The Daily Mississippian

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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Students remember fallen friend

BY JACOB BATTE thedmnews@gmail.com

The University of Mississippi community was shocked Friday when one of its own, graduate student Kevser Ermin, was pronounced dead after an accident with a car while she was riding her bicycle.

Ermin, 27, of Turkey, was riding on Highway 314, heading toward Oxford when the tragedy struck.

After her passing, three of Ermin’s closest friends, Shilpa Shirur, Sam Hammoud and Nadia Kholomeydik, as well as many other international students, began raising money for her family.

Shirur said the International Students Organization (ISO) started the fundraising.

“Since they did not know her personally, they said they did it as a mark of respect because she was an international student,” Shirur said.

Shirur said the table will be in front of the Student Union from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day this week, and because of the amount of people that want to donate, an account has been set up for Ermin.

“Since we have realized that many people have wanted to give a check, we have started a bank account named the Kevser Ermin Memorial Fund,” Shirur said. “We have a lot of people in the community who See REMEMBER, PAGE 5

inside

thedmonline.com

Vol. 100 No. 202

Runoff for Miss Ole Miss, Day, Rush win

BY JACOB BATTE thedmnews@gmail.com

After weeks of campaigning, giving speeches and a day full of groups of supporters accosting students around campus for their votes, the anticipation is over.

Evan Kirkham, Associated Student Body attorney general, announced the winners in front of hundreds of students rallying behind the candidates.

For Homecoming Queen, the final results show Maggie Day edged out Robin Walker with 2,658 votes to 2,145 votes.

“I don’t really have words,” an excited Day said. “I’m so grateful for all of my friends. I couldn’t have done it without any of them. I’m so thankful of this process.”

Day said she did not expect to be elected.

“I was preparing myself to say, ‘OK, go home, tomorrow is going to be a new day, I’ve probably got some homework I need to be doing or something,’” she said.

Logan Rush was named Colonel Reb after receiving 51.5 percent of the vote. His competitors, Alex Langhart and Da-

PETRE THOMAS | The Daily Mississippian

Senior Maggie Day reaches out to hug friends after being named the 2011 Homecoming Queen.

vis Gates, received 26.8 percent and 20.5 percent, respectively.

“Man I’m shocked,” Rush said. “I thought for sure it was going to go until Thursday.”

Rush said the whole process has been exciting.

“I have so many friends that have helped out and love me,” he said. “I really appreciate ev-

erybody.

“I’d particularly like to thank Sigma Chi, John Barley Boykin See WINNERS, PAGE 3

Fundraiser to be held in opposition of Amendment 26

BY ROSS CABELL rsscabell@gmail.com

As voting day for Amendment 26 approaches, opposition groups are starting to speak out.

While many pro-life organizations have bigger wallets and more members, opposing groups are gearing up to educate the public on the details of the amendment with whatever resources they have.

Tonight, several members of the Lafayette County Women for Progress (LCWP) are organizing a fundraiser at Two Stick against Amendment 26, which will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot. The group will raise money for nonprofits across the state opposed to the amendment.

“The purpose of the fund-

Midterms are here, students beware P. 2

raiser is to get the community out to raise money for two of the most far reaching nonprofits in the state, Mississippi for Healthy Families and Parents Against Amendment 26, and to educate people on the things about 26 that people aren’t talking about,” event organizer Sarah Sapp said.

Amendment 26, also known as the Mississippi Personhood Amendment, plans to redefine the present definition of a person in the state constitution. If the new amendment were to be voted in, what the state recognizes as a person would begin at the moment of fertilization.

This could be a problem for many women using birth control, such as Ortho Tri-Cyclen.

According to Sapp, this is where things get tricky.

“(This is) where the wording comes into play with Amendment 26 — if it fails to prevent fertilization, it may affect implantation,” she said. “If not (immediately prevented), it will go to court systems and Mississippi taxpayers will be paying that. Any birth control that affects implantation will be affected.

“I want Mississippi women to understand how intimately their lives will be affected by Amendment 26,” event organizer Betsy Chapman said in a press release. “I hope the event raises funds, but more importantly, raises women’s consciousness. Mississippi women can and must work in solidarity to protect their reproductive health care choices and medical privacy.”

Mackey to make second career start against No. 2 Alabama P. 8

Admendment 26 is an issue most associated with women, and rightly so, but Sapp said there was a large number of men at the last meeting.

“People from all different walks of life showed up,” she said.

Jimbo Solo, Tyler Keith and the Apostles, David Lonsome and Love Canon will perform.

There will be a raffle at the event with chances to win prizes from local Oxford businesses and artists, including shirts from The Blind Pig, Volta and Square Books, a $20 gift certificate to Main Squeeze, artwork

by Bruce Butler and a signed copy of Sanctuary of Outcasts, among other prizes.

The fundraiser will not only See PERSONHOOD, PAGE 5

Haley Barbour to speak about time as governor P. 3

OPINION OPINION |

10.12.11

| T H E D A I LY M I S S I S S I P P I A N | PA G E 2

Correction An article in The Daily Mississippian on Tuesday, Oct. 11, incorrectly stated an event time for the Oxford Science Cafe.

The event will take place on Oct. 18 at Lusa Bakery Cafe at 6 p.m.

BY JOSH CLARK @dm_toons

@B_STREET601 “There is a heard of sorority girls in front of Holman. “Vote for Emily!!” NO. GTFO OF MY WAY”

What’s behind Occupy Wall Street?

BY MEGAN MASSEY memassey1848@gmail.com

The Occupy Wall Street protests and the protests that have stemmed from this movement in various cities across the nation have left many people scratching their heads.

Who is this group? Where did they come from? And what do they want?

What makes this group so difficult to define and understand is that the people involved often have different ideas about what they’re protesting. There is no single leader, and the group as a whole does not have a specific set of demands. But despite the scatteredness that characterizes them, there is a great deal of unity, if through nothing other than their ability to not only

gather such large numbers, but also to gather them in different states.

Heather Gautney of The Washington Post wrote that the message of this group is “We are all leaders.”

It all started when a call was issued in July to “Occupy Wall Street” by the anti-consumerist group Adbusters. They began to organize, and now the protests continue.

Thus far, it has been a peaceful movement.

Despite their lack of a single message, there are a few things that the Occupy Wall Street protesters are clear about. They don’t support one political party, and they think the entire system is broken, an idea that isn’t new.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, a lot of Americans feel this way.

Bailouts for big business, while the average American is being laid off, have left many feeling very disenchanted with the socalled “American dream.”

The groups that seem the most confused by these protesters are the media and politicians. Throughout history these two groups have always scrambled to wrap their heads around big cultural movements.

The media scrambles because they are the group people look to for information. Politicians scramble for two reasons: because people look to them to fix problems and because these movements are often a threat to their position. Many rightwing groups look to discredit the group.

One news correspondent called them the “sludge” you would get if you put all liberal causes in a blender. Left-wing politicians and organizations tend to be more supportive of the movement but still approach it with caution.

There is a great deal of skepticism when approaching the protests. It has been called the “the tea party for the left,” but even Nancy Pelosi was hesitant to ac-

THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN EDITORS:

CAIN MADDEN editor-in-chief

MALLORY SIMERVILLE city news editor

JACOB BATTE campus news editor

lutions ... While we all fight, the real victims, as always, continue to suffer.”

Most would agree that there is a problem in our country.

There is a disconnect between Wall Street and Washington, D.C., and the rest of the country. America was intended to be a country where all people have a voice in their government and the ability to change it.

We may not all agree on how to approach these issues, but the majority can agree that we should have the ability to express our opinion. So think what you like about the Wall Street protesters and their multiple messages, at least they’re willing to challenge a broken system.

And, hopefully, something beneficial can come out of that challenge.

Megan Massey is a junior religious studies major from Mount Olive. Follow her on Twitter @megan_massey.

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cept this group. When asked if she supported them, she paused before saying, “Well, I support the message to the establishment, whether it’s Wall Street or the political establishment.”

President Obama has remained vague about his opinion of the group, saying only that he thinks it “expresses the frustrations that the American people feel.”

One thing can be said for these protesters: they see something that increasingly more Americans are beginning to realize — there’s a serious problem with our political and economic systems today. Comedian Jon Stewart addressed the Wall Street protests in a moment of seriousness on “The Daily Show” this past week.

Stewart said, “If the people who were supposed to have fixed our financial system would have done it, the people who have no idea how to solve these problems wouldn’t have to be getting sh-t for not offering so-

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NEWS NEWS |

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WINNERS,

continued from page 1

news brief

and the many other people that have helped out. I could go on and on for names.”

No candidate grabbed more than 50 percent of the vote for Miss Ole Miss, forcing a runoff will be held Thursday.

Mary Alex Street, who received 46.8 percent of the vote, and Emily Mounsour, who received 27.3 percent, will battle in the runoff. Meghan Litten received 24.9 percent of the votes.

Voting for Senior Maid will also take place on Thursday because a name was accidentally left off the ballot.

The maids are junior Ashleigh Davis, sophomore Megan McBeth and freshman Sidney Ann Fucich.

The male campus favorites are Cortez Moss, Austin Harrison, John Kaiser, Troy Jackson and Chris Presley.

The female campus favorites are Robin Walker, Mary Alex Street, Emily Monsour, Meghan Litten and Brittany Richardson.

To vote in the runoff, simply vote the same way you did Tuesday, by going to your MyOleMiss on Thursday and click

BARBOUR TO SPEAK ABOUT TIME AS GOVERNOR

PETRE THOMAS | The Daily Mississippian

Senior Logan Rush was raised by supporter after he was announced as Colonel Reb.

on ‘Vote in Elections.’

This was the largest voter participation ever at the University

of Mississippi with 4,964 voters.

“It’s the best feeling in the

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Charlie Mitchell, syndicated political columnist and assistant dean of the Meek school of Journalism and New Media said that he will be conducting a public, hour-long, “free-wheeling” interview with Barbour covering topics from Barbour’s reflections on government to his thoughts on his past media relations.

The free event will be called ‘A Conversation with the Governor’ and will be open to the public.

“The most important thing I want students to hear is his assessment of a good journalist versus a bad journalist,” said Mitchell.

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NEWS |

REMEMBER,

continued from page 1

wanted to donate and they could not come by the Student Union at that time because they are working, and they still wanted to donate.”

Shirur said they have raised approximately $2,000 in only two days, not including the checks that have gone to the account.

Hammoud, an IT technican with the business school, said the fundraising will go to Ermin’s family.

“To go back to Turkey is going to be a very costly trip along with all of the medical expenses and what’s going on and all of the expenses of the funeral,” he said. “We are trying to give something to help and support the family through this hardship.”

Hammoud said he wants to encourage the Oxford and Ole Miss community to “stand up and help us, help the family, at least, financially.”

The table out in front of the Union is not the only thing Ermin’s friends have set up to

PERSONHOOD, continued from page 1

raise money for nonprofits in opposition to Amendment 26, but it will also provide information on the amendment that most of the public is not aware of, Sapp said.

There will be pamphlets at the fundraiser supplied by the Mississippi Drug Administration and the Mississippi Section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) that contains information about the amendment.

“We really want to hammer home that we will have information,” Sapp said, “If they are confused, we have documentation, not propaganda.”

The LCWP is a group based in Oxford that meets regularly to discuss important issues, ranging from Guantanamo Bay to other national issues like health care. As it is simply a discussion among community members, the LCWP does not take a political stance nor does it endorse any political candidates.

Forrest Jenkins, a member of the LCWP, said many members in the group felt so strongly about the amendment that they just had to do something about it. What started as a grassroots effort of about three or four members of LCWP grew to around 10 or 15, then more and more community members became involved. Even some Ole Miss student organizations got on board.

Jenkins said if the amendment were to pass, there would be many unintended consequences.

“Physicians and a variety of

remember her by.

Kholomeydik, the cultural connections program director for office of international programs, said they are in the process of planning a remembrance service in honor of Ermin’s memory.

The service will be Thursday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m at Paris-Yates Chapel, and there will be a short reception after the service.

“This is going to be a small service to remember her life,” Kholomeydik said. “We are hoping we can make this event the best way possible to just tell everyone how great of a person she was, and how greatly we miss her.”

Hammoud said there will be a slide show of Ermin’s pictures and memories.

“If anybody wants to join us, they are welcome to show support,” he said.

Another event that came about was a bike ride to celebrate the memory of Ermin, who was an avid cyclist.

Kholomeydik said she was contacted by local Oxford resident Leighton McCool, who organizes the 505 exercise group, in collaboration with

the Oxford Bicycle Club.

Kholomeydik said the event will happen Sunday at 3 p.m., starting at the Lyceum and going to the spot on Highway 314 where Ermin was struck by the car.

“The bike ride was also created with a purpose of raising the awareness of this tragic event and promoting the safety of the roads,” Kholomeydik said. “Promoting awareness of the automobile drivers to understand that the bike rides ,and the riders here in Oxford, would like to feel safer and more protected.”

Kholomeydik said they hope to have 100 to 200 people attend.

The event will have two different routes. There will be a 1-mile group ride for novice cyclists and a 28-mile trip for advanced cyclists.

Contact the Office of International Programs at 662915-7404 or ipdept@olemiss. edu for more donation information.

ISO is accepting both cash and checks for donations to the memorial fund. Checks must be made out to the Kevser Ermin Memorial Fund.

others have come out against Amendment 26,” Jenkins said.

“This initiative could have a really negative impact on women’s health care.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, there will be a rally on the Square from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., organized

by Sapp and others who are involved in today’s fundraiser.

The rally is already picking up steam, with expected event coverage by Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

“This is our chance to speak for Mississippians who oppose 26

and show the rest of the country that Mississippians are thoughtful, intelligent and reasonable people!,” Chapman said.

The message goes on to say that the rally will be peaceful and that their opposition to Amendment 26 will be clear, and their message is one of education.

This fundraiser is about educating the public, no matter their particular stance on the issue.

“I would encourage anyone to start asking questions,” Jenkins said. “Don’t vote one way or the other off hand.”

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Mackey to make second career start against No. 2 Alabama

ALEX EDWARDS | The Daily Mississippian

Junior quarterback Randall Mackey scrambles for a gain in a 30-7 loss at Vanderbilt. Mackey will make his second career start Saturday against No. 2 Alabama.

BY DAVID COLLIER dlcollie@olemiss.edu

With the 38-28 win over Fresno State nearly two weeks ago, the Rebels not only got a much-needed win, but they also found them-

selves a new quarterback in junior Randall Mackey.

Mackey, who completed 8 of 18 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown against the Bulldogs of Fresno State, managed to light a fire under a stagnant offense

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that struggled through the first few weeks of the season.

But now a bigger challenge looms this week for the inexperienced signal caller, who will try to get his second career win in as many starts against arguably the best defense in the country — the Alabama Crimson Tide.

“As you know, they got a real good defense,” Mackey said.

“They’ve got a good running game with Trent Richardson. We just have to go out there and play hard — play our game and just try to move ball and maintain the clock.”

Alabama’s defense, which ranks at or near the top of every measurable defensive statistic, will be tough for Mackey and the Ole Miss offense to move the ball and score against, but Mackey said they are up to the test.

“They don’t give you anything,” he said. “You’ve got to earn everything you get. You have to earn everything you can.”

Mackey and the offense will have to earn it against a defense loaded with future NFL talent, led by some of the fiercest linebackers the Rebels will see all season in senior Courtney Upshaw and junior Dont’a Hightower.

“You have to watch all of them — Upshaw, Hightower, (senior defensive back Mark) Barron and all of them,” he said. “It’s not just one of them; it’s all of them you’ve got to watch for.”

Ole Miss offensive coordina-

tor David Lee said Mackey will also have to be prepared to face multiple schemes from Alabama’s defense, which will mix up their blitzes and coverages.

“Randall Mackey is going to have to think,” he said. “He’s going to have to know what he’s doing with the ball because it’s not just one or two coverages. He’s going to have to decipher in a hurry because they’ve got a great pass rush.”

Mackey knows the Rebels are

huge underdogs going into Saturday’s game, but said that won’t affect him and his team whatsoever.

“For us, we’re the underdog every week,” he said. “We like that challenge of being the underdog and just playing and just going out and showing everybody what we can do.”

For the Rebels to have a shot at pulling the upset Saturday, Mackey and his teammates will no doubt need to show everybody what they can do.

Getting to know Randall Mackey Year: Junior Vitals: 5’11,” 195 pounds Hometown: Bastrop, La. Background: Arrived at Ole Miss in 2010 as a highlytouted quarterback after a strong high school and junior college career. He did not see action and was redshirted in 2010. Coming out of high school, he was rated the No. 11 dual-threat quarterback in the nation and the No. 18 player in Louisiana by Rivals.com.

As a senior, he was named to the Parade All-American team and also earned Louisiana’s Mr. Football and Class 4A Offensive MVP honors after throwing for 3,103 yards and 33 touchdowns and rushing for 1,087 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also led his team to

three straight 4A state championships.

After high school, he attended East Mississippi Community College in Scooba. Coming out of junior college, he was rated the No. 5 junior college player in the nation by Rivals. com and the No. 1 junior college player in Mississippi by the Clarion-Ledger. He was named a 2009 first team and a 2008 honorable mention AllAmerican by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). His sophomore season, he led the nation with 3,122 passing yards and a 69.5 percent completion percentage and finished second in the nation with 32 passing touchdowns, while rushing for 579 yards and five touchdowns.