The Daily Mississippian | March 7th, 2024

MISSISSIPPIAN THE Daily

“Every time I tell someone I’m working towards an art degree, it’s always the same thing: ‘So what are you really going to do with that?’”

Breanna Nolan, a University of Mississippi senior art major from Brandon, Miss., said. For anyone pursuing an art degree, this interaction is quite common. Careers within the arts have always come with a stigma that can weaken creators’ confidence and drive them to pursue profit over passion.

“starving

insin-

is neither sustainable nor attainable. But is this true? Is art a far-fetched idea for the naive?

Breanna Bercegeay, a sculptor and instructor pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at UM, shed light on this topic through her own experiences.

“I started out as an education major, because I was specifically told that you cannot make money as an

IVF legislation: Where does Mississippi stand?

On Wednesday, Feb. 28, Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith blocked a bill proposed by Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth that would guarantee access to in vitro fertilization, commonly referred to as IVF. The bill also would have protected doctors who administer IVF from prosecution. This act came just a few days after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF are children, opening the door for potential criminal liability in the state, which caused many clinics to pause any and all IVF treatment. However, the

SPRING BREAK

With spring break coming up, students shared what destinations are on their agenda.

Alabama state legislature quickly passed SB159 that protects clinicians from any civil or criminal liability.

Oxford has two women’s clinics that assist families with IVF — Oxford Clinic for Women and Oxford Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates.

IVF is a fertility treatment that gives couples who struggle with fertility, or who are simply infertile, a chance to have children through normal pregnancy and childbirth, according to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

“Fertilized eggs that reach the embryo stage are

“ I don’t think the American public has confidence in either of our two candidates and how mentally capable they are to handle the position. ”

IVF OPINION

“The American legal system is not the Christian church, and it is high time that people respected the difference,” argues opinion columnist Liv Briley. SEE PAGE 11

Students and staff at the University of Mississippi are gearing up to vote in the 2024 presidential primary elections. The Democratic and Republican primaries will be held in Mississippi on Tuesday, March 12. Both primaries will award 40 delegates to the winning candidate in their respective contests, a stepping stone on the path to accruing enough delegates to secure their party’s nomination. Primary elections will also be held in Washington, Georgia and Hawaii on the same day.

After Super Tuesday’s primary elections, incumbent Joe Biden has accumulated 1,497 of the 1,968 required delegates for the Democratic nomination. With the exception of American Samoa, Biden has won every Democratic primary contest so far, eclipsing challengers like Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips, the latter of whom ended his campaign on Wednesday, March 6.

While voters in other states may have had the choice of other Democratic candidates, requirements specific to the Mississippi Democratic primary have rendered Biden the only qualifying candidate and thus the presumptive winner.

To sophomore public policy leadership major and Louisiana native Wes Templet, Biden’s

WBB TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

The Ole Miss Women’s Basketball team ended the regular season on a six-game SEC win streak, leading them to clench a top-three seeded team.

The stereotype of the

artist”

uates that a successful career in the field

Jonathan Kent Adams adjusts art on his gallery wall.

PHOTO BY: ERIN AUSTEN ABBOTT / PHOTO COURTESY: JONATHAN KENT ADAMS

- Adam Soltani Junior biochemistry and Arabic major

ASB advocates for accessibility, suicide prevention

The Associated Student Body put students’ physical well-being at the forefront of their most recent senate meeting, passing resolutions that promote accessibility accommodations and suicide prevention on Tuesday, March. 5.

ASB passed Resolution 24-4, which encouraged the University of Mississippi to install barriers and suicide prevention signage in residential parking garages.

Authored by Sen. Blake Williamson, a sophomore chemistry and biology major, and Sen. Riley Rushing, a junior kinesiology major, the resolution was introduced in response to the death of junior Sawyer Megehee last semester on Oct. 27, 2023.

“It’s really important that we’re implementing this and (are) able to speak up for the student body to show them that we care about them,” Rushing said. “We want to know what’s going on in their minds.”

Other Mississippi schools, such as the University of Southern Mississippi, recently passed legislation in response to similar tragic incidents in their community, influencing ASB senators to author the resolution. The resolution features over 30 different sources for funding.

“There’s going to be a lot of admin, staff and faculty communication that’s going to be needed in the future,” Rushing said. “We also would proba-

bly incorporate working with mental health counselors or other (authorities) on campus to create messages (on the signage) that are informative, encouraging and destigmatizing.”

The resolution passed with unanimous approval.

Sen Yasmine Ware, a sophomore international studies major, emphasized the importance of the resolution.

“There is a huge stigma, especially in Mississippi, about (mental health),” Ware said. “I think as a university, and especially as the Associated Student Body, we should be doing everything in our power to let the students know that they’re loved and supported. It could be your classmate next to you, and you will not know sometimes until it’s over.”

Three other resolutions were also presented on the floor. Resolution 24-2 proposed the addition of an online form to the university website through which reports can be made about physical barriers that hinder accessibility on campus. Previously, students had to email the Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance Office to express accessibility concerns.

Sen. Caleb Ball, a junior political science major, authored the resolution and believes the feature will be more convenient for students.

“Adding (the online form) on the website will be a centralized place to go and make reporting these problems eas-

ier on campus,” Ball said. The resolution passed with a unanimous vote. Resolution 24-3 encouraged students to provide recommendations for institution-wide developments and improvements regarding the quality of student life. The student opinion form is currently the outlet used for students to submit any concerns, and the resolution proposed that the form be broadcasted on campus TVs.

“It came to our attention that some people do not have access to cell phones, or they just don’t realize that ASB has a strong con-

nection with the student body,” Ball said. “So, what we are wanting to do is encourage people to give more opinions to us so that we can be inspired to make more legislation that caters to them.”

With unanimous vote, the resolution passed.

Another unanimously passed resolution, 24-5, was authored by graduate student and Sen. Hayleigh Lutz. The resolution encourages the university to implement a day of asynchronous learning on Election Day.

“For the past couple of years, the University of Mississippi has earned the distinction of

a voter-friendly campus, and we’re working towards getting a higher distinction through the campus vote project,” Lutz said.

Lutz said that having asynchronous classes on Election Day would enable more students to cast their votes.

“This allows students who live in the Delta or live on the coast of Southern Mississippi to go home and vote on Election Day without having to miss class,” Lutz said. “This would increase accessibility to the polls and increase and encourage students to participate in civic engagement opportunities.”

JORDAN ISBELL thedmnews@gmail.com

ASB senators speak at a meeting in the student union on Nov. 7, 2023.

MARIA RAMIREZ / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

PRIMARIES

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record is one of achievement.

“Biden touches on issues that affect the majority of Americans, regardless of age, gender or race,” Templet said. “Whether it’s student loans, rebuilding infrastructure or employment levels, Biden has shown he can deliver for the American people, for all of the American people.”

Sophomore finance major and Mississippian Musa

Thomas is a member of Ole Miss College Republicans.

Thomas, who supports Trump, was sure of his primary vote even before former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley dropped out of the race on Wednesday, March 6, after winning only the Vermont and District of Columbia primaries.

“I’m supporting Donald Trump for the primary, and I believe he will win it based on trends, polls and projections,” Thomas said.

So far, Trump has won 995 of the 1,215 delegates necessary for the nomination, 850 of which came from Super Tuesday’s Republican primary races.

In the midst of his 2024 campaign, the former president faces a number of legal cases in various states. Polls suggest that should the candidate face further indictments or convictions, support could drop among Republican and Republican-leaning voters.

Thomas does not believe that any of the legal probes into Trump will result in convictions, but sees a way forward for the campaign should they arise.

“I think none of these cases will hurt him. Cases like the (District Attorney) Fani Willis case in Fulton County or the civil fraud case relating to real estate in New York did not gain any traction,” Thomas said. “In those cases, I think his strategy should be to market it as a political attack — and not only a political attack, but something that can happen to the everyday American.”

Austin Smith, a freshman journalism and art history major from Hattiesburg, Miss., was hoping to vote for Haley in the primary and was disappointed when she dropped out.

“I supported Nikki because I am a very traditional person with my views and politics,” Smith said. “She was more liberal about the fact that she wanted social changes but she still had that conservative view on economics, which I really do value.”

Although Smith had high

hopes at the beginning of primary season, he said those hopes slowly waned.

“Once I saw the results for other states like New Hampshire I kind of lost hope, but I hope she doesn’t endorse Trump and leans out of politics until 2028,” Smith said.

Smith said he will be supporting Biden in the general election.

Both Trump and Biden would be the oldest presidents to ever be inaugurated should they win the general election. Despite Biden’s primary performance thus far, junior risk management and insurance major and Missouri native Cannon Hearne was quick to express discomfort with Biden’s age.

“I think Biden’s age is concerning,” Hearne said. “I think age affects people in different ways. So, if how he appears in the media is falling off of his bike, tripping, stuttering on his words and mumbling, I think it’s a bad look for us. I feel like you want the person in charge to, even if they can’t look physically strong, appear mentally strong, and it seems he’s lacking both traits.”

Biden is 81, making him the oldest sitting president ever. Hearne’s worries about Biden’s age are shared by a majority of voters in some recent national polls, who are also concerned with Trump’s age. Trump is 77.

Templet, who is also an elections coordinator for UM College Democrats, disagreed with the concerns about Biden’s age and expressed support for Biden in the general election.

“While I am sure many Americans would love a younger lead-

er, Biden has been able to keep his push forward to better the country and help his people. Trump is also only three years younger than Biden,” Templet said. “Biden will almost definitely be the nominee. Personally, he will have my support as he has led powerfully over the past four years, and he has a better shot of winning the general election than any of his opponents.”

Though Biden’s age concerns him, Hearne believes that at this point in the race, Democrats will not select another nominee.

“I don’t really believe the Democratic Party is going to put up another candidate with Biden in office. The history of the sitting president getting re-elected is pretty high,” Hearne said.

Senior pharmaceutical sciences major and President of the Muslim Student Association Khalil Abualya, who grew up in Palestine, concurred with Hearne’s assessment of Biden’s age, citing generational bias.

“We can’t have people that are ages 60 and up making hard decisions for us when the majority of Americans are under those ages,” Abualya said. “In my opinion, it’s a huge problem, because you can’t expect somebody that’s in their 60s to have your best interests at heart.”

But for Abualya, there is a different issue with Biden that stands above all else for him: the president’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

“I got word last week that all of my mom’s family that was living in Khan Younis had to

evacuate to Rafah and, may God have mercy on them, they passed away,” Abualya said.

Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza has been the site of repeated bombings and other Israeli Defense Force operations, leaving the city devastated.

“The Biden administration is to blame for that,” Abualya said, referring to the United States’ lone veto against a Gaza cease-fire plan in the United Nations Security Council. “It is not an accurate representation of what America is, because Americans stand up for those who are suffering.”

Biden has received widespread criticism for his handling of the conflict. On Feb. 27, more than 101,000 electors in Michigan’s presidential primary cast their ballot for “uncommitted” in an effort organized by the state’s Muslim community to send a message to Biden. The movement spread, with multiple states doing the same during Super Tuesday.

Junior biochemistry and Arabic major and Vice President of the Muslim Student Association Adam Soltani of Washington, D.C., agreed with Abualya, pointing out that Biden could be putting the funds sent to support Israel toward benefitting Americans.

“We’ve put so much money into something that’s morally ambiguous at best,” Soltani said. “We could solve a lot of different issues. We could educate the workforce, the whole American population through college. We could get universal health care. We could do a lot of different projects that can help Americans.

And so not only is this something that is morally concerning, it’s also something that’s not America first. So as the president of the United States, (Biden) should be held accountable in the primaries and in the general election.”

A divide in opinion developed among students on Trump’s age and mental acuity. Some, like Hearne, thought that Trump’s age did not show as much as Biden’s.

“I think it’s not really as much about age so much as how you display that,” Hearne said. “So, even if (Trump) is old, it seems like he’s mentally still got it together pretty well.”

Others, like Soltani, expressed doubts about not just Biden, but Trump as well.

“Age is definitely an issue in this election,” Soltani said. “I don’t think the American public has confidence in either of our two candidates and how mentally capable they are to handle the position.”

There is one thing many students seemed to agree on: Third party candidates are not a viable alternative.

“You want to put your vote in the candidate who you believe aligns with your beliefs, and often, that’s going to be nearly impossible,” Hearne said. “I think in this election, there’ll be a good amount of third party votes, but I think all that’s going to do is just take away from whatever base they lean closer to, so I don’t think they’ll ever have a real chance.”

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science John Bruce agreed with Hearne’s assessment.

“There will be no viable third-party candidate in 2024. Because of how our elections are structured, voting for a third-party candidate is basically the same as not voting,” Bruce said.

This lack of viable third-party candidates can cause disillusionment among young voters about the primary and elections in general, many of whom feel that neither political party truly represents their best interests. However, Bruce encouraged college students to get involved with voting in order to build a habit of civic engagement.

“Voting is a habit. Developing and maintaining that habit is important for the individual and for democracy,” Bruce said. “When people feel like voting does not matter, we begin to feel like elections don’t matter and democracy doesn’t matter. Plus, as the old poster from my childhood said, ‘If you don’t vote on Tuesday, don’t complain on Wednesday.’”

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Students’ interest in academics is approaching an all-time low, as it does every year with spring break just around the corner. In celebration of the annual break, students at the University of Mississippi are gearing up to globetrot, or at the very least statehop.

According to interviews with 165 UM students, Florida is the top vacation destination this year. Of the students surveyed, 60 are planning to travel to Florida this spring break. Destin, Fla., seems to be the most popular choice, with more than a dozen students planning to spend spring break there.

Among the many traveling to Destin is freshman political science major Sofia Sloss, who is excited to take a trip with the new friends she has made in college. She is, “ready to embrace the warm weather and pretend it is summer for a few days.”

Others are headed elsewhere on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“I’m going to Pensacola, Fla.,” Shaelen Hudson, a junior biochemistry and business major from Marion, Ill., said. “I and six of my friends are going down for a few days.”

Nan Pittman, a freshman

Diverse destinations dominate UM students’ spring break plans

majoring in allied health on the pre-medical track, revealed her plans to head south with some of her friends.

“I’m going to spring break with some of my sorority sisters and some of my friends from high school,” Pittman said. “We’re going to Miramar (Beach, Fla.), and we’re so excited!”

Other warm-weather travel destinations include Orange Beach, Ala., and several beaches in South Carolina, where 14 students are traveling in hopes of obtaining some rest and relaxation.

While warm weather and beaches attract the majority of students, sophomore hospitality management Mia Simpson and junior integrated marketing communications major Lily James have set their sights on New York City.

These two are not the only ones traveling north. Senior mechanical engineering Austin Hipskind and sophomore communication sciences and disorders major Lily Rohling are embracing the Windy City’s charm with trips to Chicago. Freshman JP McElwain is heading into Packers territory with a trip to Green Bay, Wis.

Many students have opted to participate in missionary work. Sophomore allied health studies major Addison Armstrong and

international studies major Emory Coscia are going on a mission trip to Cuba with Ole Miss Cru, a Christian campus ministry group. A group of freshmen have their sights set on Central America, as they are participating in mission trips to Belize and Guatemala. Carissa Strum, a junior majoring in pharmaceutical sciences, is also bound for Panama on a mission trip.

Brooke Bradley, a junior communication sciences and disorders major from Pensacola, Fla., is staying within the states for her mission trip.

“I’m going to Berkeley, Calif.,” Bradley said. “Me and nine other people from Pinelake Church are going to Berkeley to spread the gospel.”

Eleven students are choosing to travel to Texas over the break. Freshmen journalism major Pryce Bell and criminal justice major Caroline Oswick stated they “are full of rodeo spirit” and “are excited to make their way to Houston.”

Others are traveling for work and school-related purposes.

Jasmine Carballo, a freshman computer science major, shared her plans.

“For spring break, I’m going to the SEC (Basketball) Tournament in Greenville, S.C.” Carballo said.

B-Unlimited t-shirts help fund future Double Deckers

MARY EVANS thedmnews@gmail.com

Preparations are underway for one of Oxford’s largest events of the year: Double Decker Arts Festival. Last year’s festival attracted a crowd of over 60,000 people. This year’s celebration promises to be an even larger event with more than 100 artists, 20 local food vendors and musicians such as Flatland Cavalry, Grace Bowers, Conner Smith and more.

How can a small town financially support such a large event? The answer is simpler than you might imagine: t-shirt sales. Merchandise sales provide part of the funds necessary to support the festival year after year.

“It’s super important that we make as much as possible and we sell as much as possible, because that is what makes Double Decker literally financially possible,” Lorianna Livingston, director of marketing at B-Unlimited, the company behind the festival’s merchandise, said.

Previously, Visit Oxford handled all merchandise design, production and sales, but now, they have outsourced the process to B-Unlimited.

“Our office is a small office staff of five people,” LeeAnn Stubbs, Double Decker coordinator at Visit Oxford, said.

“So, before we did it this way, we were ordering the t-shirts, the posters, everything, and

we were housing everything at our office, which we don’t have the manpower to do. We’re not set up to be a retail store.”

This year will be the second year that Visit Oxford has partnered with B-Unlimited.

“The reason we’ve gone with B-Unlimited this year and last year is that they can provide the online sales, they can order everything for us at no cost and then they just get a percentage,” Stubbs said.

Visit Oxford and B-Unlimited share the merchandise profits: 70% of t-shirt sales go to B-Unlimited, while the remaining 30% goes to Visit Oxford to fund the next year’s Double Decker Arts Festival.

“We definitely compensate ourselves for all the time and energy and just labor of all that. But then, we’re also able to give enough back to Visit Oxford so that they’re able to make the money they need to keep this event going on,” Livingston said.

Retail Director of B-Unlimited Shelby Marsh takes pride in the artwork used in their merchandise designs.

“I think every t-shirt store here in Oxford has their pros and cons, and everyone has a selling point,” Marsh said. “But

I think what we have different is that our artwork is, you know, we consider it to be impeccable artwork, and we really strive to make it an original design and super cool and trendy.”

Working with a team of

“I’m going with the band here.” Harrison Stewart, senior public policy and international studies major, is visiting potential law schools. “I’m visiting law schools that I

was accepted to and am going to some admitted students days,” Stewart said. “I’m trying to see where I’m gonna end up next year.”

Jorja Carter contributed reporting.

30-40 local, national and international artists, Marsh describes the design process as a “real team effort.” The artists must collaborate with both the company’s retail and marketing teams and Visit Oxford.

“We like to say, ‘from thought to cloth,’ so it’s our thought that kind of goes into it first, and (the artists) kind of put it together, and it becomes a t-shirt. But as far as where we get our artists from, we get people (from) all across the world,” Marsh said.

For this year’s t-shirt, B-Unlimited is focusing on balancing its marketability and widespread appeal with intricate designs and a timeless look.

“We’re seeing a lot of text heavy designs in the t-shirt and apparel world. So, what we’re going for this year is just classic, text-heavy and bold, but also something that you can wear for years on end. We’re really going for that classic look with a tad bit of trendy this year,” Marsh said.

The design is still in progress, and official t-shirts will be released a month prior to the festival online through B-Unlimited. There will also be other merchandise options such as canvas bags, buttons, hats, sweatshirts and more.

“Every year, people absolutely love Double Decker and Oxford.

Getting the shirt is literally a part of it,” Livingston said. “Like, did you even go to Double Decker if you didn’t get the shirt?”

Map

Roundtable hosts ‘Bachelor’ Monday

If students have been on social media in the last six weeks, they know about Joey Graziadei and this season of “The Bachelor.” With all the buzz surrounding the show, Oxford’s Roundtable on the Square is giving students a spot to gush over Graziadei.

After a rough couple of seasons of the ABC series, many fans of the show claim that Graziadei has put it back on their cultural radar.

“After a few seasons of flops, the franchise has been totally revived by Joey Graziadei,” Heather Schwedel reported on Slate.

Kendall Bower, a freshman exercise science major, echoed Schwedel’s thoughts.

“Everyone loves him,” Bower said.

This season has also seen an

IVF

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frozen and subsequently transferred, usually one at a time, into the uterus to establish a pregnancy. After a successful pregnancy occurs, spare embryos can be kept frozen for another attempt at pregnancy in the future,” per the UMMC website.

President of Pro-Life Mississippi Laura Knight agreed with the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision.

“The pro-life community watches the IVF industry closely because of the fragile lives that they are keeping within their clinics,” Knight said. “The Alabama Supreme Court supported the fact that those (embryos) are people and realize(d) it should be protected, and if the parents lose those children due to negligence on behalf of the IVF clinic, they should be able to sue for the loss of those lives.”

Ashley Pittman is Mississippi’s only lawyer whose practice is dedicated solely to fertility law.

“It’s estimated that 42% of U.S. residents have either undergone IVF treatment or know at least one person who has undergone treatment. As infertility rates continue to increase, the need for medical advances in IVF treatment and adequate patient care also continue to in-

increase in participation from the contestants themselves as they take to social media to give their opinions after each episode, which has given students another way to enjoy the show.

“The girls (on the program) are all over social media, so it makes it so fun to watch,” Bower said.

Adding to the new-season hype, Roundtable posted that the newest episodes are being streamed in the upstairs bar.

“It’s been a fun time,”

Drew Maier, senior integrated marketing communications major and Roundtable bartender, said.

So, are students actually showing up to find out who receives a rose from Graziadei?

Sophomore business major and Roundtable employee Gage Tietz explained that the average Monday crowd has grown.

“There are probably about 30-50 people on av -

crease,” Pittman said. “IVF is an invaluable service that helps millions of people build their families in this country and throughout the world. The ramifications of criminalizing IVF would touch an untold number of people and limit their ability to begin or grow their families.”

With the recent legal and legislative developments in Alabama’s Supreme Court and state legislature, many IVF supporters have come to the treatment’s defense.

Junior forensic chemistry major Mathers Ross was conceived through IVF.

“It’s incredibly important for women to have access to IVF treatment. According to the CDC, 26% of women have difficulty conceiving or carrying to term, and IVF has been an incredible tool in helping women who want to be mothers but have difficulty doing so,” Ross said. “My mom went through IVF in order to get pregnant with me, so I owe the practice my life — literally.”

In summer 2022, the state of Alabama’s abortion ban went into place after the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Shortly after, Mississippi followed suit.

This raises the question with regard to IVF: Will Mississippi follow Alabama’s footsteps again?

Because of the terminology used by the Alabama Supreme Court, a similar ruling would be more difficult to achieve in Mississippi.

erage, which has been good for a Monday,” Tietz said.

The event has brought in new clientele for Roundtable.

“We have never been here before this, but I like the concept a lot, and I think they should keep doing it,” freshman general business major Natalie Johnston said.

While the crowd that evening was sparse, with only eight girls in attendance, Maier said the previous Monday’s watch party had a significantly better turnout.

“There’s usually a lot of people here, the upstairs bar will be filled, and there’s always a few girls in the other room too,” Maier said.

Some students, such as freshman history major Kaylen Page, look forward to returning to Roundtable Mondays.

“I had no idea they did this every week, so I will be excited to come back and see how it is

“The Alabama Supreme Court relied on the wrongful death statute to rule that the definition of ‘unborn child’ includes frozen/ cryopreserved embryos,” Pittman said. “Therefore, they reasoned, prospective parents of frozen embryos have standing to sue on behalf of their ‘unborn children’ due to their untimely death caused by the negligence of the clinic.”

The way Mississippi views the death of an unborn child is slightly different, which is why any legal or legislative action may get some pushback.

“The Mississippi wrongful death statute, however, entitles a plaintiff to sue due to the death of a ‘quick child,’” Pittman said. “A ‘quick child’ is defined by Mississippi case law as a child who is in the womb at the time the negligent act occurred which caused the death of the child.

For these reasons, in my opinion, it would be much more difficult for the Mississippi Supreme Court to determine that frozen embryos could be considered ‘children’ under Mississippi law.”

Duckworth’s proposed bill would have protected IVF at the federal level, but it required a unanimous vote to pass. One vote could prevent its passing, and Hyde-Smith blocked it.

“The bill before us today is a vast overreach that is full of poison pills that go way too far, far beyond ensuring legal access to IVF,” Hyde-Smith said, accord-

after spring break,” Page said.

The event is open to all 21+ fans of “The Bachelor” and

ing to reporting by NBC News.

Despite vetoing this bill, HydeSmith is emphatically in favor of IVF protection and treatment as an alternative way to become pregnant. She does, at the same time, want to continue to advocate for the embryos created and frozen during IVF treatment.

“I support the ability for mothers and fathers to have total access to IVF and (bring) new life into the world. I also believe human life should be protected,” Hyde-Smith said, according to reporting by Mississippi Free Press.

The Daily Mississippian reached out to HydeSmith’s office for a comment and received no response.

Senior journalism major Camille Cochran considers herself a pro-life conservative.

“I feel like IVF is inherently a pro-life matter. It allows people who want to have kids to have the ability to do so,” Cochran said.

“I do, however, think that some of the IVF practices, namely the treatment of frozen embryos, is a bit disturbing and unethical.”

There are some ethical concerns that would have to be met in order for those skeptical of IVF to resolve their concerns.

“We have ethical objections to the (IVF) industry and their disregard for human life from fertilization, especially when they reduce or destroy viable embryos with or without the permission of the biological parents, or they

will continue until the season’s conclusion in late March.

store frozen embryos for decades, or they donate frozen embryos for medical research to be destroyed in experiments,” Knight said. “Those are the main objections from the pro-life side.”

Duckworth has deep, personal reasons to support IVF and its federal protection.

“After a decade struggling with infertility after my service in Iraq, I was only able to get pregnant through the miracle of IVF,” Duckworth said on the Senate floor. “IVF is the reason I get to experience the chaos and the beauty, the stress and the joy that is motherhood.”

Knight clarified that pro-life supporters are not trying to eliminate IVF as a fertility option.

“We’re not trying to outlaw IVF,” Knight said. “IVF can be a good thing for infertility, but it doesn’t require the government’s protection.”

There are many unanswered questions surrounding the future of IVF in Mississippi and the U.S. as a whole, but there seems to be some middle ground between full IVF protection and criminalization.

“The goal, in my opinion, is to allow the medical industry to continue to assist patients in becoming pregnant through assisted reproduction, while also protecting the rights of the patients to produce embryos and also maintain decision making power over their embryos,” Pittman said.

Ole Miss students at Roundtable watch “The Bachelor” on March 4.

ANTONELLA RESCIGNO / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Black Alumni Reunion celebrates community

The Black Alumni Reunion, which lasted from Thursday, Feb. 29 to Sunday, March 3, attracted more than 400 University of Mississippi alumni from as far back as the class of 1972 to campus. Attendees enjoyed mixers and networking events and watched their fellow alumni be honored with awards, such as the Dr. Jeanette Jennings Trailblazer Award and the Alumni Achievement Award.

Alexandria White, president of the Black Alumni Chapter Board and an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education, said the event was a success and gave students past and present new opportunities, like walking on the football field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for the first time.

“It was filled with fellowship, fun, networking and nostalgia,” White said. “We are looking forward to the next one.”

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, performs during the Greek Stroll Off on March 1.

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Princeton Echols engages in discussion at Barnard Observatory gallery during Our Turn on March 1.

HALEY CHILES / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

BAR Cookout participants enjoy food at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on March 2.

ANTONELLA RESCIGNO

/ THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Kickback participants pose for a photo at The Inn at Ole Miss, Stark Family Garden on Feb. 29.

ANTONELLA RESCIGNO / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

The theme of the event on March 1, “Through the Decades”- encouraged attendees to dress in attire from the decade they were born.

WATSON LEE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Farah Jaentschke, Meghan Curry and Azurrea Curry attend Buy The Block in The Student Union on Feb. 29.

BRE’ANNA COLEMAN / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Career Coachella participants pose for a photo in the Union Ballroom on March 2.

MARIA RAMIREZ / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Black Alumni Reunion lobby decoration welcomes alumni to the Masquerade Ball on March 2.

WATSON LEE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

continued from page 1

artist,” Bercegeay said.

The native Louisianaian feared an unpredictable future. She remained unhappy as an art education major until her junior year of undergraduate studies when she changed her major.

“It’s unfortunately a societal norm (to pursue profit over passion), because it was bred into us. I think that younger generations, including myself and after me, are pushing (against) those,” Bercegeay said.

Bercegeay offered advice to those hesitant to pursue an art career because of their preconceived notions.

“There are so many avenues that you can take to make money as an artist. Whether you’re doing it commissioned, whether you’re working for galleries, whether you work in museums, whether you’re doing outside sculptures, whether you’re working for specific people, it doesn’t matter. You can make money as an artist,” Bercegeay said. “Don’t look back on your life and say, ‘I didn’t do it because I was just scared.’”

Amy Webb, a farmer at Yokna Bottoms Farm by day and a painter by night, is head of Oxford non-profit IRIS Arts Community.

“I was really entrenched in the idea that there’s no real option for me unless I just wanted to be like the starving artist trope,” Webb said. “So, I was pretty miserable, but the thought of doing anything else made me feel horrible. I was like. ‘If I can’t do this for a living, I don’t want to live.’

Like that dramatic, you know?”

Attempting to reconcile her dreams with reality, the Water Valley, Miss., native started her collegiate journey pursuing a degree in general business.

After the pandemic, she realized that she was ready to pursue what she felt called to do and has not looked back since.

Art is subjective, but so is success. While some measure it by the number on their paycheck, others relate it to the feelings that they experience while working. Art is personal. While this can be daunting, it can also be freeing.

Jonathan Kent Adams, a fulltime artist and UM alumnus, sells and creates art in Oxford and his hometown of Water Valley, Miss. He has almost 18,000 followers on Instagram and

frequently showcases his work at Oxford’s Southside Gallery.

Adams specializes in creating paintings. He expressed what his art has meant to him.

“It (art) gave me a way to express myself without using words. I feel like so many people want me to verbalize or justify who I am, and I didn’t always have the right words to say. So, art kind of gave me a vehicle to talk to God, but also to be myself,” Adams said.

Adams switched his major to art from criminal justice his sophomore year.

He did not worry about life after college or financial stability. Instead, he listened to himself and trusted that everything would fall into place.

“It just kind of was like, I started trusting myself as life unfolded,” Adams said.

While a career in art might not provide a clear-cut path to fiscal success, it is fluid and offers a number of avenues for creators to trek down. The stigma surrounding careers in the arts is real, but Bercegeay, Webb and Adams are just a few examples that prove that an art career can be sustainable.

Webb will be showcasing her art at the Casey Jones Blues Fest in Water Valley, Miss., on March

23 and at the Double Decker Arts Festival on April 26 and 27. Adams has a show coming up in Provincetown, Mass., in June, but anyone interested can also see his work at Southside Gallery in the

new exhibit, “Cats and Dogs.” “Fear will control you. So no matter what you’re doing in life, you have to find a way to not listen to the fear in your head, but to step forward and fight,” Adams said.

Oxford artist teaches rare embroidery technique

Tucked away in Oxford is a hidden gem: Harriet Roberts, a stitching expert who teaches a craft rarely practiced in the United States.

The Boston native grew up stitching and sewing, but it was her grandmother’s embroidered chair that inspired her to learn a traditional British stitching technique called crewel embroidery.

Roberts explained that what differentiates normal stitching from crewel embroidery is the use of wool thread on a thicker, linen twill fabric to elegantly adorn things such as cushions, bed hangings, and curtains.

It is an art that requires attention to detail and an understanding of embroidery kits, which are complex patterns that embroiderers follow so they can reproduce the textiles. Roberts realized that no one taught crewelwork in the United States, so she set out on a search across the world to find a teacher.

“Find the best teacher you can, and do exactly what they tell you,” Roberts said.

Acting on her word, Roberts traveled to England, where she found one of the best teachers of crewel embroidery. In 2009, she connected with Phillipa Turn-

bull, a leading crewelwork designer and owner of The Crewel Work Company, and the two quickly went from having a mentor-student dynamic to becoming friends and business partners.

Roberts now helps to create Turnbull’s embroidery kits, reproducing beautiful textiles dating back to the 17th century that can be found in English castles and grand palaces.

“Embroideries would have been the most valuable thing in your castle because textiles were the most valuable thing,” Roberts said. “A team of men who had done apprenticeships came to castles, and they would stitch what you wanted.”

Turnbull obtains permission to enter such historic buildings, makes a sketch of the original textiles and sends the sketches to Roberts, who creates a detailed kit for others to buy on Turnbull’s website.

A portion of the kit sales are then donated to the castles to fund textile conservation. Roberts’ current project is a bed hanging from Gawthorpe Hall in Ightenhill, England, that she estimates will be four and a half feet by eight feet when she finishes.

When Roberts is not working on a kit for Turnbull, she is providing one of the only lessons in crewel embroidery available in this country.

“I am not aware of a crewel shop in America,” Roberts said. “And I have more supplies than most other needlework shops.”

In June 2023, Roberts started her own company, Oxford Stitch, LLC, opening her home to teach others who share her affinity for stitching. Her walls

and chair cushions are adorned with her own handmade textiles, borne from her love of crewelwork.

“With any type of craft, if you can get into that flow state where

you’re just in the moment, doing your thing, I think that is an incredibly healthy thing,” Roberts said. “And I’m definitely in my flow state when I’m stitching.”

GRACEY MASSENGILL thedmfeatures@gmail.com

Harriet Roberts in her home with a crewel-embroidered pillow on Feb. 25.

GRACEY MASSENGILL / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Amy Webb in her studio.

PHOTO COURTESY: AMY WEBB

‘I always wanted to serve:’ Air Force ROTC cadet cherishes experience

RAEGAN SETTLE thedmfeatures@gmail.com

Ole Miss Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet Aaron McGraw has fallen in love with the fun work environment and the personal guidance the program offers.

The sophomore mechanical engineering major first heard about ROTC in high school. While seeking opportunities to fund his higher education, he found that ROTC offered a variety of scholarships.

“I always wanted to serve. Originally, I thought about enlisting, but I really wanted to go to college,” McGraw said.

He is a recipient of the Air Force’s Commander Scholarship, which fully funds his college education. Money, however, was not the only factor that drew McGraw to the University of Mississippi.

“It’s beautiful. I love the people here. Southern hospitality is no joke. Coming here was a great opportunity I couldn’t turn down,” McGraw said.

Choosing which branch to join was an easy decision for the Louisville, Ky., native.

“I wanted to fly. ROTC had the best chance of me becoming a pilot. And I don’t like the water,” McGraw said.

McGraw described UM

ROTC as small and closeknit. Comfortable in the intimate atmosphere, McGraw believed he would develop better friendships with fellow cadets and officers at UM than at other colleges he toured.

“I enjoy everything that we get to do. Flight simulators every day, having a close-knit community of people who share the same values and interests and really great role models are the most rewarding parts (of ROTC),” McGraw said.

With a broad smile, McGraw said that he finds morning physical training to be a worthwhile and fun bonding experience for cadets.

Exercises range from practicing calisthenics in the Pavilion courtyard to running laps around the Turner Center’s jogging track. Occasionally, members earn a recreational physical training day, in which cadets may play basketball or lift weights freely.

“Everything that we do is just fun. You have to take it seriously and be professional at times, but (physical training) is fun. No one thinks waking up at 5 a.m. to go work out for an hour is enjoyable, but when you get there with your friends, everyone starts getting excited,” McGraw said.

In summer 2023, McGraw

was selected to attend the Aim High Flight Academy, sponsored by the Air Force. The California program allowed McGraw to gain 15 flight hours in three weeks.

ROTC has transformed his personality and positively impacted his future, McGraw said.

“It has opened me up. I used to be introverted and not talk very much. Being in this community has allowed me to let loose. It spilled over into the rest of my life and let me talk comfortably. It has built my confidence and given me a sense of purpose,” McGraw said.

This personal development has made McGraw hopeful for the rest of his UM and military careers. While he hopes that his future will include flying, the Air Force guarantees him a job and goals to work toward regardless.

McGraw’s sense of purpose extends throughout his daily life. The core values of the Air Force are integrity first, service before self and excellence in all that they do.

“I try to live by (the core values) every day, in and out of uniform. I find that having a simple code to follow makes life a little bit easier,” McGraw said.

McGraw shared that ROTC has taught him time man -

agement, adaptability and leadership skills. Most importantly, it has given him a lifelong network of mentors, friends and memories. He encouraged people to take a chance on the program to experience the same joys he has.

“It’s not at all like the movies,” McGraw said. “Everyone seems to think it’s super serious and strict, but you’re having a good time in a healthy, fun work environment. Never say no to an opportunity. Say yes and go do it.”

New organization strives to support and empower women in STEM

thedmfeatures@gmail.com

Established this spring, Women in STEM hopes to provide a comfortable, empowering space for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors who are still underrepresented in their respective fields.

Co-founder and President of Women in STEM and junior accounting major Sarah Sullivan said she wanted to join a student organization that could benefit her in her future career endeavors, but could not find an organization that suited her needs.

Sullivan’s roommate, a biomedical engineering major, suggested starting a STEM group inclusive of multiple fields.

“She was like, ‘What about Women in STEM?’ and I was like, ‘That’s perfect,’” Sullivan said. “A group that’s not so exclusive that most people can’t join, but a little bit (of everything), you know? Everybody has their own little space. Especially in majors that are male-dominated.”

Sullivan hopes that people who join Women in STEM can create study groups and network with each other.

The founders’ main goal

is to establish a safe space that simultaneously connects and empowers women in STEM-related disciplines.

Morgan Young, a junior accounting major and the club’s vice president and co-founder, stressed that Women in STEM is a space for its members to do exactly this.

“You don’t have to be a woman to join it. It’s just that our focus is wanting to connect women in STEM, and if a guy wants to join too, then, hey, that’s totally fine,” Young said.

Freshman electrical and computer engineering double major Tyneah Buckley shared that she joined the club not only to be a part of an organization that shares her educational values, but also to have a community to share experiences with.

Having that support and connection with people who are similar to you, Buckley explained, can help anyone feel like they can achieve much more in their field without letting personal doubt interfere.

“It’s just reassuring, and it definitely motivates you to be more confident in classes and be more confident about going to get those internships and interviewing without having to worry about, oh, you know, ‘I’m a woman, so I might not

be as qualified,’” Buckley said.

Though women are increasingly joining the STEM workforce, they are still significantly underrepresented in particular fields according to a 2021 Pew Research Center report.

As of 2018, women earned 53% of STEM-related college degrees, with 85% of women earning health-related bachelor’s degrees. However, only 22% of those women studied engineering, and 19% majored in computer science.

With various organizations promoting diversity and institutional initiatives — such as the University of Mississippi’s March 2023 grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute to better promote inclusivity in STEM education and teaching — progress in STEM on campus is imminent, too.

Women in STEM believes the best step forward for any organization, educational institution or workspace is to celebrate the achievements and progress of all minority groups.

“If you feel like you’re appreciated where you are, you’re going to stay, but if you don’t feel like you’re appreciated, you’re going to be like, ‘Okay, well, I want to go somewhere where they actually see my worth,’” Young said.

Aaron McGraw.

ASHTON SUMMERS / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

ALIZA WARNER

Sarah Sullivan.

No. 3 seed Ole Miss Women’s Basketball awaits next opponent

TEDDY KING thedmsports@gmail.com

With 22 overall wins, 12 of which were against SEC teams, the Lady Rebels have been placed as the No. 3 seed heading into the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, leaving Rebel fans with high hopes for what is to come. The top four seeds get two automatic byes in the tournament, a position that is highly coveted.

It is safe to say that the Ole Miss Women’s Basketball team has a solid chance of winning it all, especially after finishing the season on a six-game winning streak. The Rebels have played expertly leading up to the SEC Tournament, with an average margin of victory of 29.3 points in their last four games.

Last year’s SEC Tournament was also successful for the Rebels, but it ended earlier than the team had hoped. Entering as the No. 4 seed, Ole Miss received two automatic byes and faced Texas A&M in their first game, winning 77-60 to advance to the next round. Ole Miss then lost to eventual SEC tournament winner No. 1 University of South Carolina 61-51.

On Sunday, March 3, the Lady Rebels laid an 87-43 win over the University of Arkansas, the largest win over the Razorbacks in school history. With this win, the Lady Rebels made even more Ole Miss history, improving to 124, which is the first 12-win SEC season

for the women’s basketball program.

Head Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin achieved a personal record when she won her 100th game in Oxford following a 7545 win over the University of Kentucky on Thursday, Feb. 29. She has essentially built the program from the ground up, and she wants more recognition for her team.

“I want people to start talking about how good of a team we are. I’m not just talking about on the defensive end, but I’m talking about on both ends of the floor,” McPhee-McCuin said.

After last season’s exhilarating run in March Madness — in which the Lady Rebels upset No. 1 Stanford — Coach Yo and the team now have heightened expectations, both internally and externally.

“I really want to go beyond that (last year’s March Madness run),” McPhee-McCuin said. “I love the hunger; I love the expectation. We are no longer trying to prove something; we are here. Ole Miss Women’s Basketball is here, and that is how we are moving.”

Ole Miss will face the winner of game six, which will be either No. 6 seed Vanderbilt or No. 11 seed Florida. The Lady Rebels have already defeated both of these teams during the regular season.

Tournament play began Wednesday, March 6, in Greenville, S.C. Ole Miss will take the court for their tournament debut on Friday, March 8, with tip off at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Lady Rebels forward Madison Scott shoots a free throw against University of Kansas on Dec. 3, 2020.

BILLY SCHUERMAN / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

LILY GREEN thedmsports@gmail.com

Ole Miss Softball boat races Memphis 9-0 on the road

The Ole Miss Rebels shut out the Memphis Tigers 9-0 in a six-inning beatdown on Tuesday, March 5, in Memphis.

Regardless of their mediocre 3-2 showing in the Ole Miss Classic last weekend, the Rebels entered this game against Memphis with momentum off a win against the UAB Blazers.

Memphis has not shown much promise as a solid competitor this season. The Tigers are 3-15 on the season, almost the exact opposite of the Rebels’ 15-5 record.

Ole Miss struck early with a two-run home run from first baseman Paige Smith. The Rebels also walked five times in the first two innings. They also had three stolen bases, closing an all-around dominant first couple of innings.

Unfortunately, the Rebels started to struggle with Memphis’ bats, as they started the bottom of the second inning with a hit and walk with no outs. This progressed to loaded bases with only one out, causing panic for the Rebels.

Luckily, Ole Miss was able to get out of the inning with

no runs. Right-handed pitcher Catelyn Riley managed to escape the inning with a strikeout and a ground out to third base.

The Rebels added to the score gap in the third inning with a sacrifice fly from Riley to center field. This allowed catcher Jamie Mckay to score from second base.

After three scoreless innings from the Tigers, Ole Miss led 5-0. Smith continued this scoring streak, as she hit her second home run of the game.

With an error and a hitby-pitch, two Rebels got on base with two outs, hoping for a rally. However, this was cut short with the final out following soon after.

Eventually, Ole Miss raised its lead to 6-0, putting the team only two runs away from drawing a run rule that would end the game early. Riley dominated the circle, as she had less than 50 pitches in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Rebels scored once again in the fifth inning, extending the gap. Ole Miss had a lot of energy throughout the game, too, as they were consistently getting on base and scoring.

Finally, Rebel coaches wanted to give Riley a break, so

they brought in left-handed pitcher Brianna Lopez. She got out of the inning, allowing only one runner on base.

Dominance on the plate and from the batter’s box

allowed Ole Miss to crush Memphis from all angles.

What’s next?

This midweek win is huge for Ole Miss, as it provides

momentum for the start of SEC play this weekend versus in-state rival Mississippi State in Nusz Park from March 8-10.

The opening game will be Friday, March 8, at 6 p.m. CT.

Ole Miss Men’s Basketball suffers crushing loss to Georgia Bulldogs

On Tuesday, March 5, the Ole Miss Rebels fell 69-66 in a tragic loss against the Georgia Bulldogs. The Rebels lost nearly all their momentum once the first half ended. A late-game push gave the fans some hope, but it was to no avail. Losing this game effectively eliminates the Rebels from March Madness and punches their ticket down to the National Invitational Tournament.

To lead Ole Miss, point guard Jaylen Murray and forward Jaemyn Brakefield each scored 19 points. Guard Matthew Murrell, Ole Miss’ typical leading scorer, left the game early due to illness and did not return, which stymied the Rebels’ offense for the majority of this game.

First half

The first half was a close one, with the Rebels immediately down by three points.

Brakefield was the saving grace for the Rebels, as he put up 11 points to keep his team afloat. The Rebels looked sloppy throughout the first 20 minutes, but they played just well enough to stay in the game versus a Georgia team that has struggled all season. Rebel forward Jamarion Sharp ended with no points. Both he and center Moussa

Cisse had a poor half on the boards, with only four rebounds combined. Most of the rebounding came from the wings, namely from guard Allen Flanigan and Brakefield.

With an offense that struggled early on, Ole Miss tried to get something going in the post game: Cisse’s points came from easy dunks that were not really contested but were flashy nonetheless.

Second half

The second half looked grim for Ole Miss until the final two minutes — too late to salvage the game. Murray led the charge in the second half and started to control the offense, at least making an effort to change the pace of the game.

However, the Rebels were once again out-rebounded by a Bulldogs team that does not have the height advantage. Despite being the lesser team on paper and in the conference standings, Georgia outclassed and flat out beat Ole Miss in every statistical category. The Bulldogs had more assists, rebounds and blocks, just to name a few.

Ole Miss still made a lategame push after being down 11 points with just under three minutes left. The Rebels cut that lead down to as little as two points with 50 seconds still left on the clock, but a bucket by Georgia’s Russel Tchewa and a pair of free throws by

Offensive MVP:

Jaemyn Brakefield

It was hard to pick someone, considering offense was hard to come by in general, but Brakefield played the best. He had 19 points, which was the same as Murray, but he was more efficient in obtaining those points. Alas, neither were enough to turn the tide in favor of the Rebels.

Weird stat of the game

There were two things that stuck out on the box score. Sharp had more fouls than points, with two fouls to no points. He also only had one more rebound than fouls, which came at the very end of the game.

Next up, Flanigan is one of the best players on this team. Tonight, however, he was on the struggle bus. His points may fool you, but going into the box score, you can see that of his 11 points, nine of them came from the free-throw line. This means he went 1-8 from the field. This was simply not his night, nor was it the Rebels’.

What’s next

Ole Miss will close out the regular season against Texas A&M on Saturday, March 9, at 1 p.m. CT.

Autumn Gillespie bats in April 2022.

HG BIGGS / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Justin Hill wrapped things in a bow for the Bulldogs’ upset victory over Ole Miss.

LUKE DUNAVANT thedmsports@gmail.com

Matthew Murrell dribbles the ball before driving to the basket against Florida on Jan. 10 in the Pavilion.

HAILEY AUSTIN / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Overstep: Alabama’s IVF ruling will have disastrous consequences

LIV BRILEY thedmopinion@gmail.com

When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, the floodgate was opened for the largest rollback of women’s reproductive rights in the history of the United States. For the first time since 1973, states began restricting access to reproductive healthcare.

Generations later, the Alabama Supreme Court took reproductive rights restrictions a step further in a ruling last month that declared frozen embryos were to be considered children under Alabama state law. The consequences of this ruling have extreme and potentially disastrous consequences for women in Alabama and the future of fertility options in the U.S. broadly.

The ruling stemmed from a wrongful death suit filed by three couples whose embryos were accidentally destroyed at a fertility clinic in 2020. While frozen embryos are critical to help couples struggling to create a family and should be protected, the claim that these embryos are children has serious implications for all future in vitro fertilization patients.

Attaching legal personhood to embryos could lead to the downfall of IVF and other fertility practices, as it would theoretically criminalize embryos going unused. It is well-known in the fertility and reproductive health professions that not all embryos are viable. As such, medical associations around the world are speaking out against the state court’s clas -

Opinion Policies:

sification, claiming that giving frozen embryos personhood has no basis in medical fact.

While I respect the fact that people of different religious beliefs and moral codes have different ethical stances on when life begins, it is ridiculous that we as a nation still struggle to implement the principle of separation of church and state set out by the founding fathers.

Religious justification from Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker is a prime example of the bias present in the justice system.

“Even before birth, all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory,” Parker wrote in his concurring opinion.

Christianity may be the most prevalent religion in the U.S., but it is certainly not the only one. Around 37% of Americans do not share the Christian belief system, which is exactly why the separation of church and state is essential and must be observed. Creating laws that affect the entire population based on religious beliefs that the entire population does not share is unethical and fundamentally corrupt.

Allowing Christianity to be the guiding moral framework of the American legal system also calls into question which sect of the religion is “correct” and which denomination gets to decide what is the truly righteous thing to do.

The people who wrote the Bible knew nothing about fertilization or embryos, as this was a science discovered much

later in history. So, who exactly gets to decide that God would not want families to have access to fertility care or control over their own embryos?

I consider myself a Christian, but the religious conservative movements currently attacking reproductive rights are simultaneously attacking personal freedom and gender equality under the guise of possessing the moral high ground.

IVF is a valuable, scientific tool to help people start a family, and so the ruling in Alabama threatens the future of thousands of families across the country. For a party who is supposedly so worried about the declining birth rate, it feels somewhat ironic to focus this heavily on restricting access to fertility care.

A frozen embryo is not the same as a baby, and we should trust the opinions of scientists and doctors, not a few state Supreme Court justices who are incapable of separating their personal religious views from their decision making, which affects millions of people.

We must start enforcing a real separation of church and state and deny those in positions of power the ability to justify their biased rulings with their belief in a higher power. The American legal system is not the Christian church, and it is high time that people respected the difference.

Liv Briley is a senior integrated marketing communications major from Lemont, Ill.

Columns do not represent the views of The University of Mississippi or The Daily Mississippian. The Daily Mississippian welcomes letters to the editor, which should be emailed to thedmopinion@ gmail.com. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. They may be edited for clarity, brevity and libel. Third-party letters and those with pseudonyms or no name will not be published. Letters are limited to one per individual per month. Letters should include contact information, including relationship to the university, if applicable.

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ACROSS

1- Lover of Juliet;

6- CIO’s partner;

9- Some Art Deco works;

14- Pontificate;

15- Canterbury can;

16- Mock, annoy;

17- Vegetable; 19- Best of a group;

20- Cal. pages;

21- Tar;

22- Strictness;

23- Ready to eat;

25- Remove a covering;

26- Third sign of the zodiac;

29- Editor Wintour;

31- Slip by;

32- Lamenting loudly;

36- Son of Isaac and Rebekah;

37- Satisfied sound;

38- Lumpy fuel;

40- High ruler;

43- Verdi opera;

45- Low-lying area;

46- People of courage;

47- It’s a good thing;

50- Aeons;

51- Fall bloomer; 52- Franc replacement; 54- Nasser’s org.; 57- Practice;

58- Breeding stallion; 61- Doughnut-shaped surface; 62- Decorative flap on a garment; 63- Break up; 64- Eight singers; 65- There you are!; 66- Small rodent;

DOWN 1- Travel far and wide; 2- Estimator’s phrase; 3- Charts; 4- Zeta follower; 5- ___ the land of the free...; 6- Aquarium buildup; 7- Disgusting; 8- Missing; 9- Endless; 10- Piece of history; 11- Coniferous evergreen forest; 12- Bar, legally; 13- Psychic; 18- Easy ___; 23- Shred; 24- Officeholders; 25- Verse starter?; 26- “Fancy that!”; 27- Different; 28- Yes, ___!;

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 with no repeats.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL

TOUGH

29- Alert, knowing; 30- Slangy negative; 33- Champagne buckets; 34- ___ contendere; 35- Strong wind; 37- “You’ve got mail” co.; 39- Acapulco article; 41- Himalayan peak; 42- Squeal (on); 43- 1977 George Burns film; 44- Driving peg; 47- Org.; 48- Square one;

49- Smooth transition; 50- Island off Venezuela; 51- Mercury or Saturn; 52- This, in Tijuana; 53- Beehive State; 54- Pakistani tongue; 55- Sale sign; 56- Network of nerves; 59- Skirt stitching; 60- Lennon’s love;

Stakes are set high for Mississippi’s presidential primaries

JUSTICE ROSE thedmopinion@gmail.com

Nearly a third of all states’ primary elections were held this past Tuesday, March 5, hence the moniker “Super Tuesday.” Mississippi’s primary election, though, takes place next Tuesday, March 12, and there are a handful of topics voters need to understand before hitting the polls next week.

Primary elections select the official candidates for each political party in the general election. Thus, the upcoming primaries will determine who will be on the ballot in November, as if there was some uncertainty about the outcome. In reality, Americans have little doubt about who the candidates will be.

With 2024 being a contentious election year, there has been extensive coverage surrounding the validity of a leading candidate for the Republicans: 45th President Donald J.

Trump. The former president has been under intense scrutiny in recent months due to his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection on the capitol building, leading some states like Colorado to remove him from the ballot.

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court released a decision right in time for the primary elections being held the following day. With a unanimous ruling, rare for a group with such varying political views, the Supreme Court asserted that Colorado, the state that first declared Trump ineligible to contend for the presidency, overstepped their privileges as a state and did so on the wrong grounds by using a rarely invoked interpretation of the 14th amendment.

The Supreme Court did not entertain the question of whether or not Trump summoned or encouraged the mob that attacked the country’s capitol building on Jan. 6, leaving the door open for a num -

ber of ongoing court cases the former president is named in.

So, while this decision is a win for Trump and his camp, he still has some distance to go before a second term is genuinely attainable. This reality does not sit well with many Americans, and especially the voting majority here in Mississippi.

Nevertheless, Trump has secured the Republican nomination in several states and looks to do the same here in Mississippi come Tuesday.

The leading Democratic party candidate is incumbent President Joe Biden. November is shaping up to be a rematch of the 2020 presidential election. This is like when a bad movie somehow gets a worse sequel.

President Biden is not without his missteps, or above criticism. His enabling of the violence in the West Bank and Gaza has caused his favorability to plummet among the young voters critical to his success in 2020. Many even

assert that Biden is complicit in genocide by allowing the bloodshed to continue.

Biden has also failed to deliver on many of his campaign promises. Though his administration has canceled nearly $140 billion in student loan debt, over $1 trillion of debt still dangles above Americans’ heads.

While I am optimistic that lawmakers and interpreters will do the right thing, I understand that this outlook is becoming increasingly naive. Come November, expect conservatives to do everything in their power to ensure Trump is on the ballot. This means either the expedition or delay of the former president’s court cases, which will ultimately determine the legality of another Trump presidency.

Regarding President Biden, his perceived mishandling of international affairs will alienate many of the voters he once counted on, making this

election by no means a certain victory for the Democrats.

While it may not be ideal for the health of our union, or the two elderly men leading the race, the contentious 2024 presidential election will likely make history, just like the 2020 election before it.

Mississippi must elect and nominate politicians who are concerned with the well-being and development of the state. We must do away with image politics, which have unfortunately emerged as the chief determinant in our political races. We must evaluate candidates holistically and look beyond the promises made in front of a camera. Candidates should be posed the question, “What have you done for Mississippi?” instead of, “What makes you right for Mississippi?”

Justice Rose is the opinion editor. He is a junior journalism major from Madison, Miss.

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Since 1970 2023

• Former Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

• Former Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

• Practiced at his privately owned law firm for 45 consecutive years - located at the same place, being the Oxford Square, Downtown, Oxford, Mississippi.

• Still practicing at his privately owned law firm for over 50 consecutive - located at the same place, being the Oxford Square, Downtown, Oxford, Mississippi.

• Taught the Mississippi DUI Law and 5 different Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure courses each and every semester at the University of Mississippi for 29 consecutive years.

• Taught the Mississippi DUI Law and 5 different Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure courses each and every semester at the University of Mississippi for 29 consecutive years.

• A member of the Chancellor’s Trust at the University of Mississippi since 1981.

• A member of the Chancellor’s Trust at the University of Mississippi since 1981.

• Former Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Oxford, Mississippi for over 6 years.

• Former Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Oxford, Mississippi for over 6 years.

• Former Municipal Court Judge for the City of Oxford, Mississippi for 8 years.

• Former Municipal Court Judge for the City of Oxford, Mississippi for 8 years.

• Former Vice President and President of the Lafayette County Bar Association; member of the Mississippi Bar Association, etc.

• Former Vice President and President of the Lafayette County Bar Association; member of the Mississippi Bar Association, etc.

• Appointed by the Mississippi State Bar to the Mississippi Commission on Attorney Ethics and Attorney Violations of the Canon of Ethics and All Mandatory Rules concerning the Practice of Law. Occupied the positions of Vice Chairman and Chairman and served for 18 years.

• Appointed by the Mississippi State Bar to the Mississippi Commission on Attorney Ethics and Attorney Violations of the Canon of Ethics and All Mandatory Rules concerning the Practice of Law. Occupied the positions of Vice Chairman and Chairman, served for 18 years.

• A Founding Member of the National College for DUI Defense conducted at Harvard Law School.

• A Founding Member of the National College for DUI Defense conducted at Harvard Law School.

• Selected as one of the Top 50 DUI Attorneys in Mississippi by the National Advocacy for DUI Defense.

• Selected as one of the Top 50 DUI Attorneys in Mississippi by the National Advocacy for DUI Defense.

• Selected as one of the Top 10 Best Attorneys of Mississippi in for Client Satisfaction Award by the American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys.

• Selected as one of the Top 10 Best Attorneys of Mississippi in for Client Satisfaction Award by the American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys.

• Selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Organization.

• Selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Organization.

• Recipient of the DISTINGUISHED AWARD OF MERIT for 1989 from the Mississippi State Bar given to one Attorney in the State of Mississippi each year for outstanding contributions to the practice of law.

• Recipient of the DISTINGUISHED AWARD OF MERIT for 1989 from the Mississippi State Bar given to one Attorney in the State each year for outstanding contributions to the practice of law.

• Voted “Best Attorney in Oxford, Mississippi” in the Grove’s Choice Awards.

• Voted “Best Attorney in Oxford, Mississippi” in the Grove’s Choice Awards.

• Member of the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys

• Member of the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys

• Member of the National League of Renowned Attorneys - Top 1%

• Member of the National League of Renowned Attorneys - Top 1%

• Awarded the United States Congressional Medal of Distinction by RNCC.

• Awarded the United States Congressional Medal of Distinction by RNCC.

• Member of the American Jurist Institute - Top 10 DUI/DWI Attorney for Mississippi

• Member of the American Jurist Institute - Top 10 DUI/DWI Attorney for Mississippi

• Member of the American Society of Legal Advocates - Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers in the State of Mississippi

• Member of the American Society of Legal Advocates - Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers in the State of Mississippi

• Selected by the Attorney and Practice Magazine as one of Mississippi’s Top 10 Attorneys, et cetera.

• Selected by the Attorney and Practice Magazine as one of Mississippi’s Top 10 Attorneys, et cetera.