THE DAILY
MISSISSIPPIAN
Monday, February 27, 2017
Volume 105, No. 96
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
WHAT’S INSIDE... What works better: protesting or voting?
Editor’s choice: Don’t sleep on these new spring albums
Rebels defeat Texas A&M on senior night
SEE OPINION PAGE 2
SEE LIFESTYLES PAGE 5
SEE SPORTS PAGE 7
Second sweep Diamond Rebs dominate weekend series, bringing record to 7-0
Visit theDMonline.com
Students petition to avoid rush, football conflict LYNDY BERRYHILL
thedmnews@gmail.com
PHOTOS BY: CAMERON BROOKS
SEE PAGE 8 FOR A FULL RECAP OF THE SERIES AGAINST NO. 24 UNC-WILMINGTON
@thedm_news
Ole Miss students have been signing and sharing a Change.org petition requesting the university reschedule the 2017 formal recruitment week so students can attend the Alabama football game in Tuscaloosa. Marketing major and Panhellenic member Di Law wrote and published the petition, which has since garnered more than 2,300 signatures as of Sunday night. The current recruitment schedule for Ole Miss Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council Formal Recruitment is Sept. 24 to Oct. 1. “The Ole Miss-Bama game also happens to be on September 30th meaning that majority of the student section, considering 42% of the student body is Greek, and 60% of the freshman class will rush, will be empty,” Law wrote in the petition. “This is our biggest rival and our most serious game of the whole season and instead of being able to come together as a school, we will be amidst the joys and heartbreaks of rush.” The petition was shared on Facebook by supporters, asking others to sign the petition and pleading their case for why it is important the dates get changed.
“Being from Tuscaloosa, the Bama Ole Miss game is pretty important to me,” student Mallory Steiner wrote on her post. “Please sign this petition to change the date of recruitment so Greek students can go to the game this year.” Others said Greek students and those intending to go through the recruitment process should not have to pick one over the other. “Active members of Greek organizations, as well as entering freshman (sic), should not have to choose between being Greek and being a Rebel,” student Tina Scheuermann wrote on her Facebook post. Others just shared the post or made minimal commentary saying they just want to go to the game. “I want to go to the game and rush,” student Trevor Land said. The university’s office of fraternity and sorority life released a statement Wednesday regarding the conflict. “In an effort to model the Division of Student Affairs value of ‘Everyone Speaks,’ we welcome student input regarding the selection of this important event that affects not only our members and potential new members but the entire University of Mississippi community,” the state-
SEE PETITION PAGE 3
Students ask for more sexual assault survivor support JENNIFER FRONING thedmnews@gmail.com
Rebels Against Sexual Assault wrote an open letter to the university in the hopes of gaining new staff members and 24/7 sexual assault nurse examiners at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford. Former RASA President Sydney Green wrote the open letter last semester at the end of the “It’s On Us” campaign, which is a national week of action that campaigns for awareness of sexual assault on college campuses. “The letter focused on maintaining existing services for sexual assault survivors
and increasing resources allocated to the offices whose services are rapidly becoming overburdened due to the rising number of reports, mainly the violence prevention office and Title IX,” Green said. “The letter also requests that the university find a way to provide 24/7 medical services administered by a sexual assault nurse examiner.” There is only one full-time
the students seeking services. “I hope that more survivors will feel comfortable seeking the medical services that COURTESY: REBELS AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT they need,” Green said. employee in each office right “Empowering survivors with now. a safe and confidential way In the letter, RASA also to receive expert medical care asked for more employees to and have evidence collected help in the violence prevenis the best way to encourage tion efforts. RASA has been them to seek help.” working closely with the ViThe university has respondolence Prevention Office to ed very positively to RASA’s help meet the needs of all letter. Vice Chancellor for
Student Affairs Brandi Hephner LaBanc met RASA representatives on the steps of the Lyceum to receive their open letter, and she gave a brief speech about the university’s commitment to providing Ole Miss student survivors with the best support services possible. She is helping RASA figure out what steps need to be taken in the future so that more support can be given to survivors. Ole Miss currently has SANE-certified nurses working at the health center on campus, but they are only available during posted hours
SEE RASA PAGE 3