sports is as inaccurate as the public representation of cost per flight hour and total cost of President Bennett's airplane.

It's Official Another Tuition Hike Approved by Mississippi IHL The Hattiesburg American reported in April, 2012, that the IHL had approved 15 tuition hikes in a 16 year period. According to that report "since 2000, average tuition among the eight [Mississippi] universities increased 96 percent, an average of 8 percent a year." In 2012, USM students endured an 8.7% tuition increase for 2012-13, with an additional 6.4% increase for 2013-2014. And, as reported below, the IHL has now approved 7 percent more for the next two years.

ANOTHER NUGGET? On 23-Nov-2013, WDAM TV news reported that a new golden eagle mascot had arrived. Curiously, the report observed "The new eagle is permitted to the Hattiesburg Zoo and will be permanently housed in its enclosure." Why isn't the new eagle being housed on campus? Wasn't that where the original Nugget was maintained?

Dear usmnews.net, Did you see the November 22, 2013 report in Deadspin, "Southern Miss Attempts to Replace its Murdered Mascot?" The first sentence of the report, says it all. "In 1993, Southern Mississippi's golden eagle mascot Nugget II starved to death under mysterious circumstances, and alumni paid off the government to make questions go away."

The Big Question: Who's fault? USM doesn't get a football record as disastrous as the current zero wins and twenty-three losses by happenstance. And USM sports bloggers have focused their aim on the decision-makers.

I'm your cupcake Southern Miss Sells Losses for Cash According to Deadspin, "[i]t's not a secret that schools rent out their programs to act as home punching bags for big programs, nor is it a surprise how much money is at stake." In the jargon, these grossly inferior teams are college football's so-called "cupcakes". As Bleacher Report explained