MISSISSIPPIAN THE
Thursday, December 4, 2025
A leopard cannot change its spots, and Lane Kiffin cannot escape his tendencies.
Lights. Camera. And so, so much action. Kiffin made a spectacle of himself during this season’s coaching carousel, but when all was said and done, Ole Miss turned its attention to someone who will finally put the players ahead of himself. Welcome to the GOLDing era, Ole Miss fans.
CAMERON LARKIN
Digital Editor
Typically, the saying goes, “When one door closes, another one opens” — at least, that is what my parents always told me. In the case of former Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin, it felt like one door opened and he, himself, slammed the other one shut, burned any bridge imaginable and seemingly made it his mission to paint himself as the victim when, in fact, he is not.
Kiffin announced via X that he accepted the LSU head coaching job at 2:03 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30, after a season-long saga of unknowns and rumors surrounding himself and the program.
Kiffin spent six seasons in Oxford at the helm of a program coming off a four-season-long probation period, during which Ole Miss received postseason bans in 2017 and 2018, along with a reduction in scholarships.
Needless to say, six seasons later, Kiffin had Ole Miss and the Rebel faithful in a very different spot. But that does not mean he earned the right to exit the way he did. Kiffin left, as he has with almost every other job, in controversy. Let me paint you a picture.
Kiffin has been known to hop from program to program since 2007, when he left USC as offensive coordinator to accept the head coaching job with the then-Oakland Raiders. That stint lasted
HOLLY JOLLY HOLIDAYS
This season-long attraction makes mTrade Park merry.
SEE PAGE 4
NOAH WALTERS
Assistant News Editor
After years of uncertainty surrounding the death of Jimmie “Jay” Lee, a University of Mississippi graduate who was declared missing in July 2022 and pronounced dead in October 2024, the answers have finally come to light.
The sentencing Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Lee, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Lafayette
from August 2007 to January 2008, when he received the head coaching position with the Tennessee Volunteers.
Knoxvillians, like Taylor Swift sings in her hit song “All Too Well,” remember all too well how Kiffin left them: hastily, and seemingly without warning, for the USC head coaching job after only one season with the Volunteer program.
The college football world will never forget “tarmac-gate,” the divorce between Kiffin and USC after four seasons. In his next move, he promptly accepted the Alabama offensive coordinator position under the legendary Nick Saban.
Three years into his role with the Crimson Tide — just before a national championship appearance — Kiffin opted to fill the head coaching vacancy at Florida Atlantic and was unable to coach in that championship game. Kiffin led the Owls to two Conference USA championships in 2017 and 2019 before assuming the reins at Ole Miss.
Now, here we are.
After coaching Ole Miss to its best regular season in program history (11-1, 7-1 SEC), Kiffin is leaving.
This one feels different, though. Oxford and Ole Miss seemingly gave Kiffin everything he could have wanted — an opportunity to coach in the best conference in college football, an NIL collective that was all-in, a passionate fanbase and access to the best recruits
Tragic saga
LIFE AFTER LANE
What does Kiffin’s departure mean for the Rebels?
SEE PAGE 5
of Jimmie ‘Jay’ Lee comes to a close in Oxford courtroom
County Circuit Judge Kelly Luther sentenced Herrington to 30 years on a second-degree murder charge plus 10 more years on a tampering with evidence charge.
Following the sentence, Herrington will also face five years of supervised probation and five years of unsupervised probation.
The sentencing follows a new indictment for Herrington for capital murder and tampering with evidence in February 2025, after Lee’s skeletal remains were found in a wooded area in rural Carroll County, Miss. The remains and photographs of them were sent to a state crime lab in Jackson, Miss., though a
cause and manner of death could not be determined due to extensive decomposition.
Herrington, also a UM graduate, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence on Monday, Dec. 1 — the same day the jury selection was to begin in Canton, Miss., for his second trial. His first trial on capital murder charges ended in a mistrial on Dec. 11, 2024.
Justice for Jay Lee, an organization fighting for its namesake since July 2022, has spent more than three years
We must not allow seasonal affective disorder to sour the holidays.
SEE PAGE 7
GRACE ANN COURTNEY / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
SEE KIFFIN PAGE 6
WINTER BLUES
Sheldon Timothy Herrington Jr. is escorted out of the Lafayette County Courthouse on Dec. 2.
OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
ASB decides to implement ranked-choice voting for internal open-seat senate elections
AIDAN PONIATOWSKI News Editor
Associated Student Body senators convened in the auditorium of the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union to pass four pieces of legislation, including a bill which called for the adoption of ranked-choice voting in internal elections, during the final formal ASB Senate meeting of the semester on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Senate Bill 25-01CW, motioned to revise the ASB Code to adopt the usage of rankedchoice voting for open-seat senate elections, was the first piece of legislation discussed. Presented by senators Corey Kingery, Kayt Davis, Alex Griggs, Andrew Nichols and Madison Waldrop, the bill aimed to replace the existing plurality voting system.
Whereas in the current system, senators cast one vote for each open seat in an election, under the new system, senators would rank each candidate in descending order. In a sequence of rounds, the candidates would initially be placed by order of first-place votes. The candidate ranked last would be eliminated, and those who voted for that person would have their second-place votes distributed to the candidates. Candidates would continue to be eliminated and votes re-applied until the number of seats were matched.
Municipalities across the country utilize ranked-choice, including the recent party primaries in New York City. Maine first used the system during its 2018 statewide elections, while Alaska used the system during its 2022 special congressional election. The bills’ presenters cited the use of ranked-choice voting in general elections at Auburn University and Louisiana State University.
The bill’s authors wrote that ranked-choice voting “promotes a more fair and democratic election process,” adding that the system “encourages senators to vote honestly and true to ideals of an ASB senator.”
In addition, the bill would give the responsibility of accepting and counting ballots to the attorney general rather than the senate clerk.
In an interview with The Daily Mississippian after the meeting, Kingery detailed the background of the bill’s drafting.
“This actually came about
(during the) last open seat (election), when we were just reviewing the code policy, how we vote for the different open seats in (the) senate. And we were like, ‘How can we make this a more fair process, more equitable?’” Kingery said. “I’ve done a little research, and I was like, ‘Ranked-choice voting seems to be a really good way to go about it.’ So I brought it to our (president pro tempore), our attorney general, our (government operations chair) and our vice president and they were all pretty much on board with ranked-choice voting, except we had to figure out the logistics.”
The logistical hurdle was a significant one to overcome, Kingery said.
“The biggest hold-up with this bill is trying to figure out the logistics of how we would even go about ranked-choice voting,” Kingery said. “So we talked with Auburn, we talked with LSU about how they did it and we finally found a way.”
Members of the Auburn and Louisiana State University student governments recommended the software OpenVote, due to its ease of use and the ability to automatically tally votes.
“Once we figured that out, we were like, ‘Okay, let’s bring it before the senate,’” Kingery said. “My big thing tonight was trying to make sure everyone really fully understands rankedchoice voting, because it’s not as simple as a plurality vote.”
Concerns were raised about the “learning curve,” as the bill’s presenters put it. Questions were also raised about the need for a change in the voting method.
Ultimately, by a vote of 36-6 with one abstention, the bill was adopted by the senate, renumbered as Senate Bill 25-29.
“I think we did a really good job tonight. Everyone was very passionate. I love to hear good debate on bills, so I loved hearing everyone’s opinions and support. I’m really glad we did this,” Kingery said. “I do think this will make a more fair and equitable process and better represent our student body.”
Senator Griggs presented Senate Bill 25-26, which would revise the ASB Code to reflect current practices of ASB’s standing committees. Specifically, the bill would allow for the chairs of all standing and ad hoc committees to serve on the committee
THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN EDITORIAL staff
CLAY HALE editor-in-chief dmeditor@gmail.com
RAEGAN SETTLE managing editor dmmanaging@gmail.com
SYDNEY STEPP copy chief thedmcopy@gmail.com
CAMERON LARKIN digital editor dmdigitaleditor@gmail.com
AIDAN PONIATOWSKI news editor thedmnews@gmail.com
NOAH WALTERS assistant news editor thedmnews@gmail.com
on rules, where currently only chairs of other standing committees are eligible per the code.
For Griggs, this is part of a bigger project to root out differences between existing practices and ASB Code.
“A big project of mine I took on for the semester was to make sure that everything within the legislative branch was up to date because as time changes, procedures change, but often it gets left behind in the code,” Griggs said in an interview with The Daily Mississippian following the senate meeting. “So for this project, I reached out to all of the current committee chairs. And from there, I asked them if they noticed any inconsistencies within their sections in the code. … I worked with our president pro tempore, Wesley Templet, to make those changes.”
The bill passed by a unanimous vote.
Nichols also presented Senate Bill 25-27, which would revise the ASB Code to clarify election guidelines, specifically that candidates are permitted to campaign and leave campaign materials in Greek houses during meal and chapter times with approval from chapter presidents, while candidates cannot leave campaign materials in residence halls.
The bill, Nichols argued, was designed to formally codify exist-
ing practices and to prevent cases in the ASB Department of Justice’s Election Review Board (ERB).
“It just makes it clearer for candidates. I’ve served on the past three or four ERBs, and a lot of candidates get sent to ERB not because they’re intentionally breaking the rules, but they just get confused about what the rules are,” Nichols said in an interview with The Daily Mississippian following the senate session. “We just wanted the bill to help make it clear about when people speak in Greek houses and leave materials, what is and isn’t allowed and how to do it properly.”
Templet, the president pro tempore, presented an amendment to the bill, which would remove the clause that allows candidates to leave campaign materials in Greek houses. Templet believed there would be an unfair advantage to candidates in Greek life without it.
The amendment failed by a vote of 20 to 23.
Following the rejection of the amendment, the vote on the original bill was held, with Senate Bill 25-27 passing by a vote of 26 to 17.
Prior to the vote, Zach Rifkin, executive liaison to ASB President Jack Jones, announced that Jones would consider vetoing the bill should it be passed by the senate.
Jones clarified his concern with
the bill to The Daily Mississippian.
“While I believe the senators who authored SB 25-27 had good intentions, I am especially concerned about the implications the legislation will have for our non-Greek student population, Greek chapter presidents and ASB’s Department of Justice,” Jones said. “Over the coming days, I will be meeting with my team to discuss what next steps may be required on this issue.”
Nichols also presented Senate Bill 25-28, which would amend the ASB Code to include all attorneys general onto the ASB’s Election Review Board. Previously, only the Deputy Attorneys General of Elections and the Code & Constitution could stand on the board.
“That was a (Department of Justice) amendment, just helping codify some practices we already have with the Deputy Attorney General,” Nichols said. The bill passed by unanimous vote.
While the senate is adjourned during winter break, the first ASB informal senate meeting of the next semester is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 27. The first formal senate of the upcoming semester is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 3.
JAYLYNN CONNER arts and culture editor thedmfeatures@gmail.com
JESSICA JOHNSON assistant arts and culture editor thedmfeatures@gmail.com
RUSS EDDINS sports editor thedmsports@gmail.com
NATE DONOHUE assistant sports editor thedmsports@gmail.com
KADIN COLLIER opinion editor thedmopinion@gmail.com
OLIVIA CANGELOSI photo editor thedmphotos@gmail.com
JOURNEY GLOVER assistant photo editor thedmphotos@gmail.com
MADELYNN LIBERTO design editor thedmdesign@gmail.com
FARIDA BELAL assistant design editor thedmdesign@gmail.com
MARY EVANS multimedia coordinator dailymissmedia@gmail.com
AVERY THOMAS social media manager thedmsocialmedia@gmail.com
CADENCE MANNING assistant social media manager thedmsocialmedia@gmail.com
S. Gale denley student media center
LARZ ROBERTS Director of Student Media
DENNIS MOORE Editorial Director
President Pro Tempore Wesley Templet leads the ASB Senate meeting in the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union on Dec. 2.
JACK KIRKLAND / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
drawing attention to the case in hopes that Herrington might be convicted and sentenced. A post on Wednesday, Dec. 3 addressed the account’s more than 4,000 followers with the following statement:
“Thank you for the support over the years. So many people from across the world sent love, encouragement and help, and we can’t thank you enough. Without YOUR contributions, we couldn’t have come this far. Thank you.”
Responses
Upon conclusion of the sentencing hearing, several law enforcement figures and attorneys involved in the investigation and trial addressed the courtroom. Oxford Police Department Chief Jeff McCutchen emphasized the deliverance of justice in the case.
“I want to open today by saying justice was delayed, but justice was not defeated,” McCutchen said. “It’s important to start this way, that all glory goes to God, in this case, that without him, we are not standing here today.”
McCutchen spoke about his department’s relationship with the family and district attorney’s office, as well as the lasting legacy of not just the case itself, but also of Lee.
“To the legacy of Jay Lee, it will not be marked by violence, but by love, love from the police to this family and this family’s love back to the police and the district attorney’s office. This case set a standard,” McCutchen said. “Jay Lee’s name will be held in high regard, and a standard in which all cases should be pursued and by the passion given on this case and the love that should be shown to the victims and their families.”
Lee’s parents attended the sentencing. Stephanie Lee, Lee’s mother, thanked OPD and her family for giving her the strength to go on in an emotional address to the courtroom.
“I want to first thank OPD. From the first call that I made, I think I must have called 100 times, constantly, ‘I need you to go to my baby’s apartment to do a wellness check, he’s not answering the call.’ OPD has been faithful from day one,” Stephanie Lee said in her address. “I’m thankful for my husband standing by, (and) my daughter, my son-in-law, (and) my mother. I’m thankful, because without them, I would have not been here.”
University Police Department Director Daniel Sanford expressed gratitude for the community and the case’s conclusion.
“As a close-knit university community, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Jay Lee’s family and his many friends and loved ones, and we thank those that have supported our campus community during this difficult time,” Sanford said. “After more than three years, we’re grateful this case has reached a conclusion, and while nothing can erase the loss of Jay (Lee), we hope today’s outcome offers some measure of relief to those that loved him.”
District Attorney Ben Creekmore discussed the challenge the case initially presented, which the prosecution was eventually able to overcome.
“The one thing that we all knew from the legal side, as far as the ability to present dates of trial: This was a no-body homicide, there was no confession, there was no DNA,”
Creekmore said. “That was like a smoking gun, and it was an uphill battle. We’ve got to prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury of 12, and we did that last year.”
Herrington’s first trial ended in a mistrial on Dec. 11, 2024. After nine and a half hours of deliberation, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on a capital murder charge, with the possibility of alternative lesser verdicts. The jury reached a final guilty vote of 11-1.
Special prosecutor Gwen Agho, who joined the case after the first trial, believed that Herrington’s sentence provided the most justice the prosecution could achieve.
“When somebody dies, as a prosecutor, we’re looking at murder cases. We’re always asking ourselves, ‘What is justice?’ That’s the ultimate question,” Agho said. “When somebody loses their life, there’s never any type of real justice, and nothing can bring them back to life. But I think in this case, with the (sentence) we got, that we got as close to it as we could possibly get under the circumstances.”
Many university students attended the sentencing as well.
Hannah Morris, a sophomore criminal justice major from Olive Branch, Miss., said she had been following the trial since she came to Oxford. Morris attended Herrington’s sentencing to see the trial’s resolution and ensure it was handled correctly.
“First and foremost, I wanted to see justice for what happened to Jay Lee and the way that LGBTQ+ cases have been historically handled by the state of Mississippi,” Morris said. “Secondly, I saw this as a good opportunity to watch a criminal proceeding, especially one that I was familiar with. I really wanted to see how this case would be treated and handled.”
But in Morris’ view, Herrington’s 40-year sentence does not completely serve justice.
“I think that Herrington did receive an adequate sentence, but I personally think that, given the facts of the case, life in prison would have been more appropriate,” Morris said. “I understand why a plea deal was negotiated, but Herrington will likely still have a life to live when he gets out of prison. Lee is never coming back and won’t get that opportunity.”
Skyller Sling, a junior psychology major and fellow native of Olive Branch, Miss., agreed with Morris’ belief that the sentence was not enough.
“I do not think that Herrington received a proper sentence. It would have been much more appropriate for him to be in prison for the rest of his life but since he took a plea (deal), he’ll be out in his 60s,” Sling said.
Sling came to the sentencing to show her support as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. For Sling, Lee’s murder demonstrated the perils that being a part of the local LGBTQ+ community can bring but also the strength the community can have when it comes together.
“Having a strong community is something that is helpful in such events as this. LGBTQ+ students are affected by cases like this in so many ways. I know that for me, it has sometimes made going to events like Code Pink a little bit scarier,” Sling said. “However, such an unfortunate experience has brought so many people together and made our community stronger. It is so sad that such an event occurred, but the bond it has formed within the LGBTQ+ community in Oxford is wonderful.”
How we got here
Lee, a prominent member of the local LGBTQ+ community and candidate for Homecoming King in Fall 2021, was last seen leaving Campus Walk Apartments at 5:58 a.m. on July 8, 2022. Lee’s vehicle was found at a local towing company on July 11, 2022, after being towed from Molly Barr Trails apartment complex the night he went missing. Officials believe Lee was visiting someone at the Molly Barr Trails complex at the time of his disappearance.
On July 21, 2022, students and community members gathered at a “Hope Rally for Jay Lee,” organized by the UM Department of Social Work, the Associated Student Body and Lee’s family.
Herrington was arrested in connection with the case on July 22, 2022, after OPD canines “hit” in his apartment, which is supposed to indicate that there had once been human remains present in that location.
At a preliminary hearing on Aug. 9, 2022, the prosecution presented photos of Herrington leaving the Molly Barr Trails apartment complex on foot, the same location from which Lee’s vehicle had been towed. The prosecution also presented a receipt found in Herrington’s trash can for duct tape on the morning Lee had last been seen.
Most notably, Herrington’s text history was presented, which showed the Google search “How long does it take to strangle someone Gabby Petito.” The requested search occurred minutes before Lee arrived at Herrington’s apartment at his request. The prosecution alleged that Herrington and Lee had a sexual relationship.
On a bond hearing the same day, Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge Gray Tollison denied Herrington bond with the belief that he posed a flight risk. Following this, Herrington’s lawyer, state Rep. Kevin Horan, R-Grenada, filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in a lawsuit against Sheriff Joey East (in his official capacity), the officer who had detained Herrington. The constitutional writ of habeas corpus gives detainees who think they’ve been wrongfully detained the right to challenge their detainment before a judge. The petition failed.
Ultimately, after the state and Horan reached a deal, Herrington was released on bond for $250,000 on Dec. 1, 2022, on the condition that he wear a GPS device at all
times and surrender his passport. The release led the Justice for Jay Lee organization and LGBTQ+ community members to gather in front of the courthouse on Dec. 12 to call on law enforcement to find Lee.
On March 28, 2023, a special grand jury indicted Herrington on a capital murder charge. A special grand jury differs from a regular grand jury in that the former is convened to hear only one case as opposed to many.
Herrington stood trial on Oct. 15, 2024. Evidence presented included messages and searches on various social media platforms that Herrington used, including Snapchat and Facebook. UPD finally succeeded in obtaining this data after initial struggles with various companies like Meta. The trial ended in a mistrial on Dec. 11, as the jury was unable to unanimously convict Herrington on any verdict with a guilty vote of 11-1. The sole dissenting juror was reportedly unable to convict on the basis that no body had been recovered.
On Feb. 3, The Daily Mississippian reported that human remains with a golden necklace with Lee’s name on it were found in Carroll County the prior weekend. Authorities were not immediately able to identify the remains but were able to match the necklace with one Lee wore in his social media posts.
The discovery of the remains, which had been significantly decomposed, led a grand jury on Feb. 7 to indict Herrington on charges of capital murder and tampering with evidence.
Moving forward
Jimmie Lee, the father of Jay Lee, expressed his belief that communication and technology companies like Apple hampered the investigation due to their privacy policies.
“You know, not all entities were, you know, in coherence together. … They’re so harsh with trying to protect your privacy, and sometimes that makes it a little hard. Truth be told, I don’t think Apple would have been responsible for my son’s death, but they are definitely responsible for his decaying body laying out there in that field. If they had only allowed the login information to be given, Timothy (Herrington) would have been found much quicker. (Herrington) would have been on the radar a lot quicker. He had a lot of time to do things that he needed to do to get rid of a lot of evidence and things
of that nature,” Jimmie Lee said.
Jimmie Lee proposed a bill to the courtroom that he believes would have shortened the length of the Jay Lee investigation and trial. His proposal, which focuses on changing the law in a way he believes will help investigations, mirrors the impactful legacy the trial and Jay Lee will have on the legal system.
“I want to say we got too many of our American kids missing, and it’s hard to get answers,” Jimmie Lee said. “I’m asking for a bipartisan bill that would help assist in the search of an individual under the age of 21. This bill makes it illegal for a phone company, social media and any type of communication company to refuse usernames and passwords to law enforcement and parents or guardians of an individual 21 years of age or younger being missing.”
For Morris, the case sets a strong precedent for a marginalized community.
“I think that this case has had a major impact on LGBTQ+ students at Ole Miss and across Mississippi because we see ourselves reflected in Lee. We just want to live safely and Herrington ripped that away from one of our own,” Morris said. “I think this case also sets a precedent for how LGBTQ-related cases are handled, in that the result hopefully makes a positive improvement in how these cases are treated. Marginalized people are often overlooked and I hope that, despite the tragedy, this case will result in more publicity and recognition for marginalized victims.”
In her address, Agho memorialized Lee through the recollection of meeting his family, which she said provided Lee with love and acceptance — two things she says Herrington tragically lacks.
“It was a blessing and privilege to be able to get close to the Lee family to see their love and acceptance … for Jay (Lee). They always just let him be himself,” Agho said. “They loved him no matter what, and I think that this is (not just) a tragedy for Jay (Lee) but also for the defendant, Tim Herrington, because if he had felt that same love and acceptance that Jay (Lee’s) family provided to him, then maybe we wouldn’t be here today.”
Aidan Poniatowski and Dylan Thomas contributed reporting.
Jimmie “Jay” Lee
PHOTO COURTESY: OXFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT
Holly Jolly Holidays create winter wonderland
ADA C. RICHARDSON
A&C Staff Writer
The most wonderful time of the year finally returned with the arrival of Oxford’s sixth-annual Holly Jolly Holidays on Nov. 22. This attraction at mTrade Park will host wintry festivities, such as an ice skating rink and the Walk of Lights, for visitors and members of the Oxford community to enjoy until January.
Holly Jolly Holidays will continue Wednesdays through Sundays until Jan. 4, 2026. It will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Freshman environmental sciences major Calen Crowsen is an employee at mTrade Park who works with Holly Jolly Holidays.
“We have our ice skating rink, and then we also have
the Walk of Lights, which is a walking trail that leads up to a lounge area,” Crowsen said. “And then we have different vendors and such come in and have go-karts and stuff every once and a while.”
The skating rink is a family favorite for many visitors, where kids and parents can experience the classic seasonal activity. Ice skates and hot chocolate are provided.
“It’s really fun for the kids,” John Youngblood, a father of three visiting Holly Jolly Holidays, said. “They enjoy it. It’s right down the street from the neighborhood and it’s a good thing that the city does. (The kids’ favorite part) is definitely ice skating.”
There are attractions for all ages. The Walk of Lights is a holiday favorite — a walking trail that loops around the
park, decorated with strings of lights, glowing decorations and a cozy firepit at the end.
“I just love looking at the lights,” Eupora, Miss., resident Allen Duncan said. “It’s just beautiful.”
Children and adults alike get a thrill from the twinkling trail, and families can experience the joy together.
“Our 2-year-old loves the lights,” Alise Emerson, a mother of three and Oxford resident, said. “It’s magical. She’s so excited. I’ll probably be back with her every week.”
For many families, attending Holly Jolly Holidays is a much-anticipated tradition, something that can be enjoyed over and over.
“Last year we did it several (times),” Youngblood said. “This is our first time this year though.”
Holly Jolly Holidays is seen by many attendees as the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season, as it provides enchanting activities for people of all ages.
“This is just such a magical season for (the kids), and they love it,” Emerson said. “We’re so excited that
Oxford’s Christmas parade marches
The annual Oxford Christmas Parade continued this year’s holiday season with the “12 Days of Christmas”-themed parade on Dec. 2.
The parade begins at the University of Mississippi, travels down University Avenue, through Oxford Square and concludes at North Lamar, offering excellent viewing spots for everyone.
Different recurrent Oxford community groups participated this year, including Lafayette High School and Oxford High Schools’ bands and JROTC, dance groups and local businesses like Animal Clinic of Oxford and Oxford RX.
The parade also gives new businesses in town, like Lamar Taco Shop, an opportunity to spread their name through fun branding and parade floats. The Oxford community, whether civilian or business, comes together to create a sense of community, joy and festive spirit that makes the holiday season special for everyone.
For Oxford natives like Collyn Lewis, the parade embodies nostalgia and community spirit, making it a meaningful tradition that connects generations and fosters local pride.
“I’ve always come here since I
was a kid, so I think it’s so much fun,” Lewis said. “I always come here with my family, and it always shows the hometown of Oxford.”
Each group in the parade creates its own float to promote its business, often featuring Christmas music, lights and characters while passing out candy and other items to the surrounding civilians.
The fun, themed and unique floats always lead up to the grand finale: Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, wrapping Oxford’s Christmas spirit with a bow to send you home with.
Many families and community members park their cars on the Square, sitting in the back to watch the parade floats, bands and festivities go past.
Senior interdisciplinary studies major Olivia Gagliardi from Freehold, N.J., finds the Oxford Christmas Parade unique, categorizing the city, like many other out-of-state students, city officials and locals, as a “snow globe town.”
“We have smaller Christmas parades (at home), but the feel here is obviously so different because it’s such a small town,” Gagliardi said. “It’s so cute, and it feels like a snow globe.”
Many students, like Gagliardi, hadn’t heard about the annual celebration, which was further influenced this year
by its delay from Dec. 1 due to inclement rainy weather.
“I didn’t know about it,” Gagliardi said.
Molly Corry, a senior allied health studies major from Carmel, N.Y., finds charm in this celebration, which brings a cozy, hometown Christmas feeling that many out-of-state visitors and locals cherish.
“(My hometown is) definitely not as homey and Hallmark feeling,” Corry said. “We have bigger parades, but they definitely don’t give the same hometown Christmas feel.”
Meagan Adams, originally from Meridian, Miss., has lived in Oxford for almost a year, making this year’s parade all the more special for her.
“This is my first parade in Oxford, and it was wonderful,” Adams said. “Even the bite of the cold couldn’t keep the magic of Christmas away. Watching all the floats go by, hearing ‘Merry Christmas’ and seeing big, beautiful smiles on all the kids’ faces was my favorite. It’s cool to see and live in a community so involved and supportive. I think that’s what makes Oxford such a beautiful place to do life in.”
Oxford has put this on and that we have this now.”
Santa Claus display outside Oxford City Hall on Dec. 2
JACK KIRKLAND / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
TAYLOR HILL A&C Staff Writer
Life after Lane: what Kiffin’s departure means for Ole Miss Football
WILL WRIGHT
Sports Staff Writer
Lane Kiffin turned Ole Miss into one of the most consistently competitive football programs in the SEC. His decision on Sunday to take the head coaching position at LSU, however, will affect the Rebels’ recruiting, roster stability, national perception and long-term momentum. Now, it is up to new Ole Miss Football head coach Pete Golding to mitigate the damage.
Transfer portal
Kiffin’s teams have been built heavily through the transfer portal, and he is one of the best in the country at using NIL and branding to bring in high-level talent.
Current Ole Miss star players might explore other options, and signees might reconsider their commitments. With the Grove Collective, Ole Miss has enough NIL strength to keep some pieces together, but the uncertainty might still cause panic.
The 2026 transfer portal window opens on Jan. 2 and extends through Jan. 16. Re -
school recruits is underway and will end Friday, Dec. 5.
Since Kiffin left, several Ole Miss recruits have announced that they are staying at Ole Miss. Edge rusher Landon Barnes, safety Nascar McCoy, safety Iverson McCoy and linebacker Anthony Davis Jr. have all posted about their commitment to Ole Miss despite Kiffin’s departure.
Wide receiver Jameson Powell is a class of 2026 decommit. Inside offensive lineman Shavezz Dixon and safety Trae’kerrion Collins are decommits from the 2027 class.
Wide receiver Corey Barber, tight end JC Anderson and inside offensive lineman Ryan Miret flipped their commitments to LSU. On the other side, wide receiver Kervin Johnson Jr. changed his commitment from LSU to Ole Miss.
Identity
Kiffin was known for his modern and aggressive offense, creative playcalling and unique personality, which drew national attention. Without him, Ole Miss will lose a major part of its identity and could fall out of the na -
New Year’s Six bowls and AP Top 10 rankings. The Rebels will have to fight to maintain that standard in the toughest conference in the country.
The possibilities are endless and unpredictable. However, situations like this have occurred before.
In January 2024, legendary University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban retired, creating chaos in one of history’s most dominant programs. Almost immediately after the announcement, Alabama lost almost 40 recruits due to the uncertainty of the empty head coach chair.
abama, Rebel football consistently draws millions of viewers each week. This season, Ole Miss is 10th among CFB programs in television viewership and is on the verge of a College Football Playoff berth. The program is set for the future, even with Kiffin off to Baton Rouge, La.
College football schedule
If Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter allowed Kiffin to coach through the playoffs, he would have been the head coach for national signing day and the early part of the portal window. In that time, he could flip recruits to LSU or bring new transfers with him to Baton Rouge, La.
ports indicate that behindthe-scenes deals have already been made, and it will not take long for many players to transfer to new schools.
If Ole Miss advances to the College Football Playoff championship game on Jan. 19, players will have an extended five-day window to enter the portal.
The former Rebel head coach is rumored to have already attempted to poach quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. While Ole Miss could have several players leave, they are unlikely to leave leading up the playoffs. If the Rebels make a playoff run, that could show the players that staying in Oxford is worth it.
NCAA rules give players whose teams went through coaching changes 15 days to enter the transfer portal. The window for the portal opens five days after a head coach is hired or announced.
Recruitment
An immediate effect of Kiffin’s departure will be on the future Ole Miss roster. The signing window for high
tional spotlight. Golding will need to either match Kiffin’s flash or rebuild the program’s image in a new direction.
Financially and structurally, Ole Miss Athletics is in a far better place than when Kiffin was hired on Dec. 7, 2019. Facilities, NIL infrastructure, fan engagement and donor support are all stronger because of the team’s success in recent years.
This foundation means that with Golding the program will not collapse, but it could face a difficult transition period. The fast, confident hire must stabilize the roster before the portal window closes on Jan. 16.
Some students were under the impression that Kiffin left for more money at LSU.
“I actually think it’s ridiculous, because I heard that we, like, almost matched him on his price,” freshman nursing major Evan Barone said. “At this point, I would rather him leave. … Because if you have a coach that considers staying, I think he’s already gone. … So really not surprised.”
The coaching change could also shift expectations. Kiffin normalized 10-win seasons,
Just a few days later, though, Alabama named Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer as Saban’s replacement, and the program was able to rebuild from its losses. Now, in only the second season after Saban’s retirement, No. 9 Alabama is in the SEC Championship game and is slated to make the College Football Playoff.
Though Ole Miss is not as historically successful as Al -
Kiffin’s departure may force the NCAA to change the college football schedule. Currently, National Signing Day, the first and second round of the playoffs and the beginning of the transfer portal are all within one month of each other.
“I just think it’s frustrating that he left, especially before the playoffs,” freshman economics major Ben Harper said. “Like we were doing solid and then he’s going to a team that’s not as good this year, and he’s just gonna bring a bunch of players. And it’s just kind of cheating college football in a way.”
“I just can’t believe he had the audacity to try to stay and coach for the playoffs, even after he already knew he was going to LSU,” freshman mechanical engineering major Robert Wherry said. “Probably not gonna be a good next three years for us.” The whole debacle could be the start of significant change in the CFB calendar.
Lane Kiffin stands on the sideline in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during the game against Tulane on Sept. 20.
LUCY SPRINKLE / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Pete Golding speaks to the crowd during the basketball game against Miami in The Sandy and John Black Pavilion on Dec. 2.
in Mississippi and the country.
Still, the former Rebel coach chose LSU in the midst of one of the craziest coaching carousels in recent memory.
Ole Miss is in prime position to appear in and host its first-ever College Football Playoff game. The Rebels came in at No. 6 in this week’s CFP rankings — up one spot since last week, despite speculation that the Rebels might drop following Kiffin’s departure.
Ole Miss’ Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics, Keith Carter, decided not to let Kiffin finish out the season in Oxford after he accepted the LSU job in favor of promoting then-defensive coordinator Pete Golding.
Some national media outlets pushed the narrative that Kiffin should be allowed to finish what he started in Oxford in pursuit of a national championship, no questions asked.
This would be like if SpongeBob took a job with Plankton at the Chum Bucket but expected Mr. Krabs to let him stay an extra month while working at the rival food chain. One would rightfully assume that SpongeBob would be incentivized to steal the secret formula for the Krabby Patty and bring it to the Chum Bucket.
In his announcement, Kiffin claimed that Ole Miss players had told him they wanted him to stay and coach through the playoffs. From his statement on X:
“I was hoping to complete a historic six-season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern. My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance.”
The funny thing is, multiple players have taken to X to refute these sentiments.
Ole Miss starting center Brycen Sanders replied to Kiffin’s statement, saying, “I think everyone in that room would disagree.” His teammate Suntarine Perkins shared his thoughts
by replying, “That was not the message you said in the meeting room. Everybody that was in there can vouch on this.”
The lies from Kiffin do not stop there, and if one believes history repeats itself, these will not be the last of his fibs. During Kiffin’s introductory press conference in Baton Rouge, La., he recounted his version of his trip to the airport for his flight out of Oxford.
“Call a cop that you know so they’ll help you,” Kiffin said. “Because you personally know them because you are leaving the state. And you gotta turn around, and people are screaming at you, trying to run you off the road. I don’t know what they’re gonna do. And so that affects you.”
It turns out that this anecdote is not true, according to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. An MDPS spokesperson said that officers reported no instance of vehicles attempting to run Kiffin off the road, according to reporting from Mississippi Today. Mississippi Today also reported that Breck Jones, the public information officer for the Oxford Police Department, told them OPD has not received complaints about the alleged incident.
These lies, coupled with the reported ultimatum Kiffin gave the offensive staff to get on the plane to Baton Rouge, or forfeit any possibility of a job at LSU, alongside a little white lie Kiffin told ESPN’s Marty Smith about how the planes from LSU were not heading to Oxford when, in fact, they were, begs the question: Can anyone trust Kiffin’s recount of how this situation unfolded?
The answer, for many, is no.
But in times like these, with national signing day upon us, the playoffs on the horizon and the transfer portal opening quicker than anyone can say periwinkle, Ole Miss had to act fast, and it did.
During the team meeting on Sunday, Carter addressed the team.
“I’m going to do what’s in the best interest of this institution,” Carter said. “The other thing that I do is, I do things that are in the best interest of our student-athletes. Again, a little tumultuous time over the past few weeks, but when it came right down to it we have someone that is a leader of men that can lead you guys, and that man is Pete Golding.”
This moment was caught on video, and Ole Miss fans got to see pure joy erupt in The
Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center as a new era of Ole Miss Football officially kicked off. Carter then continued speaking.
“You guys know Pete. He knows this place, his passion is about this place. But also what comes with Pete is galvanization,” Carter said. “We had a meeting earlier with our offensive group and these offensive coaches, they’re going to be here. … And we’re going to go on this run in the CFP, and we’re actually going to get that done.”
I do not know if Golding is the guy who will lead Ole Miss to the promised land. What I do know, though, is that he is the guy who stayed.
Pete Golding is the guy who cared. He is the guy who stood on business, 10 toes down, and put his neck on the line for this program. He is the guy who has fraternities at Ole Miss hanging banners that read, “Pete Fleet 2026,” the guy who had players leaving the Manning Center shouting phrases like, “The Pete Golding Era,” and “It’s Pete time.”
Golding is, like Carter said, the man who has galvanized the Ole Miss locker room and fanbase.
Many, including myself, would argue that Golding has been the main driving force of Ole Miss’ success. Before Golding arrived in Oxford, Lane Kiffin’s teams went 5-5 (2020, COVID-19 year), 10-3 (2021) and 8-5 (2022). Since Golding signed on, Ole Miss has gone 11-2 (2023), 10-3 (2024) and just finished 11-1 this season with at least one more game to go.
Kiffin was also dubbed “The Portal King” during his time in Oxford after his nation-leading transfer portal classes year in and year out. His most famous portal class from 2024 consisted of players like Walter Nolen, Princely Umanmielen, Trey Amos and Chris Paul Jr. — all of whom propelled Ole Miss to having the No. 2 overall defense in the country. Key word: defense.
For those who might be worried Ole Miss will take a step back in recruiting and the transfer portal, rest assured that Golding, perhaps more than Kiffin, has been one of the leading recruiters in the nation.
What may ease Ole Miss fans even more is that during the Ole Miss versus Miami men’s basketball game Tuesday night, when Golding addressed the crowd as
the Ole Miss head football coach for the first time, he immediately turned everyone’s attention to the players and not himself.
Amid the Kiffin drama, the vice president of Realtree, Tyler Jordan, a partner of Ole Miss Football, reassured Ole Miss fans on X.
“Let’s now focus on promoting this special group of guys @OleMissFB, before they make a playoff run, since the attention hasn’t been on them for weeks now,” Jordan wrote. “I’m proud of this team, and they’re going to need us all to show up for them in December. We’ll be more than okay.”
What should have been a season about the great players that have helped produce this magical run turned into a poorly produced biopic of “Wicked’s” Wizard of Oz, starring Lane Kiffin — a tale of selfishness, greed and lies.
Kiffin may succeed at LSU. He may bring home the national championships that he never could at Ole Miss. But the simple truth is that he left a team that is currently in the hunt for a national championship. He did this in favor of a program and school that just fired its athletic director, only to promote his deputy athletic director, a school that was just able to appoint a new
president after its old one left for Rutgers and a school whose state governor decided to meddle in the program’s operations.
In ESPN’s E60 documentary, “The Many Lives of Lane Kiffin,” the former Ole Miss coach said something that applies so well to what unfolded among him, Ole Miss and LSU. “I think there’s things in life that you do, that you make mistakes,” Kiffin said. “I call them self-inflicted wounds. Then there’s things, you actually are really trying to go above and beyond to do the right thing, and it just doesn’t work.” Only time will tell whether this was a self-inflicted wound or not.
Cameron Larkin is a senior journalism major from Brandon, Miss., and the digital editor for The Daily Mississippian.
Feeling blue? Shorter days may not be the only culprit
can get — symptoms include chronic sadness, depleted energy and fatigue, oversleeping and even cravings for carbohydrates.
As temperatures plummet precipitously in our cozy, snow globe college town, holly jolly times are back in session and finals season is at its precipice, there is a silent yet debilitating phenomenon threatening holiday magic: the winter blues.
Days become shorter, light becomes scarcer and energy seems to deplete during the most merry time of year in a phenomenon known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The feelings are not just placebo — but physiologically tangible.
SAD is defined by psychologists in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Disorder Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern.
The acronym SAD is as on the nose as modern medicine
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the disorder affects 5% of adults in the United States and symptoms last on average 40% of the year. Seems extreme? Break the numbers down and the scale of SAD is even more shocking.
Forty percent is 146 days, 3,504 hours and 12,614,400 seconds squandered by a lack of sunshine. Unfortunately for students at the University of Mississippi, there is another cold, hard and somewhat icy truth: SAD hits the young adult demographic hardest, specifically from the ages of 18 to 25.
As someone who has struggled with SAD in the past, I know what it is like to wake up feeling seemingly inescapable blues.
They tear you down, interrupt quality times with friends and family during the holiday season, hinder study progress during finals season and overall make the winter months a miserable time. Fortunately, however, SAD is not unbeatable. In fact, it is treatable. For less intense cases, adjusting lifestyle and homelife habits can make a greater difference than one would think. The most important thing you can do is to increase sunlight exposure whenever possible. Open your blinds, rearrange your room’s furniture so that you’re always within window light’s reach and exercise during daylight hours.
It is also crucial to maintain a routine. While the life of a showgirl (an Ole Miss student) can mean busy schedules, make an effort to ensure you are waking up and going to sleep at roughly the same time every day.
While SAD can hamper social
situations, leaning on friends for support can be incredibly helpful. SAD is theorized to affect the hypothalamus, which plays a part in the production of serotonin and melatonin, as well the regulation of the circadian cycle. Spending time with people you love is bound to boost happiness, counteracting the numbing nature of SAD.
Even if you suffer from the most extreme case of SAD, refuse to lose hope. Because it is a clinical disorder, SAD is clinically treatable. Lamps with light intensities of 10,000 lux aimed at a 45-degree angle from the eyes for a half hour each day have been scientifically proven to reduce the severity of symptoms, and in many cases, achieve full remission.
Seasonal depression lamps, as they are advertised most commonly, retail for around $16 on the lower end and upwards of $70 on the higher end. For a treatment you can
do in the solitude of your home, silent of night and still of winter, the price seems like a pretty good deal.
While you might not need a prescription for an LED lamp, you certainly do for antidepressants, which are also used by mental health professionals to treat the disorder. If SAD is disrupting your life to the same degree as year-round depressive disorders, talking to your doctor is definitely worth it.
The phrase “feeling the blues” ought to be an oxymoron — winter season should entail holiday joy, so SAD must not sour the season. The winter blues are not incurable, and your sluggish mood isn’t either.
Kadin Collier is a sophomore international studies major from Hattiesburg, Miss.
GRACE ANN COURTNEY / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
RESULTS & BENEFITS
Increased Calorie Burn
Detoxification
Lower Blood Pressure
Anti-Aging & Skin Rejuvenation
Improved Circulation
Weight Loss
