CARLEIGH HARBIN
FEATURES
HOTTY TODDY WHO ARE WE? FLIM FLAM
48 Bring the Hype
With a locker room full of returning talent and a national playoff picture that offers more opportunity than ever, the Ole Miss football season is full of promise.
52 Vantage Point
Here’s your chance at a peek inside some of Ole Miss football’s most hallowed places.
60 Heart of a Lion
Beloved Ole Miss alum KD Hill deals in inspiration these days, finding purpose in helping others through his new foundation.
66 Robins Street Art Stroll
An idea to shed positive light on a downtown Tupelo neighborhood has morphed into a thriving arts festival.
72 Family & Football
Cali Prieskorn uses social media to share about her life as part of an Ole Miss football family.
80 Turn It Up
The Ole Miss Marching Band brings pageantry and spirit to the fans and the football field.
86 Making of Game Day
Thanks to strategic planning months in the making, Ole Miss always wins game day in the Grove.
90 Renting Oxford
With visitors flocking to town and seeking unique accommodations, the short-term rental market is thriving in Oxford.
LETTER from the PUBLISHER
Through the years, my father John Malone, who for 40 years taught and coached multiple high school sports, offered bits of advice. One he repeated often: “When you find something you do well and you like it, stick to it.”
His lesson, though a fairly simple one to understand, is also profound. In this world of myriad choices, I think my father’s advice likely resonates with persons of every age.
As I have thought about this edition of Invitation, I wondered about KD Hill. I bet he remembers the first time he realized he liked the game of football. The recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award in 2022, Hill saw his football career end after
a terrible truck accident. But with great courage, Hill has chosen a new path that involves helping and inspiring others. See his story on page 60.
In Paris in August, Oxford natives Sam Kendricks and Shelby McEwen each won a silver medal at the summer Olympics — Kendricks in pole vaulting; McEwen in high jumping. When I watched them receive their medals, I thought of my father’s advice. I’m glad these two Olympians found sports they love, because they certainly do them well. Find photos of their amazing accomplishments on page 30.
This season the Ole Miss football team is positioned to do some great things. While
the team efforts are crucial, it takes the contributions of others to have a successful, winning season, like fans, spirit squads, the band, folks who keep the facilities and campus pristine, and many more. We’ve highlighted many of these important people throughout this issue.
Here’s hoping for a fun and competitive season of football for Ole Miss. Are you ready?
RACHEL M. WEST,
PUBLISHER
Rachel with her dad
PUBLISHER
Rachel West
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Emily Welly
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Leslie Criss
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Eugene Stockstill
EVENTS EDITOR
Carleigh Harbin
FOOD EDITOR
Sarah Godwin
COPY EDITOR
Ashley Arthur
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Jennie Lee
OFFICE
BUSINESS MANAGER
Hollie Hilliard
DISTRIBUTION
Allen Baker
Brian Hilliard
MAIN OFFICE
662-234-4008
ART
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Holly Vollor
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Joe Worthem
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Rebekah Clayton
Austin Dillon
Lauren Kate Drewry
Carleigh Harbin
Sandip Rai
Lisa Roberts
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS
Frank Estrada
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ADVERTISING ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS
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ADVERTISING INFORMATION ads@invitationoxford.com
To subscribe to one year (10 issues) or to buy an announcement, visit invitationmag.com.
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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
COMING UP IN OUR
COMMUNITY
SEPTEMBER 2024
OXFORD
Thacker Mountain Radio
SEPTEMBER 5
Fantasy author Tobi Ogundiran (“In the Shadow of the Fall”), Memphis songwriter Mark Edgar Stuart and blues singer Peggy “Lady Trucker” Hemphill Lesueur headline the live season premiere of Thacker Mountain Radio. 6 p.m., the Powerhouse. thackermountain.com
Steve Augeri Concert
SEPTEMBER 12
Journey’s former lead vocalist performs in Oxford. Tickets $30-$60. 7:30 p.m., the Ford Center. fordcenter.org
OLE MISS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
September 7 | 3:15 p.m.
@ WAKE FOREST September 14 | 5:30 p.m.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN September 21 | 6:45 p.m.
KENTUCKY
September 28 | 11 a.m. HOMECOMING
“Arsenic and Old Lace”
SEPTEMBER 12-14
Oxford High School’s theater season starts with a play. Tickets available online. oxfordsd.org
Oxford Blues Festival
SEPTEMBER 13-14
Experience the blues. A portion of profits from the festival is donated to music education in Mississippi. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday, Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena. oxfordbluesfest.com
Mighty Roots Music Festival
SEPTEMBER 13-14
A family-friendly, dog-friendly, camperand RV-friendly music event with multiple stages, an art market and food trucks. The event takes place in Stovall, Mississippi, at historic Stovall Farms, the place where Muddy Waters grew up. See website for complete schedule and to access the festival’s 2024 Spotify playlist. mightyrootsfestival.com
Tailgate for Palmer
SEPTEMBER 14
An Ole Miss football watch party for a good cause. Watch Ole Miss take on Wake Forest on the big screen at the Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center. Tickets, $75, with proceeds benefiting Palmer House. Limited sponsorships also available. Doors open at 5 p.m.; kickoff 5:30 p.m. palmerhome.org/ole-miss-tailgate
Ole Miss Women’s Council Reunion
SEPTEMBER 20
Current OMWC scholars and their parents, alumni scholars and council members are
invited to the first OMWC Scholar and Alumni Reunion. 5:30-7 p.m., Memory House Patio. omwc.olemiss.edu
“The Barn”
SEPTEMBER 24
Author Wright Thompson presents his latest book, “The Barn,” an account of the murder of Emmett Till. Reserve a signed copy online. 5:30 p.m., Off Square Books. squarebooks.com
The Frontmen
SEPTEMBER 26
Three former lead singers — Larry Stewart (Restless Heart), Richie McDonald (Lonestar) and Tim Rushlow (Little Texas) — bring audiences ’90s country hits and their own new material. Tickets $30-$60. 7:30 p.m., the Ford Center. fordcenter.org
Camp Good Hope
OCTOBER 4-5
Camp Good Hope is a free overnight camp at Camp Hopewell for children ages 6-17 to process grief after experiencing the death of a loved one. To register (deadline Sept. 15), email campgoodhope@gmail.com. facebook.com/campgoodhope
“Layered Overlays”
SEPTEMBER 5-10
Artist Cecelia Mosely shows a colorful art exhibit, sponsored by Shawn and David Brevard. Opening reception, Sept. 6 from 5-7 p.m., Gumtree Museum of Art, Tupelo. gumtreemuseum.com
9/11 Stair Climb
SEPTEMBER 7
Organized by the Tupelo Firefighters Ladies Auxiliary, the eighth annual stair climb honors and remembers the fallen first responders from 9/11. Register online, $35. 9 a.m., Cadence Bank Arena, Tupelo. facebook.com/Tupelo911MemorialClimb
Gameday Charcuterie
SEPTEMBER 12
Learn to make the ultimate charcuterie
board for gameday in a class hosted by Tupelo’s CharCutie. Register online, $75. 6 p.m., 603 Clayton Ave., Tupelo. charcutie.online
KC and the Sunshine Band
SEPTEMBER 13
KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Party Zone” tour comes to Tupelo. Tickets start at $45. 8 p.m., Cadence Bank Arena, Tupelo. cb-arena.com
Pontotoc Bodock Festival
SEPTEMBER 13-14
Pontotoc’s 30th annual festival includes music headlined by Chapel Hart, food vendors, Tour de Bodock bike ride, and more for the whole family. Pontotoc. facebook.com/BodockFestival
Robins Street Art Stroll
SEPTEMBER 14
As many as 70 artists from the region take
part in this growing annual arts festival. Read all about it on page 66. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Robins Street, Tupelo. facebook.com/RobinsStreetArtStroll
Alcorn County Fair
SEPTEMBER 19-21
Find live music, livestock shows, car show, pageant, cheer competition, carnival and more at the Alcorn County Fair. Schedule and ticket information available online. Crossroads Arena, Corinth. thealcorncountyfair.com
“You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown”
SEPTEMBER 26-28
Tupelo Community Theatre stages the musical “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.” Tickets, $25 adults; $10 students. 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, TCT Off Broadway, Tupelo. tctlyric.com
SHOUTOUTS
Mississippi Athletes Proud of Olympic Participation
Late July and early August saw the dreams of hundreds of athletes from all over the world come true when they converged on Paris, France, for the 2024 Olympics. Around 20 proud Mississippi athletes competed, either for Team USA or as part of another nation’s Olympic team. Those competing in Paris included:
SAM KENDRICKS - SILVER
OXFORD AND OLE MISS | TEAM USA
TRACK & FIELD, MEN’S POLE VAULT
Kendricks won the silver medal in the pole vault. This was his second Olympics; he earned a bronze medal in 2016. A COVID-19 diagnosis kept Kendricks from competing in Tokyo in 2021.
SHELBY MCEWEN - SILVER
ABBEVILLE AND OLE MISS | TEAM USA
TRACK & FIELD, MEN’S HIGH JUMP
A first-team All-American at Ole Miss, McEwen, who also competed in 2021, won silver.
RAFAELLE SOUZA - SILVER
OLE MISS | TEAM BRAZIL
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Souza is a 2014 graduate of Ole Miss, where she set scoring records on the soccer team. This was her third Olympics. Team Brazil won silver.
ANDERSON PETERS - BRONZE
MISSISSIPPI STATE | TEAM GRENADA
TRACK & FIELD, MEN’S JAVELIN
Peters won the bronze medal in javelin for Team Grenada. He also competed in 2021 in Tokyo.
MARCO AROP - SILVER
MISSISSIPPI STATE | TEAM CANADA
TRACK & FIELD, 800-METER RACE
This was Arop’s second Olympics, and he took home silver. Last year, he won the 2023 World Athletics Championship in the 800m race.
DEVIN BOOKER - GOLD
MOSS POINT | TEAM USA
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Phoenix Suns point guard was part of the gold medal-winning Team USA. He was also part of the team in Tokyo in 2021.
MCKENZIE LONG
OLE MISS | TEAM USA
TRACK & FIELD, 200-METER DASH
Long, the first person to represent Ole Miss in the women’s 200-meter dash, finished seventh.
RAVEN SAUNDERS
OLE MISS | TEAM USA
TRACK & FIELD, WOMEN’S SHOT PUT
In a third Olympic appearance, Saunders placed 11th in shot put. Saunders won silver in 2021 in Tokyo and placed fifth in 2016 in Rio.
Other Mississippians competing in Paris included:
SHU OHBA
OLE MISS | TEAM JAPAN | WOMEN’S SOCCER
MARIO GARCIA ROMO
OLE MISS | TEAM SPAIN TRACK & FIELD, 1500-METER RACE
SINTAYEHU VISSA
OLE MISS | TEAM ITALY TRACK & FIELD, 1500-METER RACE
CURTIS THOMPSON
MISSISSIPPI STATE | TEAM USA
TRACK & FIELD, MEN’S JAVELIN
NAVASKY ANDERSON
MISSISSIPPI STATE | TEAM JAMAICA TRACK & FIELD, 800-METER RACE
NUNO BORGES
MISSISSIPPI STATE | TEAM PORTUGAL TENNIS, MEN’S SINGLES AND DOUBLES
LEE EPPIE
MISSISSIPPI STATE | TEAM BOTSWANA TRACK & FIELD, 4X400-METER RELAY
ILANA IZQUIERDO
MISSISSIPPI STATE | TEAM COLOMBIA WOMEN’S SOCCER
CATALINA PEREZ
MISSISSIPPI STATE | TEAM COLOMBIA
WOMEN’S SOCCER
AHLANA SMITH
MISSISSIPPI STATE | TEAM PUERTO RICO
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BARNABAS AGGERH
WILLIAM CAREY | TEAM GHANA TRACK & FIELD, 4X100-METER RELAY
OLE MISS ATHLETICS
Sam Kendricks
SHOUTOUTS
Monte Kiffin Remembered as Coaching Legend
As legacies go, Monte Kiffin leaves behind one that won’t be forgotten. Especially by fans of football nationwide.
Kiffin, the father of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, died in Oxford on July 11 at the age of 84.
His nearly 60-year coaching career included time spent at seven universities and eight NFL teams. It all began when he was a graduate assistant with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was defensive coordinator for the Arkansas Razorbacks before becoming head coach at North Carolina State.
For 13 seasons, Kiffin was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and also coached with the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys.
In 2009, he returned to collegiate football as defensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee, working on his son’s staff.
Since son Lane became head coach at Ole Miss in 2020, Kiffin worked with the Ole Miss Rebels as an analyst.
RESTAURANT NEWS
Good Day Cafe
NEW LOCATION
766 N. LAMAR BLVD., OXFORD
In a new and bigger space, Good Day Cafe boasts a large outdoor dining space. Open for lunch from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and for brunch from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. 662-638-3048, gooddayoxford.com
Velvet Ditch Coffee
COMING SOON
1316 N. LAMAR BLVD., OXFORD
The specialty coffee roaster is preparing to open a coffee shop in a renovated home on North Lamar. The coffee shop is expected to open in 2025.
662-259-0609, velvetditchcoffee.com
Vine Bottle Shop
NOW OPEN
707 N. LAMAR BLVD., OXFORD
An interesting selection of wines is available now at this new wine shop, open inside Chicory Market. 662-380-6158, instagram.com/vine_bottleshop
Connie’s Chicken
NOW OPEN
2622 JACKSON AVE. WEST, OXFORD
Tupelo’s iconic Connie’s Chicken has expanded with a brand new Oxford location. A third location also recently opened in West Point. 662-380-5106, connieschicken.com
7Brew Coffee
COMING SOON
UNIVERSITY & SOUTH 17TH, OXFORD
The national chain will build and open a drive-thru location in Oxford. Originating in Arkansas, there are more than 250 7Brew locations around the country. 479-358-9274, 7brew.com
Good Day Cafe
Vine Bottle Shop
FANTASY Football Food
FAVORITE SOUTHERN INGREDIENTS COME TO LIFE IN THESE ORIGINAL RECIPES.
RECIPES BY SARAH GODWIN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
Feast your eyes on two staples of fall: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and mouthwatering Southern tailgating food. To be clear, this setting is pure fantasy: outside food is not normally allowed in the stadium. Invitation Magazines was granted exclusive access to bring our readers this exciting juxtaposition. From caramel to cornbread to slider sandwiches, these recipes will be a welcome addition to any fall tailgate spread. Enjoy them at home or in the Grove this fall.
SPIKED Cherry LIMEADE
1 ¼ cups tart cherry juice
1 ¾ cups limeade
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
¼ cup simple syrup
1 ¼ cups vodka
Ice
Prosecco
Fresh cherries, to garnish
Lime slices, to garnish
Combine juices, syrup and vodka in a pitcher, and stir. Pour over ice into glasses, and top with prosecco. Garnish with lime slice and a cherry.
ON LOCATION
Special thanks to the Premium Services department of the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation for providing the luxurious location for this photo shoot. Note: These are original recipes and not available for purchase inside the stadium. No outside food or drink is permitted anywhere inside the stadium.
Thanks to Olive Juice for providing these Rebel cups, champagne bottle "Party in the Sip" label and the Ole Missthemed accessories featured in these photos.
ITALIAN Sub SLIDERS
12 Hawaiian rolls
½ pound shaved ham
12 slices salami
12 slices pepperoni
12 slices provolone cheese, divided
1/3 cup jarred roasted red bell pepper strips
1/3 cup sliced peperoncini peppers
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ cup marinara sauce, for dipping
Preheat oven to 350°F. Halve rolls, and place bottoms in a large glass baking dish. Layer ham, salami, pepperoni and half of provolone on bottom of rolls in baking dish. Top with peppers, remaining provolone, and tops of rolls. Stir together butter, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, and brush on top of the sandwiches. Cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce.
Continued on page 40
EDAMAME and CORN SALAD with HONEY-LIME DRESSING
1 cup uncooked quinoa
½ cup olive oil
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring water to boil. Add quinoa, boil for two minutes, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Zest of 1 lime
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen edamame, shelled and steamed
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn, steamed
While quinoa cooks, whisk together oil, honey, garlic powder, salt, lime zest and lime juice in a large bowl. Add quinoa, edamame and corn, and toss to combine. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight before serving chilled.
FROZEN Mango MARGARITA
3 cups frozen mango chunks
3 ounces silver tequila
1 ½ ounces Cointreau
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
3-4 handfuls ice
Chile-lime seasoning (such as Tajin), to garnish
Lime slices, to garnish
Add mango, tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and ice to a blender, and process until smooth. Sprinkle chile-lime seasoning on a plate. Wet rims of each glass, and roll in seasoning. Pour mango mixture evenly into glasses and garnish with lime slices.
STICKY Chicken WINGS
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
3-3 1/2 pounds chicken party wings
STICKY SAUCE
1 teaspoon avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
5 tablespoons soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped scallions, to garnish
Preheat oven to 325°F. Stir together salt, pepper, garlic powder and baking powder in a large bowl; add chicken wings, and toss until evenly and lightly coated. Place chicken wings in a single layer on a rack on a baking sheet. Bake on lowest oven rack for 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 425°F, and transfer chicken to top oven rack. Bake until golden, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly.
While wings cool, combine the Sticky Sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until sauce has reduced slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Let sauce cool slightly. Toss chicken wings with sauce, and garnish with chopped scallions.
Continued on page 42
1 cup cottage cheese
4 large eggs
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup whole milk
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 boxes cornbread mix (such as Jiffy)
1 (12-ounce) package frozen broccoli
1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cottage cheese, eggs, butter, milk, cayenne and onion powder. Whisk to combine. Stir in cornbread mix. Roughly chop frozen broccoli, and add to cornbread mix mixture. Add cheddar, and stir to combine. Grease a 9x13 baking dish, and add cornbread mix. Bake in preheated oven until golden and no longer jiggly, 35 to 40 minutes.
Salted CARAMEL BLONDIES
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt until smooth and all lumps are gone. Add eggs, and stir until loosely combined. Add ¼ cup of the caramel sauce, and stir until loosely combined. Add butter, and fold until mixture is well combined. This may
½ cup caramel sauce, divided
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup white chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, to taste
take a few minutes, but it will come together. Stir in the white chocolate chips. Transfer batter to a greased 9-inch square glass baking dish. Drizzle with remaining ¼ cup caramel sauce, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt to taste. Bake until blondies are no longer jiggly in the center, about 30 minutes.
ON POTTERY
Local artist Shelby Toole created the pottery featured with some of these recipes. Toole sells her work at art shows and venues including Caron Gallery in Tupelo. She also has an Etsy shop.
Hotty Toddy
FROM A FOOTBALL CHANT TO FRIENDLY GREETING, THE BELOVED CHEER HAS BEEN 100 YEARS IN THE MAKING.
WRITTEN BY EMILY WELLY
“Hotty Toddy.” In Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the battle cry kicks off every football game.
“You can feel the excitement and then simply enjoy the moment as our fans respond to the question,” said Langston Rogers, special assistant to the athletics director. “It’s a rich tradition that brings us together and is a source of pride for all who love Ole Miss.”
More about the Hotty Toddy on pages 59 and 79.
Bring the Hype
WITH A LOCKER ROOM FULL OF RETURNING TALENT AND A NATIONAL PLAYOFF PICTURE THAT OFFERS MORE OPPORTUNITY THAN EVER TO HIGHLY RANKED TEAMS, THE OLE MISS FOOTBALL SEASON IS FULL OF PROMISE.
WRITTEN BY EUGENE STOCKSTILL | ILLUSTRATED BY FRANK ESTRADA
For those who live for game days in Oxford, a college town that has one of the premier collectives in the country and a team that finished last season ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25, there is a lot to love about the prospects of the upcoming season. Following the school’s first 11-win season in its history, multiple preseason polls have Ole Miss as one of the 10 best teams in the country.
“There’s a lot of buzz,” said Keith Carter, Ole Miss’ athletic director. “This year we seem to have an opportunity for our program to have a really special year … This is exactly what (Coach Kiffin) and I talked about, and here we are today.”
The excitement is not just coming from within. Here’s what ESPN analyst Greg McElroy had to say about it all on his “Always College Football” YouTube show:
“I think (defensive coordinator) Pete Golding is an excellent defensive mind. He has his best contingent of talent by a mile this year since arriving in Oxford a few
years ago. So, very optimistic about what the defense is going to be, which is why … many people think (Ole Miss is) a dark horse national championship contender, and rightfully so. They gotta stay healthy ... But they definitely have the pieces that you would want moving forward into the 2024 season.”
Quarterback Jaxson Dart, whose name surfaces during Heisman Trophy speculations, is back. So are wide receiver Tre Harris and tight end Caden Prieskorn. Add to that the incoming wideout Deion Smith (Holmes Community College), receiver Juice Wells (South Carolina), defensive end Princely Umanmielen (Florida) and defensive tackle Walter Nolen (Texas A&M), who made EA Sports College Football 25’s Top 100 players, and you get a sense that lots will be happening on the field.
“The collection of the players and the depth is what’s exciting,” Carter said. “I think you’ve got to give a ton of credit to Coach Kiffin. He’s entering his fifth
year. He’s done a great job of building our program. We feel like we can compete with the big boys.”
When it comes to competing, college sports are big business these days. The two most significant changes in recent years: NIL (that stands for “name, image and likeness”), which allows players to cash in on their star status as college student-athletes, as well as an online trade portal that lets students transfer with relative ease to a new school.
As a result of these shifts, spectacular running back Quinshon Judkins left Oxford to play with Ohio State this year, a grassroots example of how challenging it has become to compete in football at the national level.
“Quinshon’s a great player, there’s no doubt about it. He had two great seasons for us,” Carter said, but he was quick to add that Kiffin and his coaching staff have worked hard to respond. “With the offense that we run, we’ll have an opportunity.”
Kiffin and Carter have both gone on the record about their problems with the
"many people think (OLE MISS IS) a dark horse national championship contender, and rightfully so."
-KEITH CARTER OLE MISS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
financial end of college athletics, but the school seems to have adjusted well.
“Coach Kiffin is pretty vocal, and I’m the same way. We don’t love the system. It needs refining,” Carter said, but “so far, it’s really helped us build our roster.”
Two other big changes that Ole Miss has no control over will affect this college football season: the SEC has added two teams and will no longer have east and west divisions; and a revamped national playoff format is likely to amp up the competitive edge even more.
Carter says those changes should give Ole Miss football fans plenty to cheer about.
“I’m excited for Texas and Oklahoma to come into the league,” Carter said. “It’s fun for student-athletes. It’s fun for the fans. It solidifies the SEC as one of the top conferences in the country.”
The Oklahoma Sooners are coming off a 10-3 season that ended with a loss to Arizona in the Alamo Bowl. Ole Miss will play Oklahoma in Oxford on Oct. 26. The Texas Longhorns, who were 12-2 and
finished first in the Big 12 Conference, lost to No. 2 Washington in the Sugar Bowl, costing them a chance to play in the national championship game.
With the new additions, the SEC boasts 16 teams. This year, rather than play for eastern and western division championships, all 16 teams will hope to be among the top two that play in the SEC championship game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta.
The winner of SEC championship (and possibly other ranked SEC teams) will go on to play in the national playoff bracket, which now starts off with 12 top teams. Here’s how it will work: the top five ranked conference champions will be selected to compete, along with the top seven at-large teams. The top four conference champions will receive first-round byes. Bracket play will begin Dec. 20-21 with the first round of four games for the teams ranked No. 5-No. 12. Each of those games is to be played at the campus of the highest seeded team. After round one, the eight remaining teams will play quarterfinal games in the Fiesta, Peach,
Rose and Sugar Bowls on Dec. 31-Jan. 1. The final four teams will play in the semifinals (the Orange and Cotton Bowls) on Jan. 9-10. Finally, the National Championship game will take place Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
“Expansion to 12 … it gives the season a lot more life … and gives them something to play for. I think that’s really good for
college football,” Carter said.
So how are Ole Miss players coping with all the hype as the pressure mounts around the high expectations for the season? The answer may surprise you a bit.
“All the guys are playing pickleball,” Carter said, even Kiffin. “They’ve really gotten into it.”
"all the guys are playing pickleball. they've really gotten into it"
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE AT A PEEK INSIDE SOME OF OLE MISS FOOTBALL’S MOST HALLOWED PLACES.
WRITTEN BY EUGENE STOCKSTILL | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
olivia and archie manning athletics performance center
luxury suites
Athletic Director Suite
The Ole Miss M-Club. A luxury suite inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center.
“It’s no accident that of all the monuments left of the Greco-Roman culture, the biggest is the ballpark, the Colosseum, the Yankee Stadium of ancient times,” the great sportswriter Red Smith once wrote.
Wonder if the same will be true 1,000 years from now about these majestic structures at the University of Mississippi?
Next to the stadium is what Ole Miss considers the crown jewel of its athletics compound: the Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center, pictured on page 52-53. Lane Kiffin hailed it as state-ofthe-art when it reopened last year.
Renovated to the tune of $45.7 million, the upgraded training facility and fitness center added around 40,000 square feet of space and a new extra-large weight room, among other things. The center also has a full-size football field with artificial turf and ringed by a running track.
The new locker room is 9,000 square feet, and though it has not lost the sparkle of newness yet, it already has that lived-in feel that comes with high-level athletes making final mental preparations before a game.
Sorry, none of it is open to the general public, folks.
Pictured at left is perhaps the most private vantage point from which to watch a game: one of the 89 luxury suites inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
“This, in my opinion, is the best view,” said Catherine Adkins, assistant director for development for the foundation. She
A south end zone suite in Vaught-Hemingway.
the m-club
was standing inside Athletic Director Keith Carter’s luxury suite at the top of the football stadium. It is situated at about the 50-yard line and at least two stories above ground. With windows closed, noise is kept to a minimum, she said. With windows opened, sounds of the game are still not all that loud. But yes, you can see just about everything from this height.
Suites accommodate anywhere from 12 to 22 people. The bigger ones look like tiny furnished apartments. The suites on the south end of the stadium run $45,000 a year, according to Nicky Spades, sales manager for the foundation. That price includes food and accommodations. BYOB, though, is the current policy. Those who pay for a suite have the option of selling standing-roomonly tickets, too. Talk about a party.
Thinking of shelling out a few bucks for your very own box? Don’t hold your breath. The waitlist is several hundred names long.
You may be more likely to someday step inside the fabled M-Club, pictured. One website describes it like this: “The M-Club at the University of Mississippi provides a platform for letter-winners to maintain relationships across different sports, generations and geographical locations. It allows them to remain actively involved in Ole Miss athletics. (The club) hosts events like the hall of fame banquet, where outstanding athletes are recognized for their contributions to Ole Miss sports history.”
The M-Club, in other words, is for athletic divinity and those closest to them. It was the brainchild of Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame inductee Langston Rogers. The director of the place is Jessica Lynch. The space almost seems to let the dear-departed heroes of a bygone age breathe the free air of this world once again.
History lives in every last corner, with trophies, plaques, game balls and historic documents all over the place. One whole cabinet is dedicated to all things Archie Manning, of course, and includes an old photo of him in the days when he played baseball, too.
The M-Club is available for private reservations but is reserved only for athletes and other higher-ups during a game day.
Where the Hotty Toddy cheer came from is a bit of a mystery.
Some say it originated from Virginia Tech’s Regimental Band, which became known as the Highty-Tighties in 1919. It’s also been reported the cheer is similar to cavalry chants popular among WWII soldiers. And of course, some presume the cheer is a nod to the hotty toddy drink.
According to Ole Miss, the earliest known reference appeared in “The Mississippian” on Nov. 19, 1926. It was a suggested cheer to be used during the next day’s football game:
“Heighty! Tighty! Gosh A Mighty! Who in the h—l are we? Rim! Ram! Flim! Flam! Ole Miss, by D—n!”
Hotty Toddy History
Heart of a Lion
BELOVED OLE MISS ALUM KD HILL DEALS IN INSPIRATION THESE DAYS, FINDING PURPOSE IN HELPING OTHERS THROUGH HIS NEWLY FORMED FOUNDATION.
WRITTEN BY EUGENE STOCKSTILL | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
Ka’Darian “KD” Hill has found a new path. The former Ole Miss defensive lineman, who bounced back from a horrific truck accident and transformed into a philanthropist and motivational speaker, at times sounds more like a traveling evangelist than a former football player.
He spends his days taking care of his family, raising money for charity and speaking to churches and civic organizations. In short, doing what he can to make the world a better place.
“I think about legacy, I think about leaving a footprint wherever I go,” Hill said. “If it had been about football, I wouldn’t have walked a step (after the wreck).”
A native of Troy, Alabama, Hill graduated from Eufaula High School in Alabama with multiple letters and multiple football offers from schools throughout the country. He received a verbal offer from Florida State when he was in the eighth grade. Yes, you read that right.
Before he graduated though, Hill made a verbal commitment to Ole Miss, something former Ole Miss coach Hugh
Freeze predicted he would do.
Hill called Freeze from Jasper, Alabama, not long after the interview to say he was coming to Oxford. When other offers started pouring in, a saying of his mother’s played in his head.
“‘If you’re going to be a man, you’ve got to be a man of your word,’” he recalled.
Hill left his mark at Ole Miss. He won the Chucky Mullins Courage Award for courageous spirit in 2022, had been drafted by the XFL’s Orlando Guardians and was hoping for a spot with the Buffalo Bills or the New York Jets in the NFL when a truck crash in July of 2023 shattered his right leg.
Hill described the wreck and aftermath during an interview with JZ Media:
“The state trooper arrived on the scene, and the first thing I said was, ‘Hold my hand and let’s pray.’ Not once did I cry. I stayed calm, and I laid my head on the steering wheel. Not once did I think of my future at that time, but in that moment, I knew that my career was over, because as I felt my leg and looked down, I knew what was going on … Five hours trapped in the truck, leg smashed, two blood transfusions on the scene, most people go into shock, most people die on the scene … I watched the surgeon drive in, lean over me and say, ‘Are you ready to get out of this truck.’ I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ That’s all I said. The moment they said amputate the leg, I said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Seven surgeries at UAB Hospital in Birmingham could not save Hills’ leg. You might assume that someone who had wanted to play pro ball his entire life would have given up when he realized that dream was over. You would be dead wrong.
“There was no low point. I bounced back immediately. I knew that if I was still here, God wasn’t finished with me,” he said. “I didn’t have to go through rehab.”
Raised by his mother and his grandparents, Hill peppers his speaking with so many biblical allusions that you wonder if he ever considered ordination credentials in the African Methodist Episcopal denomination in which he was raised. Indeed, he centered on his faith while he was hospitalized in Birmingham.
Continued on page 64
As the Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner, KD Hill wore Mullins’ No. 38 in the 2022 season.
“After my surgery, I would be preaching the word of God, while I was going through what I was going through,” he said.
Hill, who has long had a heart for those less fortunate — he spent his college years playing with the children at the Oxford Housing Authority and helping feed the hungry — now has another mission: the KD Hill Foundation.
“My foundation is all about giving back to the community and most of all, giving a blessing instead of receiving a blessing,” Hill said.
As a part of that, Hill, who lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama, came back to Oxford in mid-July for KD’s Fun Day at Avent Park. Food, games, music and face painting were a big part of the event, but Hill said the main inspiration was local people in need. “To let the underprivileged know that they are not alone,” he said.
Small wonder, isn’t it, that Ole Miss saw fit to give the Chucky Mullins award to Hill a year before an epic catastrophe that might have been the end of some folks?
“I didn’t let my accident dictate to me, I dictated to my accident,” Hill said. “The impossible is possible.”
Donations to the KD Hill Foundation can be sent through PayPal to Info@ TheKDHill.com. Follow KD Hill on Facebook, on Instagram @thekdhill, and on X @grindkd_55.
NEVER QUIT
A NEW ENDOWMENT OFFERS ASSISTANCE TO INJURED STUDENT ATHLETES
The Trenia Amelia Reynolds “Never Quit” Student Athlete Relief Endowment was started earlier this year by Reynolds’ family. Reynolds, an Ole Miss alum, who became quadriplegic after a car accident in 2015, was long inspired by Chucky Mullins and his legacy. After Reynolds died in 2023, her family started the fund to help student-
athletes dealing with tragic circumstances such as career-ending injuries. Student athletes like KD Hill. To make a gift to the endowment, call 662-915-7159 or mail a check to the University of Mississippi Foundation, with the fund’s name noted in the memo line, to 406 University Ave., Oxford MS 38655.
Robins Street Art Stroll
AN IDEA TO SHED POSITIVE LIGHT ON A DOWNTOWN TUPELO NEIGHBORHOOD HAS MORPHED INTO A THRIVING ARTS FESTIVAL.
WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
Elizabeth Owen and Tim Kinard of OK Clay
Laura Harrison
Jennifer Meadows
In 2016, a group of neighbors sat around the dining table in the Tupelo home of Marty Brown, at that time the president of Historic Downtown Tupelo Neighborhood Association.
“We wanted to do something to showcase our neighborhood,” Brown said. “The trees, the homes, the people.”
That meeting led to an annual neighborhood arts festival on Robins Street in Tupelo. Now known as the Robins Street Art Stroll, the festival was initially called Mimosas and Masterpieces. Showcasing the neighborhood was not the only goal.
“There are a lot of artists in the neighborhood and downtown,” said Susan McGukin, who along with Chris Grimes, takes charge of the art stroll these days. “We wanted to support our local artists.”
The first year, the art stroll guardians promoted the event through social media and by word of mouth. There were no fees for artists to participate. About 40 showed up with their crafts and art in 2016. Each year has seen more participation from artists who now come from all over the state and also from Alabama, Tennessee and Indiana.
“Last year, we had about 50 artists,” Grimes said. “This year we will have about 70.”
This year’s festival is slated for Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
As the art stroll has grown, great art isn’t the only offering on this Saturday in September. Live music has been added; Talbot House’s cinnamon rolls will be available for breakfast, and G-Spot and C.H.O.P. food trucks will be on hand for lunch; alcohol is a draw for some; and a
JENNIFER MEADOWS
OK CLAY
silent auction is a huge hit of the day, with art donated by many participating artists.
And this year, the footprint of the stroll is expanding. While it has always been spread out on both sides of the 400 block of Robins Street, this September, the stroll will increase by an additional half block to accommodate more artists.
Among the art available this year will be glass sculptures, woodwork, pottery, metal work, jewelry, watercolor, sea glass wind chimes and much more.
Jennifer Meadows, a mixed-media artist from Tupelo, has been a part of every art stroll since its inception. She even postponed a planned trip to participate this year.
An employee of the Tupelo School District, Meadows works in the Fine Arts and Grants department. As part of her work, she attends arts conferences, and one was scheduled for the same weekend as this year’s art stroll.
“I couldn’t miss it,” she said. “So, I decided to not attend this conference and be part of the Robins Street Art Stroll again.”
Meadows enjoys making all manner of things. “I don’t enjoy making the same thing twice,” she said.
She likes using found objects in her pieces or book pages. She’s probably best known for her rock birds which she attaches to branches from her yard.
“I make hundreds of the rock birds a year,” she said. “I also have been doing a lot with fun, sassy quotes. I do watercolor and gel printing.”
Meadows has always been interested in art and bright bold colors. When she was a child, she was fixated on the color of her M&Ms.
“I’d separate the candies into colors and eat them by color,” she said, laughing. “I was always fascinated by the colors of the rainbow we learned in school. I liked to eat my M&Ms in the natural flow of colors of the rainbow.”
Perhaps Meadows’ proudest moment from her very first art stroll was receiving a Best of Show award.
“There’s just something about Robins Street,” she said. “It has its own little character with the trees and jazzy music. It’s
LAura Harrison
grown exponentially since 2016, and it’s one of the happiest days of the year for me.”
OK Clay is married couple Elizabeth Owen and Tim Kinard. She’s originally from Saltillo; he’s from Texas. The two met at William Carey College. Kinard was working on a fine arts degree in sculpture; Owen was working on her degree in painting and drawing. They are the parents of 9-year-old daughter Hollis and 7-year-old son Scout.
Laura Harrison will return this year with her paper art and mixed-media. An Amory native, Harrison has lived in Tupelo five years. An OB-GYN physician by profession, Harrison found she had accumulated a lot of magazines and newspapers while preparing for her wedding.
“I just sort of had a wild hair and started tearing bits of paper and basically making a collage,” she said.
Her first piece was a portrait of Elvis.
Last year was Harrison’s first time to participate in an arts festival, thanks to encouragement from her mother, an art major. Not only did Harrison find the art stroll fun, she also had a successful day. Out of 22 framed originals, she sold 15, in addition to some prints she’d had made.
“The weather was perfect, the people were encouraging and supportive, and it was so good to know some of the people my pieces went home with,” she said. “I am looking forward to this year. It’s exciting to see such a variety of artists.”
Family & Football
Football
CALI PRIESKORN USES SOCIAL MEDIA TO SHARE ABOUT LIFE AS PART OF AN OLE MISS FOOTBALL FAMILY.
WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY CALI PRIESKORN
WWhen Cali and Caden Prieskorn met at the University of Memphis, there was an instant connection. Caden, a Michigan native, came to Memphis as a quarterback walk-on. Football officials took one look and told him he should play tight end.
“So, he shape-shifted to tight end,” Cali said, laughing.
The two were together whenever football and classes allowed the time. Cali,
a native Memphian, and Caden, and infant son Mac, moved to Oxford when Caden transferred to Ole Miss for football. The two became engaged, married in July 2023 and are now the parents of 3-year-old Mac and 3-month-old daughter Romy.
Last November, Cali began posting videos on TikTok and later Instagram of baby Mac and her husband’s football games.
“One of the first videos I made was to show friends how cute Mac looked in his
Halloween costume as a dog,” she said. “I had no idea anyone would be interested, but it went viral.”
She has gone from about 80,000 followers to almost 400,000 today. Visitors to her pages see monumental family moments and also get a peek into the family’s daily life: She’s done videos of Caden’s evening Dad routine, including bath time, feeding his kids, getting them ready for bed and tucking them in. Continued on page 74
This will be Caden’s final season of Ole Miss football — he is expected to soon declare for the NFL draft.
No matter where the Prieskorn family ends up, Cali plans to continue her social media contributions.
“I want to branch out, still doing family things, but also more about life and motherhood and raising two kids,” she said. “I never in a million years imagined there would be this much interest.”
Invitation: Give us a brief history from when you and Caden met until now.
Cali: Caden and I met in September 2019. He was a quarterback who had just walked onto the University of Memphis Tigers football team as a tight end. We instantly had a huge spark between us. Our son, Mac, was born in 2021. And the next year, Caden had a great year on the field and decided to enter the transfer portal. He looked at a few schools, but ultimately Ole Miss was the one that felt true to home. We moved to Oxford in February, got engaged in April and then married in July. Caden’s dad had been diagnosed with stage four colon cancer,
and it was extremely important to us that his dad be able to be at our wedding, and we are so thankful that we could make that happen. It was definitely a night we will always cherish. We were excited to expand our family and found out I was pregnant a few months later. We welcomed our daughter into the world in May 2024!
Invitation: How do you balance motherhood and family with Caden’s football schedule?
Cali: Caden and I really balance each other out well. While he is away a lot for practice and meetings and such, I’ve been fortunate enough to work from home and stay with the kids. Caden does his best to take care of things on the field, and I do my best to take care of things at home, and every day when he gets home, we try to spend the time that we have together as a family. Not being together every moment really makes our time together more valuable.
Invitation: When did you know football would be central to your lives? Were you a football fan before you met Caden?
Cali: When Caden and I met, we spent many of our weekends watching football together, and he was always quizzing me on the positions and players. I had been to a ton of football games, but it was just never something that I fully understood.
For as long as I’ve known Caden, he’s known football, and he has always been the hardest worker. He’s one of the first ones there and the last one to leave … always putting in the extra work even outside of practice, and that’s something very admirable about him. There are so many instances where I know he would love to be home with the kids, but I know that everything he is doing, he’s doing for us. Even when he was a walk-on who didn’t touch the field, you could just see the incredible ambition and drive he had for the sport. Not everyone has the determination that he has been blessed with.
Going to the NFL has always been a dream of his, but he is incredibly humble, so in previous years, if you had asked him what he wanted to do after college football, he would’ve told you he wanted to be a coach. Long term that is still a goal of his, but now,
OLE MISS ATHLETICS
to see his dream of going to the NFL being so close, all you can do is be proud of him and all the hard work he’s put in these few years.
Invitation: What is it like to be part of the Ole Miss football family?
Cali: The Ole Miss football family is incredible. Oxford, as a whole, is just unlike any place I’ve ever been. It truly is a Hallmark town. We were welcomed with open arms from the moment we visited, and since we’ve been here, so many people have taken interest in Caden’s journey with football and our journey as a family through social media. I truly don’t think words adequately justify how much the people in this town mean to us.
Invitation: What are you most looking forward to this football season?
Cali: This season, I’m really looking forward to taking our kids to the games. Every day that Caden is at football, he’s working to be the best version of himself on game days, and how rewarding is it for him to have his children in the stands, cheering him on. Our son has really taken an interest in the football games and truly just gets so excited to see his dad down there on the field. We have a tradition where Mac and Caden share a “lucky bump” before each game, and
I’m so excited to incorporate our daughter into that tradition as well.
Invitation: You have a lot of followers on social media. What do you hope people learn or take away from your posts?
Cali: A lot of people have started to keep up with Caden’s football journey and our journey as a family. I love being able to share somewhat of an inside scoop of what it looks like for Caden to be a husband and father, while also never giving up on his dream. I feel like so many people feel like they are held back from their dream or put
their life on pause when they have kids, and I feel like my page is a reminder that you can introduce your children to the things you love, and there is nothing more enjoyable than doing the things you love to do with your children by your side.
My platform has also allowed me to give back to the community. There was a time in my life where I didn’t have anything, so to be able to be in a position to give back is something that I could’ve never dreamed of for myself. And somehow, despite any other accomplishment, giving back will always be the greatest one.
OLE MISS ATHLETICS
Caden Prieskorn was named the Offensive MVP for the 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
The Hotty Toddy cheer has evolved as it’s been passed down through the generations. Nearly 100 years since it seems to have originated, it now starts with “Are You Ready?,” a question that blasts out from the jumbotron on game day. Ole Miss fans yell back with a resounding rendition of the beloved cheer.
Today, “Hotty Toddy” is also a much more personal greeting for fellow fans.
“I always wear an Ole Miss shirt whenever I travel for various meetings,” said Langston Rogers, special assistant to the athletic director. “I can’t count the number of times I’ve had people see our logo and respond with a ‘Hotty Toddy.’ I just can’t count the times.”
Hotty Toddy Today
TURN IT UP
THE OLE MISS MARCHING BAND BRINGS PAGEANTRY AND SPIRIT TO THE FANS AND THE FOOTBALL FIELD.
WRITTEN BY EUGENE STOCKSTILL PHOTOGRAPHED BY CARLEIGH HARBIN
IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE.
NOW, IMAGINE THAT MOVIE WITHOUT A SOUNDTRACK. “JAWS” AND “STAR WARS” WOULD NEVER HAVE HIT THE BIG-TIME WITHOUT JOHN WILLIAMS’ MUSIC.
THE SAME APPLIES TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL.
“There is much more to college football than just the game of football,” Randy Dale, director of athletic bands at the university, said. “There is so much pageantry that surrounds the game, and the band is a big part of that. The atmosphere at a college football game is unlike anything else.”
Dale, who attended Ole Miss and was in the band in the late 1990s, has been on the band staff since 2010. He became the director in 2018.
The Ole Miss Marching Band came into existence in 1928. Today, the Ole Miss band has 328 members. They begin preparing for the football season in August before classes begin, spending a week and half in three 2½-hour rehearsals per day held in the music building and at their outdoor practice facility. “We work extremely hard to prepare for football season,” Dale said.
“There is incredible power in music,” Dale said. “It can absolutely bring people together. We like to think that we are the center of game day spirit, and we play a huge role in connecting fans to the game.”
With that in mind, we caught up with a few student-musicians to get their thoughts on the part they play during the season: drum major Paola Sofia Euyoque, from Philadelphia, Mississippi; trumpeter Alex Maria Hidalgo from Marietta, Mississippi; and section leader Ella Kate Nichols from Thaxton, Mississippi.
In the Broadway show “The Music Man,” a school band changes the attitude of a whole town. Based on these responses, the energy a marching band brings to football season is capable of the same.
Here’s what the students had to say.
Invitation: What are the various feelings that come with preparing for and taking part in an upcoming season?
Hidalgo: “Going into my first year in the Ole Miss band this past year was one of the most exhilarating times of my life. I had grown up as an Ole Miss fan and dreamed of one day being a member in the marching band. Every moment preparing our marching shows for the crowd was so adrenalinepumping, knowing we would soon be in Vaught-Hemingway stadium with so many fans cheering us on. The atmosphere as you’re standing on the sideline waiting to take the field while all the fans are yelling is so immensely thrilling. The atmosphere in the Vaught while being in the Ole Miss band truthfully is one of a kind.”
Invitation: What do you feel like you contribute to the game on the field?
Euyoque: “I really believe that the band elevates the overall game day experience and boosts positive game day morale, particularly when we play ‘Rock and Roll’ and the whole stadium chants the ‘Hotty Toddy’ chant. The feeling of thousands of people chanting together, or when everyone says ‘we are Ole Miss!’ in the fourth quarter: (That) creates an overwhelming wave of positive energy.”
Invitation: What do you do to prepare before the school year starts?
Nichols: “While preparations take place all summer, the Ole Miss band has a two-week full band preparation with extra days built
in for color guard, drumline, leadership and new members. These preparations include anything from printing music and cleaning instruments to uniforming our marking style and learning music and drill. We practice long hours, but the results are worth it. The product we create is one we are proud of and love to share with our community.”
Invitation: What’s the hardest part of being in the band? Why?
Nichols: “Saying goodbye to graduating members is the hardest part of being in band. The Ole Miss band is a family. We celebrate each other’s victories and cry when another hurts. When it is time for a family member to go their own way, we are saddened by their leaving yet excited for their future.”
Invitation: How does the weather, especially the summer heat, impact the experience of being part of the band?
Hidalgo: “The toughest part of being in the band is the weather. With the weather, you feel like you’re cooking while marching outside on the turf in the August heat. On the other hand, the bowl games are freezing, and you’re constantly searching for the slightest bit of warmth in any way.”
Invitation: What’s your favorite part of being in the band? Why?
Euyoque: “My favorite part of being in the band is the friends and relationships you make along the way. They quickly become your family without you even realizing it. I am a music education major, planning for a future as a band director. Knowing that some of the members of the band will one day be my colleagues is just amazing. Being in the band at Ole Miss is one of the greatest and quickest ways to get involved on campus, so if anyone has the opportunity to join, they should.” Continued on page 84
We’ve Got
Spirit
THE BAND ISN’T ALONE IN HYPING UP FOOTBALL FANS ON GAME DAY. THE OLE MISS REBELETTES AND THE CHEER TEAMS ARE ALSO INTEGRAL PARTS OF THE EXPERIENCE.
Don’t think we forgot about the spirit squads! We asked Rachel Levetzow, director of Ole Miss’ athletic spirit groups and head coach of the Rebelettes, for a primer on the schools’ teams. Here’s what she told us:
• Three teams make up the Ole Miss spirit squads: the Rebelettes (29 dancers); coed cheer (28 members); and all-girl cheer (35 members). They are all part of the university’s athletic department.
All three groups host an intense summer clinic in July for students from middle school to college.
• All the teams have a short weekend practice in June and 8 to 10 days of practice in July.
• All three teams participate at the football games. Cheer teams are also at volleyball games, with the Rebelettes performing at some volleyball games. All three teams rotate through the basketball season’s games.
The Rebelettes, now dancers, were first twirlers and part of the band.
• Practice schedules are intense. Rebelettes: 4-7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 4-6 p.m. Thursday-Friday, plus weightlifting two mornings a week; All-girl cheer: 1-3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, with weightlifting two mornings a week; Co-ed cheer: 3-5 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, Friday, with weightlifting two mornings a week.
All three squads have placed first or second in national competitions in recent years.
• A few fun facts about the Rebelettes: Sara Beth Martin’s grandmother was a Rebelette; Ashley Duke is training to be a pilot; Sophia Berman’s first language is Spanish; Alexa Beaty’s father coaches wide receivers at Florida Atlantic University.
• Fun facts from the cheerleaders: J.D. Hanbery has a piloting license and solo flying hours; the co-ed cheer team includes twins Caroline and Courtlynn Coats.
• Other fun facts: 65 members of the spirit squads made at least one honor roll last spring semester; the coordinator of the spirit squads, Skylar Casey, and her husband were both members of the co-ed cheer team.
Making of Game Day
Fans from all corners of Mississippi spend months making their tailgate plans. On game day, it all comes together. Students, vendors, alums, families with children of all ages, curious visitors, and more all spend the day celebrating in style under the trees before cheering on the Rebels in the Vaught. That is the allure of the Grove.
It may feel effortless once you arrive, but the work to manage the universitysized football crowds begins months before football season kicks off.
“We started planning after baseball season,” Jamaal Rhodes, assistant director of event management operations for the university, said.
Rhodes, along with Neal Mead, associate athletics director for event management, and Sam Patterson, director of parking and transportation, are the three principals in an ongoing process of planning and performance that involves all sorts of university, city and federal officials.
Together, they are responsible for planning, organizing and executing home athletic events, including security, parking, transportation, vendors, operations in the Grove and other places outside the stadium. By Aug. 1, the plans are set. “We have to make sure we’re in lockstep with our partners,” Mead said, especially since weekly game day traffic exceeds the 64,038 seating capacity of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. With extra-large expectations for this year’s team, expect that to be truer than ever.
Here’s what the days leading up to a home game look like:
MONDAY-THURSDAY:
Meetings, meetings and more meetings to review and coordinate plans for parking, the Grove, the stadium, post-game traffic and more. Discussions are with everyone from FBI agents to coaches and staff from visiting schools to emergency management technicians, local police and the city of Oxford. Signs start to go up around campus on Thursday, a process that takes two days to complete.
FRIDAY:
Final adjustments are made, including verifying all equipment and signs, handling parking pass requests, welcoming dignitaries, securing TV trucks, sending emergency action plans to security and police.
2-4 p.m. Friday: Initial game day setup by registered student organizations and vendors takes place.
6:30 p.m. Friday: The Grove and The Circle close.
7 p.m. Friday: The Grove and The Circle reopen for vendors and fans to set up tents and decorations.
SATURDAY:
Game day. Final preparations are made, and parking lots open as early as 7 a.m. to the public. “If we’ve done our job, we’re sitting and waiting for people to arrive,” Mead said.
Lucky for us fans, the meticulous preplanning by these game day superintendents makes every football weekend in Oxford a nearly seamless experience. Our No. 1 job as fans? Plan ahead.
“Know where you’re going to park,” Mead said. “Traffic starts to get congested three to four hours prior to game time. If you’re planning on tailgating, don’t think you’re going to come on game day and get a spot. You’ve got to plan.”
For the most up-to-date info on parking, tailgating and all other game day matters, visit olemissgameday.com.
Renting Oxford Renting Oxford
WITH VISITORS FLOCKING TO TOWN AND SEEKING UNIQUE ACCOMMODATIONS, THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL MARKET IS THRIVING IN OXFORD.
WRITTEN
BY
EMILY WELLY | PHOTOGRAPHED
BY
JOE WORTHEM
slohouse the slohouse
Awinning football team and a student body that’s growing exponentially has led to entirely new business creation and growth in Oxford. Case in point: the short-term rental market.
A“It’s the wild, wild west,” said Ashley Freeman, who manages a multitude of short-term rentals through her business Velvet Ditch Villas.
Freeman has seen massive changes in the market since she started in the business, which she didn’t really intend to enter in the first place. She was teaching tennis to kids and had just purchased a home when a divorce in 2014 led her to look for ways to make supplemental income. She decided to put her home on Airbnb, which was new to Oxford at the time, and then used the earnings from it to build a cottage on the side of the house in 2017. The Cottage at Sweet Lucy Farm became the primary rental unit.
But Freeman’s business is much bigger than that. Primarily these days, she is a cohost through her Velvet Ditch Villas business. Private people own second homes or investment properties that they want rented out, and they hire Velvet Ditch to make it happen. Freeman’s growing business mimics the short-term rental market itself which has exploded in Oxford.
She says that about three years ago there were 700-800 units available for rent in
Oxford. That number has tripled. Increased inventory has driven down prices, creating a very competitive market.
Additionally, while football season is the busiest of times — Freeman says revenues triple in September, October and November — occupancy rates stay pretty high all year round these days. She attributes that primarily to more students at Ole Miss, which means more orientations and more people coming to town to attend them, plus surges throughout baseball season and during Double Decker weekend.
For success, rental units must stand out from the crowd.
Lee Ann and Mark Etter attempt just that for their SLOhouse rental property. The Etters, who live in San Luis Obispo, California, first bought a property in Oxford when two of their children decided to attend Ole Miss. The home is close to the Square and a two-minute walk to Oxford favorites like Big Bad Breakfast, Volta, Good Day Cafe, Chicory Market, Snack Bar and Jinsei.
“We believe what sets our short-term vacation rental property apart from others is not only the location but also the elevated experience of staying at our home,” Lee Ann Etter said. A local designer (Allyson Duckworth from Pearly Peacock Design) helped with the home design, which reflects the Etters’ rural and coastal California roots. Specific details like Fornasetti wallpaper
hutt the hutt
in the powder room and higher-end Saatva mattresses for all the bedrooms were important to the Etters.
“Our whole focus was that it would be a place that anyone visiting Oxford could walk into and feel like they were staying in a home that felt like a luxurious comfortable escape with all the necessary amenities while enjoying all that Oxford has to offer, from the university’s sports to all of the city’s cultural events,” she said.
According to Freeman, the Etters are doing the right things to make their property stand out from the competition.
The No. 1 priority is location. In Oxford that means proximity to the Square and campus. “If you’re outside that two mile radius, you’ll miss out,” Freeman said.
Additionally, details like unique furnishings and decor, focal walls, pops of color, even accessory pillows, can make a unit stand out. Amenities that offer something more than just a place to sleep are also important: a pool, a gym, charging stations — all make a difference.
Most importantly when it comes to marketing a property, all of the things that make the rental stand out need to be captured in professional photos.
“Guests are looking for experiences,” Freeman said. “They want to live through your photos.”
Another rental property that maximizes
on prime location and unique decor is The Hutt, owner Kelly Parrish’s first foray into short-term rentals. Parrish owns a children’s store in Southaven, and her whimsical style with funky artwork, colorful wallpaper and other fun accents fits the unique property perfectly. “Whimsical is kind of my fun outlet,” Parrish said. “I am hoping that our eclectic hut brings a sense of joy, whimsy and wonder to everyone that visits.”
Parrish purchased the property after her son transferred to Ole Miss, recognizing that it would give him a place to live and could later be listed as an Airbnb. An Ole Miss alum herself, she wanted to share her love for Oxford with others.
“Oxford has a unique way of bringing a sense of ease to me,” she said. “I worked to make sure that all the things I love most about the feeling in Oxford are represented in our hut.”
Freeman handles the marketing and advertising for her clients. She has the professional photos taken, creates the listing, and boosts it on Airbnb, Vrbo and her own direct booking site. She has an eight-person cleaning staff for cleaning before and after stays, a full-time handyman who handles everything from replacing TVs to water leaks, a full-time bookkeeper to provide owners’ reports.
Especially because of how competitive the market is, the business also requires
investment in sophisticated tools to stay on pace with the evolving market. For example, revenue managers track market activity to make sure prices are where they need to be and virtual assistants manage messages and communicate with clients and guests 24/7.
For Linda Lewis Raney, who owns four rental units located on her own 160-acre country property plus two duplexes in town, having a property manager with expertise in these areas is essential.
According to Raney, just getting her listings to come forward in potential renter’s searches can be difficult without some knowledge of algorithms used by short-term rental platforms.
“I know that my rental manager gets so much more exposure for the properties than I can eek out,” Raney said.
Raney began renting properties by turning a wing of her home into a rental with a separate entrance. She called it The Empty Nest. A few years later, she built an architect-designed and sited three bedroomthree bathroom guest house across the driveway from her home: The Nest Egg. She has since renovated two other buildings (a garden shed and a barn) into rental units.
Raney takes real joy in sharing her property in the country with her guests.
“I have never found the right collection of words in my marketing blurbs that explain how special this place is,” she said.
“I hire great professional photographers but my most common comment is, ‘Your photos are great but they don’t do it justice.’ I get the most beautiful and eloquent reviews written online and in our guest books. I’ve had people almost cry to me about how spiritual this place is, how restorative their stay was. I’ve had two guests, one living in Northern California and one from Memphis, who stayed here a few months and decided to move to Oxford/Lafayette County.”
Knowing the kind of impact providing a perfect stay can have on a guest is a primary motivator for Freeman, too, and it’s also what she believes leads to real success is this constantly evolving business.
“Align your heart to service,” she said. “This is our mission field, this is how we serve. How can we service these people to the best of our ability? What can we give? Think about that first, rather than how much money you can make,” she said. “I love to serve in this capacity and to help other people.”
nest egg the nest egg
WING FESTIVAL
The second annual Wing Festival was held at Fairpark in downtown Tupelo May 31-June 2.
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
1. Shamiyah Hamilton, Shatyah Moore and Kahliah Waters
2. Carmen and Marcus Gray with Asia Shumpert
3. Chef Mook and Natalie Boyd
4. John Cayson, Erica Bonds and Adaya DePriest 5. Marcie Jerighan and Elbert Lawson 6. Tabitha Walker with Nichole and Tony Harris 7. Toreaka White and Shannon Hogue
JUNE BUG FESTIVAL
The Mississippi June Bugs Literary and Musical Society hosted its fifth annual gathering at the Tupelo Cotton Mill on June 1.
Annette Bobo and Ginger Howell
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION
The Juneteenth Freedom Celebration was held at Gumtree Park June 15. The celebration featured vendors, a barbecue cook-off, music, a kids zone and more.
1. Brandon Stevens and Leroy Gunn
2. Gerald Washington, Erick Blanchard, Reno Hall, John Foster, Roberts Tucker, Patrick Shelly, Paul Richardson, Tobias Lyles and James Mabry
3. Jaceon Williams and Jamarian Jergian
4. Jacqueline Braham Wadw, Paislee Armstrong and Bridget Lee
5. Jalanya, Jarrett and ZeKea Brown
6. Jan Smith and Daphne Wallace
7. I’Esha Bowen, Pat Shaw, Scuba Young and Ambitious Ryder
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
ELVIS FESTIVAL
The Elvis Festival, which celebrates the life of Elvis Presley, took place June 6-9. The Tupelo Elvis Presley Fan Club hosts the event to preserve and promote Elvis Presley’s music, movies and works. It also celebrates Tupelo as his birthplace.
1. Ashlynn Cockrun and Hunter Cole
2. Mary Burnett, Mary Clark, Sophia Johnson and Marie Trotta
3. Clayton, Patrick and Robbie Conroy
4. Christa Ernold and Keely Combs
5. Cody and Hailie Mardis
6. Julie Wright and Roy Turner
7. Kathi Schwomeyer, Connie Arnell and Donna Schreider
8. Mararita Lamas, Rodolfo Ramirez and Lulu’ Hernandez
9. Morris McCain repainting Elvis
10. Cathy Monaghan, Romona Edge and Linda Collins
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
ELVIS FESTIVAL
JURASSIC QUEST
urassic Quest, a walk-through event for all ages featuring lifelike animatronic dinosaurs, took place June 28-30 at Cadence Bank Arena. 1.
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
Dustin and Kailyn Flanigan
Lane and Tori Cockern
Link and Barron Dudley
Tatum Young
Hadley and Myra Mitchell
Layton Moody, Reyne Babbitt and Natalie Salley
John Daniel and Gracie Gilliand
UNION COUNTY FAIR
The Union County Fair and Livestock Show took place July 1113 at the New Albany Fairgrounds.
6. Kylor Marlin and Sarah Smith with Scout
7. Joseph, Charlie, Nora, Abi Grace and Jude Strevel with Grace Yant and Lily Sacran
PHOTOS BY LISA ROBERTS
1. Belinda Burke and Maggie
2. Grayden and Saylor Kirk, Jon and Jackson McGaha
3. Colby Goode and Marianne Lindsey
4. Gabe Rhea, Madie Willard and Lily Voyles
5. Idgie Hill with Mouse
OUT & ABOUT
Ralph Wade Bruce Scholarship
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
1. Frank Bensieck, Tyler Cook, Clint Berthay, Wesley Roberts, Ryan Berthay, Will Morgan
2. Staci Bevill, Terri Stewart, Amber Beane, Lisa Hawkins, Aiden and Mary Ray, Molly Strawn
3. Mike and Bailey Shepperd and Sarah and Justin Washington
4. Sam Agnew, Candace Hunt, Richard Tucker, Brad Lieb, Greg Burks and Brad Miller
5. Doug Nabors, La Donna Brown and Brady Davis
6. Ben Burrell with Brian and Sue Steger
7. Carter Naughter, Carolyn Brownson, Casey Shackelford and Bob Spencer
8. Katie Coon, Carmen Gary, Ashley Quimby, Stephane Adams, Mary Morgan Burks and Christy Carroll
9. Kim and Chris Root
Chickasaw Heritage Center Ground Breaking
HALL OF FAMER PATRICK WILLIS
IN AUGUST, LINEBACKER PATRICK WILLIS BECAME THE THIRD OLE MISS REBEL TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME.
WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY LESLIE CRISS | PHOTOGRAPHS CONTRIBUTED BY OLE MISS ATHLETICS
In early August, seven football legends became forever a part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. One of those seven, Patrick Willis, made a name for himself not only in professional football but also during his college career as an Ole Miss Rebel.
In his Hall of Fame speech in Canton on Aug. 3, he recalled the moments and influences in his life that guided him on his football journey, culminating with his eightyear career with the San Francisco 49ers. “It’s not necessarily how long you play but how impactful you are,” he said.
A multitalented defensive player at Ole Miss from 2003 to 2006, Willis is only the third Ole Miss Rebel to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with Bruiser Kinard, who played for Ole Miss 1935-38 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1970, and Gene Hickerson, who played for Ole Miss 1955-57 and was inducted in 2007.
“IT'S NOT NECESSARILY HOW LONG YOU PLAY BUT HOW IMPACTFUL YOU ARE.”
— Patrick Willis
During his time at Ole Miss, Willis won the Butkus Award and the Lambert Trophy as the nation’s best linebacker. He was twice a Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year. In 2006, Willis received the Conerly Trophy as the best college player in Mississippi, and he was awarded the Chucky Mullins Courage Award. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
A native of Bruceton, Tennessee, Willis left Ole Miss and became the 11th overall pick — and first linebacker chosen — in the 2007 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. In his rookie season, he started in every game. He played his entire professional
football career for the 49ers. After eight years, he retired after an injury. His 49ers career is peppered with honors and awards. Among them, he was chosen to be part of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s, won the Bill Walsh Award as the 49ers’ most valuable player and was a fivetime Associated Press first-team All-Pro.
Willis was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame five consecutive years.
Patrick Willis received many awards and accolades during his college career at Ole Miss (2003-2006) and his professional career with the San Francisco 49ers (2007-2015).
