Jimmy Buffett visits campus

Jimmy Buffett visited USM Thursday to discuss "a couple of projects" with President Martha Saunders and USM scientists. After he and Saunders had lunch in the Trent Lott Center, Saunders gave Buffett a tour of campus, and the two talked with students outside the Administration Building.

"I wanted to come back and see my old campus," Buffett said. "It's been a while. Some things have definitely changed, and some things haven't."

Buffett said he came through Hattiesburg on business, but he will be having some fun as well. "I'm on my way down to see the Saints game," he said.

Buffett told the students he graduated from USM on the same day as President Saunders. "I have the program to prove it," Saunders joked.

Buffett asked this reporter how things are going at The Student Printz, and he talked with students who had seen him perform over the summer.

Before going into the Administration Building, Buffett said, "I've never seen the President's office… but I've seen the dean's office a few times."

Buffett said he "paid the mini mart back," in reference to his song "Peanut Butter Conspiracy," in which talks about his friends stealing food from the mini mart.

"Runnin' up and down the aisle of the mini mart/ Stickin' food in our jeans/ Never took more than we could eat/ There was plenty left on the rack/ We all swore if we ever got rich/ We would pay the mini mart back."

As Saunders and Buffett left the students, Buffett told them, "Y'all get back to class."