Invitation Magazine - September 2021 by Invitation Magazines

SEP TEMBER 2021

SERVING 10 COUNTIES IN NORTHE A ST MISSISSIPPI

T H E

FOOTBALL I S S U E

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TA I L G AT I N G RETURNS

G A M E D AY TRADITIONS AND SUPERSTITIONS

MISSISSIPPI M U S I C I A N S P L AY W I T H THE BL ACK KE YS

GORGEOUS SORORIT Y ROW R E N O VA T I O N S

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SEPTEMBER 2021

DEPA RTMENT S

EVENTS:

OXFORD

Letter From the Publisher

Summer Sunset Series

Staff Spotlight

Building Bridges

Digital Details

Oxford Inauguration

Calendar

Watermelon Carnival

Shoutouts: 2021 Olympics

Lafayette Open House

Shoutouts: NCAA Golf Champs

100

Picnic in the Park

What’s In: Corinth

101

Saltillo State Champs

EVENTS:

Recipes: Creative Cocktails

102

Pros of Tomorrow

Out & About: Oxford

104

Slugburger Festival

110

Out & About: Northeast

106

Down on Main

112

Good Neighbor: Jiwon Lee

108

“Blippi the Musical”

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ON THE COVER

NORTHEAST

112

Excitement is in the air as fans everywhere anticipate the kickoff of college football season and a return to one of the South’s most beloved fall traditions, tailgating. Turn to page 20 for more fantastic football photos from years past. PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

F E AT U R E S FE ATURES 40 Gearing up for Game Day Ole Miss football players revel in game weekend traditions and superstitions.

44 Over the Top Tailgating

Traditional tailgating reaches new heights with creative recipes and tent decor.

52 Ole Miss in the NFL

This fall, three standout Ole Miss football players are making their debuts in the NFL.

56 Who is Ben Mintz?

44 74

Ole Miss superfan Ben Mintz opens up about his journey to Barstool Sports, life in New York City and predictions for the Rebels’ 2021 football season.

60 Landing in Oxford

Nicholas Air offers personal touches and great customer service in private air travel.

64 Legacy Larger Than Life

A new sculpture of Coolidge Ball, a civil rights leader and the first Black Ole Miss athlete, now stands on campus.

68 Sorority Row Renovations Major renovations to several sorority homes usher in a new era for Greek life on the Ole Miss campus.

74 The Black Keys

Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton talk about music, memories and their partnership with the Black Keys.

78 Dream Big

Meet three recent UM graduates who landed jobs with big-name companies.

82 It’s in the Cards

78 56

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A mother-daughter duo fosters family, friendship and fellowship through customdesigned playing cards, cups and napkins.

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L E T T E R from the P U B L I S H E R It feels like Christmas. But in this case, the trees are outside, the decorations consist of team colors, a marching band plays the music, the feast is served under tents and the family that’s back together again is quite extended. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been this excited for football season and the Grove, and I think many share that sentiment. There is no question that we are ready. As we put this magazine together, we searched our archives for iconic football images from years past. We wanted to share some of them with you, and give a shoutout to our amazing photographer, Joe Worthem. Check it out on page 20. Also in this annual football issue, you’ll meet Ole Miss athletes young and old who have made contributions big and small. Read about alumnus Coolidge Ball on page 64.

Ball, the first Black athlete at Ole Miss, was an All-American basketball player for the Rebels in the 1970s and is now a member of the Ole Miss athletics department staff. His legacy and contributions are being honored with a larger-than-life statue that now stands outside The Pavilion at Ole Miss — be sure to visit it when you’re on campus. We also had time to sit down with local musicians Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton, who are featured on the Black Keys’ newest album. On page 74, you’ll meet them and hear about their experiences not only with the Black Keys but also with Mississippi blues legends R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. And you won’t want to miss our delicious food and cocktail recipes that are perfect for the Grove or any fall gathering.

@INVITATIONOXFORD @INVITATIONM AGA ZINE

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Find them in our feature on page 44 and in our Recipes department on page 36. We’ve also got tons of additional content online this month, including a guide to some of the exciting new additions to Oxford over the past year, a Q&A with the impressive College Bowl team we all watched on NBC this summer, a story on football player Mac Brown and his contributions to ALS research and much more. Thanks for picking up this issue. We’re sure glad you did. Hotty Toddy!

RACHEL M. WEST, PUBLISHER

@INVOXFORD @INVMAGA ZINE

PUBLISHERS Rachel West

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Emily Welly EXECUTIVE EDITOR Leslie Criss OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Mary Moreton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Antonio Battista Rachel Burchfield COPY EDITOR Ashley Arthur EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Abbey Edmonson Abigail Nichols

ART

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Holly Vollor STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Joe Worthem CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Caitlyn Loiacono Lisa Roberts J.R. Wilbanks Ole Miss Athletics CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Abbey Edmonson Frank Estrada Esther Sitver

ADVERTISING OFFICE

BUSINESS MANAGER Hollie Hilliard DISTRIBUTION Brian Hilliard MAIN OFFICE 662-234-4008

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Alise M. Emerson Leigh Lowery Lynn McElreath Moni Simpson Whitney Worsham ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Becca Pepper ADVERTISING INFORMATION ads@invitationoxford.com

To subscribe to one year (10 issues) or to buy an announcement, visit invitationmag.com. To request a photographer at your event, email Mary at mary.invitation@gmail.com. Invitation Magazines respects the many diverse individuals and organizations that make up north Mississippi and strives to be inclusive and representative of all members of our community.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

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S TA F F

S P O T L I G H T

P hoto g ra phe r Jo e Wo r t he m

If you’re lucky enough to spend a few hours around town with Joe Worthem, you will learn very quickly that everyone knows him. People literally stop in the streets to say “Hey!” to Joe. Once, while on site for a photo shoot at a beautiful house on a quiet residential street in Oxford, Joe had to grab a piece of equipment from outside. It took awhile, so we ran out to see if he needed any help. We found him holding a baby bobcat as if it was a Follow us on social media for more house cat — he had run into an old photos by Joe Worthem. friend from another feature we ran years before (Mike Merchant from Wildlife Resolutions, who safely removes nuisance critters from local homes). Joe has been Invitation Magazines staff photographer for 11 years, and in that time he has met just about everyone. If you see him around, feel free to introduce yourself. You won’t regret it. Just try not to distract him too much, like, say, by giving him a baby bobcat to hold. He’s got work to do.

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D I G I T A L details E XC LU S I V E LY O N L I N E AT I N V I TAT I O N M AG .C O M

W h at ’s Ne w?

I N V online

C ol le ge B owl Q& A

GREG GAYNE/NBC

Visit invitationmag.com for additional content related to these features:

A C h i p O f f t he O le Blo c k

Awe s o me Ne w s

Ben Brown’s ties to the University of Mississippi run deep. Read all about it on our website in our exclusive Q&A with the senior football player.

CREATIVE COCKTAILS page 36: Oxford bartender Marissa Wyant’s original cocktail concoctions

OLE MISS ATHLETICS

Check out our website for a Q&A with two of the University of Mississippi students who competed in the “Capital One College Bowl” trivia show that aired on NBC this summer.

OLE MISS ATHLETICS

Football fans will find many new places and spaces to explore when they return to Oxford for the 2021 season. Visit our website for a guide to some of the exciting new additions to town over the past year!

OVER-THE-TOP TAILGATING page 44: More recipes for the perfect Grove tailgate

Senior Ole Miss football player Mac Brown recently won a prestigious community service award from the SEC for his Awesome Lemonade Stand fundraiser that has raised more than $122,000 for ALS research. Read about it on our website.

CALENDAR AND EVENTS

Have an exciting event coming up? Visit our website and share the details on our online community calendar. There’s a chance photos from your event will be featured in an upcoming magazine! FOLLOW US

@INVITATIONOXFORD @INVITATIONM AGA ZINE

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S O R O R I T Y R OW R E N OVAT I O N S page 68: Even more photos of newly redesigned and rebuilt Ole Miss sorority houses |

@INVOXFORD @INVMAGA ZINE

social S N A P S We love being tagged in your photos!

Surrounded by the mystique of William Faulkner here in #oxfordmississippi… L O C A T I O N : Oxford U S E R N A M E : @jamesdowd1

Small town vibes… L O C A T I O N : USA U S E R N A M E : @valsimages

Feeling peachy for this morning breakfast! L O C A T I O N : The Z - Bed and Breakfast U S E R N A M E : @thez_bedandbreakfast

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C O M M U N I T Y SEPTEMBER 2021

OXFORD

Music: Houndmouth SEP TEMBER 16

Goodnight Markets SEPTEMBER 3

Enjoy music, merchants, food and fun on the first Friday of every month through October. Vendors register for a booth online, $20. 5-8 p.m., Old Armory Pavilion. oxfordarts.com

OLE MISS FOOTBALL

Houndmouth, the American alternative blues band from New Albany, Indiana, takes the stage at The Lyric. Tickets, $22, can be purchased online. A $5 underage fee will be collected at the door for minors under 18. Cash only. Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m., The Lyric. thelyricoxford.com

O L E M I S S V S . LO U I S V I L L E

September 6 | 9 p.m. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta O L E M I S S V S . AU S T I N P E AY

September 11 | 6:30 p.m. Vaught Hemingway Stadium OLE MISS VS. TUL ANE

September 18 | 7 p.m. Vaught Hemingway Stadium

OXCM

Refuge 2021 Weekend for Women

S E P T E M B E R 7, 1 4 , 2 1 , 2 8

Find local produce, meat, dairy products, baked goods and more. Tuesdays, 3-6:30 p.m., Old Armory Pavilion.

S E P T E M B E R 1 7-1 9

oxfordcommunitymarket.com

Chicksa Cub Scout Shooting Sports Day

L A B O R D AY

refuge2021.com

SEP TEMB ER 11

Ready, aim, fire! Cub scouts and families are invited to try archery and shoot BB guns and wrist rockets at this sports day. $7 per scout gets them a patch and lunch. Families can pay $2 per member for lunch. Tickets available online. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena. yocona.org

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Ladies, come find shelter and hope from the storms of life at this faith-based, nondenominational retreat focused on strengthening your personal relationship with God. $125. Register online. 7 p.m. Friday-10:30 a.m. Sunday, Camp Hopewell.

SEPTEMBER 6

Celebrated on the first Monday in September, this federal holiday pays tribute to American workers. What are you doing this weekend? Be sure to tag us in your pictures on social media with #InvitationLaborDay!

Music: The Stolen Faces S EP TE MB ER 17

This Nashville band deftly captures the spirit of the Grateful Dead. Tickets, $10, can be purchased online. Doors open at 9 p.m., show starts at 10 p.m., Proud Larry’s. proudlarrys.com

Oxford Blues Fest S E P T E M B E R 2 3-2 5

The 10th annual Oxford Blues Festival includes a kickoff party, a blues food tour, an after-hours party and, of course, plenty of live blues music. Visit the website to purchase tickets to individual events or to upgrade to a VIP experience. oxfordbluesfest.com

Out of the Darkness SEP TEMBER 25

Save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide at the Oxford Out of the Darkness Walk. Families of all ages are invited to walk in-person or virtually at a location of your choice. Register online or at the event. For more information, contact Pam Smith at 662-607-3703 or penguin020398@gmail.com. 11 a.m.- noon, Ole Miss campus. afsp.donordrive.com SEPTEMBER 202 1 | INVITATION

Lylah Grey’s Ray of Hope 5K

NORTHEAST

SEP TEMBER 18

Tupelo Marathon and 14.2 Miler

Lylah Grey’s Ray of Hope hosts the 5th annual 5K benefiting St. Jude. Participants can run in a live race for $25 or a virtual race for $20. For more information, search Lylah Grey’s Ray of Hope 5K on Facebook. 8 a.m., 101 Cunningham Blvd., Booneville.

SEPTEMBER 5

Tupelo Running Club’s 20th annual marathon and 14.2 miler race covers country roads with several water stops and cheering spectators. See website for registration details. 5 a.m., 549 Coley Rd. tupelorunningclub.org

runsignup.com

Tupelo Gun and Knife Show S E P T E M B E R 1 0 -12

Vendors gather to sell various artilleries. All federal, state and local firearm ordinances will be obeyed. Tickets $7. Friday 5-9 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tupelo Furniture Market. tupelogunshow.com

Tour de Bodock SEP TEMB ER 11

An Evening of Jazz in the Faulkner Garden SEPTEMBER 23

Enjoy an evening of live jazz, food and drinks in the William Faulkner Literary Garden at the Union County Heritage Museum, along with an exhibit by artist William Dunlap and a special one-night exhibit of Faulkner’s little-known Jazz Age drawings. Tickets, $50, benefit the garden. Call 662-534-3438 for tickets. 6-9 p.m., Union County Heritage Museum, New Albany. ucheritagemuseum.com

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association and Mitchell Distributing present this annual burger-making contest. Tickets $10 at gate. 4-9 p.m., 108 S. Broadway Street.

Part of the Pontotoc Bodock Festival, this bicycle ride honors first responders and includes several different distances and courses along the scenic Tanglefoot Trail. Live music downtown and an early morning pancake breakfast benefiting the Pontotoc Fire Department are also included. See website for registration and schedule details.

tupelomainstreet.com

raceroster.com

tupelomainstreet.com

Buds and Burgers SEP TEMBER 10

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Ale Trail S E P T E M B E R 24

Sponsored by Mitchell Distributing, this event includes a tour of downtown Tupelo’s retail stores along with samples of craft beer at each location. Tickets $25. 4-10 p.m.

Tallahatchie Riverfest S E P T E M B E R 24-2 5

New Albany Main Street presents a fall festival celebrating the region’s artists, craftsmen, writers and musicians. Free outdoor concerts and art exhibits are included as well as several food vendors and other family fun. Free. See website for schedule of events and location details. newalbanymainstreet.com

Kane Brown: Worldwide Beautiful Tour SEP TEMBER 25

The first artist to have simultaneous No. 1 songs on all five main Billboard country music charts brings his long-awaited 2020 tour to Tupelo. See website for ticket pricing. 7 p.m., BancorpSouth Arena. bcsarena.com

Jeff McManus Pruning Seminar SEP TEMBER 28

The Pontotoc County Master Gardeners hosts Jeff McManus, director of landscape services at Ole Miss, to demonstrate how to “Prune like a Pro.” 6-7 p.m., The Pavilion, Pontotoc. facebook.com/pontotoccountymg SEPTEMBER 202 1 | INVITATION

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S H O U T O U T S Tok yo 2020 : M i s s i s s i p p i o n t he Wo rld S t a ge

In all, 15 Mississippi-made athletes qualified to represent Team USA, Team Brazil, Team Canada, Team Grenada, Team Portugal, Team South Africa and Team Trinidad and Tobago at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, held July 23-Aug. 8. Mississippi athletes won two medals, with Brittney Reese winning silver in the long jump. It was Reese’s third Olympic medal and her fourth Olympics. Additionally, Raven Saunders won silver in the women’s shot put. Congratulations to all for your hard work, determination and outstanding performances, not only in Tokyo but in the years leading up to the Olympic Games.

R E P R E S E N T I N G T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S :

REPRESENTING BRA ZIL:

ER I C A B O U G A R D

R A FA EL L E S O UZ A

Heptathlon | Mississippi State University ’16

Women’s Soccer | University of Mississippi ’13

S A M K EN D R I C K S

R E P R E S E N T I N G C A N A DA :

Pole Vault | University of Mississippi ’14 S H EL B Y M C E W EN

High Jump | University of Alabama ’19 (from Abbeville) CO R Y M CG EE

Women’s 1500m | University of Florida ’14 (from Pass Christian) JESSICA RAMSEY

BRANDON MCBRIDE

Men’s 800m | Mississippi State University ’16 R E P R E S E N T I N G G R E N A DA : A N D ER S O N P E T ER S

Javelin | Mississippi State University ’19 REPRESENTING PORTUGAL:

(University of Mississippi volunteer assistant coach)

M A R TA P EN F R EI TA S

B R I T T N E Y R EE S E

Long Jump | University of Mississippi ’08

Women’s 1500m Mississippi State University ’15

R AV EN S AU N D ER S

REPRESENTING SOUTH AFRICA:

Shot Put | University of Mississippi ’18

A N A S O J O B O DWA N A

CURTIS THOMPSON

Men’s 200m | Jackson State University alumnus

A L I S O N W EI S Z

10m Air Rifle / Mixed Team Air Rifle University of Mississippi ’17 INVITATION | SEPTEMBER 202 1

Men’s 800m | Mississippi State University ’19

Shot Put | Western Kentucky University ’14

Javelin | Mississippi State University ’19

M A R CO A R O P

R E P R E S E N T I N G T R I N I DA D & TO B AG O : A D EL L CO LT H R U S T

Men’s 4x100m | Jackson State University (Fr.)

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S H O U T O U T S

continued

On May 26, at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, the 2020-21 Ole Miss women’s golf team made history when they became national champions — the first Ole Miss women’s sports team ever to win an NCAA championship. Much more went into the big win than a little luck. Head coach Kory Henkes has some specific thoughts about that. “A lot of hard work. It took a lot of players to buy in,” she said. “Our team is very disciplined, that’s what I pride us on the most. When we come out to practice, we have a purpose every day, and we hold each other accountable.” A few days after her team took the national title, Henkes was named the 202021 Division I Jackie Steinmann Women’s Golf Coaches Association National Coach of the Year. Henkes is the first Rebel head coach to earn the award. Henkes came to Oxford and assumed leadership of the women’s golf program in June 2015. At the time, the Rebels were ranked 134th in the nation. Within a few years, the Rebels had improved greatly and celebrated the best season in program history in 2017-18, winning three times in the fall season and making it to the NCAA Championship for the first time. The 2021-22 team is made up of nine young golf-loving women from as far away as Denmark, England, Sweden and Switzerland, and as close as Tennessee, Louisiana, Florida and Texas. And they can’t help but be excited and eager to see where the next season takes them. “I’m really excited about the talent we’ve got coming back, as well as some of the girls that will be on campus soon,” Henkes said. “We know now what it feels like to be at the top of the mountain, and it’ll be our goal again to be standing back up there at the end of the season.”

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OLE MISS ATHLETICS

O le M i s s Wo me n’s G ol f : A Fo rc e o n t he C ou r s e

SPECIALTY ORTHO GROUP

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C U S TO M P I L LOW $1 3 5-$ 2 0 0 K ATES AND CO.

BLUE MTN COLLEGE WOODEN BOWL $65 CROSSROADS MUSEUM

JA ZMIN M A XI DRESS $88.9 9 SHIRLEY DAWG’S

BLUE AND WHITE GINGER JAR $132 ANN’S OF CORINTH

V E LV E T P U M P K I N S $ 2 6 -$ 5 4 SANCTUARY ANTIQUES

K ANTHA BAG $90 SANCTUARY ANTIQUES

K ANGA COOLER $50 K ATES AND CO.

GOOD NEIGHBOR

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ONWARD RESERVE MEN ’ S SHIRT $9 9.9 9 SHIRLEY DAWG’S

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COCK TAIL S

C O O L O F F W I T H T H E S E F R E S H, I N V E N T I V E C O C K TA I L S , M A D E B Y I R O N B A R T E N D E R C O N T E S TA N T TA A R I Q DAV I D. WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS

RECIPE BY TA ARIQ DAVID

he business of hospitality is nothing new for Taariq David — he’s worked in and around restaurants from his home city of Washington, D.C., to Oxford, and plenty of points in between for 25 years. In 2020, when the pandemic abruptly halted the hospitality industry, David and Sam Bullock, his business partner from Detroit and a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Chicago, created Hospitality Bruhs, a culinary and event planning collective. The business, which has received high praise from those who’ve experienced one of Hospitality Bruhs’ virtual events, offers fun, unique and safe social gatherings online. Recently planned events have included a party for two, a company’s employee conference and even a fundraiser for former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Here’s how it works: “We send a shopping list ahead of the event that will be needed for the meal and cocktail,” David said. “During the event, when everyone is on Zoom, we all prepare the food and the drink together, but from our own homes.” At one virtual event, Bullock lead in the preparation of Maple Bourbon-Glazed Pork Chops and Greens, and David offered the history of the Old-Fashioned and demonstrated how to make the muddled cocktail. Stirring or shaking up adult beverages comes easily for David, who lives in Water Valley with his wife and four daughters. He is a regular participant in Iron Bartender, the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council’s answer to Iron Chef. Local bartenders compete to create the best alcoholic beverage from ingredients made available to them, and winners are named for a People’s Choice award and a Judges’ Choice award.

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Visit invitationmag.com for more cocktail recipes from another accomplished Iron Bartender contestant, Marissa Wyant.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

TAARIQ'S CREATIVE COCKTAILS

L AI

( P R O N O U N C E D L AY-L AY )

“This cocktail is a bees knees variation that I made for my sister, who doesn’t drink often. When she does, her alter ego comes out.” 1 ½ ounces Cathead Honeysuckle vodka ¾ ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur ¾ ounce honey syrup ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice Fresh mint, for garnish In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake vodka, liqueur, honey syrup and lemon juice well with ice. Double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with fresh mint. Smack mint in your hand to release some of the oils, and add mint to drink as garnish.

CUCUMBER

G I M LE T “This is a refreshing and cooling cocktail that is perfect for a sunny day. Even if you don’t love cucumbers, you will love this cocktail. The syrup brings out the melon-like aspect of the flavor of cucumber, and the lime makes it just right.” 1 ½ ounces gin (such as Hendrick’s, Uncle Val’s or Bombay Sapphire) 1 ounce cucumber syrup (recipe below) ½ ounce fresh lime juice Splash of club soda Cucumber or lime wheel, for garnish In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake gin, cucumber syrup and lime juice well. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with club soda, and give it a gentle swirl with a cocktail spoon to incorporate the bubbles. Garnish with cucumber or a lime wheel.

CUCUMBER SYRUP Leaving the skins on, slice 2-3 cucumbers into chunks, and add them to a blender or food processor. Process cucumbers until pureed. Pour cucumber puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass, pressing with a spoon to release all juices. Repeat process a few times to remove as much pulp as possible. Measure cucumber juice and place in a small bowl; add an equal amount of granulated sugar to juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Transfer syrup to a squeeze bottle, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. SEPTEMBER 202 1 | INVITATION

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Gearing Up for Game Day

FROM PAT TING A BUST OF CHUCKY MULLINS TO CARTOONS AND SNICKERS WRAPPERS, O L E M I S S F O O T B A L L P L AY E R S R E V E L I N GAME WEEKEND TRADITIONS AND SUPERSTITIONS. WRITTEN BY RACHEL BURCHFIELD ILLUSTRATED BY FR ANK ESTR ADA

he opposing team’s players don’t know it, but every football game, Ole Miss offensive lineman Nick Broeker has a Snickers wrapper stuffed into his left sock for good luck.

Broeker, a superstitious guy, has been doing this faithfully in every athletic event he’s participated in since he was 13, after he did so for the first time — and went on to score 40 points in a basketball game. “I’ve never stopped since,” he said. While the team as a whole doesn’t participate in superstitious rituals like that, Broeker said many of his teammates have their own version of the Snickers wrapper, like drinking a certain flavor of Gatorade, waking up at the exact time or eating the same meal before every game day, all in the name of good luck and hoping for the W. Wide receiver Braylon Sanders doesn’t necessarily have any pregame superstitions, but he does appreciate team traditions, like spending the night at a hotel together the night before home games. In the past, the

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team has stayed in Tupelo and driven back to Oxford for game day; however, this season, Sanders said, they’ll be staying right on campus at The Inn at Ole Miss. “I like the change,” Sanders said. “I like it better than driving all the way from Tupelo.” It’ll give the players a little bit of extra time to rest, Broeker said. “We’ll have a bit of extra time to sleep because it reduces our travel time before games,” he said. “More rest is awesome for us. How convenient that we’ll be staying on campus — it reduces a lot of travel.” Broeker said every season each player rooms with the same teammate for all

overnight stays, a teammate with whom he inevitably ends up getting extra close. “We room with the same teammate every time,” Broeker, a junior, said. “We have our own superstitions. We always watch basketball the Friday night before a game, or cartoons.” Sanders, a senior this season, is thrilled to have the Walk of Champions tradition back, a tradition started in 1983 by Coach Billy Brewer. During the Walk of Champions, fans crowd in and hoist children up on their shoulders to catch a glimpse of the home team as they walk to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to play that day’s game. It’s a

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“Being with each other before games and learning more about each other and then to go out and support them the following day is great.” - BRAYLON SANDERS “It’s about camaraderie. During dinner or locker room time is when we make the best memories and stories.” -NICK BROEKER uniting, unifying moment between players, coaches and fans in the Grove, as the team walks through the Walk of Champions archway — provided in 1998 by the 1962 football team, the only Ole Miss football team so far to have a perfect, unblemished record — and through the stunning treelined path of the Grove, packed with tents and overflowing with Rebel pride and the intoxicating game-day atmosphere for which Ole Miss has become known. Sanders is also excited to have team dinners the night before game day and, depending on what time the game is on Saturday, either worship the night before game day or the morning of. Once the team hits the locker room on game day, though, “everyone is focused and in their own zone,” Sanders said. Then, he

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said, head coach Lane Kiffin will come in and, as a group, the team will listen to his pregame speech. “Then it’s time to get ready to go,” Sanders said. On their way onto the field, every Rebel player touches a bronze bust of legendary Ole Miss football player Chucky Mullins, patting his head before running onto the field. Mullins, a defensive back for the Rebels, was injured during Ole Miss’ homecoming game against Vanderbilt on Oct. 28, 1989. The injury left Mullins a quadriplegic. He died in 1991 after returning to Ole Miss to finish his undergraduate degree. “It’s a huge honor,” Broeker said. “He epitomizes what Ole Miss is.” Time together as a team the night before and during game day is priceless, Broeker said. He calls it the best part about being on the team. “It’s about camaraderie,” he said. “During dinner or locker room time is when we make the best memories and stories.”

Sanders said during the game the offensive players and the defensive players don’t get to see or talk to one another much — they’re too busy doing their respective jobs. That makes their time together as one big unit even more valuable, bonding as teammates and as brothers. “Being with each other before games and learning more about each other and then to go out and support them the following day is great,” Sanders said. “I think it’s a big deal.”

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FIND TH IS FUN RE CIPE FO

Beef Jerky

PARME

SAN PO PCO

ONLINE

I N V I TAT

AT IONMAG

Over the Top Tailgating

.COM

TRADITIONAL TAILGATING REACHES NEW HEIGHTS WITH CREATIVE RECIPES AND OVER-THE-TOP TENT DECOR. RECIPES CONTRIBUTED AND STYLED BY SARAH McCULLEN

DECORATING BY TAKE IT TO THE GROVE

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

INVITATION | SEPTEMBER 202 1

Hotty Toddy, it’s Grove season! FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR TAILGATE GATHERINGS AS WELL AS RECIPES THAT WILL HIT THE SPOT WHILE YOU CELEBRATE THE RETURN OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

LAURIE'S

New Orleans-Style SHRIMP REMOULADE

CONTRIBUTED BY CHICORY MARKET

EVERYONE KNOWS

The #1

GROVE STAPLE IS GOOD OLE STORE BOUGHT FRIED CHICKEN. TO FANCY IT UP A BIT, TRY THIS SPECIAL SAUCE!

Everyone's Favorite FRIED CHICKEN SAUCE

¼ cup honey 2 tablespoons yellow mustard ¼ cup barbecue sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ cup mayonnaise Combine all ingredients, and serve with your favorite fried chicken.

2 pounds fresh raw Gulf shrimp 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 cup finely chopped green onions ¾ cup finely chopped celery ½ medium-size white onion, chopped ¾ cup chopped bell pepper 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced 2 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger ¾ cup minced fresh parsley 1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh basil 1 tablespoon minced arugula 1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon zest ¾ cup apple cider or white wine vinegar 4 ½ teaspoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon yellow mustard 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper Hot sauce (such as Tabasco), to taste 2 dried bay leaves Peel and devein shrimp. Saute shrimp, salt and pepper in ¾ cup of the oil until shrimp are pink and cooked through (be careful not to overcook), about 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, stir together remaining ingredients until well blended. Add shrimp and toss. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Serve on crackers, crostini or over angel hair pasta. Continued on page 46 SEPTEMBER 202 1 | INVITATION

Continued from page 45

Bacon-Wrapped BALSAMIC BRUSSELS SPROUTS

20 to 25 large Brussels sprouts ½ cup balsamic vinegar 1 pound sliced bacon 2/3 cup brown sugar Wooden toothpicks Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim and half Brussels sprouts. Toss with balsamic vinegar. Cut each strip of bacon into 2 to 3 pieces, and wrap 1 piece around each Brussels sprout half; secure with a toothpick. Place brown sugar in a shallow dish, and dip each piece in sugar to coat. Place on a baking sheet, and roast until bacon is crisp, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Sneak Peek: T U R N TO PA G E 8 2

TO READ ABOUT THE M OT H E R / DAU G H T E R PA I R WHO MAKE THESE F U N P L AY I N G C A R D S !

Tortellini

KEBABS

1 package cheese-filled tortellini 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning Mini skewers

20 to 30 garlic-stuffed olives 20 to 30 slices of assorted preserved meats (such as salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, capicola) 1 block sharp white cheddar cheese, cubed

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain pasta, and toss with olive oil and Italian seasoning. Thread tortellini, olives, sliced meat (folded in quarters) and cheese cubes onto skewers

in desired order. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Continued on page 48

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Continued from page 46

Onion and Cheddar

PIGS IN A BLANKET

2 tablespoons butter, divided 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons sugar 1 package smoked sausage

1 block cheddar cheese 2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls ¼ cup honey ¼ cup Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add onions, and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sugar, and cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about another 10 minutes; remove from heat.

roll dough piece in half to create 2 triangles. Place 1 sausage piece, 1 cheese piece, and a scoop of onions on each wide end of dough piece, and roll up dough to enclose filling. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Cut sausage into 2-inch pieces, and quarter each piece lengthwise. Cut cheese into 2-inch strips, similar in size to sausage pieces. Cut each crescent

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In a small bowl, microwave honey and 1 tablespoon of butter for 30 seconds. Stir in Dijon mustard. Brush each roll with honey mustard mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes.

MVP

AWARDS

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR MODELS AND THESE ADVERTISERS FOR T H E I R H E L P I N C R E AT I N G THIS GROVE SCENE: TA K E I T TO T H E G R OV E complete tent setup OLIVE JUICE cups, napkins, buttons, playing cards CHICORY MARKET shrimp remoulade recipe

Mexican Street CORN DIP

2 tablespoons butter 3 cans corn 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 jalapeno 2 tablespoon mayonnaise 3 green onions ¾ cup crumbled queso fresco ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro Zest and juice of 1 lime Salt, to taste In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add corn, and cook, stirring, until corn is browned and smells nutty. Stir in garlic and chili powder, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; transfer to a serving bowl. If using a gas burner, char jalapeno over direct heat, rotating until charred on all sides (or broil jalapeno on a foil-lined baking sheet, turning until charred on all sides). Remove charred skin, slice in half, discard seeds and dice. Add pepper and remaining ingredients to corn. Serve with corn chips, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Continued on page 50

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Caramel Apple

Continued from page 49

BUNDT CAKE

TH? TOO EET W FOR S E A CIPE E R H AV IS D TH LA FIN CO

n i s i a R Rum

ITE

CHO

PUD EAD

INV

DIN

2 cups granulated sugar 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil 3 large eggs 1 (0.74-ounce) packet apple cider mix 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1 teaspoon salt 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cubed ½ cup butter ½ cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons heavy cream ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs until pale yellow and fluffy. Beat in apple cider mix and vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, apple pie spice and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to oil mixture, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition. Fold in apples. Pour batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake in for 1 ½ hours, or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out

clean. Let cake cool in pan on for 15 minutes, then turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

ProTip:

While the cake is cooling, heat butter, brown sugar, cream and vanilla in a saucepan until bubbling. Remove from heat, and drizzle ¼ of the syrup over the warm cake. Let the rest of the syrup cool for about 10 minutes, then pour over the cake to glaze. Sprinkle cake with extra brown sugar to garnish.

USE A CUTE CUP INSTEAD OF A P L AT E F O R S E R V I N G D E S S E R T S !

AT INE OM ONL AG.C M N O I I TAT

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Find even more tailgating recipes perfect for your tent on game day at invitationmag.com.

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Ole Miss IN THE THIS FALL, THREE STANDOUT O L E M I S S F O O T B A L L P L AY E R S ARE MAKING THEIR DEBUTS IN THE NFL. WR IT TE N BY E M I LY W EL LY GRAPHICS PROVIDED BY NFL COMMUNIC ATIONS PHOTOS PROVIDED BY OLE MISS ATHLE TICS

ith the 34th overall pick in the 2021 draft, the New York Jets selected wide receiver Elijah Moore. Moore played three seasons at Ole Miss, earning First Team All America and All SEC accolades in 2020. During the season, he hauled in a school-record 86 receptions for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns and led the country in receiving yards per game (149.1) and receptions per game (10.8). Royce Newman, offensive lineman, was picked by the Green Bay Packers with the No. 142 pick. A redshirt senior, Newman was on the Rebels roster for five seasons. He started all 10 games of the 2020 season at

Royce Newman

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Elijah Moore

right tackle, enabling the Rebels offense, including in the Jan. 2 Reese’s Senior Bowl victory over No. 7 Indiana. In all, he had more than 40 career appearances on the field. The New York Jets also signed tight end Kenny Yeboah as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 draft. A redshirt senior who transferred from Temple University as a graduate student for the 2020 season, Yeboah finished second on the team in receptions (27) and receiving yards (524). He had six receiving touchdowns, ranking him No. 7 among Division I tight ends, and 244 yards after the catch, the fifth-most by a tight end. Continued on page 54

Kenny Yeboah

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Continued from page 52

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? T H E F O L L O W I N G F O R M E R O L E M I S S R E B E L S C U R R E N T LY P L AY I N T H E N F L :

BUFFALO BILLS Dawson Knox | Tight End | #88

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Jordan Wilkins | Running Back | #20

CAROLINA PANTHERS Myles Hartsfield | Defensive Back | #38 Marquis Haynes | Defensive End | #98

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Laquon Treadwell | Wide Receiver | #18

CINCINNATI BENGALS Mike Hilton | Cornerback | #21

MIAMI DOLPHINS Benito Jones | Defensive Tackle | #95 Greg Little | Tackle | #74

CLEVELAND BROWNS Javon Patterson | Center | #63

NEW ENGL AND PATRIOTS Brandon Bolden | Running Back | #25

DENVER BRONCOS Bobby Massie | Tackle | #70

NEW YORK GIANTS Evan Engram | Tight End | #88

DETROIT LIONS C.J. Moore | Safety | #38 Jordan Ta’amu | Quarterback | #10

NEW YORK JETS Elijah Moore | Wide Receiver | #8 Kenny Yeboah | Tight End | #48

G R E E N B AY PA C K E R S Royce Newman | Tackle/Guard | #70

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS D.J. Jones | Defensive Lineman | #93

*This list is accurate as of the time this magazine went to press.

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W HO IS BEN MIN TZ? OLE MISS SUPER FAN BEN MINTZ OPENS UP ABOUT HIS JOURNEY TO BARSTOOL SPORTS, LIFE IN NEW YORK CITY AND PREDICTIONS FOR THE REBELS’ 2021 FOOTBALL SEASON. WR IT TE N BY E M I LY WEL LY

ILLUSTRATED BY ABBE Y EDMONSON

n the past 18 months, Ben Mintz has catapulted himself and his beloved Ole Miss into the national sports talk media scene. Mintz, otherwise known as Mintzy or Bayou Ben, is a Barstool Sports personality. Barstool is a digital media empire with blogs, videos and podcasts hosted by people with larger-than-life personalities, like Mintz. The company is a content-producing machine, devoted primarily to sports but also to everyday topics ranging from online gambling to pizza reviews. Mintz is known for his exceedingly positive energy and excited personality. His social media segments, punctuated by his trademark “’Sup fellas!” opening line, along with his regular back-and-forth with rival Brandon Walker (Barstool’s Mississippi State super fan) have made him famous, at least among Barstool Sports fans, and especially among those who share his love for the Rebels. His Twitter following alone is more than 53,000. “Everybody thinks it’s nuts,” Mintz said. “I’m so thankful and grateful. It’s a very, very big honor to represent Ole Miss and Oxford nationally.” Perhaps the best part of Mintz’s story is that his Barstool break happened pretty much overnight. He was working in radio for ESPN Baton Rouge when a buddy tweeted video of Mintz cheering the “Hotty Toddy” after the Rebels’ one-point overtime win over Kentucky on Oct. 3, 2020. The video went viral, and the next morning, Mintz’s phone and his Twitter feed exploded. Then he received a call that would change the course of his career. Dave Portnoy, the famous founder of Barstool Sports, started following him on Twitter and then called him, telling Mintz he wanted him to come work for Barstool in New York City. When they connected on the phone, Portnoy told him: “Your voice sounds exactly how I hoped it would.”

The Back Story Mintz, 38, is originally from Monroe, Louisiana, but also spent a lot of his childhood at his family’s farm in Lake Washington in the Mississippi Delta. Born to an LSU-loving father and a mother who is a proud Ole Miss law school alum, it was up to Mintz to choose a team. “When I graduated high school, I still didn’t know where I was

going,” he said. He eventually decided on Ole Miss, mostly because he felt like “everyone else from Monroe” was headed to LSU. He arrived on campus in the fall of 2001, pledged a fraternity (ATO) and lived in Stockard Hall before moving into the ATO house. He was a finance major. College fraternity life also introduced him to the game of poker. “Pretty quickly I cared a lot more about that than I did about school,” he said. He started playing in Tunica and online. In April 2006, he won $10,000 in an online poker tournament. “That seemed like a million dollars,” he said, adding that his mom wasn’t quite as happy as he was about the win or with his decision to leave school and eventually move to New Orleans in 2009. He stayed in New Orleans for five years, continuing to play poker. “I did really well,” he said, which is an understatement. In 2011, he played in the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas, which was broadcast on ESPN. He placed 75th out of 7,000 players and scored his biggest win: $90,000. But playing hard in New Orleans began to take a toll, and in May 2014, when close friend Elliott Willard, who Oxford locals know from the City Grocery bar, suggested he move back Oxford and finish up his degree, Mintz agreed. He moved back to Oxford, started taking classes and got a part-time restaurant job. “I went from 75th in world poker to making salads at Proud Larry’s,” he joked. A year later, he graduated with “2.0000” GPA. A few months later, a friend in the radio business began recruiting Mintz to come back to Louisiana and join him on sports radio. Mintz didn’t have radio experience, but he did have a magnetic personality and a love for talking sports. After a slow start (“my show was horrible, (but) they gave me a long leash,” he said), his three-hour long drive-time show, called “Mixin’ It Up With Mintz,” began to gain popularity and listeners. He was on the air from December 2015 until March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic led to the small station letting go of much of its staff, including Mintz. Later that month, while Mintz was at an Ole Miss vs. UL Monroe baseball game — in his hometown of Monroe — he got a call and was offered a job at ESPN Baton Rouge. “The next day the world shut down, and the job offer disappeared,” he said. “But I thought, let’s sit back and see what happens.” Continued on page 58 SEPTEMBER 202 1 | INVITATION

Continued from page 57 Rather than wait out the pandemic in Monroe, he moved back to Oxford, for the third time. This time, he decided to change more than where he lived. He stopped drinking, and began running and doing yoga with Lydia Siniard of Oxford Academy of Dance Arts. “No better time than now,” he said. “Why not work on this when nothing’s going on? Six weeks in, I felt like a new human being.” In the midst of his personal transformation, the job at ESPN Baton Rouge worked out, and a few months later he got the call from Portnoy, packed his bags and moved north.

he focused on his goals to grow the game of college baseball and the business of Barstool Sports. “We want people to care and be entertained,” he said, adding that when Portnoy complimented him after the trip, he knew he was doing something right. In addition to his sports-related Barstool work, Mintz is part of Barstool’s “Cracking Aces” poker podcast. Although he doesn’t have quite as much time as he once did for the game, he does still play poker and said he plans to play in November in the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas, set to air on CBS Sports.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

MINTZ'S PICKS

Before starting with Barstool, Mintz had been to New York City once, when he spent a night there for a Widespread Panic show in 2011. Now he lives in a tiny space in Hell’s Kitchen on the west side of Manhattan and works around the corner from Madison Square Garden. Relocating to New York while COVID restrictions were still in place was maybe not the easiest way to discover the city. Mintz ticked off his first impressions: “It was a pretty damn cold winter.” “I’m really excited for live music.” “The food scene’s insane.” In April 2021, Mintz spent a couple of weeks back in Mississippi covering Ole Miss and SEC sports for Barstool. His trip included the Ole Miss vs. LSU baseball series and the Grove Bowl. “The reception I got in Oxford was the craziest thing I’d ever seen in my life,” he said. In June, he spent two weeks in Omaha covering the College World Series for Barstool. Ole Miss had ended its season a game shy of making it to World Series, and while in Omaha, Mintz made some terrible picks about who he expected to win the series, which he was very publicly called out for, especially by Portnoy. “I got crushed in my picks and saw my arch rival (Mississippi State) win the national championship,” he said, adding that the circumstances could have made it a pretty terrible experience, but

So, what does Mintz expect from Rebel football this season? He’s still a big Lane Kiffin fan, and he thinks quarterback Matt Corral has a good shot at the Heisman Trophy. But he’s also got his eyes on offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. “I think he’s one of the rising stars in college football,” Mintz said. “We’ve got a gold mine in him.” He thinks Kiffin’s “elite, uptempo offense” will continue to take steps forward, and he’s optimistic the defense will improve from last year. He expects those improvements to result in an 8-4, maybe even 9-3, season for the Rebels. But, he added a caveat: “We don’t have much depth, so a big injury would be tough on us.” Whatever happens on the field, Mintz is excited about the atmosphere around Oxford and on campus, and he credits Kiffin for rebuilding the buzz and the brand around Ole Miss football. And especially coming out of last year’s less-than-normal season, he thinks a winning football team this fall would be a huge boost to the local economy and even university enrollment. Mintz is hopeful Barstool will send him to Oxford during football season, perhaps for the LSU game on Oct. 23. If he’s in town, expect to see him in the Grove promoting Ole Miss and SEC football for Barstool but also to spend at least a little quality time with his Oxford buddies. “I love all the attention, but they treat me the same,” he said. “I’ve had a really crazy journey.”

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OXFORD

N I C H O L A S A I R O F F E R S P E R S O N A L TO U C H E S A N D G R E AT C U S TO M E R S E R V I C E I N P R I VAT E A I R T R AV E L .

ndoubtedly the crown jewel of Oxford’s South Lamar Court, Nicholas Air has landed its home base of operations in a sleek space defined by glass, chrome and various aviationthemed accents creatively worked into the design. The company that offers private air travel to its members moved its headquarters from Columbus, Mississippi, to Oxford in 2019, settling in its current 15,000-square-foot spot after 18 months of hard work to make the space what it is today. The planning, architecture and interior work was completed by Eley|Barkley|Dale. Many of the company’s current employees were with them before their move to Oxford, but have seen the benefits of being here in such a short time. “I grew up in Columbus and certainly have a soft spot in my heart for that town, but the move to Oxford and the opportunity it has brought to all of us has been incredible,” said Ryan Dye, a fiveyear veteran of Nicholas Air. “The space we work from, the people

INVITATION | SEPTEMBER 202 1

we engage with daily, and the recognition of what Nicholas Air has brought to the community has created a buzz around town and a sense of pride for the people who work here.” Along with the size of the business, the size of the Nicholas Air headquarters has grown accordingly. “Our space here is four times as big as the space we had in Columbus,” said Peder von Harten, Nicholas Air’s vice president of sales and marketing. “There’s 45,000 feet of cable running through the building to help us stay connected and communicating.” The reasons for moving the base of operations to Oxford include the quality of life, diverse restaurants, a strong school system and, geographically, Oxford’s place in the Mid-South was appealing. “This was a town that offered a lot to our people and allowed us to maintain a great quality of life for our team and their families, but also provided a great recruiting base for those wanting to join our company,” von Harten said.

WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS PHOTOS PROVIDED BY NICHOL AS AIR

A well-lit walkway leading to Nicholas Air offices and meeting rooms is lined by large photographs of Nicholas Air in action: close-ups of its jets in flight, shots of some of its high-profile members, like Eli Manning and actress Nicole Kidman. If the aim is to impress first-time visitors, Nicholas Air hits the mark. Nicholas Air is the brainchild of N.J. Correnti, who was so intrigued with airplanes and the concept of flight that at the age of 5, he loved watching planes land and take off at a close-to-home airport in Arkansas. Just before he became a teenager, his parents suggested he find a hobby. Correnti, of course, chose flying. Flying SEPTEMBER 202 1 | INVITATION

Above left: Nicholas Air founder and CEO N.J. Correnti. Top right: inside a Nicholas Air jet. Above right: the reception area of Nicholas Air’s Oxford headquarters.

lessons only fueled his passion for flight, and when he turned 16, he’d amassed more than 1,000 hours in the air. “After my first flying lesson at the age of 12, I knew my calling,” he said. “Taking every opportunity I could to fly and working at the airport fueling and servicing aircraft, I saw that there was a better way to do this business — put the customer first and fly the best aircraft you can. The service culture here at Nicholas Air is what has set us apart for nearly 25 years now. “Customer service will always be the calling card of our company,” Correnti added. “And here in the South, we are blessed that great hospitality and a servant’s heart come naturally to our team. We hear all the time from our members that our pilots are incredibly friendly and our service teams are exceptionally helpful. We never want to lose those elements from our business, so it’s great that our members take notice.” To build on the customer service elements necessary to provide that world-class hospitality level, those newly employed by Nicholas Air go through a week of what von Harten calls charm school. “Folks new to our company are taught from the beginning that our members expect a certain level of service that goes from how they speak, to how well they dressed for the day, and the professional nature of how we handle our business,” he said. “They learn about appearances and customer service, and how those pillars are critical

INVITATION | SEPTEMBER 202 1

to our business. Time and time again we hear how our pilots create a great visual representation of the quality of the brand.” Today, Nicholas Air has a fleet of 23, even adding jets during the pandemic and having taken delivery of 4 new aircraft already this year with more on the way. The company operates a fleet of aircraft that vary in size, allowing the customer to choose on a flight-by-flight basis what aircraft matches the mission at hand. “We moved into our new space when the world went haywire,” von Harten said. “And we were here every day, no Zoom meetings. Our employees were in here working throughout the quarantine. The reality is that no matter what is going on in the world, our members are consistently moving about, and we are always here to assist.” A primary goal of Nicholas Air is to provide its members with the best customer service with personal touches aplenty and aircraft maintenance and safety. With glowing testimonials and reviews from the Manning family, 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker, broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw and many others, it’s clear Nicholas Air continues to meet its goals. It also serves as the official private air company for Ole Miss Athletics. Nicholas Air offers various private air travel programs to members, including three jet card programs, a jet lease program and jet share and fractional jet ownership. For more information about Nicholas Air membership options, visit nicholasair.com.

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LEGACY LARGER THAN LIFE A NEW SCULPTURE OF COOLIDGE BALL, A CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER AND THE FIRST BLACK OLE MISS ATHLETE, NOW HAS A PERMANENT HOME O N C A M P U S I N T H E PAV I L I O N P L A Z A . WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS PHOTOS PROVIDED BY OLE MISS ATHLE TICS

hen The Pavilion at Ole Miss, now known as the Sandy and John Black Pavilion, officially opened in January 2016, alumnus Coolidge Ball was pleased and proud to see the 3-by-5-foot bronze plaque listing his accomplishments and honors from his time at the university. Ball, a forward on the Rebel basketball team in 1972, ’73 and ’74, was the first Black athlete to play any sport at Ole Miss. He was present at the opening ceremony of The Pavilion in 2016. “I was surprised,” he said. “Wow! I was so pleased to have my name on a plaque on this $96 million arena.” So, imagine Ball’s surprise when he learned in March, in the midst of a pandemic,

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he had an additional honor yet to come. “Keith Carter called me and told me, ‘We realize you got a bronze plaque, but we don’t think that’s enough,’” Ball said. “He told me there was going to be an 8-foot statue — or however tall it is — and asked me what I thought of that. All I could say was wow.” Carter was a Rebel All-American basketball player and longtime senior staff member of the Ole Miss athletics department. Since 2019, he has been Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics. “Our university is forever indebted to Coolidge Ball for the courage he showed 50 years ago,” Carter said. “With his strength, humility and kindness, Coolidge provided a beacon of light for our community while

setting an example for generations of student-athletes, both on and off the court. We are eternally grateful to Coolidge for his contributions to civil rights and for his leadership for Ole Miss.” Mississippi physician and sculptor Dr. Kim Sessums of Brookhaven designed the statue, which is located in The Pavilion Plaza. The bronze, life-size likeness of Ball stands on a 4-foot-tall limestone base and includes a historical marker lauding Ball’s civil rights work. The monument to Ball was funded with a gift from Bill and Lee Anne Fry. Because of COVID, the sculpture was unveiled in a private ceremony in May. Sessums, a basketball player in high school, said it was a pleasure to be asked to create the sculpture of Ball.

BILL DABNEY PHOTOGRAPHY

“After getting the call to do this, I met with Coolidge and his wife,” Sessums said. “We had some still photographs of him from games, but we had to call around to find video footage of him playing. You know, none of us look like we did 50 years ago.” They also talked about what sort of stance would be best. “We decided not to do a classic jumping/ shooting pose,” Sessums said. “The guy was such an all-around player. So we decided to do the sculpture of him driving the basketball to create havoc for the defense.” A native of Indianola in the Mississippi Delta, Ball was recruited by other schools, and even considered attending New Mexico State, but instead accepted the Rebels’ last available scholarship for basketball in 1970.

While at Ole Miss, Ball made the All-SEC Freshman team in 1970-’71. He also received first-team All-American Southeastern Conference honors in ’72 and ’73 from league coaches. Ball was instrumental in helping deliver three consecutive winning seasons, which had not been done since 1936-1938. After graduating in 1975, Ball spent several years coaching basketball at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He later returned to Oxford, where he continues to own and operate Ball Sign Company and lives with his wife, Ruth. While eagerly awaiting a glimpse of his statue, Ball said he went over the day it was to be installed to get a sneak peek. Sessums’ work did not disappoint.

“I couldn’t get over it,” Ball said. “I got a glance, and then it was covered until the official unveiling. It was a good feeling just seeing it. It just lets you know people appreciate you.” Now 69, Ball recalls the first time he saw Ole Miss play basketball in 1970. “My brother and I and a couple of friends drove up to see them play,” Ball said. “I remember thinking, ‘This team needs some help.’ They introduced the prospective players who were in the stands that day. It was me and a 6-foot-5-inch white kid. They called out our stats, and the crowd cheered for me like I was already on the team. I told my mother I got a bigger ovation than the white kid. I decided that’s where I wanted to be, and I never left.” SEPTEMBER 202 1 | INVITATION

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Sorority Row Renovations M A J O R R E N O VAT I O N S TO S E V E R A L SORORITY HOMES USHER IN A NEW ERA FOR GREEK LIFE ON THE OLE MISS CAMPUS. WRITTEN BY ABBEY EDMONSON PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

f the many beautiful and historical features on the University of Mississippi’s campus, the expansive sorority houses dotting Sorority Row and Rebel Drive are some of the most iconic. These homes not only serve as a meeting space for various women’s organizations, but they also provide housing and meals. Most of the chapters have experienced membership growth in recent years. Houses that were originally built to accommodate numbers reflective of the 1900s struggled to properly service the number of women joining in the 2010s and 2020s. Today, most chapters at UM have more than 400 active members, and each typically houses 70 to 90 of them. Five sororities on campus either have recently undergone or will undergo major construction projects and updates in order to accommodate their members’ needs. Kappa Kappa Gamma, Kappa Delta, Phi Mu, Pi Beta Phi and Chi Omega are all in varying stages of renovations.

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Kappa Kappa Gamma The Kappa Kappa Gamma house, originally built in 1947, was newly renovated in July 2020. Previously, the entire chapter could not fit in the chapter room. Beginning June 2019, they added 26,000 square feet including a new chapter room, dining room, house director suite, kitchen, dorm spaces and showers. It is more energyefficient, featuring TVs that can broadcast messages across the house. The total square footage is about 33,000 square feet including the existing wing that was already there. Their architect was Weir Boerner Allin from Jackson, and their interior designer was Betsey Mosby, also from Jackson. Montgomery Martin Contractors from Memphis completed the construction. During construction, Kappa Kappa Gamma leased the house previously occupied by Kappa Alpha Theta. Girls moved into the completed Kappa house in August 2020.

“We’re just thrilled to be in there and have more girls in the house to be able to sleep, but also just to be in the house and for it to be a home,” house corporation president Lindy Graham said. “We want it to be a home; and I think that’s what we’ve made it, a home.” Continued on page 70 SEPTEMBER 202 1 | INVITATION

“I believe this new chapter house provides ample space for meetings, studying, dining and socializing, and it’s a great place for our members to make special college memories,” house corporation president Whitney Byars said.

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Continued from page 69

Kappa Delta Kappa Delta completely rebuilt their house that was originally built around 1927. Reconstruction discussions began in 2018, and the house corporation planned to begin the project in 2020. However, the house suffered major flood damage in February 2019. The house corporation determined that it was not financially responsible to fix the damage when they had already planned to tear the house down the following year. So, they demolished the house in May 2019 and began construction a year early in fall 2019. The 45,000-square-foot house, featuring seven study rooms, an elevator, three laundry rooms, three TV rooms, an outdoor patio and a courtyard with a fireplace and fountain and a housewide audiovisual system, was completed in March 2021. The interior designer was Annelle Primos from Jackson, and the architect was Pryor Morrow from Columbus. WAR Construction from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, oversaw construction.

Chi Omega The current Chi Omega house, designed for a membership of 100, was built in the 1960s. The sorority’s house corporation began renovation plans in 2018 when structural concerns surfaced. The new construction will retain some bedrooms, a large meeting room and the courtyard in the back, and it will add designated study spaces, a library, an expanded chapter room, expanded kitchen and dining room and 36 bedrooms. Construction began in July 2021, and the 40,000-square-foot house will be completed in October 2022. Members will begin living in and using the house in January 2023. Chi Omega will be leasing the old Kappa Alpha Theta house during construction. The architect is Roger Pryor from Columbus, and the interior decorator is Ann Carter from Jackson. WAR Construction of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is overseeing construction.

ROGER PRYOR

“Without support, this project would be impossible,” house corporation member Mary Ann Fruge said. “Providing a safe, comfortable ‘home away from home’ that will augment the members’ experiences at Ole Miss for years to come is unquestionably the goal.” Continued on page 72

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Continued from page 71

DEBBIE SMITH MYERS

Phi Mu

MILLS & MILLS ARCHITECTS, PC

“Bigger facilities make people less frustrated for meetings and projects and fellowship,” house corporation president Ann DeVoe said. “We hope that it’s going to be beautiful and happy and bright, and everybody feels the closeness that embodies what we have all joined a sorority to be. Our space needed to be more purposeful.”

The Phi Mu house is currently being renovated. Originally built in 1958, the house has undergone several small projects in recent years, but this project is larger. It includes two 20-by20-foot wings in front of the house, an expanded chapter room, an alumni reception room, four single rooms, four double rooms, a large meeting room, a small study room and a completed third floor. The third floor will function as a study wing to include two individual study rooms, a TV room, a beverage area, a banquette seating area, a bathroom and three large storage rooms. This 15,000-square-foot expansion brings the house’s total square footage to around 43,000 square feet. They are adding new hardwood flooring; however, the upper deck, pink brick exterior and part of the front porch will all remain. Interior design is by White Leopard Designs/Joy Fratesi; the architect is Edye Conkerton; and the contractor is Spring Construction. The project is scheduled to be completed in early 2022.

“We’re just excited to have the house warm and inviting for them, and they’ll love coming,” house corporation member Gail Collins said.

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R DESIG S INTERIO EY PETER COURTN

The Pi Beta Phi house was built in 1964. Plans to expand and renovate the house began around 2019. This 19,000-square-foot renovation, scheduled for completion in September 2022, will include a larger dining room, larger chapter room, rooms for around 15 more people, a new house director’s suite and additional storage and meeting rooms. The completed house will be almost 40,000 square feet. Because the majority of the updates are in the back of the house, girls will still be able to live and eat in the house during construction. Courtney Peters of Jackson is the interior designer, and she is working closely with architect William Mills. Peters said she looks forward to making the house both feminine and timeless.

Pi Beta Phi

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The black keys

GOOD NEIGHBOR

featuring North Mississippi’s Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton BROWN AND DEATON TALK ABOUT MUSIC, MEMORIES AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BL ACK KEYS. WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS

CONNOR PETERSON

The Black Keys’ newest album features north Mississippians Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton, pictured opposite, and Black Keys front men, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, above right.

new album by American blues rock band the Black Keys features north Mississippi musicians Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton.

“Delta Kream,” the Black Keys’ 10th album, came together in an accidental sort of way. Dan Auerbach, half of the Black Keys and also a producer, reached out to Brown and Deaton to play on a Robert Finley recording. An early finish to the initial task presented Auerbach with an opportunity and an idea: He’d get the other half of the Black Keys — Patrick Carney — into the studio as well, and the four would record an album of hill country music, including songs by late Mississippi bluesmen R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. Brown played guitar with Burnside for three decades; Deaton played guitar and bass for both Burnside and Kimbrough for much of the ’90s. The resulting hill country blues album contains a dozen covers, including two of Burnside’s and five of Kimbrough’s. It was recorded in Nashville and released through Easy Eye Sound and Nonesuch Records on May 14, 2021.

The Black Keys’ “Delta Kream” hill country blues album was released in May 2021.

“We made this record to honor the Mississippi hill country blues tradition that influenced us starting out,” Auerbach said. “These songs are still as important to us today as they were the first day Pat and I started playing together and picked up our instruments.” Burnside was born in rural Lafayette County in 1926. He died in 2005. Kimbrough hailed from Hudsonville, Mississippi, and died in 1998. His style of guitar playing was said to be a perfect example of hill country blues. For years, Kimbrough operated Junior’s Place, a famous juke joint in Chulahoma. Brown and Deaton, it could be said, studied at the stage of these Mississippi masters who were powerful influences on the two musicians from a younger generation. Brown was born in ’53 on an Air Force base in Selma, Alabama. He began playing with Burnside in 1971. Deaton was born in North Carolina but moved to Mississippi in 1994, directly out of high school. Deaton now lives in Oxford; Brown calls Potts Camp home.

INVITATION:

How did your inclusion on the Black Keys’ “Delta Kream” come about? KENNY: Eric called me and said they wanted me to come along to play on a Robert Finley recording. ERIC: Kenny and I were hired by Dan Auerbach to play on a session for Robert Finley’s newest record, “Sharecropper’s Son.” We were hired for three days, but we finished the work on Robert’s record in one day. Dan suggested that we call Patrick Carney to come in for the remaining two days and that we could play some tunes by Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside. That was how “Delta Kream” came to be. Continued on page 76 SEPTEMBER 202 1 | INVITATION

invitation:

In addition to R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, who are important musical influences? KENNY: Joe Callicutt, Johnny Woods, Fred McDowell, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters to name a few. It’s a very long list. Oh, and, of course, Elvis, Elmore James and I could go on and on. ERIC: T-Model Ford, Rev. John Wilkins, Paul “Wine” Jones, Big Bad Smitty, Jimbo Mathus, Guelel Kumba.

INVITATION:

Kenny, what’s one of your fondest memories of R.L.

Burnside? Again, there’s so many; it’s really hard to pick just one. We were friends and played together for 30 years and traveled most of the world. But family picnics and Mississippi juke joints would have to be some of the best times.

KENNY:

INVITATION:

Kenny Brown

Continued from page 75 invitation: Do you have a favorite song on the record and, if so, why is it your favorite? KENNY: I like pretty much all of them. ERIC: I have a different favorite each time I listen to it.

invitation: If you didn’t have a way to play it for someone who’d never heard it, how would you describe Mississippi Hill Country Blues? KENNY: It’s feel-good music. ERIC: Hill Country Blues is a lot more of a deep, hypnotic groove than the more typical 12-bar blues music you hear in the Delta.

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Eric, what’s one of your best memories of Junior Kimbrough? ERIC: Junior would often play his songs a lot longer at live shows than the recorded versions. I ended up with blisters on my fingers many times while playing bass with Junior. One night, he played the song “I’m In Love With You” for 38 minutes. A friend of mine timed it!

INVITATION: What’s next for each of you? What are you doing now musically? KENNY: I’ve got a couple of projects. I’m trying to get recorded in the near future. And, of course, I am still doing gigs, which are coming back now the COVID risk has declined some. ERIC: Live performance is finally becoming possible again. For the past few months, I’ve resumed playing shows. There’ll be more of that to come, including a festival in Switzerland that Kenny and I will be playing in early September, and a handful of shows we’ll be doing with the Black Keys in late September.

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Big

Dream

MEET THREE RECENT UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI GRADUATES WHO L ANDED JOBS WITH BIG-NAME COMPANIES. WRITTEN BY ABIGAIL NICHOLS ILLUSTRATED BY ESTHER SIT VER

fter enduring a global pandemic and conquering a tough job market, Eumetria Jones, Jay Smith and Cate Thompson have turned their dreams into reality with impressive first jobs for some pretty amazing companies. Each graduate attributes some of their current success to what they learned in the classroom; however, it took much more than textbooks, seminars and trips to the library. They also followed their hearts.

EUMETRIA JONES YETI Austin, TX

Eumetria Jones, 21, found her calling in the booming city of Austin, Texas, where she landed a job as a social media coordinator for Yeti. The Byhalia and Memphis native graduated in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in integrated marketing communications and a minor in general business and emphasis in public relations. Jones, who had her mind set on moving to Austin upon graduation, originally interviewed to be an intern for Yeti’s account

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team, and while that position didn’t pan out, something greater came from the experience. During her interview process, Jones fostered a friendship with a Yeti HR Business Talent Partner, who in turn mentored Jones. “She gave me the tools and knowledge to prepare for my future interviewing process,” Jones said. After eight grueling interviews with individuals all across the company, Jones landed the job. “I am the eyes and ears for the company,” Jones said. “I am the first person you are in contact with when reaching out to the company on social media, whether it be Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok, you are in touch with me, and I, in turn, express your thoughts, feelings, comments, etc., on to our senior leadership teams, our content creation team, brand teams and every team in between.” Her role doesn’t just keep her behind the screen. Since starting full time in May, while still finishing her undergraduate degree, Jones has attended photo shoots for Yeti content and has traveled to events including the 2021 GoPro Games in Vail, Colorado. There, she met consumers in person, helped with event setup and saw firsthand how consumers view and buy Yeti products. While Jones is loving her experience with Yeti, she also has future plans to attend law school, and then, one day, wants to start her own social media marketing firm. “I want to learn the corporate side of things from Yeti and then put it towards my own social media marketing firm,” Jones said. “I want to do something that challenges me, and I want to do it by working fully for myself.” Her advice for other new graduates looking to pursue their dreams? “Make connections and continue making new connections daily,” Jones advises. “Surround yourself with people you want to be — it could be mentors, leaders, millionaires, social media influencers — anyone. Position yourself and your mind by educating yourself to be the best version of yourself.”

jay smith

fox sportS Charlotte,NC Jay Smith, 24, went off to the races searching for a full-time job while earning his master’s degree in integrated marketing communications. The May 2021 graduate scored big time when he landed a job in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a production assistant for FOX Sports’ NASCAR division. Smith grew up commentating games for fun, from a game he was playing on his computer or video game console to a big game on TV. So, it wasn’t a big surprise when he decided to attend Clemson University, from which he graduated in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in sports communication. “Before attending Clemson, I wasn’t aware of just how many people comprise the back end of a production,” Smith said. “Sitting in a live control room and soaking it all in made me realize I wanted to do this for a career.” Today, the Lexington, South Carolina, native has a workweek unlike many others. With most NASCAR races taking place Friday through Sunday, Smith’s workload is the heaviest during the weekends. On top of the weekend races, he has almost daily responsibilities. “We also produce the daily NASCAR Racehub show out of our Charlotte studios,” Smith said. “So, we usually have at least one event every day of the week. I feel very comfortable under pressure,

and I thrive when deadlines are tight.” In the future, Smith’s goal is to become a producer or director — “the orchestra conductor for the entire show,” he said. But for now, he’s enjoying where he is. “If there was one thing I could tell my younger self, it is to be patient,” he said. “All of the hard work I poured in over the past eight years has led to this moment and this position at FOX.” Continued on page 80

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Continued from page 79

CATE THOMPSON

LEVEL GROUP LTD Nashville, TN Cate Thompson, 23, followed her passion all the way to The Music City where she signs, seals and delivers financial services for clients at music management company Level Group Ltd. The Nashville native graduated in May 2020 with a B.B.A. in business management with an emphasis in human resources and minors in psychology and entrepreneurship. Like many other young adults and college graduates, Thompson experienced obstacles when it came to the job market. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she faced hiring freezes, small job markets and the lack of need for entry-level positions. Still, upon graduation she was an events intern at Nashville International Center for

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Empowerment and worked part time at both ScholarshipAuditions.com as a research assistant and at United Apparel Liquidators as an E-Commerce assistant. Meanwhile, she continued her search for a full-time job. While Thompson’s childhood career dreams had changed from year to year, she always wanted to work with people and to be in business where she could use versatile skills in adaptive environments. At first, she thought she might find something in human resources; however, she kept coming back to her interests in the entertainment industry. So, she narrowed her search to job opportunities that would allow her to utilize the management skills she learned at Ole Miss and line up with her interests in performing arts and entertainment. Her hard work job searching finally paid off in late 2020, when she came across a post on LinkedIn for a position with Level Group Ltd. Thompson was soon hired as the new merchandise and royalties associate for the multi-service music business management firm. “I was at the right place at the right time,” Thompson said. “It really was a blessing, and I can’t thank you enough, LinkedIn!” In her role at Level, Thompson consults and creates projects for specialized clients. Her responsibilities include streamlining accounting processes and moving clients toward organizationally efficient systems for creating their payments. Thompson says she is happy to have found a healthy and collaborative culture at Level, and she loves the work that she does. While she hopes to continue to grow her career in the entertainment industry, she is taking time to enjoy where she is now. She advises her peers to do the same, even as they are job searching. “Focus on the present — be in the moment and enjoy where you are, not what is next,” she said. “If you focus solely on the destination, life will pass you by. Learn to enjoy and embrace the journey.”

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It’s In The Cards

A M OT H E R-DAU G H T E R D U O F O S T E R S FA M I LY, F R I E N D S H I P A N D F E L LOW S H I P T H R O U G H T H E I R C U S T O M -D E S I G N E D P L AY I N G C A R D S , C U P S A N D N A P K I N S . WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS

PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATIONS PROVIDED BY FOSTER

im and Frances Hackney have much more in common than a last name. Combined, they have creative gifts galore and a desire to share them with others. To them, encourage, nurture, enlighten, strengthen and cherish are more than mere words. They have an affinity for their home state of Texas and a mighty soft spot in their hearts for Ole Miss, where each graduated but on different dates. Kim and Frances put great emphasis on family and faith, and they share more than a smattering of DNA. The Hackneys are mother and daughter. They are also business partners and co-creators in their year-old company, Foster. Frances’ older sister and roommate, Foster, tries to say the

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business is named after her, Frances said. But Foster is their mom’s maiden name. The youngest of the Hackney sisters is 18-year-old Charlotte who’s an errand-running intern for Foster. The girls’ dad and Kim’s husband, Joel, is a big fan of the business. His wife also said “he’s the biggest fan of Ole Miss who didn’t go to Ole Miss.” “We wanted to start our business with a warm and welcoming name,” Kim said. “Foster brings up words like promote, encourage, include, fellowship, family — all things that mean a lot to us.” Kim is 53 and graduated from Ole Miss in 1990. During her four years in Oxford, she worked at Oxford Floral. Daughter Frances, 23, is a 2020 graduate whose ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About a year ago, Kim, an interior designer by profession, was searching for a new niche for her career. Frances was finishing up her degree in Integrated Marketing Communications with a specialization in Visual Design from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, with a double minor in business and art. She’d also spent a summer studying at the Pratt Institute in New York City. COVID had virtually shut down the world, but the mother-daughter duo opened their minds to come up with ideas for using their talents. In the brainstorming, the idea of playing cards surfaced. “My mom said, ‘What if you did your art on cards?’” Frances said. And the two set about to design a deck of playing cards embellished with paintings by Frances. Their beloved Oxford and Ole Miss became the subjects of their premiere

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project. The two sought ideas from the community and then chose 16 iconic images Frances would illustrate in living color and acrylic. Among the paintings are Rowan Oak, the Lyceum, the Grove on game day, Trash Can Friday and a dozen more. There is a campusthemed deck of cards as well as an Oxford-themed version. “We ordered 250 decks and sold out in two weeks,” Kim said. “The cards promote conversation. It’s like bringing a little piece of art into the palm of your hand.”

“And when a school officially licenses the playing cards, a portion of the proceeds returns to the school for scholarship fundings.” While the artistic part of Foster may be the most fun, there are other tasks involved. “There are so many details,” Frances said. “We do our own packaging and labeling; we get huge FedEx deliveries; and we have a backhouse in Tyler that’s overrun with cards, napkins and cups from where we do our shipping. “But the compliments from people on our products mean a lot. When we see the meaning in our products for others it makes it easy to get up and work each day.” Kim and Frances enjoy working together on Foster and say they rarely butt heads. But as much as they complement one another, the two Ole Miss graduates laud their old stomping grounds more. “Oxford and Ole Miss were truly a great foundation for us,” Kim said. “Our time there was such a great four years for both of us; the skills and education we received continue to be invaluable in Foster. God just really had a plan for our business, and I think we are living it out right now.”

"it's like bringing a little piece of art into the palm of your hand." It takes Kim 70 to 80 hours total to produce the art for a deck of cards, and the images are also found on paper napkins and cups. Provisions Oxford and Olive Juice, both in Oxford, carry Foster collegiate products. Missy Wilson, owner of Provisions, said so far the playing cards go in waves, but the cups and napkins sell quickly. “I don’t have a lot in the store for guys, but the guys love some playing cards,” she said. Olive Juice owner Erin Young has just marked 10 years for her business. “We love Foster products,” she said. “As soon as we put the cards on social media last year, we started having calls from people who wanted them. The cards are so unique. We also carry the cocktail napkins and cups. The artwork is great.” As word traveled about the Hackneys’ playing cards, it became clear they’d landed on something big. Other colleges wanted cards. With help from an attorney, the women formed an LLC (Limited Liability Company), studied up on licensing and tweaked their business plan. And they’ve discovered they have a winning hand with their custom playing cards that foster memories and friendship. They’ve designed and produced special card decks for a country club, weddings, other schools and a deck with 52 different images designed for the Rose Festival in Tyler, Texas. The two also created a Christmas line of cards, napkins and cups. “There’s just so much meaning behind the cards,” Kim said.

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JOE WORTHEM

- kim hackney

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SUMMER SUNSET SERIES PH OTO G R A PH E D BY C A I T LY N LO I ACO N O

The Summer Sunset Series returned to the Grove on Sunday afternoons in June, culminating June 27 with a live “Thacker Mountain Radio Hour” sponsored by the Ford Center and the Mississippi Arts Commission. 1

1. Martha Whitaker and Julia Dennis 2. Joanna Heidel, Janet Povall, Scottye Boone, Doug Vance, Susan Joiner and Sally Fitzpatrick 3. Shane and Lindsay King 4. Mark and Sarah Loftin 5. Reeves, Will, Palmer and Tiffany Moore 6. Kathryn McGraw and Kendall Hardy 7. Brooke Tutor and Mary Margaret Canfield

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S U M M E R S U N S E T continued

8. Jacob, Lucy and Eliza Schultze 9. Betty Cochran and Beverly Randle 10. Chris, Grisham and Ashlyn Glaze 11. Brittni and Lincoln Hancock

12. Sam, Amanda, Caroline and Anne Marie Blair 13. Allison and Caroline Denniston 14. Findley Beth, Ashton and Walt Werfel

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BUILDING BRIDGES PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

Building Bridges, an organized meeting for the Brittany Woods Subdivision in Oxford, was held Aug. 3 to focus on building a better relationship between the community, Oxford Ward 4 Alderwoman Kesha HowellAtkinson and Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen.

1. Joshua Shipp and Gwen King 2. Toni Avant, Greg Petti and Johnny Sossaman 3. Judis Hutchin and Kesha Howell Atkinson 4. David Misenhelter, Samya Green, Lilqen Green and Blake Horrow 5. Shane Fortner, Caleb East and Will Hollowell 6. Kinisha, Jacob and Cayden Fountain 7. Faith Salmon, X’Zavier Jones Jr. and Malique Antwone Nunnally Jr. 8. Jeff McCutchen and Susan Comer 9. Kaleb and Scott Norphet 10. Derrick Chandler and Tracy Waller

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OXFORD INAUGURATION PHOTOGRAPHED BY J.R. WILBANKS

On July 1, Oxford’s Mayor Robyn Tannehill and the board of aldermen were sworn in for a new term of office.

8 1. Georgia Bryant and Josh Patton 2. Carol Pringle, Donna Zampella and Shamekia Lowe 3. Megan, Aiden and Alaina Addy 4. Will Jenkins, Kate Kenwright and John Crawley 5. Jared Barkley and Sheridian Maiden 6. Donna Fisher, Greyson Driver and Marie Matthews 7. Charlie and Chelsea Winnick 8. Lucy and Judy Daniels 9. Rosie and Liza Fruge with Elizabeth Heiskell and Nicole Boyd

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WATERMELON CARNIVAL PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

Water Valley was the place to be the first weekend in August for the 51st celebration of the Watermelon Carnival. The twoday event included a street dance, live entertainment, food vendors, parades and much more. 1

8 1. Santricia, Samariya and Latricia Cauthern with Mario Miller and Patricia Grant 2. Misty, Conner and Chad Carson 3. Bella Scutti with Lillian and Maris Lindsey and Maggie Ward 4. Lee, Addysen, Lindsey and Ariel Milton 5. Caleb Buford, Jon Morton, Latricia Hattaway, Latoya Harris, Machelle Harris, Cameron Morgan and Arianna Hattaway 6. Tom and Hannah Meintasis 7. Andre and Missy Jones with Calvin Alford, Kegan Clark and Tyrus Pace Williams 8. Ella Ree, Farrah, Vivian and Molly Harwell 9. Patricia Hall, James Freeman, Ares Reed, Gladys Houston and Dezha Robinson 10. Penny and Bill Davenport 11. Gay Williamson and Neely Barton 12. Mylee Kayt Drummond and Leann Parrish

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WATERMELON

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L AFAYE T TE OPEN HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHED BY J.R. WILBANKS

Lafayette Elementary School hosted an open house Aug. 3, giving parents and students the opportunity to meet the teachers and staff before the official start of school.

1. DanEisha Phillips, Jaycee Ivy and Issac Dennis 2. Kenneth, Addie and Wyatt Akins 3. Aubrey Collins, Ayanna Mitchell and Joanna Collins 4. Nash, Natalie, Ava and Will Nelson 5. Beau Harris with Arianna and Audranna Zinn 6. Warren and Rileigh Jones 7. Nathan, Ford and Jennifer John 8. Arthur, Jon and Caroline Dean 9. John and Breanna Strout

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OUT & ABOUT S t . L e o’s 5t h A n n ive r sa r y C e le b rat io n

O x Fi l m B e g i n ne r s Fi l m C a m p

S a m Ke nd r ic k s O ly m p ic s S e nd - O f f Pa ra d e

1. Emily and Dan Blount 2. Hanna Teevan, Kinney Ferris and Nadia Thornton 3. Ariel Riley and Sydney Ray 4. Antonio Tarrell, Matt Wymer and Collin Surbeck 5. Kenadee Cornish, Deriah Toney and Lili James 6. Price Anderson 7. Sam and Marni Kendricks

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PICNIC IN THE PARK PHOTOGRAPHED BY LISA ROBERTS

A barbecue cook-off took place as part of the All-America City Family Picnic in the Park, which returned to Tupelo’s Ballard Park on July 3. Additionally, there was live music, including country singer/songwriter William Michael Morgan, and fireworks to celebrate Independence Day.

3. Edward and Michele Smith 4. CJ Doss and Keith Franklin 5. Nick Duncan and Anthony Rosson 6. Steve and Stanley Dabbs 7. Tanner Nance, Zach Clemons and Brianna Hall 8. Ray Shelton and Darrell Johnson 9. Jake Bennett, Sonny Norton, Garner Holcomb, Michael Moody, Marcus Merryman, Davis Lee and Bill Wardlow

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1. Keith Lindsey, with Tommy, Magean and Chris Kemp 2. Terry Brooks and Patrick Shook with Jacob and Kevin Beard

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SALTILLO STATE CHAMPS PHOTOGRAPHED BY LISA ROBERTS

Saltillo Main Street held a parade July 19 to celebrate state championship wins by the Guntown Middle School cheerleaders and the Saltillo High School baseball team, boys tennis team and girls cross country team, along with many other recent athletic and academic accomplishments.

1. Cade Teeple and Houston Walker 2. Saltillo High School Baseball Team 3. Lanie Conway with Annie Caroline and Sophia Crouch 4. Jantcen Woodard, Jude Counce, Gray Holland and Miles Beasley 5. Davis Claire Gable, Tommie Lee, Brantlee Lindsey and Mariah Morgan 6. Saltillo High School Dance Team

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PROS OF TOMORROW PHOTOGRAPHED BY LISA ROBERTS

Tupelo Country Club hosted the annual Pros of Tomorrow golf tournament July 12-13, for young golfers ages 9 to 18.

1. Bay McCarty, John Markow and Tuck Gutierrez 2. Claire Todd, Reese McNeer and Eliza Yelverton 3. Trice Rakestraw, Jack Herring and Batton Barber 4. Paige Gibson, Morgan Dabbs and Emma Coggin 5. Zack Overton, Will Thames, Easton Wamble and Conner Gee 6. Trey Blackard, Harris Renfroe, Harlan Yerger and Collin Russell 7. Hannah Hinckley, Emma Bulter, Sydney Epes and Gracie Bloom 8. Rivers Veaszey, Wesley Pippins, Grant Langford and John Mark Mills

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SLUGBURGER FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHED BY WHITNEY WORSHAM

The 34th annual Slugburger Festival took place in downtown Corinth July 8-10, with lots of fun, live music and food, including the festival’s famous burger.

1. Henry Huggins and Jon Worth Garrett 2. Hadley James, Lylah Cox and Spencer Kate James 3. Sadie Rhea and Charlie Staley 4. Rory, LeeLee, Dovie, Penn, Baker and Andi Kate Holley with Adelyn Mathis 5. Laura Beth, Collins, Alan and Ann Carrington Trapp 6. John Wyatt, Shay, Peyton, Johnna Blakelee and Hyvin Anderson 7. Bowlin and Bo Butler

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SLUGBURGER

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8. John, Martha and Betsy Butler 9. Aubrey and Anaya Crayton 10. Madeline, Pete and Susan Smith 11. Ellie Claire, Attie and ZB Alexander 12. Parker Gurley and Tate Rogers 13. Sarah Gail and Brent Lipford 14. Falon Crayton and Porcshia Wyke

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DOWN ON MAIN PHOTOGRAPHED BY LISA ROBERTS

Tupelo’s Downtown Main Street Association Down on Main Free Summer Concert Series returned July 30 with music by All in One and Mustache the Band.

1. Adam Braggs with Don and Donna Shumaker 2. Cyrus and Colton Morrow 3. Lydia Mills, Mary Kate Nelson, Rachel Shumaker and Ashley Minch 4. Victoria Sanders, Christy Stewart, Frank Anger, Leslie Geoghegan, Triana Stephens and Andi Nolen 5. Will, Aletha, Chad and Marley Mims 6. Cohen, Andy and Emily Lee

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“ B L I P P I T H E MU S I C A L” PHOTOGRAPHED BY LISA ROBERTS

“Blippi the Musical” drew a multi-age crowd to BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo on Aug. 4. The orange- and blue-clad character has taught millions of kids about colors, letters, numbers and so much more.

1. Aniston Luther with Denise, Lane and Brooke Tutor 2. McKinley and Chad Cregar 3. Lee and Easton Ferguson 4. Elijah and Rebekah Crenshaw 5. Sawyer James Hubbard and Lizzie Lockhart 6. Brittney, Henry, Mady and Clay Collins 7. Shassidy and Lynden Aydlott 8. Kayla and Creed Cantrell 9. April and Ella Poppenheima

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“BLIPPI”

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OUT & ABOUT Mo nt e s s o r i S c ho ol of Tup e lo G ol f Tou r n a me nt

Joh n C a ldwe l l B o ok S i g n i n g

R ic h a rd Mu r f f B o ok S i g n i n g

4 1. Drew Dobbs, Neal McCoy, Josh Robertson and Jonathan McCoy 2. Michael Green, Trey Griffin, Chad Porch and Larry Springer

3. Mark Hinton, Cole McCarty, Ronnie McCafferty and Jason Pellum 4. Chad McMahan, Bennett Mize, John Caldwell and Jeremy Martin 5. Kim Westhouse, Evelyn Quiej, Richard Murff and Lori Jones

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N E I G H B O R J IWO N

INTERVIEWED BY LESLIE CRISS

LE E

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

Q: What instruments do you play? A: I majored in flute and violin,

but I actually started on piano when I was 4 or 5. Of course, I played recorder and melodica in school, too, but I learned Gayageum, a Korean zither, because my parents wanted to make sure I could play a Korean instrument. Along with Gayageum, I learned Danso, a Korean flute, in school. Throughout college, I took various method courses where we had to learn different instruments to be able to teach students. I learned how to play oboe, trumpet, French horn, and percussion through these courses.

Were you a member of the marching band at Oxford High School? A: I was. I had no thoughts of joining the band, but the band director then, Mr. Len Killough, persuaded me every day during my orchestra class that marching band is fun and exciting. I told him I was not familiar with the concept other than military parade bands I watched growing up in Korea. He encouraged me to consider it, and I joined the band and played flute.

Q: What exactly did you do as drum major

usic’s been a part of Jiwon Lee’s life for as long as she can remember. Born in Daejeon, Korea, Jiwon became a resident of Oxford shortly after her birth when her parents left Korea to study at Ole Miss. After her father graduated, the family returned to Korea for a decade, moving back to Oxford when Jiwon entered ninth grade at Oxford High School. After graduation, she attended Ole Miss to study music. Her first two years, she played piccolo in the Pride of the South marching band; her final

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two years, she was the drum major. As a graduate student, Jiwon worked as graduate assistant for the band, continued to play in the Ole Miss Wind Ensemble and was principal flutist and violinist in the L-O-U Symphony. A lot of people might recognize Jiwon as the national anthem performer for Ole Miss Athletics. She graduated in May with a master’s degree in music education, violin and flute performance. She recently accepted a job as assistant band director at Homewood High School in Alabama.

for the Pride of the South marching band? A: The main responsibility of a drum major is conducting the marching band. Drum majors conduct on the field for pregame and halftime shows, and also in the stands while the football game is being played. Outside game day, drum majors conduct rehearsals and assist the directors when needed.

Why is the band’s presence important during a football game? A: I cannot imagine a football game without a band playing the fight song or stand tunes. Band really drives the game day atmosphere and engages fans on the next level.

Invitation Magazine - September 2021

Articles inside

Legacy Larger Than Life

Who is Ben Mintz?

Dream Big

The Black Keys

Over the Top Tailgating

Landing in Oxford

Sorority Row Renovations