MISSISSIPPIAN
Conservative students find way forward after Charlie Kirk’s death
CHANCE MARLOWE News Staff Writer
Before Turning Point USA
Founder and CEO Charlie Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, he was scheduled to appear on the University of Mississippi campus for “The American Comeback Tour” on Oct. 29.
According to Ole Miss TPUSA and Kirk’s wife, Erika, the tour stop at UM will proceed on the scheduled date at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion, but the featured speaker has not been announced.
Ole Miss TPUSA President and junior public policy leadership major Lesley Lachman did not share information about the Oct. 29 event’s featured speaker, but she offered her enthusiasm about what is in store.
“We are really excited for the future of Turning Point Ole Miss,” Lachman said to The Daily Mississippian. “We have a lot (planned). I think that the (national organiza-
tion has) provided extraordinary support, as well as social media influencers, social media presences reaching out to us directly. I think that’s
Three professors explain how they are using AI in their classrooms.
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UM student awarded
John Lewis Young Leaders Fellowship
AKAYLA HUGHES News Staff Writer
Tyren Boyd Jr., a senior public policy leadership and rhetoric, writing and speech communication double major from Indianola, Miss., was named one of the 16 fellows in the 202526 cohort of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights John Lewis Young Leaders (JLYL) fellowship pro-
gram on Monday, Aug 25. Boyd was chosen out of a field of more than 550 nationwide applicants for the Washington D.C.-based program and was awarded a $1,000 fellowship. Boyd became the first University of Mississippi
been overwhelming, and we’re just trying to sort it the way it is. But we definitely do see a huge speaker in the future.”
The university has not in-
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dicated any change in plans associated with the TPUSA tour stop after Kirk’s death.
“The safety and well-being of our campus communi-
ty is always our top priority,” Director of News and Media Relations for UM Jacob Batte said. “While we cannot share specific security measures for safety reasons, university police work closely with event organizers and public safety officials to uphold a safe and secure campus environment.”
The Daily Mississippian reached out to the University Police Department on Tuesday but did not receive a response before this story was published.
In the wake of Kirk’s death, UM conservative student organizations have hosted gatherings to honor him and decide their next steps.
On Tuesday evening, students gathered in Student Union Room 323 for the first official Ole Miss TPUSA meeting of the academic year. Many gathered in clusters outside the room before their first time attending one of the organization’s events. Freshman journalism major Sam Curry was more
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10
Is it time for another change of the Ole Miss mascot?
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Short-term rentals put pressure on
affordable housing market
A&C Editor
In February 2023, Emily McDougal, mother of a toddler, was moving. Again.
As Oxford housing costs increased over the years, McDougal found herself consistently priced out of rentals in the city and forced to move on a yearly basis since 2019.
“The lowest rent was $1,200 a month, and I wasn’t even making that much money a month,” McDougal said. “I’m a college graduate but struggled to find jobs.”
McDougal is not alone in
the struggle for affordable housing in Oxford. As both the population of the city and the student population at the University of Mississippi have continued to grow, more strain is put on the housing market, especially through the emergence of short-term rentals.
Short-term rentals have gained popularity as visitors flock in to watch Ole Miss Football in the fall or shop on the Square in the spring. Rentals of any residential housing unit or accessory
for
Isaiah Goss preaches during a vigil for Charlie Kirk in the Circle on Sept. 14.
OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
SEE CHARLIE KIRK PAGE 2
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emboldened to attend Ole Miss TPUSA meetings in solidarity after Kirk’s death.
“I grew up in a red family, and politics has intrigued me since the 2016 election,” Curry said. “I looked into it before I came here, obviously before the incident. But I wanted to show up, be a part of it. And it’s something I’ve always been excited for.”
Like others in attendance, Curry was personally affected by Kirk’s death, having been invested in Kirk’s faith and advocacy for free speech.
“It’s a terrible tragedy, and I was really upset about it,” Curry said. “I was on the verge of tears, honestly, not because I knew him but because growing up interested in politics, it made me upset. I kind of looked up to the guy. I obviously didn’t believe in all his ideas, but he was just open to speaking his opinion. He was a big Christian, and that’s something I strive to become. I think he was shot voicing his opinion on stuff, and I think that’s messed up.”
The impact of Kirk’s faith has been a key focus for the Ole Miss TPUSA chapter. The Tuesday meeting began with prepared statements from the organization’s two advisers, UM Professor of Geology and Geological Engineering Gregg Davidson and Lucian Minor Chair of Accountancy and Associate Professor Victoria Dickinson, who spoke extensively on this topic after opening with a group prayer.
“As most of you know, I should say Charlie was not a conservative who happened to also be a Christian. His faith was the most important way of his life,” Davidson said at the Tuesday meeting. “It was integral in everything he did, as reflected remarkably in a question that was posed to him very recently, where he was asked, ‘What do you want to be remembered for?’ And he did not say, ‘For building a national organization with hundreds of employees and thousands of volunteers.’
He did not say, ‘For becoming a household name in politics.’ He did not say, ‘For getting a president (re-elected).’ He said that ‘I would be remembered for being courageous for my faith.’”
Dickinson extended the emphasis on Kirk’s faith to how those in attendance should act after his death.
“So the world is watching us, right? Everyone’s watching us,” Dickinson said. “We see all of the videos where people are misbehaving, and we’re going to rise to be better than what we’re seeing. Let’s show them how to go forward with the full faith and confidence in our Lord, just as Charlie would have wanted us to do.”
These sentiments were a continuation of those expressed at Sunday night’s vigil for Kirk at the Circle, at which students prayed, sang hymns and listened to speakers who referenced numerous Bible verses as they sought to tie Kirk’s work to the gospel.
Kirk often spoke publicly about his faith at events on college campuses, at various conferences and on social media.
In an email describing the
vigil, which was a collaboration of Ole Miss College Republicans, Rebels for Life, Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) and Ole Miss TPUSA, UM’s YAF chapter described the vigil as “a powerful and uplifting event for our campus community” at which students showed “support not only for Charlie and his family but also for one another.”
Isaiah Goss, a senior public policy leadership, spoke passionately at the vigil. He reflected on the vigil’s purpose and attendance.
“We didn’t know how big it was going to be. We just wanted to do something, and we knew that, most impor-
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tantly, we just wanted to honor Charlie — and his mission was to share Jesus,” Goss said.
Despite the presence of prayer, Davidson stated, TPUSA is not an exclusively religious organization.
“Turning Point was never intended by Charlie or the team that he established to be exclusive to those that are professing Christian faith,” Davidson said to those gathered at the Tuesday meeting. “If you value conservative principles, if you desire a return to the foundational principles of our founding fathers, or if you’re just curious about all of this and learning more, or whether you’re from any race or nation on Earth, you will find a place of acceptance here.”
In an address to those in attendance, Lachman spoke of the political legacy left by Kirk, which served the central purpose for the organization.
“This is the Gen Z wave of conservatism — that’s why you’re in this room,” Lachman said. “That’s what we’re going to continue, and that’s the legacy left behind that we’re going to continue to push every day. On the campus of Ole Miss, I’d say it’s traditionally conservative, but I’d say as college campuses move, we want to continue that passion. We want to bring that forward. There will be pushback, always, but now more than ever, the push is on, the game is on and the red wave is rising.”
Ole Miss TPUSA saw recent events as an opportunity to embolden their causes.
“Now, there’s a little bit of
a challenge in America with this idea of brainwashing our generation and thinking that the liberal way is the way to go, but that has been proven wrong,” Lachman said. “And if this recent death didn’t prove that, I don’t know what did.” Davidson tapped into this narrative by offering a perspective on faculty political stances.
“Probably many of you have experienced that faculty are largely leftist and hostile towards your beliefs,” Davidson said.
Ole Miss TPUSA and students with newfound interest in the organization mourn Kirk’s loss and look forward to the chapter’s future. Sophomore finance major Chris Troy shared in this somber optimism.
“I think they’re doing a great job, and I’m really looking forward to this next year,” Troy said. “I think that what happened last week and all the events recently are going to be a catalyst for a lot of great things in the future. It’s really unfortunate that that’s how it happened, but I think a lot of good is going to come from such a tragic thing.”
Having witnessed this recent growth, Lachman agreed.
“I’d say this is a movement, and Charlie’s death only made people realize that they want to be more involved,” Lachman said.
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Students link arms during a vigil for Charlie Kirk in the Circle on Sept. 14.
OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Student wears a Trump hat while attending a vigil for Charlie Kirk in the Circle on Sept. 14.
OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
a short period of time, typically less than 30 days, qualify as short-term rentals.
It is a lucrative business practice for many property owners, but these shortterm rentals increase market prices and diminish long-term rental availability.
What the current market looks like
As of September 2025, there are more than 1,300 Airbnb listings and 680 VRBO listings in Oxford.
The short-term rental management company with the most listings in Oxford is Velvet Ditch Villas, according to AirDNA. Velvet Ditch Villas founder and CEO Ashley Freeman manages more than 130 short-term rental listings. Her business started as a way for her to afford living in the city.
In 2014, Freeman listed her five-bedroom house in Oxford on Airbnb to increase her income as a single mother. In that year alone, she made $25,000 from renting it out during football weekends and graduation.
While some Oxford homeowners still rent out their primary residence, Freeman says the majority of the properties she manages are owned by people whose primary residence is not in Oxford.
“Expectations have changed so much for these travelers and renters,” Freeman said. “They don’t want to go into a house that’s got personal items or things in the closet. They want to come into a place that’s serene, peaceful and decluttered. That changed the game for a lot of homeowners here in Oxford that were just trying to make an extra buck.”
Additionally, in some cases, people will purchase properties to curb visit costs. Freeman said this is especially common among the parents of students at the University of Mississippi.
“There’s these parents that come in that won’t have a place to stay when they visit their kids because, heaven forbid, it costs an arm and a leg just to come visit your children for a weekend,” Freeman said. “If you’re spending $3,000 every time you come down to see your kids and you want to come two or three times (a semester), that’s a big chunk of change that you could save making a long-term investment.”
In turn, these vacation homes become short-term rentals, many of which stay vacant for most of the year.
In an AirDNA press release, Oxford topped the list of markets with lowest occupancy rate for short-term rentals at 34.9% for the fall quarter of 2023. A year later, the rate had not improved much, sitting at an average of 33.3% for the calendar year of 2024.
Underneath the list, AirDNA notes, “If you’re looking to invest in vacation properties, avoid these markets because you likely won’t get a good ROI (return on investment).
Property managers and hosts in these markets may need to lower their rates to encourage guests to book with them
rather than other Airbnbs.”
Comparatively, the national average occupancy rate for short-term rentals in 2024 was 55.2%, according to AirDNA data. From January 2018 to March 2025, the highest monthly occupancy rate Oxford reached was 54.8% in August 2024.
Help in the community
While short-term rentals sit empty, low-income Oxford residents struggle to find affordable housing, and charitable organizations are feeling the strain.
Doors of Hope provides housing assistance to parents with children under 18 years old in the Oxford area.
Executive Director Mary Margaret Andrews said out of the 300 applications Doors of Hope receives a year, her group helped 70 families stay housed in 2024. However, as costs increase, Doors of Hope is more limited in the amount of support they can provide.
“As far as funding goes, we are fundraising and doing the best that we can to keep people housed,” Andrews said. “It’s getting more and more expensive because rents are going up, so our ability to help needs to go up as well. So we’re doing everything we can to raise more money, but we are limited to how many people we can help due to the funding that we have. We have money that churches and foundations give us, we have about 10% of grant money that we get and the majority of the money comes from fundraising. So it’s individual donations we are constantly in need of so that we can help more and more families.”
The Oxford Housing Authority offers 212 rental public housing units across four complexes and has a Housing Choice Voucher program to provide rent subsidies to low-income families.
However, the authority also faces a limit to the amount of help it can provide, as the demand outpaces the availability of resources.
“Our current waiting lists extend over two years or more, depending on the unit size,” OHA Executive Director Teasha Sanders said via email. “We accept applications every Tuesday and process approximately 364 new applications annually.”
To curb these issues, a call for housing reform in Oxford has growing interest.
On April 5, the Lafayette-Oxford-University People’s Summit (LOUPS) hosted sessions regarding housing. More than 100 community members attended and engaged in a day of dialogue and solution-building.
Event organizer and UM Associate Professor of Sociology James Thomas said creating an environment for conversation is essential to forward the movement. Recently, LOUPS has collaborated with the Oxford Tenants’ Union to create a Tenants’ Bill of Rights.
“Our supervisors and our Board of Aldermen are not unaware of how awful our housing situation is,” Thomas said.
“But I think, across the board, they’re deeply unimaginative. There’s a certain inertia that comes with public office, where you think if it hasn’t been done before, it’s something
Data courtesy AirDNA
we shouldn’t do. Now, they’ve had their shot. So for us, right now, it’s really about building local collective power.”
Potential solutions
Some checks that do exist on short-term rentals include Oxford’s 2% tourism and economic development tax. This tax is imposed on gross sale proceeds of room rentals of hotels and motels. This also applies to short-term rentals.
“Mississippi Destination Marketing Organizations, like Visit Oxford, have worked with state legislators to correct the definition of ‘hotels’ in our state and include all short-term rentals,” Kinney Ferris, executive director of Visit Oxford, said in an email.
The Oxford Affordable Housing Commission has also introduced measures to incentivize developers to build more affordable housing.
Affordable Housing Commission co-chair and realtor Brooke Worthy said the commission has proposed a system of credits to lower development costs of affordable housing but has seen little follow-through.
“We already have been working on our incentivizing that’s been in place now for over a year, and unfortunately, we have not had any developers choose to use any of those incentives because they can make so much more money building what they’re currently building,” Worthy said. “That’s very frustrating that we have put those in place, so we’re now looking at other ways to incentivize if there are.”
Worthy said she hopes to implement a similar incentivization for developers in Lafayette County, not just the city of Oxford. Since there is more available and less sought-after land in the county, there is a better chance that developers will be enticed to develop more affordable housing.
One potential solution to solving low occupancy rates is implementing a vacancy tax directed at short-term rentals, said Jade Craig, as-
sistant professor of law at the University of Mississippi.
“The idea behind a vacancy tax is that you’re taxing the person based on the amount of time that their property is left vacant or unoccupied a certain amount of the year, and that tax could go into an actual fund that covers the cost of building, developing or maintaining affordable housing,” Craig said.
An argument that could be made against a vacancy tax, Craig said, is to amount the tax to a taking of property without providing just compensation, which is not allowed under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Taxes are sometimes considered a taking under constitutional law. However, no challenges exist in the status quo.
“There is currently no Federal Supreme Court case that I’m aware of that has construed a vacancy tax as a taking,” Craig said. “So it’s a really novel area, but it is one of those things where you could have local intervention, try to pursue it and see what happens. Since it isn’t specifically prohibited, it is a really attractive option for many people, given that the vacancy problem is a big part of our issue.”
Tax policy is a potential solution, as a recent study from Cambridge University Press found that “after counties establish Airbnb tax enforcement agreements, housing costs are about 1.6% to 5.8% lower than otherwise predicted in the following years as measured by both rents and single-family home prices” following the implementation of tax policies on Airbnbs in Florida.
Another consideration is that the profits from short-term rentals are less steady than long-term rental properties. Freeman notes that the unreliable market in Oxford may force some property owners to transition their short-term listings back into long-term rentals.
“I expect that we’ll see a lot of these units transition back into long term within the next year or two, just because everybody’s aware of the fact
that there is such a housing crisis right now,” Freeman said. “With long-term rentals, you can make consistent money, and you know what you’re getting every month versus Airbnb and short-term rentals. They are a risk because you don’t know if you’re going to cover your overhead costs every month now. You will make it up during football season and peak season times, but that’s not hitting your numbers every single month. You have to prepare and plan for that.”
Worthy also supports this outlook.
“Currently, if football is still king here, then I think investors and second-home buyers will think that they can make their numbers work,” Worthy said. “But because the market is becoming oversaturated with so many short-term rentals, we could also see a lot of those investors not making the money they thought they would and then putting those properties on the market.”
With the current strain on money and the influx of people looking for help, Andrews says sometimes the best solution to meet people’s needs is to live elsewhere.
“I hate to say this, but we say to people over the phone, ‘This is a very expensive place to live,’” Andrews said. “Do not come here. Go somewhere else. Go to Batesville, go to Grenada, go somewhere like that. That’s cheaper to live than (in) Oxford.”
After six years of struggling with housing costs in the Oxford area, McDougal hopes to move in the near future. She believes change can come but not at a pace that meets her needs.
“I’m very hopeful, but I just don’t want to stick around for it because I don’t want to suffer in it,” McDougal said. “I’m done suffering. I’ve been suffering the entire time.”
JESSICA JOHNSON / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
How do professors feel about AI in the classroom?
DYLAN THOMAS News Staff Writer
As artificial intelligence grows in popularity as a tool for completing assignments, instructors are adjusting their classroom policies to accommodate for the continued use of it by students.
According to a 2024 survey conducted by the Digital Education Council, approximately 86% of college students use generative AI for their classwork. The use of AI by students greatly varies. Sixty-nine percent of those students surveyed said they used AI to search for information, while 24% said they used it to write first drafts.
Professors have varying strategies when addressing this situation with their students.
Dawn Denham teaches WRIT 101 and WRIT 102 at the University of Mississippi and allows her students to use AI on her terms. She teaches them a variety of AI tools that they are encouraged to use, but if they use AI in a way that she deems as inappropriate, she believes there is cause for discipline.
For instance, Denham would allow AI to be used as a research or revision tool. However, if a student were to write an essay mainly using AI, she would deem that use insufficient and would issue a failing grade.
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student to be named a JLYL fellow.
“We have a lot of students who are very engaged on campus and off,” Melissa Bass, associate professor of public policy leadership, said. “It is fantastic that one of our students gets particularly singled out for their contributions.”
For Joseph Holland, associate public policy leadership professor, the selection makes sense.
“I’ve watched him grow over the last few years (at) Ole Miss,” Holland said. “I’ve seen him work in external organizations in Oxford and the Southeast, and he has been someone that I’ve observed and has been report(ed) by other individuals how competent he is, how great a character he is, how intellectual he is and how much of a servant leader that he is.”
Boyd’s advocacy started during his junior year of high school when he was working for Teen Health Mississippi, a non-profit organization that deals with sexual and reproductive health.
Boyd served as an advisor and senior advisor for the Mississippi Youth Council for two years and continued to return for the council’s Mobilizing Youth Summit. For the past five years, Boyd’s time with Teen Health Mississippi has taught him the importance of advocacy.
“I did not realize how impactful working with peers and ensuring people were prepared, educated and knowledgeable about certain things was until I started working on behalf of Teen Health Mississippi,” Boyd said. “I got a lot of experience talking to different policy makers and those who were in the section room of the health(care) space, and it kind of ignited the fire in me to know the impact as a young person in Mississippi to know what
“I see the advent of AI in our classrooms the same way I looked at plagiarism: Students don’t come into my classes trying to deceive; they don’t know how to summarize and paraphrase effectively enough, so they take a short cut,” Denham said. “I turn this into a teaching opportunity.”
Other professors have also taken a similar approach to Denham’s, allowing the use of AI in selective capacities. Chair and Professor of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Wes Jennings has integrated AI into his classroom. He notes, however, that AI should not be used as a crutch for students but as a tool.
“I do allow for AI use,” Jennings said. “But only when it is acknowledged, transparent and limited to support work rather than replace it. I see value in preparing students for a world where AI will be part of their professional lives. At the same time, I also emphasize that their own critical thinking and originality are of central importance.”
The implementation of AI in the classroom is a balancing act between responsibility and over-reliance. Jennings is a firm believer that AI can provide benefits to students and their work but only when it is used with care and consideration. He wants students to be ready for future technological innovation,
I can do when I raise my voice and when I raise my concerns.”
Boyd predominately advocates for issues with young people at the center.
“I am a person who goes over (and) beyond to ensure that young people are heard in those spaces,” Boyd said. “In whatever work that I do, (whether) sexual health, education, community engagement — wherever young people are, that is where I am.”
Boyd learned about the JLYL program through an email to public policy leadership students. For his application, he had to provide information on his advocacy journey and what he would do with his $1,000 capstone project funds.
The budget for Boyd’s plans is not finalized, but he plans to create and implement a new curriculum for his alma mater, Grenty High School in the Sunflower County Consolidated School District.
“What I am looking to do is create a ‘college and career curriculum’ that complements with what the Mississippi Department of Education already offers,” Boyd said.
Boyd’s plans are inspired by what he lacked in high school.
“A lot of people in the Delta do not have that financial literacy component because it is not often talked about or it is not already in the curriculum,” Boyd said.
Boyd plans to get the curriculum adopted once his fellowship is over.
“Maybe the ‘college and curriculum ready’ teachers in the Sunflower County Consolidated School District could use some components, if not the entire curriculum, to complement what they already have in place to teach the young people within the Delta,” Boyd said.
He has started his work with surveys and focus groups from teachers and students in the Delta to determine what they may need.
“I am also a community engagement minor,” Boyd said. “So I am always told if you are
while also maintaining student integrity in writing and analysis.
Some professors are more hesitant about what positive effects AI could have on the general student body. Joshua First is an associate professor of history and international studies, and his thoughts on AI range from the theoretical and philosophical possible consequences of its creation to its practical application in society.
First also allows AI use, like many UM professors, though he requires communication and transparency from his students when it is used.
“(Students) cannot use AI to generate text that (they) will use and pass off as (their) own. That is a pretty clear incident of plagiarism,” First said. “But if (students) want to use it to generate some ideas that will then cause (them) to write a paper that is entirely (their) own, what I require (them) to do at that point is to cite the model that (they) used and the prompts that (they) used.”
This policy requires accountability and honesty from First’s students and treats AI similarly to any other external source used when writing a paper. While this is his policy this semester, First was open that he may adjust his policy next semester and in subsequent years. The future of AI is still uncertain and the long-term effects
dealing with community people, you do not go in trying to tell them what they need, but also ask. I plan to take that information from what I already feel like they need and combine that, then create a curriculum based on that information between August and December and try to go into the classrooms myself in January to do some pilot stuff.”
Boyd believes this project will serve as an inspiration for the Delta community.
“This will help the Delta because they will see someone coming back who has made it out of the Delta who is about to graduate from a predominately white institution within the state of Mississippi for free on scholarship all three years that I have been here,” Boyd said. “Me, graduating early, they know that if I can do it, they can do it too. I want to say I am being a motivational piece for this, and this curriculum will also motivate them to know they can do it too.”
Mary Evans contributed reporting.
of its use in the classroom is unknown. With this in mind, First is treating this semester as a trial run to see how his students and their works fair under this policy. It is unknown which classroom AI strategies will prove most effective in addressing student AI use, and that determination will take time. For now, profes-
sors and administration will work with available resources and past strategies for navigating unprecedented technological innovations.
Tyren Boyd Jr.
PHOTO COURTESY: UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
JORDAN ISBELL
A&C Contributor
It is not every day that the idea of a club emerges from number-crunching assignments. Yet Brandt Stewart, a junior accounting major, felt a lack of collaborative spirit in his studies, calling his classes a “nose to the paper” environment, so he created UM Jam Club.
“I wanted to find other music people,” Stewart said. “I was in (the) honors college one night and asked myself, ‘What does it even take to make a club?’”
Stewart later found out that he needed only three people to form a club after reading through prerequisites on the ForUM at the end of 2024 fall semester. The club first began meeting regularly in January, and now meets once a week on Thursdays at 6 p.m.
The club, to Stewart’s surprise, grew quickly, reaching 238 followers on Instagram since its inception in January — over 79 times the size of his initial hopes.
“It’s really just an indescribable feeling of ecstasy,” Stewart, who plays the guitar, said. “I think it changes a lot of people and can affect you in a really big way, not just purely through the music, but through people you meet, experiences you have and opportunities you may get.”
Andres Torrado, a senior computer science major, was one of the first members and commented on the club’s exponential growth.
“I’m really proud of what this group has become,” Torrado said. “It’s just been so much fun connecting with
UM Jam Club drums up support as it finds its rhythm
others through music.”
McKenley Coleman, a junior marketing major and social media manager of UM Jam Club, was largely responsible for building the club’s online persona. The main priority, Coleman said, was to create an environment that welcomes musical experimentation and new music circles.
“Based on my observations of being (at UM) for a couple of years, I think that this university has a tendency to have bubbles,” Coleman said. “There are people who are in their little bubbles, and they don’t really interact with other people, and I think that music would be a really special way to kind of burst those bubbles. Seeing a small glimpse of that (during the jam session) really made me happy.”
For Coleman, a vocalist with aspirations to learn to play bass, music transformed her experience on campus, helping her build independent platforms outside of UM Jam Club, particularly her Rebel Radio show “Women Who Rock,” where she highlights women-fronted rock and metal bands, including the likes of VIOLENT VIRA and Jinjer.
“I would have never anticipated being so passionate about the radio until I started doing it, and now it’s like my baby,” Coleman said. “Sharing music like that is so special, and I think that everybody on campus would benefit from having that sort of unity with music.”
Several members in the club, ranging from percussionists, guitarists and vocalists, all shared a musical itch that needed to be scratched.
Torrado, having played the
guitar for several years, describes music as an outlet in which he immerses himself.
“Since I was a kid, I’ve always been very connected to music,” Torrado said. “I play and sing all the time. It’s how I de-stress, and for me, it’s like playing a game. It’s a way to disengage from everything.”
Bryce Prestage, a freshman accounting major, comes from Nashville, a cultural hub of music.
Attending Ole Miss was not an easy decision — alongside leaving home, Prestage also created distance from his band Dissonance, with which he has played since his junior year of high school.
“I was freaking out,” Pre -
stage said. “I was figuring out how to meet new people, and I was looking through the giant list on that (ForUM) website and found (UM Jam Club) on there. Then my mom texted me later about it saying, ‘Hey, there’s a jam thing. You have to join it.’”
After attending the last jam session, Prestage, who plays bass and guitar, was fully engaged. Even talks of a new band, centered around the Midwest emo genre, engulfed Prestage’s mind as he spoke with other members.
“In jamming, especially, it’s important to hammer in on what your specialty is and use that to help with other people’s stuff they’re doing,” Prestage said. “People don’t delve into their own niches enough, and a lot of people don’t respect others’ niches as well as they should.”
Music spaces have evolved and leaned more towards streaming services, with Spotify alone bringing in 696 million monthly active users in July 2025.
Prestage, however, argues that despite its popularity, digital media loses the important aspects of live music.
“I am a big believer in watching live concerts and live play-throughs, rather than full recordings on sites like Spotify,” Prestage said. “The performance of music isn’t just them playing. It’s what they look like, what they’re doing, how they’re moving, how they’re playing. Specifically, all of that makes a big difference.”
Madison Jacobs, a sophomore general studies major, believes a musician’s performance holds as much
weight as their musical delivery. From her experiences as a vocalist, she said, performance shares similarities with acting, in that both require characterization to create the full musical experience.
“You shouldn’t be afraid to look ugly when you sing,” Jacobs said. “You shouldn’t be afraid to sound a little ugly. If you are hurting what you’re singing, you gotta let that out, or else it’ll sound bad if you don’t.” Jacobs also describes the current music discourse as vague and ambiguous, where artists prioritize making a quick buck over bringing back emotion.
“People are losing compassion and empathy,” Jacobs said. “I feel like people are being taught that you shouldn’t have those (emotions), which is not true. We’re not here to bicker at each other. Why can’t we feel everybody’s pain?”
This emotional connection is what the UM Jam Club strives to foster among its musicians. The organizers intend for the club to continue growing, with jam sessions helping young artists take center stage and perform for their community.
“I think that it’s just so important for people to have music that feels special to them,” Coleman said. “It’s so important for people to have a community of musicians that respect you and respect your art and want to hear what you’re interested in.”
Members of the UM Jam Club perform on Sept. 11.
PHOTO COURTESY: JORDAN ISBELL
Members of the UM Jam Club play instruments at a meeting on Sept. 11.
PHOTO COURTESY: JORDAN ISBELL
RESULTS & BENEFITS
Increased Calorie Burn
Detoxification
Lower Blood Pressure
Anti-Aging & Skin Rejuvenation
Improved Circulation
Weight Loss
The Rebel Clefs compose connections between music lovers on campus
ADA C. RICHARDSON
A&C Staff Writer
Before 2023, there was nowhere on campus for a cappella singers to hone their craft. Rebel Clefs was founded to change that.
Zoe Peterzell, a senior psychology major from Atlanta, is the president and founder of the Rebel Clefs. She had been a member of an a cappella group since junior high and was excited to continue in it through college. However, she realized no such group existed when she came to the University of Mississippi.
“I got settled in my studies, and I was having so much fun, but something was missing, which was, like, that group of people,” Peterzell said. “Imagine singing in the shower, but it’s like everybody does it together and it’s harmonizing and it’s just awesome. Like you’re all kind of on the same flow. So I’m like, maybe I could start one.”
Peterzell said that the university was the perfect environment for starting this group, and she has been greatly supported along the way.
“I couldn’t believe how easy and encouraged it felt, having an idea and having a dream and being able to execute that and make it a reality,” Peterzell said.
Peterzell added that at the beginning, she was the sole member, but membership increased with time.
“It was just totally a fromscratch process and I made an Instagram,” Peterzell said, “Then slowly but surely, I gathered together a little group of people who were willing to give it a shot, even though it was completely unestablished,
and they didn’t know that they were getting themselves into.”
The Rebel Clefs currently have 11 members and are continuing to accept newcomers, holding auditions at the beginning of every semester.
“We’ll have people graduate in December and May,” Peterzell said. “And we will replace them, and so the auditions are only (for) two days. And the whole group gets together, which could be a little intimidating, but then people come in to audition and we’re all there. Then we figure out what voice parts need filling.”
Peterzell attributes the group’s ability to exist to the members that joined in her journey to found the Rebel Clefs.
“Their only motivation was just how fun the environment was and how much fun we had together and how beautiful it was to come together and sing,” Peterzell said. “And I’m so, so grateful for that of people who’ve helped me because it would have meant nothing without them.”
The Rebel Clefs often perform at different events on campus, taking any opportunity they can to share their musical talents.
“You can catch us every year, for sure, at the Honors College Arts Showcase,” Peterzell said. “That’s something we always do. And then, besides that, just little opportunities here and there. We’ll be performing for the Grove Well-Being Initiative.”
Peterzell said that being president of the Rebel Clefs has given her a sense of accomplishment and community.
“My favorite part just has to be the relationships I’ve formed with the members of the Rebel Clefs,” Peterzell said. “And
also seeing them be so passionate about it and seeing them form friendships and establish something, something real and memorable, because of a group that I created, has been a really powerful experience for me.”
Mason Johnson, a sophomore from Laurel, Miss., majoring in public policy, rhetoric and interdisciplinary studies, joined the Rebel Clefs last year. He first heard about the a cappella group through a friend.
“I was friends with the vice president last year, and I was a freshman on campus trying to find things to get involved with and things to do,” Johnson said. “We were just talking one night, and he was in an a cappella group. And I did it in high school, so I went to audition and here I am.”
Johnson, who is a music lover at heart, described how a cappella is a very unique style of music.
“All music is collaborative, but (in) a cappella you really have to pay attention to how everyone is moving, the specific sounds you make and their vowel shapes,” Johnson said. “It’s also something you pay attention to in normal music, but it’s just heightened a little bit. It’s really fun.”
According to Johnson, rock and pop are the go-to genres for the a cappella group, but they perform a variety of songs from different genres.
“Last semester, for instance, we did ‘Die with a Smile’ by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga, and then our next song was ‘Good Vibrations’ by the Beach Boys,” Johnson said. “We really do a cool blend of a lot of different stuff. We mainly stick to pop or rock, but every now and then we might venture out and do
a little something different.”
Johnson expressed that one of the best aspects of being a member of the Rebel Clefs is meeting different types of people.
“I love getting on stage and singing,” Johnson said. “It’s such a tight-knit group of people from all over campus and kind of every walk of life. We have bio-med majors, we have engineering majors, we have public policy majors. And it’s all different years and different things on campus. But we’re all united under that bond of music.”
Johnson said that joining this club has allowed him to form friendships and community with others who share his love for a cappella.
“You get to have this cool connection because it’s such a collaborative style of music,” Johnson said. “You have to bond with people and you have to have that connection.”
John T. Edge celebrates new memoir at Off Square Books with standing room only
CHANCE MARLOWE News Staff Writer
John T. Edge shared reflections on community and family life in his new memoir, “House of Smoke: A Southerner Goes Searching for Home,” at Off Square Books Tuesday evening, drawing a standing-room-only crowd.
Edge moved to Oxford in 1995 to pursue a master’s degree in Southern studies at the University of Mississippi, where he founded the Southern Foodways Alliance in 1998. He now serves as writer in residence in the UM Department of Writing and Rhetoric and directs the Mississippi Lab.
Edge has published numerous works on Southern cuisine, including “The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South,” published in 2017. He has also contributed to The New York Times, Oxford American, Southern Living and Garden & Gun publications.
UM Distinguished Professor of English Beth Ann Fennelly,
a writer and former Mississippi poet laureate, moderated the conversation with Edge and posed questions about his writing process and themes that held the most resonance. Approximately 150 community members and out-of-state visitors attended the event.
“He means a lot to a lot of people here, so it was great to see all this support,” Lyn Roberts, general manager of Square Books, said. “It’s just a testament to how interested people are in history and how much of a part of the community (Edge) is.”
The author spoke with honesty about his past, sharing difficult moments. A moving moment came from Edge reading his prologue, offering a dramatic glimpse into his mother’s possible suicide attempt.
“When I wrote this book, I was still functionally estranged from my mother,”
Edge said. “I had never been to her gravesite. I had never brought her back into my life.”
Edge’s mother died in 2001. In “House of Smoke,” the au-
thor rewrites her into stories he had written her out of.
“I have learned through this book to love my mother,” Edge said. “I have learned to love her again to bring her back into my life.”
Edge spoke about his years in Oxford and challenges he has encountered during his time in Mississippi, though he highlighted the support and strength he has found in the Oxford community.
“College students ask themselves when they step on the University of Mississippi campus, is this home? How do I belong? How do I contribute?”
Edge said. “It’s a question we ask ourselves as we move through the stages of our lives. For me, the answer in my book is Oxford is home. Mississippi is home. It’s the place I choose to contribute.”
Father and son Ryan and Graham Biles are longtime fans of “TrueSouth” and traveled from Lonoke, Ark., for the book signing.
“Probably starting with his work at the (Southern Foodways Alliance) and (being) fans
Author John T. Edge reads his memoir at Off Square Books on Sept. 16.
of the podcast for a long time, we watched (TrueSouth) together,” Ryan Biles said. “So, the day that they announced this, I pre-ordered from Square Books and made plans to be here.”
The book signing was a full circle moment for Edge; as a former employee of Square Books, he brought a deeply personal touch and paid
homage to the bookstore. “Square Books became a place for me to learn but also for me to build a community,” Edge said. Raegan Settle contributed reporting.
Zoe Peterzell
JACK KIRKLAND / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Rebel spirit and family pride merge at 2025 Fall Family Weekend
HALLIE WOOLEY
A&C Staff Writer
The Ole Miss Family Association will host the 2025 Fall Family Weekend at the University of Mississippi starting on Friday, Sept. 19. The festivities offer opportunities for Ole Miss parents to connect with their students from Trash Can Friday through the football game on Saturday afternoon.
On Friday, students and their families will be served soul food staples at a registration-required reception. Folk rock group Bonfire Orchestra from Tupelo, Miss., will provide live music.
On game day, the Ole Miss Family Association will have the largest tent in the Grove, giving students and their families a chance to experience an Ole Miss tailgate together. All registered family members and students will be met with a traditional Southern tailgate spread as they spend time building connections with other families.
When Special Assistant to the Chancellor-Family Engagement Merrill Magruder started the Ole Miss Family Association in 2013, her goal was to invite families to Oxford so they could feel more
connected to the next chapter of their students’ lives. This year, approximately 5,000 family members of the Ole Miss student body are expected to attend.
“My goal for Fall Family Weekend is that you come your students’ freshman year and that you meet other families. You can then tailgate with them for the next four years to continue that connection with Oxford and Ole Miss,” Magruder said.
Magruder says she is grateful for the relationship the association has with Ole Miss Athletics as they discount football ticket prices for family members attending.
This year, campus departments will be tabling to give parents an opportunity to learn more about what campus offers. The Ole Miss Division of Outreach and Continuing Education will feature its Lifelong Learning program.
Magruder says that student volunteers, graduate assistants and the Columns Society are instrumental when it comes to organizing Fall Family Weekend, helping with registering parents and marketing to the community.
“I love for families to be able to see students in their new environment,” Magruder said.
“For them to have the opportunity to meet roommates and even other parents really harbors a deeper sense of community and really helps them feel a part of the Ole Miss family.”
For students, Magruder recognizes the homesickness many can feel, so she hopes bringing families to Oxford helps them recharge.
“This four-to-five week mark can be hard for any student who is away from home, so giving them that opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones and show them their home away from home can really encourage students to finish the semester strong before they go home for the holidays,” Magruder said.
The Ole Miss Family Association hopes to host an additional family weekend in the spring semester to show parents what Oxford is like outside of football season. Also in the spring, the association has plans for a family reunion, which they have hosted in the past.
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Must-knows for a game day at the Grove
TAYLOR HILL
A&C Staff Writer
The timeless tradition of tailgating in the Grove at Ole Miss is something everyone needs to experience at least once. This weekend, kinfolk of University of Mississippi students will be visiting for Fall Family Weekend, thus indulging in the festivities the university’s hub for game day activities offers.
Here are a few things for students and family to know as they occupy the Grove this weekend.
Tips and tricks
If the Mississippi heat becomes too much to bear, head to the Gertrude C. Ford Student Union. The union is open on game days and offers air-conditioned seating and restrooms. However, no outside food or drinks are allowed inside.
The Alumni Association also offers perks for its members. Their building across from the
Grove includes indoor seating, private restrooms and food and drinks. If you are a member, this is a great escape from the crowds.
“Always know where your tailgates and tents are, as (cellular) service can be bad and the Grove is not easy to navigate,” senior finance major Aiden McCarthey said.
When driving in Oxford on a game day, keep in mind that most of the UM campus is closed to vehicular traffic. However, Gertrude Ford Boulevard stays open to access Jackson Avenue, as well as Taylor Road to access University Place to East University Avenue.
If you need to be picked up or dropped off, avoid the gridlock traffic by walking away from campus to find a less crowded road. You will be able to find your driver faster and will not disrupt the traffic flow.
What to bring
Packing your clear bag for the Grove can make all the dif-
ference for your experience. A long day of tailgating and football requires a few essentials.
A battery pack and charging cord are essential. With hours of photos to take, group chats to manage and friends to track, your phone will die before the game starts. A battery pack and cord will help you make it through the day.
Hand sanitizer is another musthave. Thousands of people come to the Grove and Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, which means plenty of shared surfaces where germs spread. Stay clean and healthy with sanitizer in your bag.
Bring water and drinks to stay hydrated before the game. The beginning of the season can be brutally hot, so make sure you are drinking enough fluids and eating to stay fueled.
The stadium requires a clear bag no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches. Save yourself the frustration at the entry
gate and bring the correct size. Oxford weather can change fast. Since you cannot bring an umbrella into the stadium, pack a poncho to stay dry in a downpour.
Unspoken rules
The Grove is packed with thousands of people. Save yourself the dirty looks and do not cut through other people’s tents. This is their living room for game day, and no one wants strangers walking through it.
If food or drink is offered, take it. Southern hospitality is alive and well in the Grove, and it is a big part of the tradition. Be polite and compliment the host on their setup.
As everyone knows, dress up!
Dressing for Ole Miss games is almost as big a tradition as the Grove itself. Check the designated color of the game and get creative with an outfit. Being picture-ready is a must on game day — everyone will want photos, so be prepared.
“Definitely make sure your outfit is complete with a couple of cool buttons,” management and marketing senior Brooke Jankowsky said. Be mindful of your surroundings as you navigate the crowds. Do not stop in the middle of a walkway or risk spilling your drink on someone. Keep track of your belongings, and be considerate of the people around you. Finally, always be ready for the “Hotty Toddy” chant. You might be walking past a tent or hear the Pride of the South marching band perform at the Grove Stage. You never know when the call will come, and you do not want to be the one who does not share in the Ole Miss spirit. Are you ready?
GRACE ANN COURTNEY / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Discounted tickets available for families at Tulane game
RUSS EDDINS Sports Editor
In an effort to welcome visitors to Oxford for Fall Family Weekend from Sept. 19-20, the Ole Miss Athletic Ticket Office is offering family members of Ole Miss students discounts on tickets to Saturday’s football game with Tulane.
“Ole Miss Athletics works with the Ole Miss Family Association to offer a limited number of discount tickets for people that have parents and families that have joined the family association,” Special Assistant to the Chancellor-Family Engagement Merrill Magruder said in an interview with The Daily Mississippian.
These tickets are sold on a firstcome, first-served basis based on the date of membership registration to the Ole Miss Family Association (OMFA) and the Family Leadership Council. Family members can join the OMFA on its members page.
Magruder explained that Ole Miss Athletics’ decision to offer discounted tickets aims to make the Tulane game accessible to as many family members as possible.
“Fall Family Weekend has been going on for about 20 years now,” Magruder said. “We want (families) to be able to come and spend as much time with (students) as possible, be able to see what campus is like on a game weekend and also be able to support those families who have never been to the Grove or been to an SEC football game.”
The OMFA welcomes volunteers for their events; those interested in participating can contact Magruder.
With recent enrollment growth and Ole Miss’ recent success on the gridiron, ticket prices are higher
than ever. Following the glitch-filled student ticket sales process in early August, many students were left without student tickets to games.
Senior pharmaceutical sciences major Andrew Williams said that the high price of tickets on the open market prevents many students from attending games.
“With the price of the tickets and the price people are selling them at, I think they’re just trying to make a profit,” Williams said. “So I don’t think (I’ll go to more games), unless I get (tickets) really discounted.”
Some of those who were lucky enough to purchase student tickets are selling them online. The cheapest individual tickets to the upcoming LSU game, for example, are being listed in the range of $129-308 before added fees, according to Seat Stock. On Ticketmaster, tickets for chairback seats run as high as $1,600.
Considering these prices, many students were happy to see the discounts for families this weekend.
“I think that’s pretty cool,” freshman marketing major Ethan Byrd said. “It allows the parents to hang out with their kids and makes for a good weekend.”
Freshman mechanical engineering major Grant Wallace echoed Byrd’s sentiments.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for the students’ families to come and really see what makes this campus and the athletic program so special — not just in the state of Mississippi, but nationwide,” Wallace said.
RESULTS & BENEFITS
An Ole Miss fan raises his arms in celebration during a game against Arkansas in VaughtHemingway Stadium on Sept. 13. OLIVIA CANGELOSI / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Rebels hope to weather the Green Wave
WILL WRIGHT
Sports Staff Writer
The AP No. 13 Ole Miss Rebels will host the Tulane Green Wave on Saturday in Oxford for another bout between undefeated teams. The stage is set for an exciting reunion between two of the founding members of the Southeastern Conference.
The Rebels have showcased a potent offense this season. They have averaged more than 40 points per game, and quarterback Austin Simmons has been a key contributor with 580 passing yards and four touchdowns. Running back Kewan Lacy has complemented Simmons’ efforts with 290 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
Simmons, who started the first two games of the season for head coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels, did not start versus Arkansas due to an ankle injury — though Kiffin left the door open for Simmons’ return to the starting lineup Saturday.
“He’s doing good,” Kiffin said in a Monday press conference. “I would anticipate Austin (Simmons) being fine to play and being our starting quarterback.”
Kiffin’s offense also has found a new weapon in Simmons’ ab-
sence, and that is backup quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
Chambliss made his first Division I start against the Razorbacks, accounting for more than 400 total yards and three touchdowns to lead Ole Miss to a 41-35 victory. Based on his efforts, Chambliss was awarded the Maxwell Player of the Week, given to a player who demonstrates exceptional performance.
On the other side of the ball, Ole Miss’s defense has shown vulnerabilities. Against Arkansas, the Rebels allowed 526 total yards. If Ole Miss hopes to contain Tulane’s dynamic offense — spearheaded by former BYU standout quarterback Jake Retzlaff — it will need to tighten its defensive schemes.
Tulane enters the game with momentum after a 34-27 victory over Duke. Since transferring to the Green Wave, Retzlaff has been the catalyst for Tulane’s offense. Against Duke, he threw for 245 yards and rushed for 111 yards and four touchdowns. With six rushing touchdowns on the season, he is perhaps more dangerous on the ground than he is through the air.
The Rebel defense has struggled against mobile quarterbacks. Last week, Ole Miss allowed
Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green to rush for 115 yards and a touchdown. The Rebels will need to make adjustments to pre vent Retzlaff from getting loose.
Defensively, Tulane has been strong behind defensive back Javion White’s team-leading three interceptions on the season.
The Green Wave’s ability to capitalize on turnovers has been a key factor in their early success, and Ole Miss’ offensive misqueues — leading to four first quarter turnovers in its first two games of the season — have been the main reason for multiple slow starts this season.
Ole Miss’ strength lies in its high-powered offense, along with its home field advantage. The Rebels will hope to minimize costly mistakes on both sides of the ball. Tulane’s playmaking defense puts its well-balanced offense in strong positions, but the Green Wave’s challenge will be to perform in a hostile envi ronment and maintain its com posure against an SEC opponent.
Ole Miss Football finalizes home-and-home series against Pittsburgh
WILSON ENGERISER Sports Staff Writer
With the SEC shifting to a nine-game conference schedule starting in the 2026 football season, member teams will be required to play at least one non-conference game against a Power Four opponent each season. Ole Miss has reached an agreement with the ACC’s Pittsburgh to fulfill this requirement for next season.
“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in an August press release. “This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance and, paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff.”
Ole Miss has entered into a home-and-home series with Pittsburgh. The two will face off in Oxford for next season’s opener on Sept. 5, 2026 and in Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium in 2030.
The Rebels’ non-conference schedule next year will include Pittsburgh, Wofford and Charlotte.
Pittsburgh and Ole Miss have met once before in the BBVA Compass Bowl in 2013. Ole Miss won the match -
up 38-17 with quarterback Bo Wallace, wide receiver Donte Moncrief and running back I’Tavius Mathers. Matchups between teams in different regions of the country are becoming increasingly common. Not only does the SEC require one non-SEC game against a Power Four team each year, but conference realignments also have created more collaboration all over college football. Programs also are scheduling games further in advance.
James Madison and Liberty, both located in Virginia, have finalized four matchups in the coming years, the latest of which will take place in 2040. The new rivalry series that will be called the Battle of
the Blue Ridge, and the teams are creating a trophy for it.
“The SEC has established itself as the leader in delivering the most compelling football schedule in college athletics,” Sankey said in the press release. “Fans will see traditional rivalries preserved, new matchups more frequently, and a level of competition unmatched across the nation.”
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Zxavian Harris and Lane Kiffin shake hands during a game against Arkansas in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Sept. 13.
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Deuce Alexander
Change the university mascot one last time, please
“We even had national TV coverage of a brave squirrel who scored his own touchdown at the Oklahoma football game last year, appearing yet again against Georgia weeks later. Why not commemorate his bravery and make some shirts while we’re at it?”
CEDAR BOWERS
Opinion Staff Writer
The history of the Ole Miss mascot is a long and tumultuous one. The University of Mississippi’s current semi-official mascot is Tony the Landshark, whose vibrant aquatic energy has been absent from any sporting event in years.
Tony the Landshark’s origins date back to 2008, when a strong defensive line that brought the football team back to national prominence earned the nickname “Landsharks.” In 2017, the Landshark dethroned the university’s previous mascot, Rebel the Black Bear, who had shouldered the mantle of schoolwide patriotism since 2010.
The black bear was chosen as the mascot to replace the long standing Colonel Reb, whose history is equally fraught with confusion.
Some historians say Colonel Reb was modeled after a caricature of an elderly, Southern gentleman with Confederate roots; although, others argue he was inspired by a Black man named James ‘Blind Jim’ Ivy. Ivy, the son of a former slave, came to the university in 1896 and worked as a peanut vendor, quickly becoming a symbol of school spirit after his boisterous cheers helped turn the tide of enthusiasm in a baseball game against the University of Texas.
Whether or not Colonel Reb was inspired by a peanut vendor or a Southern gentleman, there is no
Opinion Policies:
doubt his image is tainted by a history of oppression, as his image was modeled after a Confederate colonel.
After his introduction to campus in the 1930s, Colonel Reb became a figure synonymous with Ole Miss athletics. A male student dressed as the colonel cheered on the sidelines of Ole Miss football games and other sporting events for several decades.
For many people, it is hard to think about Ole Miss and not think of the image of Colonel Reb. However, there is someone else, especially for frequent Grove-goers, who could also be seen as a symbol of Ole Miss: the Grove squirrels.
If you’ve ever picnicked in the Grove on a sunny day or tailgated amongst the hustle and bustle of game-ready fans, you certainly have encountered the animal perhaps most ubiquitous on campus. These four-legged, vividly uncaring rodents are more than a common sight; in many ways, they are just as much a part of campus as we are.
Pay close attention to the paraphernalia that dots the water bottles, laptops and various accessories of students and faculty, and you will often notice a Grove squirrel, sometimes even boasting a pale blue bowtie.
We even had national TV coverage of a brave squirrel who scored his own touchdown at the Oklahoma football game last year, appearing yet again against Georgia weeks later. Why not commemorate his bravery and make some shirts while
we’re at it? Not to mention the adopt-a-squirrel program that helps raise money for various charities.
There is no doubt the Grove Squirrel represents a cultural cornerstone on our campus. Colonel Reb’s history is rocky, Rebel the Black Bear is unexciting at best, and the Landshark is a fictional figment with no authentic ties to the school.
How amazing would it be to have a lively squirrel on the sidelines cheering on Ole Miss athletes?
Envision the endless photo opportunities — the wonderfully squirrel-inspired costumes eager parents would dress their toddlers in. Perhaps other rival mascot photos could be taken. Grove Squirrel pictures could come to rival the stereotypical Walk of Champions pictures taken by freshmen and graduates. The blue bow-tie and bushy tails could become as synonymous with game day as the powder blue.
The Grove squirrel could compete with Mississippi State University’s rival mascot, Bully, in terms of sheer cuteness and likability. How hilarious would it be to see MSU’s bulldog get taken down by the Ole Miss Grove squirrel? The next Egg-Bowl champion shirt would have the best graphic in years.
The Grove squirrel is a beloved part of our campus. Why not make him (or her) the mascot?
I propose a new symbol for our school, untainted by controversy and unmatched in likability.
Name him Greg, Garry or
even Georgina, it quite simply does not matter — fundamentally, the Grove squirrel represents an opportunity for an era of school spirit unmatched by all else.
The Grove squirrel is a symbol of Ole Miss that everyone can get behind.
nior creative writing major from Tupelo, Miss.
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Columns do not represent the views of The University of Mississippi or The Daily Mississippian. The Daily Mississippian welcomes letters to the editor, which should be emailed to thedmopinion@gmail.com. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. They may be edited for clarity, brevity and libel. Third-party letters and those with pseudonyms or no name will not be published. Letters are limited to one per individual per month. Letters should include contact information, including relationship to the university, if applicable.
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