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(September 5, 2008) Is USM Becoming a Party School Under Saunders? We are about 18 months into the Martha Saunders administration of USM and indications are that USM is poised to become known as a "party school." Those indications were given a recent boost in Valerie Wells' 31-August-08 article ("The party starts before kickoff") for The Hattiesburg American describing recent game-day activities on the USM campus. According to Wells, "men smoked small cigars and drank Bud Light straight from the can" while relaxing near the Aubrey K. Lucas Administration Building hours before the Golden Eagles took on Louisiana -- Lafayette in the 2008 season opener for both teams. Saunders visited with members of the group, who were next to "the Dome" to participate in the "Countdown to Kickoff" tailgating event.

(September 8, 2008) CoB News, 8 September 2008 “Go Beat the #*%$ Out of ‘Em!” USM President Martha Saunders’ 28-August-08 blog (Another Reason to Cheer for the team...) was certainly one for the ages.

(September 7, 2008) Can't Win For Losing More Bad News from USM, "Party School USA" USM can't seem to win for losing these days. In her 4-Sept-08 article for The Hattiesburg American entitled "Alleged hazing under review," THA higher education reporter, Valerie Wells, had the responsibility of telling Pine Belt area citizens that the party school environment at USM had taken a turn for the worse. According to Wells, an "alleged hazing incident at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house has left a student in intensive care at Forrest General Hospital." Though the USMPD was still investigating the incident at the time Wells filed her report, she was able to confirm that "[t]wo students involved were admitted to the hospital for treatment of alcohol poisoning."

(September 8, 2008) 31st & Pearl Martha Saunders, Swisher Sweet The thought of USM President Martha Saunders sitting around the Dome on Saturday amongst beer can-toting football fans who were smoking "small cigars" would be humorous if not for the "party school" fallout all around her. One would think that having a potentially underage co-ed bedridden over at Forrest General, suffering from an enlarged liver that resulted from an alleged hazing incident at Kappa Sigma fraternity house, would focus one's attention far from game day/luxury suite revelry. If not that, how about the wake-up call that must have been the recently sealed court settlement with the family of a USM alumnus who died (summer of 2004) after playing a game of "beer pong" at the USM Sigma Nu fraternity house?

(September 8, 2008) KE 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. In her 6-Sept-08 article, “Fraternity loses charter, house after campus hazing incident,” The Hattiesburg American’s Valerie Wells reports that USM has revoked the charter of ÊÓ fraternity and closed its on-campus facility. This decision results from a USM “investigation” of an alleged hazing incident at the fraternity house that has left a USM co-ed in intensive care from alcohol poisoning.