Oxford September 1, 2016 by Journal Inc

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Thursday, September 1, 2016

Inside 4 News

Barlow feels at home with her OUS family

7 Lifestyle

LAUREN WOOD | BUY AT PHOTOS.DJOURNAL.COM

In just two weeks, Ole Miss will host Alabama again in football. With a larger stadium capacity, and both teams ranked highly, this year's game is expected to draw even more fans to a town that always has to watch how and where people park.

Are We Ready? Parking will be at a premium again for OM games BY JOHN DAVIS OXFORD CITIZEN

As Ole Miss fans map out where they are going to park for the season opener in Orlando, Florida, city and university officials are mapping out how to accommodate an expected record amount of fans attending home games this season. The home opener for the 2016 season is just over a week away. And by the time the

No. 11 Rebels conclude their battle with the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles, kickoff at the new-look Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will be just five days away. Jimmy Allgood is the Emergency Management Director for the City of Oxford. For those familiar with his role, especially as it relates to Double Decker, anything and everything involving traffic, parking and crowd logistics is something Allgood helps study, and plan for.

BJ Barham to perform at Larry's

10 Sports

Football game season is serious business, especially from a transportation standpoint. When a game ends, the city works in conjunction with the university to help get people off campus. There are a few tweaks in regards to the shuttle service that the city provides. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are still using the high school and Northwest Community College, but the TURN TO PARKING PAGE 5

Marquee Matchup: OM-FSU highlight first weekend of college football

OXFORD CITIZEN

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Leapfrog to hold open house at new location and volunteers would meet in whatever church, community center or other communal spaces had a free room. This was difficult from not only an operational standpoint, but it also prevented the implementation of permanent classroom materials like books that could be left in the room, informative wall displays and white boards that could be used however the program needed. “We’ve had so many people excited about the new location and want to come see it,” said Adams. “We’re going to open up all the rooms and have one room set up where we will be showcasing the new reading curriculum that we’ll begin using this year. We want to be able to show off our space and where the kids will be. By time of the open house, we’ll have had kids here for a few days, so everything will feel a little more lived in.” The Oxford School District has given Leapfrog a

BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

After school tutoring and enrichment service Leapfrog will be opening their new location to be toured by parents, students and community members this month. The program has a 25-year history of serving elementary school students in the Oxford and Lafayette School Districts, and will now be holding their classes in the Oxford School District’s Central Office–Washington Location. Being held on September 15, the open house will feature a ribbon cutting and tour of the facility. The new offices, located directly across from Oxford Intermediate School, adjacent to the Scott Center, allow the students, volunteers and Director Teresa Adams to gather in one location. Previously, the program operated out of different locations in the community. The students

The new curriculum being implemented will be focusing on helping the kids in the program excel in reading. The program is moving away from Leapfrog’s old one-on-one strategy and towards more of a small group setting in which the instructor will be guiding the students to build each other up as they learn using the new method. “Marion McBride from the Barksdale Reading Institute has been working with our volunteers this year for training to make sure they all understand the new curriculum,” Adams said. “It’s a very in depth and scripted method, and I feel like educators in the community would be interested in coming to see what we will be doing with it during the open house.” Volunteers for the program are all students at the University of Mississippi.

CHANING GREEN

Leapfrog Director Teresa Adams stands in the room that will serve as the library and media room in Leapfrogs new location within the Oxford School District. total of seven rooms to use for their program. That number includes Adams’ spacious office that was converted from a classroom. The room has a refrigerator and snack area

for the kids, playful artwork on the walls, cubbyholes full of organized supplies, big chairs and two large whiteboards covered in notes. There are a few large classrooms for

instructional time and a room filled with books and a few tables that will function as the library and media room. Laptops for the room were donated by FNC.

TURN TO LEAPFROG PAGE 5

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Lafayette administration mourns the loss of LMS student BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

The Lafayette County School District is mourning the loss of a local student who was killed in a car accident over the weekend. Sunday night around 6, on County Road 100, Lafayette Middle School student, 14-year-old Walker Atkinson, was killed in a one-vehicle car crash. Lafayette Superintendent Adam Pugh said the district’s primary focus right now is on grieving and being there for the students, staff and faculty during this time. Pugh was in church Sunday night when he first got word of the accident. He then spent the remainder of the evening on the phone to make sure that counselors and local clergy would be available to come to the school in order to speak with students and faculty who wished to talk to someone. "I don’t know if there is a right way or a wrong way to deal with this other than doing nothing at all; that would be wrong,” Pugh said. “We just want to meet the needs of the students the best we possibly can. There’s no cookie cutter model that you can use in

situations like these. We’re just trying to see the needs of the students and meet them the best that we can." This is not the first time Pugh has dealt with the death of a student as superintendent. He said that students, especially younger ones, facing their own mortality is always a heartbreaking thing witness. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time we as a district have had to deal with a situation like this, though I sincerely hope it’s the last,” he said. “Each of these situations is different. This is one of those things they don’t teach you how to deal with in school. Again, there’s no set model for us to use in a when something like this happens. We’re just going to use our best judgment and meet the needs of our students at this time.” Pugh did not know Walker very well, but said that the loss of any young person in the community, especially one in the district, is a very difficult thing to deal with. “My heart just breaks for Walker’s family,” the superintendent said. “They’re going through something I can’t even imagine. I have an eighth grader

COURTESY OF WALLER FUNERAL HOME

Walker Atkinson myself. Personally, when I found out, it hit me hard in the stomach. He was the same age as my child. Everyone is grieving right now. We’re just taking it day by day to see what everyone needs.” Chad Chism is head principal at LMS. He remembers Atkinson as a happy kid who was well loved by everyone in at the school. “I have been here for a year, just started my second year this month, so there are certainly people here that know him better than I do,” Chism said Mon-

day morning. “When I think of Walker, I know that he was always a happy-go-lucky guy. The one thing I will always remember about Walker is that no matter where I saw him or when I saw him or what he was doing, Walker was going to have a smile on his face. He was a kid who, as can be obviously seen by the pain that our student body is experiencing right now, was a kid who is loved throughout this building and the district.” Hollie Odum works the front desk for Lafayette Middle School. Since Monday morning, she has been checking in counselors and clergy members who have come to speak with students. She also handled the students who came to the office looking for someone to speak with. "We’ve had several counselors, pastors and youth ministers from the community come through here this week,” Odum said Wednesday morning. “Since I’ve worked here, I’ve never had something like this happen in this building. It’s just been a really hard week for everyone.” After Chism got word of accident Sunday night, he began let-

ting teachers in the district know what happened. “As soon as we got word last night and I passed on the information to his teachers, I was getting calls from his previous teachers,” Chism said Monday morning. “His sixth grade teacher as well as people from the upper and lower elementary were calling and they all describe Walker exactly the same way that I would. He was just a kid with a sweet spirit who was easy to love and easy to get along with. He will be deeply, deeply missed. When I think of him, I just see him walking down the hallway smiling. That’s the visual I’ll always have of him.” Chism said that the district will continue to focus on making sure the teachers and students are being well taken care of during this difficult time. He said that he would be keeping Atkinson family in his thoughts and prayers for the many days to come. A visitation for Walker was held Wednesday night. A funeral was held at First Presbyterian Church Thursday morning. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

OXFORD CITIZEN

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OBITUARIES WALKER JOYCE ATKINSON Walker Joyce Atkinson, (Walker J) passed away Aug. 28th, 2016 at the age of 14.The funeral service will be held Thursday, Sept. 1, at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Oxford with Rev. John Semmes and Rev.Ann Kelly officiating. A catered reception and visitation took place Wednesday evening,Aug. 31 in West Hall at Waller Funeral Home.Atkinson was an eighth grader at Lafayette Middle School. Memorial contributions in Walker’s memory may be made to the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society, 413 McElroy Drive, Oxford, MS or Mississippi Horses, 569 North Old Canton Road, Madison, MS 39110.

JAY PERRITT MAYFIELD Jay Perritt Mayfield, Sr., 50, of Paragould,Arkansas, passed away Monday at his residence. There was a catered reception and visitation in West Hall at Waller Funeral Home on Wednesday, with the funeral following in the Waller Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Phillip Miller and Rev. Jason Lincoln officiating. Burial followed in Philadelphia Baptist Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to the Gideon Paragould East Camp, PO Box 1666, Paragould,Arkansas 72451.

BRIEFING Free mediation classes offered UM’s Communiversity enrichment classes program will be offering two free classes on meditation this month. The classes are being taught by Wend Stewart and are being held on campus Wednesdays September 14 and 21 at Insight Park. For more information, go to www.outreach.olemiss.edu /communiversity.

Book signing held a Phillips Grocery Southern writer Jane Bennett Gaddy, a native of Clarksdale, will be signing her latest book, To Love Again, at Phillips Grocery, located at 2406 S. Lamar Blvd on Friday from 3 until 6 p.m. To Love Again is sequel to Rachel, After the Darkness, and a continuation of five Southern novels.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Barlow feels at home with her OUS family BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

Blaire Barlow just began her first full year of teaching at Oxford University School. The Texarkana native graduated from the University of Mississippi in May with a degree in general studies, minoring in education, English and professional writing. Working with OUS and the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools’ alternate route certification program, Barlow became a teacher and now works with a Pre-K3 class at OUS. She took some time out of her day Monday morning while her students were in Spanish to speak with Oxford Citizen reporter Chaning Green to discuss her year so far and how she got to where she is now.

CHANING GREEN

Pre-K3 teacher Blaire Barlow sits with her students in their classroom at OUS. Barlow just began her first full year as a CHANING GREEN: You teacher at the school. were working at OUS last year. What was it like work- tering my classroom with sistance with alternate and incorporated arts in home, it definitely feels like positive attitudes, and route certifications through our activities, which is it. ing with students then? BLAIRE BARLOW: Last they’re excited about the the Mississippi Association something I try to do as school year was absolutely year. For most of them, this of Independent Schools. well. GREEN: Where you nervHer name is Joey ous about your first year a learning experience. I was is their first experience with They guided me along the blessed with really good a school setting, and they way. They offered a course Lawrence, and she’s still teaching? kids who had worked with have all adjusted very well. that I took this summer teaching. We’re friends on BARLOW: I think I was rea really great teacher before They’re all 3-year-olds. It’s that was focused on early Facebook so when I posted ally worried about the fact I stepped in, so they all new for them, and new for childhood education that pictures of my classroom that I’m young and not a knew the ropes. The me in the sense that the certified me to teach in pri- she was commenting on it seasoned teacher. I was teacher who was with them kids I worked with before vate schools in the state of telling me how great I was worried about the fact that I before had some medical were already used to the Mississippi. I learned so gonna do and how she went through an alternate issues and needed to take classroom environment. So much. For example, I can’t believe I already had route program rather than some time off to focus on it’s been a new experience learned that most elemen- my own classroom. She’s the School of Education, her. I took over and was for all of us, and I feel like tary classrooms these days awesome. that the parents wouldn’t here from March this year we’ve meshed well together are being decorated by think I was qualified and all neutral colors these days until we let out for the sum- so far. GREEN: Why did you of that stuff. I had to tell mybecause using only the pri- choose to stay in Oxford? mer. self, “Look, you’ve wanted GREEN: When did you mary colors can be a little BARLOW: I still have to do this your whole life. GREEN: Were you still in decide that you wanted to overstimulating for them. some family here that grad- You have prepared for this There are a lot of things that uated from Ole Miss. My your whole entire life. Just be a teacher? school at the time? BARLOW: Yes, I was enBARLOW: I joke that it you wouldn’t normally sister and her husband live because you don’t have a rolled in six hours. One was in kindergarten that I think about that you here. The four years I lived specific education degree, it class was online, and I also made my big plans. I was should definitely know here during school, making doesn’t matter.” I’ve spent attended class on campus going to the University of when it comes to putting a the relationships that I did so much time studying, with the people that I working in classrooms, voltwo days out of the week. Mississippi, I was going to classroom together. babysat for, community unteering even when I wasLuckily, my kids were in the School of Ed, but it didSpanish and P.E. during my n't really work out like that. GREEN: Was there any service through the base- n’t even getting hours class times. I would rush I went through an alternate one particular person that ball team when I was on logged towards class credit over from OUS to campus, route program rather than influenced you to become the Diamond Girls and all and I constantly took time the little relationships that out of my day to work in take my class and then rush graduating with a full edu- a teacher? back. The first half of the se- cation degree because BARLOW:Yes, I had a very I’ve made with the town, it this field and see the differmester I was in shorts and that’s what worked out bet- strong teacher during my would be very hard for me ent teaching styles. So yeah, I was intimia t-shirt, but then switched ter for me. I always knew 3K and 4K years. I went to a to leave that right now. A lot of people tell me dated at first, a little worto professional clothes be- that I wanted to be a small private school that is cause I was coming from a teacher. Someone once a lot like OUS, which is an- that they don’t leave be- ried, but I was ready. This is professional work environ- told me I wasn’t going to other reason why I love cause they don’t know what what I wanted and I was exment. make it in this field, and I OUS. This place reinforces to do after living in Oxford cited about it. So far, I’ve turned right around and a feeling of home that I al- for four years. It kind of been able to cross my t’s GREEN: How is your first that’s exactly what I did. I ways felt as a child at my sucks you in. It’s a bubble and dot my i’s and be very full year as a teacher going knew I was going to be a own school. The teacher I town. The relationships I’ve prepared. So we’ll see how teacher. It’s what I’ve had was tough and she ex- made in Oxford have be- it goes from here. so far? BARLOW: I love it. I do. I wanted to do my whole life. pected a lot out of us, but I come extremely important After a lot of research, I think that’s what made her to me. Even though I don’t have such a great group of chaning.green@journalinc.com kids. Every day they’re en- knew that OUS offered as- a great teacher. She was fun quite consider it my forever Twitter: chaningthegreen

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Leapfrog FROM 2

Adams said that she works to recruit students mainly from the School of Education because they are often the most qualified for the work and have a lot to gain from the classroom experience. Leapfrog services 140 students, with 70 each coming from Oxford and Lafayette. During the spring of 2016, 205 volunteers worked with at-risk first, second and third graders to provide reading interventions, tutoring, homework assistance and mentoring. Collectively, volunteers put in around 4,500 hours of work with these students. For the 2016 fall semester, Adams hopes to keep pushing and help the 140 kids as much as possible. She is confident that this new space will allow her to do so. “We’ve never had our own space before, not like this,” Adams said. “Ever since I began working for the program 10 years ago, we just used whatever space is available to us. Sometimes we were shuf-

fled around. Things were always disorganized. Now that we have this space to spread out, we can do more. It’s great for the sake of the parents and volunteers because everything will just be in one place. It’s also nice to be in an education-focused work environment all the time. With all the people working upstairs, they understand the work that we’re doing here. They get it. It’s nice to have that community.” Relocating to the new space has been costly for the program. Chairs, tables, school supplies and a variety of other amenities that were needed to make space a more conducive learning environment. A few additional supplies are still needed to finish making improvements to the area and Leapfrog will be announcing fundraisers in the coming weeks that will ensure the upkeep of the new space as well as the program itself. Donations are also welcome at the open house. The event will be going from 5 to 7 p.m. at 409 Washington Avenue. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

Parking FROM 1

rates have changed. For children six and under, it's free. For children 7 to 12, it's $5 and over 12 it's $10 per person round trip and it drops you off at the stadium,” Allgood said. “The hours will stay the same. It will run for two hours after the game. We issue out wristbands so that if you do need to get back to your car during the day. Some people may go back to their vehicle four or five times in case they need stuff or forgotten stuff. As long as you have your wristband on, you can go as many times as you want.” Allgood reminded that after the game, the wristband is not needed because the goal is to clear the area and get everyone back on their way home, or to their final destination. Parking will be at a premium again this fall. The university requires passes to park on campus, or around the interior parts of campus that are closer to the stadium. The Oxford Park Commission is selling spots in the lots that are at the activity center, the pool and

the Stone Center. “Those are not included in the shuttle system. Those are walking lots only. We are trying to push people into the shuttle system or those walking lots to get them out of the neighborhoods and have them congest them up, especially the ones that surround the university,” Allgood said. “The streets are narrow and there is hardly any on-street parking to begin with. If you illegally park, we're going to ticket and tow. Those streets will get so blocked up that if we don't, and we have a fire or medical emergency, or law enforcement needs to get in there, they can't get their vehicles in there. That's why we have to be really strict from that standpoint.” There is still no parking on Highway 6, and violators will be towed from there as well. Allgood said if someone doesn't mind walking, there are a number of private lots that are open, such as the ones at churches. There is also free parking in the back lots off the Square. “Those are really going to be your only other options if you don't want to take the shuttle,” Allgood said. “The homeowners have gotten wise to this and they are

PAGE 5

providing parking at their residences for a fee. It's going to be crowded. It means that our infrastructure, which is already overloaded, is going to be more on ballgame weekends. We ask people to have patience. Our infrastructure is small, it's a small town, and it takes some time for that infrastructure to clear once it becomes congested.” Allgood said that Wofford was a good “test” game before Alabama travels into Oxford. The game between the Crimson Tide and the Rebels two years ago saw new levels of people come into town, and it could easily be as big, or bigger, in just two Saturdays. “We will use Wofford to fine tune everything to make sure our patrol officers are in the right spots, that we're manning the lights correctly and that we have barricades in the proper spots, that type of stuff,” Allgood said. “We always use two games to fine tune. This year we have the one and then we get Alabama, Georgia and Memphis and we know all those three will be big crowds.” One of the other big problems, especially when Alabama and Georgia visit, is

finding enough room for recreation vehicles to park. “We don't have RV parking or lots here in the city. The university is very limited on RV space and they're not able to come in until 3 o'clock on Friday afternoon, so that's going to be one of our bigger headaches when these people show up on Wednesday and Thursday in RVs and there is no place to go,” Allgood said. “We don't want them to block up streets or illegal park. They can't park in the free city lots around the Square and take up that parking. It's going to be a challenge with those.” Matt Davis is in charge of the city's parking division. He reminds that those that pay to park have three hours before they have to add additional funds, or move, from a spot on the Square. Tickets will be given out if that's not accomplished. The first ticket costs $50 while the second is $75. Each ticket after that is $100. The maximum amount of tickets an individual can get in a day is two, but after five tickets, the owner of a vehicle could find a boot when they return. John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

JOEY BRENT

The First Annual Food Truck Fight held this past Sunday was a success raising $5,250.

Food Truck Fight a big hit with community Annual Food Truck Fight. The event was held at the Armory Pavilion on the corHundreds gathered at the ner of Bramlett Boulevard Armory Sunday afternoon and University Avenue to participate in the First from 3-7 p.m. as a BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

fundraiser to benefit local nonprofits in the community, while supporting local business. The event was organized through a partnership with

local nonprofits and Leadership Lafayette. In the coming years, Horizons, YAC and Lafayette Oxford Foundation for Tomorrow (LOFT) will be in charge of organizing and operating the event. The way the Food Truck Fight worked is that each vendor represented a charity. LOFT was paired with Small Time Hot Dogs, the arts council was paired with Sweetwater Bleu’z Creole & Cajun Cooking, Breakfast 2 Lunch represented Horizons, Crime Stoppers was with Smoke Shop Oxford and the Rotary Club was with YoknapaTaco. In order to donate to a specific charity, attendees would go to the food truck that represented that charity. Other items like beer, popsicles from Popsy and treats from Buckley’s Shaved Ice could also be purchased and count toward a charity. Each purchase counted as a vote in favor of a nonprofit. The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council received the most votes and was declared the winner. A $10 cover was required to get into the event. Children 10 and under got into the event for free, and some groups paid as a whole, so an exact number of attendees is impossible to pinpoint, but Leadership Lafayette project manager for the event Allison Garner estimates that there were at least 360 people that came

through the event to purchase food and participate in the festivities. Garner has been working on the project with her group for over half a year now. She coordinated with Wayne Andrews from the arts council to use his extensive knowledge of local nonprofits and event planning to get all of the logistics for the event ironed out. She said that it was a really great experience to see everything she and her team had been working hard on for several months come together “It was so awesome,” Garner said. “The staff at the Powerhouse showed up to help us run it and they were all so amazing. Before the event, I’d made a detailed schedule of where and when the volunteers were supposed to be, and I didn’t even have to pull that out. All the volunteers were awesome. We had so many people, and everything went so well.” In total with expenses excluded, the event raised about $5,250. That number comes from a combination of beer sales, ticket sales, donations, sponsorships and 10 percent of the food sales that vendors donated to the event. Yalobusha Brewing Company donated the beer for the event, raising $1,300 to benefit nonprofits. A large portion of the overall amount raised went the arts council be-

cause they were declared the winner, though none of the organizations walked away empty handed. Garner said that not only was she extremely grateful for the volunteers who showed up to donate their time and support the event, but also all of the local business and community organizations that donated money, supplies and time to make the event a reality. She thanked the bands Rocket 88 and The Wilburs who showed up to perform. She said that they did such a great job and that the crowd was really pleased to have them there. “I really though everything went so well,” Garner said. “Everybody who came out seemed to be enjoying themselves. I had several people coming up to me and telling me how awesome the event was. That was probably the best part for me, personally. You work on something for so long and you’re not sure how it’s going to turn out, especially with this being the first event of it’s kind here. I was wondering if enough people would show up and all this other stuff, but when it finally happened, all these people were there and everyone was so excited about this event we put together. It was awesome.” chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

PAGE 7

BJ Barham to perform at Larry's BY CHANING GREEN NEWS WRITER

Americana country rock musician BJ Barham will be performing at Proud Larry’s this month with Hayes Carll. Barham has spent the last decade building a name for himself and his music as the front man of alt-country rock group American Aquarium. This concert, taking place September 13 at 9 p.m., will not be Barham’s first trip to Oxford. In 2010, the singersongwriter spent a month in town at Tweed Recording where he recorded an album with his band American Aquarium. They slept in the studio and spent their days rehearsing and recording before going out to Ajax and spending their evenings on the Square. “We ate at Ajax pretty much every night and saw some great bands that were coming through to play at Proud Larry’s and The Lyric,” Barham said. “We got the chance to immerse ourselves in that Ole Miss culture and see a few games and spend some time at the Grove. It was an all-around good time for a bunch of Carolina boys in Mississippi.” Barham is from North Carolina, which is where he and some friends formed the band American Aquarium. They all met in college and decided they wanted to collaborate. Having always dabbled in singing and songwriting

JILLIAN CLARK

Singer-songwiter and front man for American Aquarium BJ Barham will be performing at Proud Larry’s on September 13. The artists has been to Oxford several times to perform as well as record an album at Tweed Recording.The artist will appear with Hayes Carll. from a very young age, it was not until Barham got to college that he decided to pick up guitar for himself. It was the first time he was able to put his own music to the songs he was writing. Soon he met his friends that would later become his bandmates and before he knew it, they were taking those songs on the road under the name of American Aquarium. The band has been on tour for 11 years now and still does

around 250 shows a year. “We’re that classic case of just a little too rock and roll to be a country band and too country to be a rock and roll band,” Barham said when asked to describe his band’s sound. “I believe the blanket term people are using these days is Americana. We like to think of ourselves as a rock and roll band with a country influence.” When it comes to musical influences, Barham said

that the first thing he pays attention to is the lyrics of the song and the story it has to tell. Bruce Springsteen, The Drive By Truckers and Tom Petty are just a few of the artists that Barham says that he really enjoys listening to. During his childhood, his parents always listened to country legends like Wayland Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Sr. All of which made music that had a story to tell.

“I was fortunate to be raised on country music,” Barham said. “I love storytelling and songs and songwriting. At the end of the day, that has to be there for me in a piece of music in order for me to be influenced by it.” Carll, the artist performing with Barham at the show, is from Texas and is a friend of Barham’s. The two met through their music and after running into each other at music festivals and

making mutual friends, the pair decided they wanted to do a few shows together. Barham describes Carll as one of his favorite singersongwriters working in the industry today. Barham said that he has been looking forward to returning to Oxford for quite some time know and is glad that he finally has the opportunity to do so. “I love Oxford; I feel like it’s one of America’s great Southern towns,” he said. “I loving taking people to the Square for the first time and seeing their reaction walking into Square Books, or the look on their face when they go into Ajax and a giant plate of meatloaf comes out. That’s fun. I remember the first time I took my band there, the first time I took my wife there and I just have a lot of memories in Oxford. We made a record there. We’ve got roots.” The concert at Larry’s is a part of a solo tour Barham is doing in promotion of his solo album that was released in August called “Rockingham.” The album is described as a deeply personal collection of narratives based on Barham’s hometown of Reidsville, North Carolina. Tracks on the album explore the struggles of a life of bluecollar labor, the complicated sense of regional pride and family relationships. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 8

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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The start of the fall semester at Ole Miss comes with a large influx of students returning to Oxford for classes and a whole new lineup of great shows being booked at local venues. Organizers at The Lyric and the Ford Center both put a lot of work into preparing for their fall season due to the amount of people that will be in town and the high number of artists and performers on tour during this time of the year. Kicking off the season for The Lyric is EDM artist, producer and DJ Elephante. The Los Angelesbased performer known for his creative dance remixes of pop songs as well as his original work will be performing at the venue next Thursday, September 8. The following Thursday, The Floozies will be performing with Chet Porter and Daily Bread. The Floozies are an electronic funk duo. Chet Porter and Daily bread are also electronic artists. Alternative R&B singer Niykee Heaton will be performing on October 8. Heaton’s mixtape “The Bedroom Tour Playlist” was released earlier this year with Capital Records. Internationally acclaimed pop duo electronic Cherub will be on stage at The Lyric on October 18

with FRENSHIP and Boo Seeka. Cherub rose to fame after the release of their hit song “Doses and Mimosas.” The duo will be promoting their new album due to be released later this year. Countrypop singer Cole Swindell will also be making an appearance at The Lyric this fall. The Georgia singer is signed with Warner Brothers Nashville and has written hit songs for Thomas Rhett Scotty McCreery and Luke Bryan before he embarked on his own solo career. He has so far released two albums. A full list of shows and dates for The Lyric can be found on their website. The lineup at the Ford Center will be featuring an eclectic mix of plays and vocal performances. Coming up on September 29 is a production of “Fame, The Musical.” Then on October 7, the Grammywinning Los award Angeles Guitar Quartet will take the stage to play music from around the world in the uniquely authentic way that earned the group critical acclaim. On October 8, Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea” is being put on by theatre company Virginia Rep on Tour. The play is intended for young audience members with tickets costing $7 for kids and $14 for adults. In November, the Uni-

versity of Mississippi Chorus and Professional Orchestra will be performing Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” The cantata is based on Medieval Latin poems and became popular with fans of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony during the 20th Century. Closing out the season on December 3 is a production of the classic family musical “Miracle on 34th Street.” Kate Meacham is the Marketing Director for the Ford Center and said that all of the staff are looking forward to a great season. “This season has some great shows planned,” Meacham said. “We’ve been able to include some classics such as ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty’ with some exciting new artists such as Camille a Brown & Dancers. This season truly has something for everyone. In addition to the touring performance season, we are also planning exhibits in our Gallery at the Ford Center. Right now, there is an exhibit of covers from sheet music from Campaign Songs from the 19th and early 20th Centuries with more exhibitions planned for later in the year.” For more information on upcoming shows and ticket prices, check out the Ford Center’s website. chaning.green@journalinc.com Twitter: chaningthegreen

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

PAGE 9

Leisure suits me Jim Dees Tales of the Town

“I may sell my typewriter and go to work, though it's sacrilege to waste that talent for idleness which I possess.” William Faulkner, letter to publisher (1927)

abor Day celebrations will take place this weekend (as well as a certain football game) as America takes a day off to salute jobs, working people and how much we hate getting up on Mondays. Thinking about Labor Day got me thinking about labor and, as with most work-related thoughts, my first inclination was to stretch out for a nap. Work has its place and somebody has to do it but there are some jobs for which some people just simply aren’t suited. Like me and a job that requires long pants. My gateway gig into working life was mowing the family lawn as a 10-year-old for $5 a pop. Money went a little further back then and I was able to hoard my grassy proceeds in a sock. My parents shook their heads when I produced $10.65 to the buy the Beatles famously so-called, “white album.” The first double album I had ever bought, or maybe even seen. “Are you sure you want to spend your money on that?” my mother asked sweetly, maybe a little disappointed to see what, to her mind, I was throwing my hard-earned money away on. “Yes maam.” I replied, hopping with anticipation to open the album up and see what cool

COURTESY

"I lost 30 pounds and my appetite for outdoor work." mysterious artwork and liner notes were within not to mention four sides of Beatle music. I still have it. A few years later, having proven I could walk and sweat at the same time, my dad arranged a gig for me with the state highway department. I was installed on a tower with a clipboard. When the trucks rolled in to get a load of gravel, I marked the load down on my ledger and gave the driver a receipt. I sat up there for eight hours a day, five days a week for three months in the summer heat, eating dust and counting trucks. In search of more meaningful work, the next summer my buddy Sonny and I got a job as back-up gravediggers at the Greenville Cemetery. We were

human back hoes if the mechanical one needed help. We only dug one grave that summer but by the time we finished digging that one, I was so fried I could hardly climb out of it. Plus, I hate to say it, but it felt good down there. There was another stint with the highway department – this time out of the Oxford office. Our crew worked on the Batesville four-lane project, pounding stakes into concretelike ground, hacking jungle with joe blades. I lost 30 pounds and my appetite for outdoor work. I began writing letters to editors of local newspapers and, as a warm body who could operate a telephone, was hired for writing jobs with local Oxford publications. I still remember the first time on a tax form

under “Occupation,” I filled in the word “Writer” without feeling self-conscious. I certainly had the poor scribe wages to qualify. Certain segments of our society don’t count writing as work, certainly not an acceptable vocation for an able-bodied, fullgrown man. Indeed, some perceive writing as an act requiring no heavy lifting. It might even entail pacing around or staring off into space. Author PJ O’Rourke, when asked, ‘What’s the hardest thing about writing?’ replied, “Convincing my wife that lying on the couch is working.” I say writing is an honorable profession that shouldn’t be faulted or derided just because it can be accomplished sitting down in air-conditioning. With

an extra pillow. And micro-wave pizzas. As we take a day off for Labor Day to reflect on work and how rewarding it can be to put in a good day of it, I will also take time to honor leisure. And I’m not talking about kicked-backon-the-recliner-watching-thegame-and-munching-nachoskind of leisure. The ancient Romans used the word “otium” to describe a leisure taken by those who had completed some type of service. Such workers took a break from work for contemplation, scholarship or the pursuit of personal enlightenment. They referred to such activity as, “otium cum dignitate.” Leisure with dignity. Happy Labor Day. Let’s Make America Chill Again.

PAGE 10

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

John Davis Sports Editor

Sam Kendricks is admired by current Oxford High track athletes

ell before Sam Kendricks captivated the entire town of Oxford with his immense pole vault skills, he was a member of the Oxford High cross country team. Yes, the former Charger and Ole Miss Rebel, who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics, used to run around town, getting in shape to compete in various cross country events each fall. What Kendricks means to the athletes that still run for Oxford High is enormous. Jonathan Tyler, who is entering his senior season with the Chargers as a long-distance runner, has seen Kendricks, and his father Scott, on the track working out daily. All along the way, Kendricks has impressed Tyler with the way he handles himself. “Sam is absolute class act. He comes out here day in and day out and he is the perfect role model,” Tyler said. “He comes out here and he talks to the younger kids, every single day. He is always asking how our training is going because he ran cross country up until his senior year. He's been around the track life. He has such a great family and such a great role model to look after.” Tyler said he was very excited to watch Kendricks compete in the Olympics last month. Of course to Tyler, and the others who make up the cross country or track teams, it was like watching a friend on TV. “He's Sam to us. We don't look at him as the Olympian pole vaulter. To us that's Sam just doing his thing,” Tyler said. “When I come out here to run, he is out here pole vaulting. It's so much fun to watch him. He really put Oxford on the map. And the way this community has come around him. On TV, they always say Sam Kendricks from Oxford, Mississippi. If somebody from our town makes, that just says we can get there, too.” Chris Patton, the head coach of the cross country teams, saw Kendricks grow up. There isn't another athlete that works harder than Kendricks, Patton added. “I've been watching him since he was 6 years old, my senior year in high school,” Patton said. “He was out here with a little pole in his hand, jumping in the pit. When he started competing, jumping, I believe in the seventh and eighth grade. That's when he started to actually get the technique down and jump a little higher. Then TURN TO KENDRICKS PAGE 15

THOMAS WELLS | BUY AT PHOTOS.DJOURNAL.COM

Ole Miss will open the season against the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles on Labor Day night. It will be the only college football game on TV.

Marquee Matchup OM-FSU highlight first weekend of college football BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Florida State has been on the national landscape in college football for decades. Like the Seminoles, Ole Miss has been in the national spotlight the past few seasons under Hugh Freeze. Two of the more productive, and talented programs in the nation, the last couple of years will be the only game on Labor Day night. The Camping Wold Kickoff contest features the nation's No. 4 ranked team in Florida State against the No. 11 Rebels. Each team has a marquee offensive player. Florida State and Ole Miss are two of the five teams that have reached back-to-back New Year's Six bowl game. There are some tradeoffs about the game, like it being stuck right in the middle of enemy territory in Orlando, Florida. And the Seminoles are a very good team, a fast team, that can pose problems. Still, with the game on ESPN and it the only contest on, the nation will be watching, which means another chance for Ole Miss to make an im-

vs.

Kickoff: Monday, 7 p.m. Radio: WQLJ-FM 93.7 TV: ESPN pression. “It is worthwhile for me that we are being mentioned and being relevant in the national college football scene. That is what we said we wanted to do and you see us on there a lot right now,” Freeze said about opening with FSU on such a big stage. “I was talking to one of the national guys the other day and he said he thought this game would be the most viewed college foot-

ball game of all of last year because of the start of the season and everybody’s anticipation. It is on a Monday night, there are no new shows coming on, and there’s no other football on. It is a great opportunity for us to play on that stage against this quality of an opponent. The tradeoff is really nice.” Florida State will start a new quarterback against an experienced Chad Kelly, who threw for 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns last season. Redshirt freshman Deondre Francois will be the starter for the Seminoles at quarterback. He was the nation's No. 3 dualthreat quarterback coming out of high school in 2015. Freeze talked about getting ready for a quarterback without the help of prior game film. “You could go back and look at different scenarios where there have been quarterbacks that came out of high school. There is one in particular a couple years ago, that I thought ‘Man this guy is going to be phenomenal’, and he got on that stage at a school in this conference and he didn’t do real well,” TURN TO OM PAGE 15

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Friday Night Previews: Week 3 Refocused Commodores ready to battle Grenada BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

A week off from playing on a Friday night didn't translate to an off week for the Lafayette Commodores. Head coach Michael Fair said the Commodores were pushed during practices. And they got back into the weight room to build up a little more strength and sweat. “It was a great opportunity to go back and re-visit some fundamentals and get back and do a lot of group work with our guys. It let our coaches get back to blocking and tackling,” Fair said. “If we do that and just hang on to the ball against Horn Lake, I think we win the game. We got back to the basics and it let us catch our breath and get ready for Grenada.” Fair feels good about the roster he has to work with. He has repeated that since he first arrived on campus. The key is to cut down on the mistakes, and let the talent work in the right direction. “We do have to clean it up. I thought we did a tremendous job in practice and our planning of practice to get back to our fundamentals,” Fair said. “I think it will carry over and I think you will see that Friday night.” Ross Ingram is expected to see some additional action at quarter-

JOEY BRENT

Lafayette's defense held Grenada in check last season at home. Another strong performance is needed Friday night against the talented Chargers. back. Fair said that Ingram, who also starts at fullback, is a great leader for the Commodores and that they were fortunate to have him on the team. Talented Chargers (subhead) A week before playing the Oxford Chargers on the road, the Commodores travel to play the 20 Grenada Chargers, a big, physical team that likes to control the game on the ground.

“They come right at you offensively. They look like a South Panola team did back when I was at South Panola,” Fair said. “They run similar offensive packages. They run a lot of trap game with their guys. Their running backs are very talented and they know how to score. They're very physical on both sides of the ball and very athletic.” CJ Avery, one of the state's top

prospects for the 2017 signing class, is playing quarterback for the Chargers along with returning punts and playing some at free safety. There are also a couple of others who take snaps from that position, Fair said. “He can throw it, so you have to be ready for anything when he's back there,” Fair added. “He's a tremendous athlete, but he's not the only athlete they have. Defen-

Kendricks

solidified the great program that we have here at Oxford. I was so excited FROM 10 for him. I said this was the when he hit varsity, the kid that I have seen work sky was the limit for that on his craft from age 6. kid. He set his goals every And now he has perfected year and he actually hit it. Heck, Sam will be a them.” great coach one day as What Kendricks was well. Especially in the pole able to accomplish vault. He's one of the best through high school and in the world and he knows college and now at the what it takes to be great in start of a pro career, has that event.” been a big inspiration to So here is to the start of the athletes that are curcross country season, and rently wearing the track the athletes who will be uniforms. competing in the event. “He has given these kids Maybe the next Sam so much. He and Coach Kendricks is on the roster. Kendricks built up this At the least, his success program greatly and made has been a big boost for us a relevant name in the two programs that are state of Mississippi,” said some of the state's best, Patton, who helped guide year in and year out. the Lady Chargers to a John.davis@journalinc.com Class 5A state track title Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd this past May. “Sam just

sively, they have several guys that can run and tackle. We want to know where he is at all times and make sure we get a hat on that guy.” Grenada, which opened the season with a 17-0 win over Cleveland and then beat Greenwood 34-12 last week, is physical up front on defense. Fair said the linebackers and the defensive backs can all run as well. “They're athletic enough to make a lot of waves in 5A football,” Fair said. “They kind of want to wear you out and if ( head coach Ashley Kuhn) has a lead, he's going to play great defense and run the football. We want to get them behind schedule if we can. First down is a huge one for our defense this week. The bumps and bruises after Horn Lake have healed up for the Commodores, and Fair thought getting everyone back healthy would help. “We feel really good about our plan. We're excited about the opportunity that we have. Grenada is ranked No. 2 in 5A and No. 8 in the state in the Clarion Ledger,” Fair said. “It's a great opportunity for us to go down to their place and play good ball.”

OM FROM 10

JOHN DAVIS

Oxford senior Jonathan Tyler is getting ready for the 2016 season which begins this weekend in Memphis.

Freeze said. “You have on the other hand, a Johnny Manziel who comes out of nowhere; nobody’s talked about him, and unbelievable from day one. If I want to look at it and say it is advantageous that he hasn’t played in this type of game before, I could say that. They could probably say, ‘Oh he is talented enough to handle it’, you know, and that night will tell. But I don’t know until we play the game which one is going to carry more weight. Is it that he doesn’t have the experience or is it that he’s just that talented that he gets it done?” Kelly was in several big games last season, in-

john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

cluding leading the Rebels to a road win over Alabama and then winning the 2016 Sugar Bowl Most Valuable Player award. Just like many of the games of 2015, the opener is another big one for Kelly, and the program overall. “I think every game is a great opportunity for him and for our team. I am sure he looks at it that way,” Freeze said. “He is a competitive dude and he wants to play in these types of games so I am sure he sees it that way. I don’t think he sees, nor I think of it as, ‘I’ve got to get more attention nationally’, I think your play will determine that as the season goes on.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

OXFORD CITIZEN

PAGE 16

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Friday Night Previews: Week 3 Chargers got better in loss to Starkville; MC Jaguars up next BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Even though the Oxford Chargers lost to Starkville, they got better from the season opener. There are still a few places where the team has to play better at, coach Chris Cutcliffe said, but the overall effort in Week 2 was good. “We did a lot of things well. We took care of the ball, that was the No. 1 or biggest thing we did well,” Cutcliffe said. “Defensively, we were close to playing an outstanding game. Really when you look at the film, it came down to third downs. We gave up over 200 yards to them on third downs and we were 1for-13.” Third downs are often the most important plays of a series. And as good as the Chargers were against Starkville on defense on first and second downs, Cutcliffe said being better on third down was going to be stressed in practice this week. That also applies to the offense as well. “We had a lot of missed tackles on third down. On first and second down, we played pretty well defensively,” Cutcliffe said. “Our defense played a ton of snaps and more than that don't show up because of the penalties. I do think we're in good shape. I think our guys held up for four quarters and were still playing hard in the fourth quarter, which was good too see. How do you address third down? The old saying is you get what you emphasize and we're going to

PETRE THOMAS

DQ Thomas (20) and the rest of the Oxford Chargers will be on the road to play against another good Class 6A team in Madison Central Friday night. try and create some competition in practice on third down because it's important on both sides of the ball. It was Friday night.” Practicing like there was more on the line, and putting a reward on which side of the ball wins those critical third downs, was the way Cutcliffe wanted to ac-

complish that. The Chargers didn't sustain drives very well against the Yellowjackets. There were too many negative plays in order for that to happen. Oxford did make some big plays. Both of its touchdowns covered 133 total yards. “Against a great defense like that, it's not easy to sustain a

bunch of long drives. And the way you do that is you run the football and that's something we have to do a better job of,” Cutcliffe said. Madison Central is the opponent this coming Friday night and Cutcliffe felt like the Jaguars were a “great” team. They played Starkville for the Class 6A north

state title last season. “And in this community, we all know how good Coach (Anthony) Hart and Coach (Eric) Robertson and Coach (Dusty) Finley and that staff is,” Cutcliffe said. “They're going to be very well prepared. They're very talented. So I think it is going to be a huge challenge.” Madison Central has one of the best quarterbacks in the state in Jack Walker, who has a number of offers to Division I schools. Madison Central defeated Meridian 13-10 in the season opener, and lost 33-24 to Brandon last week. Cutcliffe said they looked a little different than the teams Hart coached at Lafayette because of personnel. “They're going to adapt to their personnel and get the most out of what they have there. They're going to throw it more than they did then, but you know they're going to be disciplined and they're not going to beat themselves,” Cutcliffe said. “They have always done that when we played against that staff. (Walker) is a very talented player who played well against us last year. I think he is someone we have to prepare to stop because he can do a lot of different things to hurt us.” The Chargers are in “pretty good” shape heading into the contest. Cutcliffe said nobody was lost from last week. He was hoping to get Joe O'Keefe and Eric Jefferies and Gregory Milliner back soon. John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

Rebels will have support in stands at Michigan BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

Well before the Ole Miss soccer team started summer camp, goalie Marnie Merritt was looking forward to playing Michigan on the road. That contest is now in front of the Rebels, who are coming off a win over Lipscomb to improve to 3-1. Merritt will have a lot of family in the stands as they live right across the border in Canada. To

be exact, there are two other Ole Miss players — Madi Killeen and Bella Fiorenzo — who are actually from the state of Michigan, which means Friday night's match will be just like a homecoming. Ole Miss coach Matt Mott said the home-and-home series with the Wolverines was set up to help get some Rebels closer to family. “We have players that are from far away states, so we look to al-

ways get back to those places. If we can get back in that area, it’s always a neat thing to do,” Mott said. “Michigan is a great opponent. To go and play a Big 10 team in a non-conference game is always good for us. Marnie will have a ton of family there to support her. We have some Michigan girls on the team. We actually have a number of families going up, which can hopefully create a great environment for them, so we’ll have some

Rebels up there.” Ole Miss has the nation's top goal scorer in Addie Forbus. The Amory native has seven in four games so far, and Mott said she has just been on another level. “When we did fitness tests, she maxed out. She worked really hard over the summer,” Mott said. “And when she touches the ball, she gets great service. CeCe Kizer is putting her in fantastic spots. Gretchen (Harknett) is giving her great service. She has

been reaping the benefits of great service and balls in the right spots and putting them away. She came in on a mission this year and is playing great and looks great.” Following the meeting with Michigan, the Rebels will host Troy on Sunday at 7 p.m. It will be the final match before SEC play starts on Sept. 9. john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

PAGE 17

All-around ability is key for Lafayette senior BY JOHN DAVIS

MEET YOUR

SPORTS EDITOR

A more complete cheerleader is the best way to describe Lafayette's Madison Sharp. The senior has taken on a bigger role as a leader to the younger members of the team. She has also gotten better on routines compared to this time last season. Her mother, head LHS cheerleading coach Jennifer Sharp, admitted that she was tough on her daughter, or expected a lot. Each time, Madison Sharp has risen to the occasion. “Madison has shown so much more responsibility this year, being more of a team player. She has taken on the role of being more positive and trying to lead the younger girls,” Jennifer Sharp said. “It's hard to explain since she is my daughter, but I have seen a lot of changes. It makes it more sentimental since she is my daughter. I can see that she has matured and just putting in a lot more effort.” Madison Sharp is a cocaptain, a title she shares with one of her best friends on the team, Harley Anne Gossett. (Canton Foley is the other cheerleader that she is close with). With the roles changed this fall, Madison Sharp said she has to act differently than in previous seasons because the others are looking up to her for guidance. As for the extra leadership role, it can be

Cheerleader Madison Sharp tough sometimes, but she is enjoying things so far. Lafayette has only played one game this year. The off week for the Commodores came after the opener, and Madison Sharp said she wished it had come at different point in the season. “We're excited for it. We've started our competition practice and I'm ready for competition cheer this year,” Madison Sharp said. “I have grown up a lot and I've changed as a person.” Madison agreed that her mother is tougher on her compared to others on the team. “She does expect me to be a lot more mature than all the other girls,” she added. The annual matchup with Oxford is the one that was circled on the schedule for Madison Sharp, even though the game is on the road. The Chargers have defeated Lafayette four straight seasons, so a win to end the streak would be special for this senior group of cheerlead-

ers. Madison Sharp was hoping for a successful season for the football team. She has noticed players moving to different positions and she felt like when they got used to everything, the results would be good. “It's always exciting. One Friday night isn't the same, you have a different experience,” she said before talking about the specifics of competition cheer. “We're combining with our middle school team and we have 30 on our competition cheer. The middle school won state last year and we have some middle schoolers that are now freshmen on the team this year that I think will do well.” Tay Reed, the starting middle linebacker, and Keunte Booker, a starter on the offensive line, are the two players that Madison Sharp gets snacks for. Both like to eat any kind of candy, and drink Gatorade. John.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

JOEY BRENT

Senior Madison Sharp is a co-captain of the Lafayette High cheerleaders this year.

CHEERLEADER OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY: Proudly Ser ving Oxford & Lafayette Co. Since 1938

OXFORD CITIZEN

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Oxford Citizen Pick â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Em BEN GARRETT

JOHN DAVIS

PARRISH ALFORD

GREG PEVEY

BEN MIKELL

Ole Miss Spirit Guest picker Record: 0-0

Oxford Citizen Sports Editor Record: 0-0

Daily Journal OM Beat Reporter Record: 0-0

Rebel Nation Magazine Publisher Record: 0-0

Oxford Citizen Sports Writer Record:0-0

GAME 1 Ole Miss vs. Florida State

GAME 2 South Alabama at Miss. State

GAME 3 LSU vs. Wisconsin at Green Bay

GAME 4 Oklahoma vs. Houston at NRG Stadium

GAME 5 UCLA at Texas A&M

GAME 6 Georgia vs. North Carolina in Atlanta

GAME 7 Clemson at Auburn

GAME 8 USC vs. Alabama in Arlington

GAME 9 Notre Dame at Texas

GAME 10 Georgia Tech vs. Boston College in Dublin, Ireland

70,000 662-801-9607.

OXFORD CITIZEN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

PAGE 19

OHS dance team adds to excitement of a Friday night BY JOHN DAVIS SPORTS EDITOR

A strong summer, that included a very good showing at the Universal Dance Association camp, has paid off for the Oxford High dance team. The Chargerettes received a bid to nationals thanks to their strong performance at Southern Miss. That means a trip to Orlando, Florida in February, just like the OHS cheer team. Coach Robyn Lyons is pleased with where her team is now that the football season is off and running. Steps as a program have been made over the past three years and now the team, which features a strong group of seniors, seems poised to do even bigger things in the near future. “We're very excited to get our bid to nationals. It is another step for us. I knew they could do it going into camp and I was excited,” Lyons said. “I knew we had a top, technical dance team and we got our superior trophy and our bid to nationals.” Oxford's team travels to all away games, which means they will be at Madison Central Friday cheering on the Chargers. At home games, they perform during halftime and of course are on the sidelines to add to the pageantry of a contest. “Any time we are on the sidelines, we are dancing to the band,” Lyons said. “So on away games, we are only dancing to the band. When we are at home, we dance to the band and then Coach (Daniel) Parrish will play some songs from the stands and dance to those songs.” There are 15 members of the team, which is an increase of six from last fall. Lyons has coached some of them since they were freshmen. “This will be a very sad senior year for me. They're all sad. I'm always sad to lose my seniors but this is a big chunk, the ones that started as freshmen,” she said. Each week there is a new routine for the dance team, a fact that makes preparation so key. Every pep rally is a different dance and

COURTESY PHOTO

Members of the Oxford Chargerettes include, front row, l. to r., Mary Skylar Trost, Anne Catherine Gurner, Meena Page, Ansley Howell, Ellie Hinton, Katherine Poole, Olivia Estes, Madisyn Martin and back row, l. to r. Sallie Hardy, Al'Nayiah Dean, Mary Allyn Eastland, Lily Hemmins, Olivia Nelson, Mary Cook, Hayden Hubbell. then the pep rally is different than the one the team does at halftime on Friday night. Lyons said it was hard to come up with two different routines but she added that the group of dancers can come up with “some amazing choreography” when they are together. “There has been so many years between them of dancing that we can kind of throw things together using our own choreography that we mix together,” Lyons said. “We also hire out. We hire teachers from other dance studios. We've hired coaches from Ole Miss, especially for our bigger routines to make sure that it's top notch. It's fun, but it is difficult doing something every week. The girls have a lot to remember.” Lyons was excited to have five freshmen on the team to go along with two sophomores, two juniors and six seniors. “I want them to have the best time this year and continue on and so far it seems that way,” she said. “They're sweet girls. I have a really good team again as usual. They're real sweet.” Oxford will be taking

part in more competitions this season. On one day, there are three competitions to choose from, Lyons said. That takes place in November and then the state competition is in December. There is also a mini camp for local youth during basketball season. “There's a lot going on. We like it, we like to be busy,” Lyons said. “I would say it's been a great start to the year. We've worked all summer. We brought back a lot of great dances from camp. We loved a lot of the dances from camp, so we're going to use a lot of them. I'm just really excited this year. We have an energetic group and I think they're going to have a successful year.” john.davis@journalinc.com Twitter: @oxfordcitizenjd

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