Oxford held its annual Relay For Life event last Friday, April 29th. The event helps raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society. This year over $34,000 was raised.
This event is also meant to honor those who have fought or are fighting the disease. Many participants at the event wore "Ryan's #1 Team" signs to show support for a local community member battling cancer. For more on Ryan's battle and the event watch the video above. Korbin Harmon had offers to play at six different schools, including Duke University. Click here to find out why Harmon signed on with Ole Miss as a preferred walk on. Presidential candidate, Zoltan Istvan’s, immortality bus tour stopped on the University of Mississippi’s campus last Thursday.
Istvan is running as the Transhumanist candidate in the 2016 election. The party promotes life extension science, health and technology. Istvan is the founder of this party. In 2013, Istvan wrote a science fiction book titled, “The Transhumanist Wager.” The book discusses the possibility of immortality and those fighting against it. Ole Miss was Istvan’s last stop on his campaign tour. The exterior of the bus was decorated like a coffin to spark the discussion about the possibilities of immortality. Istvan wants to take money from defense spending and fund research projects to help prevent and eliminate disease. “The kinds of things that you don't ever have to lose your parents to cancer, the kinds of things where people don't get Alzheimer's disease, the kinds of things that war veterans can come back home and get artificial limbs if they need it. That's the technology, that's where the money needs to be,” said Istvan. While at the University, Istvan stopped to speak with a philosophy class about his idea of living forever. He and the students discussed issues that would arise, such as overpopulation and ethical ramifications. Istvan, 42, is the youngest candidate running for election. He has a wife and two daughters. After overwhelming support from the university’s community the interim chancellor has removed the Mississippi state flag from campus. The flag has waved for 167 years, displaying a confederate emblem above campus. Interim Chancellor, Dr. Morris Stocks, called to take down the flag over the weekend. He decided to remove the flag when the campus opened Monday morning. There were several staff members that watched the flag come down from the Lyceum. “The police officers came, and they were in uniform,” said Stocks. “They performed a very respectful ceremony. Lowered the flag and folded it.” The Mississippi state flag is being prepared to store in the university’s archives, along with pictures of the historic event. “We want to have a welcoming environment for everyone,” said Stocks. “We felt the best way to do that was by lowering the state flag and placing it in our university’s archives.” Stocks said he was greatly influenced by the campus community to take down the flag. Over the past few weeks, the undergraduate student senate, faculty senate and graduate student senate held meetings to vote on whether or not the flag should be removed from campus grounds. A majority of senate members asked for the flag to come down. The undergraduates voted for a resolution to take down the flag with a 33-15-one vote, and the faculty senate joined their resolution voting 41-1. The graduate student senate also shared their support by voting 9-1 in favor of taking down the flag. The undergraduate student body lead the initiative to take down the state’s flag on campus. One week ago, the associated student body held a rally to protest the flag. Buka Okoye is the president of the university’s NAACP chapter. “This week has just been amazing,” said Okoye. “Having the students just come together and speak up on a topic that for the most part has been ignored for the past couple decades; for the first time saying, this can no longer be tolerated, lets talk about this and lets take the symbol down.” Allen Coon, College Democrats President, has made a big impact on chancellor’s decision to take down the flag. He said that his push to remove the flag, came after the racial related massacre in Charleston, SC this summer. “We know that we have momentum, because of the events that occurred in Charleston and the national conversation that’s been occurring in communities and campuses across the nation,” said Coon. “So we thought now is the time, if ever, for us to act and to bring these issues to the forefront of the conversation.” The University of Mississippi is the fourth campus to take down the state flag. Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University and Alcorn State University have also stopped flying the flag.
In 2001, Mississippi State University’s faculty senate voted in support of changing the state flag before a statewide referendum. Both Delta State University and the University of Southern Mississippi have made statement about redesigning the Mississippi state flag. “It’s really impactful to know that we as students, can make a difference on our campus,” said Coon. With the momentum growing with the flag removal Coon said he wants to address Ventress Hall and the confederate statue in the circle next, but he’s grateful of the impact he and others have made on campus. “I just think today is a very powerful moment for the University of Mississippi,” said Coon. “I’m very proud to be a student here.” Navy blazers, khaki’s and freshly cut hair. It’s pledge season in Oxford, MS, and that means business is booming for local beauty shop, The Parlor. At The Parlor, male clientele helps drive the business. Especially during the fall football season. New fraternity pledges must keep their hair above their eyebrows, collars and ears until they become active members, making them routine customers. Kaylee Walker-Gore is a hairdresser at The Parlor and refers to fall as “pledge season”. “This time of year we get all the new freshmen in,” said Walker-Gore. “We have pledge cuts, its what we call them. We clean them up and get them all ready.” “I like to keep my hair short, and it grows way to fast,” said Fred Johns. Johns works at Rafters Bar and Grill, and all the other men he works with get their hair cut at The Parlor. “It’s just a good place to get your hair cut,” said Fred Johns. Walker-Gore also sees a lot of male athletes come to The Parlor for a trim. She said that mostly baseball players come in to get rid of their long, shaggy hair. “Occasionally one will come in, and be like ‘I’m tired of it, I’m hot all the time, I’m sweating and I just want to cut it off,’” said Walker-Gore. The Parlor sees a lot of the athletic program come through their doors, including the athlete’s dietitian. A men’s haircut is $20. “I worked at another place before this,” said Walker-Gore. “I never expected to have this many guys here.” A majority of The Parlor’s clients are Ole Miss male students, but female students and local residents help the business stay in full swing. Walker-Gore says women come in mostly for haircuts and highlights. Like pledge season, young women come in droves too. “We do see a lot of them during the times like date parties and formals and pageants,” said Walker-Gore. “Especially around prom time with high school girls.” The Parlor also offers full spa services and spray tans. The salon uses the fake bake brand to give an even faux tan. The spray tan usually lasts customers seven to 10 days. Walker-Gore says the busiest time for spray tans is during Panhellenic recruitment. “We have a lot of those that come in and we try to get them ready,” said Walker-Gore. “We try to make them look a little better in their dresses.” When the students aren’t in town, the residents of Oxford keep the business thriving. Throughout the year residents will come in and get their hair done, but the older clientele keeps the business busy in the summer. “A lot of our older people come in really early in the mornings,” said Walker-Gore. “Our younger people come in later in the afternoons.” The salon was voted Best Salon in the Oxford Eagle’s “Best of Oxford 2015.” The Parlor services include hair care and coloring, spa services, men’s hair and face care and airbrush tanning and makeup. While the residents of Oxford are loyal customers, The Parlor’s majority of clients are students. Walker-Gore says she doesn’t mind it, especially during the school breaks.
“We get to spend time with our families, without feeling like we’re taking away from the shop and not giving out clients 100% all the time,” said Walker-Gore. “It actually works out pretty good.” |