MISSISSIPPIAN THE
Thursday, November 20, 2025
‘Gratitude’ is Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s word of advice to the University of Mississippi
United States Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson encouraged University of Mississippi students, faculty and alumni with a message of gratitude and perseverance on Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts as part of her national book tour for her memoir, “Lovely One.”
More than 350 members of the university community gathered at the invitation-only event to hear Jackson read an excerpt from her memoir and listen to a discussion moderated by U.S. District Court Chief Judge of the Northern District of Mississippi Debra M. Brown. Jackson also answered questions submitted by attendees.
Jackson’s message
Offering career advice to students, Jackson largely focused on how relatable role models –– who are either personally known or admired from a distance –– are key to career success. Jackson shares a birthday with Constance Baker Motley, the NAACP attorney who represented James Meredith in his
legal battle to enroll at UM in 1962. As the first Black woman to argue before the Supreme Court, she was an idol for Jackson throughout her career.
“History has helped me as I have gone through my life and career,” Jackson said. “When I encounter spaces (that do not feel like they were made for me), I think about (Motley) and I think about the people that are coming behind me.”
Jackson is the first Black woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, nominated by former President Joe Biden in 2022. The two-time Harvard University graduate shared insights into her journey to the Supreme Court on Sunday evening, emphasizing the importance of education and role models to success.
This was not Jackson’s first visit to UM. She competed in a 1987 speech and debate tournament at the university as a senior at Miami Palmetto Senior High School, and she has fond memories of winning her event, original oratory.
Professors and career professionals, she said, are vital for students entering graduate schools. Former Justice Stephen Breyer was Jackson’s mentor since she clerked for him during the 1999 term at the Supreme Court.
“Mentors are key to helping you connect with people,” Jackson said. “Look far and wide. Do some research into people working in (your) area and reach out to them. … You’d be surprised how many people are interested in helping you.”
The excerpt Jackson read aloud from her book focused on her swearing-in ceremony for her seat on the Supreme Court. She swore on the Jackson family Bible and the famed John Marshall Harlan Bible, which every Supreme Court justice has signed since 1906.
The combination of the two Bibles, Jackson said, is symbolic of an “unlikely journey” to the nation’s highest court — one belonging to a Black family who overcame difficult upbringings in segregated periods of U.S. history, and the other belonging to the sole dissenter of the landmark case Plessy v. Ferguson that allowed “separate but equal” institutions segregated by race.
Jackson’s parents, Johnny and Ellery Brown, grew up in Florida during the 1950s and early 1960s at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
“My parents, who had participated in the Civil Rights Movement, were proud,” Jack
The
Student living complex Redpoint Oxford, formerly known as College Town Oxford, notified students by email on Wednesday, Nov. 12 that it is discontinuing its shuttle service at the end of the month. The loss of the service means beloved shuttle bus driver Ruel Vaughn, known as Mr. Pete, will be out of a job.
“It is really hard to talk about. This job makes me so happy,” Vaughn said.
Some Redpoint residents, such as Abigail Goldsworthy, mourned Vaughn’s departure. The junior finance major called the bus driver her “honorary grandpa.”
“Mr. Pete has been family to me for the past two years; he’s always been one call away and someone we’ve been able to talk to,” Goldsworthy said. “He always takes the time to know us
really well. He’s met our parents; he remembers our birthdays; he brought us candy for Halloween; he goes above and beyond to make us all feel special.”
The shuttle service, run by the company Rebel Ride, provides Redpoint residents with transportation to and from the Square on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, as well as to and from campus on home game Saturdays. Oxford-University Transit (OUT) will replace the shuttle system on Nov. 30, but Vaughn, an 80-year-old military veteran, says his official last day is Friday, Nov. 21.
Redpoint declined The Daily Mississippian’s requests for comment. Vaughn previously served in the U.S. Army and worked in the railroad industry for 38 years. Bored with retirement,
Members of the Associated Student Body filled the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union auditorium on Tuesday night as they packed Thanksgiving meal boxes for ASB’s Adopt-A-Basket program.
Students volunteered their time to sort canned goods and ingredients that started being distributed on Wednesday by the Department of Facilities Management to University of Mississippi employees and members of the Lafayette-Oxford-University (LOU) community in time for Thanksgiving.
Kennedy Marrs, a junior Southern studies major from Bentonville, Ark., and ASB’s director of community service, said
the organization began preparing for this event months in advance.
“We started planning in the summer, so we’ve been really well prepared for it,” Marrs said.
ASB started collecting donations in late September, with items stored in the ASB office and in hundreds of boxes donated by Home Depot in Marrs’ home garage. Sophia Jaqubino, a junior Southern studies major from Huntsville, Ala., and ASB’s director of philanthropy, said community support made the growth possible.
“Home Depot was so generous and gave us 300 boxes,” Jaqubino said. “People have been super generous and helpful to us, and we’re really grateful.” Jaqubino said last year’s Adopt-A-Basket produced 206
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
CHANCE
Ruel “Mr. Pete” Vaughn stands in front of his bus at Redpoint Oxford on Nov. 2.
OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
TATUM STEWART
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son said. “They made it a part of my upbringing to teach me about our history and our heritage.”
They gave her an African name — Ketanji Onyika — translating to “Lovely One,” which became the title of her memoir.
Jackson said that growing up in a multicultural, supportive background has kept her grounded and is a crucial part of her success.
Jackson’s grandparents were raised in Georgia and did not receive much formal education.
“One day, when I was about seven to eight years old, I remember going to (my grandmother’s) house and going over to the sink to wash my hands. There was a napkin in there and all the words were misspelled,” Jackson said. “I thought this was so funny, and I took it to my mom to show her what I saw, and she was livid.”
Her mother’s reaction, however, turned what Jackson thought was a humorous moment into a valuable lesson learned.
“That was the first time
MR. PETE
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he began working as a bus driver. He drove a school bus for a few years and has worked with Redpoint for more than five years.
Vaughn cites the University of Mississippi students as the highlight of his Redpoint employment.
“My favorite part of my job is the kids,” Vaughn said. “I get to meet so many amazing students and hear about their lives. Some of them I get to see go through their last few years of school.”
Vaughn often works beyond the regular shuttle service hours of 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. to ensure that Red-
that … I learned the importance of my head and not looking down on people — to be fortunate,” Jackson said.
Students praise event’s impact
The event was organized by the Office of the Provost, Division of Student Affairs, Center for Student Success & FirstYear Experience, University & Public Events, Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, the UM School of Law, University Police Department, University Marketing & Communications, Columns Society and Random House Publishing.
Students enrolled in select EDHE courses and students majoring in criminal justice, legal studies, public policy leadership or international studies were invited to attend the event. Invitations were also sent to students with pre-law status, as well as to UM School of Law faculty, staff and EDHE instructors.
Senior public policy leadership major and Ole Miss College Republicans Chairman Tres Jones moderated the event
point residents return home safely.
“A lot of people don’t like this job, but I love getting to sleep in and work late at night,” Vaughn said. “The people make it easier.”
Bella Barron, a Redpoint resident and senior integrated marketing communications major, testified to Vaughn’s commitment to the students — not just a paycheck.
“He doesn’t care about the money; he just cares about us,” Barron said. “We have been on the Square past the hours the service is offered, and he still picks us up because he cares so much about making sure we get home safe.”
Vaughn left such an impression on Goldsworthy, Barron and their roommates that the group decided to take action.
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alongside first-year law student Madison McKee. This event, Jones said, reflects positively on the university’s prominence.
“I really think Ole Miss is on the map,” Jones said. “I know there’s been some big names here, whether it’s for the football games or just other events on campus, but I think it really just shows that Ole Miss is important to the time.”
McKee viewed the event as a rare chance to see a high-ranking public official out of the spotlight.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for really anybody,” McKee said. “You don’t just get to have a Supreme Court justice come to Mississippi of all places. So, it’s really special to get to be in the same room with somebody like that who doesn’t keep themselves up so high that you can’t interact.”
Many students who attended the event left inspired by Jackson’s message, including Zachary Rifkin, a sophomore international studies and public policy leadership major from Hattiesburg, Miss.
“I think it’s an inspiration to have such an esteemed individual come to campus and to really
“We set up a GroupMe and encouraged people to email Redpoint and Scion. We made a QR (code) that you could scan with a pre-written email. We even made signs saying ‘Keep Pete’ for the QR code to go with,” Goldsworthy said.
Scion is a student housing company that has ownership of four student-living communities in Oxford: Redpoint, Lark Oxford, The Heritage Collection and Archive Oxford.
Goldsworthy is a student marketer for Red Bull, and her job has helped her spread the word. The quartet of Goldsworthy and her roommates have gone door-todoor through Redpoint offering free Red Bull drinks as an incentive to send an email in support of Mr. Pete’s continued employment.
“I told my manager about the issue, and she was in full support. So we set up a Google Form where you can submit a screenshot of your email and be entered to win a free 24pack of Red Bull,” Goldsworthy said.
The GroupMe, which has accumulated members that are both residents of Redpoint and non-residents, has united more than 100 members since it was formed on Nov. 4, when Vaughn texted the quartet of women individually to let them know of his employment termination.
Despite their efforts, the team behind the GroupMe has not heard back from Redpoint.
Goldsworthy and her roommates’ bond with Vaughn runs
teach future generations about what to expect and give advice on what we should do going forward,” Rifkin said. “She spoke a lot about mentorship, and I think that’s really important. … There’s a lot of opportunity on campus that echoes the sentiments that she delivered tonight.”
J.T. Cunningham, a freshman political science major from Nazareth, Penn., was most interested in Jackson’s reflections on her career across levels of the federal courts.
“I love learning about people who are in positions of power and make decisions that affect millions and millions of people throughout the United States, because it’s important to learn how decision makers and policymakers — which judges really are since they do affect policy on the federal, state and even local level — how they’re making those decisions on the inside and what thoughts they have on their own decision-making strategies,” Cunningham said.
The power of one word
While education has been
deep, and it means more people than the bus driver will be leaving come time for lease renewal.
“I am not re-signing my lease next year because Mr. Pete is not going to be there,” Goldsworthy said.
One roommate of Goldsworthy and Barron, senior finance major Skyler Alberts, says she is unsure she trusts the OUT system as much as she trusts Vaughn.
“I know this new service will try to keep things safe, but we just don’t have the comfortability and trust that we have with Mr. Pete,” Alberts said.
Alberts furthered her defense of Vaughn. She said she once left her phone on the shuttle, and Vaughn turned the bus around to return it to her.
“Yes, he’s so much fun, but from a safety perspective, that is truly what he cares about the most. He knows all of our unit numbers, and for us girls he will drop us off right in front of our house,” Alberts said.
Many parents of Redpoint residents trust Vaughn with their children’s safety, too. Georgia Balfour’s mother, Claire, sent an email to The Daily Mississippian, expressing her admiration for Vaughn.
“Pete is a lifeline for so many of these students. I personally have ridden on his bus and enjoyed knowing and talking with him. It is so apparent how much he loves these kids and cares about their livelihoods,” Claire Balfour said. “He is not just any shuttle bus driver. HE IS PETE!”
a defining part of Jackson’s success, she focused on persistence as another. Jackson recalled an unforgettable moment that occurred as she walked through Harvard Yard during her freshman year of college.
“I think I was really kind of wondering if I had made the right decision to go there. … Walking through the (Harvard) Yard, a Black woman walking past me on the path leaned over to me and said, ‘Persevere,’” Jackson said. When asked what her “oneword whisper” to students would be today, she said she tells others to have gratitude.
“Understand that you are so privileged to be at a university like this one,” Jackson said. “If you think about gratitude, I think that really is a helpful way to go through life. Reflect on these words and (let them) resonate with your experience at the University of Mississippi.” Jessica Johnson contributed reporting.
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Vaughn’s 80th birthday, which was Nov. 9 — eight days after he received news that he was fired — was celebrated by the team of college women supporting him.
“We wanted to give Mr. Pete a gift for his 80th birthday, so we all pitched in money to get him a gift card to his favorite restaurant. I drove 40 minutes to his house to give it to him, and he invited me into his home. I met his wife and sat and talked with them for three hours,” Barron said. On his birthday, Vaughn was called into work, but even then, he donned a smile.
“I texted him ‘happy birthday,’ and I asked him if he was getting the birthday dinner he told us about. And he said, ‘No, I got called into work,’” Georgia Balfour said. “I responded (by) telling him I was sorry to hear that, and he said, ‘I love it. I am happy I get to drive some students today.’”
Despite the efforts made by the Repoint resident community and beyond, Vaughn maintains his humility.
“I just want to do my job the right way,” Vaughn said. “I don’t think there is anything special about me. I just really care about the students who ride my bus.”
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Ruel “Mr. Pete” Vaughn takes the wheel of his bus in the Redpoint Oxford parking lot on Nov 2.
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LOGAN KENNEDY A&C Staff Writer
Let’s get lit: Oxford Square plugs into the holiday spirit
The City of Oxford hosted this year’s “Lighting of the Square” on Thursday, Nov. 13, illuminating the town center to mark the beginning of the holiday season.
Oxford residents packed the Square, with crowds stretching down the roads and filling the sidewalks. Lights were hung from the Lafayette County Courthouse in the center of the Square to surrounding buildings. Trees were decorated with Christmas lights, and City Hall was adorned with white lights outlining the trim of the building.
Lifelong Oxford resident Wendy Bullard-Smith was impressed with this year’s lighting and said she liked this one better than last year’s.
“I come every year. (I was) born and raised in Oxford,” Bullard-Smith said. “Every -
thing looked beautiful this year, better than last year. (There were) a lot more people this year, which makes it more fun. The lighting first started years ago with little buildings, then they brought back the canopy of lights like they did in the old days.”
Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill reintroduced the canopy of lights from the courthouse to surrounding buildings on the Square after she was first elected to office in 2017.
The Oxford Civic Chorus sang Christmas carols before the lights were turned on to get the crowd in the holiday spirit. Santa and Mrs. Claus also made an appearance, walking around the Square and talking to attendees. Many families took pictures with Santa outside of City Hall following the lighting.
Kinney Ferris, executive director of Visit Oxford, shared how much the
Christmas lighting means to Visit Oxford and the city.
“We’re proud to see our snow-globe town shine each holiday season and deeply appreciate the many hours of planning and hard work from all city departments, especially our buildings and grounds team,” Ferris said.
The city began work on the holiday scene in early September, stringing 30,000 Christmas lights and seven miles of wire, according to reporting from Caitlyn Salus from Newswatch.
UM students Jack Greer, a freshman studies major, and Alex Bleich, a freshman allied health studies major, joined in
the festivities at the lighting of the Square for the first time.
“It is magical — that is really the only word to describe it,” Greer said. “We like how all the lights are hung to connect to the middle of the Square.”
Bleich was pleasantly overwhelmed by the holiday spirit.
“We are in the process of walking around and taking it all in,” Bleich said.
Others, like Brinkley Boswell, a senior integrated marketing communications major, have come to the event previously and enjoyed this display of lights just as much.
“It’s so magical,” Boswell said. “It’s just a little snowglobe town and I love it. This
is the first time I have been back since my freshman year, so it was great to come back and see all of the lights.”
Oxford’s Square will remain an idyllic holiday scene for the rest of the year. The lights are usually turned off in early January, but the date has not been decided on at the time of publication.
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Members of the Oxford Civic Chorus sing Christmas carols during the “Lighting of the Square” on Nov. 13.
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Santa Claus greets children during the “Lighting of the Square” on Nov 13.
MADISON TWIDDY / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Society of Women Engineers overcomes university funding cuts, raises $20,000
P.B. JERNIGAN A&C Staff Writer
The University of Mississippi’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) raised $20,000 to pay for its members to attend the National Society of Women Engineers Conference in New Orleans last month. In doing so, the group overcame significant funding cuts through creative revenue-raising efforts.
Like every other registered student organization (RSO) at the university, SWE lost anticipated revenue due to a freeze on the Student Activity Fee, which prior to this year distributed activity fees charged to each enrolled student among RSOs to pay for organizational events and activities.
The freeze on funding was instituted by the university after Gov. Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1193 into law, which prohibits K-12 and postsecondary schools in Mississippi from maintaining “any programs, including academic programs or courses, or offices that promote or endorse divisive concepts or concepts promoting transgender ideology, gender-neutral pronouns, heteronormativity, gender theory, sexual privilege or any related formulation of these concepts.” Though the Mississippi attorney general stated in an opinion that this law exempts RSOs, it does not exempt student activity fees, which are labeled state funds.
In light of SAF cuts, the chapter had only eight weeks to hit their fundraising goal of $20,000 to send 23 members to the national conference. The two-day annual conference includes professional development workshops and one of the world’s largest career fairs for STEM students.
“We try to cover everything
ADOPT-A-BASKET
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meal boxes, and ASB expects to surpass that number once the final count is completed after the event.
To determine need, ASB contacted multiple campus departments to ask how many employees could benefit from a basket. After each employee receives a basket, the leftovers will be sent to either Grove Grocery or the Oxford Food Pantry.
“It’s truly been amazing,” Jaqubino said. “I’m blown away not just by the donations, but by how fast people are working. They didn’t
from food, transportation and a hotel, so that was where the fundraising came in,” SWE President Maria Argote de la Torre, a senior biomedical engineering major from Guadalajara, Mexico, said. “For this year, it was kind of piece-mealing things together because of how short-term it was.”
Argote de la Torre emphasized the importance of the opportunity for members to attend the event.
“This is where a lot of our members go and try to find internships, co-ops and full-time jobs,” Argote de la Torre said. “So this is a double-edged kind of opportunity for development for them.”
Vice President of SWE Camille Newman, a senior mechanical engineering major from Pass Christian, Miss., detailed creative fundraising efforts through donations, percentage days with local businesses and designing buttons for tailgates at the Grove.
“We called just about every restaurant and cafe in town asking about profit-share days, reaching out to corporate sponsors and asking for donations in exchange for game day buttons,” Newman said. “We started to gain some momentum around week three and were slowly piecing together the funds.”
Through all of these efforts, SWE was able to meet and exceed the goal of $20,000.
Claudia Pieroni, a senior computer science major from Madison, Miss., who attended the conference, spoke of her reaction to the funding cuts.
“It was disheartening hearing about the funding cuts, and we fully prepared to fund the trip out of pocket,” Pieroni said. “Our SWE leadership team and sponsors did an amazing job organizing fundraising events to reach our goal of going
just donate — they showed up.”
Many of the evening’s volunteers were students eager to help ahead of Thanksgiving.
Savannah Smith, a sophomore allied health studies major, said the event reminded her of work she did with food pantries growing up.
“We are so blessed, and it’s amazing to give back,” Smith said. “Being able to give someone food they can serve their family spreads love and gratitude.”
Brooke Jankowsky, a senior management and marketing major from Macomb County, Mich., and a twice-elected UM School of Business senator, said Adopt-A-Basket was one of the
to the conference fully funded.”
Newman expressed pride in the chapter’s determination to succeed and overcoming of the funding challenges on such short notice.
“We refused to think about the ‘what ifs,’ charged ahead, and we made it happen,” Newman said. “This was, by far, one of the most challenging and stressful things I have ever taken on, and I am honored to have been a part of the group who overcame these challenges.”
Pieroni also spoke of her experience attending the conference and the opportunities offered there.
“As an upcoming graduate, I am looking not only for job opportunities within my field but also a good way to network in my field,” Pieroni said. “The SWE National Conferences always cultivate that space for me. This year, my main focus was on the career fair, and I spoke to different companies and even had interviews there in the building.”
Victoria Esparza, a senior mechanical engineering major from Flowood, Miss., attended the conference and echoed Pieroni’s sentiment about the opportunities there.
“My experience at the conference was nothing other than amazing,” Esparza said. “I was able to get to talk to so many different companies in a variety of industries to share my work experience and skills that I’ve attained from studying at the university.”
SWE focuses on professional development and building a sense of community to teach its members the fundamentals for success in college and their careers. Argote de la Torre spoke of the organization’s openness to membership.
“Anyone is welcome to join the forum, regardless of major or gender identity,” Argote de la Torre said. “It’s the Society of Women En-
first volunteer efforts she joined after transferring from community college in Michigan last year.
“I’ve been trying to donate as much as I can food-wise, and I’m excited to participate again,” Jankowsky said. “We did hundreds and hundreds of boxes last year, and I’d estimate we’re already in the hundreds tonight.”
Jankowsky emphasized that the program is open to anyone — not just ASB members.
“You don’t have to be in ASB to participate,” Jankowsky said. “I’d love to see more campus organizations get involved in the future to maximize the impact for students, faculty and staff who benefit from these baskets.”
The boxes, filled with Thanksgiving staples such as canned vegetables, sweet potatoes, onions, sugars, spices and baking ingredients will be distributed throughout the week.
“Hunger is one of those invisible things on campus,” Jankowsky said. “We may never know who these baskets go to, but we know they’ll help someone enjoy a warm meal for the holiday.”
gineers and it’s about the advancement of women engineers, but we accept anyone that believes that it is a just cause to progress toward.”
The group meets every two weeks and alternates between professional development and fun events for members. Professional development opportunities include seminars, “Lunch and Learns”
with industry partners, resume reviews and career fair preparation. Some fun activities have included Friendsgiving, making friendship bracelets and creating vision boards.
Members of the Society of Women Engineers attend the National Society of Women Engineers Conference in New Orleans on Oct. 23-25.
White dresses or football jerseys?
What college football season means for wedding planners
WILSON ENGERISER Sports Staff Writer
Falling leaves, pumpkin patches and cool weather make autumn a pleasant atmosphere for a wedding. In the South, however, couples need to address another key factor: college football.
The Washington Post analyzed the number of fall weddings that took place in different regions of the country in 2024. It revealed a surprising difference in fall wedding frequency between the South and other parts of the United States.
“In the markets of the current SEC teams, 83% of idle Saturdays saw a higher frequency of weddings than the nationwide mark for that day, ” Washington Post sports writer Emily Giambalvo reported.
Moreover, the researchers found that within each SEC team’s local market, weddings on home game weekends were less common than other weekends.
“For 13 of 16 SEC teams, the average wedding frequency in their markets was higher on the Saturdays they played away or neutral-site games than on the dates of home matchups,” Giambalvo wrote.
The Jefferson is a special events venue in Oxford that serves as a popular wedding space for Ole Miss graduates, Oxonians and Southern devotees alike. In an interview with The Daily Mississippian, The Jefferson’s venue manager, Amanda Victory, discussed how the venue manages fall weddings during football season.
“If you’re not from here or didn’t go to school here, people don’t necessarily understand how much this town revolves around the football season in the fall,” Victory said. “We definitely have couples we’ve worked with that
didn’t go to school here and don’t understand just how deep the SEC runs with that loyalty for football.”
Victory brought up one specific example of a game day wedding. The bride, Victory said, was a diehard football fan and ensured that her wedding incorporated her passion.
“She said to her bridal party, ‘I know you’re not Ole Miss fans, but we are having TVs during the wedding,’” Victory said. “And she did. She had a TV in the cocktail room and in the reception space playing the game.”
A substantial factor in planning weddings on home football weekends is the logistics of working around the increased number of people in Oxford.
“(There) are not as many weddings on home game weekends, just because of the challenges in town with hotels and just being able to get people here,” Victory said.
While some may think planning a wedding around football is a silly idea, for Ole Miss fans, it is the norm.
“Especially if they (couples) have met at Ole Miss, that’s so important to their story,” Victory said. “I think you see a lot of small touches of it (Ole Miss fandom), and you probably notice it more if you went to school here, and you understand traditions from here.”
For Victory and The Jefferson, football affects their business, but they are still ample opportunities for weddings.
“We probably do not necessarily (have) fewer weddings because, if it’s an away game weekend, sometimes there’s the opportunity for a wedding on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Victory said.
Elizabeth Landers is the events coordinator at Plein Air, and a big part of her job is planning weddings.
“We also have cottage rentals,
and so on football weekends they get booked, but the (wedding) venue doesn’t really get booked unless it’s like a Friday night event,” Landers said. “But on away games, we have something every weekend.”
Even when games are away, die-hard football fans still find a way to tune it to their favorite teams from the venue.
“We have a TV upstairs in the venue. We had a wedding, it was Oct. 4 and they had football on,” Landers said. “And so, if it’s an away game we will have multiple events.”
Victory recalled one year when Georgia was playing a New Year’s Six bowl and, after the ceremony, attendees had to watch the game.
“We moved this TV into the ceremony space, and the ball games played the rest of the night,” Victory said. “And so you would see guests be out here on the dance floor, and then you just kind of see (them) trickling in and out of the ceremo-
ny space, watching the ball game.”
Some Rebel fans bundle together their romances with their love for football. During the Ole Miss game against The Citadel on Nov. 8, nursing student Madison Barnette served as a placeholder for her boyfriend, the former Ole Miss pole vaulter Drew O’Connor, who looked to be attempting a field goal.
Insteadofnailingthekick,O’Connor tapped Barnette on the shoulder, then knelt and proposed to her.
After the proposal, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin ran out onto the field to sneak into the picture of the two newly engaged fans.
O’Connor spent more than three months planning the surprise proposal, but in an interview with The Daily Mississippian, Barnette said that this photobomb was a surprise.
“It absolutely was amazing, and at first I didn’t realize. I was in shock,” Barnette said. “I was expecting to go onto the football field and for us to just hustle back
to our seats, but then I felt someone hugging us from behind and, with all the adrenaline, I wasn’t really paying attention. But then I turned around and see him (Kiffin) walking away and was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that was Lane Kiffin.’”
If the couple decides on a fall wedding, it will have to be on a bye week or during an away game.
“If we have a wedding in the fall, we’re definitely going to have some projectors of some fall football going on,” Barnette said.
After Kiffin’s impromptu appearance at their engagement, the couple extended a wedding-related offer to the Rebel head coach.
“Madison and I are both open to Lane Kiffin getting ordained for the wedding and officiating it,” O’Connor said.
Students are excited for a potential College Football Playoff game in Oxford
KATELYNN DIEHL Sports Staff Writer
As Ole Miss Football inches closer to a College Football Playoff berth, one thing has become increasingly clear: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium could host a playoff game in the near future, and many University of Mississippi students believe this would be an experience like no other.
“I believe having a College Football Playoff game in Oxford would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” freshman elementary education major Ryleigh Sims said.
“The game would have a whole different vibe than normal. The energy would be huge, and people would show up and be loud.”
As with all Ole Miss home games, the festivities would begin in the heart of campus and the
engine of the tailgate: the Grove.
“The atmosphere of a playoff game would be insane,” freshman pharmaceutical science major Shelby Holt said. “I think lots of people would come, and the Grove would be busier than ever.”
The Grove could easily be filled before morning, lined with tents, chandeliers and thousands of fans in the designated color of the game.
“I would arrive at the Grove four hours early,” Ben Watts, a freshman civil engineering major from Flora, Miss., said. “Depending on who we would end up playing, this could be one of the biggest games ever, and I would want to experience every minute of it.”
Paige Moreau, a junior multidisciplinary studies major from Austin, Texas, plans on travelling back to Oxford for the game, despite being so far from home.
“If a playoff game was held in Oxford over (the semester) break, I would absolutely go,” Moreau said. “I would be traveling from my hometown which is about 11 hours away.”
Inside the stadium, the experience would only intensify.
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium might be on the smaller side of college stadiums with a capacity of 64,038, but that is part of what makes it unique.
Last week against Florida, fans were packed in shoulder-to-shoulder, raising their voices to amp up the pressure on Gator third downs. There were 68,138 fans in the Vaught — the largest attendance in the stadium’s history. At the end of the game, chants of “belt to a–” swept through the student section as students swung and snapped their belts.
The flashy additions of the pregame light show and the mid-game drone show also kept the crowd engaged. Those kinds of productions are allowed at home playoff games; however, video board content will be controlled by the NCAA, with the exception of introduction videos.
According to the NCAA, host teams must adhere to all NCAA policies regarding signage, advertising and promotions before and during the game. The NCAA also provides a run-of-show and script of all ingame events and announcements. Still, the Florida game showed
what the Ole Miss fans and the athletics department are capable of.
The Rebel faithful showed up for the Florida game, and head coach Lane Kiffin believes he knows why.
“Like I’ve always said, I wish our fans would be the way they are at LSU games because they hate LSU,” Kiffin said in his postgame press conference on Saturday, Nov. 15. “So, I guess we got them to hate Florida this week. So, they came with a little different, not ‘Mississippi nice’ like they do sometimes.”
While Ole Miss fans may not necessarily hate whoever their team is paired against in the playoffs, they appear to be ready to head back to campus for the game.
While the details of the playoff game at Ole Miss remain hypothetical, the anticipation among students and fans reflects how excited the community is. Thousands are ready for a moment when football playoffs reach Oxford — a moment that would mark a new chapter in the university’s history.
Madison Barnette hugs her fiancé, Drew O’Connor, after he proposes in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Nov. 8.
REAGAN KURTZ / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Fans walk toward Vaught-Hemingway Stadium before the game against LSU on Sept. 27.
Ole Miss aims to cap regular season with Egg Bowl victory
EVAN HUGGINS
Sports Staff Writer
After a gritty 34-24 win against Florida last weekend, No. 6 Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC) looks to keep rolling in Starkville, Miss., for the annual Egg Bowl against Mississippi State on Friday, Nov. 28.
Ole Miss moved past now-No. 10 Alabama in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings after the Crimson Tide’s 23-21 loss to thenNo. 11 Oklahoma. The Rebels now have a 99% chance to make the playoffs, according to Pro Football and Sports Network. Still, if Ole Miss wants to host a playoff game and keep its slim SEC Championship hopes alive, the Mississippi State game is a must-win.
The Rebels cannot be fooled by the Bulldogs’ 5-6 (1-6 SEC) record; anything can happen in a rivalry game. Last season, thenNo. 2 Ohio State — which went on to win the College Football Playoff — lost 13-10 at home against unranked Michigan. Mississippi State has lost the last two Egg Bowls and will be out for blood.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 49-27 loss to Missouri and have only one win in SEC play on the season. However, some of their
losses demonstrate that they are not a pushover for opposing teams.
The Bulldogs lost by only a touchdown in overtime at then-No. 15 Tennessee; they also dropped an overtime game to then-No. 22 Texas despite being ahead 31-14 at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Rebels failed to separate themselves early against a 3-6 (2-4 SEC) Florida team. Ole Miss trailed through three quarters before rallying in the fourth to win.
The Rebel defense struggled in the first half, yielding 24 points to the now-No. 15 offense in the SEC in terms of yards per game.
Furthermore, the play-calling raised some questions. Despite running back Kewan Lacy’s 224 rushing yards and three touchdowns, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. chose to go a different direction in some crucial moments. This included throwing a screen pass on Florida’s oneyard line on fourth down in the third quarter while down four. The pass was incomplete, and the Rebels turned the ball over on downs.
Weis also dialed up multiple screen passes the Gators immediately sniffed out and contained.
If the Rebels want to leave Starkville with a win, they will
need to lean on Lacy. In six of Ole Miss’ 10 wins, Lacy has logged 20 or more carries. He should be included heavily in the game plan against the worst-performing defense in the SEC (189.82 rushing yards allowed per game).
Besides hiccups in the first half against Florida, the Rebels’ defense has shown improvement since the Georgia game, when they allowed a score every time Georgia had the ball. After giving up 24 points in the first half to Florida, the Ole Miss defense shut out the Gators in the second half.
The bottom line is that this is a sneaky important game for Ole Miss. Though the Rebels’ only loss of the season came against then-No. 9 Georgia, they have only two wins among teams currently ranked within the CFP poll’s Top 25, and their strength of schedule is only No. 34 in the country.
If the Rebels win, they are comfortably a playoff team and will almost definitely host a firstround game. If they lose, though, there is a chance that they drop out of the playoff race altogether — and nothing could mend a disgruntled Mississippi State’s ego quite like ruining Ole Miss’ playoff dreams at the last moment.
The Egg Bowl kicks off on Friday, Nov. 28 at 11 a.m. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 with no repeats.
REESE JOHNSON / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
MAIA DUSSELDORP / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Got a taboo topic? Let’s talk about it.
“Spill raunch and woe until the faces at the table next to you flush crimson. Carry yourself with the vulnerability required to be human and do it unabashedly.”
LOGAN DURLEY
Opinion Staff Writer
Not long ago, I found myself in the lobby of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College having a conversation with a close friend about a topic that I have always found uncomfortable: mental health.
It was a truly wonderful dialogue, with each of us gaining a deeper understanding of each other and an awareness of our vulnerabilities, such as flaws in friendships and anxieties over the trivial.
However, I could not shake the discomfort I had felt and why I had felt it. When had I developed such an aversion to the taboo and expressions of vulnerability? To what extent was this discomfort inhibiting the development of my interpersonal relationships?
As social connection decreases throughout the nation, due to a combination of declining social participation, demographic shifts and increases in technological usage, there is an increasing necessity to make our conversations less comfortable,
deeper, more awkward — and more real. Surpassing superficiality and making conversations memorable is how we truly connect with each other and build meaningful relationships.
If you are struggling with mental health, reach out to a friend. If you are struggling with addiction, tell a loved one. If you had a horrible or amazing date, encounter, dinner, exam, tailgate, etcetera — tell someone.
For so long I danced around these confessions for fear of being seen as needy or difficult, or for fear that the slightest taste of human authenticity would scatter those around me to the wind. My pursuit of an ideal perception led me to adopt one entirely foreign to me.
Shed that polite predisposition and embrace awkwardness.
Spill raunch and woe until the faces at the table next to you flush crimson. Carry yourself with the vulnerability required to be human and do it unabashedly.
Modern connection is a paradox: We crave closeness yet flinch at the exposure it requires. We must reconcile that
there is grace in the grotesque and opportunity to be found in the mess of discomfort.
One immutable fact of life I have had to accept is that there is no value in pursuing multitudes of friendships when all we really need are a few good friends.
Conversation is the medium through which we tackle this endeavor, and I promise that unconventional conversation and transgressing your comfort zone are a means to ensure you find friends that will last.
Skipping the road test was a mistake. Mississippi should fix
it.
“In a state where the stakes are this high, the very least we can do is make sure new drivers know what they’re doing.”
MACKENZIE MCDARIES
Opinion Staff Writer
Every year, more than 40,000 Americans are killed in car crashes, as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Unfortunately, this is more likely to happen in Mississippi than anywhere else in the country.
The Magnolia State is ranked first in the nation for fatal car accidents per capita, with 24.9 motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
A likely reason for this high rate of fatal wrecks is Mississippi’s poor infrastructure, which contributes to the danger on the roads. The state ranks second for the worst road conditions in the U.S., with 29.85% of roads deemed “unacceptable” by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
So when Mississippi weakened its licensing requirements in 2021 by removing the road test, it raised an important question: Why lower standards in a place where driving is already so dangerous?
For many students who grew
up in states where road tests are standard, Mississippi’s policy seems counterintuitive and baffling. Freshman communication sciences and disorders major Libby Frank from Houston complained that driving in Oxford is “much more difficult” than back home in Texas, where a road test is required.
And it isn’t just out-of-state students who are frustrated. Many Mississippi residents say the lack of basic driving knowledge is obvious. Emily Barnes, a freshman international studies major from Hattiesburg, Miss., said many drivers in Oxford “don’t seem to know simple rules like a four-way stop sequence.”
Others have experienced the consequences firsthand. Sophomore political science major Loria Williams from Madison, Miss., commented, “I dread driving in Oxford,” adding that her car was hit while it was completely stationary within her first six months of living here.
Road tests are not about punishing new drivers; rather, they are about making sure people are actually prepared.
Asher Cook, a freshman Arabic and international studies major
from St. Louis, failed his road test three times before passing.
“It forced me to learn everything there is to know about being a safe and effective driver,” Cook said.
Now, he said he is often complimented on his driving, which he attributes to the effort required to earn his license in Missouri.
Even students who don’t fault the removal of the road test agree that Mississippi’s safety standards are alarmingly low.
Junior political science major Jackson O’Neil, also from Houston, argued, “The driving test being taken out isn’t the actual problem.” He says the real issue lies in the state’s 2015 decision to get rid of vehicle inspections for safety and emissions.
“It doesn’t matter how good of a driver you are if the other drivers around you are driving an unsafe vehicle on unsafe roads that are poorly lit, if at all,” O’Neil said.
O’Neil’s point only strengthens the case for reinstating the road test. In a state with hazardous roads, limited lighting and no vehicle safety inspections, the responsibility of the driver is higher than ever.
Opinion Policies: Columns do not represent the views of The University of Mississippi or The Daily
emailed to thedmopinion@gmail.com. Letters should be no
pseudonyms or no name will not be published. Letters are limited to one per
the university, if applicable.
Mississippi’s roads are uniquely dangerous, as the state has repeatedly chosen to lower safety standards on vehicles, roads and drivers. In a state where the stakes are this high, the very least we can do is make sure new drivers know what they’re doing.
A road test won’t solve everything, but it’s a necessary first
step towards making Mississippi’s roads safer for everyone.
McDaries is a freshman Arabic and international studies double major from Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Logan Durley is a sophomore biological sciences major from Olive Branch, Miss.
GRACE ANN COURTNEY / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
MacKenzie
ANNA GRILLETTA / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
RESULTS & BENEFITS
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