The Daily Mississippian March 9, 2023

YOU BE THE JUDGE: AN INSIDE LOOK AT ASB

Transparency. Tensions. Legislation. Protocol. Accomplishments. The Future.

KHARLEY REDMON

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With senate and officer elections coming up on Tuesday, March 28, The Daily Mississippian looked into the Associated Student Body to provide the university’s students with more insight into the organization.

ASB was established in 1917 “to serve selflessly and to represent justly the student body, in accordance with the University of Mississippi’s Creed, by prioritizing students’ interests and needs above personal ambition and prejudice,” according to the ASB website.

The organization is student run and consists of the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

Transparency

In The Daily Mississppian’s preliminary examination of ASB, which included website and social media analysis as well as attending all senate meetings, questions concerning transparency arose.

According to Section 101, Rule 6, Line 6.8 of the ASB Code, student opinions submitted to the student body through the senate opinion form must be read to the entire senate for members’ consideration.

This year, not a single student opinion was read, as the link to submit student opinions on the ASB website is broken.

The duty of aggregating and reading student opinions typically is that of the senate liaison, a position

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

discuss what the Ford Center meant to them and what they thought would be good goals to set going forward.”

In 2017, nearly two decades after being awarded a grant by the Ford Foundation to build the Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts, the center’s staff sought to re-evaluate their institution and its practices.

“I figured we needed to make some goals, so I put together some strategic planning that was led by Provost Noel Wilkin and Katie Busby, director of Institutional Research, Effectiveness and Planning,” said Julia Aubrey, director of the Ford Center. “We brought together about 25 people from the community and the staff on campus to really

These goals, both practical and conceptual, became outlined in a formal strategic plan in 2018, which the Ford Center has been building off ever since.

“You have to cooperate in order for something like that to come together,” Aubrey said. “It takes a lot of different people and different ideas, and you finally put it all together and create something that’s unique and something exciting.”

Above all else, these collective ideas are in service

Oxford celebrates Holi in an explosion of color

Amidst clouds of color, family, friends and even pets celebrate the festival of Holi on March 8. Holi, a Hindu celebration, originated in South Asia, but is now celebrated in many parts of the world, including Oxford.

On March 4, The Indian and Nepalese Student Association made Holi feel more like home this year for those celebrating.

“We’re trying to make this event where they don’t miss their family as much and try to build a little Ole Miss family with all the people around us,” Krishna Soni, president of the Indian Student Association, said.

Shefali Pawar, a graduate electrical engineering student, has not celebrated Holi in India with her family for four years.

“(Saturday) brought back the memories of all the fun I used to have with my family and friends back in India,” Pawar said. “I’m truly grateful and really appreciate all the work that was put in by the Nepalese Student Association and the Indian Student Association.”

The festival of Holi is not just for those who practice Hinduism. Over the past decades, Holi has been celebrated all over the world. For those who are Hindu, Holi originated from many different stories.

SK Mendoza Forrest, instructor of Religion Hinduism and the Ancient Near East, said explanations of Holi’s origins vary depending on the region, but all share a theme of good over evil, life over death or spring over winter.

“I have spent a lot of time in various areas in India,” Forrest said. “And depending on the area, and even the religion, there are various myths explaining the origins of Holi. It is a spring festival, like others around the world. Some Hindus celebrate it as the triumph of good over evil.”

One mythology Soni and Forrest mentioned was an evil king Hiranya Kashipu, who was very powerful and hated the

gods. His son Prahlad, however, worshiped Vishnu, the god of preservation. The king was furious at his disobedient son and plotted with his daughter Holika to kill Prahlad. Holika, who was immune to fire, asked her brother to enter a great fire with her, in hopes of killing him. Holika dies despite her immunity to fire, destroying the evil king’s plot.

According to Forrest, another myth addresses racial prejudice against the dark-skinned god Krishna.

“Krishna … was in love with a girl, Radha, but he fretted that she might reject him for his black skin,” Forrest said. “He finally confessed his love and he asked that she paint him whatever color she wanted. She used many colors, and that is why Holi is also celebrated by throwing colored powders and by wiping powders on faces.”

For many Hindus at the university, the closet temple is in Nashville. For those who did not want to go to the temple and celebrate, they celebrated on Saturday. The organizations handed out candles, water guns, colors and water balloons and played popular Bollywood music. Attendees were not afraid to get messy, and a dog was even doused in pink powder. The event hosted approximately 200 people.

“It starts with somebody that you love and respect. That’s the first person to apply color to,” Soni said. “So usually the elders or your parents or siblings or or even your partner. … But if they’re not there, it’s just your perspective on who to apply colors to.”

Sandip Rai, the president of the Nepalese Student Association, brought both student associations together to create a community.

“I used to get excited about Holi as a kid,” Rai said. “I remember stacking colors in my pocket and going out with my friends to color other people from different neighborhoods. It used to be very competitive back in those days.”

In an article for Time Mag-

azine, “Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors,” Abhishyant Kidangoor explains that each color has a different meaning. For example, red symbolizes love and green symbolizes fertility and new beginnings.

Along with colors and water, the event also offered Holi snacks such as samosa, lassi, pakoda and sweets.

“I mean, it’s just a celebration,” Soni said. “It’s more fun than you can say it’s cultural, because everybody comes together, everybody wants to have fun, they’re all happy, energetic, and even the music is blasting. The energy builds up from person to person and it’s very chaotic”

Holi represents new beginnings and brings in good energy for the spring season, no matter whether one practices Hinduism or not.

“You don’t have to know much about Holi,” Rai said. “If you love to have fun and bring out your inner child, this festival is for you.”

Two women throw colored powder into the air in celebration of Holi on March 4.

ASHLYNN PAYNE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

A man sprinkles colored powder onto a dog in celebration of Holi on March 4.

ASHLYNN PAYNE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

During formal senate on Tuesday, Feb. 28, the Associated Student Body passed SR 23-4, putting into place the angel shot initiative on campus and in local bars.

If someone feels unsafe in a bar, they can go up to an employee and order an “angel shot,” a code that lets the employee know the customer needs help.

There are several types of angel shots that carry different codes. An angel shot “neat” or “straight” signals that the person needs an escort to their car. An angel shot “on the rocks” means someone needs a taxi or Uber. An angel shot with a “twist” of lemon or lime means the person needs the employee to call 911 immediately.

President Pro-Tempore Anastasia Jones-Burdick, co-author of the bill alongside External Committee Chair Ben Murphy, said the initiative is a “harm reduction strategy.”

“I first heard of the initiative last year when I was still serving as the chair of the Inclusion Engagement Committee,” Jones-Burdick said. “I was immediately interested in this specific initiative’s ability to empower the community to both improve public safety and student relations with the Oxford Police Department.”

Jones-Burdick said ASB

ASB works with Oxford police to implement angel shot initiative

has collaborated with student organizations including Rally Against Sexual Assault and College Family Clinic Council to address many concerns.

Student government also worked with the Oxford Police Department for the past year to refine the initiative. Jeff McCutchen, chief of police, said OPD has held multiple meetings with Jones-Burdick and Murphy since last fall to continue their bar safety collaboration. Previously, ASB helped advertise Safe Ride and Drink Safe Coasters.

“Bar safety has been a hot topic around the country, especially in college towns like ours, and we wanted to be able to reach out and address an area that students were already thinking about,” McCutchen said.

The initiative includes spreading awareness of the angel shot code through posters approved by OPD that will be displayed around campus. Posters will also be put in alcohol-serving establishments to help train employees on how to use the code.

Jones-Burdick said with major tourist events like Double Decker and baseball season this spring, this initiative is crucial.

“OPD has expressed interest in how this will help with crowd management and keep students safe,” Jones-Burdick said.

If an individual is underaged and intoxicated, they can still use the angel shot code without fear of legal repercussion. OPD will not

charge underage individuals who are intoxicated and seeking help.

During the period of debate, one senator brought up the concern that spreading awareness of the code may be dangerous. If the perpetrator knows the code and hears someone ordering it, the situation may escalate.

Jones-Burdick said OPD will

work with local establishments to make sure they know how to react quickly in this scenario.

“So what you would be ordering is an angel shot with lime. If this code is figured out and there is a potential aggressor or perpetrator, that would just call for direct intervention and these two parties would be

separated immediately by bar management and Oxford Police Department would be contacted to respond,” Jones-Burdick said.

According to McCutchen, OPD and ASB plan to table outside the student union and at the OPD Safe Site tent on the Square to raise awareness.

Madeleine Dotson selected as Truman Scholar Finalist

Junior Arabic, economics and political science major Madeleine Dotson was named a Truman Scholar Finalist on Feb. 24. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards merit-based scholarships to students planning careers in public service. Truman scholars receive $30,000 for graduate school.

“It’s just a great feeling to not only get to represent my state, city and university but also to know that there’s some interest in my public service topic, which was about the environment and disaster response, this relationship between infrastructure implementation and being not so prepared for climate change,” Dotson said.

On March 20, Dotson will travel to Nashville to participate in a regional competition. If she is awarded the scholarship, she hopes to put the money toward furthering her education and service at the Massachusetts Institution of Technology in Cambridge.

“I want to get my master’s before a Ph.D. in economics. I want to have it specialized in either ecology economics or development economics,” Dotson said. “Both are similar: One focuses more on looking at the market in terms of the environment, whereas development (economics) is,

‘what is economic growth like from an area where you don’t have a lot of infrastructure?’ But I like approaching that more in an environmental ecological aspect, considering climate change.”

After getting her Ph.D, Dotson plans to work in the United States Agency for International Development.

“I really liked that they sort of take a multidisciplinary approach to project management and foreign aid. Eventually, I’d really love to work with the United Nations (with) international development and climate change,” she said.

Vivian Ibrahim, director of the UM Office of National Scholarship Advisement, shared kind words for Dotson.

“She’s a genuinely nice human being. She’s got her finger in lots of pots and doesn’t want to brag,” Ibrahim said. “She’s super friendly, and she’s a great community service orientated person, as well as being extremely smart.”

Hailing from the Gulf Coast, Dotson attended the Alabama School of Math and Science. She was an Azalea Trail Maid, one of 50 women chosen to represent the city of Mobile. She also worked with the Alabama Coastal Foundation on its Dauphin Island restoration project, which plants sea oats as a natural barrier against coastal erosion.

“Coming into the university, I knew it’s sort of what I

wanted to focus on. I’m looking at water scarcity and international development globally, which is sort of another aspect of what I study,” Dotson said.

She was accepted to the National Security Language Initiative for Youth in her junior year of high school and studied in Morocco. That following year, she studied in Morocco for a second time. She chose to study at the University of Mississippi because of its Arabic Language Flagship Program. She is also a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

“You get to try to understand other cultures and ways of life but you also sort of have to immerse yourself. I feel like it’s helped me mature and helps me understand different goals and aspects of life,” Dotson said.

In addition to the $30,000 granted for graduate school tuition, Truman scholars participate in leadership development activities and have opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government.

“The Truman is looking for amazing public servants, public leaders and traditionally people we think of as activists,” Ibrahim said. “The other part of a Truman is someone who realizes that there’s a hole in society, a problem, and they want to fix that problem. I think that’s what Madeleine is in terms of a Truman.”

Madeleine Dotson.

PHOTO COURTESY: BILL DABNEY VIA MADELEINE DOTSON

A bartender at The Blind Pig mixes drinks behind the bar.

FILE PHOTO: MEGAN FAYARD / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

ASB

continued from page 1

that was not filled this year.

“We did lots of outreach to try and get that position filled. And we really didn’t have anyone interested in taking on that position, so those duties have been split throughout my legislative council,” ASB Vice President Alex Nabors said.

Nabors offered an apology to students.

“That was definitely a fault of ours, something that we missed, something that we got wrong and that we needed to fix. That’s really the best that we can do as student leaders, hear about a problem and fix it as soon as we can, and I think that we’ve done that for this case,” Nabors said.

As of March 7, the link remained broken.

Sen. Mason Greenwald believes this to be a point of shame for the organization.

“The fact that the message box is not open is completely abysmal, and it’s embarrassing,” Greenwald said.

Beyond student opinions, senate meeting minutes were also not posted this year.

The primary way for the student body to learn what happened at senate meetings was through coverage provided by The Daily Mississippian and the ASB Social Media Accounts.

ASB Secretary Kaylynn Steen explained why.

The secretary position was restructured this year, which may have led to responsibilities like minutes slipping through the cracks, according to Steen.

“With the restructuring, there’s just been capacity issues with (the minutes) process, especially in getting them ready to be published and then actually getting them published,” Steen said. “I think there has been a bit of a breakdown in the process. It’s an extremely valid concern because we know that students want to be kept informed about what is going on in the senate.”

Additionally, when Steen took office there were few people in her department. She believes that more hires would make dividing up the workload easier.

“We need people that can be dedicated to those different things,” Steen said. “We obviously knew going into a new structure that there are going to be some growing pains. It’s encouraging to me that people want to see those minutes and keep up with what we have going on.”

Steen affirmed that the minutes would be released before the next administration takes office.

“As far as completing my term, we have a plan in place to get them all published before the next administration comes in. They exist, and they will be published,” Steen said.

Tensions

A deeper dive into ASB operations also revealed internal issues.

Wade Roberts, former religious/spiritual senator and chair of the Infrastructure Committee, left the organization in September. Roberts said that ASB felt like an “autocratic” work environment.

“I think there’s a well-in-

tentioned effort of trying to unite the different branches of ASB, but what it actually does is squash a lot of the creativity that comes from separate branches,” Roberts said. “Specifically from the executive branch, telling senators ‘don’t do this project’ or ‘don’t go after this policy change’ just because it didn’t fit the executive agenda.”

Projects are resolutions and bills. Resolutions can be thought of as senator or committee projects. Bills are modifications to the ASB code.

“The thing that I keep thinking of is the pronoun policy,” Roberts said.

SR 22-9, commonly referred to as the Preferred Pronoun Policy, establishes that faculty and staff are expected to use a student’s preferred name and pronouns.

Roberts claimed that the President Pro Tempore Anastasia Jones-Burdick told committee chairs in a meeting, “We don’t want to do that (the preferred pronoun policy) right now. Maybe if you want to pursue it, wait till a lot later in the year.”

The Daily Mississippian asked Hayden Pierce, former senator and chair of the Committee on Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, about Robert’s claims and the process of getting the bill passed.

Pierce said what happened in the meeting Roberts referenced was the product of internal miscommunication, not project suppression.

The legislation was introduced when both he and Jones-Burdick were new to their roles and figuring things out, Pierce said. In addition, he said he did not submit the bill to the legislative monitor far enough in advance before the Rules Committee.

According to Section 15 of the ASB Constitution, the Rules Committee is a meeting that occurs twice a semester. In this committee, upcoming legislation and legislation that has not gone into effect is discussed

Pierce also said that he submitted it to Jones-Burdick’s weekly committee survey, but that she did not communicate it to the executive council.

The Daily Mississippian reached out to Jones-Burdick for a comment, but received no response.

“Alex and I met that day before the rules meeting and she said that the legislation was good, but it would be better if I could talk to university administration about it and see how they want it written,” Pierce said.

Pierce explained that by working more closely with administration, legislation is more likely to be implemented after it is passed.

“At the end of the day, that’s what we’re going for. We’re not just trying to pass legislation,” Pierce said. “I told everyone that we wanted to fail that resolution at the time so we could go back and rework on it.”

Although Pierce said there was an explanation behind delaying the pronoun policy, he did say some other projects were stifled.

“(Higher ups would say) we shouldn’t really be doing that, we shouldn’t be focusing our time on that, or that’s not something that we can do when in reality it’s something we could and

should be doing,” Pierce said. “I don’t think there was any malintent, but at the same time, it just was hard to do what you wanted to do and make the changes that senators wanted to make.”

When asked about project suppression, Nabors said legislation is not being stifled, it is being reframed.

“We do have committees and departments that work on specific things,” Nabors said. “If you’re on the Government Operations Committee, it’s not to say that you can’t work on a piece of legislation that has to do with Student Life. It’s more so that you need to be working with the Student Life Committee, because that is under their jurisdiction.”

Liberal Arts Senator and Chair of Student Life Taylor Kelly said she didn’t experience issues getting projects off the ground.

“(The executive branch and pro tempore) give opinions about what they think would be best projectwise and legislatively. I have not personally experienced anything being shut down without any reasoning behind it,” Kelly said.

A Focus on Protocol

In addition to the work environment, Roberts cited a higher focus on protocol as something constricting ASB senate this year.

“(Something) that was kind of new to the leadership this year that we hadn’t done in the past was a really high emphasis on protocol,” Roberts said. “Which is understandable to an extent, but they got so strict on protocol that if we didn’t cc them on an email they would chew people out.”

ASB president Lila Osman offered an explanation for this increased attention to protocol.

“In the past, there have been programs and initiatives that nobody knew about,” Osman said. “Then the week of (the program or initiative) there was no communication or (social media) post about it because nobody else knew about it other than the person directly working on it.”

Nabors said a greater focus on communication is crucial to the swift execution of projects.

“What I didn’t realize until I was a committee chair was how important that one cc to the right person can be, because it can take a project that would have taken a couple months only hours,” Nabors said.

While Roberts left ASB earlier in the semester, Pierce stayed throughout the semester before leaving to study abroad. He said that as they got more famil-

ASB President Lila Osman.

ASHYLNN PAYNE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

ASB Vice President Alex Nabors.

ASHYLNN PAYNE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

ASB Secretary Kaylynn Steen.

iar with the roles, it got better.

“Everyone’s kind of on the same page as it goes on,” Pierce said.

Legislation

Senators also offered their perspectives on the type of legislation that was passed.

Roberts, Greenwald and Pierce all noted there has been a lack of debate in the senate and talked about how it has changed internal opinions about ASB.

“There were some big debates last year. We debated when Mississippi passed all of its reforms on critical race theory, and we passed a statement for the state government in conjunction with other universities,” Roberts said. “This year just seemed very much like the senate was boiled down to like cc’ing them on emails and writing memos.”

Roberts is referencing SR 22-3 which condemned the passing of Mississippi Senate Bill 2113 which is a piece of anti-critical race theory legislation.

Pierce, too, missed debates but offered a different perspective on how they help to drum up discussion.

Pierce was an author of Senate Resolution 22-10 which supports the establishment of a post-secondary education program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Pierce thinks that a lack of debate surrounding the resolution stopped senators from getting excited about it and sharing it with other people.

“Even if it’s written well or a good idea, it’s important to have people say why it’s a good idea and say that they’ll go tell other people about it,” Pierce said.

Greenwald offered his perspective.

“The last couple of years it’s been a lot of code revisions and more tedious things that needed to be done,” Greenwald said. “A lack of hot button issues causes senators to feel that they are not really arguing for anything and they’re more so procedurally approving legislation that is beneficial.”

Kelly believes the code revisions passed by ASB this year improved campus inclusivity.

Kelly spoke about revisions like SB 23-1 which clarifies the roles of Homecoming King and Queen.

“The code revisions make Ole Miss more inclusive, be-

cause there’s a lot of things that are in there that the average student may not know about, specifically whenever you’re going for positions such as homecoming queen or Mr. and Mrs. Ole Miss,” Kelly said.

Nabors echoed Kelly’s sentiments.

“I am really proud of the code changes that we’ve gone through,” Nabors said. “I know a lot of times senators and even people on the outside might think that those code changes are insignificant, but they’re going to have a major impact on the years to come for ASB elections, various roles and branches and the entire organization.”

Inclusivity

Many senators acknowledged that ASB has a reputation for being an exclusive group.

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are really swamped and hold five leadership positions on campus. That’s not really fair to have that power,” Greenwald said.

Osman also acknowledged the need for more diversity in ASB.

“I do think that it’s understandable that people have that perception because when you do see people coming from the same groups serving it’s kind of like, okay, this is consistent,” Osman said. “That’s something that we’ve talked a lot about, making sure we’re representative, making sure that the senate is representative.”

Nabors gave a possible explanation for why this in-group formed and proposed a solution.

“There are a lot of public policy leadership majors, there are a lot of honors college students,” Nabors said. “If the people who keep running are PPL majors in the honors college and the people who keep voting them in keep voting them in, that’s who’s going to make up your senate. I

said. “So when we do have our elections, it’s not like a random email trying to get people to run, but they feel like there’s a trust within ASB and we actually want to hear your voice and we want your voice represented.”

Accomplishments

Nabors emphasized that members of ASB and the executive committee are young college students and perfect work should not be expected.

“I’m 22 years old. In college, we’re not going to be doing these roles perfectly. I’m managing 65 people,” Nabors said. “I don’t know what other 22-year-old is doing that.”

Many of the senators interviewed recognize this. Pierce said that Nabors, Osman and Ryan served as guiding role models throughout the year.

“They always helped me to bounce ideas off of them, gave me advice and connected me with people.” Pierce said. “Alex Nabors had a ton of great ideas she gathered from faculty and all over. She sourced them and gave them to us.”

Despite the challenges, seven resolutions and eight bills have been passed this year in the senate.

they partner with different student organizations or if they do large scale events,” Osman said. According to an Instagram post from the organization, ASB, “approved approximately $100,250.76 worth of SAF funds.”

The Future

Nabors believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on student organizations on campus, including ASB.

“COVID dampened every organization’s enthusiasm, increased burnout, mental health issues, stress and anxiety. I think these really took a hit on the involvement culture,” Nabors said. “But I think we’re on the pendulum swinging back. I think that we’re headed back to a place where involvement is a huge part of this campus and people are excited to go to these events and participate.”

Nabors is optimistic that the upcoming elections will be more competitive as the university recovers from the pandemic.

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asked 12 random students on campus what they know about ASB and half of them had little to no knowledge of the organization and its actions.

“There’s this outside perspective that ASB is this in-group of people in the honors college that are ambassadors and serving a number of things — it’s these high achieving students. And from the outside, it may seem like a lot of these selection processes are closed off to the public,” Greenwald said.

Greenwald talked about a problem of over-involvement.

“We need a diversity of involvement. I think we need more students to hold fewer positions. I think a lot of students

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would challenge the people who have those complaints about the makeup of the senate to run.”

Attorney General Maddy Ryan talked about how ASB has been fundraising to help alleviate campaign costs for candidates..

“If we’re trying to get all voices, there are people who do not even consider being in the executive office because of the financial cost of running a campaign,” Ryan said.

Ryan has also spent this semester trying to increase election awareness.

“I encourage my department, and in my own actions, to just show up to Registered Student Organizations, events and try to be present on campus,” Ryan

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In late January, the organization passed the Prefered Pronoun Policy that requests professors use the preferred pronouns of their students. The policy was brought about after a student informed the bill’s main author, Equity and Advocacy Organizations Sen. Caleb Ball, that their professor intentionally ignored and misused their pronouns. Both the student and professor were granted anonymity by ASB.

On March 2, the senate passed a resolution supporting the Angel Shot Initiative, a campaign against sexual assault that encourages anyone who feels unsafe at a bar to go to the bartender and order an “angel shot.” The bartender would then take action to ensure that person’s safety throughout the night or get them out of the bar.

Osman pointed to the increased funds ASB can distribute to student organizations thanks to the increase to the student activity fee.

“The treasurer’s department has received much more money due to the SAF. So we’ve been able to fund a lot of different student organizations and give them a lot more money if

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“I’m hopeful that these (officer elections) are going to be a lot more competitive and contentious than they have in the past. For my grade, if you look at the number of qualified candidates that were juniors that spring during my election season, there were not that many qualified candidates that could even run for those positions,” Nabors said. “Because of that Zoom-COVID year, people just didn’t want to stay in ASB, so there were very few people qualified by the code to run for those positions. That’s why you see two juniors now in executive positions. Typically, you see a majority senior executive council.”

Greenwald also thinks this year’s elections will be more competitive than years past because there are more qualified candidates.

“I don’t think there’s a clearcut person that’s a shoo-in for president this year,” Greenwald said. “I think we’ll see a lot more people running for those big executive positions.”

Osman also emphasized the importance of putting the students first in student government.

“You’re not in this role to serve yourself. You’re in this role to serve the student body,” Osman said. “And that’s what I think makes somebody one of the right people to do this job because you can’t do this job selfishly.”

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I think there’s a well-intentioned effort of trying to unite the different branches of ASB, but what it actually does is squash a lot of the creativity that comes from separate branches, ”

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Culture

Michael B. Jordan comes out swinging with latest Creed installment

Eight years ago, Ryan Coogler’s “Creed” took the world by storm. Many considered the film to be wildly entertaining and full of heart, while also being worthy of the legacy of the “Rocky” franchise.

Two sequels later, the franchise doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In fact, thanks to first time director Michael B. Jordan, it may have reached its peak.

“Creed III” is yet another successful entry to the franchise that expertly builds on the titular character in predictable, but ultimately satisfying new ways, trading in the Rocky Balboa story for a Creed-centric tale.

Michael B. Jordan turns in yet another astounding performance as Adonis Creed. His maturity as a performer is exemplified through Creed’s growth as a character — he maintains his status as one of the most promising actors of this generation.

His talent in front of the camera is overshadowed only by his skill behind the camera.

“Creed III” is a massively impressive directorial debut for Jordan, breathing new life into the franchise with a unique approach to action and character.

While sometimes distracting and a bit hamfisted, the innovation within the boxing sequences is admirable to say the least, culminating in a predictable, but emotionally resonant final act.

Jonathan Majors also brings great intensity to the film with an astounding antagonistic presence. Much like Jordan, he further proves himself to be a powerful performer, with a sympathetic yet consistently intimidating performance, forcing the audience to question their own morality.

While this is far from the first film within the Rocky franchise to have a layered antagonist, I believe that Major’s Damian Anderson is one of the best in the bunch.

“Creed III” is more than worthy of its namesake. It lives up to the original 2015 film in nearly every way and rivals even the best of the Rocky films.

Jordan and his team un-

derstand what makes this franchise special. The endless montages and pulsating musical cues are present as usual, but this film has no qualms with

digging a bit deeper into the themes of endurance and heart in the face of adversity: the core of these films since 1976. Whether inside or out-

side of the ring, “Creed III” packs a punch. “Creed III” is playing in theaters nationwide.

Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed in “Creed III.”

PHOTO COURTESY: MGM VIA AP

of increasing awareness and appreciation for the arts and academia, in honor of the organization’s namesake.

While various objectives remain on the horizon, one can see many of these initial ideas coalescing in the Ford Center’s now-20th season, headlined by the starstudded “20th Anniversary Gala,” taking place March 25.

At the inaugural gala in 2003, Aubrey directed opera students during a segment in the wide-ranging event. Now, she directs the event itself and has served in her current position since 2016.

“Many things I did before as a director and performer lent itself to this kind of position, and I have certainly learned a lot over the last seven years,” Aubrey said.

Serving as director of the Ford Center, or in any Ford Center position, remains a constant learning experience for Aubrey and the surrounding staff, with each event requiring its own unique playbook.

“We have about 15-20 touring shows each year, a lot of which I book up to two years in advance. So that’s a whole set of responsibilities because each one requires different things regarding accessibility, hospitality, lodging,” Aubrey said. “It’s a huge undertaking and takes a lot of coordination from the Ford Center staff.”

While every season is buoyed by touring shows as part of the “Ford Series,” ranging from special guest artists to musical acts, the rest of the calendar is supplemented with series events, all led by separate committees.

These series’ range from the “Artist’s Series,” which recently welcomed the likes of dance group Step Afrika! and musical quintet Canadian Brass, to the “Family Friendly” series, which offers

unique artistic opportunities to children of all ages.

“Through these various series, we aim for a lot of variety and diversity in what we program yearround,” Aubrey said.

What will the community like? What will students like? What has not been done before? These are a few of the questions that the various committees ponder in selecting upcoming acts.

This daily decisionmaking also extends to the organization’s marketing, led by Kate Meacham.

“Every year we start with our season brochure that goes out in the summer, with everything we’re planning for August to May … all of the touring shows,” Meacham said. “Once that has been taken care of, we then move to promoting each individual event.”

In her now-15 years with the Ford Center, Meacham noted how these practices have both evolved and remained the same over time.

“Everything changes so fast,” Meacham said. “We just try to find as many different ways to connect to people that are interested as we can.”

Connection, in all senses of the phrase, remains the true currency that keeps audiences coming back.

“We try to offer a pleasing, welcoming environment,” Aubrey said. “Because it’s also a social event, not just an artistic event.”

This sense of community can largely be attributed to the front of house staff and volunteers, led by Michelle Cook. In addition to the employees, the Ford Center welcomes dozens of volunteers, ranging from former University of Mississippi staff/contributors to current students, bridging generations in a way Gertrude C. Ford would have endorsed.

“The Ford Center has allowed me to connect my appreciation for the fine

arts with my desire to serve the Oxford community,” Reagan Allen, a freshman International Studies and Chinese major and frequent Ford Center volunteer, said. Through connecting with university students, the Ford Center has also opened space for Ole Miss organizations to utilize the Main Hall and adjacent Studio Theatre, resulting in weekly events that generate consistent audiences. While the goals of the Ford Center continue to evolve, the founding mission remains intact, enriching the education and cultural lives of practically everyone who passes through.

“I began volunteering with the Ford Center to meet a community service requirement, but it’s become more than that for me,” Samantha Case, a sophomore history major and Ford Center volunteer, said. “I’ve met and made connections with some people who also volunteer, and I also love being a smiling face and welcoming the public into events. You never know what someone might be going through, so … that could just be what someone needs to get through the day.”

The Ford Center operates year-round. Information and tickets for upcoming

events, including the “20th Anniversary Gala” can be found on the center’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 Present” is the second part of a threepart series covering the past, present and future of the Gertrude C. Ford Center. This series will continue in a later edition of The Daily Mississippian.

Julia Aubrey, director of the Ford Center for the Performing Arts and associate professor of music.

PHOTO C0URTESY: JULIA AUBREY

Democrat and Republican club presidents breathe new life into campus political orgs

Semester after semester, UM’s opposing political organizations — College Democrats and College Republicans — have been mostly void of members with little presence on the Ole Miss campus. Recently, however, these groups have gained relevance among the student body.

This new wave of cultural campus significance can be attributed to the organizations’ new leadership. For College Democrats, that leader is President Ethan Robertson.

Robertson hails from Pontotoc, Miss., a town particularly influenced by conservative ideology. This right-leaning environment easily had an influence on Robertson for most of his youth, but a series of political happenings during his later teen years influenced his personal doctrine toward a more liberal view.

“I definitely think all the stuff that happened with COVID-19 sort of broadened my (liberal mindset),” Robertson said.

The Black Lives Matter movement and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., also held a huge influence on Robertson’s path to becoming a Democrat.

“Of course, I’d already been leaning on over to the moderate side before that, and then when all of that happened, I decided to switch over to being a Democrat,” Robertson said.

Because of the conservative climate of his home town, Robertson revealed that he experienced some backlash from the community.

“Whenever people found out, I went from being student body president and Mr. North Pontotoc to really having no friends simply because a friend found out I was a Democrat and spread the word to everybody,” Robertson said.

This experience still affects Robertson, but he said that coming to a more politically diverse and accepting environment has acted as a Band-Aid to those cultural wounds. Part of that healing process included joining the University of Mississippi College Democrats, a club that on his first visit included only about five individuals yelling “present” at roll call.

His group debut happened to be on the same day as club executive elections. Robertson would go on to become the vice president from that round of voting. Over the following Christmas break, the then-president reached out to him and said she would be traveling abroad the following semester, meaning that Robertson would become the active president of College Democrats — as a freshman.

During his appointed

time as the group’s leader, there has been a sharp spike in attendance. Robertson acknowledged that the route to this accomplishment was one of determination.

“We don’t really have outreach material. We don’t have any tablecloths, signs — nothing like that,” Robertson said.

“In the past, it would just be me going to Dollar General, staying up all night painting on like a little $1 tablecloth with our little donkey on it to get people to come.”

Under Robertson’s lead, College Democrats have made waves not only around UM but also in the Oxford community. Just last month, the club teamed with other groups to hold a rally supporting the protection of trans youth.

It is community involvement like this that has sparked compliments from College Republicans President Colton Jones.

“They’re getting really involved in the community. They’ve been involved in several events I’ve seen,” Jones said. “I think that means so much because it’s always important to remember there is no University of Mississippi without Oxford.”

Similar to Robertson, Jones saw limited involvement when he arrived at his respective club’s initial meetings. The Prentiss, Miss., native was also appointed to one of his first positions.

“The chairman at the time messaged me (and asked) if I would come in as secretary because, I think, someone had left the position. I wasn’t expecting it, but I took it on, and we’ve been trying to build everything up since then,” Jones said.

In April 2022, Jones was voted president of College Republicans. Since then, the

organization has seen a noteworthy increase in student interaction with the organization. Jones estimates a total of 20 active members and hopes to expand these numbers.

“One of my focal points would be trying to establish a good alumni base. There’s been several times that College Republicans have kind of gone down, and I want us to get to a point where we don’t really go down again,” Jones said. “We want to make sure there’s longevity and that we’re doing everything right.”

Among his other goals for College Republicans is to form a deeper understanding of political discourse and create connections with similar-minded individuals, whether that be elected officials or fellow students.

The group is undertaking revision and enforcement of the club’s constitution. According to Jones, the book of bylaws has been updated since 2019.

One way new members have been enticed to join the organization is through guest speakers. Most recently, U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, Transportation Commissioner John Caldwell and state Sen. Chris McDaniel were guests at the College Republicans’ meetings.

Both presidents seem to respect each other’s organization.

Jones admires the way College Democrats expands their horizons to the Oxford community. Robertson applauds the College Republicans’ success with influential guest speakers at meetings.

Although Jones and Robertson likely disagree on a lengthy amount of policy-related topics, they share two threads: the desire for new active members within their respective organizations and acceptance that they can learn something from each other despite their differences.

GRAPHIC: SAVANNAH SHOOK / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Running 70 miles, participating in school leadership roles and being on the road for five days is just another week for Loral Winn during the track and field season.

Winn is from Dresden, a small town in northwest Tennessee with a population of just over 3,000 people.

Growing up, Winn hadn’t always dreamed of getting into running. She actually wanted to be a collegiate gymnast, but it wasn’t until she broke her arm doing gymnastics that she turned to running.

As a youngster, Winn competed in different sports camps. During one called Pitch, Hit & Run, she decided to pursue cross-country.

Pitch, Hit & Run provides competitors an opportunity to showcase their baseball or softball skills.

Winn was timed running around the bases by a cross-country coach.

“I guess I ran pretty fast,” Winn said. “And he (the cross-country coach) was like, ‘You need to be a part of my cross-country team.’ So I started running the summer before I was in fifth grade and I’ve been going ever since.”

Winn’s family grew up playing, watching and breathing sports.

Her brother, Dresser, was a quarterback for UT-Martin from 2018-2022. In his last season with the Skyhawks, he threw for 2,904 yards at a 61% completion percentage and 18 touchdowns.

Winn attended Dresden High School and was a star cross-country and track ath-

Loral Winn: striving to be the best on and off the track

lete, earning eight varsity letters. She won All-State Cross Country in 2017 and 2018 and was named Jackson Sun newspaper’s All-West Tennessee Female Athlete of the Year.

Because of her high school accomplishments, she received recruiting calls from teams all over the country, but the majority were from the SEC.

Winn fell in love with campus because of the people, including her coach, in Oxford.

“I’m from such a small town. Oxford is small, but it feels big and so that kind of drew me here immediately,” she said.

In addition to competing in cross-country and track in high school, Winn was the vice president and the salutatorian of her graduating class.

“My whole life, I’ve just wanted to be the best at everything I do,” Winn said. “And so that competitiveness carries over into everything I do. Like in school, I want to be the best. In running, I want to be the best. In extracurriculars, I want to be the absolute best. So I have a hard time sometimes saying no.”

Winn enjoys having a busy schedule and doesn’t know what she would do if she had a lot of free time.

“I’m a student and I’m an athlete, but I’m involved in leadership roles across campus, and so I have to juggle that too,” Winn said. “But I enjoy doing that stuff. I tell people, like, I wouldn’t really know what I would do if I wasn’t busy.”

Winn majors in journalism, but she says that it’s something she didn’t expect to pursue until she was asked to share testimony at her church.

“I knew that I loved communicating. I knew I could

write and so I was just trying to figure out a way to combine all my passions, and I guess, some talent, if it was there.”

Winn hopes to be on the broadcasting side of journalism, but it’s not necessarily because she wants to be seen on camera.

She loves using her voice to interact and communicate with people.

“It’s not because I want to be seen,” Winn said. “I just think that’s what comes with the territory, quite frankly. I just love the spoken part of it and being able to communicate with people and interact that way.”

She wants to be involved with anything sports-related

in journalism and to be able to anchor to tell stories, not just be on the sidelines. But even if it’s not as a broadcaster, Winn wants to be around college athletics for the rest of her life.

Winn isn’t just any member on the Ole Miss track team; she’s one of the best athletes on the team.

She holds the Ole Miss all-time record in women’s indoor distance medley relay, finishing at a 10:56.39 mark, and in women’s indoor 1000 meters, finishing at a mark of 2:43.85-o.

“It’s really cool and a hard thing to do,” she said about holding a few school records.

“But to be among some people who’ve been really, real -

Checking the Tape: Tre Harris

At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, he has the required height and weight to get physical with SEC cornerbacks.

“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 wide receiver Tre Harris.

Height/Weight/Position: 6’2/205/WR

2022 Stats: 62 catches, 935 yards and 10 TDs

Strengths

Harris is a true “X” receiver.

Expect him to be split toward the boundary on just about every snap this season. From that spot, he is able to produce. He runs crisp short routes that open up the quick game, can make plays vertically on jump balls and even has an extra gear after the catch.

One thing that stood out on tape was his handwork. Harris showed concentration in contested situations while also making those pop plays that have defensive backs watching the scoreboard for a replay.

A smaller piece I like about Harris is how he carries himself. While playing against

Rice, a teammate of his scored his first career touchdown and Harris went bonkers celebrating. He met him in the end-zone, gave him about three smacks on the helmet while bouncing up and down, then happily jumped away yelling in excitement. This is the sort of high character stuff and enthusiasm you want to see on the field.

Weaknesses

For box score watchers, Harris may be a little underwhelming. Yes, he averaged nearly 80 yards per game, but in his two matchups against power-five opponents he recorded just 56 yards (versus Clemson) and

37 yards (versus Missouri). I would recommend not reading into this too much.

Projection

You could make the case that Harris is the most important non-QB player for the Rebels next year. He enters as the only receiver on the roster with serious starting experience, is the team’s leading returning receiver and doubled the TD production of any other WR last season.

If the Rebels want to have a serious offense, they are going to need someone on the boundary to get open consistently. Harris can be that guy.

He will slide in as the “X” receiver on day one,

ly great at Ole Miss, because we’ve had some really great athletes, it’s just an honor and a blessing for sure.”

Whether it’s in the classroom or on the track, Winn strives to be the best in everything she takes part in, and she hopes to create a positive impact on people’s lives in the years to come.

“I just want to impact people and hopefully make a difference in the world,” Winn said. “I’m just one person. But I hope that when I interact with people and the things that I say in the way that I act and carry myself, I hope that that is impressionable to people in a positive way.”

and unless fellow transfer receiver Chris Marshall takes a massive step in improvement, Harris will start.

Assuming he remains healthy, I would expect Harris to pick up 900-1,000 yards and six TDs. The Rebels probably will run the ball a fair amount, but with just one proven back, they will be forced to air it out a little more than last season.

I think Harris and tight end Caden Prieskorn will be the top two targets. However, the Rebels like using their tight ends in the red zone, so expect most of the TDs to come from Michael Trigg and Prieskorn. Fun Fact

Tre’s birth name is “Cleveland.”

Loral Winn lifts weight at a squat rack in the gym at the Gillom Center on Feb. 28.

HG BIGGS / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

Ole Miss beats Southern Miss 11-5, wins fifth-straight game

thedmsports@gmail.com

The No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels (11-2) defeated No. 22 Southern Miss (8-4) on Tuesday night 11-5 to win their fifth-straight game.

Right-handed pitcher JT Quinn got the start for Ole Miss. He was a little shaky in the first inning but eventually found his rhythm.

Through four innings, Quinn allowed three hits, one (unearned) run, two walks and had one strikeout.

The Rebels got on the board in the second inning thanks to a leadoff home run by first baseman Anthony Calarco that ignited the showers in the outfield. A few minutes later, second baseman Peyton Chatagnier hit a home run over the left field wall to give Ole Miss an early 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Ole Miss scored four runs and took a commanding 7-1 lead. Third baseman Ethan Lege, center fielder Ethan Groff and catcher Calvin Harris each contributed with RBIs.

This game seemed all

but over until trouble ensued in the sixth inning.

Southern Miss scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning and cut what was once a seven-run Ole Miss lead down to three.

But the Rebels played spoiler makers and Calarco produced an RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth inning to add a bit more cushion to their lead.

The big change in the game came when freshman right-handed relief pitcher Sam Tookoian entered the game in the top of the seventh inning.

Tookoian pitched lightsout, striking out two batters in two hitless innings.

“Just good stuff,” head coach Mike Bianco said about Tookoian’s performance after the game. “Continues to get better. … Several times where he’s come on the field where your hope is, ‘You’re not going to stick that freshman in that situation too many times.’ But time after time, he gets in there and gets us off.”

The Rebels Ole Miss scored 11 runs, making it their eighth game

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scoring double-digit runs this season. The offense shows up big game after game and propels the team to these big victories.

But it’s not one guy carrying the offense. It’s coming from every person in the lineup.

“We’re swinging it really well,” Bianco said about how well the offense has performed this season. “And it’s coming from different people. Three home runs tonight and Calarco continues to swing a hot bat, and (TJ) McCants is swinging it well and Chatagnier’s hitting near .400.”

Calarco and Harris led the way for the Ole Miss offense in the win against Southern Miss.

Harris went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk while Calarco hit 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a home run and a walk.

The Rebels advance to 11-2 on the season and come up with a big victory against a top 25 opponent.

Ole Miss will play Purdue this weekend for a three-game series at Swayze Field. Game 1 is on Friday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. CST on SEC Network+.

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63- Actress Merrill;

64- Apple variety;

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DOWN

1- Fleur-de-___;

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AIDAN GALLARDO

Ethan Lege and Jacob Gonzalez collide as Gonzalez catches a pop fly during a game against Southern Miss on March 7.

ASHLYNN PAYNE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN

OPINION Angel shot initiative: a god-send or misfire?

JUSTICE ROSE

thedmopinion@gmail.com

As you anxiously order an “angel shot on the rocks,” a flag shoots off in a potential assaulter’s head. They make a break for the exit and quickly become lost amongst other unassuming bar-goers. With hardly a sweat broken, they live to scheme again.

This past week, an angel shot initiative was passed in the Associated Student Body’s senate session. The legislation plans to spread awareness of codes that could help students in danger. The different codes can signify the need for a watchful escort, a ride home or even a call for emergency services.

This indeed makes the Square, and by association, the university, a safer place. Admittedly, I haven’t been put in a situation to need an angel shot, but too many others have.

With this initiative, the secret verbiage becomes more familiar and common. Bartenders aren’t the only ones you can tell you need an angel shot — you could tell a mutual friend and be understood quickly. You could whisper the words of distress to

another bar attendee in which you have unfounded faith to help you out. You could directly tell the security in the bar, and likely have the situation dealt with.

That familiarity could be a major disadvantage, though. When under-the-table things

like this become well known, they are served on a silver platter for the wrong individuals to take advantage of. Assuredly, somebody will be let off the hook due to their knowledge of this language.

It’s a wicked dilemma, truthfully.

Are we not supposed to create and share resources like this? I think this certainly was considered during senate proceedings, but the decision was made that more people would be helped than hurt. More crimes would be prevented rath-

er than investigated afterward.

Shady behavior in a bar would have a shiny-new deterrent.

Concern rises for the coming years when the angel shot codes become too well known. A call for help might turn into a bullseye.

Will angel shot codes be changed periodically? They probably should be to prevent the aforementioned hypotheticals. But then we have to ask ourselves, will these drunk college students remember what weird drink order that poster in their dorm hall told them to say when they’re in trouble? There lies the argument for lasting simplicity and uniformity.

Above all, this is a respectable move by ASB to increase awareness and safety. Preventative behavioral methods have been preached so people can protect themselves, but often it’s too late for all that. Students may learn conduct expectations at orientation, and they may be raised to be decent human beings. Still, you clearly can’t expect every member of the community to be innocent in their intentions.

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

Ambition rooted in opportunity

BRE’ANNA COLEMAN

Many students on the campus of Ole Miss come from an enriching background that fuels their goals and ambitions in each classroom. Public policy leadership and integrated marketing communications major Kelly Li is a first-generation college student from Hattiesburg, Miss.

Her parents immigrated from China to the U.S. in the 1980s and 1990s. They entered America with the typical American dream as the U.S. presented

them with many opportunities: come here, work hard, set a trend for their children and eventually collect the fruits of their labor.

“There is a lot of misconception of China being smart and being technologically advanced but that doesn’t account for the rural era,” Li said.

About 850 million people, or approximately one-ninth of the world’s population, are located in rural China. Like Li said, it’s easy to overlook this fact. But why? From a world view, China is rightfully seen as a superpower. Not all strong nations are cre-

39484

ated equal, though. China’s reputation is bolstered by its booming industry and exponential growth, but the nation is built on the back of traditional workers.

Li sees her parents as motivation because of their tenacity and ambition. They entered the U.S. speaking broken English and struggled. Things slowly but consistently changed for the family. Now, they are entrepreneurs, owning and operating a successful restaurant and a bar in a college town. Their business is solely run by the two of them and has very close-knit family values. Talk about a mom-and-pop shop. Excruciatingly long days at work saw her mother working in front of a burning stove top and serving customers. Despite this, Li’s mother still managed to cook three meals, three times a day. As a family, they valued fellowship and always ate together. Dinner table banter served as a genuine distraction from the realities they faced. No matter what, this family of four could always count on each other for a laugh and a break from the work that came to define them.

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The family business was a significant part of Li’s childhood, which she described as rather unconventional. Li and her brother were raised in the restaurant business. That unexpectedly nurturing environment shaped and molded Li to her purpose and built her work ethic.

“I believe that everyone has a story and struggle. My parents don’t realize how amazing they are. My mom raised me with the mentality of growing and doing more.” Li said

Li disagrees with the sentiment that students are encouraged to leave Mississippi instead of staying to help. During her time in Hattiesburg, she attended public schools and noticed firsthand how unfair the school system was. She saw the work that needed to be done.

PASS 3.792 x 4

The brain-drain phenomena she detests has ravaged Mississippi in the past decade, with nearly 50% of Mississippi college graduates choosing to leave within three years of graduation.

Undoubtedly, the grass is greener. The world of opportunities is by no means bound within the Mississippi borders.

But, who will be the ones to nurture the ground from which they grew?

Even though all problems cannot be solved at the same time, steps can be taken to work towards seeing change and promoting a better life for future generations.

“It takes steps today to get closer to a solution in the future,” Li said.

For many students, the struggles they have endured are the root of their inspiration. Whether it is from their parents, hometown disadvantages, old friendships or other experiences, it fuels their drive to become change. For some, the authenticity in their story fuels their desire to be what others need.

“You didn’t come from where the students around you came from,” Li said.

And for many students, that is their fuel to make changes that some are too scared to even hope for.

Bre’Anna Coleman is a sophomore political science major from Drew, Miss.

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.

GRAPHIC: SEDLEY NORMAND / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN