Rebels With a Cause

THE WILLIAM MAGEE CENTER AIMS TO DISRUPT THE STEREOTYPICAL COLLEGE CULTURE BY ENCOURAGING WELLNESS ON THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI CAMPUS.

WRITTEN BY MICHAELA MORRIS | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

The University of Mississippi is harboring its own cultural insurgency. Its mission is to push back against the conflicting myths and attitudes that college life is an endless party, study sessions are pizza-fueled all-nighters, good grades are effortless and bodies are perfect.

“We want to disrupt the culture,” said Erin Cromeans, assistant director of the William Magee Center.

To do that, the Magee Center has enlisted partners across campus to give students tools to navigate the challenges of college life and adulthood in healthy ways. It serves as the home for the Collegiate Recovery Community and a new eating disorder program.

“We are bookends for Student Health Center and the Student Counseling Center,” said Jazmine Kelley, who coordinates programming for the center.

The center coordinates prevention and wellness programs to connect students with knowledge, resources and strategies,

not lectures. The center has offered laundry tutorials, handed out cup condoms to protect drinks from being spiked, hosted guided meditation, and served up cooking demonstrations.

A week after in-person classes began in spring 2021, the center hosted a Painting with Wellness event in the Grove. Students and staff came together and had a Bob Ross-style guided painting session.

“It was like a breath of fresh air,” said Sierra Elston, who coordinates student services for the center.

The collaboration can be contagious. A cooking competition brought together the equestrian team, the hockey club, the Panhellenic Council, the student veterans association and the LGBTQ+ organization, Kelley said. Now, two of those groups are collaborating on a different program.

“They may not have crossed paths without the Magee Center,” Kelley said.

The College Recovery Community hosts traditional peer support meetings to help students grow in their sobriety as well as events open to anyone who is interested. The center is also growing its CRC Alliance, which is open to staff, faculty and the community.

“They can be in recovery or just want to support students,” said Kyle Loggins, certified prevention specialist with the center who coordinates the recovery community programs. “We would like to create natural mentorships.”

The center is named after William Magee, an alum who excelled in academics and track and field but struggled with addiction. He graduated with honors but died from an overdose. Inspired by Magee’s struggle and his family’s advocacy, the university has created the center to prevent substance abuse and foster student wellness. A newly announced William Magee Institute will house the center and other programs and research efforts that stretch beyond campus.

The Ole Miss wellness journey goes back more than a decade. It started with education on alcohol and other drugs and has expanded into a holistic model. The Magee Center opened its doors in September 2019.

Painting in the Grove and cooking demonstrations may seem unrelated to addressing alcohol and drug addiction, but they both exist within the wellness spectrum.

Wellness encompasses mind, body and spirit, said Natasha Jeter, assistant vice chancellor for wellness and student WELLNESS EDUCATION: The center collaborates with partners on campus to offer classroom programs, workshops and events. DIGITAL PREVENTION PROGRAM: All first-year students complete online training programs to help them prepare for difficult decisions involving alcohol abuse, sexual assault and diversity, equity and inclusion. DISRUPT THE CULTURE: Four-part series aimed to change the campus culture in a healthy and holistic way and address substance abuse. Includes speaker series, hot topic sessions, listening series and workshops for student organizations. WELL CHATS: One-on-one visits with Magee Center staff to explore wellness; often a starting point to learn more about a specific topic. Many students have used the chats to seek ways to help friends who are struggling. REBELADE: A student-centered, educational program focused on reducing the harm related to substance use. Individualized

Magee Center Initiatives

plans are created for each student involved. IN THE KITCHEN: Series that highlights healthy recipes that are easy on the wallet and friendly enough to make in a residence hall. New recipes shared every two weeks. TOBACCO CESSATION: The center offers resources to help people quit using tobacco products (vaping, smoking or dipping). EATING DISORDER PROGRAM: In partnership with University Counseling Center and Student Health Services, the center offers support for those struggling with eating disorders. The program offers individualized services for those engaged with the treatment team and education for the larger campus community. COLLEGIATE RECOVERY: Founded in 2010, the Collegiate Recovery Community is designed to help students in recovery from addiction achieve their academic goals. Find out more at magee-center.olemiss.edu

The Magee Center coordinates programs around campus that promote a college culture centered on wellness. Programming ranges from painting workshops and cooking classes to individualized counseling on substance abuse and eating disorders. success. The Magee Center focuses its efforts across 10 dimensions of wellness, covering the physical, emotional, environmental, cultural, social, interpersonal, intellectual, financial, spiritual and occupational. It’s not about being perfect or never making mistakes, Jeter said. It’s about finding balance and building resilience. “We want them to have the skill set to know what’s good for them and what’s not good for them,” said Jeter, noting that universities across the country are taking a more holistic approach to student wellness. When students struggle with alcohol and other drugs, it’s often an effort to cope with some form of anxiety or fill an unmet need, Loggins said. Substance abuse isn’t the only harmful coping mechanism. Overeating can lead to obesity. Compulsive shopping can empty bank accounts. Endless gaming can disrupt social and academic growth. Many programs the Magee Center hosts give students a chance to test-drive healthy coping habits, like painting a canvas.

“We want to cultivate a healthy UM experience,” Cromeans said.

“Dear William”

Oxford writer David Magee, who helped found the Magee Center in honor of his son, will soon release a memoir, “Dear William,” about his late son and his family’s struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues. “Dear William,” published by Matt Holt Books/ BenBella, will be released in November.