They bridged the cultures, they transformed lives

When they came to Oxford back in August, they didn’t know what to expect. It was the adventure.

A flight from Montenegro took 20 hours and first thing they say they remember from the night they got to Oxford, was humid air.

By now they have almost finished the year at The University of Mississippi, travelled across the U.S. improved their English and got a lot of new experiences.

Marija Raspopvic and Bozidar Bukilic are international students on the Forecast Exchange Program organized and sponsored by The World Learning Organization. It is a private, nonprofit international organization with both academic and field project capabilities. They provide education, exchange, and development programs that cultivate the global leadership and social innovation. http://blogs.worldlearning.org/now/

Forecast Exchange Program is a scholarship program which offers students from Serbia and Montenegro the opportunity to spend a whole academic year at American universities. The aim of the program is to create academic, cultural and social exchange among students from different countries.

In order to experience American way of studying and living at its best, students are required and encouraged to participate in volunteering activities.

When they apply for the program, students go through the process of interviews and other eliminatory examinations.

“They were looking for the leaders, independent and working students who were ready to experience new culture and be ambassadors of their own countries as well.” Said Marija Raspopivic.

Students don’t know till the last moment of the selection process where are they going to end up. This year 30 U.S. states were possible destinations.

“We found out at the very end we were coming to Mississippi and sure we said yes! This is an exallent experience and it just changed your life. I would recommend this to every student in the world, no matter where from. Go and study abroad. It is inspiring.”

Bozidar Bukilic talks about his Forecast experience at OleMiss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrYdogBvQmk

Check out the new WL blog, where all the students, stuff members and alumni share their experiences: http://blogs.worldlearning.org/now/

http://blogs.worldlearning.org/now/

HTML Formatting Examples for Your Final Projects

Examples of using HTML to format text.

This is how we do it.

You are the
center of my universe.

Yes, you're right: This is the most annoying bell and whistle in HTML.

For more examples, go to this article, "Web Tricks" about basic HTML coding.

It's that Time of Year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiN1Woqf8-M

Birth of a Magazine

Clearer Videostream. Sorry for the poor upload last week.

Fine Featherheads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9l3wUpgQ9k

Jonathan Juin at the "Ole Miss Invitational"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIuWxxVQL7A

Intramural Softball Season

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH5YS4KoR6I

Foxfire Ranch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J6qPH5VOCQ

Green Week

Jennifer Gardner

http://www.youtube.com/user/jlgardn1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yeaP6LQ3XQ

Birth of a Magazine

Print is not dead. The sun was just rising above the horizon as a group of excited students and teachers started a journey to Little Rock, Arkansas to visit Democrat Printing & Lithographing Co.

Dr. Husni’s magazine class has spent the past year developing two magazine hybrids called the L.O.U Obserer and the Mississippi Observer. Each student contributed stories and pictures while the teaching assistants acted as editor and creative director.

After spending months writing, designing, and editing, the magazines were finally ready to go to press, and Dr. Husni’s class was going to watch their births first hand.

“Here we are at Democrat Printing now. Walking into At Press where we are going to see what’s just been hot off the press so to speak,” exclaims Ren Turner in excitement.

The students had the opportunity to watch the Mississippi Observer be printed right before their eyes, and received the first copies for viewing.

“It’s an amazing feeling to see your hard work, your effort, your past year of being in class just rolling off the printer,” said Callie Blackwell, Creative Director of the magazines.

Printing is a hard process. It takes a lot of machines that need to be monitored constantly. There are millions of dollars worth of paper stored in the warehouse. A lot of the paper get recycled, as well as the ink.

Not everything is done by machine; there are still some things that need to be done by hand. Checking to make sure the pages are printing correctly with the right colors and alignment is a tedious job, as well as adding any additional inserts.

“So you have the hyper-local newspaper with a macroscopic look of the state inserted into your hyper-local newspaper so it gives you a complete picture of not only where you live but where your state is,” Blackwell explained of the magazines concept.

The LOU Observer and the Mississippi Observer will be distributed around Lafayette County. It is an attempt to revolutionize the way local print is created. The magazines will be entered in to a student magazine contest in May.

“That was really cool to know that I had some part in that to see that what I did does matter. In that paper, to see may article come across, it was one of the reasons I started Journalism I think,” said Jajuan McNeil, a student of Dr. Husni.

There is both a need for print and online in the magazine industry. It will change and evolve, as does everything in the world in order to survive.

Adam Brown: Living with a Disability

A video profile on the Ole Miss Opera Theatre program

New Orleans French Quarter Festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYLWPPX5HAA

A Day in the Life of John Croce, Professional Skydiver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfBFst3rknw

Flip Cam Response

I agree with the decision to cease production of Flip Cameras. The article was well-written and expressed my opinion exactly: that Flip Cams weren't the next step in the technological evolution, but rather simple a transition between "the old" and "the new." "The new" has arrived in the form of smartphones, all of which not only have high-definition cameras, but also 3g internet connection.

It's clear that many people still use Flip Cams and will be disappointed at their choice of technology being rendered obsolete. Thus, it's difficult to say whether or not Cisco made the right decision without looking at the numbers. However, it's likely that a company of their size didn't see a favorable opportunity cost between the effort it would take to keep the Flip Cam up-to-date and the revenue generated. It's difficult to keep up with the Joneses when you live next to Steve Jobs.

OUT transportation at OleMiss

Jean Jones Walk

Surveillance Cameras on the Square

More Than A Meal

By: Lance Ingram

Humans vs. Zombies: Ole Miss Edition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlKzSu0IHcE

Green Week 2011

More Than a Meal

Flip Cam...

I think that stopping the production of the Flip Cam is a wise decision by the company. The demand has decreased due to more convenient media devices. Most cell phones can easily take the place of a Flip Cam and exceed it's capabilities as well. The shift in production priorities for Cisco will allow them to create new products and focus on the ones that need some extra attention.

The capabilities of a Flip Cam are limited, and different editions (versions) aren't available. I can't speak for all Flip Cam consumers, but I know that the one i've had for two years is still working effectively so I don't need to consider buying another one. The lack of innovation with the product is one good reason that Cisco should stopt production and work on other projects that could/will eventually offer updates and advancements.

Flip Cam Thoughts

I feel that it is a good idea to stop production of the flip cam. The idea is very good, because you are able to have a mini video camera with you at all times, but the problem is that all smart phones can now take pictures and video in high quality and sometimes even HD. Also with the iPad 2's launch, sales on flip cams have probably declined as well.

My experience with the flip cam has been a good one, but it just isn't feasible for me to buy one due to the fact that my Motorola Droid X can shoot up to 30 minutes of HD video at a time. The quality on the flip cam is probably a little bit better but I have no need for one.

RIP Flip Cam

The popular Flip video camera is no more, with Cisco announcing Tuesday it “will exit aspects of its consumer businesses,” which includes shutting down the Flip.

In a statement, Cisco says that it is realigning its consumer businesses to “support four of its five key company priorities.” On the subject of the Flip, Cisco says it will “close down the Flip business and support current FlipShare customers and partners with a transition plan.”

Read this short article and comment on what you think about this move. Wise decision or not? What's been your experience with the flip? Write at least two paragraphs in your response.

Student turns pain into passion

By Mia Camurati

Jake Wilson leads two different lives.

In one, he travels the country as a model for Abercrombie and Fitch, and in the other he is a freshman with a double major in marketing and art. And, like his peers, Wilson has struggled to adapt to college life.

After his friend, Brad, committed suicide on their senior trip in the summer of 2010, Wilson was plagued with debilitating panic attacks.

“I thought I was having a heart attack,” Wilson said. “I would fall to the floor and have to brace myself. I didn’t understand what was going on.”

Wilson met with a counselor and was diagnosed with a mixture of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. He was put on an antidepressant for the remainder of the summer, but abruptly quit taking his medication at the beginning of the fall semester.

“I didn’t feel myself [when on medication],” Wilson said. “I didn’t feel like I could meet people, and that’s what the first semester of school is all about. I couldn’t take it.”

A few weeks went by in the fall semester, and soon Wilson’s drive to get out of bed and leave his room in the morning had vanished. One night, Wilson’s drive to live vanished as well, and he quickly learned what his friend had gone through only months before with his own handful of pills.

The next morning, Wilson awoke, nauseated and possibly still “medicated,” and hasn’t looked back since. Before today, he has only ever told one person, but now, he is ready to come clean about his past.

“I’m ready to talk about it because I don’t think it will happen again, but I don’t want people watching me 24/7 just in case,” Wilson said. “This is something people need to know, not about me personally, but they need to know the story.”

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students, and this story is only one of thousands.

While the original reasoning for dropping his medication was linked to a physical side effect of the medication, his most prevalent reason has to do with nothing more than the opinions of others.

“It was a pride issue, too,” Wilson said. “I told myself, ‘There’s no reason for me to take it just because something happened. I need to suck it up.’”

Since then, however, Wilson has taken his emotional pain and anguish and turned it into a way to better the Ole Miss and Oxford community.

One concern of Stacey Reycraft, director of Student Disability Services, and Marc Showalter, director of the University Counseling Center, have is the lack of a student-led support and awareness organization for mental illness and suicide.

Wilson and friend Lisa Morris have been working together for months now to iron out the details of their up-and-coming idea, “Talk Out Loud.”

After working out the kinks and applying for a $100,000 grant about a month ago through DoSomething.org, a website dedicated to helping students start programs to better their community, Wilson is hopeful that the organization will make and become an integral part of the mental health awareness scene of Oxford and Ole Miss.

The goal of “Talk Out Loud” is to offer students a safe environment among their peers to discuss their personal problems, issues in the community as a whole and how to educate others on this growing epidemic.

His ultimate goal is to start the organization on the Ole Miss campus and spread it to other schools around the nation.

“A lot of times, people with mental illnesses usually don’t ask for help because they’re embarrassed,” Wilson said. “We need to stop sitting back and waiting for people to show interest - there are plenty people out there with interest, they’re just too afraid, scared or embarrassed. The need is out there. The need isn’t just publicizing it. And we need to help them as soon as we can."

From Musicals to Magazines

Ellen Kellum pins a torn costume for an actor who is about to go on stage. As the actor enters stage left, Kellum smiles while viewing the finished product of the costumes she has designed.

Kellum worked on Broadway for six years as a wardrobe supervisor, star dresser and day worker. Each day she was surrounded by famous performers such as Renee Fleming and Brooke Shields. She now resides in Oxford and works at PMQ Pizza Magazine as an art director.

“I liked working with people who were the best in the business at what they did,” Kellum said.

Kellum grew up in Oxford while her parents were biology professors at Ole Miss. She graduated early from high school, and went to Texas Christian University where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre.

She spent the next several years working around the country at opera companies, ballet companies and regional theaters as a costumer and scenic artist. From there, she was hired to supervise wardrobe for national tours of Broadway musicals, which led to working on Broadway.

“I received a phone call from friends of mine I knew from my touring days, and they offered me a job working at the Palace Theatre as a star dresser for Beauty and the Beast,” Kellum said.

During her theatre career, Kellum also worked six years at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, N.Y., making and repairing costumes for performers.

“My life's dream has been to work on Broadway and here is someone with experience,” said Artesha Dunning, senior journalism major and PMQ intern. “I hope to learn more about journalism and Broadway now that I know more about Mrs. Ellen's past.”

When Kellum became pregnant with her daughter, she did not want to raise her in the big city of New York. She then decided to move back to Oxford near her family and friends.

Upon returning to Oxford, Kellum went back to college and received her Master’s of Journalism with an emphasis in art. A month before graduation, Kellum was offered a job at PMQ Magazine as a graphic designer.

“The transition from art and costume design to graphic design was not hard,” Kellum said. “Both jobs require being creative and collaborative. I had to switch careers after 20 something years and have been fortunate enough to find a new career in graphic design.”

Kellum has worked at PMQ for seven years now. She designs advertisements, layouts, graphics and covers for the magazine.

“Ellen has an incredible past and is a great designer,” said Andrew Abernathy, PMQ’s associate editor. “It is amazing how she went from designing sets and costumes to designing a pizza magazine.”

Kellum does not make costumes for Broadway anymore, but she does put the design skills she learned to work.

“I don’t regret leaving Broadway, I am doing the most important work of my life raising my daughter. I wouldn’t change anything,” Kellum said.

More Than A Mother

Every year, new members arrive at her doorstep and she instantly becomes mom to 90 new girls. Fraternities and sororities are a significant part of life at the University of Mississippi for many students. What most people do not realize is that each sorority and fraternity has a housemother who is responsible for the day-to-day activities of their respective house.

Mary Miles, know by her girls as ‘Ms. Mary’, is the leading lady behind the operations of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at the University of Mississippi. Not actively seeking out the job, Miles was contacted a friend who informed her of the open position. Miles did not know anything about being a house-mother, but being an empty-nester and single, she decided to take pack her bags and move from her home in Tupelo, MS to the Kappa Kappa Gamma house in Oxford, MS where she started her position as the Kappa Kappa Gamma house mother in 2006.

Being a housemother is more than just living with 60 girls and being a mother to 250. There is a lot of “house keeping” business that Miles must make sure is taken care of everyday. She must make sure everything is working, if not, repaired. She must make sure the workmen get in and do their job as quickly and efficiently as possible, as well as making sure all the staff are doing theirs. There is yard maintenance, paying bills, ordering groceries, making the weekly menu and reporting to her boss, the Kappa Kappa Gamma house board. Miles meets with the house board only three times a year, but is in contact with them everyday. Another person Miles is extremely involved with is the chapter President, Catherine Scott.

“I have a meeting with Ms. Mary and the house board twice a semester to discuss major things, such as finances. But I e-mail back and forth with her everyday about smaller things like meal changes, daily adjustments with the house, etc,” said Scott.

With every job come benefits and downfalls. Miles says in the case of her job, the positives outweigh the negatives.

“I really enjoy my job; the girls, the atmosphere, being on campus, “working at home,” not having to get dressed up in business clothes everyday and meeting so many new, great people,” said Miles. “One downfall of being a house-mother is not knowing everybody. I don’t think it’s possible for me to know everyone. Sometimes it get’s difficult managing the house, the staff and making sure everyone likes everything.”

Every parent hopes to see his or her child succeed. Miles said that she doesn’t know of any housemother on campus who does not want the students of their respective house to be successful. According to Senior Kappa Kappa Gamma member Christina Bell, “Ms. Mary is always there to provide a reassuring word or advise on anything I would normally go to my own mother about.”

Additionally, she is on call 24-hours a day to parent in need of some special assistance that can vary from help with a sick child to advice on school, even boyfriend problems.

“As a housemother, I truly support everyone. If they ask me for help, I’m going to help them, no matter what the circumstance. I always make myself available for them,” said Miles.

My mom always said taking care of three children was a full-time job. Ms. Mary, who is the mom to over 200 girls, says her position is one she is lucky to have because of all the girls she’s associated with.

“The troubles are all worth while when I get to see my girls mature in life and succeed in school,” said Miles.

Once a mom, always a mom.

The Girl Who Has Never Met A Stranger

Six years ago, Lenox Baker sat beside Venus and Serena Williams and Mandy Moore in Miami waiting to walk into Andy Roddick and Ally Baker’s press release for their new Babolat commercial.  

Ally Baker is Lenox Baker’s big sister. Ally Baker turned into a professional tennis player at 15. She received sponsorships from Babolat and Adidas, made it to the finals of Wimbledon, and joined the US Fed Cup team all before a foot injury at the age of 18 ended her career.

Many people have wondered how turning pro at such a young age has affected Ally’s life, but few people think about how it has affected those closest to her.

When Ally was 14, she moved from her hometown of Raleigh, NC, to Everett Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fl. Lenox’s mother and father split time with Ally, while the other stayed with Lenox in Raleigh. Lenox traveled to Florida or to Ally’s competitions or press releases on weekend and holidays.

“I never really thought about the fact that my childhood was a lot different than most until I came to college,” Lenox said. “My friends from high school traveled with me sometimes, so they were kind of used to it too.”

On the other hand, Lenox can remember a specific time when one of Ally’s events affected her life. Ally was playing in an AIDS benefit and Elton John and Billie Jean King were her “coaches” for the match. Lenox got to sit by Elton John on the bench, but she was not happy about it because she was missing her eighth grade dance.

“Looking back on it, it is hilarious and I’m so glad I skipped my eighth grade dance to go, but at the time I was absolutely furious I was missing it,” Lenox said.

Lenox is currently a senior broadcast journalism major at Ole Miss. She randomly decided to attend Ole Miss after one visit because she was eager to meet new people.

Lenox has never been shy or had a problem making friends. Her mother believes this is partially because she traveled a lot and gained a passion for and curiosity about people, which also led her to pursue a degree in broadcast journalism.

“Lenox has always been incredibly independent, which made traveling with Ally possible,” said Leigh Baker, Lenox’s mother. “She would meet older girls at the pool or at camp and hire her own babysitters. When she came along, she would make a friend at every training facility or tournament, some were German or Russian, all different ages.”

Many of Lenox’s best friends she has made in college did not know about her unique childhood until months after they met, but most say that they can tell that it has helped shape the person she is today.

“One day Lenox just nonchalantly spit out that her sister had won Wimbledon, like it was no big deal,” said Sara Frances Wilson, Lenox’s roommate. “Lenox is seriously the girl who has never met a stranger. She can find something she has in common with anyone, and I think that has a lot to do with how she was raised.” 

David Hankins Unlikely Drive To Kick

By Ren Turner
It was the Cotton Bowl two years ago and then sophomore, David Hankins, was expected to play his normal role: on the bench. Whether by chance or destiny, almost as if planned by the great playwrights, the stage was set for this young man who only knew the feeling of grass on a practice field. When the usual kickoff man Justin Sparks came down with illness, Coach Nutt gave the nod to Hankins. At an in home interview he reminisced on the moment, “Tie those laces tight Hankins, your kicking today,” Nutt had said.

Hankins took the field in Dallas to the scream of a record crowd and an amped up Texas Tech team that already promised victory. Hankins took care of all eight Rebel kickoffs that night, averaging 62 yards per kick. All Ole Miss fans remember the victory and most remember the celebration, but when the lights turned off and the players dismantled for the rest of Christmas vacation, David Hankins made the short drive home to Shreveport, La to spend time with his family in simplicity and humility.

Hankins is a senior now with one more year of eligibility. Following his performance in the Cotton Bowl, he has only kicked sporadically against subpar opponents. Long time friend and roommate Michael Giery said, “I can’t figure out why he still does it. Geological Engineering combined with SEC football is an awful combination, especially when you don’t play.”

“I probably won’t play,” Hankins said pessimistically about next season.

“How have you been kicking?” I ask.

“Great,” he said. “But that’s just how it goes for me.”

Undeniably, there is something driving him and it’s not the promise of play. Rebel football practice is in full swing now, and although Hankins has the senior advantage of paid dues there is no guarantee. The Rebels have young talented kickers in Bryson Rose and Andrew Ritter who saw playing time over Hankins last season and coaches see their play as an investment for the future. “Hankins and I are great friends,” Ritter said. “But on the field we’re both going for the same goal so sure there’s some competition.”

“I don’t know why I’m staying,” Hankins said. “I’m going to be getting a minor is Parks and Recreation or something.” He then mocks the idea, highlighting the bizarre dichotomy of Geological Engineering with Parks and Rec. “Employers will just be confused by me,” he said.

By all accounts of physical appearance, Hankins has no place on a collegiate football field. He wears his two hundred and twenty pounds of loose skin on a lanky six foot, three inch frame and carries his awkward mass with a bad slouch and a country tongue. Frankly, he doesn’t give a damn.

One thing Giery said is that he has always known Hankins to adore his father, Lull Hankins.
Lull was the victim of a car accident some years ago and became a quadriplegic, and since then had run a business offering custom accessories to the handicapped. He was David’s biggest fan, calling him after every practice and checking in, until the morning when he was found dead at home in his wheelchair.

Michael Giery retold the scene when Miss Hankins called David to report the news. Those powerful legs that send footballs into opposing end zones couldn’t even hold him at that point. “He collapsed, and with his head buried deep into his arms he cried. He sobbed, actually,” Giery said.

“My dad was my best friend,” Hankins said. “I loved playing football for him and I think a part of me still does play for him.”

Joseph Martin

Opportunity does not often knock on the door, but when it does one must be prepared to open. Joseph Martin was prepared and now he works as the executive assistant to one of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Martin, 22, was once just a small town Liberal Arts major at the University of Mississippi. He began as a pre-med student and quickly switched to the music school once he realized he had a passion for music ministry. Martin says the God placed him in the music school to lead him to former President of William Morris talent agency, Sam Haskell.

“I took the Sigma Chi house mother out to eat one night last may while I was studying for exams. We went to Newks and Sam and his wife we there,” Martin recalls upon his first time meeting Haskell.

At the time, Martin was a bartender and waiter at the restaurant 208 on the square. Martin waited on Haskell several times. Around the fourth meeting, Haskell asked Martin if he would like to have breakfast. During the breakfast meeting, Haskell asked Martin to replace his executive assistant who was leaving. Martin readily accepted and so began a glorious relationship.

As Executive Assisstant, Martin helps Haskell run his busy life. He takes all of Haskell’s calls and emails as well as books his itinerary. Martin in also in charge of booking Haskell’s flights, hotels, and transportation to various events.

Recently, Haskell has published a memoir titled Promises I Made to My Mother. The autobiography is about his life growing up in Amory, Miss. and how his mother shaped him as he rose to the big time in Hollywood. Martin drives Haskell to states that are nearby while Haskell is on his book tour. So Haskell has visited every state and 115 different cities for his tour. Haskell has made no money off of his book. Every penny is donated to charities and schools.

“Just because he is retired, doesn’t mean he gets to relax. Everyone wants him to come speak at events and fundraisers. For every event Haskell attends, he donates money to the cause.

Haskell is also in charge of the Duke of Edinburgh program that helps troubled kids get back to a better life. He is on the board of Sigma Chi, the Boy Scouts of America and is also the Chairman of Miss America. This year, Martin attended the pageant and escorted the final 5 contestants on stage as the results were revealed.

“Joseph is such an amazing guy. He works hard and I could not think of a better person for such a good thing to have happened to him,” said Douglas Strahan, a good friend of Martin.

While working full time for Haskell, Joseph is taking a year off of school. Even being so busy, he still finds time to lead the band at The Orchard, a local church in Oxford. He also writes his own music.

“I’ve been friends with Jospeh since high school. We both started Evangelical Christian School in the eleventh grade. He was so nice to me and made me feel like I wasn’t all alone being the new kid,” said Dare Harcourt, a friend of Martin, “he really cares about people.”

Martin is unsure of where the future will take him. Next year, he will finish school and then possibly move to Los Angeles to work for William Morris. One thing is for sure: when you work for Sam Haskell, a plethora of opportunities will open up for you.

A wise man once said, “If your eyes are open opportunities will come. Any one can be given a key to opportunity. The real success is what you do once you walk through the door.”

Sources:

Joseph Martin 662-316-5322

Dare Harcourt 901-634-7089

Douglas Strahan 601-842-6906

Living with a Passion

By: Jennifer Gardner

Working as a part-time musician and successfully juggling the demands of what all that entails doesn’t typically grace the daily to-do list of a full-time Ole Miss student, unless you’re Jay Patrick Marlar.

Sporting faded jeans, a broken-in button up shirt and the stereotypical, but misinterpreted ponytail, Marlar can often be found spending his daytime hours pretending to fully care about his double major. In reality, this care for school diminishes in comparison to his real passion: music. “I realized that maybe it will take a long time making a bigger name for myself, and a lot of money…so staying in school to have a good job is important to me while I wait on musical success,” said Marlar.

From the age of twelve, Marlar knew that his life would always include music. “When I started playing banjo, my first instrument, I called an instructor, Ernie Welch who taught the famous Bella Fleck to play. He told me after thirty minutes there was nothing else he could teach me,” said Marlar. That confidence booster was all he needed to realize that music was his calling and sticking with it would eventually pay off.

The self-taught musician casually rolled his eyes and chuckled at the idea of ever initially wanting or needing a music lesson. “A true, real musician would never need many lessons, if any,” stated Marlar. Over the past ten years, the cocky musician has mastered playing guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica.

His accumulated musical talent and driving desire for recognition are just two reasons that this demanded artist is continually offered countless opportunities to play his music in and around the Oxford area. A childhood friend of his, Haley Huggins, isn’t surprised by how far his musical career has grown. “We all knew that when Jay started playing for local restaurants and bars that people would love him…we never complained when he would constantly be playing music for us either,” said Huggins.

Jay’s weekly Sunday night shows at Taylor Grocery have kept the customers going back for more, and I’m not talking about their infamous fried catfish. One repeat diner, Fred Vann, is able to round off his busy week while enjoying Marlar’s unique vocals paired with blue grass and classic hits. “Nothing I love more than relaxing at Taylor Grocery when Jay’s playing,” said Vann, “especially when he’s covering my classic rock favorites.”

Between write-ups about his music in The Local Voice, his highly demanded vocals, and constant offers to play his music around town, it’s very evident that Jay Patrick Marlar offers a variety of listeners an equal variety of great entertainment. “I want them [fans, listeners] to leave feeling like they’ve just heard there favorite band through my music…and me as an individual artist…when I cover some old hits,” replied Marlar after being asked what his he strives to instill within each fan after hearing him play music.

Sources

Jay Patrick Marlar, featured musician, jpmarlar@olemiss.edu

Fred Vann, frequent diner-Taylor Grocery, fredvann3@gmail.com

Haley Huggins, Jay’s friend, contact number (662)-808-2731

For Japanese UM Student, Disaster Hits Home

At Ole Miss, the devastation caused by the powerful earthquake and tsunami in Japan may feel a world away, but not for graduate student Daichi Tanabe. Tanabe is a native of Shizuoka, located between Tokyo and Osaka, and for him, the disaster hits home. When he first learned of the earthquake, he simply brushed it off. “Earthquakes are common in Japan, so the first thing I thought was that it was just another earthquake,” Tanabe said. It was not until the next morning that he realized the enormity of the situation. “I didn’t really imagine that it could have been that bad.” The earthquake and accompanying tsunami killed at least 12,000 people and caused mass devastation along the northeast coast of Japan. Fortunately, Tanabe does not have friends or family in that part of the country. Tanabe says people in Japan feel worried that another major earthquake could strike, especially considering the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, which was severely damaged by the quake and tsunami, and is leaking radiation into the environment. “I think many people are kind of worried about other nuclear plants in Japan, not only Fukushima,” Tanabe said. He also believes the disaster will have a negative effect on the country’s economy and culture for some time to come. “They don’t (live) their lives as they do usually; they’re having to cancel all the festivals or cancel all the sports events because of a lack of electricity.” “Before the earthquake hit, (the economy) was going up a bit, but now it’s going down a bit, and now many college graduates can’t get a job at the moment,” Tanabe said. Even with all of the destruction and suffering in Japan, Tanabe believes that the country will eventually get back on its feet. “Other countries have supported Japan so much, and Japan’s still trying to get everything back on track, so I’m pretty sure we will.” Daichi Tanabe graduates from Ole Miss in May, and goes home in June.

American father

Bill MacKenzie is in his late 50s. The most remarkable thing in his life was learning how to love people. He thought he was a task orientated person, who was content working quietly on his own. But then he moved from Kansas, where he was born and raised, to Oxford, Mississippi. It was back in 1980s.

Today, Bill lives on his farm in Oxford, with his wife and international students from all over the world. He lives in The International Guest House. That is his home and his business. But he said it was more than that, that place is his masterpiece. International Guest House is what Bill invested his life in. He transformed what was back in 80s just a house where he lived with his wife and children, into home for the whole international community of Oxford.

“My home is also home for everybody who is away from home and misses home warm atmosphere. My wife and I have been living with a family from Taiwan here for last 2 years.”

Every second Friday, Bill hosts gathering of international students from OleMiss. On one of those Fridays, Bill told me a story about him. His farm was crowded with students from all around the globe.

“I built all of this with my ten fingers.” He said making a circle in the air with his arm. His hands were dusty, he had just come back from the woods where he was doing outdoor activities with the students before the dinner.

After graduating and getting a degree in mechanical engineering, he realized he wanted to work with children. He came back to the school and got a degree in teaching. Involved in a Bible studies group, he gets moved to Oxford where he starts a Bible group and takes a full time job at the University of Mississippi. Bible studies developed a new kind of socializing with students.

“I taught about how could I be affective, how can we really have an environment where students felt loved and secure and welcomed. But there was also chance for them to have some deeper, religious discussions. The idea was having a home where students could live and where we could also have other different activities. So we started in 1988 to build what we now call The International Guest house. “

Although he points out the impact that his God has made on him, he doesn’t take the God as a condition that all people that he spends his time with has to agree on. And as open-minded and open-hearted person he welcomed students to enjoy his guest house:

“I am very thankful, as I said what God has done in my life and I do enjoy sharing that with others, but I don’t make it a condition upon a friendship, that they have to agree with me. We would love to have people come out and join us.”

God-loving and loving father. That’s how his wife, Cristal, described him. “He loves children. He is not just father of my children; he is a father for more than ten times every Friday, when all of these kids come for a dinner.”

He shakes his brown haired head when asked if he gets tired off all of those “kids” around his place.

“I have found that life is much richer if I involve people and learn how to love. So I’m very grateful that God didn’t just leave me alone and let me be just alone by myself. Cause I’d be a lonely old man by now.”

He is everything else but not a lonely old man. The man with an idea and willingness to work on it, who doesn’t hide that he is more than happy to be kind of a father for all this students. That’s the characteristic that Abby Abigall the student who used to live at Bill’s farm point out about McKenzie:

“Bill Mackenzie is very strong and very intelligent, wise man, who I think that many students would see him as a father figure, because he is warm, loving and accepting and always busy. But in a good way.”

As the sky was getting darker at the farm, students started to pack and leave. While Bill was saying bye to me, giving me his pone number so I could call him if I ever needed anything, an Asian girl run into us out of nowhere and literally jumped on Bill, hugging him.

“Thank you, thank you, I’m leaving next week! You made my time here! I’m going to miss my American Dad!”

She was excited. Bill looked at me, spread his arms and said “It is all about love and helping others.”

Bill MacKenzie definitely knows how to do it.

Chef Hal Rusk

Hal Rusk is a thirty-year-old chef at Lenora’s restaurant from Greenville, Mississippi. However, he is not your typical chef by any means.

When asked how he got involved in the restaurant business, Rusk half-jokingly replied “cocaine and waitresses.”

Now sober, Rusk once worked at a restaurant in Memphis where the only prerequisite to wash dishes there was drug dealing. The entire kitchen staff would line up while the executive chef went in the bathroom and fixed everybody’s package for the day, two grams of cocaine. Rusk said that he would literally have a “gram for lunch and a gram for dinner”. The lifestyle was unhealthy and exhausting. The executive chef was not only his boss and roommate, but also his drug partner. Rusk woke up one morning and realized that if he continued on like this, it would be the death of him. So he packed up his bags and moved back to Oxford and has been clean ever since.

An Ole Miss graduate, Rusk got into the restaurant industry while working his way through school. He had neither previous intentions of being a chef nor culinary school experience. However, an experienced chef convinced him that what he was doing was doing was above average. Soon after, he dropped out of school to become a chef. Pearl Street offered Rusk a serving position if he washed dishes for two weeks. He then became a prep cook in the kitchen, working his way up to kitchen manager within eight months. Rusk has worked at Pearl Street, University Club and Castle Hill Resort to name a few as well as working at hotels and restaurants in Savannah, Ga. and opening a restaurant in Memphis, Tenn.

Growing up, scrambled eggs were pretty much the extent of Rusk’s cooking experience. At home, he eats standard country food, anything you would find at a meat-and-fry diner. He doesn’t like to get fancy. Rusk says that lasagna is his favorite meal and he loves to cook anything to do with pork or seafood. He gets his inspirations and ideas for entrees from what is familiar to him, like things that he used to eat at his grandparents house growing up in the Delta.

“I like to take basic southern food items and fancy them up/spin them around. I had to put a classification on the cuisine I cook, I would call it nouveau-redneck”, Rusk says.

“Hal is a great cook. We are very lucky to have him at Lenora’s and he brings a lot of creative yet simple ideas to the menu,” Mike Portera, owner of Lenora’s and fellow Greenville native, says.

Rusk gives cooking advice for a novice: to take what you know you’re going to enjoy, put heat to it and add the flavors that you like. “Not everything has to be a fancy $300 French dish, you can make a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich,” Rusk says. “Cooking is the simplest thing in the world. If you want pork chops or mashed potatoes, you can figure it out. “

“Every time customers leave the restaurant, they compliment Hal’s cooking. He is a great chef and an easy person to get along with,” Lauren Stamberger, a psychology major and hostess at Lenora’s from Atlanta, Ga. Says.

Rusk has come a long way since his drug abuse days. He is the proud father of a beautiful two-year-old girl, Sophie Grace. When asked if he would like to open his own restaurant, he says maybe when he’s 50. Right now, he hopes for Lenora’s to stay as successful as they are, if not more, and to continue to provide quality food at an affordable price to Oxford residents.

Sources:
Lauren Stamberger, employee at Lenora’s, (404-583-8969), lastambe@olemiss.edu
Mike Portera, owner of Lenora’s restaurant, (662-816-8888), mikepo20@yahoo.com
Hal Rusk, chef at Lenora’s, (662-832-3526) hal@lenorasdining.com

Morris Lives Dream

A lot was running through Brian Morris’ mind Saturday morning as he walked up to his locker before the Ole Miss Rebel football team took the field to scrimmage. He was uncharacteristically nervous as he put on his uniform in a routine process that was treated more like a ceremony. This day is as unlikely as any other day that Morris suits up for the Rebels. For the road that ended up here has been one of uncertainty and improbability.

The journey almost never began for Morris after he was injured on the opening kick-off of the fifth game during his senior high school football season. As a result of that injury, Morris was unable to send college scouts enough quality game footage to convince them he had what it takes to play at the Division I level. Not wanting to play at a smaller college, Morris decided to attend Oklahoma State which is not too far from his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

After Morris’ second year as a student at Oklahoma State, the Ole Miss football program was going through some coaching changes. Tulsa native Dave Rader had just been hired to be the Rebels offensive coordinator. Rader’s brother happens to be a member of Morris’ dad’s weekly golfing foursome. A window of opportunity had just opened which offered him a final chance to play college football.

Morris was on his way to Phoenix to visit a friend when his father called about the news. Morris decided immediately that he was going to pursue this endeavor to the fullest extent.

“I told myself that, if at the end of the day it doesn’t work out, I at least gave it a shot and, now I know where I stand at the highest level of college football.”
After using his father’s connection to contact Rader, Morris was invited to Oxford to meet with Rader and head football coach Houston Nutt.
Morris’ father recalls how nervous he was for his son.

“The whole trip we were trying to figure out how the meeting would go. We just tried to stay positive. Fortunately, Coach Nutt told Brian that he wanted him to get there and get involved as soon as possible.”

Morris remembers his first play in practice coming after his coach substituted him in by mistake.

“I went into the huddle and the coach looked at me and was irritated that he had put me in by accident. When he realized what he did, he looked at me and said, ‘Don’t f--- this up.’”

He continued to play on scout team all last fall. After the season, however, Morris got some more unexpected news. Rader and his receiver coach, Ron Dickerson, had been fired.

Gunter Brewer was hired soon after to be the receivers coach. Brewer says he is adamant about putting the best players on the field, regardless of previous playing time.

“I don’t care if you’re white, green, black, yellow or brown, the best man is going to play. Brian has shown that he has the talent to really compete for playing time next year.”

On this day, April Fool’s Day 2011, Morris and his teammates take the field in Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium to prove their worth to the coaches.

Morris, working at third-string wide receiver, takes the field after about the first 25 plays. A pass comes his way after two plays. He catches a short slant pass and is immediately tackled. The next pass comes a handful of plays later. Morris runs ten yards, plants, and takes aim toward the middle of the field. The pass is delivered tightly and accurately, and in and out of Morris’ hands. He stays on the field for two more plays and is substituted out.

Morris recalls the moment with obvious regret.

“I should have caught that second one. I really needed to hold on to that one. Hopefully, they’ll remember some of the good things I have been doing the last couple of days.”

While Morris’ playing status is uncertain, his very presence on the field and the path that got him there are notably more unlikely.

Meet Price Walden, Composer at Large

BY DONICA PHIFER

A jazzy groove that carries a hint of rock and roll and an infusion of the blues, a classical piece with a contemporary flair that is not entirely out of place on the radio: This is Price Walden’s “Hydrogen Jukebox,” and its premiere performance last year made his dream of becoming a composer reality.

“There were all these college band directors and composers in the audience that I looked up to,” Walden said. “I can still remember taking my bow and that was really a defining moment for me, all the people that I got to meet because of that. That experience I couldn’t have ever dreamed of.”

Walden grew up thinking that he would be a lawyer or a politican. His dream job was to be President of the United States.

Music was always a part of Walden’s household growing up. His mother played piano in church, and once Walden was old enough, he began taking piano lessons.

Walden also joined his school marching band.

“That was when I started realizing that I had a gift for music, and the more I got into it, the better I got with instruments,” Walden said. “I thought that it might be something that I wanted to make a career out of.”

By high school, he was arranging hymnals for piano performances in church and composing smaller pieces for full bands.

Walden was encouraged by positive reactions from his high school band director after reading his music.

The Booneville Blue Devils Band premiered Walden’s work in his final spring concert while Walden conducted.

The next fall, Walden enrolled in the University as a music major and impressed his professors with his dedication and natural talent.

“He’s an incredible musician; he’s a keyboard player who can sight-read like a machine,” said David Willson, director of bands for the University. “He’s spent a lot of time in a practice room, but he obviously has some natural talent. He can hear things that an average person can’t hear.”

Willson knew Walden and his talent in high school and repeatedly asked him to compose a piece for the band to perform when Walden became a student at Ole Miss.

“I read it and said, ‘I’m playing it,’” Willson said.

“Hydrogen Jukebox” was the piece.

Since its premiere in February 2010, three other university bands have performed the work and many other copies have been sold.

“It all began from a tune in his head,” Willson said.

“That type of inspiration isn’t uncommon,” Walden said. “My writing process is fairly organic. It always starts with the inspiration. I collect a lot of poetry and I’ll find something in a poem that speaks to me and go from there. I’ll say, ‘If I was going to write a piece on this poem, what would I think about?’”

For the past year, Walden has received requests to write additional music, including a second composition for the Ole Miss band to honor a retiring music professor.

“He puts his whole soul into every piece that he works on,” said Stacy Rodgers, Walden’s piano professor. “That is a really great characteristic and he doesn’t shy away from any challenge, which is a nice trait to encounter.”

Though Walden has only written instrumental compositions, he is currently writing a composition for women’s choir and a song set for soprano that he hopes to premiere in his junior recital in 2012.

Walden draws inspiration from composers like Benjamin Britten and mainstream artists such as The Beatles, Regina Spektor and Radiohead.

“I’m not really sure what my voice is going to be, what my music will sound like in five years or so,” Walden said. “I’d like to think that I’d write some big piece that will get played by orchestras all around the world, be the next Beethoven or something.”

And Walden’s professors think success is on its way.

“I would love to see him be a household name and a top composer, what we would call the ‘top dogs’ — someone who is commissioned to write a piece and would be paid for it because they know it’s going to be good,” Wilson said. “That is what I think Price will be.”