The Daily Mississippian March 2, 2023

MISSISSIPPIAN THE Daily

20 years of the Gertrude C. Ford Center: Stories of the Past

WILL JONES

In 2021, when COVID-19 threatened to take community away, the Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts re-opened its doors following an 18-month hiatus.

Audiences comprised of University of Mississippi students, local families, supporters and beyond packed the 1,250-seat auditorium for celebrated events such as the multimedia experience “Voices of Mississippi” and a rapturous concert by Grammy winner Reneé Fleming.

While serving as a systematic return, the 2021-22 performance season ignited a newfound energy that the Ford Center staff has sought to both match and expound upon in its now-20th season.

“It presented a silver lining, because during our downtime … we did some real work to keep the facilities pristine and keep toward our strategic

plan and goals moving forward,” Julia Aubrey, director of the Ford Center, said.

These plans will culminate in the organization’s “20th Anniversary Gala,” taking place March 25, 2023, and featuring Morgan Freeman, Christine Baranski and Bruce Levingston, among many others.

The event will be headlined by eight-time Grammy Award winners Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. of the 5th Dimension, celebrating all the Ford Center has offered over the past two decades and will continue to offer for many more years.

Since its ceremonious inception in 2003, the Ford Center has become one of Oxford’s most invaluable artistic institutions.

“It is the centerpiece of the university’s cultural and scholarly mission to present the finest in the performing arts

Thomas Hayes Mayo Lab launches mental health podcast

JANE ROB PANNELL thedmnews@gmail.com

The Thomas Hayes Mayo Lab released the first episode of “The Mayo Podcast” on Tuesday, Feb. 28 as part of its initiatives to provide mental health and substance abuse resources on campus.

The initiatives use methods such as contemporary media, compelling storytelling and peer-to-peer discussions to increase education. The podcast can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The foundation’s namesake is Thomas Mayo, an Oxford native and University of Mississippi student who died on April 14, 2022, from fentanyl poisoning.

The Thomas Hayes Mayo Lab, an addition to the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing at UM, was created to honor the late 21-year-old’s

life and assist those struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues.

David Magee, author of “Dear William,” and his wife, Kent Magee, founded the Magee Center in memory of their son, William, a standout student-athlete at the University who died of an accidental drug overdose following his graduation in 2012.

While the Magee Center has served students since 2019, the Mayo Lab and its use of contemporary media will attempt to reach those in the campus community that might be reluctant to walk through the physical office doors but are much more inclined to press play on a podcast.

“The primary goal of the Mayo Lab is to educate students, parents and educa -

David Magee stands in front of the William Magee Center for Wellness

The Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts operates year-round. Information and tickets for upcoming events, including the “20th Anniversary Gala” can be found on their website.

MAYO LAB

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tors about how things have changed in mental health and substance misuse challenges and what solutions are available to help students find and keep the joy they want and deserve,” David Magee said.

The Mayo Lab is described as an education resource with the eventual goal of introducing a curriculum on these topics to students from kindergarten to high school.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the percentage of adolescents with substance abuse issues remained steady in 2022 after significantly declining in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic, with 11% of 8th graders, 21.5% of 10th graders and 32.6% of 12th graders reporting any illicit drug use in the past year.

While any decline of drug use is encouraging, the dramatic rise in overdose deaths among people ages 14-18 is disheartening and largely attributed to contamination of drugs by fentanyl.

“The Thomas Mayo Lab is going to work to get on top of substance use when it often starts, in middle and high school. Through programming and support for students, families and educators, we hope to empower these people to find and keep joy and mental well-being,” Meagan Rosenthal, interim executive director of the William Magee Institute, said.

Through the use of media, the Mayo Lab hopes to reach individuals and

families throughout Mississippi and beyond, not solely Ole Miss students.

“We want the public to hear about and use the knowledge we generate,” Rosenthal said.

The Mayo Lab is scheduled to open in the coming weeks, including two initial projects laying the foundation for the initiative.

One of the projects is the launch of “The Mayo Podcast”, a weekly podcast hosted by David Magee featuring students, researchers, educators and innovators.

The first episode of the podcast, which was available starting Feb. 28, is titled “Entrepreneur and Recovery Campion Zac Clark: How Students, Families Find Recovery” and focuses on student mental health topics including sleep, exercise and social media as well as topics such as alcohol, marijuana, fentanyl and counterfeit pills.

“Storytelling and engaging through personal stories has long been a foundation of human connection. We will never help students by telling them what not to do. We can help them by better connecting with them,” David Magee said.

While there are many resources available, people are often embarrassed or ashamed to seek help when needed. “The Mayo Podcast” will help to change this narrative by providing a valuable resource that does not require any potentially daunting face-to-face interaction.

The second initial project of the Mayo Lab is the implementation of The Happiness Team, a team of Ole Miss students that uses peerto-peer education and story -

telling to educate fellow students and support students struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues.

Olivia Bacon, a freshman English major and member of The Happiness Team, said that she knew she wanted to join after she heard Magee speak about his family’s struggles with substance abuse.

“The idea is peer-to-peer storytelling: that students accept something easier if it comes from someone their own age who can relate to them best,” Bacon said.

In addition to peer education between Ole Miss students, The Happiness Team will begin traveling to schools around Mississippi to share personal stories about mental health and addiction in an effort to inform and educate high school students. The reasoning is that these students are at the age where these issues typically begin.

The Happiness Team also hosts fun activities for students in recovery.

“We meet for dinners every Wednesday with students at Ole Miss in recovery, to share cooking a meal with them and create a fun activity with no alcohol involved,” Bacon said.

If you are interested in becoming a part of The Happiness Team, the application can be found here.

Avery Kimbrell, a lifelong friend of Mayo, described him as, “the most selfless person you’ve ever met.”

As someone who has been through the recovery process himself, Kimbrell said, “One of the big issues today with addiction is the stigma that surrounds it, and the vast majority being unedu -

cated. Having the Mayo Lab on campus is something that will help educate the whole community on addiction, and what it actually is a brain disease. That is a huge step in helping to remove the stigma around addiction in my eyes.”

Along with the podcast, the Mayo Lab will implement the use of daily newsletters to spread information and resources to its audience.

“My hopes for the Mayo Lab are very simple. I want our community to be better educated on addiction. I want it to be a place where students feel safe and most importantly I want it to save lives,” Kimbrell said.

The Thomas Mayo Lab initiative has received an overwhelming amount of support and donations, raising ap -

proximately $78,000 on a $30,000 goal on a university crowdfunding page. Magee says that he is grateful but not surprised by the amount of donations given to the Mayo Lab.

He hopes that the lab will become a model for schools around the country to implement mental health and addiction prevention resources on middle, high school and college campuses.

“I knew Thomas Mayo and he was a beautiful human, just like my late son William. Those we lose to accidental overdoses are often the sweetest, most sensitive,” David Magee said. “To see so many people honor Thomas’ legacy and others we’ve lost is so heartwarming, but also not surprising. People have had enough. They are ready for change.”

GRAPHIC: SAVANNAH SHOOK / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Ole Miss band gets new multi-million dollar practice field

CALEB HARRIS thedmnews@gmail.com

Editor’s Note: Caleb Harris plays alto saxophone in the Pride of the South Marching Band.

When Chancellor Glenn Boyce called the members of The Pride of the South, the official marching band for the University of Mississippi, to a meeting last spring, he delivered news that members thought they would never hear:

The university would commit $3.5 million toward a complete overhaul of the band practice field.

Construction on the new practice field began in late December 2022, and the field will be ready before band camp begins in August.

Since its founding in the early 1900s, the band has practiced on the same field. Over time, field conditions became more unsuitable, and lack of maintenance resulted in a field that most would consider an eyesore.

Excitement for the new field has been building for current and old members of the Pride of the South.

“I’m really excited for the new practice field,” band member Eliana Hamblin said. “I am really excited for the improvements that the Ole Miss band is going to make and … for everybody that joins the Ole Miss band next year.”

Hamblin believes the new field will attract students to join

the band and contribute to the band’s overall improvement.

Interim Band Director Randy Dale said the new practice facility gives students the opportunity to contribute their best.

“(It’s) also reassuring to them that what they do is valued, for them to have the finest facility in the country,” Dale said.

Ole Miss 2010 graduate and former band member Alexis McDaniel was a key force in making the public aware of the poor field conditions that the band dealt with, as well as getting donors to give to the band.

“All I did, which was very little, was kind of squawk about it on Twitter,” McDaniel said. “And just sort of highlight, why does this SEC school have arguably the worst practice field of the entire SEC, like this is not standard.”

Through Twitter, McDaniel was able to reach Oxford locals as well as other people from different SEC schools.

She said it was about reaching out to people who not only care about the band and what it brings to the school but also tradition and college football.

“All I ever did was make people outside of that bubble aware of it,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel would even ask football fans during Ole Miss tailgating events, “Hey can you

spare a few dollars for the band?”

Dale explained that a new practice field had been in the works for a few years, but he never knew whether it was possible.

“It started with the university architect here on campus, Chad Hunter, who just drew us up something one day, brought it over here and he said, ‘What would you think if the field could go through some upgrades and look a little more like this?’” Dale said.

Shortly afterward, Hunter and Dale started working togeth-

er to come up with a new design.

Dale noted that the university committed some money at first, but ultimately the band had to raise a bulk of the money on their own. It would be two more years before Chancellor Boyce announced the $3.5 million needed to complete it.

Mel Morse, assistant band director at Ole Miss, said he already has seen an uptick in interest among potential recruits.

“I know that I went up into 18 schools just this semester alone, and I’ve mentioned it

just about every school that I’ve been to,” Morse said. “And to see people’s eyes wide up, right? Because $5.5 million to a normal person is a ton of money.”

Morse added that other schools may have talked down the old practice field to other recruits, calling it a “dump,” but they will not be able to say that anymore.

“We’re on a more even footing with Mississippi State, Georgia and Alabama,” Morse said. “We’re going to have some of the best facilities in the SEC.”

ASB Update: three resolutions and two bills passed

MARY BOYTE

thedmnews@gmail.com

On Tuesday Feb. 28, the Associated Student Body held a formal senate meeting and passed three resolutions and two bills ranging from constitutional language technicalities to the “angel shot initiative.”

SR 23-4

Through Senate Resolution 23-4, the ASB endorses the implementation of the “angel shot initiative” in local bars. The “angel shot initiative” educates individuals on how to exit an unsafe situation while in an alcohol-serving establishment. Anyone who feels unsafe can go to an employee and order an “angel shot” which is a code letting the employee know the customer needs help.

While introducing the resolution, President Pro-Tempore Anastasia Jones-Burdick said ASB has been collaborating with Oxford Police Department for the past year. The resolution will include putting informational posters up in campus restrooms and making sure employees of local alcohol-serving establishments know how to use the code.

During the period of debate, Sen. Byron Swetman presented an amendment to include Sen. Ben Murphy as author of the bill alongside Jones-Burdick’s name.

The resolution passed unanimously with no debate.

SB 23-2

Senate Bill 23-2 makes several changes to Title II, Section 108 of the ASB code, specifically to the responsibilities of the senate committees. The main goal

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SAVANNAH SHOOK

of this bill is to increase communication between the legislative branch and the executive branch, according to bill author Sen. Helen Phillips. Among other changes, the bill now requires a representative from the Committee on Governmental Operations to regularly meet with a representative from the Department of Justice.

The bill passed unanimously with no debate.

SB 23-3

Senate Bill 23-3 amends the ASB code by revising judicial procedures in Title III. The bill updates and details the procedures for complaints that ASB may receive, including Election Review Board appeal hearings.

The bill passed unanimously with no debate.

SR 23-5

Senate Resolution 23-1CW,

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renumbered as SR 23-5, passed unanimously by voice acclamation without debate and without author summation. This resolution will open a question of language technicality within Article V of the ASB Constitution. The question will be open to vote for Ole Miss students on MyOleMiss on March 28.

The question will read as follows:

“Article V of the ASB Constitution outlines the duties of the Judicial Branch, in which there are approximately thirty (30) members who serve within the ASB Judicial Council. Would you like to change Article V Section 2 to remove the number ‘ten’ as the listed number of Judicial Council members and change the terminology from ‘quorum’ to ‘legal minimum’ to accurately reflect this number?”

SR 23-6

Senate Resolution 23-2CW, re-

S. Gale

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LARZ ROBERTS

Director of Student Media

DENNIS MOORE Editorial Director

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Assistant Director/Advertising

JAYLIN JONES

Advertising Sales Manager dmads@olemiss.edu

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Owen Pustell

When it is decided that The Daily Mississippian will take an editorial stance on an issue, the following positions will make decisions as the Editorial Board: editor-inchief, managing editor, copy chief, sports editor and opinion editor.

numbered as SR 23-6, also passed unanimously without debate and without author summation. The resolution will also open a question for the student body to vote on through MyOleMiss on March 28.

The question will read as follows:

“Article III of the ASB Constitution establishes the ASB Executive Branch, in which the ASB Executive Officers are to be elected by the student body for one full term on Spring Election Day. Would you like to change Article III Section I to require Spring Election Day be ‘no later than the fourth Tuesday in March’?”

This would change Article III, which currently states that the election will be held on the fourth Tuesday in March.

The Pride of the South plays during Ole Miss’ homecoming football game against Kentucky on Oct. 1, 2022.

FILE PHOTO: FLETCHER CANUP / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

FORD CENTER

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and visiting lecturers,” Towne Square Publications said.

The Ford Center’s mission, which has both remained true to its origins and gracefully evolved over the course of 20 years, seeks to represent a rich tapestry of artistry and academia.

A tapestry as varied as the inspiring woman the institution is named after.

Gertrude Castellow Ford was born in 1913 in Cuthbert, Georgia, the daughter of Bryant and Ethel Castellow. Her father was a U.S. congressman, educator and attorney, while her mother worked as a publisher for the Agnes Scott Alumnae quarterly magazine.

While these tenets of leadership and philanthropy inherently coursed through Gertrude – her family regularly donated to the Andrew Female College Building Fund in Randolph County, Georgia – the budding ingénue also maintained a steady passion for the arts.

Ford’s (then Castellow) artistic and cultural mastery spanned a wide array of subjects, from her scholarly dissections of Shakespeare’s

Arts&Culture

plays to her prodigious musical talents, with the ability to play flute, violin and piano from a very early age. Additionally, she became fluent in three other languages: French, Latin and Spanish.

By the time she married Aaron L. Ford, an attorney and U.S. congressman for the state of Mississippi, in 1936, her renaissance woman status preceded her. Yet, Gertrude consistently sought to expand her horizons in every sense of the phrase, as well as the horizons of those around her.

“Uncle B.T. (Castellow) told one story about when he and Gertrude were delegates at the Democratic National Convention, and Gertrude stood on the table to give a speech,” Kay Castellow McKnight, Gertrude’s cousin, said. “He said she took the hall down.”

In many ways, Ford manifested her own destiny, seeking to transform her impassioned, childlike energy into as wide and accessible a canvas as possible.

After permanently relocat-

in whatever form possible.

While primarily associated with the University of Mississippi, from the Performing Arts Center to the Student Union, the foundation’s outreach extends far beyond Oxford, affording institutions and opportunities throughout the state of Mississippi.

“Gertrude C. Ford valued anything and everything about education and young people,” Stephen Sims, president of the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation, said.

Always at the root of Ford’s efforts was a sincere love for the arts and academia.

Following her death in 1996, the Ford Foundation officially began in 1998, led by directors Leon Lewis, Cheryle Sims and Anthony Papa, continuing and honoring her legacy of philanthropy and generosity.

In the same year as its founding, the Ford Foundation awarded the University of Mississippi $20 million to design and build the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

A physicalization of everything Ford lived for, the center, completed in December 2002, sits at six stories tall and 88,000 total square feet, annually housing more than 150 events of various categories.

The first of these events occurred on March 24, 2003, with an inaugural gala hosted by Robert C. Khayat, former chancellor of the University of Mississippi. Academy-Award winning actor Morgan Freeman served as master of ceremonies and will be returning to the same role for the “20th Anniversary Gala.”

University alumni, staff and students gathered to commemorate both the start of a new chapter and the passing of a torch.

ing to Jackson, Mississippi, Ford made the early steps in establishing the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation, a non-profit founded for the purpose of supporting and nurturing the arts and humanities

While fulfilling Gertrude C. Ford’s artistic ambitions, the institution also honors her longing for communion and philanthropy.

While the Ford Foundation remains crucial in the Performing Arts Center’s development, others have assisted in paving the way for

the financial stability of the organization, namely Kay Castellow McKnight, who has established a planned contribution fund to the institution.

“I want my gifting to be for the Ford Center’s continuation of the Castellow family’s legacy from my family and me,” McKnight said.

Above all else, the Gertrude C. Ford Center and its contributors aim to create a better tomorrow for the visitors of today.

“Ford Center performances invite audiences to share someone else’s story for a brief period of time,” Aubrey said. “Whether the story is told through music, drama or dance, audience members are able to share visceral or intellectual experiences, helping them to become more empathetic human beings.”

The Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts operates year-round. Information and tickets for upcoming events, including the “20th Anniversary Gala” can be found on the centaur’s website.

The history of Gertrude C. Ford and the organization will also be detailed in an upcoming book, “20 Years of History, Stories, and Performances: The Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts” available for purchase at the gala event.

“Stories of the Past” is the first part of a three part series covering the past, present and future of the Gertrude C. Ford Center. This series will continue in the following two editions, releasing Mar. 9 and Mar. 23.

Gertrude Castellow Ford was born in 1913 in Cuthbert, Georgia. Her legacy lives on through the Ford Foundation and its various institutions.

PHOTO COURTESY: J D WILLIAMS LIBRARY

Ford Center performances invite audiences to share someone else’s story for a brief period of time,” Aubrey said.

“Whether the story is told through music, drama or dance, audience members are able to share visceral or intellectual experiences, helping them to become more empathetic human beings.

-Julia Aubrey

TEDx presents ‘Facing Forward’

CAROLINE MCCUTCHEN thedmfeatures@gmail.com

TEDxUniversityofMississippi’s eighth annual lecture series, “Facing Forward,” took place Thursday evening at the Ford Center. Several speakers across multiple disciplines shared the importance of perseverance, honesty and connection as a part of the event.

Emma Brewer, TEDxUniversityofMississippi’s chief of staff, offered insight into the mission of the organization and what the team sets out to accomplish each year.

“Our goal is to spark conversation in our community and across Mississippi by promoting and sharing new ideas presented by different innovators, creators and thinkers from Mississippi and beyond,” Brewer said.

The event featured eight speakers throughout seven inspiring presentations centered around cultivating change and diverse perspectives within one’s community and beyond.

Former FBI agent and professor Michael “Bret” Hood gave a presentation titled “You might not be as ethical as you think you are,” in which he challenged the audience through a series of situational exercises to consider their own ethical standings from alternative perspectives.

“I spent 25 years of my life as an FBI special agent putting people in jail. I want to spend the next 25 trying to keep people out,” Hood said. “If you empower people around you to give you the opinions that you may not want to hear, you empower the people around you to generate these different perspectives.”

Also emphasizing the importance of empathizing with

diverse perspectives, sociologist Castel V. Sweet gave the audience insight into her experiences working with marginalized groups throughout her college experience and professional career.

As a community engagement professional, Sweet shared the importance of cultivating impactful community relationships by listening to the stories and culture of those who have been historically ignored. Sweet argued that the consideration of unique perspectives is the key to exploring new avenues of progress.

“It is history that reminds us that if we embed ourselves in community, we can inspire legislation that can change the possibilities for generations to come,” Sweet said. “By embedding ourselves in community, we can create pathways to places we may never travel ourselves.”

Vince Hafeli, an advocate for mental health and suicide awarness in the workplace, spoke candidly of his path to promoting change within construction industry culture by removing the stigma associated with mental health.

“We lose more than 5,500

workers a year to suicide, and those numbers are underreported,” Hafeli said. “We lose five times as many workers to suicide as we do the work injuries.”

As the only certified Polyvagal-Informed professional in the world, speaker Adam Gust focused on the connection between nervous system science and drum performance and engaged the audience in a rhythmic exercise. During intermission, Gust exhibited his talent as a professional drummer by delivering a lively performance.

Prior to the event, the Mississippians Jazz Ensemble

performed a set featuring a piece by renowned Jazz composer John Clayton in celebration of 100 years at Ole Miss.

“We are so grateful for the support of the Ole Miss community, as our organization would not be where it is today without it,” Brewer said. “If you attended last Thursday we are so glad you came, and if you were not able to attend, make sure to stay tuned for when our speakers’ talks are published online.”

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The TEDx “Facing Forward” speakers (left to right) Yiwei Han, Yongjian Qiu, Vince Hafeli, Castel V. Sweet, Adam Gust, Michael “Bret” Hood, Arvinder Singh and Nadeeja Niranjalie Wijayatunga.

Arts&Culture Reviews

‘Cocaine Bear’: cult classic or coked out chaos?

AARON BARROW thedmfeatures@gmail.com

In September 1985, drug smuggler Andrew Thornton fell from a plane in Knoxville, Tenn. He was accompanied by approximately $15 million dollars worth of cocaine strapped to his body and several million dollars worth that he threw from the plane over Chattahoochee National Park in Georgia in an attempt to throw the feds off of his scent.

While the feds may have been thrown off of the cocaine’s scent, a 175-pound black bear most certainly was not. The bear in question found the drugs, consumed them and proceeded to overdose and die in the forest. While an insane story in its own right, it is not nearly as unbelievable as the 2023 film it inspired, “Cocaine Bear,” which made its box office premier last Friday.

Elizabeth Banks returned to the directors chair to helm what has become one of the year’s most intriguing projects. Universal’s elaborate and clever marketing campaign for the film successfully built anticipation in the weeks leading up to the film’s release. Unfortunately, the final product doesn’t live up to its expectations.

While “Cocaine Bear” offers an admirable amount of insanity and unrelenting fun, it lacks a sense of purpose.

The marketing campaign was never unsure of its goals: shock and awe. Mean -

while, the final film is indecisive as to whether it wants to take its themes and characters seriously or to fully lean into the inherent lunacy of its premise. As a result, the movie lands in a bizarre middle ground that makes for a surprisingly dull two hours.

Banks spends the film’s first act introducing us to the bland ensemble which consists of hollow caricatures

rather than noteworthy characters. While the late Ray Liotta is certainly an exception, the joy that comes from watching his performance has more to do with his excellence than the writing. He fully taps into what makes this type of film special and seems to have had an incredible time doing so.

Alden Ehrenreich also gives a more than noteworthy performance with what

material he was given. Those two actors stand out above the rest of this grand ensemble, though no actor is to blame for the tonal inconsistencies present within the film. While many would classify this as a dark comedy, I would object to that claim seeing as, in my experience, comedies are typically funny. The thriller elements usually fell as flat as the jokes and the film

failed to commit to either. I don’t like to base my enjoyment of a film on what didn’t happen or what preconceived notions I had going in, but there is an undeniable level of wasted potential within this script.

“Cocaine Bear” isn’t a horrible film and it certainly isn’t the worst one currently in theaters, but I do wish it had left more of a bite.

GRAPHIC COURTESY: UNIVERSIAL PICTURES VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Oxford Film Festival: coming to theaters near you

watch, proves incredibly healing and vital. (87 minutes, ticketed)

“iMordecai”–12:30p.m.atMalco Oxford Commons Auditorium 3

In honor of its 20th anniversary, the Oxford Film Festival will showcase the largest and most diverse schedule yet.

The vast 2023 lineup includes 32 feature films, 93 short films, 18 music videos and one multimedia project, all of varying genres and forms.

The festival also offers numerous community events, educational opportunities and sensory screenings sponsored by the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Following the opening night ceremonies on Wednesday March 1, which includes the 20th birthday party and screening of the acclaimed documentary “Butterfly in the Sky,” the festival kicks into high gear on Thursday March 2.

Here are some of the more notable titles/events to check out:

Thursday March 2

“Little Richard: I am Everything” – 7 p.m. at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 2

Lisa Cortes’ relentlessly entertaining documentary on the rock n’ roll icon debuted to great acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival in January. (98 minutes, ticketed)

Friday March 3

UM Shorts – 10 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 1

The University of Mississippi

B.F.A. in Film Production program highlights its best in documentary and narrative short filmmaking, from students, staff and alumni. (90 minutes each, ticketed)

“Silent Beauty” – noon at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 4

Jasmín Mara López directs this deeply personal and acclaimed documentary recounting her experiences as a victim of childhood sexual abuse. López crafts a movie that, while often difficult to

Recent Oscar-nominee Judd Hirsch stars in the story of a man forced to face the realities of the modern world when he is confronted with an unfamiliar object: an iPhone. (102 minutes, ticketed)

Stunt-Acting Panel – 2 p.m. at The Powerhouse

Professional stunt man and UM alum Ned Yousef leads this panel about stunt choreography and the art of action film acting. (60 minutes, non-ticketed)

“Once Upon a Time in Uganda” – 5 p.m. at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 2

A documentary about the making of the cult camp classic “Who Killed Captain Alex?” (94 minutes, ticketed)

“The Crisis” – 6 p.m. at The Gertrude C. Ford Center

OxFilm, in collaboration with the Mississippi Film Commission, presents the 1916 silent film classic “The Crisis,” the earliest surviving film to have been shot in Mississippi. This will be the first time the film has been screened in North Mississippi in more than 100 years. The event will also include live musical score accompaniment. (88 minutes, ticketed)

“Faulkner: The Past is Never Dead” – 7:30 p.m. at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 2

Largely shot in Oxford’s own Rowan Oak, “The Past is Never Dead” seeks to capture the complexity of Faulkner’s literary canon as well as his contradictory views on race. (90 minutes, ticketed)

Saturday March 4

“Body Parts” – 10:30 a.m. at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 3

The documentary traces the evolution of sex on screen from the female perspective, featuring interviews with Rosanna Arquette,

Jane Fonda, Rose McGowan and more. (86 minutes, ticketed)

“Daddy” – 11 a.m. at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 2

“Daddy” offers a look at a dystopian society, where the state has the power to determine who can and cannot father children, forcing four men to prove that they have what it takes to become fathers. (98 minutes, ticketed; preceded by short film “Intimacy Workshop”)

“Belief: The Season – Ole Miss Baseball” – noon at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 3

“Belief” follows the 2022 Ole Miss baseball team on its historic championship season run. (103 minutes, ticketed)

“Two Lives in Photography” – 3 p.m. at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 3

“Two Lives in Photography” explores the fascinating marriage and artistic collaboration of Maude Schuyler Clay and Langdon Clay, who headlined a joint exhibition at the UM Museum in 2019-2020 (93 minutes, ticketed; preceded by short film “Peggy-Blue Eyes”)

“The Banality” – 7:30 p.m. at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 1

The Mississippi shot and produced thriller “The Banality” follows the harrowing journey of a priest investigating the mysterious death of a local boy.

As he gets closer to the truth, the shocking events begin to resemble his own recurring nightmares. (78 minutes, ticketed; sensory screening offered at 8:30 a.m.)

Sunday March 5

“Bolan’s Shoes” – 10:30 a.m. at Malco Oxford Commons Auditorium 1

Timothy Spall (of “Harry Potter” fame) and Leanne Best star in this touching dramedy about the enduring legacy of T. Rex guitarist Marc Bolan’s life-affirming music. (97 minutes, ticketed)

For the full schedule, and tickets to all films, visit the Oxford Film Festival website.

Judd Hirsch stars in the family dramedy, “iMordecai,” premiering March 3 at the Oxford Film Festival.

PHOTO COURTESY: JOHN WILDMAN

Oxford Film Festival presents a restored screening of the 1916 silent film, “The Crisis.”

PHOTO COURTESY: JOHN WILDMAN

‘Belief…’ showcases Ole Miss championship season

GRIFFIN RAY

The Ole Miss Rebels 2022 baseball season was something of a dream.

With so many other powerhouses on the rise, Ole Miss winning the NCAA National Championship seemed like an impossible task.

Yet, they didn’t back down. It was an amazing year by head coach Mike Bianco’s guys, and what better way to relive it than with a documentary in its honor.

“Belief: The Season - Ole Miss Baseball” is a beautifully shot documentary that fully encapsulates the wonder that was the Rebels championship season.

The film, produced by Ole Miss Sports Productions, provides a first-person perspective into the minds of the players and coaches throughout the season, from preseason practices to the end of their postseason journey in Omaha.

Through a well-edited combination of memorable interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, “Belief…” demonstrates just how steep the climb was for the struggling Rebels, both on the field and in the dugout.

Throughout its 103 minute run time, directors Merrick McCool and Scott Wyant capture the true determination of Bianco. Despite his job constantly being in jeopardy, he kept his spirits high, continuing to tell his players to fight for

what they so desperately wanted.

“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better,” Bianco says during a pivotal team meeting. “Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were tougher.”

“Belief…” is filmed to make the audience feel as if they are directly with the team: in the locker room, in the dugout, on the field and beyond.

Narrator David Delluci does a fantastic job of keeping the audience engaged as they walk hand-in-hand through the trials and tribulations the Rebels faced. Viewers are presented with ups and downs, hopes and relief, and pure bliss as they experience this journey with the Rebels once again.

“So many emotions hit me,” pitching coach Carl Lafferty says toward the film’s conclusion. “I remember thinking about so many different people and then thinking in my head, ‘Don’t ever forget this.’”

“Belief: The Season - Ole Miss Baseball” premiered at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema in November 2022 but will return to the big screen as one of the headlining films of the Oxford Film Festival.

It will screen Saturday, March 4 at noon at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema in Auditorium 1.

For those unable to attend the screening, the film is available on the Ole Miss Rebels YouTube Channel as well as ESPNU.

More information, including tickets, can be found on the Oxford Film Festival website.

‘Two Lives in Photography’: a love story in photographs

PALEIF RASPBERRY

The documentary “Two Lives in Photography” showcases the love story reflected in the work of photographers and married couple Langdon and Maude Schuyler Clay. Directed by Oxford Film Festival veteran Thad Lee, the film focuses on the photography exhibit of the same name at the University of Mississippi Museum, curated by Melanie Munns Antonelli.

The exhibit features photographs taken by the couple over the span of decades, even as independent artists before their marriage.

The film, which was produced over the course of three years, opens with a gallery walk-through on Jan. 30, 2020.

The couple, on opposite sides of a hallway displaying their photos, recount the fascinating stories behind many of their photographs, as well as the logistics and artistic methods of capturing these fleeting moments.

This isn’t Lee’s first rodeo when it comes to filming artistic works and processes. In addition to making several films about exhibitions, his wife, Carlyle Wolfe Lee, is a painter and artist in her own right.

While excited to work with the Clays and create a celebratory piece for their own exhibition, Lee was reluctant to take on the project at first.

“I was not sure if I could give

them what they wanted because my wife’s films have no sound other than music, and they really just document the making of the work,” Lee said. “Since Maude and Langdon’s work was already created and hanging on the walls, I wondered how I could present it in an interesting way and began being lured towards saying yes by the challenge.”

Any doubts changed when Lee went to a public walk-through of the exhibition. Each of the photographers led groups through the galleries, where Lee recalls “zigzagging back and forth” between them and listening to whatever stories they had about the photographs they were showing.

“I was mesmerized by the details and the works and knew that a film like that experience could work,” Lee said. “No talking heads, no sit down interviews, just the Clays leading the camera through the museum in a dance of sorts.”

The commentary accompanying every piece on film was completely organic — Lee didn’t feel the need to coax the stories out of the Clays or impart his own viewpoints.

“Their history is as interesting as the photographs, which is remarkable,” Lee said. “Hearing (the Clays) speak about what was going on in their lives and the world when something made them stop and decide ‘I need to take a photograph of that’ makes

you realize that the taking of that image has become a part of them.”

Some of the stories behind the photographs are highly specific and intimate but also reflect an emotional simplicity.

The film is presented as a story of love: the love of photography, the love of the places in the photos and the love that the Clays have for each other. Lee describes their dynamic as a

“beautiful symbiotic relationship.”

A subtle theme throughout the photographs and the film itself is opposition. Langdon and Maude may be opposites, both in terms of personal experience and artistic preference: Langdon is from the North and Maude is from the South, Maude likes to photograph people and Langdon likes to photograph objects/places.

Yet, despite their differ-

ences, they continue to complement each other so well.

“Two Lives in Photography” will screen Saturday, March 4, at 3 p.m. at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema in Auditorium 3. More information, including tickets, can be found on the Oxford Film Festival website.

“Belief: The Season - Ole Miss Baseball” provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the team’s historic 2022 championship season.

POSTER COURTESY: JOHN WILDMAN

Married couple/photographers Langdon and Maude Schuyler Clay visit their exhibit at the UM Museum.

PHOTO COURTESY: THAD LEE

‘Daddy’: a different take on dystopia

KHARLEY REDMON

What do you expect when someone tells you a film is dystopian? Is it a barren desert? Is it a futuristic city? Is it masses of people wearing the same government-issued uniform?

While all of these qualities are certainly characteristic of the genre, in order for new dystopian films to stand out filmmakers are under more pressure than ever to put their own twist on these attributes and create a different type of dystopia.

This is what long-time friends and now co-filmmakers Neal Kelley and Jono Sherman did with their film “Daddy” both in idea and execution.

Set in a society where the government controls who can and cannot be fathers, “Daddy” follows four men who have been selected as fatherhood candidates. When the men arrive at their isolated fatherhood retreat, they soon realize there is no “fatherhood monitor” and it is up to them alone to prove they are worthy of being a father.

Like many other dystopian films, “Daddy” is inspired by real world events and issues. The global climate within the past few years made for a unique convergence of themes and ideas not before seen.

After the COVID-19 pandemic made production of their first co-written film too difficult, Kelley and Sherman pivoted and began exploring smaller-scale ideas that incorporated the themes that many people were feeling: isolation, paranoia and the sense of being stuck inside the house.

They got on Zoom, writing scene by scene without an outline, and eventually began to see something come to life.

“At the same time, the (2020) election was going on and we were really in the midst of this intense political climate,” Kelley said. “One day we were talking about masculinity, Don-

ald Trump talking about his kids being on television and our own anxieties and preoccupations with whether we want to have children or want to be fathers.”

As they started developing the story Kelley and Sherman took these thoughts and incorporated the reproductive angle into the film, something they acknowledged has become even more relevant within the past year.

“I think men are very removed from the idea of reproductive freedom, the onus of it and the burden of it is on women,” Kelley said. “To find a way to flip that and put more emphasis on the male body and the male idea of what it might be like to have your reproductive freedom infringed on sort of in this upside down one-eighty way became an appealing fulcrum for the story.”

While the idea of “Daddy” was a product of pivoting on Kelley and Sherman’s part, that was not the only pivoting they had to do.

While they initially envisioned

a more traditionally dystopian setting for “Daddy” that also hit on the themes of climate change and lack of reproduction, production costs became an issue.

“Neil and I were really in love with the idea of shooting in the desert, and then we sort of had to revamp and try and find something that was maybe desert-like. We didn’t find anything that satisfied us,” Sherman said. “We had to shift mentally to go from the desert to this sort of beautiful lush, green, gem within Topanga Canyon (in western Los Angeles County, California) , but it definitely worked.”

Although the setting was unexpected for the filmmakers, Sherman and Kelley agreed that it ended up making the film unique from other dystopian films.

“In the desert it may have felt a little more dystopian and may have felt like they were completely out on their own, but the mountains, the greenery and the beauty of that home helped balance out this like

insanity that we were slowly unraveling in the movie,” Kelley said.

While the setting plays a role in that unraveling, the actors do their fair share of the work. Kelley and Sherman star in two of the main roles alongside Yuriy Sardarov, known for “Chicago Fire,” Pomme Koch, known for “Law and Order,” and Jacqueline Toboni, known for “The L Word: Generation Q.”

For many, “Daddy” was not their first time working together, Kelley and Sherman said.

“Pomme and Yuriy play Mo and Sebastian. They went to (the University of) Michigan with me in the theater program. The first play I ever directed in New York nine years ago, they were the leads. So not only have they been close friends, but they also are very close collaborators,” Kelley said.

In addition to that, Toboni, who plays Ally in the film, also was once a member of the Michigan theater program. The initial actress set to play Ally

dropped out, and Toboni was brought in in less than 48 hours.

“You just have that connection and kinship so that when someone’s coming into a new environment, then they trust you,” Kelley said.

Sherman said that the casting of this film is a result of something that every upcoming filmmaker should be doing: laterally networking.

“While you’re in school, make as many films as you can and try to identify people that you think you’ll want to make films with in the future,” Sherman said.

Sherman and Kelley also said that although there were challenges, going the indie route gives a unique experience to filmmakers.

“For some filmmakers, the dream or the goal is to write a script, and then a big studio comes in and they give you all their resources,” Sherman said. “One great benefit that Neil and I have gained through this sort of indie route is that he and I now feel comfortable. Every process, we can have a conversation about pre-production, about the financing, about the actual making of the film. Now that we’re here. There’s a greater sense of ownership.”

That sense of pride clearly translates into their sense of excitement for the Oxford Film Festival.

“It’s a 20th annual festival which is exciting,” Kelley said. “I think what’s great about festivals like Oxford is it’s really about the craft. It’s not about the industry. It’s outside of Hollywood. It’s about community. It’s about promoting independent art and cinema. It’s a really exciting opportunity for us to share the film with a community that might not otherwise be able to see it.”

“Daddy” will screen on Saturday, March 4, at 11 a.m. at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema in Auditorium 2.

More information, including tickets, can be found on the Oxford Film Festival website.

Jasmín Mara López returns home with ‘Silent Beauty’

AARON BARROW

thedmfeatures@gmail.com

Jasmín Mara López has spent her career operating between different modes of expression, in addition to bouncing from place to place.

While she was born in New Orleans, La., López has spent much of her life working as a journalist, audio producer and filmmaker in Los Angeles.

She spent her time broadening her horizons and expanding her creative and journalistic capabilities through internships and other means.

“I always preferred being hands-on with my work,” López said.

Despite this, she has maintained her strong familial ties to Mexico, evident in her first feature film, “Silent Beauty.”

The 2022 documentary bravely details the history of child sexual abuse within her family as well as the years of silence that followed. The film is both a striking condemnation of the wrongdoers and an inspiring portrait about finding

peace and knowing when to let go.

“Healing and justice has always been at the core of my work,” López said.

López’s journalistic specialities provide a significant impact to the power of “Silent Beauty,” offering a rare attention to detail and emotional specificity.

“More so than other forms of art, documentaries put you in that world,” López said. “With this film and even with my audio documentaries it is all about feelings.”

These feelings are felt in spades throughout the film’s 87-minute run time.

In constructing a feature-length documentary, López detailed her appreciation for journalism as a medium as well as its impact on her career.

She insisted that the two mediums often work hand-in-hand in creating works of art, and in many ways, they cannot be separated. Her marriage of the two mediums is so intact that her 2015 audio documentary, “Deadly Divide: Migrant Death On the Border,” won the Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism Award.

In 2007, López founded

Project Luz, an arts education non-profit that sought to encourage young people within marginalized communities to excel in the fields of journalism and audio.

“It was important to give to those marginalized communities,” López said. “Working with Project Luz in 2008 is what ultimately convinced me to be a storyteller.”

While the organization is no longer active, Lopez has maintained contact with many of the former youth and has screened some of her films for them.

López’s present and future endeavors include another documentary film based on her family and the overarching theme of inequality in the low-income communities in which she was raised. She is also developing a fictional piece.

Her impact on the world and her community, both creatively and philanthropically, remains more than worthy of praise.

“Silent Beauty” will screen Friday, March 3, at noon at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema in Auditorium No. 4. More information, including tickets, can be found on the Oxford Film Festival website.

Jasmin Maria Lopez’s powerful documentary, “Silent Beauty,” highlights the perils of complicity and the importance of finding peace and letting go.

PHOTO COURTESY: JASMIN MARIA LOPEZ VIA JOHN RASH

(Left to Right) Neal Kelley, Jacqueline Toboni, Jono Sherman in “Daddy,” screening Saturday March 4 at the Oxford Film Festival.

PHOTO COURTESY: NEAL KELLEY

OxFilm enters 20th year with new leadership

An audience chatters, munching on buttery popcorn and sipping delicious soda when the lights begin to dim.

As images flicker across the silver screen and sound ignites the aisles, an electricity fills the air. Mystery meets majesty, as if anything can happen.

Movies are the memories of our lifetime, and there is almost no better place to form these memories than at a film festival.

A communal viewing environment, where films are often experiencing their first or second runs, forcing audiences to leave their expectations at the door.

Preparing for its 20th year, the Oxford Film Festival welcomes new executive director Matt Wymer, bridging the past, present and future, with the aim of leaving this year’s audience with plenty of lasting movie memories.

Wymer began working in earnest with the Oxford Film Festival in 2015, both as a volunteer and as a red-carpet interviewer, but his love of film, as well as his fervor for filmmaking, began years earlier.

“My dad was a VCR repairman, so we always had electronics … we were always on the edge of technology and movies were a big part of that,” Wymer said.

From his mother taking him to see “Return of the Jedi” as a baby to experimenting with his BetaMax home video recorder as a teenager, cinema and artistic expression became an integral part of Wymer’s everyday life, a sanctimonious ritual.

During his high school years, Wymer found this passion for the arts often funneling directly through the HOKA, an eclectic and charming communal space open in Oxford from 1976-1996.

His place of worship, so to speak.

The HOKA, founded by the late-great Oxford legend Ron Shapiro, served as part coffee house, part theater, part restaurant and part music venue, welcoming customers with a sign that humorously read, “Sorry, we’re Open.”

Many notable names, from novelist Kurt Vonnegut to Willie Morris, editor of Harper’s Magazine, drifted through the HOKA during its two-decade run, sharing unique stories of their respective professions, as well as insights into the arts and culture scene at large.

To Wymer, these pivotal interactions served as both a breath of fresh air and familiar, as well as familial, territory.

“I come from a long line of storytellers,” Wymer said. “Everyone at my family reunions is always talking at the same time.”

While the HOKA was forced to shut its doors near the turn of the century, the Oxford Film Festival opened its doors a mere few years later.

With the help of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and founders Neil White and Elaine Abadie,

the Oxford Film Festival sought to expand the artistic scene in North Mississippi, serving as an almost direct companion (and, in some ways, direct competition) to the Magnolia Independent Film Festival in Starkville, Mississippi.

As Wymer entered the University of Mississippi, vacillating between the theater department and southern studies department, he also became one of the first in line for Oxford’s newest artistic enterprise, with the film festival commencing in 2003.

This widespread support of the arts remains the driving force behind Wymer’s career trajectory.

“I know art doesn’t immediately scream ‘help your community,’ but it creates jobs. It can be used to relieve anxiety and other therapeutic purposes,” Wymer said. “It’s very important to support the arts.”

Within this trajectory, Wymer found himself working as an audio engineer, traveling in an out of Oxford and exploring the rich history of Mississippi.

Concurrently, the Oxford Film Festival became its own piece of state history, trans-

forming into an independent non-profit organization in 2008.

“The fact that we are a non-profit that is able to support our community is great,” Wymer said. “And as an arts non-profit in the state of Mississippi, making it 20 years is a big deal.”

Throughout the previous decade, Wymer worked on-and-off with the festival, before eventually becoming a year-round programming director in 2019.

Through the position, he sought to expand OxFilm’s overall reach, harkening back to his nights spent at the HOKA.

In many ways, film serves as the ultimate artform, a collaboration between individuals and coalescence of art, literature, music, poetry, etc., making Wymer an ideal fit to transition into the role of executive director.

While primarily focused on the annual spring festival, this reach also involved expanding OxFilm into a year-round institution, appealing to children and adults alike.

“We are actively trying to change our approach to make the festival experience, the cinema experience something more acces-

sible to everybody,” Wymer said.

For example, the organization recently partnered with the Alfred P. Sloane Foundation and Coolidge Theater to present the “Science on Screen” series, expanding its educational opportunities for all ages.

“The series allows us to pair a feature film with a scientific speaker to help promote moviegoing and celebrate STEM,” Wymer said.

The “Science on Screen” series joins OxFilm’s highly popular community drive-in screenings, as well as youth summer film programs to round out an arsenal of year-long artistic fare.

As for the future of OxFilm, Wymer aims to partner with other local non-profits to keep these opportunities alive, programming with audience in mind first and, in turn, maintaining his childlike fervor for the arts.

“Go out and see live music. Go see a comedy show. Go see your friend’s independent film,” Wymer said. “The arts in all forms make life worth living.”

More information on the Oxford Film Festival, occurring March 1-5, can be found on its website.

Little Richard, King (and Queen) of the Blues

REESE ANDERSON

thedmfeatures@gmail.com

A Black man from a religious family in the Deep South, an underground drag performer and a rock ‘n’ roll luminary: one man, artist Little Richard, embodied these disparate roles.

Directed by Oscar nominee and Emmy-winner Lisa Cortés, “Little Richard: I Am Everything” unpacks the musical contributions, flamboyant persona and conflicting identities of the titular rock icon and brings light to the appropriation of Richard’s revolutionary work by his white contemporaries.

The music legend was born Richard Wayne Penniman in 1932, and his career took off in the mid-1950s. He subverted his era’s norms: Richard was openly gay, and his signature look included a pompadour, heavy makeup and sequined garb.

Relying on archival footage of concerts and interviews, the documentary considers Richard as a disruptor.

“I was especially interested in looking at not only Richard, the icon, and his contributions to music, but also to culture as

a transgressive figure,” Cortés said in an interview with Variety.

Throughout his lifetime, Richard grappled with his queerness in the context of his religious faith. He publicly renounced his sexuality and the LGBTQ+ community at large and relinquished secular music and his lifestyle altogether in favor of a two-year stint as a theology major at Oakwood College in 1960.

Richard reversed his stances multiple times during his life, which is the very complexity that drew Cortés to tell Richard’s story.

“It wasn’t a three-act structure, but it was this pendulum,” Cortés said in an interview with Deadline. “There was this man who was born in the segregated South, who bucked so many norms and at the same time was having an internal battle between the secular and the profane. It was this push-pull throughout his life that he had to navigate.”

While often celebrated, “I Am Everything” also received criticism following its Sundance Film Festival premiere in January due to its superficial consideration of Richard’s queerness.

“For a film so interested in Richard’s legacy as a queer Black man,

that queerness only exists in regards to his appearance,” Indiewire film critic Robert Daniels said.

Even so, Cortés is fully invested in illuminating Richard’s undervalued influence on popular music.

She interviewed heavy-hitters like Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger, whose bands opened for Richard early in their careers, as a means to understand how Richard provided a platform and inspiration for other artists — and how white rock ‘n’ rollers such as Elvis Presley achieved greater recognition than Richard, even though Richard was the innovator.

Richard’s varied struggles and subversions are relevant today. Many Black artists are still subject to inequitable record deals, and queer people’s rights to gender expression are at risk. Cortés recognizes this.

“Rock ’n’ roll, race and queerness are core to our culture, but also to our culture wars. I think that so many of the things that Richard approached and challenged we are still dealing with,” Cortés said. “The gender fluidity that Richard displayed isn’t new, and it wasn’t new then. It just wasn’t spoken of, and it wasn’t contextualized … it seems that in

“Little

our contemporary culture, some people are still not at ease with it.”

While audiences may walk away from “I Am Everything” with questions, the documentary will certainly inspire a greater appreciation of his ahead-of-histime stage persona and strug-

gles and his status as an under-

rated juggernaut of rock music.

“Little Richard: I Am Everything” will open the Oxford Film Festival on Thursday, March 2, at 8 p.m. at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema in Auditorium 2. More information, including tickets, can be found on the Oxford Film Festival website.

Richard: I Am Everything” opens the Oxford Film Festival on Thursday March 2.

PHOTO COURTESY: JOHN WILDMAN

(Left to Right) OxFilm’s Board President Steven Case with new Executive Director Matt Wymer at the 2022 Oxford Film Festival.

PHOTO COURTESY: JOEY BRENT VIA JOHN WILDMAN

Sports

Madison Scott and Angel Baker receive honors ahead of SEC Tournament

Ole Miss women’s basketball players were named to All-SEC teams this week. Junior forward Madison Scott was awarded Second-Team All Defense, while senior guard Angel Baker was named to the First-Team All Defense.

“(It) just goes to show the power of our team,” head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said. “The fact that those two got recognized is incredible. (It) just shows that we’ve been developing players. And this is, I think, maybe my five years, three years where we’ve had an all-conference selection, so I’m just really proud of that.”

Baker notched her first First Team All-SEC award since transferring from Wright State two seasons ago. Baker previously was named the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year during the postseason last year.

Baker averaged 15.0 points per game this season, and a stronger 16.9 points in SEC play, including a season-high of 25 points against Auburn on Jan. 23. Her growth has been noticed by many including McPhee-McCuin.

“What I can say is, a lot of it

has to do with her (Baker) willingness to be vulnerable, meaning her willingness to be coached and to be pushed and to be challenged,” McPhee-McCuin said. “And I think she’s stepped up to it. And I also think she has room to grow, which is encouraging for me and our staff.”

The women’s basketball mantra, “We Defend,” wasn’t embodied by anyone better than Scott. Scott posted 168 defensive rebounds, 32 steals and 30 shots blocked during the regular season

“It just made me so appreciative,” Scott said. “I thank God immediately, and I also thank my teammates and my coaches because without them, I’m nothing.”

Scott is a former five-star recruit who is no stranger to high expectations and pressure to perform at a high level. But even for a player like Scott, it’s hard to ignore emotions and feelings.

“I got emotional when I saw it,” Scott said. “We work so hard. I work so hard, you know, I just want to do whatever I can to help my team. So to get those awards, it just showed me that the sky’s the limit, and there’s so much more I can do and I can’t wait to show that.”

The women’s

will

team

travel to Greenville, S. C., to play in the SEC tournament

with their first game starting in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 3 on SEC Network.

CALEB HARRIS thedmsports@gmail.com

Ole Miss guard Angel Baker drives down the court during a game against Mississippi State on Jan. 26.

HG BIGGS / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Ole Miss’ hot start is not enough to put away No. 24 Texas A&M on senior night

CAMERON LARKIN

thedmsports@gmail.com

Ole Miss hosted the No. 24 Texas A&M Aggies in its last home game of the season, but the Aggies methodically crept back into the game until the Rebels ran out of steam. In the end, the Rebels fell to the Aggies 69-61.

Ole Miss jumped out to a 13-4 lead in just over four minutes of play, thanks to a flurry of threes from Robert Allen and Matthew Murrell. The Rebels maintained this lead for the next three minutes, commanding a 20-9 lead, but that quickly changed when A&M turned up the pressure and started making their shots on offense.

In a matter of minutes, the Aggies led the game 22-20, and after some pre-halftime backand-forth, Texas A&M went into the break with a 34-28 lead.

The Rebel offense ran almost exclusively through Murrell, and he made the most of every opportunity while putting up 26 points on 73% from three-point land. He was the spark Ole Miss needed to have a chance at the upset, but the rest of the team struggled against the Aggie’s defense.

The next highest scorer for the Rebels was sophomore James White with nine points.

Despite the offensive struggles, Ole Miss had numerous opportunities to come back. After being down by as many as nine points with just over four minutes remaining, Ole Miss stormed back to within four points. However, just when the Rebels had all the momentum, disaster struck, which allowed A&M to run away with this one.

With two minutes left in the game, Ole Miss star forward

Jaemyn Brakefield missed a dunk that would have brought the house down. On the ensuing possession, freshman guard TJ Caldwell threw a pass to Brakefield at the top of the key that was intercepted by Texas A&M’s Andersson Garcia, who dunked it for an easy two points.

Ole Miss lost out on yet another opportunity to upset a March Madness-bound team, but this loss is not a purely negative one. The team showed once again that it is no pushover. Ole Miss may have also proven that it is, in fact, a coach away from national relevance. But for now, the Rebels will set their sights on the Missouri Tigers.

Ole Miss takes on the Tigers in the last game of the regular season Saturday, March 4, at 2:30 p.m. CST in Missouri’s Mizzou Arena on SEC Network.

Ole Miss esports program has early success

Ole Miss Esports is experiencing early success after recently moving into a renovated location in the E.F. Yerby Center. The new location allows Esports to have numerous PC gaming setups and compete at the highest level.

The program has three gaming teams that compete competitively in tournaments: “League of Legends” (a multiplayer online battle arena game, MOBA for short), “Call of Duty” (a first-person shooter game) and “Rocket League” (a vehicular soccer game).

The program also has teams that play “Madden,” “Valorant,” “Rainbow Six Siege” and “Overwatch.”

The League of Legends squad is ranked 11th nationally. The Call of Duty

team recently qualified for the College Call of Duty League, where they placed second in 2019. The Rocket League team is ranked 33rd of 1,200 NCAA teams.

Ole Miss Esports will host a Campus Series event that will be open to the public. The event, March 15-16, will feature “Valorant,” “Rocket League” and “Super Smash Bros.”

John McDermott, director of the esports program, joined the staff in 2019 not only to help students develop their gaming skills, but also to also help them succeed in the classroom.

“It is my duty to help students develop,” said McDermott. “Help students get their education and give them the opportunity to go professional.”

During his time at Long Island University, McDermott

helped grow the esports program from six students to 300. McDermott has brought that same mentality to Ole Miss.

McDermott recruits players in multiple levels, like regional, national and international. The process is much different than the traditional recruiting process that football, basketball and baseball players go through.

“The national players are your ‘high level’ players,” McDermott said. “If a normal player wanted to join the team then I can help put them in the best position possible to succeed.”

Esports allows players from across the world to play the games they love, while also being able to pursue their academic goals.

In esports, there is no limit when it comes to size, strength and gender. There isn’t a grass field or court to play on. Just, in simple terms, sit and compete. Participating in esports allows students to critically think of the situation within a matter of milliseconds, but to also bond with their teammates.

Garrett Bradham, a freshman computer science major, is a player on the “Valorant” team who is a member of ECAC and plays competitively against other teams across the country.

“It’s been fun to grow relationships with new people and host events,” Bradham said. “The experience has been positive overall.”

Esports gives a student the opportunity to “try again” when it does not go as planned the first time.

Lee Holt, a senior En

glish major and a member of the “Smite” team (also a MOBA game), joined the program in 2022 due in part to her love for video games.

“I’ve always loved video games,” Holt said. “I joined the club in 2019 and tried out for the ‘Overwatch’ team, and when that didn’t really work out I waited until they made a ‘Smite’ team.

“My favorite memory was when we were in the ABL tournament (Albion Giants League) and we finished fourth place overall,” Holt said. “The competitive nature of things is fun also.”

In 2017, the program

started as an FPS (first-person shooter) student club, then became a university program in January 2019 after beating rival Mississippi State in the esports Egg Bowl.

In August 2021, alumnus Abb Payne and his wife, Jennifer, made a generous donation to the esports program for renovations for a dedicated location for students to be able to play.

“It’s nice to be able to have a place to chill and play,” Holt said.

The program looks to continue to grow and build on their recent success to eventually one day be called champions.

Ole Miss forward Jayveous McKinnis prepares to make a pass during a game against Texas A&M on Feb. 28.

JENSEN WARE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

RYAN RAY thedmsports@gmail.com

The Ole Miss Esports team competes in the Esports Egg Bowl competition in the Pavilion in October 2018.

PHOTO COURTESY: KEVIN BAIN/OLE MISS DIGITAL IMAGING SERVICES

Checking the Tape: Walker Howard

OWEN PUSTELL thedmsports@gmail.com

“Checking the tape” is a weekly series that highlights the Ole Miss football team’s offseason acquisitions. Whether it’s coaches, transfers or recruits, sports writer Owen Pustell goes in-depth and analyzes each individual. This week, Pustell takes a look at transfer quarterback Walker Howard.

Howard is a redshirt freshman quarterback from Lafayette, Louisiana. He prepped at St. Thomas More High School and was ranked as the 40th prospect nationally and the fifth overall at his position by 247Sports. He committed to LSU but entered the transfer portal after just one season with the Tigers.

Height/Weight/ Position: 6’1/195/ QB

2022 Stats: two completions for seven yards, six carries for 33 yards.

Howard has limited college film (four pass attempts and six rushes last season), but there is plenty of material to judge him on nonetheless.

His high school highlight tape is riddled with “wow” plays that justify his lofty ranking. Howard has a terrific arm, and he can make those far-hash throws that

offensive coordinators salivate over.

Additionally, Howard brings a flare to the game. He routinely makes off-platform throws, allowing him to torch defenses inside or outside of the pocket.

The aspect of Howard’s game that was best displayed last season was his athleticism. He is no Lamar Jackson, but he certainly has enough juice to pop off a third down scramble every once in a while.

He also uses this athleticism to navigate the pocket. His high school tape is chock full of Howard rhythmically stepping into space, setting his feet and delivering accurate passes.

There’s a lot to be excited about from a talent standpoint, but of course he must display that on Saturdays.

Weaknesses

The obvious drawback is Howard’s lack of experience. He was the third-string QB for the Tigers last season, but given how Jayden Daniels played, that should be no surprise.

Last season, Howard attempted only four throws (of which he completed two for seven yards) and carried the ball six times. All of his snaps came in garbage time, meaning that he has yet to play a truly meaningful amount of football in college.

That being said,

PHOTO COURTESY: DYLAN BOREL/LSU REVEILLE

LSU football quarterback Walker Howard (14) prepares to pass the ball during a Thursday, April 21, 2022, LSU spring football practice.

those numbers are not unexpected for a true freshman. Rebel fans may be nervous about young quarterbacks given the performance of Jaxson Dart last season, and those are valid concerns. It will be up to the staff, Howard and to a lesser extent the other QBs in the room to make sure that Howard can get up to speed with the college game.

Projection

Ole Miss has a three-headed snake at QB next season.

Dart returns as the starter, Spencer Sanders transfers from Oklahoma State as an experienced vet and Howard comes in as the young guy with tons of potential. Though I don’t know

who will start, I am pretty sure it won’t be Howard. He has the most potential of the group, but it’s still early in his career, and there isn’t a particularly high chance he can beat out both the vets. That being said, I believe he will be the QB with the second-highest snap count next season. His development is the most important part of Lane Kiffin’s future at Ole Miss, and making sure he can get game action is crucial.

Fun Fact

Howard’s father, Jamie, played QB at LSU from 19921995. During that time, LSU went 2-2 against Ole Miss.

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With the month of love behind us and grocery store aisles full of heart-shaped chocolates, rose bouquets and stuffed animals being replaced with the next holiday season’s decorations, it is easy to reflect on what Valentine’s Day promotes and its place in a modern age where committed romantic relationships are no longer seen as a necessity for happiness.

Despite the growing narrative of female empowerment, Valentine’s Day celebrations have a habit of making it seem like the whole world is in love and making those not in relationships feel lonely and less-than. Watching the cor-

Opinion Policies:

Is monogamy realistic?

porate push for romance each year always makes me wonder: Is monogamy realistic?

The modern world is built on religious principles, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. The three largest religions in the world, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, each promote marriage and childbearing in their teachings. These religions alone account for over 50% of the world population, meaning that marriage is seen as a natural step for anyone in a relationship to billions around the world.

Reaching a certain age without getting married is seen as taboo, even in a culture where we preach individuality and independence. This, of course, is a social construct that affects women much more than men. Unmar-

ried women are seen as “old maids” while men tend to get the title of “eligible bachelor.”

I am not denouncing marriage and lifelong commitment, but rather suggesting that it shouldn’t be expected.

In the past, life expectancy was shorter and it was more socially acceptable to have multiple wives or affairs outside of your marriage. Today, the average life expectancy in America is 77.28 years. If you get married in your 20s, as is typical in almost every state, this means you are committing to over 50 years of monogamy. While being married for half a century may seem amazing, it is important to remember that reaching this number of years is a triumph, not the norm. Around 50% of all marriages end in divorce, with the

probability of divorce going up every time someone gets remarried. Mississippi, although it boasts higher rates of religious practice than most states, has the ninth-highest divorce rate in the country. My question is this: Why do we push marriage on young people in society when we know for a fact that it only ends in happiness roughly half the time? We tend to be shocked when marriages end, but the truth is, most of them do. I think the more shocking statistic is that less than a third of Americans over the age of 15 have never been married. And why is it that so many marriages don’t work out? The answer is simple: being monogamous is not as realistic as everyone thinks. This isn’t to say that monogamy isn’t possible, but rather

that it isn’t likely in a relationship meant to last a lifetime. With a national population near 350 million, perhaps there are just too many fish in the sea.

Falling in love makes marriage and monogamy seem simple, but after 20 years, or 50 for that matter, how many people still feel the same way? People fall out of love just as easily as they fall into it, so maybe it is time that we acknowledge that while love may be beautiful, forever isn’t always as realistic as it seems. And really — if love is what we are celebrating, is it so wrong to allow ourselves to experience it more than once in a lifetime?

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

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