THE DAILY
MISSISSIPPIAN
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Volume 106, No. 59
T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I S S I S S I P P I S E R V I N G O L E M I S S A N D OX F O R D S I N C E 1 9 1 1
Farewell, chief
UPD Chief Tim Potts reflects on his time at Ole Miss
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Winter weather prompts UM administration to enforce closure policies BLAKE ALSUP
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
prevented me from leaving Oxford like I had planned to,” Conaway said. “I had to review the material more than I wanted just to keep the information fresh in my mind.” “We were supposed to have our test on Saturday, but then it got pushed to Tuesday, then Wednesday, then Thursday,” Eisenhut said. “It didn’t necessarily take away from the experience. It was just inconvenient.” Any decision to close the university during winter weather is ultimately made by the chancellor, based on recommendations from the provost and Crisis Action Team (CAT). CAT is made up of representatives from the University Police Department, Facilities Management, Student Affairs and the Office of the Provost and University Communications. Provost Noel Wilkin sat in on the meetings this month. He said winter weather closures are made largely based on how a storm may affect road conditions or campus conditions. “It is important to gather as much information as possible in advance of the storm and
Canceling classes due to winter weather can be a slippery slope for UM officials. Two rounds of winter weather and observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day brought Ole Miss winter inPHOTOS BY: MARLEE CRAWFORD tersession classes to a halt UPD Chief Tim Potts’ last day at Ole Miss is tomorrow. Potts, who has more than 25 years in law enforcement, was hired as for several days earlier this month. UPD chief in June 2015. He is leaving UM to be closer to his family in Indiana. The first closure came Jan. 12 after a winter storm of ice, SLADE RAND sleet and snow hit the midMANAGING EDITOR South. That was supposed to be the last day of class before s he prepares to head north about the university and department final exams. to Indiana, Tim Potts here,” he said. The school was officially thinks back to his early days He’s headed to a smaller police deopen Jan. 13, the day schedbehind the badge as chief of partment at a school without football uled for finals, but it was left University Police. In his first year or on-campus fraternities, but he’s up to professors whether to at Ole Miss, Potts saw the Ku Klux not headed there in search of a less postpone them or not. Klan visit campus twice, the state hectic environment. Joshua Conaway, a senior flag lowered for the final time in the “I’m definitely a person who likes risk management and inCircle and a countless number of challenges,” Potts said. “That excites surance major, and Nathan beer showers in Swayze’s right field. me. I like the challenge of trying to Eisenhut, a senior business “I started in June (2015), but I figure out security and what kind of management major, were knew in May that it was going to be plan of action we’re going to take.” both enrolled in an internainteresting, to say the least,” Potts And he was certainly challenged tional business course that said on his last full day in the office. during his time on campus. was delayed. After 2 ½ years of leading the Potts said university leaders sought Their class was canceled a University Police Department, Potts a way to address the growing contotal of three times. Their fihas resigned and accepted a chief flict surrounding Mississippi’s state nal exam that was originally position at Indiana University- flag in his very first administrative scheduled for Saturday, Jan. Purdue University Fort Wayne. Ole meeting on campus in 2015. That De13, ended up being several Miss posted his position to its job cember, CBS’ “60 Minutes” reported days later. site at the beginning of 2018, and on the controversial practices of the “These delays were pretty Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lafayette County Metro Narcotics frustrating just because it Brandi Hephner LaBanc said a search Unit. Through these initial months SEE SNOW DAYS PAGE 3 committee was formed Monday. on campus, Potts said he kept up “He gave us 2 ½ years, but he real- his commitment to serving “people ly gave us what a lot of leaders would first.” do in four or five,” Hephner LaBanc “I think you have to be people first said. “The man works constantly.” here and that’s easy to say but it’s not Potts, an Indiana native, said al- always easy to do,” Potts said. “You though he has a familiarity with the have to have a servant’s heart.” Purdue campus police system it’s reStill within Potts’ first semester, ally his love of family that’s pulling KKK members marched twice on him back home. He said most of his campus in support of the state flag, belongings are already moved back forcing him to escort them off camhome, where his college-aged daugh- pus to avoid conflict with countter Haley lives, but the decision to er-protesters. leave was tougher than he expected. “Yeah, that first semester was “It really was a hard decision, and something,” Potts laughed. all the credit goes to Ole Miss on He said these on-campus protests that because I’m a family-first per- created additional work for an already son, and I thought that I would have stretched campus security force, but packed up my stuff and left in one the patrols kept up their dedication PHOTO BY: MARLEE CRAWFORD week, but it’s been difficult to sepaSnow and ice blanketed Oxford last week, closing campus for two days. rate and leave because of how I feel
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SEE CHIEF POTTS PAGE 3
OPINION
LIFESTYLES
IN THIS ISSUE...
Justice for Ahed Tamimi
Festival showcases local art
PAGE 2
PAGE 4
The 16-year-old Palestinian girl – her life and her role in the Palestinian freedom movement
Oxford Fiber Arts Festival weaves together traditional and modern techniques
SPORTS
Freeze asks for forgiveness
Former head coach makes first public appearance since resignation discussing “private sin” PAGE 8