The Ole Miss Yearbook 2024

THE OLE MISS 2024

Edward C. Boynton Collection. Archives and Special Collections. University of Mississippi Libraries.

Photo by Matthew Cockrell

A LEGACY OF CALLING

Every year, The Ole Miss staff picks a theme for the yearbook, and as this is an annual, it seems fitting that this year’s theme is the 175th anniversary of the University of Mississippi. The university has titled its anniversary celebrations “A Legacy of Calling” to reflect the purpose that students find here and the culture that is fostered among the campus community.

Ole Miss is the flagship university of the state, having opened its doors in 1848 with four faculty members and 80 students and remaining the only public university in the state for 23 years. Those who have been lucky enough to attend the university understand that it offers much more than an education.

There is an often cited quote by Frank E. Everett Jr. that says, “The University is respected, but Ole Miss is loved. The University gives a diploma and regretfully terminates tenure, but one never truly graduates from Ole Miss.” The spirit of Ole Miss permeates the hearts and minds of its students, who continue to carry it throughout their lives.

The community that the university sits within is just as special. Oxford may appear from afar as a small town within an overlooked state, but there is a rich history of art, literature and music that is evident across the city.

This culture coupled with the incredible achievements of students, faculty and alumni of the university have inspired increasing numbers of students to attend each year.

This year’s freshman class is the largest in university history. While there certainly have been challenges associated with the increasing enrollment, it is hard to

deny the growing desire to be a part of what this campus offers. The athletics department coined the phrase “Come to the Sip,” and come they have, drawn to Oxford by the traditions and lifestyle that Ole Miss encapsulates.

There are endless statistics and accolades that prove the university’s status, but its reputation is about much more. Ole Miss is exchanging a “Hotty Toddy” with a stranger on the street, celebrating a victory in the Grove and having access to faculty who care just as much about your personal well-being as they do about your academic success.

While the priority of the university is to provide an education and prepare students for professional success, students are well-aware that this is not the only reason for their time here. Finding a calling extends much deeper than what is learned in the classroom, which is why Ole Miss goes above and beyond to create an environment that nurtures more than just the minds of its students.

This year, we look back on what the University of Mississippi has achieved in the past 175 years, but we also celebrate the successes of our current students and the legacies they are building each day. This edition of The Ole Miss represents the legacy of our campus community, past and present. If there is one thing that the past 175 years of purpose, achievement and joy on this campus reveal to us, it is that we are all lucky to have Ole Miss as a part of our stories.

Story by Liv Briley

Way down south in Mississippi, There's a spot that ever calls Where among the hills enfolded.

StandOldAlmaMater'sHalls.

Where the trees lift high their branches, To the whisp'ring southern breeze. There Ole Miss is calling, calling, toourhearts'fondmemories.

THE ORIGINS OF CAMPUS ARCHITECTURE

Buildings at the University of Mississippi, cited in many rankings as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States, range from stately to cutting edge. From the school’s inception, the edifices erected have been both grand and utilitarian, reflecting lofty academic principles and providing practical places for students to learn.

Lafayette County resident T.D. Isom recommended naming the county seat after Oxford, England, in hopes it would become a university town. The Mississippi Legislature voted in 1841 to make Oxford the home of the state’s first university, and in 1846, ground was broken for the University of Mississippi.

Two years later, the campus’ first building was opened for the first class of 80 students: a three-story Greek Revival structure named the Lyceum, meaning "hall of learning." Its architect was William Nichols.

The Lyceum held all the classrooms, a chemistry lab, a library and professors’ offices. On either side of the Lyceum, two identical dormitories were constructed to accommodate the growing student population. Faculty housing halls for professors and their families were constructed at the same time. The Lyceum was lengthened in 1858, with two flanking wings added in 1903 and the west facade completed in 1923. Out of the five original buildings on the Circle, the Lyceum is the only surviving structure. In successive decades, the others were torn down to make way for new academic buildings.

In 1853, a building was constructed to hold chapel services six days a week. The Old Chapel, later referred to as the “Y” and now known as the Croft Institute for International Studies, also served as the meeting space for mandatory speech and debate practices and the graduation ceremonies that lasted up to four days. The Georgian-style building, modeled after the dorm buildings built adjacent to the Lyceum, offers a glimpse into how the first housing at the university looked.

The University of Mississippi received an annual grant from the state to help expand the campus as the student population increased. In 1857, University Chancellor and Astronomy and Physics Professor Frederick Barnard used the money to begin construction on his dream quarters: an observatory to house the largest telescope in the world. The Observatory, completed in 1859, became the second building on campus to hold classes.

As the Observatory was under construction, Barnard orchestrated plans for a magnetic laboratory, a small, insulated brick building designed to slow down temperatures for experiments. It was constructed on the left side of the Observatory.

As the Civil War broke out in 1861, the university shut down after only four students registered for fall classes. The telescope and other instruments expected to fill the new science buildings never made it to campus.

The Lyceum

Abandoned campus buildings, including the Lyceum, were used as hospital rooms and doctors' quarters. After the battle of Shiloh, approximately one thousand soldiers recovered from their injuries in the Lyceum, which served both Confederate and Union armies during the changing occupations of the area. The Old Chapel and Barnard Observatory also were used by occupying forces.

The magnetic laboratory, which was perfectly insulated, was designated as a morgue. It earned the nickname the Dead House, and plenty of ghost stories about it have been passed down among students for generations. It is believed that bodies in the morgue were carried across campus to the Civil War Cemetery, which contains more than 430 grave shafts.

After the university reopened in 1865, the Chi chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon took over the Dead House for its fraternity quarters. The structure was demolished in 1958 for the expansion of Farley Hall.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy occupied Barnard Observatory from its completion in 1859 until 1939, when it moved to Lewis Hall and the Kennon Observatory on campus. Barnard served as the chancellor’s residence until 1971 and became headquarters for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture in 1979.

Ventress Hall was the last major campus construction before the turn of the 20th century. It boasts a large "L" on the door frame, symbolizing

its use as a library. Before the Victorian Romanesque-style building was completed in 1889, the library was a small room in the Lyceum that quickly became overrun with materials and students. Ventress Hall served as a library until 1911, then housed the School of Law from 1911 to 1929.

The building pays homage to alumni across the decades. Legend has it an elderly Civil War veteran from Arkansas scrawled his name and military unit near the top of the turret stairway wall after the turn of the century, and hundreds of students left their mark on the walls in the following decades. After subsequent building renovations, the signatures remain carefully preserved. Ventress Hall now houses offices for the School of Liberal Arts.

As the 20th century progressed, dozens of new buildings were constructed, leading to the impending opening of the Thomas and Jim Duff Center for Science and Technology. With a $175 million total project budget, the 202,000-square foot building will be the largest single construction project in Oxford campus history.

The history of Ole Miss' architecture proclaims a proud past and a bright future. Each building is rich in history and versatility as the school continues to grow, leaving us to wonder how the campus will look in decades to come.

Story by Emmaline Wolfe

The Dead House

Ventress Hall

With united hearts we praise thee, All our loyalty is thine, And we hail thee, Alma Mater, maythylightforevershine;

THE RECIPROCAL INSPIRATION BETWEEN WILLIAM FAULKNER AND THE OXFORD COMMUNITY

Cofield Collection. Archives and Special Collections. University of Mississippi Libraries.

William Faulkner is regarded as one of the most prolific and influential American fiction writers, with almost all of his 13 novels and more than 50 short stories set in Yoknapatawpha County. While Yoknapatawpha County is not technically real, it is inspired by our own Lafayette County.

Born in nearby New Albany, Mississippi in 1897, Faulkner was raised in Oxford, the son of the business manager for the University of Mississippi. He even attended the university for three semesters – he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, frequently skipped classes and received a D in English – before dropping out. Faulkner then served as the Ole Miss postmaster for almost three years in the early 1920s. In his resignation, he famously declared, “I will be damned if I propose to be at the beck and call of every itinerant scoundrel who has two cents to invest in a postage stamp.”

Faulkner, of course, would go on to literary renown, winning two Pulitzer Prizes for fiction, two National Book Awards and earning the title of the only Mississippiborn Nobel laureate. His most famous novels include "As I Lay Dying," "The Sound and the Fury," "Light in August," and "Absalom, Absalom!"

While Faulkner did live in New Orleans for a short time, he spent most of his life in Oxford. Rowan Oak, his home from 1930 until his death in 1962, is a major historical landmark in town and houses a museum that is open to the public.

Rowan Oak is frequented by Ole Miss students, Oxford locals and out-of-town visitors alike, all enjoying the beautiful grounds and the feeling of being in a place where some of America’s greatest novels were written. The property was sold to the University of Mississippi following the death of Faulkner’s wife, Estelle, in 1972.

Faulkner is buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Oxford and his grave is another site frequently visited by admirers of his work.

Though internationally famous while he was alive, Faulkner detested the spotlight. It is even said that his daughter only learned of his Nobel Prize in 1950 when she was called to the principal’s office at school.

Faulkner is quoted as saying, “I feel that this award was not made to me as a man, but to my work – a life's work in the agony and sweat of the human spirit, not for glory and least of all for profit, but to create out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before. So this award is only mine in trust.”

If the work Faulkner created did not belong to him, perhaps there is an argument to be made that it belongs to the community that served as his muse when writing his most beloved stories. Here in Oxford, one thing is certain: We still feel the magic that inspired the man who became known as the greatest writer the American South has ever seen.

Story by Liv Briley

THE LEGACY OF TheOleMissYearbook

The Ole Miss yearbook, published for the first time in 1897, has evolved over the years just as the student body has, reflecting the changing fads, fashions, popular culture, societal movements and current events over the past 127 years. What has not changed is the book’s purpose: record, almost as a time capsule, the people, places and activities of each school year from the students’ perspective.

Garland Lyell, a law student and manager of the football team, worked with Greek organizations on campus to publish the first yearbook, and for several years, fraternities and sororities on campus created the content of the books.

to “the most conceited fellow” – and many pages were dedicated to “campus beauties.”

The yearbook has evolved over the decades to take on a more serious tone and be less focused on social activities.

In 1911, editing of the book was taken over by the senior class, which broadened the coverage of campus life, and in the 1930s, freshmen, sophomores and juniors were added to the staff. The first female editor of The Ole Miss was Lorane Lowry, who took over the publication in 1944 as many of the male students were called away for military service in World War II.

As Lyell was editing the first edition, a committee of students was formed to come up with a name for the yearbook. Lore has it that Cotton Boll was one suggestion, but the name favored by the group was suggested by Elma Meek: The Ole Miss. Within a few years, students, faculty and alumni of the university were using Ole Miss to refer to the school, as well, and the name has since become synonymous with the university and its athletic teams.

Early versions of the yearbook consisted primarily of portraits and lists of the members of each Greek organization, major society and club on campus. Drawings, poetry, essays and short stories were published in the books, as well.

The early books were playful, often employing the humor of the time, and focused more on individual students than issues on campus. Superlatives were voted on – everything from “most popular man”

Even though a gender barrier was broken, this did not mean the yearbook was without other prejudices in subsequent years. The 1963 yearbook contained no image of James Meredith, who in that academic year became the first Black student to enroll in the university, and only vague references were made to the riots and military presence on campus that fall. The shift toward inclusivity in the yearbook was slow, but it eventually reflected the school’s diverse population.

Well into the late 20th century, the yearbook editor was selected by popular vote of the student body, much like the Associated Student Body officers. Now, faculty and staff from the Student Media Center select The Ole Miss editor, but decisions about the book’s content remain with students.

In photographs and stories, this 2024 Ole Miss honors the past, documents the present and sets the stage for the university’s future.

Story by Liv Briley

May thy fame throughout the nation, Through thy sons and daughters grow, May thy name forever waken,

inourheartsatenderglow,

THE HISTORY BEHIND THE

HolyGrailofTailgating

The Lyceum may be the most readily recognized symbol of Ole Miss, but the Grove is its soul.

Robert Fulton set the plot of land aside for recreation and relaxation during his term as the university’s seventh chancellor from 1892 to 1906.

At some point in their college careers, every student traverses the 10acre, park-like setting in the center of campus. And many linger there — unwinding, studying, listening to concerts, getting acquainted with fellow freshmen during orientation and, ultimately, commemorating graduation.

The Grove wasn’t always the Grove – it was called the Glade in early Ole Miss yearbooks — but now no one can picture the Ole Miss experience without the Grove.

The Grove takes its name from the dozens of oak, elm, magnolia and

other trees shading the setting. And it gets its national reputation from the unparalleled spectacle of football fans gearing up for game time and celebrating (or commiserating) afterwards.

However, the Grove as a game-day hangout is a relatively modern concept.

On November 11, 1893, the Ole Miss football team played its first game, winning 56-0 against Southwest Baptist College. However, the Grove’s role in the game-day experience did not evolve until the 1950s, when tailgaters began parking cars and RVs there.

“People used to come to campus, park their cars, open the tailgate and maybe set up a card table with some food,” Mitchell Dowden wrote in his Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College thesis entitled “The Grove: Stories of Cultivating Connections.”

“Simple and humble, the beginnings of the Grove weren’t as lavish as today’s tailgating; it was more of a picnic atmosphere.”

The tradition of parking cars in the Grove stopped in 1992 after a series of massive rainstorms turned the lush green Grove into something more closely resembling a rutted mud pit.

University officials decided that in order to keep the Grove healthy, it could no longer be used as a parking lot. Initially, the decision faced great pushback from alumni, but it led to the modern-day Grove full of open-air tents and camaraderie.

Until the 1980s, only about two of the Ole Miss football team’s games were played on campus each season. Hemingway Stadium seated only 35,000 people in 1979 and had no lights for night games until 1990. Big “home” games were played in larger cities, but as more significant games were moved to campus, the Grove’s prominence as a premiere tailgating location grew.

Described as the Holy Grail of tailgating sites by “Sporting News” and the No. 1 tailgating experience in college football by “Sports Illustrated,” the Grove welcomes tens of thousands of fans on game days. Even people without tickets to the big games flock to the Grove to socialize.

The Grove at Homecoming 1991

From a distance, visitors see a sea of red, white and blue tents. They stand above tables laden with gourmet food served on fine china (as well as plenty of chicken fingers on paper plates), silver serving pieces, chandeliers, floral arrangements and flat-screen TVs.

Two hours before the games, Rebel fans line up along the Walk of Champions in the Grove for a chance to see the team parade toward VaughtHemingway Stadium. Fans wait eagerly to get a high-five or a picture with their favorite players.

The origins of this tradition can be traced back to Homer Ervin "Billy" Brewer. He played quarterback and defensive back on the 1958-60 Rebel teams and was head football coach at Ole Miss from 1983 to 1993.

Brewer wanted to find a way for the players to experience the Grove before games along with the fans. He started taking different routes every Saturday, walking with the team from the old athletic dorm, Kinard Hall, to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. In 1985, when the team took the route they do today, from the student union across the Grove all the way to the Vaught.

“What he started in 1985 was his way of allowing the players to experience the thrill of what was happening in the Grove and to see how

excited our fans were to view them up close on their walk to the stadium,” former Special Assistant to the Athletic Director Langston Rogers said. “I don’t think any of us could have predicted his decision would grow into such a unique college football experience.”

The team’s walk through the Grove became even more special in 1998 when Coach John Vaught’s 1962 team, which went a perfect 10-0, donated funds for the Walk of Champions arch at the entrance to the Grove across from the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union.

The Grove experience at Ole Miss has become a bucket list item for college football fans throughout the nation.

“The Walk of Champions epitomizes everything Ole Miss Athletics is and wants to be. So many great athletes have walked this walk and our fans have embraced this tradition in a major way,” UM Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter said. “We are very intentional as we talk about winning championships at the highest level, and I think the Walk of Champions gives us an unbelievable opportunity to merge our studentathletes, coaches and fans as a rallying point to achieve our goals.”

Story by Claire Reynolds and Sarah McRaney

Photo by Lucy Sprinkle

May thy counsel and thy spirit, Ever keep us one in this, That our own shall be thine honor,

Contents 26 82

142 216

270

CAMPUS

Welcome Week. Homecoming. Oxford Community Market. Student Housing. Kindness Club.

ACADEMICS

Fall Convocation. New Nursing Program. New Creative Writing Program. Servin' in the South.

PEOPLE

Meet Mr. and Miss Ole Miss. William Gottshall. Hall of Fame. Who’s Who at UM. Class Portraits.

ATHLETICS

First Down Ole Miss. Peach Bowl Victory. A Year of Persistence and Heart That Can’t Be Taught.

SPONSORS

Pride of the South. 185 Years of J.E. Neilson Co. The Columns Society. SAA. ASB.

CAMPUS

Donald Trott, professor of music and director of choral activities, leads the Ole Miss choir during their annual Veteran's Day concert on November 11, 2023.

Dear Ole Miss Rebels,

This year at Ole Miss has been a period of tremendous excitement and change on our campus. From celebrating our 175th anniversary to welcoming the largest freshman class ever at a Mississippi university, the 2023-24 academic year was one for the record books.

The numbers reflected our tremendous momentum. We welcomed 5,241 freshman students for the fall 2023 semester, the largest freshman class ever assembled in Mississippi. Your decision to attend the University of Mississippi contributed to a university record of 24,710 students enrolled across our seven campuses, an increase of 7.7% in our total enrollment over last year.

I'm so proud of our campus community and all that has been accomplished. Our students brought boundless energy to academics and activities, all while upholding the Ole Miss values of leadership, service and excellence. Many of you engaged in life-changing opportunities and careerlaunching internships while others earned prestigious national awards — all proof of the exceptional caliber of our students.

We heard the buzz and hum of progress as construction continued on campus projects that will support our current and future students. We demolished the aging Kincannon Hall to pave the way for three new residence halls. The state-of-the-art Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology — our largest-ever campus construction project — moved closer to its opening in Fall 2024. Amid these changes, the charming

beauty of our historic grounds shined through, and we felt the sense of home that has enchanted so many people, generation after generation.

On the fields and on the courts, Ole Miss athletics shined brightly this year. Our football team excelled in the always-tough SEC, and the women's basketball team earned its first preseason top 25 ranking in the AP poll since 1995. We opened a new practice facility for the Pride of the South marching band and unveiled the sleek enhancements to the refurbished Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center.

It is my hope that all members of our campus community will fondly recall being part of the university’s 175th anniversary this year. Our state’s preeminent institution of higher learning opened its doors to students on November 6, 1848. Today, our legacy of excellence remains stronger than ever. Though the world has changed dramatically in the ensuing years, the university's mission remains the same: to transform lives through education and make a positive impact through research and service. You, and all we accomplished during academic year 2023-24, are forever a part of that overarching purpose.

Congratulations to Qitana Sapiga, editor in chief, and the entire yearbook staff for capturing the memories and producing a vibrant chronicle of this momentous year. And congratulations to the Class of 2024. You will carry this esteemed institution with you into the world, and we can't wait to see you build on the legacy that you began here!

Hotty Toddy!

Photo by Carleigh Holt Harbin

THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs

and Finance

Glenn Boyce Chancellor

Keith Carter Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics

Gregory Easson

Steven Holley Vice Chancellor for Administration

Shawnboda Mead Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement

Charlotte Parks Vice Chancellor for Development

Charlotte Pegues Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Eduardo Prieto Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management

SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Kirk Purdom Chief Executive Officer of Alumni Affairs

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Perry Sansing Associate General Counsel and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Governmental Affairs

Vice Chancellor

for

Health Affairs, Dean of the UMMC School of Medicine

David Whitcomb Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel

Jim Zook Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Noel E. Wilkin

LouAnn Woodward, M.D.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

Donna West Strum School of Pharmacy

Tony Ammeter General Studies

Andrea Hickerson School of Journalism and New Media

Frederick Slabach School of Law

Cecilia Botero University Libraries

Peter Grandjean School of Applied Sciences

Viola Acoff School of Engineering

ACADEMIC DEANS

Lee Cohen College of Liberal Arts

Ken Cyree School of Business Administration

David Rock School of Education

Ethel Scurlock

Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College

Wallace Wilder School of Accountancy

Annette Kluck Graduate School

WELCOME WEEK

Thursday, August 17

RebFest at the South Rec Center

Sunday, August 20

Roller Skating in the Union Ballroom

Monday, August 21

Movie Night at the Grove Stage

Tuesday, August 22

Dunk an Orientation Leader and Silent Disco

Wednesday, August 23

Grocery Store Bingo

Thursday, August 24

Union Unplugged with Rebel Radio

Friday, August 25

Yoga and Chick-fil-A

Photos by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Photos by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Photos by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

SQUARE JAM

Photos by Colin Kennedy

The City of Oxford joined forces with the Ole Miss men’s and women’s basketball teams on Friday, October 6 to present the 9th annual Square Jam. The event, presented by Oxford Orthopaedics, is an unofficial tip-off for the basketball season. A basketball court set up in the parking lot in front of City Hall on the Square served as the main stage for the evening with both teams competing in several games and contests.

The evening kicked off with speeches from women’s head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, known jovially as Coach Yo, and new men’s head coach Chris Beard. Set the night before the football team’s victory over Arkansas, the Square was packed with locals and out-of-towners alike.

The players used games of knockout and tic-tac-toe to warm up for the later events. Senior guard Cole McGrath took the win for knockout, and freshman Mariyah Noel won the tic-tac-toe contest. Marquesha Davis of the women’s team finished first in the skills challenge while Elauna Eaton won the three-point contest against freshman Robert Cowherd.

Square Jam served as the first opportunity for Ole Miss fans to see men’s transfers Jamarion Sharp and Allen Flanigan in action as well as freshman Rashaud Marshall. First-timers for the women’s team included transfers KK Deans, Kennedy ToddWilliams and Kharyssa Richardson.

Though only an hour-long event, Square Jam is highly anticipated and attended by the Oxford community and Ole Miss students. New players, a new coach and hope for a pair of winning seasons combined to create a joyful, exciting evening on the Square to start the basketball season on a high note.

Story by Liv Briley

2023 Best Homecoming Float Alpha Phi and Delta

HOMECOMING WEEK

October 23-28, 2023

Photos by Colin Kennedy

Psi

Photos by Colin Kennedy

HOMECOMING COURT

Homecoming King Brady Wood

Homecoming Queen Anna Ware Brown

Mr. Ole Miss Daneel Konnar

Miss Ole Miss Sam Sepe

Freshman Maids

Sydney Grace Hewitt and Hallie Burns

Sophomore Maids

Sally Claire Stockett and Gracyn Yelverton

Junior Maids

Ella Mann and Julia Dyess

Senior Maids

Cofield Collins and Olivia Womack

THE ‘CROSSWALK LADY’ Jennifer Williams

Jennifer Williams, a campus traffic director, has earned the affectionate nickname “Crosswalk Lady” from the Ole Miss students crossing the intersection of Sorority Row and Grove Loop. Her euphonious voice and warm attitude shine brighter than her trademark reflective vest, and her impact on campus exceeds the few hours she spends directing traffic in the crosswalk between Barnard Observatory and Farley Hall each class day.

After escaping an abusive relationship, Williams began working for Wood Security in 2017. Williams quickly found passion and hope through the opportunity.

“My first day I worked at the crosswalk by the university music center, and I fell in love with it,” Williams said.

Williams, a mother of three, has directed vehicular and pedestrian traffic at various times all around the Oxford area from All American Drive on campus to the roads near Lafayette County schools.

“I told them, ‘I want crosswalks,’ and the rest is history,” Williams said. Through her newfound passion at work, Williams overcame depression by brightening the world around her.

“I was looking up what I can do for depression, and it said that the muscles used to smile create serotonin and dopamine. So I was in traffic at Lafayette, and I decided that I’m just gonna smile. I started smiling, and I noticed everybody else was smiling — at me. Then we were all smiling, and that made me really happy. So I’ve just done that ever since,” Williams said.

Williams’ enthusiastic attitude not only improves her mental health but also helps her protect students. Williams aims to create a distinct bond with the students so that she can serve and protect them outside the bounds of the crosswalk.

“If they mess up or misstep, I don’t start screaming or hollering. I laugh or I smile and they know they can feel comfortable with me. I want them to be able to say, ‘I think something is going on here and I need to talk to somebody.’ They can come to me. I may not be able to give them advice, but I

sure can listen. If they need a smile, I got that, too,” Williams said.

Williams’ Southern twang and personality allow her to connect with students and convey her care for them.

“I’m from the South and I can’t remember names, but I want to make it personal. I want them to know that I appreciate them — you know, thank you baby girl. They really are my baby girls and everything else,” Williams said.

Williams’ most notable line, “Hold up guys!,” comes from the song “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg that was released during her early adulthood.

Williams’ impact has made her a notable figure around campus, even gaining traction on YikYak, an anonymous social media platform where users can make short posts. Though confused about her popularity on campus, Williams embraces the supporters that interact with her and show appreciation for her work.

“When I am working the game over at the Pavilion on the crosswalk, the kids are a little bit happier. They get so excited. Why are you so excited about me?” Williams said. “The guys are like, ‘I love you!’ Those are the times that really stick with me — when they feel comfortable enough to go, ‘You’re my favorite crosswalk lady.’”

Williams’ best moments are spent in the simplicity of everyday conversation with students.

“The hellos, good mornings and thank yous — all of the kids are just so sweet and nice to me,” Williams said. “I have a couple that have a bad day, but it’s just a bad day. Because the next day, they’re just as happy as can be.”

Williams’ motivation for her work is driven by positive interactions with the student body.

“Sometimes, I don’t want to go to work. I can be having a really sad day, and I get out there and I start smiling. Then the first students come by and they’re smiling; then the next students come by and they’re smiling,” Williams said. “I get this brightness in my chest.”

Story by Jeridiane Ray

by

Photo

Colin Kennedy

Photos by Matthew Cockrell

OXFORD COMMUNITY MARKET BRINGS FRESH FOOD TO CITY, CAMPUS

Oxford Community Market, a nonprofit organization known as OXCM, hosts a farmer’s market featuring fresh, local produce Tuesday afternoons at the Old Armory Pavilion on University Avenue. This year-round market supports area farmers and helps relieve food insecurity faced by many in the community.

In Mississippi, 19% of the population faces food insecurity, including one in four children. OXCM uses nutrition incentive programs to overcome economic barriers, including a SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) match program, WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) and senior voucher program and a market-based voucher program that provides gift cards to people in need of help.

OXCM also donates food to local pantries, such as Grove Grocery, established in 2013 to help alleviate food insecurity among university students and employees on campus. In addition, $1,500 in vouchers are provided to Grove Grocery members. Each fall, the Harvest Angel Pantry is held in November, providing 3,000 pounds of food from local farmers to people in need.

Recently, OXCM started a new venture, the Farmstand, with Ole Miss Dining, the UM Office of Sustainability, the university’s

Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management and the Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement.

“The Farmstand has been many years in the making,” said Betsy Chapman, director of OXCM.

Similar to OXCM Goes to College, the original on-campus farmer’s market, the Farmstand is a joint effort to better connect with students while sourcing and using local food in campus dining. Open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Business Row, the Farmstand features programming that changes daily. Besides offering fresh produce, the Farmstand hosts local guest chefs, rotating vendors from the Oxford Community Market and menus and materials from the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management. Ole Miss Dining services also prepares meals using locally sourced ingredients.

Over the past 10 years as director, Betsy Chapman has seen a huge increase in demand for local food as well as an increase in the quality and quantity of the food at the community market.

The goal of Oxford Community Market and the Farmstand is to champion local farmers while working toward making healthy foods accessible to people who have been traditionally underserved.

Story by Bella Duncan

COVERING UVALDE withalumTonyPlohetski

The University of Mississippi has produced thousands of successful graduates, most of whom credit Ole Miss in some part for their outstanding careers.

Tony Plohetski is one of these renowned graduates. He was honored by the university and the School of Journalism and New Media on October 26, 2023, when he spoke to a packed auditorium at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics about his coverage of the mass shooting in 2022 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Plohetski, a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman since 2000 and KVUE in Austin since 2013, has earned two dozen national and state journalism prizes for his work, including a national Edward R. Murrow Award and four National Headliner awards. He was named Star Reporter of the Year by Texas Managing Editors in 2021 and 2023 and Best Television Reporter by the Texas Association of Broadcasters and the Texas Headliners Foundation in 2023. Plohetski was the lead reporter on the American-Statesman’s coverage of the Uvalde school shooting that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for public service.

During his talk at the Overby Center, Plohetski described covering this tragic event and how he was able to release the surveillance footage from inside the school that showed law enforcement's delayed and inadequate response to the shooter. Plohetski was the first journalist to obtain the 77-minute hallway video recording.

As the story of the shooting initially unfolded, the media did not know about how big a part the police officers’ response would play. However, Plohetski has done extensive work on police accountability, so he was able to quickly detect this aspect of the story.

“The parents knew early on that the response had not been what it should have,” Plohetski said, recounting what it was like when he arrived on the scene. Crying parents had no idea whether their children were safe, and they could tell that it was taking far too long to find out anything about what was happening inside the school.

Many parents were angry not just about a lack of response from the people sworn to protect the community, but also at Plohetski for getting the video from inside the school released. While Plohetski and the newsroom leaders had their own doubts about publishing the footage, they decided that their job as journalists was to shine light on the truth. They believe that everybody should know about what happened that day.

Plohetski closed the Overby event by offering his advice to Ole Miss journalism students who hope to cover stories that matter to people: There is no such thing as a bad assignment. Any story can impact someone’s day.

He ended with a reminder to students to live their own lives, saying, “Remember where a journalist's job starts and stops.”

Story by Abi Stough

Photo by Chloe Calo

2023 Overall Winner Kappa Delta

Phi Mu

Kappa Kappa Gamma

CASA ENCORE 2023

Weeks of fundraising, blood drives and dance rehearsals culminated in the CASA Encore event held September 21, 2023, in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion on campus. Ole Miss’ Panhellenic chapters raised $459,258 for Court Appointed Special Advocates, better known as CASA.

CASA of North Mississippi advocates for children in the foster care system by training community volunteers to help represent abused and neglected children in youth court to ensure every child is placed in a safe, stable home as well as assisting children in daily life throughout their cases.

Each year, UM sororities work with the organization to put on CASA Encore, which features a choreographed performance from each chapter.

The tradition of CASA Encore started with UM’s Epsilon Zeta chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. After that chapter closed in 2018, the UM Panhellenic community continued the fundraiser. Sororities are ranked by both the amounts of money raised and the points scored during the dance competition, with an overall winner declared.

This year, the top three fundraising chapters were Alpha Omicron Pi with $70,209.87, Kappa Delta with $60,094.20 and Delta Gamma with $54,710.61. Delta Gamma placed first in the dance competition, followed by Kappa Kappa Gamma in second place and Alpha Omicron Pi tied with Alpha Phi in third place.

The overall winner of CASA Encore was Kappa Delta.

The competition at the Pavilion included choreographed dances with imagery from “Alice in Wonderland,” “Despicable

Me,” “High School Musical” and other pop culture themes. Delta Gamma freshman Grace Travis explained ways money was raised.

“We made sure everyone knew what the fundraiser was for — that the money was for children in need,” Travis said. “We networked with people from different clubs, organizations on campus, hometown friends, parents, grandparents and others who could donate to CASA in order to help.”

Hayden Hubbell, senior member of Tri Delta and an Ole Miss Rebelette, helped develop Tri Delta’s theme, “Alice in Wonderland,” along with fellow Rebelettes Lizi Lengel and Taya Thurston. “In my opinion, to have a successful CASA dance, we need characters to create a storyline. Having a storyline is easy to follow, especially for the audience.”

Participants bonded with their own sorority members while meeting other people from all over campus. Typically, the new member class from each chapter performs the dance for the CASA Encore competition. Weeks of practice nurture new friendships among members and an appreciation for CASA and its cause.

“It was a blast getting to help choreograph and see this piece unfold week by week and getting to know a lot of our freshmen Tri Deltas,” said Hubbell.

Chi Omega freshman Meredith Dees said, “(The sororities) do a great job of making CASA a good experience while also keeping the focus on its purpose to help the charity.”

Chloe Dobbins contributed to this story.

Story by Bella Duncan

A SNOW GLOBE TOWN

Snow days! No school!

Almost every student’s dream of a winter wonderland came true at the beginning of the university’s spring 2024 semester.

But in this case, it was more ice than snow that delayed the first day of classes after a five-week winter break. The severe weather with snow, sleet and record-low temperatures started on Sunday, January 14, 2024, and coated roads and walkways with 3- to 4-inches of ice that could not be plowed and would not melt for days.

University staffers were supposed to report to work on Tuesday, but the campus remained closed the remainder of that week. Spring semester classes were to start on Monday, January 22, but Chancellor Glenn Boyce sent an email to students, faculty and staff stating that the first day of classes would be postponed until Thursday, January 25. He also advised students to delay their return to Oxford until January 23 at the earliest.

“Hazardous conditions and extreme temperatures continue with the current forecast predicting temperatures to remain below freezing until Sunday,” Boyce said in his January 17 email. “University facilities crews need sustained above-freezing temperatures and space to operate in order to effectively clear a layer of ice covering roads, parking lots and sidewalks on campus.”

Between January 15 and January 22, the Oxford Police Department responded to 46 wrecks and 265 motorists requesting assistance.

Although some worried that the missed classroom days would have to be made up later in the semester, possibly interfering with previously scheduled time off such as spring break, Jacob Batte, director of news

and media relations, explained this would not be the case.

“The three days lost to the delay will not be made up,” Batte said. “Faculty will adjust their syllabi to ensure that all necessary content is taught during the semester.”

Students responded to weather delay with surprise, relief and delight, considering it offered the rare opportunity for sledding and tubing down hills on campus.

“I was surprised to hear that it would be snowing in Oxford – and for the first time in a few years,” sophomore finance major Richard Mugler said.

Many parents and students were grateful as the delay kept them from having to travel in the unsafe weather. Matt Clark, sophomore integrated marketing communications major and club hockey player, was worried about making it back in time for his first game of the season, which ended up being canceled.

“My car doesn’t have all-wheel drive, so spinning out on frozen roads is a high possibility,” Clark said.

Many parents also took to social media to express how the delay was beneficial to students returning to campus for classes.

“Thank you. We were trying to figure out how to navigate the return coming from Illinois,” Nicole Paulsberg Lindsey, a UM parent, said on Facebook.

Lola Lang, a junior integrated marketing communications major from Florida, shared her thoughts about the delay: “I was ready to go back to school. I’m a little bummed (we didn’t start back) on Monday, but I definitely didn’t mind a snow week,” Lang said.

Story by Kharley Redmon and Mary Evans

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Photos

MacKenzie Ross

Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/ Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

A comment left under a Feb. 8, 2024, Daily Mississippian Instagram post

WHY THE UNIVERSITY DOESN’T ‘JUST ACCEPT FEWER STUDENTS’

Since 2021, the University of Mississippi’s freshman class sizes have increased by 46% — from 3,584 to 5,240 freshmen in the 2023-2024 school year. This unprecedented growth is a point of pride for the university, but it also presents challenges such as insufficient campus housing, longer lines for student union services and competition to register for crowded classes. A university record 24,710 students enrolled across the school’s seven campuses in the fall, leading many in the university community to ask this question: Why not just limit the number of students accepted?

Part of the answer lies in Mississippi’s statewide admissions policy, dictated in large part by a historic 1992 ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States: Ayers and the United States v. Fordice. The court sided with the plaintiffs, agreeing that Mississippi had failed to sufficiently desegregate its higher education system. The resulting settlement among the plaintiffs, the United States and the state of Mississippi — finalized a decade later — is colloquially referred to as Ayers.

Stemming from a 1975 lawsuit alleging unequal treatment of Black and white students in Mississippi’s higher education system, the Ayers settlement required the state to take strides toward leveling the playing field. One policy aimed at addressing this was statewide open admissions.

“The Ayers settlement originated from a 1975 lawsuit filed by a group of Black Mississippians intending to address years of inadequate funding for the state’s three public Black colleges and eliminate barriers for students at predominantly white institutions,” Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning’s Director of Student Services Sandra Kelly said.

Currently, in-state students have access to all eight of Mississippi’s public universities, provided they meet certain criteria. This policy constitutes what is commonly referred to as open-admissions. For in-state students, admission to UM is mostly noncompetitive.

“I think it helped level the playing field for all students by providing multiple routes of admission and providing academic resources for students who might not have otherwise been admissible at our state’s public universities,” Jody Lowe, UM’s director of admissions, said. Because of the statewide open-admissions policy, a cap cannot be placed on the number of in-state students admitted to UM. There is essentially no restriction

on the enrollment of out-of-state students, as well. It is not UM’s goal to decrease enrollment. Rather, it is relishing this period of historic growth.

Conversations about restricting out-of-state admissions to alleviate pressure caused by enrollment are not on the table, according to University Marketing and Communications.

One reason may be that reducing the number of out-of-state students is not a financially tenable option. Of the 2023-2024 school year’s freshman class, only 30.5% of students are Mississippi residents. The remaining 69.5% of freshmen are non-residents, who pay more than twice the tuition charged residents to attend UM. Revenue from tuition and fees makes up 78% of UM’s operating budget, according to the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning.

UM is anticipating high enrollment numbers again next year. “It’s too early to make any forecasts, but I would say that applications are very strong at this point for next fall,” Lowe said. As part of the open-admissions process, the university will take applications for the 2024-2025 school year until the first day of fall classes.

Jim Zook, UM’s chief marketing and communications officer, assured that the university maintains a close eye on student experience and campus environment, pointing to housing leases the university has negotiated with Oxford apartment complexes and construction of new residence halls as ways UM is working to keep up with the rising student population. Three residence halls will be built on the site of the recently demolished Kincannon Hall in addition to a parking garage to accommodate more student vehicles.

The Ayers settlement was intended to last through mid-2022. Though it has since expired, the open-admissions policy is unlikely to change.

“The university system is committed to empowering various learners, which can be achieved by ensuring educational opportunities are accessible to all students,” Kelley said. “Therefore, open-admission remains secure. Currently, IHL and academic leaders are collaborating to evaluate the existing admission standards to streamline processes for enhanced effectiveness.”

Story by Violet Jira

THE GLITZY, CAMPY, FEEL-GREAT SPECTACLE

The University of Mississippi Department of Theatre and Film brought gloriously goofy Broadway glitz and Bible-thumping rural conservatism to the Gertrude C. Ford Center on November 10-12, 2023, in its production of “The Prom.” The Tony-nominated musical is about a lesbian high schooler’s struggle to take her girlfriend to her senior prom.

The play spotlights four near-washed-up, somewhat narcissistic Broadway stars who make the trek from New York City to middle-ofnowhere Indiana to confront the local high school’s parent-teacher association, which canceled a prom in lieu of allowing a lesbian student to take her girlfriend to the party. Their bout of celebrity activism is intended to improve their public images. Campy and often heartfelt chaos ensues.

The Ford Center run was directed by Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre John Carden, choreographed by Instructional Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre Dance Joe Jackson and featured student actors, costume designers and crew.

Dressed in hideously amazing sequins and glitter, students Olivia Limbaugh, Brady Bramlett, Maggie House and Aidan Waters portrayed Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen, Barry Glickman, Angie Dickinson and Trent Oliver, respectively. Each performer brought the larger-than-life presence needed for their characters to the stage, ensuring there was never a dull moment for the audience. Meanwhile, characters Emma and

Alyssa — the student causing the controversy and her closeted girlfriend — were portrayed by Anna Grace Denny and Kayla Fifer. Unlike the frenzied Broadway stars, the high school student characters brought a much more mellow, sincere element to the show, insisting time and time again that they only wished to be with each other in peace as opposed to becoming activists at the center of a national campaign.

One standout scene from the show was “The Acceptance Song,” a highenergy ensemble number preaching orientation tolerance to residents of the small town in the middle of a monster truck rally. Featuring detailed choreography and a lot of rainbow flags, the number was easily one of the show’s most entertaining. But fervorous song and dance was not all the production had to offer. “Dance With You,” a slow and sweet number sung by Emma and Alyssa, provided a sincere contrast to the wildness of much of the show and, as a result, was one of the most memorable moments from the musical.

The production also shone in its set design, alternating from Broadway, to Emma’s bedroom, the local high school and even a 7-Eleven.

From start to finish, the audience laughed and hollered, responding to the constant action and idealistic ardor within the production. Carried by its amazing cast and bolstered by great set design and blocking, “The Prom” was a spectacle both entertaining and heartwarming.

Story by Chloe Dobbins

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NEW CLUB ENCOURAGES KINDNESS

Within the School of Education, a group of students and advisers spread kindness and celebrates inclusivity and diversity at Ole Miss.

A newer addition to the hundreds of clubs offered on campus, the Kindness Club was started by Abby Newton, a 2023 University of Mississippi graduate of the School of Education, to destigmatize disability and spread optimism across campus. The club began as Newton’s thesis project and has since expanded to include meetings and events highlighting topics such as mental health and acts of kindness for those in and out of the School of Education.

“We have a special education foundation so that is always at the core of what we do,” said Savannah Wehman, vice president of Kindness Club. “We aim to show the endless possibilities that inclusion brings.”

Wehman, a senior special education major, joined Kindness Club in her junior year after connecting with the mission statement set forth by Newton. She, along with Kindness Club President Anna-Katherine McDonough, are passionate about spreading the club’s reach across the campus community. The group holds monthly meetings centered around specific purposes.

“During mental health awareness month, we did rock painting and letters of kindness to be spread throughout the School of Education,” she said. “Next, we did a lemonade stand focused on kindness and called it ‘turning lemons into

lemonade,’ highlighting how people with disabilities overcome adversity and use it for the better. We also included cards for people to write down a note of encouragement to keep or pass out.”

The club not only focuses on spreading awareness and kindness, but also highlights individuals who have made an impact in the lives of others.

“My favorite memory was a panel luncheon we put on in November centered around the inspirational Maxine Harper,” Wehman said. “She was a professor at the school of ed here at Ole Miss, and not only was she an impactful teacher, but she also was bound to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy. We had three staff members answer questions on her legacy for an audience and catered lunch to those who came. It was truly a beautiful event.”

Clubs and organizations at the university are dedicated to everything from sports and outdoor hobbies to professional career preparation, but the Kindness Club stands out from the rest in its mission to be a unit of positivity on the Ole Miss campus and within the Oxford community. The group’s work to provide information about living with disabilities and limit the stigma surrounding disability can create profound change. There is no such thing as too much kindness and positivity, and with the work of the Kindness Club, there is no shortage of these feelings here at Ole Miss.

Story by Liv Briley and Christiana Davis

Photos courtesy of the Kindness

Photos by Laci Hitchcock

ROCKTOBER CLIMBING COMPETITION hosted by Campus Recreation Outdoors

Camus Recreation Outdoors is a program that operates the climbing wall within the South Campus Recreation Center, rents outdoor gear to students, runs outdoor adventure trips and manages the Campus Recreation Challenge Course.

On October 27, 2023, the program hosted its second annual Rocktober Climbing Competition. In the Halloween-themed event, climbers from a variety of skill levels attempted to complete as many of the new routes as possible in a two-hour period.

The route-setting team began preparing the climbing wall on the Tuesday prior to the Friday competition by completely stripping the wall of its climbing holds and beginning to set up 40 new routes. Participants were not allowed to climb any of the new routes until the day of the competition.

Campus Recreation Outdoors graduate assistant Haakon Colwell said his favorite part of hosting the competition was “the community built within the route setters. We are able to build up this rapport since we work together for so long and have so much to do in such a short amount of time.”

Routes are designed with specific grades of difficulty in mind, ranging from VB to V9 for this particular competition.

“It’s hands-on problem setting, and you’re able to create the problems that you want the community to think of,” said Colwell. Determining how to climb each route is as mental as it is physical.

“Climbing is much more than just another workout; it helps keep you physically healthy but also exercises your mind by having to solve

problems, which is a unique skill set to have in sports,” said climbing wall program assistant Zahara Bruun. “You also are surrounded by a community of other climbers who all help and support each other.”

With many climbers who are considered “regulars,” the employees get to know them throughout the school year and interact with them on a daily basis.

“My favorite aspect of the climbing competition is probably the community,” said Bruun. “We get to see everyone who comes to climb come together for the competition and create a great environment and community of climbers.”

While at the competition, participants climbed as many routes as they could in the allotted time and were given check marks on their score cards by Campus Recreation Outdoors staff if they completed a given route. After the climbing portion of the event was over, staffers separated the group into beginner, intermediate and advanced categories.

Kaitlyn Thurgood won the women’s beginner category and Stewart Russ won the men’s beginner category by a narrow margin of one attempt over the other climbers. Thomas Werne took home the intermediate prize. The top three in the advanced category were winner Brandon Reeves, runner-up Reed Finseth and second runnerup Connor Beech.

Campus Recreation Outdoors plans to continue hosting climbing competitions and building the community that has been such a valuable part of its climbers’ and employees’ Ole Miss experience.

Story by Liv Briley

DEVELOPS CROWD COVER APP JulienBourgeois

With more than 10,000 downloads in 10 college towns, the Crowd Cover app is taking over the after-class entertainment scene. Julien Bourgeois developed the app that shares real-time cover charges at off-campus drinking establishments.

A New Orleans native, Bourgeois attended Haynes Academy, where he played baseball and basketball. He began focusing on computer programming after a knee injury in his sophomore year. Bourgeois spent his senior year developing his first app: Automatic Trainer, an AI basketball program for Apple Watch that gives players active stats as they train. Bourgeois and co-creator Andrew Bradford spent their last months of high school perfecting their program and pitching the idea to various business competitions.

Bourgeois entered Ole Miss as a freshman in fall 2023 majoring in computer science. Sometime after classes began, a friend called Bourgeois from her Uber with a grand idea: an app that shares real-time cover charges on the Oxford Square. Two weeks later, Crowd Cover was available in the App Store.

“I tried to think outside the box and what I could do differently from the other apps. One thing I noticed is that the other apps tried to partner with the bars right away instead of establishing a presence,” Bourgeois said. “So I figured, let me try to make one where I don't have to partner with them. The best way to do that was crowdsourcing."

Crowd Cover operates based on the engagement of its users. He designed the app’s interface with simplicity and cleanliness in mind. When near the Square, users can update a bar’s cover after determining the current charge. They can also report on the size of the bar’s crowd.

The app restricts the ability to change cover prices outside a bar’s set radius, ensuring truthful reporting. Bourgeois emphasized his dedication to a three-click rule to keep the process quick and user-friendly.

While acknowledging the app’s potential for improvement, Bourgeois expressed his desire for users to find it easy and efficient.

“There is obviously so much room for us to improve it and make it more accurate. I wanted people to feel that it was easy to open the app, and I wanted it to be quick,” Bourgeois said.

Bourgeois and Bradford won the 2023 Ole Miss Business Model Competition for their Automatic Trainer app. Bourgeois hopes to place Crowd Cover ambassadors at various universities to promote the app on campuses. He focuses on expansion within SEC college towns.

The inception of Crowd Cover reflects Bourgeois’ entrepreneurial spirit but also an understanding of the unique needs of his fellow students. As Crowd Cover continues to evolve and gain popularity, it stands as a testament to his ability to think outside the box and leave an indelible mark on the college experience.

Story by Emmaline Wolfe

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Colin Kennedy

Photos by Benson Le

REBELTHON RAISES RECORD AMOUNT FOR CHILDREN'S OF MISSISSIPPI

Students put on their dancing shoes on Saturday, February 24, 2024, for the University of Mississippi’s annual RebelTHON, a 12hour marathon fundraiser for Children’s of Mississippi in Jackson, the state's sole children’s hospital.

The organization raised $272,616.06, which is $60,000 more than last year’s total.

“That amount is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with RebelTHON,” Tanner Gough, director of special events and a junior accounting major, said. “Our executive leadership did a tremendous job spearheading this year’s efforts. We broke our all-time fundraising record, and the level of enthusiasm I witnessed from the participants was unlike any other year I’ve been involved in. The future is incredibly bright for the children in our state.”

Sellers Shockley, a junior public policy leadership major, serves on the Miracle Family Relations Committee. After two years of involvement with RebelTHON, her favorite part of the organization is the ability to connect with kids and help the community.

“RebelTHON is a crucial way that Ole Miss can help the community,” Shockley said. “The money and awareness that this dance marathon generates goes a long way toward supporting the state.”

Kate Brasher, a morale captain for RebelTHON and a junior allied health studies major, has been involved with the event for three years.

“The dance marathon felt unreal. It was such an emotional

moment to see that we raised $272,616.06 for Children’s of Mississippi,” Brasher said. “It brings me so much joy knowing how this money is going to help so many Miracle families.”

While this year’s event had 1,115 registered participants, the organization hopes to bring in even more students in the future.

“After such an amazing year, it makes me super pumped for the next year,” Brasher said. “We already have so many students that participate in RebelTHON, so imagine what big a difference we can make if we get even more.”

One of the main accomplishments of RebelTHON has been the funding of “The Family Room” at Children’s of Mississippi.

“The Family Room gives the families of the Miracle kids a place to go do laundry, cook, watch TV, etc., while not having to leave the hospital,” Brasher said. “This year, RebelTHON fundraised for a school to be added in the hospital. RebelTHON is so important because even the smallest changes can make such a difference in a Miracle family’s life.”

Gough reiterated the importance of this event not only to the community, but to the state of Mississippi as a whole.

“Being Mississippi’s flagship university, Ole Miss has a direct responsibility to serve and contribute to the overall advancement of this great state,” Gough said. “RebelTHON is put on with Mississippi kids and families at the heart of what we do, so to be able to better them in any way possible is what we seek to accomplish. Saving a family a trip to Austin or Philadelphia when they can stay right at home is a cause I see as worth being a part of.”

Story by Isabelle Frost

Photo courtesy of Be Her Hero

Front L to R: Dr. Zowee Jamison-Shanks and Maddie Whitt

Back L to R: Rebekah Reed, Alyssa Paranteau, Grace Hazelhoff

BE HER HERO: A FEMINIST LIGHT ON CAMPUSMeetPresidentGraceHazelhoff

Grace Hazelhoff, a senior legal studies major from Traverse City, Michigan, co-founded Be Her Hero in 2022 with Co-President Maddie Whitt. The organization works to create meaningful conversations about women’s issues on campus and create change around those issues within Mississippi. We sat down with Hazelhoff to learn more about Be Her Hero and its mission at Ole Miss.

What is Be Her Hero?

Our primary endeavor is to raise money for the domestic violence shelter, Safe Incorporated, in Tupelo. Additionally, we peer-educate the larger Ole Miss campus on issues that disproportionately affect women, such as domestic violence, the pink tax, underrepresentation in Congress, clinical trials, etc.

Can you walk me through the process of starting Be Her Hero at Ole Miss, from when the idea was formed to when it was finalized as a registered student organization?

My roommate, Maddie Whitt, and I were both very passionate about women’s issues and would discuss them in detail regularly. We felt like the Ole Miss campus could use more conversation about such issues, so we began Be Her Hero. We selected Safe Incorporated as our beneficiary because it is local and has been an established organization for many years. We discussed the idea with some of our friends and established the rest of the council, with Maddie and me as co-presidents. I registered the club on the Ole Miss Forum with Dean Elizabeth Bradley as our faculty adviser. With the help of Dugan Walker (assistant director of student organization management at the university), I was able to get Be Her Hero up and running.

What types of events/fundraisers does Be Her Hero host?

Our empowerment event this semester was hosting Dr. Zowee Jamison-Shanks, the executive director of Safe Incorporated, as a women’s empowerment speaker on campus. The event was in the Overby Center, and it was open to all students. Our big fundraiser this semester was a raffle for a lifetime Library Sports Bar card and a percentage day with Hemline. We ended up raising around $2,500.

What is the most important part of Be Her Hero?

The most important part of Be Her Hero is its members. The members who came to sit at our union table and hand out drink covers (combating date rape drugs), promote the raffle and recruit new members were essential to our mission. All of the members who came to meetings to learn more about women’s issues and spread the word about our events were truly who made our mission possible this year.

Do you have a favorite memory or experience from your time with Be Her Hero?

My favorite memory is going to Safe Incorporated in person to donate the money we had raised for them. We got to meet the incredible women who run the shelter, and we got to see some of how it operates. I remember Dr. Zowee looking at me, Maddie and Alyssa Paranteau (Be Her Hero vice president) and saying, “You girls are going to change the world!” That really stuck with me.

Q&A by Liv Briley

UMPROV BRINGS SPONTANEITY TO THE OLE MISS COMMUNITY

Founded in 2022 by Leah Blevins and Don Waller, UMPROV is a student improvisation organization dedicated to helping students find their voice, have some fun and build long-lasting relationships. The troupe is made up of students from a variety of backgrounds and majors at Ole Miss, though theater students are the dominant group in the organization.

Improv is a style of performance in which most, if not all, of the performance is unplanned. Rather than following a script, the performers have spontaneous conversations, letting things go wherever they flow naturally.

Camp Holden, sophomore member of UMPROV said, “What draws me to improv more is you don’t really have to rehearse. Whatever comes to mind and whatever flows really well is what you keep going with. In improv, you can never really mess up because you can just recover if you need to.”

In lieu of rehearsing specific scripts and lines, the UMPROV actors practice by playing improv games that teach different theater styles and help the performers hone their skills prior to performances.

“It helps you think quick on your feet,” said Holden.

The group participates in games at the beginning and end of each meeting that allow people who are not as familiar with improv or as confident in their abilities to become more comfortable with performing.

“UMPROV is a place where you get to laugh a lot and a place that you can be yourself,” said Ella Seddon, junior member of UMPROV. “It’s a great release after being in classes all day.”

The performers enjoy how each day is different in improv.

“Even if you play the same style of game, it’s never going to be the same,” Holden said.

This freedom allows for spontaneity and makes for a more interesting and humorous experience for the audience at UMPROV’s shows, which are put on several times a year. Themes for the shows are often seasonal, which can impact the types of prompts given to the performers.

“I think it’s so amazing watching the gears turn in the actors’ heads as they’re figuring out where to go next in the scene,” said Seddon. “That’s probably my favorite part.”

While performing is the ultimate draw of UMPROV, the thing many of its members like the most is the community built within the group.

“My favorite part of being in UMPROV is getting to meet new people and act with them,” said Holden. “I’m not in the theater department so I don’t get to do much with them, but improv has allowed me to meet all of the people I hang out with now.”

Seddon echoed this sentiment, saying, “My favorite part is getting to spend time just laughing with a community of people that are just amazing.”

For the students involved in the group and the audience members at their shows, UMPROV is a lively organization that brings a bit of joy and laughter to the Ole Miss campus and certainly is a welcome addition to the performing arts community.

Story by Liv Briley

Photo by Colin Kennedy

STUDY SPOTS Favorite

Photos by Colin Kennedy

With students comprising a large percentage of the Oxford population for nearly nine months of the year, you will find them studying all around town. Some of their favorite study spots are well-known on campus, such as the J.D. Williams Library, while others are more unusual spots offcampus, such as the lobby of the Graduate Hotel, but all are revered for their unique characteristics.

Chase Berger, a senior electrical engineering student from New Orleans, spends most of his days in the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME) building. The center was founded in 2008 with the purpose of providing students with the necessary academic and real-world experience to become innovators and leaders in the field of manufacturing.

“CME provides a real-life work environment with cubicles and monitors that allow me to focus on my tasks while also providing a space to study with my peers,” Berger says.

Sophomore education majors and Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program members Tori Duncan of Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Madeline Malone of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, are fond of The Oxford Lodge. This space located on Highway 314, a short drive from campus, is a part of the Christian Study Space movement. Founded by Ole Miss alumnus Bill Boyd, The Lodge aims to offer a place for students to form friendships and enjoy fellowship with others outside of their respective niches on campus.

“It’s a cozy spot with coffee and snacks always available. There is also a beautiful

outdoor area to get fresh air and hang out with the Lodge dogs,” says Duncan. “The owner, Mr. Boyd, is there pretty often and loves to engage in deeper conversations with students.”

Malone adds, “There are also many faithbased books available for students to read in between studying.”

Junior finance major Ann Louise Newcomb from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, opts to study in Conner Hall on Business Row.

“I really like finding a spot around Conner Hall. There is always a quiet area with a table and chairs, especially at times when the library is packed,” she says. Newcomb’s academic adviser’s office is also in Conner Hall, making this location particularly convenient for her academic endeavors.

Farley Hall, home to the School of Journalism and New Media, is a favorite for Lucy Smith, a senior integrated marketing communications major from Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

“Since Farley is the building my major is based out of, I am constantly seeing my classmates and professors around the building, which I enjoy,” says Smith. “There is a cozy lobby on the main floor where I often meet with friends and classmates to do work. Seeing familiar faces around the building is always nice and reminds me of my time at boarding school.”

Students in these study spots form a community. Sometimes it’s a silent camaraderie built not with words but with shared notecards, computer chargers and an understanding of the academic rigors they face at the University of Mississippi.

Story by Bella Duncan

POP UP OX4D VintageResaleforStudents

Oxford-native Joe Hogue, a senior business marketing major, had dreams of building a community while doing what he loved when he started POP UP OX4D, a pop-up market of vintage clothing resellers. Hogue was passionate about the culture within the vintage resale community and when he realized he had an opportunity to bring that community to Oxford, he took it.

“I knew a bunch of people who were selling vintage clothes, and they would all sell it from their Instagram accounts, Snapchats and whatever else,” Hogue said. “I just figured since I knew this many people, I could organize something to get them all in one spot.”

The first POP UP OX4D event was held at a small pavilion, and Hogue lost money renting it out, a fact that he was okay with if it meant getting to foster the culture. He then moved the event to his house, but with the immense turnout causing his street to nearly shut down, he knew that could not be a long-term solution. Luckily, he reached an agreement with the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council that allowed him to contract out the Old Armory Pavilion on University Avenue for future events.

With the larger pavilion came more vendors with more items to sell, but Hogue maintains that the most important part of the events is still the people.

“First and foremost, it’s just a community hangout. I know a lot of people who rarely even buy things but go to be in a cool environment and hang out with cool people,” said Hogue.

He speaks highly of the vendors who participate in the pop ups, saying they are always friendly and genuinely interested in getting to know the attendees.

“My favorite part of hosting is just meeting the people who sell and frequent the events,” said Hogue. “I get to talk with a lot of people, and I’m a big fan of fellowship in general, so that’s probably my favorite part.”

Hosting such a large event is not always easy, particularly when juggling the planning with his work and school commitments. Hogue cites one instance when he had to pull an all-nighter following a week of midterm exams and several late nights at work in order to make sure the event ran smoothly. Fortunately, he has help from his parents, friends and vendors, who all pitch in to market for the events.

With so many online platforms that sell second-hand products, some may wonder why events like POP UP OX4D are necessary. Hogue’s answer is simple: community benefit.

“You can get sustainable clothing from apps like Depop and eBay, but with the pop ups, the sustainable clothing is already in the community, so you’re benefiting the local community by shopping through them,” said Hogue. “You’re buying from someone you could run into at Walmart. It’s in person and you can try it on, so it’s a lot more personable.”

POP UP OX4D has created a space for people with similar interests and values to come together in support of each other and a more sustainable future in the fashion industry. While Hogue does not plan to stay in Oxford post-graduation, he hopes to continue organizing similar events and is open to passing the responsibility of running POP UP OX4D on to a worthy candidate. Whether the event continues in Oxford or not, the community that Hogue has fostered will live on.

Story by Liv Briley

Photos by Micheal Hogue Jr. and Joe Hogue

OUTSIDE THE BOX SquareMagazine

Square Magazine fosters a creative outlet for fashionminded students on campus. The student-run publication, which includes content relevant to current fashion news, includes a website and social media presence as well as an annual print edition.

Square boasts 40 members making up six teams: business, editorial, creative, digital, casting and social. Students gain tactical experience in editorial writing, design, photoshoot styling, casting and more.

The editorial team provides the written content for both the website and print editions, while the digital team maintains the website. Square’s creative team generates the photoshoot ideas, and they work alongside social and editorial often to contribute content for different media platforms. Casting and creative teams work together on photoshoots. The business team handles the logistics and operations of being a registered student organization as well as reaching out to local businesses on behalf of the magazine. This year’s creative group is led by co-editorsin-chief Elena Ossoski and Emma Greene.

Square Magazine, founded as Velvet in 2019, is part of the School of Journalism and New Media, but Square Magazine staffers come from many different disciplines and areas of study.

“Square Magazine is all about creating a community based on a love of fashion,” said Ossoski.

Content ranges from campus trends to information about Oxford retailers and coverage of national fashion week activity. Past print editions have addressed topics such as sustainability in the modern era and parallels in fashion history, providing tangible pieces of fashion commentary for the university and its community.

Square aims to cultivate a love of fashion beyond its home of Mississippi but does not forget its roots. “Square” refers to the iconic downtown of Oxford and “Velvet” to Oxford’s nickname the “Velvet Ditch.”

“We hope that Square will be a pillar of our university and have a reputation that attracts future students and creatives alike to the city of Oxford,” Ossoski said. Creative Director Kaitlyn Steinroeder is a testament to this hope and credits much of her college experience to Square Magazine.

“Square has given me the space to let my creative ideas come to life,” Steinroder said. “I have a great passion for creative direction, photography and fashion. Finding this community on campus has been integral to my dream college experience. I love what we have made here, and I love my Square family.”

Story by Bella Duncan

Photo by Bill Dabney

BILL REED ContinuinghisOleMissLegacy

Ever since his freshman year at Ole Miss in 1968, Bill Reed has been active at the University of Mississippi.

Reed was involved in the Associated Student Body during all four years of his undergraduate career and served as the ASB president in the 1971-72 academic year. As ASB president, he escorted the 1971 Homecoming Queen, Linda Ritchey, across the Hemingway Stadium football field. Fifty-two years later, as Ole Miss Alumni Association president, Reed joined Homecoming Queen Anna Ware Brown and King Brady Wood during the presentation of the court in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on October 28, 2023.

“I had a lot of fun during the homecoming game,” Reed said. “I have never been on the sidelines before during a game. It was a lot of activity and an enjoyable experience.”

While a student at Ole Miss, Reed was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He also participated in the Army ROTC program, and after graduation in 1972, Reed served in the U.S. Army for two years. He returned to Ole Miss to attend law school, serving as editor in chief of the

Mississippi Law Journal and graduating first in his class in 1977. Upon graduating from law school, Reed moved back to his hometown of Jackson and practiced law there for 46 years before retiring in 2023. He served as president and COO of Baker Donelson from 1998 to 2005.

Upon his graduation from the University of Mississippi, Reed joined the Ole Miss Alumni Association. He became more involved in recent years, serving as a member of the board of directors before becoming the president of the association in 2022.

Reed thanks the full-time staff for its work to maintain pride in the school and assist graduates in continuing their legacies. The Ole Miss Alumni Association helps former students stay connected to the school and the friends that they made during their time at the university, The association sponsors events on campus, throughout Mississippi and across the country to strengthen the university and help maintain a close relationship between alumni and the school.

Story by Emma Bieker

Party at the Plaza, an event celebrating National First-Gen Celebration Day.

Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/ Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

THE FIRST-GENERATION Network

The University of Mississippi kicked off national First-Generation College Student Week on November 7, 2023, with a panel discussion between alumni and students, a celebration on the Union Plaza and opportunities for students to learn about ways the university can support them.

“We embrace First Gen Week as a fantastic opportunity to recognize and celebrate our first-generation students, whose dedication and determination exemplify the best qualities of the University of Mississippi,” said Chancellor Glenn Boyce, who was a first-generation college student when he attended Ole Miss.

“First-generation students bring unique perspectives and experiences that enhance our learning environment, and the celebration of this week is another example of the university’s commitment to providing guidance, resources and support for our first-generation student community.”

The week provided an opportunity for the university to celebrate students who are the first in their families to earn a college education, said Ashleen Williams, instructional assistant professor in the office of the provost and faculty adviser to the First-Generation Student Network.

The week was also an opportunity for students to learn about the resources and support structures available to them.

“The reason it’s called a network is because it’s a network of resources,” Williams said. “You have a group of people who you can ask your questions to and, if they don’t know, they can help you find the answers.

“My hope is that they gain a sense of confidence both in the institution and their place in the university.”

Supporting these students is one way the university fulfills its role as the state’s flagship institution, said Annette Kluck, dean of the graduate

school and professor of leadership and counselor education.

“We’re a state-funded university – we want to advance education in the state of Mississippi, and a part of that is making sure our first-generation students feel welcomed and valued,” Kluck said. “One way we do that is elevating First-Generation College Student Week.

“They bring a unique perspective to the university and to the campus, and many of these students are from our state and will go out into our state and make important contributions.”

The purpose of the student-run First-Generation Student Network is to provide a space of welcome and support on campus for students, said Racheal Embry, a senior psychology major from Olive Branch who serves as the group’s president.

“I really think it’s such a supportive community,” Embry said. “From finding information about how to be a college student to how to live in a college town, the community and having that support is what made me.

“It’s also just a personal connection to a lot of people. If something is happening, I can go and talk to them.”

Ajah Singleton, a 2022 graduate from Edwards who majored in management with an emphasis in health care, was one of four recent alumni returning to campus for the panel.

“A lot of us didn’t have connections when we first got there, but it was nice to get that database or resource,” Singleton said. “In order for us to have more first-gen students, not just here but across the state and the nation, it’s important for the university to do what it can to keep these students here, to support them.

“We need to spread that support and spread that experience.”

Story by Clara Turnage

100 YearsofJazz

A century ago, the vibrant sounds of jazz could be heard on the University of Mississippi campus for the first time.

With a lineage that goes back to a university sponsored group of students who performed dance music in the late 1890s, The Mississippians is one of the oldest jazz ensembles in the nation.

In the 1920s, jazz was the music of rebellious youth, and many Ole Miss students had a passion for it. A photograph of the Jazz Orchestra appears in the 1922 Ole Miss yearbook, and a jazz band led by Dick McCool used the name Mississippians for the first time in 1927.

Michael Worthy is a professor of music, director of the 18-piece Mississippians Jazz Ensemble and coach for UM Jazz Combos. He has done extensive research on the history of jazz here at Ole Miss, and he believes that the university may have been home to the first college jazz band.

“When I first came here 20 years ago, there were still some old-timers then – guys who played in the band in the 1950s –where it was understood among them that this was one of the first, if not the first, university jazz bands in the country,” Worthy said.

Members of the band are University of Mississippi undergraduate and graduate students majoring in music and other academic disciplines. The band performs on campus

several times throughout the year and has appeared at Oxford’s Double Decker Arts Festival and in the Grove on SEC Network’s “SEC Nation.”

“The first time we went to Europe was in 2018, and we got to play at the Umbria Jazz Festival,” said Worthy. “That was quite a remarkable thing.”

In 2023, the band was selected to perform in the Jazz a Juan festival in Antibes, France, Jazzaldia in San Sebastian, Spain, and Jazz in Marciac in Marciac, France.

The celebration of The Mississippians Jazz Ensemble’s centennial was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the jazz band got to celebrate this year by playing a piece written by John Clayton, a famous musician to whom the band often pays tribute.

“He’s played with everybody,” Worthy said. “He’s just legendary. I never dreamed that we could get John Clayton to write a piece for us. He is a generous, open, kind gentleman and was impressed with our story and what we’ve accomplished. He took on the commission and there’s a recording of the premiere. It’s called ‘New Blood.’ All those festivals and conferences … we’d play a piece by John Clayton, and so to get him to write a piece for us was really special and personal.”

Story by Abi Stough

The student orchestra appeared in the yearbook in 1897.

Photos courtesy of The Mississippians

ACADEMICS

Studying in the library.

Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/ Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: JoeJackson

Photo by Colin Kennedy

Joe Jackson, instructional assistant professor of musical theatre dance, loves working with students in the University of Mississippi’s Theatre and Film Department. But it was not always his career goal.

After graduating with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Ole Miss and an M.A. in directing from Roosevelt University – Chicago College of Performing Arts, Jackson, like many in his field, dreamed of becoming a Broadway star. He moved to New York City to pursue a theater career. He landed a few performance opportunities, but he and his wife decided to move to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were they were expecting the birth of their first child.

While in Pittsburgh, Jackson performed at a few theaters, and he directed and choreographed productions. His favorite experience was choreographing “Fun Home” for Front Porch Theatricals. Two other highlights of his career include a national tour of “Dr. Doolittle” and the Italian tour of “West Side Story.”

He began teaching theater in Pittsburgh as well, starting at an independent school before deciding he wanted to teach theater at a higher level.

“I wanted to be in a place where I could have a greater impact for kids who wanted to pursue theater as a career,” Jackson said.

This realization led Jackson and his family back to the University of Mississippi. Students in the theatre department rave about Jackson saying he has played an important role in their decisions to become actors.

With more than 20 years of experience acting, dancing, directing and choreographing, Jackson is an invaluable asset to the theatre department. He teaches dance courses in contemporary, jazz, tap and theatre, proving he is an all-around talent.

Story by Christiana Davis

Joe Jackson, as Harold Hill, in The Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts production of “The Music Man.”

Photos by Thomas Graning/ Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

FALL CONVOCATION

Photos by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Following the first day of fall classes, Convocation was held on August 22, 2023, in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion. The keynote speaker for the evening was Dave Isay, author of “Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work” and founder of StoryCorps. Chancellor Glenn Boyce and Associated Student Body President Sara Austin Welch also spoke to the freshman class members in attendance.

“Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work” was selected by the campus community as the 2023 common reading experience for Ole Miss students. Distributed to freshmen and other first-year students, the common reading selection is discussed throughout the first-year curriculum.

“Callings” is a compilation of transcribed interviews retrieved from StoryCorps, which records stories of people's lives told by citizens across the United States. The people featured in “Callings” have found pride and purpose in their jobs. Many of these stories are grouped by categories:

“Generations” tells stories of callings that are passed down through generations, and “Healers” tells of people, not necessarily in health professions, who help or heal those in need.

Throughout his speech, Isay showed video montages of some of the stories highlighted in “Callings” along with the original audio clips that were transcribed to make the chapters of the book. These stories included a father who cared for his daughter throughout his college career, a woman remembering the lessons that she learned in her grandmother’s kitchen and a boy who fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut.

With more than 5,000 students, the class of 2027 is the largest freshman class that Ole Miss has seen in its 175 year history. “Callings” was selected to help them discover their own “callings” in this world.

“I wish that thrilling experience of seeing your wildest dreams come true for each and every one of you one day,” Isay told the students. “May you find that one thing that you were put on this earth to do one day.”

Story by Emma Bieker

A LEGACY OF 175 YEARSBytheNumbers

5,241

FRESHMAN STUDENTS

The largest freshman class at any university in the state’s history. Across the University of Mississippi’s seven campuses.

166,890 LivingAlumni

18 TRUMAN SCHOLARS

24 GOLDWATER SCHOLARS

59 FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS

24 RHODES SCHOLARS

4

2,218

18 Chancellors

15 ACADEMIC DIVISIONS

100 More than PROGRAMS OF STUDY MAJOR RESEARCH CENTERS

Twenty

640

3,500

OLE MISS OFFERS FOUR-YEAR NURSING PROGRAM IN OXFORD

The University of Mississippi’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is making a dramatic change in 2024. The four-year B.S.N. program, earned through the University of Mississippi Medical Center, can be completed on the Oxford campus.

Previously, students wishing to pursue a nursing degree from the university had two options: enroll in what is referred to as a “2+2” program in which they spend the first two years in Oxford completing academic prerequisites before applying for entry into the nursing school on the UMMC campus in Jackson or obtain a degree in a different field of study and apply to the Accelerated Nursing Program in Oxford, which spans 12 months. UM, which has offered the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree since 2006, is the only institution of higher learning in the state to offer the degree.

Funding totaling $4.75 million from the state of Mississippi and its Office of Workforce Development facilitates reinstatement of the four-year B.S.N. program at the Oxford campus. The shortage of nurses at both national and

state levels, as well as applicant demand, prompted the change. Nursing classes and labs still will be held at the South Oxford Center, formerly the Baptist Memorial Hospital, purchased by the university in 2017 and in use since 2019.

UMMC has 217 students enrolled in the traditional B.S.N. program in Jackson, while the current A.B.S.N. program has 70 students enrolled. In May 2024, the first cohort of 50 traditional B.S.N. students is set to begin in Oxford, with an expected cohort of 70 expected the following year.

The School of Nursing is celebrating another milestone this year – its 75th anniversary. The B.S.N. programs at UMMC and in Oxford received the highest ranking for B.S.N. programs in the state by “U.S. News & World Report” in 2022. Sitting at just outside the top 10 percent of baccalaureate nursing programs in the country, the four-year program in Oxford is on track to flourish.

Story by Bella Duncan

Photo by Joe Ellis/UMMC Communications and Marketing

STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM BROADENS STUDENT EXPERIENCES

The study abroad program at the University of Mississippi is a great way to gain experience and knowledge about other parts of the world while working toward a college degree. The university expanded its study abroad offerings over the past few years to include a variety of program styles as well as locations around the world.

The most widely used program is the faculty-directed model, usually offered during summer and winter breaks as well as spring break. These programs last two to four weeks, or for the duration of the break, and students travel as a group with their designated Ole Miss faculty member to their destination. Throughout the course of the program, the faculty member assesses each student’s work. These programs are offered in France, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Italy and other countries.

Christina Sparks, instructional associate professor of integrated marketing communications, has led several study abroad trips.

“I think you learn from each other as well as from where you are going,” she said. “It is a safe way to experience new places, and since you are with friends from the university, you are more emboldened to try new things.”

The University of Mississippi also offers international exchange

programs to students and staff. These programs waive tuition to the exchange university and offer course credits that are transferable to Ole Miss. UM has approximately 90 exchange partners at other universities around the world, with both short- and long-term exchange programs offered. Short-term programs usually take place during the summer and allow students to earn up to 12 credit hours while at the exchange university. In long-term or affiliate programs, participants are accompanied by other students from the United States who are participating in the same program.

“Studying abroad was definitely the best experience I’ve had in college,” said Briley Rakow, a senior who studied in Florence, Italy, during the 2023 spring semester. “The Study Abroad Office helped me find the right program, and the advisers were always great about answering my questions during the pre-trip process.”

Many scholarship programs and grants for studying abroad are offered by the Study Abroad Office and other programs within the university. Study abroad advisers help students determine which program option is right for them and assist with applications. Studying abroad may seem like a daunting experience to consider, but the university offers the support students need to ease any stress and help them create memories that will last a lifetime.

Story by Emma Bieker

Photos submitted

CENTER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS AND FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS

The Center for Student Success and First-Year Experience celebrated a decade of helping students adjust to campus life.

In 2013, the University of Mississippi launched the center, which is dedicated to introducing students to the changes that college presents.

Founding Director Kyle Ellis reflects on the changes over the years: “Many milestones have been achieved, from only advising a small number of freshmen to now advising a majority of the freshman class, significantly increasing the size of our staff to 40 professionals and graduate students and our record retention rates (89.3% in 2022), to name a few.”

The Center for Student Success is responsible for creating the EDHE 105 courses that both freshman and transfer students can take to learn about the university and its resources. Since the center created the EDHE course catalog, the course options have increased from 90 to 165 classes.

The center also provides academic advisers for most freshmen, academic coaching and tutoring services, and success coaching to encourage graduation for upperclassmen. The Center for Student Success partners with seven schools. The School of Education helps monitor the various EDHE courses for freshman and transfer students. Support initiatives, such as counseling and assistance finding tutors, partner with departments within the Division of

Student Affairs. Success coaches are in place to help new students develop habits to improve studying, navigate resources on campus and find one-on-one support for any struggles they may have adjusting to college life. The center also maintains a significant role in recruitment, orientation and financial aid, which are part of the Division of Enrollment Management.

Ellis predicts that the center “will continue to offer phenomenal support to current students as we maintain high retention rates during the rapid enrollment increase” in the next decade. The center also plans to explore ways to bolster new student populations, such as implementing initiatives to support students in their second year.

The University of Mississippi has made efforts to increase the number of students that transfer from community colleges to complete their bachelor's degree. The center has stepped up by providing more customized support for the upperclassmen that are navigating their way around a new school. This effort has made Ole Miss a coveted destination for transfer students and provides more opportunity for those coming from community colleges.

Feedback is collected from the students each year through course evaluations, advising and other informal comments to help the center improve each semester.

“Our primary goal is the success of our students,” Ellis says.

Story by Emmaline Wolfe

Kyle Ellis, director of the Center for Student Success and First-Year Experience, and Morris Stocks, former UM provost and the Don Jones Chair of Accountancy, spoke to a crowd of current and former staff members at the center’s 10-year anniversary celebration.

Photos by Srijita Chattopadhyay/ Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

UM ADDS CREATIVE WRITING UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE

For more than 20 years, the University of Mississippi has boasted about its outstanding master’s degree program in creative writing. This year, the English department raised the bar by introducing a new Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing program, the first undergraduate creative writing program of its kind in the Southeastern Conference and one of few nationwide.

The BFA program works in tandem with the already existing Master of Fine Arts program, as well as with the overall English department, to teach students about all aspects of creative writing. It will accompany programs in art, music, theater and film to help students develop their writing skills in all areas.

Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor of English Caroline Wigginton explained that the program allows students to have more exposure in writing for all genres as compared to students who major in English.

Although there is a current emphasis in creative writing for English majors, the BFA’s curriculum is different. The creative writing emphasis for English requires at least three workshop courses, whereas the creative writing BFA program requires double the amount with various offerings.

The BFA curriculum emphasizes more writing and workshops, as well as a senior thesis. The final senior thesis is also

compatible with an Honors College thesis.

“Workshops are a way to create an interactive space where you can receive feedback from everyone in the class,” senior English major Emily Suh said. “It’s also a small and intimate space where everyone in the course has a common goal: create an excellent piece of writing. This brings these students together, and you’re forced to have conversations about your work.”

Senior lecturer in English Dustin Parsons serves as the program’s first director and helps students who wish to pursue a more specialized degree track. This program aims to give students the opportunity to learn how to write in multiple genres — poetry, screenwriting, fiction, non-fiction and nature writing. The curriculum also helps students publish original work.

Students who hold this bachelor’s degree can pursue work in many different fields upon graduation, including, publishing, journalism, marketing and even in the video game industry. Offering the degree to undergraduate students allows them to develop the skills necessary to succeed without the added time and money of pursuing a master’s degree.

The University of Mississippi is famous for its English and creative writing programs, and with the new addition of the BFA, students will go farther than ever before.

Story by Abi Stough and Elyse Littleton

Students in Melissa Ginsburg's introduction to creative writing course discuss their weekly reading assignments and prepare to workshop their creative writing stories.

Photos by MacKenzie Ross

ENGINEERING Schoolof

ESTABLISHED IN 1900 1,327 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

Photos by Colin Kennedy and courtesy of the School of Engineering

Photos courtesy of The Society of Women Engineers

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING REVAMPS ITS SocietyforWomenEngineers

The Society of Women Engineers stands as a global force, empowering and uplifting women in an industry traditionally dominated by men. The national organization has a rich history, starting more than six decades ago, and the society is expanding its presence at the University of Mississippi.

Like many organizations, the Society of Women Engineers suffered a sharp decline in membership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through recruitment efforts, the Ole Miss chapter has grown from six members at the beginning of 2022 to approximately 50 in 2024. A distinguishing characteristic of this chapter is that it is inclusive, meaning not every member has to be an engineering student or even female, rather anyone who supports women and believes in equal opportunity for them in STEM fields.

The society chapter meets twice a month, alternating between social gatherings and professional development activities, such as workshops. A highlight of the year is attending the annual Society of Women Engineers national conference.

In October 2023, the School of Engineering, Center for Manufacturing Excellence and Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College collaborated to send 21 students to the national conference in Los Angeles. A few generous alumni also contributed, helping to provide an immense learning experience for the undergraduate members.

“The conference was amazing,” Joanna Harrelson, associate professor of practice in chemical engineering at UM, said. “Several students returned with job offers from the career fair, and several more were inspired by the

various available breakout sessions. Additionally, we were able to tour three space industry companies, including SpaceX.”

Victoria Esparza, president of the Ole Miss chapter, also reflected positively on her experience at the national conference.

“SWE has done an absolutely fantastic job at increasing our attendance at the conference and has presented an amazing opportunity for the women in engineering at Ole Miss,” Esparza said. “I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us.”

Aside from planning to attend 2024’s conference in Chicago, the chapter is mapping out a year of meetings and workshops for new and potential members.

“We want to create more unique, professional development opportunities and continue to facilitate a safe, welcoming and encouraging community for all through our social events,” Harrelson said.

School of Engineering students, faculty and staff are delighted to welcome the school’s first female dean, Dr. Viola Acoff, who already has proven to be supportive of the student body and the organizations that encourage them to succeed in their field.

The Society for Women Engineers is an empowering testament to women breaking barriers in STEM. As the chapter looks ahead, they have a commitment to expanding opportunities, creating a supportive community and changing the narrative for future women engineers at the University of Mississippi.

Story by Emmaline Wolfe

PattersonSchoolof

ACCOUNTANCY

ESTABLISHED IN 1979 1,389 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

Photo by Matthew Cockrell

ChristineCheng

NAMED TOP ACCOUNTANCY PROFESSOR

The American Accounting Association has honored University of Mississippi's Christine Cheng as the nation’s top accountancy professor for graduate programs in 2023.

Cheng, an assistant professor in the Patterson School of Accountancy, received the J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/ Deloitte Foundation Prize. She accepted the honor, which includes a cash award, at the association’s annual meeting in Denver.

“Receiving the award is an incredible honor, but it was the journey which led to the honor which has provided the enrichment,” said Cheng, who joined the Ole Miss faculty in 2018.

“Since arriving at UM, Dean (Mark) Wilder and the rest of the faculty have provided me with significant encouragement and support to be innovative.

“Along the way, colleagues, students and current professionals have been generous in providing feedback that further shaped my efforts.”

Wilder congratulated Cheng and highlighted the Ole Miss accountancy school’s achievements.

“Dr. Cheng is an innovative instructor who focuses on the development of students’ critical thinking skills and utilizing technology in helping make informed decisions,” Wilder said. “I believe that Patterson School data analytics graduates are better prepared than any others nationally to enter the professional world and create value for their employers.

“This award is both a recognition of Dr. Cheng’s achievements to date and a preview of even greater ones to come.”

Cheng said winning the award provides her with two important things.

“First, it reinforces my passion for continuing to innovate,” she said. “Second, it provides me with a platform where I can encourage other educators to be innovative.

“In doing so, it is my hope that we will reach a critical mass of highly educated and effective data analytics savvy tax professionals who can tackle the current and future challenges surrounding tax policy, since tax policy affects people, companies, public funding and public spending.”

Story by Edwin B. Smith

EDUCATION Schoolof

ESTABLISHED IN 1903 1,310 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

MENTAL HEALTH CARE ACCESSIBLE ACROSS MISSISSIPPI

The Clinic for Outreach and Personal Enrichment (COPE) began as a child advocacy and play therapy clinic but was rebranded in 2019 to be inclusive of all populations. The clinic is now an on-campus facility that offers free mental health counseling for UM students, faculty and staff as well as community members.

COPE serves as a training clinic for graduate students in the counseling education department. Students have the opportunity to partner with licensed professionals and offer mental health services to a variety of age groups with varying health concerns while under strict supervision to ensure quality of care to all patients.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of COPE’s services moved to a telehealth model to best meet the needs of their clients. While some may have seen this as a setback, the COPE staff has used it as an opportunity to expand its outreach into new communities and areas of advocacy.

COPE may be a university-led program, but its impact reaches into all levels of the education system. The clinic partners with local school districts to provide mental health services through the Mental Health

Counselors on Campus program. This program allows counselors to meet students where they are and make mental health care as accessible as possible. COPE counselors provide services to teens who need one-onone counseling and create and implement drug and alcohol curriculum as requested by schools. All of these services and programs are free to patients.

Partnering with the Kellogg Foundation, COPE also serves community members of all ages in the Jackson area and Mississippi Delta. COPE also has a curriculum focused on helping people affected by human trafficking on the Mississippi Coast.

In the coming years, COPE hopes to expand its current partnerships across the state of Mississippi. One upcoming development is a partnership with the Veterans Association, which hopes to meet the mental health needs of the state’s veteran community.

As the Clinic for Outreach and Personal Enrichment furthers educational and practical programs for those on the university campus and off, it has a dramatic impact on the lives of people across Mississippi and prepares the next generation of mental health professionals in the process.

Story by Liv Briley and Christiana Davis

LIBERAL ARTS Collegeof

ESTABLISHED IN 1848 5,516 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

Photos by Srijita Chattopadhyay and Kevin Bain/ Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Photo by Emily Hollowell

The first Public Archaeology Day at Rowan Oak on October 15, 2016.

STUDENTS AND FACULTY UNCOVER ANTEBELLUM-ERA HISTORY ON ROWAN OAK GROUNDS

Rowan Oak, the antebellum-era home of Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner on Old Taylor Road, is a favorite destination for visitors to Oxford. Ole Miss students and faculty and local residents enjoy spending time on Rowan Oak’s 29 heavily wooded acres, as well.

Faulkner was an immensely influential figure in Southern Gothic literature, writing novels and short stories such as “Light in August” and “Absolom, Absolom!,” which were inspired by local lore and set in the mythic Yoknapatawpha County, while at Rowan Oak. The plot outline for “The Fable,” which won the National Book Award, was written by Faulker on the wall of his office in the house. Visitors can see his plan for the World War I-era novel written in graphite and red grease pencil around the room. The typewriter, given to Faulker by his mother and used to write many of his novels, sits on a small table in the office.

Faulkner purchased Rowan Oak in 1930, and it was his family’s home until his death in 1962.

A decade later, Faulkner’s daughter, Jill Faulkner Summers, sold the house to the University of Mississippi to secure it as a place where people could learn about her father and his work.

When Faulkner purchased the property, it was known as “The Bailey Place,” a primitive Greek Revival house sitting on four wooded acres. Col. Robert Sheegog, an Irish immigrant planter from Tennessee, built the house outside the frontier settlement of Oxford in 1840. Faulkner renamed it Rowan Oak in 1931 after the rowan tree, a symbol of security and peace. Soon after, he optioned the surrounding acreage, known as Bailey Woods.

Faculty and students from the University of Mississippi’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology are working to uncover the rich history hidden on the antebellum property. Much of this work is directed by the Slavery Research Group on campus.

An outbuilding that served as a smokehouse during the Faulkner era once stood as quarters for enslaved people working for Sheegog in the 1840s. When Sheegog didn’t have work for the enslaved people, he hired them out to the university. Historical documents reveal that as many as eight people were enslaved on the Sheegog property in the 1860s, though no names were uncovered.

Archaeologist and Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology Krista Eschbach is leading the research effort to uncover the history of enslaved people at Rowan Oak. As part of the research, Eschbach’s class will excavate the property, looking for items to interpret and understand the way in which these enslaved people lived.

History is often studied by interpreting and evaluating physical documents, such as census records, but for marginalized groups like enslaved people, this is not the case. At the time, their lives were not documented in the same manner as their free counterparts, so to understand their culture, it is necessary to search for material that represents their day-to-day lives. Artifacts like nails, pieces of ceramics, glass, charcoal and more have been discovered on the Rowan Oak property by students and faculty working on the excavation, one of the first steps to paving the way for understanding and uncovering the culture and lives of enslaved people during the antebellum era in Oxford.

Story by Bella Duncan

APPLIED SCIENCES Schoolof

ESTABLISHED IN 2001 3,009 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

ON THE FIELD AND BEHIND THE SCENES MasterofScienceinAthleticTraining

The Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program is a winner at Ole Miss.

The School of Applied Sciences created the MSAT program in the summer of 2021 to further the education of athletic trainers and exercise science students. The two-year degree program requires intensive coursework and several semesters of clinical rotations for handson learning experience in various work environments, including Ole Miss Athletics, Oxford area high schools, professional sports teams, hospitals, clinics and physicians’ offices.

“Athletic training education has transitioned to the master’s level and is no longer being offered at the bachelor’s degree level,” Heather Shirley, assistant professor and program director of athletic training, explained. “All programs with remaining bachelor's degree students are in the process of completing their cohorts and either transitioning to master’s or electing to no longer have a program.”

Carly Slay, a 2023 graduate of the MSAT program, was a student assistant to the athletic department's trainer for all four years of her undergraduate degree program at Ole Miss.

“I believe this program gave me a deeper understanding of what to expect in the world of athletic training and allowed me to gain experiences in several settings in order to discover which direction I wanted to move forward with in my career,” Slay said.

Slay’s time in the program offered her significant opportunities to jump start her career. Her favorite memories include her summer immersion with the University of Kansas football team, her internship with the Denver Broncos and preseason NFL games in stadiums nationwide.

“I can see the University of Mississippi's MSAT program continuing to grow into a powerhouse for sports medicine education and maintaining a commitment to producing highly skilled professionals,” Slay said. “Because of the professors, preceptors and opportunities, the program's reputation is likely to grow nationally, fostering continued success in shaping well-rounded athletic trainers.”

Shirley is also hopeful that the growth of the program will be linear. “Our plan is to continue to grow our cohort sizes, to enhance our students’ learning opportunities in the classroom and clinical experiences and to get students more involved in community service,” Shirley said.

Story by Emmaline Wolfe

Photos courtesy of Carly Slay

Schoolof

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

ESTABLISHED IN 1917 4,907 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

ACADEMICSPhotos courtesy of The Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

SERVIN' IN THE SOUTH BUSINESS MODEL COMPETITION

Forty-one teams of students from across the country applied to participate in this year’s Servin’ the South, the business model competition hosted annually by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Ole Miss. Twenty-five made the cut and were invited to present their unique business models to a panel of expert judges. The competition provides students with feedback about how to improve their models as well as the opportunity to network with others who share their passion for entrepreneurship.

Julien Bourgeois, a UM freshman computer science major from Metairie, Louisiana, and co-founder and CEO of Automatic AI LLC, took home the first-place prize as well as the best technology utilization/development use award for an Apple Watch that provides data and feedback on the wearer’s basketball shooting motion.

“When the first-place prize was announced, at first I was completely shocked,” Bourgeois said. “Since I had previously been named as the prize winner for ‘Best Tech’ seconds earlier, I figured that I wasn’t going to be named as the first-prize winner for the entire event.”

The winner received $10,000 for first place and $4,000 for best technology utilization and development.

Six teams were chosen to advance to the final round. All six of these finalists were given at least $1,000 toward development of their models.

“The presentations of the other teams involved in the final round were absolutely incredible,” Bourgeois said.

This marks the second first-place win for Automatic AI, which won the inaugural StartupUNO competition, a business accelerator and pitch competition for students at the University

of New Orleans. Andrew Bradford, a marketing major at UNO, is Bourgeois’ partner on the startup. The partners won $7,000 at the UNO competition. After picking up the Servin’ the South prizes, they have brought in $21,000 in funding for their concept.

Matther Tesvich and Jack Terhaar, from the University of Georgia, won second place for Ox Sox, a sock that fights foot odor.

Ole Miss students Owen Ridgeway, from Jackson; David Markham, of Houston, Texas; and Preston Rollins, from Atlanta, received the Best Consumer Facing Award for SellVNTG, which they cofounded.

Pool Protection Technologies, represented by Garrett Stigall from the University of Georgia, was named Best Visiting Team. Other finalists included Ole Miss students Madison Hanna, of Leawood, Kansas, and Maryn Sifrit, of Overland Park, Kansas, cofounders of the Collegemate App, and Claire Watkiss, an Ole Miss senior from Hinsdale, Illinois, and founder of Needle.

“The Servin’ the South Business Model serves as our students’ opportunity to participate in the entrepreneurial ecosystem through the Southeast,” said Rich Gentry, CIE co-director. “Thanks to generous donor support, we were able to gather students from across the region to compete for funding but, most importantly, build connections and learn from other students.

“As a learning opportunity, this was a fantastic success, but as a networking opportunity for our students, this competition is transformative.”

The competition provided valuable experience, Hanna said. “I don’t love public speaking so this definitely got me out of my comfort zone, but I feel like I learned a lot from hearing other presentations and feedback from the judges,” she said.

Story by Emma Bieker and Angela Owens

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

ESTABLISHED IN 1927 2,291 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

Photos by Thomas Graning / Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

GRADUATE SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS PROGRAMS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS

By implementing two undergraduate opportunity programs, the University of Mississippi Graduate School has guided underrepresented, first-generation and low-income students toward pursuing advanced academic degrees.

The IMAGE program, an acronym for Increasing Minority Access to Graduate Education, was introduced in 1991 as part of the Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation. The Department of Education helped form this program to address the growing need for more scientists and engineers in the workforce. The IMAGE program allows students to apply for additional funding to pursue research in STEM-related fields. Furthermore, it offers assistance in improving grades, thereby enhancing the likelihood of acceptance into desired higher education programs.

The University of Mississippi's goal for the IMAGE program is to increase the number of undergraduate students participating in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for their bachelor's degree and also to increase the number of students continuing their education for their master's and doctoral degrees.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation is a Department of Education program that, since 1995, has helped many UM

students from marginalized backgrounds who show great academic potential.

The Alliance for Minority Participation has established branches at seven other universities across the state of Mississippi, ensuring equal access to the benefits offered. The universities work closely with one another to build networking opportunities among the scholars. The alliance also offers the Bridge to Doctorate initiative and the McNair program.

Barbara Howard, associate director of the Ronald E. McNair PostBaccalaureate Achievement Program, asserts that the program's most valuable aspects lie in the various academic resources and cultural development opportunities provided to scholars during their enrollment. The McNair program, inaugurated at Ole Miss in 1995, commences for students after completing their sophomore year. This program facilitates faculty assistance throughout students’ upper class years to aid in graduate school preparation.

All of these programs focus on closing gaps in the workforce and offering opportunities for underrepresented students in their chosen fields. While there is still plenty of work to be done to reach an equitable workforce, the Graduate School strives to increase minority representation and lift underrepresented student voices.

Story by Emmaline Wolfe

JOURNALISM AND NEW MEDIA Schoolof

Dr. Bitt Moon talks to students in her IMC 204 class.

Caroline Traeger in the hallway in Farley Hall.

ESTABLISHED IN 2009 1,878 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

Josie Hutton leads a discussion in IMC 551.

Students work on homework in between classes in Farley Hall.

Velmanté Smith reports the news on Rebel Radio 92.1.

IMC PROGRAM ENJOYS IMMENSE GROWTH

Enrollment in the University of Mississippi’s integrated marketing communications program, which launched in 2011 with 51 students, has enjoyed eye-popping growth. Now, with 1,500 students enrolled, Ole Miss’ IMC program is the largest of its kind in the United States.

This astonishing growth speaks volumes about the program’s appeal and its ability to meet the evolving needs of students. As the program continues to grow, it not only solidifies its position as a leader in integrated marketing communications education, but also underscores the university’s commitment to providing cutting-edge opportunities for its students.

UM’s Interim Chair and Associate Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications Jason Cain says IMC is the art of mining for attention.

“People have a limited amount of attention to pay to things,” he said.

“People spend their attention on their work, their family, personal time, those kinds of things. And so whatever's left over in that budget, people and organizations want to mine that attention and get their message in there.”

By blending academic rigor with real-world experience, such as internships with top companies, the IMC program ensures that students are equipped with not only theoretical knowledge but also practical skills that are essential for success in the competitive field of marketing.

The annual IMC Connect! conference, hosted by the School of Journalism and New Media, connects students with senior leaders in integrated marketing communications. The 2024 event featured representatives from well-known brands including Boeing, the Las Vegas Raiders, Carnival Cruise Line, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Toyota of Mississippi and CVS. Additionally, academics from the University of Florida, the Pennsylvania State University, California State University, Northridge and the University of South Carolina participated in the conference. All of the experts provided insights related to crisis communication, branding and visual communication, internal communications, corporate social responsibility and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The event is chaired by Assistant Professor of Integrated Marketing Amanda Bradshaw and planned by undergraduate and graduate students in her IMC Event Planning and Management course.

“The students in the class are especially excited to see their efforts come to life, as they have considered every detail of the five senses in the human experience to provide an immersive event for attendees,” Bradshaw said.

Story by Abi Stough

Photos by MacKenzie Ross

Kellie Norton, director of communications, B2B, for TikTok US, visits with Dr. Amanda Bradshaw's IMC 391 class.

THE HONORS COLLEGE

ESTABLISHED IN 1997 1,721 STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

Photos courtesy of The Honors College and HG Biggs

The inaugural Stamps Impact Prize recipients at the University of Mississippi are, front row left to right, Autumn Payne, Phoebe Johnson, Dylan Barker and Christina Nguyen; second row, Anna Owens, Emma Cochran, Lindsay Ashton, Ella Jordan and Joey Pham; and third row, Isabella Arthurs, Rod’Kendrick Harrison, William Baggett and Angeline Morgan.

INAUGURAL STAMPS IMPACT PRIZE WINNERS NAMED

The Stamps Impact Prize, a new competitive award program at the University of Mississippi to support undergraduates undertaking research and creative projects that make contributions to their communities, announced its 13 inaugural recipients this year.

The program is the first of its kind in the nation to receive a renewable $100,000 gift from E. Roe Stamps and his family, which is being matched by an investment from the university.

Students are awarded up to $5,000 to support their proposed projects. Open to all undergraduate students at the university, the competition requires applicants to propose research or activity that, upon completion, would result in a significant contribution to the applicant’s academic passions. The applicants work alongside faculty to create these plans, which allows them to gain experience within their fields and develop the skills required to complete their plans. A panel of judges from the office of the provost judge the projects, the student involvement and the strength of the mentor’s endorsement.

THE WINNERS AND THEIR PROPOSALS INCLUDE:

• Isabella Arthurs of Jackson, Tennessee, a junior English major, for her project “From Poem to Performance: The Professional Production of an Original Studio Album.”

• Lindsay Ashton of Franklin, Tennessee, a junior biology major, for her project “Investigating the Role of microRNAs in Shoot Negative Gravitropism in Plants.”

• William Baggett of Petal, Mississippi, a senior international studies and Spanish major, for his project “Comparing Drag Performance in the Americas: Rio de Janeiro, Guadalajara and Oxford.”

• Dylan Barker of Oxford, Mississippi, a senior political science, public health and anthropology major, for his project “Clean Air Project; UM CAP.”

• Emma Cochran of Sumrall, Mississippi, a junior exercise science major, for her project “The Impact of the Menstrual Cycle Phases on Upper Extremity Injury Risk in Female Athletes.”

• Rod`Kendrick Harrison of Batesville, Mississippi, a junior public health major, for his project “Empowering Minority College Students for Mental

Health Well-being: A Mental Health First Aid Initiative.”

• Phoebe Johnson of Little Rock, Arkansas, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, for her project “Ballistics Characterization of Graphene-Infused Lunar-Inspired Concrete.”

• Ella Jordan of Roseville, California, a junior political science major, for her project “Breaking Barriers or Building Resistance? Female Undergraduates’ Response to Body Politicization and Its Impact on Legal Attitudes.”

• Angeline Morgan of Olive Branch, Mississippi, a senior art major, for her project “Skin to Skin: A Photographic Investigation into Identity and Collaboration.”

• Christina Nguyen of D’Iberville, Mississippi, a junior biomedical engineering major, “Modeling Whole-Eye Deformations in Response to Intraocular Pressure.”

• Anna Owens of Madison, Mississippi, a junior biomedical engineering and general business major, for her project “Drug Delivery Device for In-Vitro Fertilization.”

• Autumn Payne of Union, Mississippi, a junior film production major, for her project “Autistic Women: On Overlooked Community.”

• Joey Pham of Greenville, Mississippi, a junior computer science major, for his project “GLIDE Proposal.”

Cochran had already set up her research plan as a part of her thesis, and funding was her biggest roadblock to completing it. The Stamps Prize allows her to set the research in motion by recruiting athletes from club sports teams in the Oxford area.

This study will pave the way for future research to be done on her subject matter, Cochran said.

“From precious research, the literature that’s out right now is very minimal, there’s a big gap in this area,” she said.

By helping these students foster their creativity and leadership skills to pursue the things that they are passionate about, the Stamps Prize allows these students to achieve more than they ever thought possible.

Story by Emma Bieker

PHARMACY Schoolof

ESTABLISHED IN 1908

STUDENTS IN FALL 2023

OleMissCombatsOpioidOverdoses

WITH FENTANYL AWARENESS, NARCAN TRAINING

Combining prevention with intervention, the University of Mississippi is working with student leadership and the Mississippi attorney general’s office to address opioid overdoses.

On October 5, 2023, the William Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education and the School of Pharmacy trained nearly 100 Ole Miss student leaders in the dangers of fentanyl and how to use naloxone to combat an overdose. Due to rising opioid overdoses on college campuses across the nation, the Mississippi State Department of Health is allocating naloxone to universities in the state.

Synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is 100 times more potent than morphine, was responsible for 237 deaths in Mississippi last year, according to the attorney general’s office. Naloxone is the only medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

“This is such an important part of this initiative,” said Shannon Richardson, assistant director of the Magee Center. “In order to increase naloxone accessibility on campus, we are training leaders who have access to large groups of students – such as resident assistants, Greek chapter representatives, Associated Student Body officers and Graduate Student Council officers.”

Maddie Trapani, second-year pharmacy student from Pass Christian, Mississippi, said she was thankful for the opportunity to teach her peers.

“In this day and age, it’s not uncommon – especially in the younger college community – to witness an overdose or know somebody who has experienced that,” Trapani said. “It’s really important to be able to understand how to give this medication and the importance of having it on you at all times. It’s such an easy thing to know how to do.”

It was significant for students to lead the hands-on training, said Chloe Bergman, second-year pharmacy student from Perryville, Missouri. “I feel like we can relate to the students that we’re teaching,” Bergman said. “We know what’s going on on campus and in Oxford, so we can really tell them how to react in those situations.”

Each student participant received resource bags with fentanyl harm reduction kits and one box of Narcan. The kits include fentanyl test strips, a

drug safe disposal bag and a pill identification card. The card illustrates ways to determine whether a pill is a legitimate drug or an illicit one potentially manufactured with fentanyl.

Frederick Johnson, a sophomore biology major from Leakesville, Mississippi, participated in the event as a Beta Theta Pi chair. “I’m all about being prepared for anything that happens,” Johnson said. “It’s good to have this Narcan training because you are introduced to a lot of those different types of drugs at college, and you need to be prepared to help anyone that needs more help.”

Dylan Dietz, sophomore general business major from Atlanta, also attended as a chair of Beta Theta Pi. “We are in a fraternity with about 200 people,” Dietz said. “If two of us now learn and know what we’re doing, we can go and teach 50 more. So if we’re at an event, we can help save a life. You take one hour here and that helps you save one or two lives in the future. And then you can go teach more people the same thing and help them save lives and just spread it.”

Earlier in the day, state Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced her “One Pill Can Kill” initiative during a press conference on campus.

“We want to educate, support and empower all Mississippians on the dangers of fentanyl, on the methods for identifying fentanyl and on what to do when you encounter it or you encounter someone who may be overdosing,” Fitch said. “We’ve become sadly accustomed to losing our loved ones to overdose. It’s time we fight back.”

The university is committed to helping students manage and maintain their total well-being, Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. That includes addressing challenges that can have the most harmful effects on them.

“(Fentanyl) knows no boundaries, impacts Americans from all walks of life and includes some of the most beloved souls in our university community,” Boyce said. “The DEA reports that fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for adults ages 18 to 45 in the United States, striking down young people in the prime of their lives. College students and college campuses have been hit particularly hard by this epidemic.”

Story by Erin Garrett

Photos by Sage McNamara

REGIONAL CAMPUSES

Beyond its main campus in Oxford, the University of Mississippi offers academic courses on five regional campuses across the state: Booneville, DeSoto, Grenada, Rankin and Tupelo. The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson supports seven health professions schools, including medicine, dentistry and nursing.

UM’s regional branches work in conjunction with community college partners to help students complete their college

degrees. Junior, senior and graduate-level college coursework is offered through day, evening and online courses, allowing students to continue to work, maintain family life and stay active in their local communities.

Campuses specialize in different programs and have varying class sizes. The Tupelo campus alone offers 120 courses. All the regional campuses share the goal of extending the university’s reach and its educational programs throughout Mississippi.

UM BOONEVILLE

UM GRENADA

UM RANKIN

PEOPLE

Photo by Colin Kennedy

MR. OLE MISSDaneel Konnar

Daneel Konnar, a senior and first-generation, bornin-America college student from Meridian, Mississippi, was elected the 2023-24 Mr. Ole Miss.

Konnar’s parents immigrated to the United States from Malaysia approximately 30 years ago with a dream of providing a better life and more opportunities for their children. Konnar said that his parents were great motivators for his campaign, in particular, and his collegiate career, overall. He wanted to make them proud and let them know their hard work hasn’t gone to waste.

Konnar serves as executive director of the Student Activities Association at Ole Miss as well as vice president of The Columns Society. The Public Policy Leadership major is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, the Trent Lott Leadership Institute and Phi Delta Theta fraternity, holding the position of philanthropy chair. He also serves as an Ole Miss Ambassador.

Konnar shared that he was hesitant to run for Mr. Ole Miss in the beginning. It wasn’t until a few of his friends pushed him that he decided to enter the race. During his campaign, he said, it was important for him to hear about other people’s stories.

“I wanted to get to know where other people on campus

came from and how they want to write their story here,” he said. During election week, as he greeted students at a table on the Student Union Plaza, he met people he had never before talked to on campus and was afforded the opportunity to learn more about the diverse student body here at the university. During his campaign, Konnar partnered with the Thomas Hayes Mayo Lab, an organization within the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing, dedicated to helping change the conversation around mental health and substance abuse. He said he will continue to do so during his final months at Ole Miss. After winning the election, Konnar said there was still work to be done. “It’s over but at the same time it’s not,” he said.

When asked how his parents reacted to his win, he shared that his mother was out of the country and could not attend the homecoming football game during which he and Miss Ole Miss, Sam Sepe, were presented to the fans in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, but he knew she was proud of him and supported him.

He expressed a lot of gratitude toward the university for his win, and he hopes to leave a legacy of showing students that regardless of who you are, you can attend the University of Mississippi and become the best version of yourself.

Story by Christiana Davis

Photo by Colin Kennedy

MISS OLE MISSSam Sepe

Samantha Sepe, a senior elementary education major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is 2023-2024's Miss Ole Miss.

“I wanted to make this campaign really personal,” Sepe said. The slogan “Smile with Sam” helped drive home the point of her campaign. “I want people to never forget their smile,” she said.

Sepe, who is an Ole Miss and School of Education Ambassador and a Cru student leader, did not plan on running for any homecoming court position until her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sisters nominated her for Miss Ole Miss.

When the election results were announced, Sepe explained, the experience felt surreal.

“It was like it hit everybody else before it hit me,” she said. “I wondered, ‘Did she just call my name?’ while all of my friends were celebrating around me.”

During her campaign, Sepe partnered with the William

Magee Center, a free wellness education center for students. Sepe’s campaign raised $6,543, representing the last four digits of the center’s phone number. She explained how the center’s work connected with her overall message.

“Going to a school this big can make it easy to lose yourself, but in my campaign I wanted people to never forget their smiles and who they are,” she said.

As Sepe approaches graduation, she wants to leave the school with a message: “Thank you and continue.”

Sepe explained how she is grateful for how Ole Miss has shaped her personally and that she wants the school and its students to continue in a positive direction when it comes to mental health and individuality.

She concluded, “I’m in debt to this school because it has shaped me so much into who I am, and I will always be grateful for that.”

Story by Christiana Davis

Photo by Colin Kennedy

HOMECOMING KINGBrady Wood

Describe your campaign and the inspiration behind the idea.

“My campaign platform, 'I Believe…,' focused on mental health around campus and creating a community in believing in oneself, each other and the community we have built. The inspiration behind the campaign came from the belief in myself that this campus community instilled in me from the moment that I got here.”

What moments led you to decide to run for homecoming king?

“My friend and I were talking during my sophomore year, and we devised this plan for our senior year where I would run for king. I wanted to do it not for my own benefit but to impact the campus that impacted me so much. I have been given so many opportunities here, so this is a way for me to give a little bit back.”

What is your favorite Ole Miss tradition?

“Playing the Grove Show as a Pride of The South (Marching Band) member is one of the most electrifying experiences ever. Feeling the intensity and excitement of the crowd in the Grove is something I can’t describe. It makes me excited to see everyone’s smiling faces. My favorite thing is when we’re about to get loud, you can see the expressions on their faces. It feels incredible to see that after I’ve worked so hard preparing for it.”

Every campaign comes with surprises. What was something you didn’t expect while going through the campaign process?

“I was surprised at the amount of support I was given from the students and the number of people who came to say hi every day. I was also surprised that 2,000 stickers for my table (at the Student Union) were not enough.”

Who is your hero?

“My dad. He has a very gentle soul and spirit, but he strives for excellence in everything he does. He is the hardest worker I’ve ever met; he’s a fighter and gives 100% of himself. He really instilled that in me, and I want to be just like him when I grow up.”

What piece of advice would you give to someone who wants to run for homecoming king?

“One of my goals going into the campaign was having no expectations, and I think that helped me keep an open mind. I took it as it was, which helped me stay positive. I didn’t go into the campaign thinking I would win, and that allowed me to be genuinely in it mentally and give it my all all the way to the end.”

Q&A by Emmaline Wolfe

Photo by Colin Kennedy

HOMECOMING QUEEN Anna Ware Brown

Can you describe the inspiration behind your campaign?

“From the moment I stepped onto campus as a freshman, my heart has been so happy. My time here has felt like a never-ending highlight reel with each day bringing new friendships, new joys, new adventures and new opportunities. Connecting with people gives me so much joy, so I try to get to know every single person that the Lord brings across my path and to love them as a friend. I hope that I leave this campus having made friends with every single student here. This was the inspiration behind my campaign. I was excited to share the joy, the love and the laughter that I have experienced here at Ole Miss with everyone I encounter.”

What would you tell someone who wanted to run for a position that represents Ole Miss?

"Do it! I am so glad that I did. I don’t know if there is a more wonderful opportunity to give back to our amazing university and to meet even more of our fellow students."

Every campaign comes with surprises. What was something you didn’t expect while campaigning?

"I was surprised by two things during the campaign. As a senior, I felt like I knew so many people, so the first surprise was how many amazing people I would get to meet and know who are now my good friends. The other surprise was the tremendous amount of love and support I received from my friends. I already knew they were wonderful, but I was truly overwhelmed by their kindness to me. They sacrificed their time to stand beside me, literally rain or shine. They brought me lunch and manned my table (at the Student Union) when I wasn’t there. They did whatever they could to help me with patience, kindness and grace."

What does Ole Miss mean to you?

“As a fourth-generation Rebel, I fell in love with Ole Miss as a child walking through the Grove in my grandfather’s old football jersey. My parents, maternal grandparents and great-grandparents all met at Ole Miss. My father and both of my grandfathers were captains of the Ole Miss football team, so I have been an Ole Miss Rebel for as long as I can remember. My older brother, Ben, played football here as well, and I had the joy of cheering him on as a student for his final two seasons. Ole Miss was my dream school. I didn’t even apply anywhere else. I always knew I was going to attend Ole Miss. Even so, my years here at Ole Miss have been even better than I could have imagined. I will always be so grateful for the amazing friendships and opportunities this university has provided me.”

What is your favorite Ole Miss tradition?

"My favorite Ole Miss tradition is football game days, from lining the Walk of Champions in the Grove to screaming 'Hotty Toddy' while cheering on our Rebs in the Vaught. Rushing the field after the victory over LSU might be at the top of the list."

What made you decide to run for homecoming queen?

"My sorority (Chi Omega) asked me to consider running, and my friends and family encouraged me. I had never campaigned for anything, so I went back and forth about the decision. Ultimately, it came down to a feeling that I didn't want to let my sorority sisters down. They were so kind and encouraging even to consider nominating me."

Q&A by Emmaline Wolfe

by

Photo

Colin Kennedy

MISS UNIVERSITY Jane Granberry

Miss University is an annual scholarship competition that provides university stipends to the winner and first three alternates. The most recent pageant was held at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts on October 8, 2023. Ten women competed in areas of on-stage conversation, talent performance, health and fitness, and evening gown in the hopes of being named Miss University.

The talent performance, a favorite of many in attendance, showcased dancing, singing, original poetry and a one-woman musical puppet show. This portion was followed by the health and fitness outfits, and the evening ended with all of the women taking the stage in their evening gowns.

The pageant is put on each year by the Student Activities Association and the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union. The event was judged by a panel of seven community members representing a variety of prominent careers and businesses in Oxford. The winner of Miss University earns eligibility to compete at

Miss Mississippi in Vicksburg and is tasked with fulfilling community and volunteer-related duties over her term.

Previous winner Ally Hopper was present to crown new winner Jane Granberry, a senior from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Granberry previously served as Mississippi Miss Hospitality. An integrated marketing communications major, Granberry is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Ole Miss Ambassadors, Columns Society and the Ole Miss Rebelettes. In October’s homecoming court elections, set just a week after the Miss University pageant, Granberry was also selected as a campus favorite.

First alternate to Miss University went to Madison Belk, second alternate to Elizabeth Swindell and third alternate to Celeste Lay. The pageant is always a night full of beauty and scholarship, but the element of sisterhood among the women involved is what keeps the event prominent in campus life.

Story by Liv Briley

CAMPUS Favorites

Iris Ball

Abby Kate Boyer

Grace Barrett

Bailey Beaird

Emmie Burgess

Anna Ruth Doddridge

Don Fruge III

Jane Granberry

Ella Kitchens

Frances Stewart

Photo by Colin Kennedy

ASB PRESIDENT Sara Austin Welch

Sara Austin Welch, a senior public policy leadership major from McCarley, Mississippi, serves as the 2023-2024 Associated Student Body president, making all final decisions for ASB and representing the student body when working with other campus, local and national communities.

Running for this position was a last-minute decision. Welch explained, “A friend came to me and asked if I was happy with how I was leaving the university, if I felt like my time was complete. My response was no.” The final push for Welch to enter the race came after many other friends expressed their support for her candidacy and faith in her ability to serve well.

Upon finding out she won, receiving 71.3% of the total votes, Welch “felt all of the love in the world.” Feeling validated by the victory, she knew it was time to get to work – the role of ASB president began that night. The job often challenges Welch in ways she had not anticipated, but the village of people helping and supporting her makes all the difference.

Prior to representing the university as ASB president, Welch was active in many campus organizations. As a part of the Luckyday Scholars Program, Welch engaged in leadership and advisory positions beginning her freshman year at the university. She also was involved in First Year Experience, Ole Miss Ambassadors and the Panhellenic community. Welch said that serving as standards officer of her sorority, Pi Beta Phi, taught her about accountability and how to have difficult conversations with her peers. Welch’s involvement with Ole Miss Ambassadors, who work with prospective students and their families, prepared her for interacting on a professional basis with adults as ASB president.

As Welch’s tenure approached its end, she was asked what legacy she would like to leave behind at the university. “I try to make everybody feel like somebody,” she said. “You’re never going to satisfy everyone, but helping even one person makes me feel like I’ve done my jo b.”

Story by Bella Duncan

NO EXCUSES’

Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay / Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

54 YearsofServicetoOleMiss

For anyone who has a question about the University of Mississippi, Kathy Tidwell almost certainly has an answer, and, on the off chance she does not, she always knows whom to ask. Tidwell has gained her knowledge over a 54-year career at the state’s flagship institution, but she is prouder of another distinction. Her highest achievement, she said, is helping others find their passion like she did.

Tidwell graduated from Lafayette High School in 1968 with plans of leaving Oxford behind. Then she met her husband, Larry Tidwell, a college student at Ole Miss. They had known each other for years, gone to the same church, lived in the same community. But one day they saw each other in a different light, she said. “I met my husband, and things changed,” Tidwell said, smiling.

Tidwell decided to give Oxford a chance and, in December 1968, applied to work in men’s housing as a records clerk. Over the next 54 years, she climbed the ranks, watched the university change and took on her current position, manager of contractual services and director of university licensing. While she worked, Tidwell also earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and two master’s degrees in education and counseling.

“It’s a learning environment,” Tidwell said. “We are allowed to take classes, and you get to meet a lot of wonderful people. I always say, ‘There’s no excuses not to go back and get your degree.'”

In the years since, she has encouraged everyone with whom she has worked to earn their degrees too, said Flora Jones, administrative coordinator for contractual services management and the ID Center.

“Mrs. Kathy, she was just egging me on, saying, ‘You need to go back to school,'” Jones said. “She knew it was important to me because I would always talk about it, saying I was going to get back in it. She’d say, ‘Well, now’s the time.’ She was that supportive in anything with education; she’s so supportive of all of her employees.”

Jones, who had not completed her bachelor’s degree when she began working for the Department of Contractual Services Management in 2012, said Tidwell reminded her again and again that she could earn her degree while working for Ole Miss. “Mrs. Kathy never let up,” Jones said. “She was

like, ‘You’ve got to do it. There’s no excuses.’ She said, ‘You’d be crazy not to take advantage of it.'”

In 2017, Jones completed her bachelor’s degree and crossed the graduation stage with her daughter, Jazlyn Farmer. Now, Jones has finished a master’s degree in higher education and will begin working on her doctorate in fall 2024.

“I was a first-generation student and I always said, ‘Once I get my bachelor’s, I’m done,'” Jones said. “But once I got my bachelor’s, Mrs. Kathy said, ‘You might as well keep on going. No excuses.'”

It was Tidwell’s constant support through the years that Jones said kept her going, even when things were hard. “I always say don’t stress so much on the small things,” Tidwell said. “The world is not going to end if you make a mistake.”

Now, Jones has done the same for her daughters, students and coworkers. “After I went back and did it, she gave that responsibility to me,” Jones said. “She said, ‘You’ve got to encourage the others to get in school. Help them do their applications or whatever they need.’ So, that’s the role that I carry now.”

Four of Jones’ daughters are graduates or students of Ole Miss. On most days, at least one daughter stops by contractual services to visit Jones and Tidwell and talk about their classes.

“Sometimes they get here before I do,” Jones said, laughing. “I told them they could go to any school they wanted to, but they wanted to come here.”

In 2021, Jones began teaching EDHE 105: Freshman Year Experience, where she hopes to continue to instill the lessons Tidwell and others at the university taught her.

“(Students) come from all walks of life, and some of them … are so terrified and scared because they are in an entirely new place and away from their parents for the first time,” Jones said. “I tell them, ‘Anytime you feel nervous, anytime you feel scared, I’m going to be here. You’re always welcome to come over here and talk to us. If we don’t have the answer, me and Mrs. Kathy, we’re going to find it.'”

Story by Clara Turnage

Photos by Matthew Cockrell

THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND William Gottshall

William Gottshall has been the executive director at the Trent Lott Leadership Institute at the University of Mississippi since 2005, the only person to have this role. He also is interim director for the Center of Manufacturing Excellence on campus, where he “just kind of hangs around,” he said in his typically modest fashion.

Gottshall, who served as Associated Student Body president at Ole Miss, graduated from the university in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

“I’m blessed to have had great years in undergrad here and now on the Lott Leadership team,” he said.

Before returning to the university, Gottshall was chief executive officer at First National Bank in Oxford and chief of staff for Mississippi Senator Trent Lott in Washington, D.C. His varied background and passion for Ole Miss make Gottshall a reliable mentor for students.

“Mr. Gottshall is an incredibly kind man. He truly wants the best for the Lott Leadership Institute,” said junior Madalyn Dudley. “If you see him around campus, your day is instantly improved because he is always incredibly positive and open with speaking with students. He wants students to get the most out of their time in the Lott Institute, so he is always ready to lend a

hand with an issue or just have a conversation about your day.”

The Lott Institute’s mission is to prepare students for leadership roles, focusing on both education and leadership skills. It is fitting that the director is committed to personal relationships and open communication.

“Mr. Gottshall and I had emails a lot the summer before I got to Ole Miss, but I figured he emailed people all the time. My freshman year, I saw him at Lott orientation and I told him my name, and he immediately remembered me and our entire email chain,” Dudley said.

“It meant so much to me that he remembered even the smallest thing like my hometown and a restaurant he had been to nearby,” Dudley said. “As a freshman, it was so special to feel so seen and remembered by someone who was so much higher than myself. This set the tone for my time in the Lott Institute and is my absolute favorite memory of Mr. Gottshall.”

Story by Christiana Davis

HALL FAME of

One of the highest honors afforded students at Ole Miss, the Hall of Fame was established in 1930. Since then, it has continued to recognize students of outstanding achievements and dedication to the university.

Zynub Al-Sherri

A pre-dental Public Health and Health Sciences and Arabic major from Oxford, Zynub Ahmad Al-Sherri is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Awarded a Taylor Medal, the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship and the Hattie Burke Jackson Scholarship, Zynub serves as president of the Public Health Student Association and webmaster of the Muslim Student Association in addition to founding the Palestinian Arts and Culture Club. Throughout her time on campus, she has also served as a general biology and organic chemistry supplemental instruction leader, Arabic Language Flagship teaching assistant, Health Professions Advising Office ambassador and volunteer tutor. She previously studied abroad in Morocco to develop a career of working alongside refugees in the globalhealth sector and hopes to be remembered as “someone who encouraged others to seek opportunities beyond their comfort zones and who broke through barriers for Muslim and Middle-Eastern-Americans to come.”

Bailey Beaird

Bailey Boyett Beaird is an Allied Health Studies major and member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Mortar Board. She was the student representative for the Chancellor’s Standing Committee on Accessibility, is a fourth year Ole Miss Ambassador and is active in her sorority, Delta Delta Delta. Bailey also serves as president of the UM Special Olympics club and is an executive member for the Ole Miss Big Event. In the fall of 2023 she was voted Campus Favorite by her peers. Additionally, Bailey received the Associated Student Body Making a Difference Award last year for her efforts made within the intellectual and developmental disability communities. She hopes to leave a legacy as a catalyst for providing access for those with disabilities to be “educated and participate in student life as any traditional student would.”

Caleb Bohannon

A Public Policy Leadership and Economics double major, member of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Caleb Joseph Bohannon holds the title of Mr. University. Bohannon is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Mortar Board, the Black Student Union, Blacks in Political Studies and the Associated Student Body Executive Board. Along with Period UM, Caleb and Public Policy Leadership 373 classmates successfully advocated for menstrual products to be made available in main campus facilities. A Patricia Thompson Lott Institute Scholar and member of the Lott Student Advisory Board, Caleb began a prison literacy initiative in the spring of 2023 in which books were collected to be distributed to incarcerated individuals across the state. An Ole Miss Circle Award recipient and 1848 Scholarship recipient, Caleb says he is grateful to have the opportunity to help broaden diversity efforts and “positively impact the perception of how others view this university nationally.”

Emmie Burgess

A Trent Lott Leadership Institute Scholar and Public Policy Leadership major, Emillie Grace Burgess is a member of the Ole Miss Women’s Council and the Phi Beta Kappa, and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies. She serves as president of the Columns Society and senior class vice president. She is also a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Ole Miss Ambassadors and Delta Delta Delta sorority. Her proudest accomplishment from her college experience is advocating for menstrual equity. After her participation in PeriodUM’s successful campaign for the university to sponsor menstrual products on campus, Burgess worked as an impact producer with Below the Belt, promoting the UM screening of the film that focuses on closing the gender health gap. In all the roles she has served at the university, Burgess hopes to leave a legacy of joy. “My unwavering commitment to the university is continuously exhibited in the joy I have for this campus.”

Azurrea Curry

Azurrea Jeanna-Dale Curry, a Secondary English Education major and Stamps Scholar, has served as president of the Minority Engagement Council for the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and co-director of Miracle Family Relations for RebelTHON, benefitting Mississippi’s only children’s hospital. Curry has been a member of Mortar Board, NAACP, Rebels for Christ Campus Ministry, Delta Gamma sorority, Order of Omega and the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program. Azurrea served as a reading teaching fellow in Providence, Rhode Island, in the summer of 2021 and served as a tutor to children in the Oxford-Lafayette area through JumpStart and Mission Acceleration. When reflecting on her time at Ole Miss, she says having the chance to love and be loved by this community is “immensely rewarding,” and she hopes to inspire youth to engage fully with “where their hearts lie.”

Clark Etzel

A Public Policy Leadership major, Clark Allen Etzel is the sole winner of the 2023 Barksdale Award, the most prestigious award given in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. He is CoFounder of Venture, an undergraduate research journal, a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, chairman of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute Student Advisory Board and a traveling debater through the Ty Warren Debate Union. Outside of campus, Clark studied in India, Israel and Italy and was named a young southern changemaker by Bitter Southerner Magazine. Clark says it has been an honor to represent the university through scholarship and experience. “Four years later, my legacy at Ole Miss lives in the opportunities I built for people with similar interests.”

Caitlyn Horton

Studying Accounting and Finance in the Patterson School of Accountancy, Caitlyn Victoria-Rose Horton is a first-generation college student, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Ole Miss Women’s Council. Caitlyn serves as the longest-sitting president of the National Association of Black Accountants as well as the 2023 president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Under her leadership of the National PanHellenic Council, the organization hosted the first Miss Black University Pageant and became a nationally recognized council. She was named the Freshman Leader of the Year through Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, received the Collins Scholarships through the Patterson School of Accountancy and has been a two-time national scholarship recipient through the National Association of Black Accountants. Horton’s persistence during her time at Ole Miss has allowed her to “leave a legacy that matters” and to make a difference for other Black and female students pursing opportunities in fields with less representation.

Daneel Konnar

Daneel Konnar is a Public Policy Leadership student and Ole Miss Women’s Council Scholar who was elected 2023 Mr. Ole Miss. He is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Trent Lott Leadership Institute. As the executive director of the Student Activities Association, he sought to expand student activities to underserved communities and organizations on campus. His philanthropic impact as vice president of philanthropy for Phi Delta Theta fraternity surpassed $95,000 for pediatric cancer and ALS research. He served as vice president of the Columns Society and was an Ole Miss Ambassador and Orientation Leader. Daneel is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. His proudest accomplishment is encouraging students to become leaders at the University of Mississippi and in their communities. Daneel hopes to show all current and future students that “regardless of who you are and where you are from, you can come to the University of Mississippi and become the best version of yourself.”

Madeleine Ryan

A Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College member, Madeleine Donati Ryan is an International Studies major in the Croft Institute for International Studies. Maddy is active in Delta Gamma sorority while also serving as the chair of the Croft Institute Ambassadors, commissioner of the SEC Student Government Exchange and attorney general for the Associated Student Body. As attorney general, she founded the ASB Future Leaders Scholarship, which raised money for candidates of campus-wide leadership positions to create a more equitable selection. Maddy also studies Mandarin Chinese and studied abroad in Shanghai, China, among the first group of American students permitted since the pandemic. She spent summers teaching Mandarin to middle and high school students through the National Security Agency’s Chinese STARTALK Program and Ole Miss’ Summer Language Institute. As a Truman Scholarship nominee and winner of the Lynda Mead Shea Scholarship for her thesis research abroad, Ryan hopes to have led with a listening ear and resilient spirit.

Genevieve Wilson

Genevieve Elise Wilson is an International Studies and Public Policy Leadership major with a French minor and an emphasis in International Governance and Politics. She is a Stamps Scholar and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. Genevieve has served as a member of the Columns Society, volunteer recruitment and retention chair for the Ole Miss Big Event and as the vice president of community relations for the Chi Chapter of Delta Delta Delta. Throughout her time at the university, she has served Southern communities as an intern for U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, the Mississippi Delta-based nonprofit the Delta Health Alliance and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomat in Residence for the Central South Region. Genevieve deems her greatest motivation has been to increase the accessibility of a strong education to all and to help foster a love for learning in others.

WHO'S WHO

Amongstudentsat theUniversityofMississippi

Each year, a select group of undergraduate students is recognized for their achievements in the areas of scholarship, service and leadership. Who’s Who is a prerequisite for the University of Mississippi Hall of Fame.

Anna Kate Adkins

- President, Active Minds

- Choreographer, The HandBand

Reid Bain

- Re-Establishing Member, Sigma Alpha Epsilon

- Spring Treasurer, Associated Student Body

Zynub Al-Sherri

- President, Public Health Student Association

- Taylor Medalist

Jack Baker

- Member, The Columns Society

- President, Delta Psi

Reese Anderson

- Copy Chief, The Daily Mississippian

Natalie Barnes

- President, Pre-Nursing Society

- VP of Public Relations, Ole Miss Special Olympics

Josie Austin

- President, Kappa Delta

- Member, Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program

Hayley Rose Barnes

- Member, The Honors College

- Member, Sigma Alpha Lambda

Baylee Avent

- Ambassador, Health Professions Advising Office

- Attending the University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Allison Barnett

- Delta Gamma Honor Board

- Evans-Harrington Award Winner

Paige Barnett

- Member, Phi Kappa Phi

- Member, Mississippi

Excellence in Teaching Program

Aubrey Bethay

- Member, Delta Gamma

- Member, Mortar Board

Bryce Barrett

- Stamps Scholar

- Outreach Coordinator, Society of Physics Students

Lauren Biando

- Member, Alpha Omicron Pi

- Member, Mississippi

Excellence in Teaching Program

Grace Barrett

- President, Delta Delta Delta

- Member, The Columns Society

Kaitlyn Bittner

- President, Gamma Iota Sigma

- Member, Phi Kappa Phi

Ansley Baugh

- Vice President, Delta Gamma

- RebelTHON Co-Team

Captain, Delta Gamma

Evelyn Bledsoe

- Ole Miss Diamond Girl

- Member, Mississippi

Excellence in Teaching Program

Bailey Beaird

- Member, Ole Miss Hall of Fame

- President, Ole Miss Special Olympics

Caleb Bohannon

- Mr. University

- Scholar and Outreach Chair, Lott Leadership Institute

Christian Boudreaux

- Goldwater Scholar

- Founder, Aqua Culture

Edward Brown

- Member, Sigma Chi

- Member, The Honors College

Hannah Bradford

- Reformed University Fellowship Ministry Team

- Blast and Impact Dynamics Undergraduate Research

Jameshia Brown

- Vice President, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

- Black Fashion Society

Landon Bradley

- Croft Scholar

- Ole Miss Orientation Coordinator

Londyn Brown

- Co-Director of Entertainment, SAA

- Executive Member, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc

Shelby Briggs

- Member, Mortar Board

- Student Body President, School of Pharmacy

Parker Brown

- Member, The Columns Society

- President, Delta Psi

- Member, Tau Beta Pi

- Tutor, Health Professions Advising Office

Jena Brown-Talib

- Fulbright Scholarship Semi-Finalist

- Jumpstart Volunteer

Alyssa Brohawn

Baleigh Brumfield

- Ambassador, Health Professions Advising Office

- Chaplain, Chi Omega

Christopher Buss

- Member, The Columns Society

- Member, Delta Psi

Sims Bryan

- Member, Phi Kappa Phi

- Recruitment Chair, Delta Delta Delta

Caroline Campbell

- Club President, Travis Manion Foundation "If Not Me, Then Who"

- Ambassador, Croft Institute

Megan Bundren

- Ambassador and Mentor, Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence

- Member, Phi Kappa Phi

Jane Campbell

- Ambassador, The Business School

- Member, Pi Beta Phi

Emmie Burgess

- President, The Columns Society

- Senior Class Vice President

Bre'Anna Coleman

- Vice President, Black Student Union

- Co-President, University of Mississippi's Voting Coalition

Sydney Burks

- Mississippi/Louisiana Regional Vice President, Phi Theta Kappa

- Scholar, White House Initiative on HBCUs

Cofield Collins

- Director of Public Relations and Marketing, Delta Delta Delta

- Member, The Honors College

Isabella Colotta

- Ambassador, College of Liberal Arts

- Holcomb Law Group

Collin Crawson

- Certified Biology Peer Mentor

- Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Award

Travis Coopwood

- Talbert Fellow

- Ambassador, School of Journalism and New Media

Miriam Crotwell

- President, Russian Club

- Captain, Women’s Rugby Club

Carley Craig

- Co-Coordinator of Special Events, Ole Miss Ambassadors

- Ole Miss Orientation Coordinator

Veronica Cunitz

- Events Chair, Engineering Student Body Council

- Ambassador, The Honors College

DaLakin Crawford

- Vice President of Administration and Finance, National Pan-Hellenic Council

- Cum Laude

Azurrea Curry

- Stamps Scholar

- President, Honors College Minority Engagement Council

Erin Crawford

- Member, Big Event Executive Board

- Orientation Leader

Chance Davidson

- Co-Director, Student Activities Association

- Exercise Science Research Assistant

Savannah Davis

- Vice President of Internal Operations, RebelTHON

- Coordinator of Membership, Ole Miss Ambassadors

Madalyn Dudley

- Chief of Staff, TEDx

- Student Worker, SEC Marketing

Mary Laine DeMetz

- President, Pre-PA Society

- Member, Phi Kappa Phi

Emily Grace Dusin

- Member, Pi Beta Phi

- Member, Catholic Campus Ministries

Anderson DeWitt

- Executive Director, Ole Miss Ambassadors

- Member, The Columns Society

Kathrynanne Eastman

- Ambassador, Croft Institute

- Ambassador, College of Liberal Arts, Department of Modern Languages

Anna Ruth Doddridge

- Vice President of Membership, RebelTHON

- Member, The Columns Society

Elizabeth Eckard

- Member, Phi Beta Kappa

- CASA Encore Co-Chair, Chi Omega

Lilly Drane

- Director of Lifetime Engagement, Alpha Omicron Pi

- Girl Scout Troop Leader

Maren Egging

- Co-President, Financiers Club

- Vice President Operations, Pi Beta Phi

Racheal Embry

- President, First Generation Student Network

- Lab Manager, The CUB Lab

Sterlin George

- Army ROTC

- Member, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Clark Etzel

- Ty Warren Debate Union

- Venture: The Undergraduate Research Journal

Phoebe Goodwin

- Intern, Thacker

Mountain Radio Hour

- Member, Ole Miss Ambassadors

Kirsten Garner

- President, American Medical Student Association

- Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee, Ole Miss Big Event

Tozie Goulet

- Color Guard Captain, The Pride of the South

- Secretary, University of Mississippi Hillel

Noah Garrett

- Barry M. Goldwater

Scholarship Recipient

- Computational Astrochemistry Research Group

Alia Graham

- Founding Chapter President, Alpha Chi Omega

Gates

- Stamps Scholar

- Member, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Jane Granberry

- Miss University

- Member, Ole Miss Rebelettes

Aaliyah

Athan Gregory

- Volunteer Emergency Medical Technician

- ACS Outstanding Organic Chemistry Student

Makenzie Havard

- Treasurer, American Medical Women's Association

- Senator, The Honors College

Eesha Gudiseva

- Senior Class President, Exercise Science

Ashton Heath

- President, Interfraternity Council

- Treasurer, Accounting Student Body

Hayden Hammett

- President, Kappa Sigma

- Member, Phi Kappa Phi

Anna Herrington

- Biology Mentor, Bisc 160 and 162

- Acceptance, UMMC's School of Medicine

Stephanie Handford

- Engineering Student Ambassador

- Engineering Student

Body President

Meredith Heuring

- Ole Miss Orientation Leader

- Member, Ole Miss Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Harrington

- President, School of Journalism and New Media Ambassadors

- Creative Media Assistant, Ole Miss Football

Emma

Latoria Hicks

Hill

- President, American Society of Civil Engineers

- Member, Tau Beta Pi

Lauren Hord

- Member, Phi Kappa Phi

- Member, The Honors College

Cameron Hillman

- Member, Engineering Student Body Leadership Council

- Ambassador, The Honors College

Suzanna Horn

- SMBHC Thesis Research in Virology

- Director of Hospitality, RebelTHON

- Member, The Honors College - Member, Center for Manufacturing Excellence

Caitlyn Horton

- President, National Pan-Hellenic Council

- President, National Association of Black Accountants

Alice Ann Hollingsworth

- President, Chi Omega

- Ole Miss Ambassador

Kasia Hosey

- Member, The Honors College

- President, College Panhellenic Council

Holmes

- Member, Croft Institute

- Member, Arabic Language Flagship

Logan Hudson

- Luckyday Scholar

- Member, The Honors College WHO'S WHO

Troy

Ashlyn Hinton

Lee

Shaelen Hudson

- Vice President of Philanthropy, College Panhellenic Council

- Ole Miss Ambassador

Julieanna Jackson

- Anchor, NewsWatch Ole Miss

- Recruitment Counselor, Ole Miss Panhellenic

Carrol Imbler

- Co-Director of Pageants, Student Activities Association

- President, Student Alumni Council

Farah Jaentschke

- President, Latin American Student Organization

- Cultural/Multicultural Senator, Associated Student Body

Marissa Ingram

- President, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

- Vice President, Gamma Beta Phi

Ethan Jarrett

- Published Author, Nature Protocols

- Hospice Volunteer

Ben Jackson

- Member, The Columns Society

- Principal of External Affairs, Associated Student Body

Joy Faith Jennings

- Ambassador, The Business School

- Vice President, Honors College Minority Engagement Council

Grace Jackson

- Vice President of Internal Affairs, Kappa Kappa Gamma

- Supplemental Instruction Leader

Violet Jira

- Editor in Chief, The Daily Mississippian

- Historian, Mortar Board

Elizabeth Johns

- Ole Miss Ambassador

- Member, Alpha Delta Pi

Natalya Knoke

- Recipient, President's Prudential Spirit of Volunteer Gold Award

- Director of Hospital Relations, RebelTHON

Taylor Jones

- Executive Vice President, College Panhellenic Council

- Ole Miss Ambassador

Daneel Konnar

- Mr. Ole Miss

- Executive Director, Student Activities Association

Andrew Kelly

- Member, Trent Lott Leadership Institute

- Member, College Panhellenic Executive Board

Alexandra Ladner

- President, American Cancer Society

- Ole Miss Diamond Girl

- Esports National Champion

- Narrative Intelligence Summit Host

Amelia Ladner

- President, Rho Lambda

- Ole Miss Diamond Girl

Sarah Kerr

- Recruitment Counselor, Ole Miss Panhellenic

- Outstanding Organic Chemistry Student Award

Dreanna Leake

- President, Alpha Lambda Delta

- Community Service Chair, Sigma Gamma Rho

Natalia Jovovich

Caroline Leonard

- 2024 Newman Civic Engagement Fellow

- Ambassador, Andrew Goodman Foundation

Caroline McCutchen

- Assistant Arts and Culture

Editor, The Daily Mississippian

- Ambassador, College of Liberal Arts

Caroline Lewis

- Vice President of Operations, Alpha Delta Pi

- Member, Phi Kappa Phi

Isabelle McGill

- Ole Miss First Scholar

- Member, Phi Beta Kappa

Taylor Little

- Vice President of Membership, Delta Gamma

- Co-Director of Public Relations, Student Activities Association

Mia McKey

- Freeman Scholar

- Member, Re-Rebs: Campus Clothing Recycling Program

Emilie Mai

- FBI Intern

Keely May

- Vice President of Communications, RebelTHON

- Co-Director of Special Events, Student Activities Association

Lauren Mein

- President, Croft Senate

- Research Assistant to Dr. Kate Centellas in La Paz, Bolivia

Abigail Metcalf

- Member, Phi Beta Kappa

- Senator, The Honors College

Hanna Mitchell

- Member, Alpha Omicron Pi

- School of Pharmacy

Kala Nance

- Director of Philanthropy, Alpha Delta Pi

- Writing Editor, The Ole Miss Yearbook

Wake Monroe

- Study Abroad, Barranquilla, Colombia and La Paz, Bolivia

- Liberal Arts Senator, Associated Student Body

Katherine Nevils

- Director of External Operations, Grove Grocery

- Head Ambassador, The Honors College

Anna Grace Morgan

- Intramural Sports

- Teacher Assistant, Anatomy and Physiology

Cynthia Nguyen

- Supplemental Instruction Leader, Chemistry

- Teacher Assistant, Chemistry

Benjamin Murphey

- Senator, Associated Student Body

- ASB Principal of Health and Wellness

Jennifer Nguyen

- President, Ole Miss Smile Makers

- Philanthropy Day Chair, Phi Mu

Ashley Myers

- President, RebelTHON

- Student Athletic Trainer, Ole Miss Volleyball

Brooke O'Keefe

- Executive Board Member, Chi Omega

- Half Marathon Runner, St. Jude

Ben Oliver

- Baritone Section Leader, The Pride of the South

- Fellow, Public Policy and International Affairs

Junior Summer Institute

Hayden Pierce

- Chair, ASB Senate Housing Committee

- Officer, Model United Nations

Hema Patel

- Member, Judicial Board

- Member, Chancellor’s Academic Dishonesty Standing Committee

Hayley Pitts

- Vice President of Finance, RebelTHON

- Saxophone Section Leader, The Pride of the South

Walker Jay Patterson

- President, Campus Outreach

- Ole Miss Ambassador

Briley Rakow

- Copy Editor, Square Magazine

- Writing Editor, The Ole Miss Yearbook

David Phillips

- Member, The Columns Society

- Senator, The Honors College

Hannah Randall

- Community Service Director, Chi Omega

- Director of Sponsorship, RebelTHON

Winn Philpott

- Writing Center Consultant

- Undergraduate Research

Published in Venture

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- VP of External Relations, Student Alumni Council

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Autumn Robbins

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ATHLETICS

Photo by Colin Kennedy

Dayton Wade (19) and Caden Prieskorn (86) celebrate after a touchdown in the Peach Bowl on December 30, 2023. Prieskorn was named offensive MVP of the game. Ole Miss beat Penn State 38-25.

FIRST DOWN, OLE MISS the Legacy of Glen Waddle

Glen Waddle, public address announcer for Ole Miss football for more than a quarter-century, has no plans to quit anytime soon.

“If they don’t want me anymore, that’s a different thing,” the University of Mississippi alumnus said. “But as long as I’m ambulatory, I want to keep working the games if they’ll let me.”

Renowned for his “First down, Ole Miss” call and response during home football games, Waddle is also a true red-and-blue sports fan. He has been to every Ole Miss home football game since 1965 and has not missed a game, home or away, since 1975, when he was an Ole Miss student. That is 562 games in a row before the start of the 2023 football season.

“If you know Glen, there is no doubt about his tremendous loyalty and dedication to Ole Miss,” said Langston Rogers, senior associate athletics director emeritus for athletics media relations, who has known Waddle for 40 years. Waddle, who lives in Jackson, gets paid for all his other numerous announcing gigs. But to this day, he still announces Ole Miss football and baseball – and fills in for basketball, volleyball and tennis –for free.

“To me, it’s giving back to the school because I enjoyed it so much here, got a good education, met people that I’m still lifelong friends with and it’s just a school that I’ve always had in my heart and will always keep it there,” he said.

Though his family wanted him to attend Mississippi College, Waddle said he wanted to go to the University of Mississippi ever since he went to Ole Miss football games in Jackson as a child. He paid his own way during his undergraduate years by working summers for his dad in construction and earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration, with a minor in history, in 1977 and a law degree in 1980.

Soon after Waddle finished law school, he joined the Jackson Touchdown Club to get to know people and do business. The club sponsored the Mississippi High School All-Star Football Game, now known as the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Game. While sitting in the stands during one of those games, Waddle noticed and remarked upon the PA announcements.

At football games, if fans don’t know the PA announcer’s name, then they certainly know his catchphrase. Waddle unabashedly confessed to how the “First down, Ole Miss” call got started.

“There was an official in the NFL named Red Cashion. And when they put him on the mic, he would announce, ‘First dowwnnn!’ He was a Southern dude. He had the Southern drawl. And I said, let’s see if I can try that with Ole Miss.”

Waddle said it took a few years for the saying to take off, from when he started announcing full time in 1998 to quarterback Eli Manning’s senior year in 2003. “After that, it caught on,” he said, adding that it’s fun and exhilarating to shout “FIRST DOWN!” and hear the crowd respond “Ollllle Miss!”

While Waddle enjoys his leisure time, he said he hopes to keep announcing games for a long time. “I have no intention of retiring anytime soon, really from anything, whether my regular job or my announcing job. I like both. It keeps me off the streets, keeps me involved.”

Waddle is the consumer assistance program director for The Mississippi Bar.

Even after all the games he has seen, he wants to see more.

“Every game is fresh,” he said. “It doesn’t make any difference what the circumstances are. Every game is fun. Every game is different. Every game’s a new deal.”

Story by Benita Whitehorn

Photo by Joshua McCoy

Ole Miss Department of Intercollegiate Athletics

Glen Waddle stands in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium before the Ole Miss-Georgia Tech game on Sept. 16, 2023.

September 16, 2023

W 48–23

September 30, 2023

W 55–49

October 7, 2023

W 27–20

Ole Miss vs. LSU

Ole Miss vs. Georgia Tech

Ole Miss vs. Arkansas

October 28, 2023

W 33–7

December 30, 2023

W 38–25

November 4, 2023

W 38–35

Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt

Ole Miss vs. Penn State

Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M

A SEASON OF MANY HIGHS LEAD THE REBELS TO HISTORIC FINISH

For many reasons, the Ole Miss Rebels’ 2023 football season was one for the record books. Most significantly, for the first time since the school began playing football in 1893, the team won 11 games in a single season. Not even Ole Miss’ national championship teams could claim that.

The season kicked off Sept. 2 in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with an easy win over Mercer (73-7). Louisiana Tech transfer Tre Harris scored four times, breaking the record for most touchdowns scored in a single game by an Ole Miss wide receiver.

Quarterback Jaxon Dart was back with a vengeance this season, leading the team as it toppled the 24thranked Tulane Green Wave in New Orleans on Sept. 9, one of the team’s key victories of the season. Then the Rebels cruised to a 48-23 victory over Georgia Tech in Oxford the next week.

However, the Lane Train stalled in week four with a 24-10 defeat to the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Many fans thought this was the year Head Coach Lane Kiffin could finally beat his old boss, Alabama’s Nick Saban, so the disappointment was significant.

There was no time to wallow in defeat. The 12thranked LSU Tigers came to Oxford the next week. In an instant-classic, the Rebels raced back from a ninepoint deficit in the fourth quarter with Dart running for one touchdown and throwing for another in the last five minutes of the game. The defense made a last-second

stand to seal a 55-49 victory before 66,703 fans.

The team went on to win the next three against Arkansas, Auburn and Vanderbilt with little drama.

With Ole Miss cruising at 7-1, SEC Nation broadcast from the Grove before the Rebels took on Texas A&M on Nov. 4. In another wild offensive display, the Rebels outscored the Aggies 38-35, sealing the victory by blocking a last-second field goal attempt by A&M.

Next up, the high-flying Rebels had a chance to spoil the Georgia Bulldogs’ perfect season. Instead, Ole Miss was crushed 52-17 in Athens.

The Rebels bounced back at by making quick work of Louisiana Monroe 35-3.

A few days – and lots of trash talk – later, the Rebels traveled to Starkville for the Egg Bowl. In a hard-fought game, Ole Miss avenged last year’s defeat and topped the Bulldogs 17-7.

That set up the Rebels for their second New Year’s Six Bowl game in three years and their first meeting with Penn State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on December 30. One of the SEC’s best offenses – led by QB Dart and game MVP tight end Caden Prieskorn — blitzed one of the Big 10’s best defenses in a 38-25 victory. So ended in spectacular fashion the Rebels’ first 11-win season and Kiffin’s first New Year’s Six Bowl victory.

Story by Luke Dunavant

REBELS SCORE FIRST 11-WIN SEASON IN PROGRAM HISTORY

With a 38-25 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Penn State, Ole Miss secured its first 11-win season in program history.

The SEC-Big 10 matchup, the first between the Rebels and the Nittany Lions, was played on December 30, 2023, in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was the Rebels’ first New Year’s Six bowl game victory under Head Coach Lane Kiffin.

The Rebels brought one of the most talented offenses in the nation to the matchup, while Penn State’s defense came in as one of the best in the country.

The lead changed hands until early in the fourth quarter, when the Rebels finally took command of the game.

Offensive MVPs: Caden Prieskorn and Jaxson Dart

Tight end Caden Prieskorn caught a career-high 10 passes for 136 yards with two touchdown passes to add to his stellar resume for the 2023 season.

After running back Quinshon Judkins secured a third touchdown for the Rebels late in the third quarter, Kiffin chose to go for two points. Prieskorn was wide open in the end zone to put the Rebels ahead 31-17.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart once again showcased his ability to throw, run and even catch the ball consistently against a talented Penn State defense. Dart threw for 379 yards – with

a 62% completion rate — passed for three touchdowns and rushed for another.

Defensive MVP: Jared Ivey

Senior defensive end Jared Ivey paved the way for the Landshark defense and ended the game with five tackles, two tackles for a loss and two QB hurries.

Shining moment: Dart’s game-securing touchdown

Despite staying ahead of the Nittany Lions throughout most of the game, Ole Miss needed one last effort to complete the win, and Dart answered. Dart rushed in a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to set the score 38-17, a touchdown that gave Rebel fans a sigh of relief for the rest of the game.

Something to look forward to: Ole Miss as a potential playoff contender

After the impressive Peach Bowl victory and a top-10 team ranking to close out the season, Kiffin secured some of the most talented players in the transfer portal. With offensive and defensive standouts choosing to return for another season, the Rebels are looking to make a huge statement in 2024.

Story by Teddy King

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Photos

Colin Kennedy

Photos submitted by Delaney Bland

CHEER Q&A DelaneyBland

Ole Miss cheerleaders energize the crowds at pep rallies and games, but they also compete against other college cheer teams for national recognition.

The Ole Miss Cheerleading program has two teams: a 48-member all-girls squad and a co-ed squad, which includes 14 men. Both teams cheer on the sidelines for football (home and away), men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball.

In January 2024, both the cheerleaders and the Rebelettes competed together on stage and finished as the 2024 D1A Spirit Program Game Day National Runner-Up at the Universal Cheerleading/Dance Association College Nationals. In addition to their runner-up finish, the cheer squad grabbed fifth place in D1A All-Girl Traditional and seventh place in D1A Coed Traditional.

Cheerleader Delaney Bland is a sophomore from Franklin, Tennessee.

What is your pre-game ritual as an athlete before a football game or before a competition?

“I always have an Alani Energy drink and a Gatorade before I leave for a game. Before competition, I always make sure I have a good breakfast and keep vibes positive all day. I like to stay focused on my job on competition days.”

What is the most rewarding aspect of being on the Ole Miss cheer team?

"The most rewarding part of being on the team would definitely be the people I am surrounded by. It truly is like a family and I'm so close to everyone on the team. They always put me in such a good mood and I love spending time with them.”

What are you most proud of for coming out of UCA Nationals?

“I'm proud of my team for how much dedication we put into holding our standard this year. This year we pushed past our boundaries and really proved to ourselves that we have so much talent and drive.”

What was the biggest difference going into this season as a sophomore from last season as a freshman?

“For my freshman year, I was always nervous because I never wanted to mess up. I wanted to blend into the team. I had to learn all new material when I got here, so keeping track of everything was difficult. However, for my sophomore year I already knew everything, so it was all just muscle memory. Going into games and practices, I already knew what to expect and what was expected of me. Sophomore year had a lot less stress, and I was able to embrace the full atmosphere of everything without a lot of the nerves.”

Q&A by Ella Lantham

Photos by Colin Kennedy

REBELETTE Q&A Cameron Davis

Cameron Davis, a freshman from Meridian, Mississippi, and 28 other young women perform dance routines at Ole Miss athletic games as members of the Rebelettes. They also compete against other college dance teams across the nation.

The Ole Miss spirit squad – the Cheerleaders and Rebelettes performing together onstage — finished as the 2024 D1A Spirit Program Game Day National Runner-Up at the Universal Cheerleading/Dance Association College Nationals in January, 2024.

What is your favorite memory of being a part of the Rebelettes dance team?

“It would definitely be the LSU game (in VaughtHemingway Stadium on September, 30, 2023). It was such an amazing atmosphere and dancing at that game is something I will never forget.”

How do your teammates contribute to your success within dance and also in general?

“I'm so thankful to have teammates who constantly

encourage and push me to improve every day. It has been amazing to see how close our team has gotten throughout the season. I can confidently say that they have helped me grow into a better dancer and overall person.”

How would you describe the atmosphere as a dancer at the Ole Miss football games versus the basketball games?

“I have enjoyed dancing at both basketball and football games. It's hard to compare the two because the atmospheres are so different. Both fan bases are so passionate about Ole Miss sports that it makes dancing at the games that much better.”

How has being a Rebelette transformed your freshman experience at Ole Miss?

“Being a Rebelette has transformed my experience so far in many ways. It has given me friendships and experiences that will last a lifetime.”

Q&A by Ella Lantham

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Photo

Colin Kennedy

Photos by Colin Kennedy

MEN’S BASKETBALL REBOUNDS WITH NEW COACHES AND PLAYERS

In Head Coach Chris Beard’s first season, Ole Miss Men’s Basketball dramatically improved over the team’s 2022-23 season performance.

This team won its first 13 games of the season. The highlight in this non-conference stretch was an 80-77 victory over the Memphis Tigers on December 2, 2023.

But the challenge of competing in the SEC quickly became apparent in the Rebels’ first conference game of the season: Tennessee blew away Ole Miss 90-64 in Knoxville.

The remainder of the season was a roller coaster, with wins over Florida, Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Missouri. And before a record crowd of 10,630 fans in SJB Pavilion, Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 86-82 in a nail-biter.

But the losses mounted up, as well, in games against LSU, Auburn, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Kentucky and Alabama. And in the teams’ second meeting of the season, the Rebels lost to the Bulldogs in Starkville 83-71.

Even though the second half of the season could not match the successful first half, Beard and the Ole Miss players cultivated a winning culture, which energized fans and laid the groundwork for better seasons ahead.

Story by Lilly Green

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Photos

Colin Kennedy

Photos by Colin Kennedy

Photo by Colin Kennedy

Photo by Josh McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

A YEAR OF PERSISTENCE AND HEART BigShoestoFill

Last season’s women’s basketball team left big shoes to fill after a remarkable ride that ended in Ole Miss’ first NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance in 16 years.

Ole Miss started the 2023-24 season ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll, its highest preseason ranking since 1992. Tipping off on their home court, the Rebels set the single-game attendance record in front of 8,959 fans during their annual Kid’s Day. With three dominant wins at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, Head Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin made history as the first Bahamian coach to lead a team to victory in the tournament. However, the success was bittersweet.

Graduate transfer KK Deans suffered a season-ending injury in the championship game – a devastating loss for the Rebels. The team had to make some major adjustments, but with a melting pot of lettermen and transfers on their roster, they were still able to thrive. Under the leadership of the Ole Miss veterans Madison Scott and Marquesha Davis, the group is star-studded.

The Rebels cruised through most of the non-conference schedule – save for losses to Oklahoma and Louisville, both ranked teams.

The team began conference play 10-3 and kept pace by collecting its first SEC win against Alabama. But as expected, conference play was tough, made even more so by the team’s ever-changing roster as they adjusted to the loss of Deans.

Ole Miss broke the program attendance record for the second time with 9,074 fans in the SJB Pavilion in a loss to defending national champion LSU. The Rebels tallied some impressive wins over the first six weeks of conference play, one being over the SEC’s third-ranked Tennessee while on the road. Auburn transfer Kharyssa Richardson was remarkable, shooting 90% from the field and two for two from the arc.

The Rebels made history on February 18 as the first Ole Miss women’s team in program history to win in back-to-back overtimes. In January, the Rebels defeated Florida by double digits, but when the pair met again, they went into overtime. Ole Miss has had many mottos over the years, but Singleton shouting, “We didn’t quit” in an emotional moment after the overtime win seemed to awaken something in the Rebels.

Three days later, the Rebels met in-state rival Mississippi State for the second time. Looking to even the score in the season series, the nerve-racking revenge game ran into overtime. A 75-71 victory proved Singleton’s words true, as their heart and determination shined in the face of adversity.

The win against Mississippi State set up Ole Miss for a successful conclusion to the regular season and highly anticipated appearances in the post-season SEC and NCAA tournaments.

Story by Rhegan Vanhoozer

Photos by Colin Kennedy and Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Women’s Basketball vs. Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, March 19, 2023, in Stanford, California.

Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

Photos by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

WOMEN'S XC Q&ARyannHelmers

You transferred to Ole Miss from Rice University prior to the 2020 season. What makes the Ole Miss program different from others you have been a part of?

“The Ole Miss program is different from others because the teammates hold one another accountable. Every day, we show up ready to run, and whether it’s going well or not, we are all in it together through every tough workout and we can lean on one another for support.”

Can you tell me about the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championship? What did it mean to you to finish out your senior season on such a high note?

“It meant more than words could describe. The NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2023 were (held) where I went to high school (Albemarle in Sanderson, Texas) and we ran on my high school course. So being able to go back there and achieve this dream of mine surrounded by family and friends I hadn’t seen in years was something truly special.”

The team finished the season 21st in the country. To what do you attribute the overall success of the team this year?

We came in with a mindset that we wanted to get back and qualify, and being able to do that came from us not only working hard but also coming together as a team. Each person put their best foot on the line and not only ran for themselves but for each other as well.”

Is there any advice from your coaches that stands out as the most impactful?

“Some of the best advice that I have received is that you may have a bad workout or a bad race, but at the end of the day we can use that to be better. Our coach tells us that we are so much stronger than what we think we are and that we just need to have that one moment to feel confident and believe in ourselves, because once it all comes together really beautiful things can happen.”

You are one of the most accomplished women's cross country athletes at Ole Miss with the best national finish in program history this year. You earned All-American status as well as having five of the 14 known sub-20 6K times in Ole Miss women's history. Tell me about your journey. What have been some of the most challenging parts of your athletic career to this point?

“Getting to this point in my career has been really challenging. Before transferring to Ole Miss, I had taken about a year off of running and had surgery for an autoimmune disorder I have, and I honestly wasn’t sure if I would get back into the sport or ever race competitively again. Even now, I still struggle with my health, so trying to stay healthy long enough to get in good training sessions is difficult. There have been so many lows in my career, but I think that it has made all of the good days I do have that much better.”

Q&A by Liv Briley

Photos submitted

Volleyball

Head Coach Bre Henry has ushered in a new era of Ole Miss volleyball, focusing on building a positive environment in her first season leading the Rebels.

Henry’s coaching style is about creating a familial unit that is capable of defending their own on and off the court. In watching the team’s play this season, it was clear that this approach is working; players had each other’s backs, offering support wherever needed in their cohesive playing style.

“I want my players to want to be around us as a staff and to want to be in the gym,” Henry said in an interview for “The Season” video series produced by Ole Miss Athletics. “I never want to create doubt in a young female. I want to challenge them, of course, but I think that this age group needs encouragement and guidance.”

When the team was interviewed for “The Season” this year, players glowed about Henry, all echoing her sentiments about the importance of maintaining a positive, supportive community in the gym.

“Bre is very bubbly, and she creates such a positive environment in the gym,” sophomore player Shayla Meyer said.

The team’s roster was fairly small this year, led mostly by returning players, including AVCA All-Region honorees Sasha Ratliff and Anna Bair and All-SEC setter Aly Borellis.

The team improved on defense this season, moving up in the ranks after finishing last in the SEC in opponent hitting percentage last year. This is largely thanks to the efforts of associate head coach Taylor Gregory, who focuses on the defense alongside Henry. Leading the blocking charge on the court were middle blockers Payton Brgoch and Ratliff, also known as the Rebel Roofing Co. They are the only middle blocker duo in the SEC and have the second- and third-best single seasons in program history for blocking, respectively.

Ratliff moved into second all-time in the rally scoring era in total blocks at the end of this season, with Brgoch breaching the top five as well. These were not the only players to shine brightly this year, however, as the team finished with seven players with more than 100 kills, led by Julia Dyess with 163 in SEC play.

The team opened SEC play at home against Alabama in a clean sweep before heading on the road for the next several games. Another impressive finish came in a 3-1 victory against LSU at home after losing in five sets on the road to Missouri. The Rebels swept Mississippi State on Senior Day, a fitting tribute to super-seniors Anna Bair and Maggie Miller.

Though the season ended with a loss against Texas A&M, the team ultimately was successful in building a foundation for the future of the Rebels under Coach Henry. Focused on community and positive energy, the Ole Miss volleyball team is just beginning its new journey and is expected to continue improving on and off the court.

Story by Briley Rakow

Ole Miss vs. Alcorn State September 7, 2023

Ole Miss vs. South Dakota State September 8, 2023

Ole Miss vs. Alcorn State September 7, 2023

Ole Miss vs. South Dakota State September 8, 2023

Photos submitted by Nikola Slavic

TENNIS Q&ANikolaSlavic

Tell me about your season. Are there any matches that you are looking forward to?

“Although we faced some adversity early on this year, I believe we are on the right track to make this a memorable season. As in most other sports, the SEC is the strongest conference in college tennis, which gives us the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the country every weekend.”

You recently reached 80 singles wins, which is an immense accomplishment. What are your goals for the rest of the season?

“Reaching 80 singles wins is something I never even could have dreamed of when I first stepped foot on campus. It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get there, but I am proud and glad I have been able to win a lot of matches for Rebel nation. My goal has never been to win a certain number of matches, as focusing too much on the results will only prohibit me from playing my best game. However, I would love to win one more as that would make me tie (assistant coach) Kalle Norberg’s win tally.”

Where do you see your tennis career going in the future?

“After this season, I am planning on playing professional tennis. Unlike many other sports, there are no drafts or professional leagues in tennis. Instead, I will start off by traveling around the world playing smaller professional tournaments to gain ranking points before at some point, hopefully, I get to play the major tournaments shown on TV. The journey to the top won’t be easy,

but Ole Miss has put me on the right path to reach my goals.”

Is there any advice you've received from your coaches or teammates that stands out as particularly impactful?

“During my five years as a Rebel, I have been blessed with an incredible coaching staff that, with their knowledge and leadership, has been able to develop me into the player and person I am today. For that, I am eternally grateful. The same goes for my teammates who over the years have become my best friends and family. They keep pushing me to be the best version of myself every day, both on and off the court. With all that said, I am struggling to think of any advice that stands out. Sure, I could mention technical and mental help I have received. However, what really comes to mind is the impact a helping hand and some encouragement can have on a person’s development. Surrounding yourself with people with a positive mindset will take you a long way.”

What are the biggest challenges of being a collegiate athlete?

“Being a student-athlete, especially in the SEC, is definitely not a walk in the park as one has to balance academic, athletic and personal responsibilities, all while under the pressure to perform within all three. Here at Ole Miss, we have a great support system including access to tutors and health professionals, and teammates that will always offer a helping hand when needed. Despite all the challenges that come with being a student-athlete, it is the best possible college experience, and I would not trade it for the world.”

Q&A by Liv Briley

Photos by John Matthews and Kiana Dale/Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Baseball defeats Mississippi State in Game 1 in Starkville at Dudy Noble Field on April 14, 2023.

Photos by Kiana Dale/Ole Miss Athletics

OLE MISS BASEBALL

WhatHappenedandWhat’sNext?

The 2022 National Champions had high hopes entering the 2023 baseball season but ultimately had one of Ole Miss’ most disappointing seasons in recent memory. Winning only a single SEC series during season play, the Rebels finished 25-29 overall with an underwhelming 6-24 record in conference games.

The Rebels not only failed to make it to the NCAA Tournament again, but they also missed the SEC tournament for the first time since 2011, only the second time under Head Coach Mike Bianco.

The Rebels started 14-3 in the non-conference portion of the season, leading them into the first SEC series against Vanderbilt with lots of momentum. That momentum quickly died after the team was swept in its first two series of the year against Vanderbilt and Florida.

While they did sneak in a few wins over good teams like Texas A&M and Arkansas, the Rebels continued to have a hard time staying ahead in their games. The unfortunate story for the 2023 season was that when the Rebels took the lead, they eased off

the gas pedal toward the end and lost the game.

Stars from the 2022 team including Tim Elko and Dylan Delucia had left for the Major League Baseball draft, and Rebel ace Hunter Elliott missed the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Not only was pitching bad for the Rebels, but hitting was a struggle as well. The Rebels were last in the SEC in on base percentage, walks and strike outs; they were also in the bottom three in runs scored, hits, runs batted in, total bases and more.

The future did not look completely bleak for Ole Miss baseball. Recruiting out of high school continued strong for Bianco and the staff. Bianco also went to work in the transfer portal, going heavy on filling the holes in both the offense and defense.

Despite losing former starting second baseman Peyton Chatagnier and right fielder TJ McCants to the transfer portal, as well as notable starters Jacob Gonzales and Calvin Harris to the draft, expectations were higher for the 2024 team with some key starters returning and new talent coming in.

Story by Griffin Ray

Ole Miss Baseball vs. Memphis at Swayze Field on April 12, 2023.

Photo by Bella Wood/Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Baseball defeats Mississippi State in Starkville on April 14, 2023.

Photo by Kiana Dale/Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Softball defeated LSU in the 2023

SEC Softball Tournament in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on May 10, 2023.

Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

LAST SEASON'S STRUGGLE LEAVES DOOR OPEN FOR SUCCESS IN 2024

The 2023 Ole Miss Softball team had an up-and-down season under Head Coach Jamie Trachsel. Overall, the Rebels won 32 games and lost 28, but the team struggled in SEC play, ending the year with an 8-16 record in conference play.

The Rebels started the season at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, playing 10 games in eight days, winning six and losing four.

Their non-conference schedule was successful, with the Rebels going 24-12 with wins over teams like North Carolina and Wisconsin.

The University of Tennessee swept Ole Miss in Knoxville in the first SEC series of the season. The Rebels took one game against LSU two weeks later at home 5-1 but dropped the next two 3-0 and 3-1.

In the thick of SEC play, Ole Miss took the middle game against Auburn on the road 4-1 after game one was an Auburn blowout; for the series, however, the Tigers took game three 1-0 in a hardfought, defensive game. Both teams combined for a lowly three hits in the final game, and Auburn scored the only run by stealing home in the third inning.

Back in Oxford the following week against Kentucky, the Rebels dropped the first two games. Going into the seventh inning of game one, the Rebels were down 4-1. They scored two runs on a Paige Smith solo homer and a Brooke Barnard single to make it a one-run game; however, they fell just short of a comeback. Despite a rough

first two games, Ole Miss bounced back to secure a 9-3 win in game three to avoid the sweep.

The lone SEC series win came on the road against Missouri. The Rebels lost game one 3-8 but rebounded in the next two games with 7-6 and 7-5 wins, respectively. This sparked a small win streak as they won their third straight game against Texas A&M at home 8-5. An Aynslie Furbush three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh won it for the Rebels, but Ole Miss dropped the next two against the Aggies.

The Rebels picked up two more SEC wins against Florida and Alabama in the next two series. They were down by three going into the seventh against the Tide, but two solo homers from Furbush and Keila Kamoku and two doubles off the bat of Smith and Mya Stevenson combined to win the last game of the regular season.

The Rebels finished as the 11th seed in the SEC Tournament and even beat the sixth-seeded LSU Tigers in 10 innings 5-3; unfortunately, they subsequently fell to third-seeded Auburn by one run.

Ole Miss went to the Salt Lake City Regional for the NCAA Tournament, where they beat Baylor twice, 3-0 and 9-2, but lost to No. 15 Utah 7-1 and 4-1. The silver lining, though, is Utah went on to the College World Series.

In 2023, the Rebels struggled in SEC play in all facets: batting, pitching and, to some extent, fielding. But there was still a lot to look forward to in the 2024 season.

Story by Russ Eddins

Ole Miss Softball defeated LSU in the 2023 SEC Softball Tournament in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on May 10, 2023.

Photos by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

MOVING FORWARD

The Ole Miss Women’s Soccer team wrapped up its 2023 regular season on October 26, 2023, with a win over the Kentucky Wildcats. This wound up being the Lady Rebels’ final match as a tiebreaker left them out of the SEC tournament. Although the team ended the season on a high note, overall results from Head Coach Molly Rouse’s first season were a mixed 7-7-3 finish. Rouse fielded a roster that was spearheaded by All-SEC players Shu Ohba and Avery Brown, a duo that played major roles in the team's successes. Lady Rebels compiled a 4-2-1 non-conference record with wins over Southern Mississippi, Southeastern Louisiana, Georgia State and Louisiana Tech and losses versus Memphis and Lipscomb; the lone non-conference tie came in an August matchup versus Samford. The Lady Rebels looked good throughout the first half of the season.

The SEC schedule, however, is where Ole Miss lost its footing. A win over the LSU Tigers paved the way for a potentially successful slate of conference matches, but Vanderbilt halted their momentum with a 2-0 victory. Subsequently, the Lady Rebels did not string together back-to-back victories, only managing to pull out wins versus Missouri and Kentucky. To the team’s credit, not many teams would have been able to weather such a difficult stretch. Back-to-back-toback matches versus ranked opponents No. 15 South Carolina, No. 16 Alabama and No. 9 Arkansas wore on the Lady Rebels, who managed to go 0-2-1 in this treacherous portion of the season.

The story all year was the Lady Rebels’ overwhelming success at home compared to negative outcomes on the road. Ole Miss boasted a 6-1-2 record at home with a 1-6-1 record on the road. The Lady Rebels scored only three goals away from home compared to their 15 goals in front of their fans. Throughout the season, it was a tale of two teams – offense and defense. The Lady Rebels went scoreless in eight of their 17 matches, as the offensive attack never seemed to find a rhythm. Conversely, the defense kept Ole Miss competitive in many of its matches all year long – allowing more than two goals only twice. The leader of the defense, goalkeeper Ohba, was far and away the MVP of this squad. She started 14 matches for Ole Miss, pitching seven shutouts while allowing only 13 goals. She also led the SEC in saves and saves per match, posting 67 saves for an average of 4.47 per game.

With stars like Obha and Brown returning for the Lady Rebels and Rouse at the helm, Ole Miss Women’s Soccer has positive prospects for next year after a very up-and-down 2023 season.

Story by Emma Bieker

Ole Miss Soccer vs. Jacksonville State at Ole Miss Soccer Stadium on August 6, 2023.

Photo by Hannah Morgan White/Ole Miss Athletics

Photos by Reed Jones/Ole Miss Athletics

WOMEN'S GOLF

MEN'S GOLFKyeMeeks

Kye Meeks, a junior sports and recreation administration major on the Ole Miss Men’s Golf Team, began golfing when he was a pre-schooler.

“My uncle got me into golf when I was really young,” Meeks said. “I played my first round of golf when I was two or three. I played other sports throughout elementary and junior high, but I started to focus on golf once I got into high school.”

Meeks has always had a passion for golf, so there was never a doubt that he would pursue a career past his high-school experience. And he has his sights on a professional career.

“That’s the plan after school – my tentative plan right now – so we’ll see,” Meeks said.

One of Meeks’ most memorable moments on the links was his first hole in one.

“I made a hole in one my sophomore year (of college) here at the Country Club of Oxford. It was my first one,” Meeks said. “I didn't make one until I got to college, but I've made two more since then.”

Aside from personal successes, there have been team experiences that stand out as career highlights as well.

“(NCAA) regionals my sophomore year, 2022, was really

cool,” he said. “In all honesty, probably nobody thought we were going to make it through that regional, but we beat some really good teams that week and we went on to finish 14th in the national championship that year.”

Meeks said that one of his biggest challenges is managing his time while balancing sports, social life and school.

“The way that I look at it is that you’re probably going to be really good at two of the three of those, so one of them is probably going to suffer,” Meeks explained. “It’s really what you want to get out of it, but I feel like if you devote your time instead of trying to maintain all three of those and focus on two of them it’ll probably work out in your best interest.”

Meeks has also struggled with mental blocks throughout his golfing career.

“It's an everyday constant battle,” he said. “You have to look at what you do well instead of what you do badly. Your goal is to hit the ball in the hole, but that doesn't happen every time.”

Despite the challenges he has faced, Meeks is committed to golf and he has made many lasting memories and friendships through the game.

Story by Emma Bieker

Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics

Photo by Reed Jones/Ole Miss Athletics

MEN'S TRACK Q&A ChaseRose

What was your experience with track and field before coming to Ole Miss?

“My dad used to do Ironman [triathlons] when I was younger, and my sister was the best runner in the state of Mississippi all throughout high school. So they got me into running.”

Why did you want to be on the track team at Ole Miss?

“My sister, who is three years older than me, was on the track team here at Ole Miss, so she had a big influence on me coming here, and I already knew a lot of the team through her. Ole Miss is also historically known for their distance program and sending people to the Olympics, plus I live an hour away from Oxford.”

What are your team’s strengths this season?

“I believe our team is improving every year. Every year we will

lose a big part of the team, but our coach is always bringing new guys in to keep it going. I’d say we have the best distance program in the SEC and one of the best in the country.”

Where do you see your track career going in the future?

“When I’m a senior here and if I have the opportunity to be a professional runner in track, I definitely would want to do that.”

Is your track career something you consider to be of great importance in your life?

“I’d consider track pretty important to me. Me and my teammates work so hard to be good, so I definitely do everything I can to get better. However, we like to have fun with it and just have a good time as well.”

Q&A by Christiana Davis

WOMEN'S TRACK Q&AHannahIelfield

Hannah is a redshirt sophomore who runs the 5K and steeplechase events on the outdoor track team.

What inspired you to join the track team at Ole Miss, and what has that journey been like for you?

“The things that mostly inspired me were the team and coaches. I wanted to join a team that felt like family and this team is exactly that. The journey has been challenging because the transition from high school to college was harder than expected, however, since the team feels like a family it has helped me a lot with the adjustment.”

Can you share a memorable moment or achievement from your time on the track team?

“One of the most memorable moments was when we hosted the SEC Championship here at Ole Miss. It was special because we got to compete at home in front of our friends and families.”

What's the most challenging aspect of being a track athlete, and how do you overcome it?

“I would say the most challenging aspect of being a track athlete is finding balance between academics and athletics. It

definitely is not easy to balance these, however our coaches work with our school schedules and we have academic counselors that help connect us to great resources.”

What advice would you give to younger students who are joining the track team?

“I would say make use of the resources that are offered to you as a student athlete and ask the upperclassmen for guidance.”

How has being part of the track team helped you in your personal or academic goals?

“Being a part of the track team here at Ole Miss has definitely helped with my personal and academic goals because I am surrounded by women who share the same lifestyle as me and I have supportive coaches and staff who want me to succeed.”

Of all the meets you have attended at Ole Miss, which one was your favorite and why?

“My favorite meet was the Stanford Invite. Since I am from Upstate New York, it was my first time in California, and we got to explore Stanford and the surrounding area while we were there competing.”

Q&A by Abi Stough

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DELTA GAMMA

Delta Gamma was founded on December 25, 1873, when our three founders were unable to travel home from the Lewis School due to weather. During this time, our founders created a club for mutual helpfulness and named it after their motto, “Do Good.” Since arriving at the University in 1938, Delta Gamma - Alpha Psi has grown to be the largest chapter in the nation full of women in the pursuit of doing good.

The objects of this fraternity shall be to foster high ideals among women, to promote their educational and cultural interest, to create in them a true sense of social responsibility, and to develop in them the best qualities of character.

2022 - 2023 Chapter Management Team

President - Macie Rogers

VP Social Standards - Abby Kate Boyer

VP Finance - Julianna Barrack

VP Communications - Kam Holt

VP Programming - Taylor Little

VP Member Education - Bella Van

VP Membership - Madelyne Pruitt

VP Panhellenic - Alison Dropp

VP Foundation - Kayla Morotti

DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC.

The Illustrious Lambda Sigma Chapter

The Lambda Sigma Chapter was chartered on November 14, 1974, at the University of Mississippi by 13 trailblazing women.

Pillars

Sisterhood. Scholarship. Service. Social Action.

Mission

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is an organization of college-educated women committed to the constructive development of its members and to public service with a primary focus on the Black community.

Purpose

Our organization is a private, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world.

Executives

Marissa Ingram - President

Alexis Hughes - 1st Vice-President

Jamiya Mason - 2nd Vice-President

Nakiya Cayson - Recording Secretary

Farah Jaentschke - Corresponding Secretary

Londyn Brown - Treasurer

Mikayla Smith - Asst. Treasurer

Kristen Sullivan - Financial Secretary

Nikasayah Johnson - Nominating Chair

Tatiana Davis - Internal Audit Chair

Advisors

Erica Avent - Primary Advisor

Monique Sneed - Advisory Council

Kemisha Trantham - Advisory Council

Shirley Garrett - Advisory Council

Alexis Hughes 1st Vice President

Kristen Sullivan Financial Secretary

Tyniah Towns

Caitlyn Horton

Mikayla Smith Asst. Treasurer

Marissa Ingram President

Skye Gross

Jada Smith

Marissa Orr

Jamiya Mason 2nd Vice President

Erinn Williams

Nikasayah Johnson Nominating Chair

Farah Jaentschke Corresponding Secretary

Makaili Robinson

DaLakin Crawford

Samorria Williams

Nakiya Cayson Recording Secretary

Tatiana Davis Internal Audit Chair

Saniya Phillips

Kendall Shoemaker

Aaliyah Gates

London Brown Treasurer

Our Mission

The Gamma Beta Phi Society is a national honors and service society. Our watchwords are service, scholarship and character, and we aim to broaden our members’ academic and philanthropic lives so that they may graduate ready to make a difference in the world.

What We Do

We host various projects for communities throughout Mississippi. Projects we hold dear to our heart are Love Packs, School Supply Drive, Humane Society, Onesies for the Women’s Pregnancy Center, Global Brigades and so many more!

GAMMA BETA PHI

Marissa Ingram Vice President

Hannah Brock Points Secretary & Conventions Director

Hannah Mendia Secretary

Maianh Tran Communications Director

Jesse Gordon President

Christina Hutyra Conventions Director & Social Director

Brenna Luff Points Secretary & Social Director

Eva Reynolds Treasurer

Emilie Mai Historian

Kiara Clay Membership Director & Volunteer Director

IMAGE

Increasing Minority Access to Graduate Education

Founded in 1999

IMAGE is a minority organization at the University of Mississippi that promotes a threefold mission: to increase the academic standing of minorities underrepresented in the sciences, math and engineering; to increase the number of the minorities matriculating to the University of Mississippi; and to make IMAGE a catalyst for positive things in and around the University of Mississippi community.

President — Kiana Gleeton

Vice President — Chrishana Wright

Secretary — Shania Martin

Assistant Secretary — Elka Louis-Juste

Internal/External Publicists — Cathy Burse, Jordon Pitts, KriShunda Joiner

Enrichment Coordinator — My'El Williams

Community Service — Emilie Mai

Community Service Activities

Adopt A Family (Thanksgiving)

Adopt A Basket (Thanksgiving)

Books & Bears

Breast Cancer Awareness

Big Event

Boys & Girls Club

Leap Frog

Animal Shelter

Nursing Home Visits

STUDENT ALUMNI COUNCIL

Mission Statement

To bridge the gap between alumni and students and to promote the positive image of The University of Mississippi and the Ole Miss Alumni Association.

Purpose

The Student Alumni Council is a leadership organization sponsored by the Ole Miss Alumni Association that is open to all students at The University of Mississippi. The SAC strives to inform students about the Ole Miss Alumni Association through its activities and programs. It also works toward making students aware of their potential role as alumni and helps students build the foundation for their future. SAC’s primary goals are to better connect students to our valuable network of alumni worldwide, while helping members to foster a love of Ole Miss and everything that makes it special.

Activities/Pertinent Information

Each year, SAC hosts Bridging the Gap, an annual event with the goal of bridging the gap between the Ole Miss student body and our alumni. At Bridging the Gap, SAC invites impressive Ole Miss Alumni to participate in a panel discussion. Students are encouraged to attend, ask questions and network at the event. In addition to Bridging the Gap, SAC has a mentorship program that pairs members with alumni to bolster the relationship between our alumni and our students.

Officers

President – Carrol Trent Imbler, President Elect – Madelyn Qualey, VP of Internal Affairs – Anna Skidmore, VP of External Affairs – Miley Ray , VP of PR – Ava Belle Ferree, Secretary – Lilly Beth Sutton, Treasurer – Madison Fischer, Events Chairmen – Travis Coopwood, Bayleigh Grace Munn, Celie Rayburn

MORTAR BOARD HONOR SOCIETY

Mortar Board is a national honor society recognizing college seniors for their exemplary scholarship, leadership and service. The organization was established in 1918, and the Tassels chapter was granted a charter in 1942. For membership consideration, students must be juniors with a 3.0 grade point average and demonstrate commitment to scholarship, leadership, service and DEI. The Tassels chapter supports literacy efforts in keeping with the “Reading is Leading” project emphasized by Mortar Board, annually hosts The Last Lecture and boasts nearly 2,500 living alumni worldwide.

ALPHA CHI OMEGA

Alpha Chi Omega was founded on October 15, 1885, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. From the time of their initiation, the women of Alpha Chi Omega are committed to the values of wisdom, devotion and achievement. Our organization is about empowering women to live as their true selves, to reach their highest potential and to be the real, strong women they are meant to be.

Executive Board

President - Alia Graham

Vice President Chapter Relations and Standards - Grace Lorentz

Vice President Finance - Kathryn Reardon

Vice President Risk Management - Natalie James

Vice President Ritual & Fraternity Appreciation - Delaney Girard

Vice President Recruitment - Tabitha Webster

Vice President Recruitment Information - Shelby Pettit

Vice President New Member Education - Molly Eanes

Vice President Public Relations & Marketing - Riley Ruffin

Vice President Membership Programming - Olivia DeBoest

Vice President Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Gianna Altamirano

Panhellenic Delegate - Taylor Browning

Vice President Intellectual Development - Kylie Luker

Vice President Facility Operations - Ally Gresham

Vice President Philanthropy - Lydia Holden

Vice President Continuous Open Bidding - Mya Johnson

KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA

Mission Statement

Established in 1870, Kappa Kappa Gamma is an organization of women that seeks for every member throughout her life bonds of friendship, mutual support, opportunities for self-growth, respect for intellectual development and an understanding of and an allegiance to positive ethical principles.

We are so proud of our members and their accomplishments during the 2023-2024 academic year! In 2023, Delta Rho raised over $40,000 for the William Magee Center, the JED Foundation and the Caroline McCullom Simrall Hood Memorial Scholarship fund. Delta Rho placed second in dance for the CASA Encore competition, and our sisters Jane Granberry and Sam Sepe were named Miss University and Miss Ole Miss, respectively. Kasia Hosey, Caitlin Thrash and Ellie Shannon served on the College Panhellenic Council Executive Board.

Executive Board

President - Maggie Eby

VP Standards - Jane Granberry

VP External Affairs - Ella Kitchens

VP Internal Affairs - Grace Jackson

VP Finance - Payton McMahon

VP Membership Development - Emma Kate Davidson

VP Membership - Stella Winter

VP Operations - Madison Fischer

Two proud institutions supporting each other for 175 years!

The J.E. Neilson Co., est. 1839

DELTA DELTA DELTA

The Chi Chapter of Delta Delta Delta was founded at the University of Mississippi in 1904. Since its founding, Tri Delta has been bringing women from all parts of campus together to build a strong sisterhood based on friendship, loyalty and personal development. Tri Delta is an assembly of women with shared values where you can be yourself and belong to something bigger. We are brave, bold and kind. We are passionate about serving others, committed to becoming the best version of ourselves and dedicated to helping women live, learn and lead – with a purpose for a lifetime.

Executive Officers

Chapter President - Grace Barrett

VP of Operations - Grace Logan

VP of Chapter Programming and Development - Riley Merrell

VP of Community Relations - Genevieve Wilson

VP of Membership - Frances Stewart

DELTA KAPPA EPSILON

The Chi chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon at the University of Mississippi was established on April 14, 1850, as the first fraternity at Ole Miss and the first Greek letter organization in the state. The Chapter has an indelible legacy here on campus, with buildings and other landmarks dedicated to our distinguished alumni.

Executive Board

Thomas Hamrick - President

Ryan Hunt - Vice President

Jack DeBaere - Treasurer

Alex Heller - Recruitment Chair

Daniel Laramie - Master of Ritual

Nic Stephens - House Manager

Gavin Connaughton - Risk Management

Drew Weber - Secretary

Mission

As a mission, our fraternity cultivates in its members the three qualities of a true ∆KE: the gentleman, the scholar and the jolly good fellow.

ALPHA OMICRON PI

Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity (AOII) was founded on January 2, 1897, at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York City. The ideals of sincerity, service and friendship provide the foundation for AOII. As one of our founders Stella George Stern Perry explained, "We cared so profoundly for one another that we unconsciously desired a society based upon original feeling. We felt that as love never faileth, a future on that foundation was assured." AOII joined the University of Mississippi in 1958 and has grown to be an important part of campus and the Oxford community.

Object of The Fraternity

Shall be to encourage a spirit of fraternity and love among its members; to stand at all times for character, dignity, scholarship and college loyalty; to strive for and support the best interests of the colleges and universities in which chapters are installed; and in no way to disregard, injure or sacrifice those interests for the sake of the prestige or advancement of the Fraternity or any of its chapters.

Officers

Molly Pledger – Chapter President

Laura Grace Brothers – Vice President of Operations

Gracie Jacobs – Vice President of Membership Integrity

Eva Richardson – Vice President of Programming and Enrichment

Ronnie Cunitz – Vice President of Community Relations

Caroline Karschner – Vice President of Membership Recruitment

Anna Lea Hankins – Vice President of Membership Experience

Emma Burton – Director of Academics

Mirielle Clayton – Director of Administration

Marley Trosper – Director of Chapter Culture

Emma Delahoussaye – Director of Chapter Property

Abbey Boothe – Director of Continuous Recruitment

Sahara Portlance – Director of Digital Media

Evan Grace Branstetter – Director of DEI

Payton Thornton – Director of Event Planning

Chloe Tucker – Director of Finance

Lilly Drane – Director of Lifetime Engagement

Kate Gillett – Director of New Member Experience

Maci Wadlington – Director of Panhellenic Relations

Sarah Beth Bexley – Director of Philanthropy

Kenlee McDaniel – Director of Recruitment

Nicole Guerin – Director of Ritual Education

KAPPA DELTA

Kappa Delta was founded in 1897 at what is now Longwood University. The Alpha Mu Chapter of Kappa Delta was founded at Ole Miss in 1927 with the purpose of promoting service to others, academic excellence, leadership and sisterhood. Our motto reads, "Let us strive for that which is honorable, beautiful, highest." Our sisters pursue these traits through service to benefit our philanthropies, Prevent Child Abuse America and The Girl Scouts of America. In the fall, we host a 5K called "Harvest Hop," and in the spring, we host a golf tournament called "Kaddyshack" to raise money for our two philanthropies. Kappa Delta is a sorority that provides experiences that build confidence in women and inspire them to action through the power of lifelong friendship.

Governing Council

President - Josie Austin

Vice President - Jane Hopson

VP Recruitment & Marketing - El Knotts

VP Inclusion - Delaney Fox

VP Events & Programming - Libby Moak

VP Finance - Abby Petersen

VP Learning & Development - Layne Crouthers

Panhellenic Delegate - Meredith Elkins

CHI OMEGA

Chi Omega is an intergenerational women's organization forever committed to our founding purposes of friendship, personal integrity, service to others, academic excellence and intellectual pursuits, community and campus involvement and personal and career development.

Excecutive Board

President - Alice Ann Hollingsworth

Vice President - Frances Abernathy

Secretary - Sophia Bazzano-Joseph

Treasurer 1 - Mary Tate Stone

Treasurer 2 - Brooke O'Keefe

New Member Educator - Lauren Willis

Personnel - Piper Lind

Panhellenic Delegate - Miller Williams

Recruitment Chairs - Anna Ware Brown, Ashleigh Stoehr, Mary Gray White

Director of Programming - Alex Ebner

Founded

April 5, 1895 at the University of Arkansas Tau Chapter founded in 1899

Philanthropic Events

Chi O Crawfish benefitting Make-A-Wish Foundation & Chi O Carnival benefitting Children’s of Mississippi

SIGMA PI

Chapter Officers

President — Lucas Ramsey

Vice President — Jackson Clark

Treasurer — Alex Yawn

Secretary — Bryce Young Herald — Tate Sams

Sergeant-at-Arms — Bry Peters

Social Chairman — Truman Southern

Social Chairman — Corbin Brusso

Rush Chairman — Liam Irwin

VP of New Member Education — Jacob Downs

Sigma Pi Fraternity was founded at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana, in February 1897. The Beta-Mu chapter of our organization was chartered at the University of Mississippi in the 1950s. We are known for having one of the most geographically diverse groups on campus, with members from over 33 states across the country. Over the last year, Sigma Pi has grown by nearly 70%, accepting and initiating nearly 200 new members from all over the nation. We are the largest Sigma Pi chapter in the United States and have given away nearly $50,000 in philanthropy over the last few years. We were recipients of the Sigma Pi Grand National Chapter award for 2022 and held the biggest rush class on the Ole Miss campus. Our men strive for excellence by living our core values to promote fellowship, develop character and leadership, advance heightened moral awareness, enable academic achievement and inspire service. We proudly support the organization Folds of Honor, which works to give scholarships to the families of military service members who were wounded in the service and we are excited about our future at Ole Miss.

ALPHA DELTA PI

Executive Board

President — Caroline Goodridge

VP of Event Management — Erin Foley

VP of Finance — Olivia Boyce

VP of Marketing — Abbie James

VP of Member Development — Abby Sartin

VP of Membership Experience — Clio Bruno

VP of Operations — Shaelen Hudson

VP of Panhellenic Relations — Alex Blissard

Director of Academic Affairs — Erica Schomaker

Director of New Member Experience — Amelia Grimsted

Director of Philanthropy — Carli Jones

Director of Primary Recruitment — Isabella Damiano

Letter from the President

From the moment I became an ADPi, I have loved the idea of a sisterhood! Little did I know I would have this amazing opportunity and constant support from all my sisters challenging me to grow into a version of myself that I couldn’t be more proud of. Leading this chapter has been one of my biggest blessings, and it has been an honor to watch the potential in our sisters as they grow and experience the unknown.

- Caroline Goodridge

ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA

Founded: January 15, 1908

Charter date at Ole Miss: May 12, 1974

Purpose: The purpose of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life and to be of “Service to All Mankind.”

Motto: "By Culture and By Merit" Officers

President - Camryn White

Vice President - Paige Matthews

Secretary and Membership Chairman - Kenndie Gamble

Corresponding Secretary - Verlecia Gavin

Financial Secretary - Quiana White

Treasurer - Jada Totten

Parliamentarian and Chaplain - Shaunna George

Ivy Leaf Reporter and Door Keeper - Lauren Hite

Hostess - Mikayla Williams

Members: Meghan Curry, Parris Flakes, Kiana Gleeton, Zyla Hill, KriShunda Joiner, Kyla Mclaurin, Alli Shinault

The Theta Psi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated welcomes you to the University of Mississippi. Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first Black Greek letter organization, was founded in 1908 at Howard University. Theta Psi was established on this University's campus in 1974. We were the first Black Greek letter sorority chartered at this University. The chapter was chartered by 12 pretty, poignant pearls. Since our inception, the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha have been dedicated to fulfilling our purpose of "Service to All Mankind." Theta Psi has established a strong relationship with the Lafayette-Oxford-University (LOU) Community, with 1,000+ hours devoted to service. We sponsor Black Dollar Days in support of local Black-owned businesses and brands. We also give meals to the students of Lafayette Lower Elementary through our CHIPP Program. The Theta Psi Chapter has a legacy of "firsts" at Ole Miss the first African American woman to serve as Ole Miss Alumni Association president, a 2017 Miss University titleholder, the first Black Miss Ole Miss, the first and only Black sorority to have a house on campus, a host of Ole Miss Hall of Famers and other various accomplishments. Alpha Kappa Alpha is dedicated to sisterhood, scholarship and service. Our members form strong sisterly bonds and create memories that last a lifetime.

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS LEADERSHIP TEAM

Our Mission

The mission of Student Affairs is to facilitate a holistic, student-centered experience that nurtures the growth, dignity, development and talents of every student in preparation for a lifetime of learning, leadership and success.

Our Vision

Student Affairs will be nationally recognized for its excellence and innovation in supporting the success of students, its leadership in the profession and as a premier destination for student affairs professionals.

Our Values

Community, Respect, Excellence, Empowerment and Development

Front Row (L-R): Dr. Natasha Jeter, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Wellness and Student Success; Dr. Meagen Rosenthal, Interim Director William Magee Institute; Alex Langhart, Director University Health Services; Kate Forster, Director UMatter: Student Support and Advocacy; Daniel Sanford, Director University Police/ Campus Safety; Dr. Brent Marsh, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students.

Middle Row (L-R): Toni Avant, Director Career Center; Dr. Nick McAfee, Director William Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education; Dr. Charlotte Pegues, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; Stacey Reycraft, Director Student Disability Services; Jess Turuc, Director Fraternity and Sorority Life; Tracy Murry, Director Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct.

Back Row (L-R): Dr. John Yaun, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director Student Housing; Dr. Kyle Ellis, Director Center for Student Success and First Year Experience; Brett Barefoot, Managing Director Central Development; Dr. Juawice McCormick, Director University Counseling Center; Dr. Chelsea Bennett, Director Luckyday Programs; Dr. Peter Tulchinsky, Director Campus Recreation.

Not Pictured: Bradley Baker, Director Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union.

SIGMA PHI LAMBDA

Sigma Phi Lambda exists for the sole purpose of glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ and making His name great. This is done by providing a source of fellowship to Christian women who sincerely seek to know His person, His will, and His ways.

The Alpha Alpha chapter of Phi Lamb was established in 2007 at the University of Mississippi. Our chapter is made up of Christ-like, diverse, and accomplished young women, each bringing something unique to our organization. We are a non-Panhellenic sorority, hosting recruitment in

PHI MU

Phi Mu was founded in 1852 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. Phi Mu was founded as a philomathean society, and we are the second-oldest sorority in the nation. For 170 years, Phi Mu has provided networking opportunities, personal enrichment and lifelong faithful sisterhood. The Alpha Delta chapter of Phi Mu has gratefully called the University of Mississippi home since 1926.

Phi Mu is a women’s organization which provides personal and academic development, service to others, commitment to excellence and lifelong friendship through a shared tradition. Phi Mu promotes vibrant living, encouraging members to achieve their personal best.

Executive Committee

President - Jacy Lynne Waltman

Vice President of Committees and Operations - Emily Stevens

Vice President of Chapter Development - Tara Davis

Vice President of Harm Reduction and Prevention - Kylee Coyle

Membership Director - McKenna Williams

Treasurer - Josie Van der Sys

Phi Director - Natalie Dunn

Secretary - Lauren Ross

Philanthropy Chair - Galin Burton

Sisterhood Chair - Annika Pierson

Academic Excellence Chair - Claire Waddell

Social Chair - Maddie Gower

Panhellenic Delegate - Emory Layne

Honor Chair - Joanna Carrico

Public Relations Chair - Madeline Holifield

Chapter Advisor - Bailey Lincoln

ALPHA TAU OMEGA

DELTA PSI CHAPTER

(L-R): Alex Whyte, Jagger Jones and Matt Bryson present a $45,000 check to the Palmer Home for Children

The 2023 Pledge Class of Alpha Tau Omega

The Alpha Tau Omega house decorated to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11/2001

Front: VP Adam Kuntz, President Alex Whyte, Treasurer Jacob Rousseau, Back: Usher Neal Norman, Historian Garrett Holland, Chaplin Matt Bryson, Secretary Connor Williams

Philanthropy Chairs Jagger Jones and Costen Campion with the winners of the GatorBall Pickleball tournament

DELTA TAU DELTA

The Pi Chapter, though a part of Delta Tau Delta, has its roots going back to the Mystic Sons of Iris, founded at Ole Miss in 1848, the same year that the University opened. This chapter’s roots make it the oldest Fraternity Chapter in the South. The Mystic Sons of Iris merged with Delta Tau Delta in 1876. In 1942, the Fraternity went dormant while these brave young men went off to fight in World War II.

Flash forward to the Fall of 2021 when Delta Tau Delta was reformed as a Colony, not yet a Chapter, by just over a dozen guys in a pop-up tent and a folding table out in the Grove. After two long years, the Pi Chapter was rechartered in April 2023.

The Pi Chapter now consists of 114 men from all over the country working each day to commit themselves to lives of excellence.

2024 Executive Board

President — Lars Andersen

Internal Vice President — Jack Jones

External Vice President — Kyle Wedner

Director of Risk — Jacob Papazoglou

Director of Standards — Andrew Nichols

Director of Member Development — Parker Shaffer

Director of Recruitment — Jackson Bateman

Director of Finance — Gavin Donchez

Director of Communications — Jackson Allen

ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY INC.

Mission Statement

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.

Fraternity Motto

First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All

The Nu Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha was founded March 20, 1978, at the University of Mississippi. Nu Upsilon Chapter was founded by seven aspiring and inspiring young men who sought to carry our fraternity’s renowned aims of manly deeds, scholarship and love for all mankind. What the Nu Upsilon Chapter has been doing recently is hosting our 20th annual Miss Black and Gold scholarship pageant which features new life experiences, professional skills and more. Our 2023 Crown Miss Black and Gold pictured is Samorria Williams. The chapter has also hosted Ice Cold Tuesdays, visited a veteran's home, Greek day of service, Ice an Alpha, participated in NPHC’s chartering on campus and more !

ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY (ASB)

For 106 years, the Associated Student Body, affectionately known as ASB, has been a beacon of change and unwavering advocacy on behalf of students. With its three branches – the executive, legislative and judicial branches –ASB has been the voice of our entire university.

This year, we witnessed a remarkable display of dedication. ASB enacted educated Senate bills, shattered records with a staggering 6,626 voters in the fall and spearheaded transparency initiatives. We streamlined SAF (Student Activity Fee) funding, introduced the dynamic Legislative Advocacy Board and improved the process of student representation in cases. Most importantly, we had an incredible amount of fun while doing it.

ASB's legacy continues, reminding us all that together, we can make a difference and enjoy the journey along the way.

EXECUTIVE BOARD 2023-2024

Executive Board

President - Sara Austin Welch

Vice President - Mason Greenwald

Secretary - Ethan Robertson

Treasurer (Semester 1) - Teal Salloum

Treasurer (Semester 2) - Reid Bain

Attorney General - Helen Phillips

Judicial Chair - Harrison Stewart

Not Pictured

Graduate Assistants:

Ashley Baxter and Emily Britton

Advisors: Haley McGlone

PI BETA PHI

Mission Statement

The mission of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for women is to promote friendship, develop women of intellect and integrity, cultivate leadership potential and enrich lives through community service.

Pi Beta Phi was founded on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. The 12 founders formed a sisterhood grounded in the core values of integrity, lifelong commitment, honor and respect, personal and intellectual growth, philanthropic service to others and sincere friendships. Through these core values, more than 300,000 women across the US and Canada can proudly call Pi Beta Phi their home.

THE INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL

Our Officers

President — Ashton William Heath

Executive VP — Dan Shell

VP of Recruitment — Beckett Abington

VP of Finance and Administration — Cael Boeckman

VP of Philanthropy and Service — Trace Blackwell

VP of Diversity and Community Engagement — Vedanth Buddala

VP of Marketing and Public Relations — Kanon Anderson

Director of Rho Alphas — Mills Murphy

The Interfraternity Council serves as the governing body for our 16 fraternity chapters here at the University of Mississippi. The IFC Executive Board is comprised of eight officers who assist and lead our chapters in reaching their full potential and pursuing excellence while upholding the core values of our community: academic excellence, personal and professional development, diversity, equity, and inclusion, civic engagement and health and wellness.

THE PRIDE OF THE SOUTH

Rebel Nation, we have enjoyed every second of playing for you this year. Your energy on game day gives us energy and makes every bit of the hard work worth it. It’s always a great day to be a Rebel!

NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL

The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. (NPHC) is the umbrella organization for the nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities. Through NPHC, fraternities and sororities work together to promote unity, share ideas and discuss common goals; however, the ultimate mission of all NPHC organizations is public service. The National Pan-Hellenic Council was officially chartered through the national office on September 24, 2023.

Executive Board

NPHC President — Caitlyn Horton

VP of Programming and Community Engagement — Alexis Hughes

VP of Administration and Finance — DaLakin Crawford

VP of Public Relations and Campus Services — Deja Johnson Graduate Assistants — Brian M. Greene & Jaelyn McBroom Fraternity and Sorority Life Associate Director — Sedric Scott

Organizations

Eta Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Theta Psi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Lambda Sigma Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Tau Eta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Nu Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Xi Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Sedric Scott

Brian Green Jaelyn McBroom

STUDENT ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION

The Student Activities Association (SAA) is a registered student organization that provides more than 100 events for students, by students each year. A committee team of co-directors and committees plan, promote, and put on a variety of SAA sponsored events. As the leaders of campus programming, the Student Activities Association has six focus areas: Entertainment, Homecoming, Special Events, Campus Traditions, Pageants, and Public Relations.

Executive Board:

Executive Director: Daneel Konnar

Associate Director of Internal Relations: Gabby Garafalo

Associate Director of External Relations: Nick Foerstel

Co-Directors of Homecoming: Taylor Jones and Ryan Augustine

Co-Directors of Entertainment: Kresha Patel and Colin Kennedy

Co-Directors of Pageants: Carrol Trent Imbler and Haley Cote

Co-Directors of Special Events: Keely May, Shaelen Hudson, and Jakota White

Co-Directors of Campus Traditions: Chance Davidson and Anne Marlowe Gremillion

Co-Directors of Public Relations: Chandler Tucker, Taylor Little, and Blake Williamson

Graduate Assistant: Aggie Doddridge

Advisor: Jordain Lang

SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND NEW MEDIA

The School of Journalism and New Media (SOJNM) is a thriving hub for both undergraduate and graduate programs in journalism and integrated marketing communications. As one of the fastest-growing schools on campus, it serves as a launchpad for students to enter the dynamic realms of storytelling.

In the SOJNM, we empower our students with the necessary tools and resources to acquire invaluable skills and thrive in real-world job competitions today.

The School of Journalism and New Media was created in 2009 as an outgrowth of the department of journalism, which was under the College of Liberal Arts at the time. In 2011, the integrated marketing communications (IMC) program was added to the school.

A vital part of the SOJNM is the S. Gale Denley Student Media Center. This branch encompasses significant platforms such as The Ole Miss yearbook (established in 1897), The Daily Mississippian (established in 1911), NewsWatch Ole Miss (established in 1980) and Rebel Radio 92.1 (established in 1989).

Students pitch agency ideas in their capstone course, IMC 455, with Dr. Ike Brunner. Competing against other groups in the class, they present and are judged for their IMC campaigns at the end of the semester.

Students in the graduate programs discuss photo projects in Professor Vanessa Charlot’s class. Faculty and staff of the School of Journalism and New Media for the 20232024 school year pose for a photo on the front steps of Farley Hall.

UM Ad Club. Aaron Jolly, Emma Harrington, Jack Bevilacqua, Lindsey Magee, Madeline Holyfield, Virginia White, Gini Burton, Jared Carrillo, Sarah Bennett Smith, Camille Swencki, Abby Maschhoff, Anna Katherine Baker, Lily Green, Theresa Lieblang, Clara Elkins, Brinkley Boswell, Emma Neely, Samantha Hendrix, Chris Sparks (Faculty Advisor)

Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Sally Anderson, Alexandra Arnette, Ansley Baugh, Ann Berry, Hadley Bornemann, Madison Bradley, Kayleigh Butterfield, Chloe Calo, Cameron Carpenter, Reagan Collins, Millicent Conn, Travis Coopwood, McKenzie Cox, Masey Danker, Riley Dann, Anne DeFrank, Belen DeLoera, Rayna Eubanks, Caroline Fertitta, Dabney Flynt, Caroline Gardner, Hannah Gordon, Matea Greaney, Carleigh Harbin, Emma Harrington, Samantha Hendrix, Louisa Hernandez, Haiden Hersey, Savannah Hicks, Madeline Holifield, Hagan Hord, Madalyn Huey, Lindsey Ingram, Liza Jackson, Abigail Johnson, Aaron Jolly, Anna Jones, Kennedy Jones, Sofia King, Anna Lauren Kornegay, Katelyn Lane, Custis Lee, Jiwon Lee, Meredith Lejcar, Emily Lin, Reese Lipe, Taylor Little, Eva-Marie Luter, Madison Malo, Kathryn Matthews, Lauren McCambridge, Sara McGilberry, Baileigh McGillivray, Carson Miller, Emma Milligan, Mary Mock, Caroline Mosley, Alyssa Paranteau, Colby Passman, Emily Powell, Erin Prince, Amarie Raymond, Sydney Reardon, Callie Rizzo, Susannah Rodman, Samantha Schmidt, Caleigh Scroggins, Bella Scutti, Caroline Tibbs, Virginia White, Anna Wink, Sarah Jane Yerger, Olivia Young, Eleni Zaninovichqw, Amanda Bradshaw (Faculty Advisor)

SOJNM Student Ambassadors. Emma Harrington (President), Erin Prince (Vice President), Zoe Keyes (Secretary), Brady Wood (Logistics Chair), Celeste Lay (Promotions Chair), Alana Akil, Eboni Anderson, Kirsten Arnsdorff, Kennadi Barker, Gini Burton, Travis Coopwood, Tierney Dickinson, Madalyn Dudley, Luke Dunavant, Dabney Flynt, Akilah Frye, Verlecia Gavin, Evelyn Gosseck, Clay Hale, Louisa Hernandez, Hagan Hord, Jessica Johnson, Aaron Jolly, Georgia Kemmett, Cameron Larkin, JD Martin, Olivia Morrow, Ella Jane Simmons, Caroline Tibbs, Elizabeth Van Keuren, Aliza Warner, Quiana White, Virginia White, Sarah Jane Yerger, Kareem Russell (Faculty Advisor), MacKenzie Ross (Faculty Advisor)

Talbert Fellows. Price Douglas Bell, Elizabeth Berman, Olivia Blackwell, Chloe Calo, Paige Case, Travis Coopwood, Caroline Faye Dugal, Gabriel Evans, Daylan Flowers, Erin Foley, Emma Harrington, Mamie Catherine Herring, Ashton Cooper Hicks, Jordan Isbell, Julieanna Jackson, Summer Keith, Claire Kenney, Zoe Keyes, Brittany Kohne, Layton Lawhead, Grace Massengill, Sarah Charlotte Morris, Sophie Nabors, Sahara Portlance, David Ramsey, Paleif Raspberry, Davan Reece, Emilia Michelle Ripolino, Justice Rose, Lillian Ross, Shelbie Makayla Spain, Virginia White, Charlotte Wilson, Brady Wood, RJ Morgan (Faculty Advisor)

ORIENTATION LEADERS

The Ole Miss Orientation Team is made up of undergraduate students who were selected through a competitive application process and trained as campus experts. These leaders assist every incoming student with their transition to college. Throughout each orientation session, the OLs provide students and their families with opportunities to learn more about campus, along with its resources and opportunities for involvement at Ole Miss.

OLE MISS AMBASSADORS

The Ole Miss Ambassadors have the privilege of welcoming thousands of prospective students and their families to campus every year. The students are selected for their leadership ability and are passionate about the University. Participating in special recruiting events, giving tours two to three times weekly, keeping correspondence with prospective students and taking part in campus service events are just a few of the requirements of our team.

THE COLUMNS SOCIETY

The Columns Society is a group of up to 30 men and women who serve as the official hosts and hostesses for the University of Mississippi. Founded in 2008 in anticipation of the University's first presidential debate, the Columns Society serves the University of Mississippi at all functions where students are needed to welcome guests and visitors. Members of the Columns Society wear the navy blazer with a humble heart, commitment to service and absolute integrity.

Officers

President - Emmie Burgess

Vice President - Daneel Konnar

Secretary - Chris Buss

Members

Lars Andersen, Jack Baker, Grace Barrett, Meghan Curry, Sally Kate Dabney, Sydni Davis, Anderson Dewitt, Anna Ruth Doddridge, Jane Granberry, Ben Jackson, Dallas Kiner, Porter May, Xenia Minton, Madeline Mueller, Ben Oliver, James Polk, Ellie Shannon, Harrison Stewart, Alex Stradinger, Annalaura Swinea, Logan Thornton, Russ Upton, Betsy Vise, Hannah Watts, Paige Wilkinson, Genevieve Wilson, Steven Young

THE OLE MISS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The Ole Miss Alumni Association was organized and continues for the purpose of promoting loyalty, affection and understanding between the university and former students. The Department of Alumni Affairs is responsible for arranging Homecoming activities, organizing reunions, sponsoring the Alumni Hall of Fame, publishing the Ole Miss Alumni Review, operating The Inn at Ole Miss and McCormick’s bar and grill, coordinating activities for former athletes through the M-Club Alumni Chapter, coordinating meetings of the local alumni clubs and many more activities. For more information about joining or the activities of the Alumni Association, please call 662-915-7375 or visit olemissalumni.com.

Alumni Staff

Kirk Purdom, Executive Director

Joseph Baumbaugh, Assistant Director, Information Services

Olivia Belew, Special Events Assistant

Sunny Brown, Assistant Director

Clay Cavett, Associate Director, Campaigns and Special Projects

Anna Claire Clayton, Special Events Assistant

Michelle Coughlin, Chief Financial Officer

Page Dean, General Manager, The Inn at Ole Miss

Jordan Dillon-Maginnis, IT Specialist

Kyle Davis, IT Specialist

Tosha Dunn, Records Assistant

Savannah Dye, Assistant Director

Kayley Hall, Special Events Assistant

Marlene Henderson, Records Assistant

Junae Johnson, Assistant Director for Diversity and Inclusion

Allie Little, Operations Manager

Jessica Lynch, Assistant Director

Steve Mullen, Assistant Director for Membership and Marketing

Suzy Norwood, Records Supervisor

Annie Rhoades, Assistant Director for Communications

Mary Kate Skelton, Alumni Fundraising Director

Brooke Swinney, Coordinator of Club Programs

Scott Thompson, Associate Director for Alumni Engagement

Jim Urbanek, Associate Director for Communications and Marketing

Rusty Woods, Associate Director for Information Services

Alumni Association staff (Photo by Bill Dabney)

The 2023-24 officers of the Ole Miss Alumni Association are (from left) Todd Sandroni, Jeff Hubbard, Karen Moore, Charles White, Bruce Ware and Kirk Purdom. (Photo by Jim Urbanek)

The 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are (from left) Charles C. Clark, William Young, Dr. Lauren Lyles-Stolz, Stephanie J. Hickman, Rose Jackson Flenorl, Mary Donnelly Haskell, Langston Rogers and Carlyle "Smitty" Harris. (Photo by Bill Dabney)

2022-23 Ole Miss Alumni Association President Bill Reed with 2023 Homecoming Queen Anna Ware Brown and King Brady Wood. (Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services)

The Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy (OMWC) has been described as one of America's most innovative scholarship programs. Now in its 24th year, this groundbreaking program provides scholarships and mentorship opportunities for male and female students destined to be leaders at the University of Mississippi. The OMWC has served 185 students at Ole Miss, including the current cohort of 38 scholars.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy is:

To increase participation in philanthropy as a way of enhancing continuing excellence at the University of Mississippi and To sponsor innovative programs that attract and develop students through leadership, scholarship and mentorship, and To encourage our scholars to become philanthropists for their communities and for the University of Mississippi while on their life’s journey as caring, ethical leaders.

Front Row L to R: Alandria Gandy, Madison DeVaul, Bayleigh Francis, Mack Fountain, Benton Donahue, Nadia Corder, Makayla Russell, Reese Milstead, Olivia Quinn, Evan Grace Branstetter, Lizzie Ratliff. Middle Row L to R: Meritxell Ambrocio, Cameron Davis, Bella Yant, Alexis Renee Heath, Madison Spears, Davis Brewer, Olivia Stevens, Jaden Sheffield, Hannah Clayton, Caitlyn Horton, Emmie Burgess, Kaitlyn White, Heath Stevens, Maggie Scott. Back Row L to R: Nate Underwood, Locklyn Wilchynski, Ben Curry, Dylan May, Street Toler, Daneel Konnar, Miley Ray, Logan Thornton, Ben Oliver, Wray Willis, Caroline Brock, Jorja Samsel, Pryor Mehrle.

FASTRACK

The FASTrack Learning Community provides a strong foundation for academic success and a network of support easing students' transition into The University of Mississippi. We help first-year students build campus connections through our one-on-one mentoring, individualized academic advising and small, linked classes. These classes include FirstYear Writing and Freshman Year Experience. We offer additional options such as our living-learning residence hall, co-curricular programs, study spaces, peer-to-peer mentoring and student leadership opportunities.

The FASTrack Living-Learning Community (LLC) is located in Burns Hall and provides a contemporary residential environment that fosters academic and social success for first-year students who are accepted into the FASTrack program. When students choose to be a part of our

optional living-learning community, they receive added social programs and community events all within the comfort of their residence hall, located just across the street from the main FASTrack office. Living in the FASTrack LLC simply adds an additional layer of community to help FASTrack students succeed in their transition to college.

The FASTrack Learning Community was established in 2008 at the University of Mississippi. Our program is made up of diverse, first, full-time freshmen with the goal of establishing a strong sense of community, connecting to campus resources, strengthening their college success skills, while having supportive mentors to maximize their college experience. Any UM admitted high school senior can apply to this program via the FASTrack website.

COLLEGE PANHELLENIC COUNCIL

“We, as Undergraduate Members of women’s fraternities, stand for good scholarship, for guarding of good health, for maintenance of fine standards, and for serving, to the best of our ability, our college community. Cooperation for furthering fraternity life, in harmony with its best possibilities, is the ideal that shall guide our fraternity activities.

We, as Fraternity Women, stand for service through the development of character inspired by the close contact and deep friendship of individual fraternity and Panhellenic life. The opportunity for wide and wise human service, through mutual respect and helpfulness, is the tenet by which we strive to live.” - The Panhellenic Creed of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)

The 2023 College Panhellenic Executive Board including Avery Myatt, Natalia Jovovich, Azurrea Curry, Abby Leger, Mallie-Grace Bevis, Caitlin Thrash, Kasia Hosey, Lexie Williams, Taylor Jones and Meghan Thrash

Recruitment Counselor Group 77 on their campus tour during Greek Day of Primary Recruitment 2023.

Avery

to over 2,000 potential new members and their recruitment counselors at Convocation on the first day of Primary Recruitment.

The ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma performing at CASA Encore 2023.

Two members of Alpha Phi greeting potential new members during Primary Recruitment 2023.

Myatt, CPH vice president of recruitment, speaking

PHI KAPPA TAU

WILLIAM MAGEE CENTER WIILLLIIAAM M MAAG

For AOD and Wellness Education

The William Magee Center at the University of Mississippi aims to improve students' lives through education, intervention, and support services. We focus on holistic well-being, substance use and harm reduction, disordered eating, and body positivity. Our goal is to cultivate a culture of well-being on campus by enhancing access to resources and supporting students in their journey to holistic wellness. Some services offered are WellChats, RebelADE, Collegiate Recovery Community, Healthy Body and Nutrition Support, MANUAL: A Men’s Mental Health Platform, and Wellness Education presentations.

wellnessedu@olemiss.edu South Campus Recreation Center, 980 Whirlpool Drive, Suite 100 662.915.6543

STUDENT MEDIA CENTERS.GaleDenley

The Ole Miss Yearbook established 1897

Christiana Davis, Colin Kennedy, Emmaline Wolfe, Briley Rakow, Emma Bieker

The Daily Mississippian established 1911

Dennis Moore, Briley Rakow, Clay Hale, Justice Rose, Milo Gilde, Lily Gisclair, Reese Anderson, Avery Thomas, Kharley Redmon, Caroline McCutchen, Savannah Shook, Erin Foley, Lyn Moore, Ashton Summer, Ashlynn Payne, Violet Jira, Rhegan Skelton, Kennedi Stancil, Will Jones, Hal Fox

NewsWatch Ole Miss established 1980

Evan Simmons, Olivia Shannon, Hallie Reeves, Eboni Anderson, Julieanna Jackson, Seth Parenteau, Raegan Settle, Samantha Litchtenstein, Erika Fontana, Velmanté Smith, Lauren Hondlik, Verlecia Gavin

Rebel Radio 92.1 established 1989

Velmanté Smith, Clay Hale, Bradley Reimer, Chrishona Stanfield, Shaundrea Carroll, Kayla Foster, Bella Clark, Jillian Russell, Amari Johnson, Antonella Rescigno

FOREVER REBELS

You are loved, missed and remembered always.

Clifton Moore

March 21, 2023

Helen White

March 24, 2024

Ethan Bailey

April 14, 2023

Andrew Mitchell

April 27, 2023

Khaled Elhawy

May 14, 2023

Jonah Condon

May 28, 2023

Cameron Parsons

October 6, 2023

Sawyer Megehee

October 27, 2023

Christopher Little

December 17, 2023

TheColophon

All of the information regarding the creation and publication of the 128th volume of The Ole Miss yearbook.

THE OLE MISS

The Ole Miss has been the official yearbook of the University of Mississippi since 1897. Elma Meek, a student at the university, won the competition to name the yearbook and also gave birth to the school's nickname known today by athletics, students and alumni.

THE 128TH VOLUME

The 128th volume of The Ole Miss was inspired by the 175th anniversary of the University of Mississippi and the history of the school. The book was printed by Balfour Co. and was created by students under the management of Qitana Sapiga, editor-in-chief, with the assistance of photography editor, Colin Kennedy; writing editor, Briley Rakow, assistant writing editor, Emmaline Wolfe; on-campus business manager, Audrey Mulholland; off-campus business manager, Case Kempthorne.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS

Portrait photographs for the 2024 book were taken by LifeTouch. All other photographs were taken by staff photographers under the direction of Colin Kennedy and contributed by The Daily Mississippian, Ole Miss Athletics, Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services, various academic departments on campus or the individuals pictured.

A special thank you to the Department of Archives and Special Collections for allowing us to dig through their collections. The Cofield Family is a large contributer to documenting Ole Miss history, especially through the yearbook. A big thanks goes to John Cofield for connecting with the staff, allowing us to use photos taken by his father and grandfather.

THE CREATIVE

The creative direction of the 2024 yearbook was conceptualized by Maddie Swistak, Addison Burnham and Qitana Sapiga. Pages were designed by Maddie Swistak, Addison Burnham, Qitana Sapiga and MacKenzie Ross.

TheYearbookTeam

Henry Support Editor

Audrey Mulholland Business Manager

Case Kempthorne Business Manager

Qitana Sapiga Editor in Chief

Colin Kennedy Photography Editor

Briley Rakow Writing Editor

Emmaline Wolfe Assistant Writing Editor

Photo by Colin Kennedy

LetterfromtheEditor

To the students, faculty and staff of Ole Miss:

Hello! My name is Qitana Sapiga, and I am this year’s Editor in Chief of The Ole Miss. I want to share a bit about myself and why my role as EIC of the yearbook has been so fulfilling.

I’m from Southern California, and I received my bachelor’s degree in communications at Eastern New Mexico University while playing Division II volleyball. My decision to attend the University of Mississippi Graduate School and serve as the Editor in Chief was final after connecting with MacKenzie Ross and Dennis Moore. These two individuals welcomed me with open arms and gave me the confidence I needed to take on this role. I also knew that with my communications background from my undergraduate coursework I had the tools I needed to succeed.

Stepping into this role, I knew I had big shoes to fill. Last year’s EIC, Audrey Mulholland, did a wonderful job, and last year’s cover ranked in the AP top 10 for college yearbooks. While I knew I had my work cut out for me, I was excited to tackle a new challenge as my journalism repertoire up that that point was made up of sports reporting, broadcast production and public relations. While my true passion still lies within sports journalism, the management and production of the yearbook has been one of the most fulfilling roles I could have imagined. During my short tenure, I have learned graphic design skills, time management, copy editing and much more, all while being able to collaborate with other organizations on campus. Ultimately, these skills will carry over into whatever field I find myself in the future.

The theme for this book, A Legacy of Calling, is special because we chose every story, every photo and designed every page with current students as well as the generations that came before in mind. They all played a part in curating the culture that lives at the University of Mississippi. We want this book to be a representation of the legacies that have been built on the Ole Miss campus.

From the moment I accepted my role as EIC in May 2023, I knew the production of this book was going to be a 100% team effort.

As you read through each article and look over each photo, please recognize the individuals that contributed to the arrangement of this book:

To the photographers, thank you for capturing the 2023-2024 school year through your lenses. You brought this book to life by capturing the beauty and essence of the Ole Miss campus, the Oxford community and the students that roam the halls each day.

To the writing staff, thank you for telling the stories of yesterday’s and today’s students, faculty and staff at Ole Miss. Every word, phrase and sentence in this book was intentionally strung together by you all, and I hope you continue the artful craft of storytelling in your future ambitions.

To the business editors, you played a huge role behind the scenes. Thank you for your professionalism in interacting with different school and Oxford organizations. Your purpose was to ensure that both on-campus and off-campus organizations were recognized in this book, and you did so wonderfully.

To Dennis Moore, your guidance and patience have not only contributed to the success of this publication but also molded me into the person I am today. While your plate is full juggling your classes, the Daily Mississippian and the yearbook, you managed to be everywhere to everyone all at once. I couldn’t have asked for a better supervisor to lead us.

To MacKenzie and Henry Ross, thank you for your mentorship and for trusting me to oversee this publication. I have learned so much from you, exceeding my expectations. I am confident that I will leave Ole Miss well prepared to take on whatever field I decide to pursue.

Lastly to the students of Ole Miss, I hope that as you flip through this book you will reflect on the memories we’ve created together. Take the time to think about the generations that stepped on this campus before us and their legacies, then think about the legacies you are beginning to create. What sets Ole Miss apart from other universities is the strong community that we’ve built collectively from one generation to the next.