USM students, faculty react to Biden inauguration USM students, faculty react to Biden inauguration By Charles Herrington | January 20, 2021 at 7:03 PM CST - Updated January 20 at 8:43 PM HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - University of Southern Mississippi students and faculty are reacting to the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. They took their oaths of office in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, surrounded by about 20,000 National Guard troops. Joe Weinberg, associate professor of political science at USM, says he’s glad that this was a peaceful transition of power. “I think it was very comforting to see, sort of business as usual, to see someone at the helm, no matter who it might be and I think that everyone involved did a great job sort of saying the right things, putting us at ease,” Weinberg said.