Prospective students are increasingly opting for colleges like Elon in North Carolina, Clemson in South Carolina and the University of Miami in Florida over elite northeastern schools. 

For Jewish students, the rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel protests on campuses like Columbia have shown students like Scott Katz that choosing Elon was the right decision. Elon received an A grade from the Anti-Defamation League for its work to protect Jewish students from hate on campus. 

“It was a big deal,” Katz told The Free Press of the environment on campus. 

AOC CALLS COLUMBIA PROTESTS ‘PEACEFUL’, DESPITE RABBI WARNING JEWISH STUDENTS TO STAY HOME

“Even if I could’ve gotten into Harvard, I wouldn’t have gone,” Katz said. “I wanted a school that felt right for me, not someplace that we’re told we’re supposed to want to go.” 

“Never before have we seen so much interest in colleges like Clemson, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina State,” assistant vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions at Georgia Tech, Rick Clark, told the outlet. “That’s just unprecedented.”

Other parents and students cited COVID-era lockdown policies as the reason that they started to more seriously consider southern schools. 

“Kids up north were pretty unhappy during those Covid lockdown years,” a father of a prospective college student, Larry Glazer, said. “And colleges down south were offering something different. My son and his friends would look at TikTok and see all these college kids going to football games, throwing parties, living their lives. It has an impact.”

COLUMBIA JEWISH STUDENTS ‘NO LONGER FEEL SAFE,’ SAY ANTI-ISRAEL MOB CHASED THEM OFF CAMPUS

Yale University is one of many elite campuses rocked by anti-Israel protests. (Left: Photographer: Craig Warga/Bloomberg via Getty Images, Center: (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))

Some parents are also signaling doubt over the value of an Ivy League education. 

Julie Ketover, a Yale graduate, said, “I don’t know that the value of an Ivy League education is the same as it used to be. People ask me all the time, ‘Would you do Yale again?’ I would. I loved it. But it used to mean something to go to a really, really good school. I think it means less today. I’m working with clients in organizations that are hiring, and it really doesn’t f—— matter to them where you went to college. You got your degree, and that’s enough.”

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Christopher Rim, the CEO of college consulting firm Command Education, told The Free Press that some students are giving up on going to elite schools entirely and are even interested in transferring to other institutions. 

“One student we work with recently abandoned her yearslong dream of attending Columbia” due to antisemitism, Rim said. “We’ve also seen a number of Jewish students who are interested in transferring, especially from Columbia, Cornell, and Penn.”

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-116 on Saturday night to advance to the Western Conference Finals but had to wait until Sunday night to know their opponent. With a 98-90 win in Game 7 over the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, the Mavericks will be playing the Minnesota Timberwolves next round with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. The Timberwolves made the largest halftime comeback in Game 7 history to advance.

This is a matchup of two of the younger superstars in the NBA, as Luka Doncic will face off against phenom Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves have a stifling defense, having the NBA’s best defensive rating throughout the regular season, though the Mavericks had the best defensive rating over the last 20 games of the season.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks Rally To Advance to Western Conference Finals: 3 Game-Changing Plays

It’s only the second-ever matchup between these two franchises, a Dallas Mavericks’ sweep in three games in 2002 as Dirk Nowitzki established himself as a better number-one option over Kevin Garnett. This is only Minnesota’s second-ever appearance in the Western Conference Finals as a franchise, matching Luka Doncic’s career, with their other appearance coming in 2003.

Minnesota won the season series 3-1, though all of those games came before February and Dallas made their trades to bring in Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. Because of that, it’s not certain how Dallas will matchup, but I’d imagine Daniel Gafford will guard Rudy Gobert, P.J. Washington will guard Karl-Anthony Towns, Derrick Jones Jr. will guard Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic will guard Jaden McDaniels, and Kyrie Irving will start on Mike Conley. Doncic will have to deal with a pesky defender once again, as he’s likely to draw the McDaniels assignment.

Anthony Edwards has been impressive these playoffs, averaging around 30 PPG. His ascension along the steady-handedness of the veteran Mike Conley has been electric to watch. Derrick Jones Jr. will have his hands full with this matchup.

The Mavericks will need their bigs to show up in this series. They were able to dominate a smaller Oklahoma City Thunder team on the glass but it’ll be much harder to do that against a massive Minnesota frontline, featuring Gobert, Towns, and Sixth Man of the Year winner Naz Reid. If Dallas could get Maxi Kleber back from his shoulder sprain in this series, it could go a long way, just to give them more versatility and match up with Towns’ skillset.

Game 1 will start at 7:30 p.m. CST from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving Tandem Instrumental in Deep Playoff Run

Stick with MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Playoffs 

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Tua Tagovailoa has undeniably been a game-changer for the Miami Dolphins since his arrival. As the franchise looks to secure their star quarterback for the long haul, Tagovailoa is proving to be a tough negotiator. The 26-year-old is holding out for a contract far more lucrative than the Dolphins‘ initial offer.

Drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Alabama graduate signed a four-year deal with Miami worth $30 million, including a fifth-year option valued at $23.5 million. The Dolphins have exercised this option, signaling their intent to keep Tagovailoa, but the quarterback’s demands have raised the stakes considerably.

Top-tier quarterback contracts have skyrocketed in recent years, and one NFL executive predicts Tagovailoa’s deal will be no different. Speaking to Dolphin Nation, the executive estimated, “They’ve groomed him, he’s going to get better. You don’t want to lose him. It was so hard to get a quarterback… It’s just finding that balance. My guess is $55 million [per year], maybe it’s more.”

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that while the Dolphins have initiated contract discussions, their initial offers have been rebuffed by Tagovailoa. On SportsCenter, Fowler noted, “They have had contract talks, preliminary talks. I’m told that the Dolphins have made at least one contract offer but we know how these things go; the offer apparently hasn’t been good enough.”

Contract talks stall Tua Tagovailoa’s OTA participation

Fowler also concurred that Tagovailoa is in line for a massive payday, likely exceeding $50 million annually. “The market is pretty set. We saw Jared Goff, $50-plus million a year, that’s going to apply to Tua,” Fowler added.

Currently, the Dolphins are deep into organized team activities (OTA), but their star QB has been conspicuously absent. Fowler believes Tagovailoa’s absence is linked to the ongoing contract negotiations. “He has missed some OTA time, I’ve confirmed, and really it could depend on how negotiations go with his contract as to whether he starts to show up or is there full-time,” Fowler said.

Tagovailoa, who earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2023, has formed a formidable partnership with wide receiver Tyreek Hill, creating headaches for opposing defenses. Whether this dynamic duo will continue to wreak havoc beyond this season remains uncertain as contract talks drag on.

Dolphins fans eagerly await a resolution, hoping to see more of Tagovailoa’s magic at Hard Rock Stadium. For now, the ball is in the Dolphins’ court as they strive to lock down their franchise quarterback for the future.