The Daily
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Mississippian
Vol. 102, No. 126
The Student Newspaper of The University Of Mississippi | Serving Ole Miss and Oxford since 1911
Emergency officials respond to suspicious package on campus
New dean of students announced BY LACEY RUSSELL dmeditor@gmail.com
PHILLIP WALLER) | The Daily Mississippian
Officials investigate a reported suspicious package found in the University of Mississippi Lyceum.
BY ALLISON SLUSHER thedmnews@gmail.com
Emergency responders were called to the Lyceum after reports of a suspicious package Wednesday afternoon. Ray Hawkins, assistant chief of police for the University Police Department, said a woman who works in the Lyceum opened a package. Then, shortly after, her eyes started watering. “We told her, ‘Just stay in place,’” Hawkins said. “We were going to send some officers over to assist (her).” Hawkins said a student worker who also came in con-
OPINION: Not so little talks
tact with the package stayed in the building. “The person who opened the package, we didn’t necessarily evacuate them,” Hawkins said. “Those people who weren’t in the area, we had them leave the building in order to evacuate. Those people who were in direct contact with the package were instructed to stay in the building until the fire department arrived, and then they removed them from the building.” Amanda Sanefski, a freshman special education major, said she was working in the Lyceum when everyone was evacuated. She said
people working on the situation thought there might be something in the air from the package. “They just told us that they thought there was something in they air,” Sanefski said. “They (told us they) wanted to make sure everyone was safe.” Tom Eppes, the chief communications officer for the university, said the emergency responders checked the air when they first entered the Lyceum. “They went in first to test the air,” Eppes said. “There was nothing in the air.” Kyle Chandler, a junior general studies major, was
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taking part in a learning symposium when the building was evacuated. “I was in the student learning symposium on the second floor,” Chandler said. “Then a gentleman came into the room and told us that there was an anonymous package and that we had to evacuate.” Oxford Fire Chief Cary Sallis said the fire department sent the hazmat team in first to receive the package. “Basically what we do is we respond to our hazmat team,” Sallis said. “We went in there, got the ladies out of their office, had them deconned which is get in See PACKAGE, PAGE 4
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The intensive search for retiring dean Sparky Reardon’s replacement came to an end yesterday as Melinda J. Sutton was announced as The University of Mississippi’s new dean of students and assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. “This is a new chapter for The University of Mississippi and the dean of students,” Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Brandi Hephner LaBanc said. “I’m excited about that.” With more than 15 years of experience in higher education, Sutton, a native Texan, currently serves as the associate dean of student life at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Prior to her tenure at SMU, she served students in various administrative positions at the University of Texas at Austin, Indiana University – Bloomington and Vanderbilt University. “It’s hard to find somebody who has all of that experience,” Hephner LaBanc said. “It’s Melinda J. Sutton like any job. You kind of find a niche area and you develop. I think she’s got a very good basis of experience coming into this position that will help her to be really successful here.” In a telephone interview, Sutton told The Daily Mississippian she has always been interested in Ole Miss because of its similarity to her undergraduate alma mater, SMU. After arriving on campus during the hiring process, her
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