Coming to Ole Miss was not my first option when I started exploring colleges and what I wanted to study. At a young age, I always wanted to be a teacher like my mother, but as I grew and explored my options, I came across journalism and the excitement of the media.
As a high school student lost in the throes of divorce, friendship drama, depression and anxiety, I desperately needed someone to meet me where I was. My Young Life leaders, Alli and Lindsey, did just that.
Advice often comes with good intent, but I wish that I had a better understanding of what was behind that intent when I first came to college. Here are some things to consider.
One of those most influential loves I’ve experienced is the bond between a father and a daughter. My dad has been someone I have looked up to since my first steps, to my first car, and my first job. He has been my biggest supporter, greatest encourager, and the most wonderful role model.
I am concerned about the idea of my children one day attending Ole Miss, because diversity no longer exists. Today, politics has divided the student body, and you are either on the right or left politically and socially.
When thinking of where I wanted to go to college, I realized my sophomore year of high school that I wanted to be in the South. I would only look at schools at college fairs located in the South. I only toured schools below the Mason Dixon line, and only applied to those schools.
I had barely heard of Ole Miss, and the thought of living over 1,000 miles away from my family, friends, and the beach was scary. During my visit, my fears subsided, and I was comforted with a sense of warmth and belonging. The smiling faces and greetings from strangers excited me more with each moment in Oxford.
With the addition of a new mural on University Avenue and Oxford’s arts center, the Powerhouse, located there – this semester Oxford Stories is embarking on a small solutions journalism project. Our reporters are starting a community conversation about the possibility of a continued arts emphasis in the University Avenue area.
You get four years to figure out what it is that you want to do for the rest of your life. For the first 18 years of my life, everything had been decided for me. My whole life up until that point consisted of being told what I was supposed to do by my parents and teachers. I never had to make a decision so consequential before, and the thought terrified me.
Portland, Oregon is a city with a population of about 647,000 people compared to Oxford’s 23,000. With the slogan “Keep Portland Weird,” the city focuses heavily on the arts, with hundreds of galleries, theaters and murals.
University Avenue is in an area that is transitioning with new business developments, and the street has experienced new business growth, but some also view it as the older part of town. Opinions are mixed on whether an arts district, or area of arts emphasis, would be beneficial.
Art can be found in every corner of Oxford. Sculptures in Lamar Park, The Powerhouse Community Arts Center, and the upstairs space of Sugar Magnolia Antique Mall are just a few of examples of art-centric locations. But would an arts district be supported in Oxford?
Arts, culture, and creativity can improve a community’s competitive edge, attract new visitors, and integrate the visions of both community and business leaders. That’s why some view public art as an investment.
Madison Mayfield, an Oxford citizen and artist, is from Portland, Oregon, a city known for arts inclusivity. While Portland has a well-known arts district, she isn’t sure a designated arts district would be a good fit for small town Oxford.
There are more than 250 undergraduate art majors enrolled in three programs at the University of Mississippi’s Department of Art and Art History. Some shared their thoughts about having a possible arts district, or area where art is emphasized, in Oxford.
Bill McCrory, a University of Mississippi alumnus from the mid-1980s, was a child when he picked up a guitar for the first time. Since then, he can’t keep his fingers off the strings.
Nicole Hayward, a senior at the University of Mississippi, is proving that blondes have more fun when they run their own businesses. The college junior is using her passion for photography to earn money.
Applications are now being accepted for a diverse group of students interested in being leaders and mentors for their peers during the University of Mississippi’s next MPower conference.
The famous tagline “Workin’ 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin’…” from one of the many hits sung by Dolly Parton reminds listeners about career struggles.
Living Music Resource, a University of Mississippi internship program, reminds students about music career opportunities.
Mississippi MUTTS is a non-profit animal rescue and transport team based in Oxford that works to mitigate the overpopulation of stray cats and dogs across the state and provide relief for overcrowded shelters.
