http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfQMFoKfQ6E

Diversity in the Dorms

Court Burlingame

Jour 102

Final Project

May 11, 2011

Ole Miss’ New Generation

The University of Mississippi has long been known for its complete lack of tolerance and racial diversity. For the better part of its existence, the University has managed to maintain this image with the rest of the country. Ole Miss officials, however, are quickly attempting to overhaul this notion, and the first place to start is with the freshmen in the dorms.

Whenever a list of the top colleges and universities for diversity and acceptance is released, Ole Miss is never anywhere near the top. It is no surprise that a school such as Ole Miss, which up until recently would fly Confederate flags at football games, would have this image. Ole Miss, however, is not as segregated as many would believe.

Igor Zlatojev, who hails from Serbia and can frequently be heard chatting in his native tongue, is an RA at the Brown Residence Hall. He, like many RA’s, is someone who is of a substantially different background from the majority of Ole Miss students. This difference does not alienate him; it provides him an opportunity to reach out to those of different cultures from his own.

“As an RA here in the dorms, I’ve been able to see students of different races and backgrounds come together over the course of the year,” said Zlatojev. “This place isn’t nearly as segregated as people think it to be.”

Zlatojev is but one of the many examples of diversity in the dorms. Anywhere you look, you will be able to find students of different cultures mixing together, defying the University’s typical characterization.

Upon visiting any of the dorms, you would be hard pressed to find some sort of segregation. Whether students are studying, partying, or simply hanging out, they are reaching out to people of different races, cultures, and creeds.

“I’ve definitely made friends with people who I normally wouldn’t socialize with,” said freshman Caroline Cook, who lives in the Martin Residence Hall. “Just through meeting some girls on my floor and other people around campus, I think I’ve really stepped out of my comfort zone. Some of these people are great friends of mine who I will remember forever.

This sense of camaraderie can be seen almost anywhere on campus. In a sharp departure from the ways of the past, students are being encouraged to reach out, whether it’s in the Greek Life, athletics, student –run organizations, or even in the classrooms.

As Ole Miss steps further into the 21^st century, it is essential for us to break with the “traditions” and ideals of the past, in order to live up to our full potential. Simply changing our mascot or hosting a Diversity Week does not accomplish this goal.

By promoting a nurturing, integrated living environment in the dorms, we are able to encourage students to reach across racial boundaries. With each new generation of incoming freshman, Ole Miss is slowly but surely doing away with the image of its past and embracing a new, more progressive image of its future.

Here's a link to Ole Miss' Diversity Rocks website: http://diversityrocksonline.org/

The University of Mississippi may appear to be a diverse campus but it is easy to see that there are still some boundaries between races.

Ole Miss was a non-segregated school until October 1, 1962 when James Meredith became the first African-American student. Meredith’s admission to the University of Mississippi marked a new way of life at Ole Miss and has since inspired an expansion in racial diversity among students.

Although Ole Miss is not the most racially diverse campus in the nation with only 24 percent non-white students, it is the host of a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and out of state students.

Many of those out of state students that live in very distant states have noticed an invisible boundary between Ole Miss students. Sherif Ahmed, a freshman Ole Miss student from California, realized the separation almost immediately.

“Once I got to Ole Miss I noticed that different races don’t interact with each other as much as they do back home.” Ahmed said.

Whether the feelings towards different races are good or bad, the void that has formed between their interaction has become apparent on campus. The University of Mississippi campus is noticeably diverse but it is the interaction between those diverse groups that seems to be missing. Christian Costanza, a white Ole Miss freshman from Texas, described that issue in detail.

“We have a diverse campus here with not a lot of meshing between any two races. I think people mainly keep to themselves ... White people hang out with white people and other colored people hang out with their same color people.” Costanza said.

The diversity amongst students at the University of Mississippi is not the issue but rather it is the interaction between them. Students who travel from across the country to attend Ole Miss have noticed the boundaries between different racial groups. Many students do not see these boundaries as a reason for concern considering that there is no tension or hostility between the two races. Danielle Bonsignore, a white Ole Miss freshman from Connecticut, felt that as long as these different groups are with the people they want to be then there is no cause for change.

“No one is stopping a black kid from hanging out with a group of white guys or vice versa. Different races hang out with people of the same race because they choose to. No one is forcing them to.” Bonsignore said.

The University of Mississippi has come a very long way in diversifying its student body since James Meredith was admitted in 1962. However the boundaries between students of different is still very much apparent around the Ole Miss campus.

By: Connor Kelly

Diversity on the Ole Miss Golf Team

Laura Fraley

Diversity on the Ole Miss Golf Team Video

We All Bleed Red

Diversity on the Ole Miss Golf Team

Laura Fraley

Journalism 102

Final Project- Diversity

May 11, 2011

The men of the Ole Miss Golf team earned their fifth consecutive NCAA Regional bid and will head to Blacksburg, Va. on May 19-21. The 13-team regional will be played at the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech.

The Rebels earned the No.8 seed in the Virginia Tech Regional which also features the ACC Champion Georgia Tech as the top seed, and second-seeded LSU.

The 2011 Ole Miss men's golf team roster is composed of players from several southern states, but one diverse player, sophomore Tom Brown, comes from Hertfordshire, England. Brown was raised in England and lived in the suburbs of London until he decided to attend college and play golf at Ole Miss.

"Tom came to us through a connection from another overseas player I met and continued a relationship with over the years. Tom was recommended, came for a visit and liked it," said Ole Miss Men's Head Coach Ernest Ross.

"I wasn't really recruited as such because of me being on the other side of the Atlantic, but after Coach Ross and I became acquainted we talked regularly discussing my options. In the end I was lucky enough to recieve some scholarship," said sophomore Tom Brown of the Ole Miss golf team.

Brown visited five schools in the United States before deciding on Ole Miss. "Ole Miss was superior in almost every way. The three things that made Ole Miss stand out was the campus, how nice the people were, and the fact that it was an SEC school," said Brown.

Brown is currently the only foreign player on the men's golf team, but in the past the team has had players from Sweden, England, Scotland, and Australia.

"We do try to recruit worldwide, but our overseas recruiting has been through the internet and phones. I haven't traveled overseas yet. Many times international players come to America to some of our high school aged golf academies, and I have recruited a good bit there," said Ross.

Assistant Coach, Jack O'Keefe played golf at the Universit of Arkansas with several South African players. Coach O'Keefe is using his contacts in South Africa to recruit that area.

Coach Ross believes that players from foreign countries are an asset to the golf team and bring diversity and tenacity to the team. "Most of the international players come with a real sense of purpose and have strong work ethic. It is sometimes tough being so far away from home, but Ole Miss is known for its hospitality and friendly students and faculty. It is fun to get to know and appreciate the things they have at their homes. I admire their courage for sacrificing being away from their family and friends to pursue their golf career," said Ross.

Brown enjoys the small town life in Oxford, but it has been a major lifestyle adjustment for him. "It took a while for me to get used to, but the guys on the team made me feel very welcome and now that I have settled in a I harly notice that I'm a foreigner anymore," Brown said.

Brown's greatest accomplishment so far is the spot he earned on the All SEC freshman team last year, and although he plans to return to England after his graduation, he believes that he made the right choice by coming to Ole Miss.

Diversity within Ole Miss Couples

Bonnie Farris

Jour 102

Final Paper

Multi-Media Project

Diversity isn’t something many people notice across the University of Mississippi’s beautiful campus. Most who attend Ole Miss will say it is heavily populated with over indulged white kids, and that it is very rare to see students in an interracial relationship.

For generations here in the deepest South, there had been a great taboo: publicly crossing the color line for love. Less than 45 years ago, marriage between blacks and whites was illegal, and it has been frowned upon for much of the time since. Mixed-race population is growing far more quickly, particularly in the South.

“Racial attitudes are changing,” said Marvin King, a professor of political science at the University of Mississippi who is black, married to a white woman, and the father of a 2-year-old biracial daughter. “There is certainly not the hostility there was years ago.”

Interracial relationships are more and more publicized in the media. Famous couples like Seal and Heidi Klum, Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, and Cuba Gooding and his white wife, Sarah Gooding see no color barrier. This type of publication makes interracial relationships less scandalous, especially in this generation.

“I was raised in the south so interracial relationships haven’t really affected me, I’ve been raised to be civilized as an American.” Said Karli Valenzuela, Chilean, sophomore at Ole Miss.

“We get some looks on campus, but not really a lot and none of my friends ever call me out on dating a Chilean girl, just my parents.” said Jonathan Moose, white, freshman at Ole Miss.

Moose and Valenzuela have been dating for 5 months now and don’t plan on breaking-up anytime soon. They both agree it doesn’t matter what race you are, and that students have to recognize that Ole Miss is not a highly diverse University.

It’s imperative to help our students understand how important it is to honor diversity. It is important to not only accept, but to celebrate our differences.

Mississippi has seen a 70% increase in multiracial population over the last ten years. States such as North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee and some midwestern states have seen a 70 -80% increase in their multiracial population over the last decades.

Only time will tell if Ole Miss becomes more diverse and interracial relationships become more accepted. Our generation doesn’t seem to judge too harshly when it comes to interracial couples.

http://www.milkandmocha.com/interracial-dating-topics/912-love-race.html

Class of 2014 Creates Diversity

Caroline Hendershot

Mrs. Weakley

Journalism 102

Ole Miss Class of 2014 Creates Diversity

The Ole Miss Class of 2014 containing over 1,00 new freshman was the largest entering class in the history of the university.

The overwhelming number of new students that came to Ole Miss this past fall brought with them not just numbers, but diversity as well.

The University of Mississippi has been struggling with issues regarding diversity for over 40 years and some of the controversies are still alive today. The Class of 2014 is helping to solve some of the concerns by supplying the university with the most diverse group of freshman ever seen.

“Everywhere I go on campus the diversity is apparent to me," stated freshman, Jordan Martin, 19 " I live in Martin, a freshman dorm, and the people on my floor are from so many different places and everyone has a different background. Living with those people has really opened my eyes and helped me experience things like I never would have before.”

Martin and Stockard Hall, the two largest freshman dorms, are busting at the seams with a diverse array of people. The assortments of groups of students lounging in the dorm lobbies, studying in the study rooms or hanging out in the laundry rooms are all unique and different.

In these dorms, gossiping freshman sorority girls can be seen mingling with honors college students and foreign exchange students joking around with the jocks. The diverse atmosphere of Martin and Stockard is unique and cannot be found anywhere else on camps.

One example of the freshman class’s true diversity can be found in the Twin Towers C-Store. The C-Store is a small convenience store located on the ground level between the Stockard and Martin Dormitories.

The C-Store is infamous for their assortments of chips, candies, frozen meals and most of all, their fried food menu.

Residents of Stockard and Martin can be seen wandering in and out of the store during the day, but the night is when the store thrives. Every night, overwhelming numbers of customers pour in hoping to find a late night snack.

The workers of the C-Store have interacted with the freshman class in a way that no other people on campus have. They have seen everything from late night wanders just coming in from the square to students who just need a study break come into the store for food.

The employees of the small market have witnessed, first-hand, the impact the diversity of The Class of 2014 has had not only on each other, but also on the entire university as well throughout the year.

“Yeah, the freshman class is definitely diverse…more diverse than I’ve ever seen it, actually. Students come in here all the time with someone I’d never expect them to be hanging out with. I can for sure tell that the freshman this year are way more interactive with each other than any other group of freshman I’ve ever seen before.” late night C-Store worker, Tyrone Bradley, 28 stated.

With the numbers of the new freshman Class of 2015 being expected to be larger than the last, The University of Mississippi can only hope that it is as much, or more, diverse than The Class of 2014.

To learn about the diversity statistics at The University of Mississippi please visit:

http://collegeprowler.com/university-of-mississippi/diversity/

Diversity in Fraternities

Jake Wamble

Journalism 102

Final

Diversity in Fraternities

Diversity has been an issue at the University of Mississippi for a long time, but Ole Miss is becoming increasingly diverse. It is now home to students and professors with very different cultural and religious backgrounds.

The Greek Community on campus is no exception.

Fraternities at Ole Miss were once almost completely white, but they are steadily becoming more multi-cultural.

“I have a Cuban background and I found it very easy to fit into the Greek system at Ole Miss,” said Sophomore Eduardo Montalvo.

The Sigma Nu fraternity now has multiple members with different ethnic backgrounds. This is different from years past when there was almost no cultural diversity.

Most fraternity members like the fact that their fraternity is becoming increasingly diverse.

“I like the fact that the fraternities on campus are changing,” said Robert Coffin. “I think having friends from different backgrounds is interesting and cool.”

A key reason the fraternities are changing is because the school has changed as a whole. Ole Miss now boasts more out of state students than it ever has before.

“I meet kids that come from all over the United States,” said Rush Chairman Robert Corban. “I get a chance to get to know and hang out with a lot of different people, it is very interesting.

The United States is a unique, diverse place. The University of Mississippi has not always fit that description, but it is well on its way.

“It was the flagship school in what was then the most defiantly white supremacist state in the union. Now, Ole Miss is a diverse university where racial conflict is a topic for history classes rather than a fact of everyday life…” The Associated Press, Sept. 20, 2008.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1661801/multicultural_fraternities_sororities.html?cat=4

Diversity: UM Foreign Exchange Students

Maria Martin

Jour 102

Final Multi-media project story

Students all over the world engage in foreign exchange programs to explore different countries and cultures. Here at the University of Mississippi, hundreds of foreign exchange students from all over the world are attracted to Oxford’s unique culture.

Being a foreign exchange student is far from easy. Going to a different country includes many challenges that young undergraduates must face.

Most students come to the United States prepared to speak the English language. “In China, I was considered a very good English speaker, but when I came to America I found that it is much harder to speak with Americans than I thought it would be. Being in America has improved the way I speak English however.” states female Chinese foreign exchange student, Xuan Zhu, 19.

Foreign exchange students are either housed in the on-campus residence halls, or in apartments around Oxford. A popular place for foreign exchange students to live off campus is Campus Walk.

Campus Walk houses the majority of the older foreign exchange students, so they can live together off campus and meet different students from all over the world. “Living in Campus Walk was a great experience because it allowed me to meet other foreign exchange students in which we had many things in common..coming to America!” claims male South African foreign exchange student, Ryan De Kock, 24.

The University of Mississippi offers foreign exchange programs for each semester. Most foreign exchange students will only do one semester, and spring is the more popular semester for the program. “I decided to come to America when they were in the warmer months of the year so I could escape the cold months of mine.” said male Australian foreign exchange student, Luke Tulloch, 22.

As a foreign exchange student airfare is provided by the University at the beginning and end of each semester. There are scholarships granted to certain students which covers full tuition, partial tuition, or full tuition with housing and meals.

“The biggest challenge for me at first was finding people that I had things in common with, but once I branched out and met people in my classes I made friends in no time.” Ryan De Kock, 24. “The biggest challenge I faced was finding all my classes! My roommate was very nice and walked me to all of them so I would not get lost.” Xuan Zhu, 19.

The exchange program allows the foreign exchange students to study English along with their other classes they choose to take. Foreign exchange students learn the American culture, along with the unique tradition at Ole Miss. “I have never been somewhere with so much spirit and so many people that are willing to help you at all times.” Luke Tulloch, 22.

The foreign exchange program keeps inviting more and more students back to Oxford for many semesters to come. The foreign exchange students that come here encourage American students to venture out of their comfort zone just as they did, in order to learn about different cultures and explore the world.

http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/exchange/

We All Bleed Red

We All Bleed Red

The news of Usama Bin Laden’s take down spread fast on May 1, 2011. From news stations in the United States and around the world to social networking sites, the information was out there and those that were affected felt a strong sense of relief.

As we can expect, opinions varied greatly around the country and world on the death of the leader of one of the greatest terror organizations, Al Qaeda. One thing that held steady was the simple relief that he could no longer hurt any more innocent people whether near or far.

Yemen native, Ahmed Sharaf, was very eager to share his feelings. “I am very pleased with this, no matter how long it took.” Sharaf said. “I have never known any one who was personally affected by his actions but the terror in our hearts is enough.”

Sharaf also went on to tell how the love that is taught in the Koran is not what Bin Laden was showing. “ We are taught to love and respect, not to kill Christians and with Bin Laden dead, I believe terrorism will go down.”

Francis Ramer was also relieved but says she thinks this will give the remaining terrorist more of a reason to strike.

Although we all have different opinions on the matter of who killed whom and the affect that it will have on terrorism in general, there is one thing we all share, pain.

Losing the ones we love to acts of terrorism is real. It is something that changes the course of all of our lives and something that we relate to regardless of race or creed.

The final question asked to all who were interviewed was simple, what’s the difference between a white man and an Arabic man besides the color of skin?

The answers were simple. “Nothing!”

If we take the time to look past skin color and religion it becomes clear that we are not that different. We all bleed red.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-killed/story?id=13505703

Diversity: Ole Miss Ambassadors

Ciara Oakley

Diversity in the Ole Miss Ambassador Program

The University of Mississippi’s Office of Admissions hosts over three thousand prospective students and families yearly for campus visits with the student Ambassadors providing the tours.

The Ambassador Program is made up of nearly 100 members who are required to go though an application and interview process before being selected. The students’ chosen for this program range from freshmen to seniors, while also being diverse in other ways than just age.

“We expect the Ambassadors Program to be diverse every year and reflect the student body at the University of Mississippi,” Associate Director of Enrollment Services Jody Lowe said.

Members of the Ambassador Program are typically involved in many different campus activities such as the Associated Student Body, Student Programming Board, Orientation Leaders, various religious groups, Provost Scholars, Greek life, and other small campus clubs. Ambassadors also come from different racial backgrounds, cultures, and states from all over the country.

“We want them to be able to connect to prospective high school and transfer students in every area and walk of life,” Lowe said. “We do not expect them to all be Greek, or all be involved in other prestigious campus activities, we just want them to be friendly and outgoing, while also representing our University in the best way possible.”

The Ambassador program is predominantly made up of students from Mississippi, but the program is also represented by several other states including Texas, Alabama, and Illinois. To diversify the group even more, newly selected Ambassador Ife Olayemi from Nigeria is the first student chosen from a different country to serve in this organization.

“The Ambassador Program is one of my favorite organizations I’m involved in on campus because of all the different people in it,” Sophomore Bailey Haile said. “Everyone comes from different backgrounds, have different personalities, and not everyone is Greek, but we still are able to get along and have a good time during our office hours and special events.”

While it may seem like fun and games, the diverse group of Ambassadors are required to complete a certain number of tours a month, work special events, and write letters and postcards to stay active members. Also, prizes including t-shirts, gift cards, and book scholarships are given away at weekly meetings to keep the motivation going.

One thing the Office of Enrollment prides itself on is that visitors give such positive feed back on their experiences with the Ambassadors. Along with this, many students have reported making their decision to come to Ole Miss based on their time spent with an Ambassador.

The Ambassadors also create a great impact on parents; since they are usually the first student contact families have with Ole Miss, and are a representation of the student body.

http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs/ambassadors/about.htm

Diversity at UM Residential College

How Diverse is Ole Miss?

John Monteith

Final

How Diverse is Ole Miss?

The University of Mississippi boasts itself as one of the nation’s top public universities. Students from all over the country come here to experience the South. However, only 20 percent of its students are minorities. Recent controversies, such as the racial sensitivity debate over the mascot and fight song, have caused several people nationwide to question how welcoming Ole Miss is to its minority students and how diverse it truly is.

A freshman here at Ole Miss has felt very left out and, as a result, she is leaving Ole Miss to complete her undergraduate degree elsewhere. She has asked to remain anonymous in order to preserve her preexisting relationships with people on campus.

“I had high-hopes for Ole Miss,” the woman said. “I had been told that Ole Miss wasn’t good to those not associated in Greek Life, but I assumed that wouldn’t be the case, and I was wrong.”

When personal circumstances left her unable to go through rush in the fall, she was instantly made to feel ostracized and excluded.

“My family suffered a great loss, which led me to want to establish a name for myself outside of the Greek system” she said. “I am by no means anti-Greek though, at my new school, I plan on going through rush and joining a sorority.”

The woman is not a minority, however. She is blonde, blue-eyed, Southern, and thin, not unlike many other female students on the campus.

“I would leave my dorm room and ‘GDI’ would be written on my bulletin board,” she said. “People who I thought were my friends stopped talking to me and inviting me to things. My car even got keyed.”

She is transferring back home where she feels that she can be herself, and will be accepted, regardless of her affiliations or circumstances.

“The main reason I’m leaving is that I need a wider range of people,” she said. “If you’ve seen one person, you’ve seen them all. If you’re different, you have no chance of fitting in at Ole Miss”

This form of discrimination does not just affect students. Faculty and staff members also experience rejection and discrimination. Detra Payne, an African-American theater teacher, has felt many shades of discrimination from students.

Payne was born and raised in Los Angeles Calif. When she graduated from college, her parents moved to Oxford, Miss. to teach at Ole Miss. Her mother’s death in 2009 brought her to Oxford to be with her father.

“I felt ready,” Payne said. “Twenty years prior, I would have never. The way things were 20 years ago to now is different.”

Payne teaches several theater classes at Ole Miss, one of which has 400 students. In the class, she has had people write expletives on the attendance roll and several heckle her during class.

“I think it’s very different for these students who have never had a black, female teacher,” Payne said. “So for somebody like me to come and be from L.A. and the person that I am, it threw them.”

Unlike the young woman, Payne feels like she has a strong support system, but she attributes that to the pioneering of her parents.

“I do have a lot of people who are supportive because they knew my parents, but I’m lucky to have that already set,” Payne said. “But I can only imagine what coming here as a new prof and you’re not from here and you happen to be black and you’re a female and you’re just new jack on the scene. They (the University) are kind of like ‘here you go, good luck to you’ and you can’t operate that way. You have to search for support, and I feel like it should already be there.”

Payne does offer some criticisms and subsequent solutions for the problems she has observed.

“We are in the 21^st century, but I don’t think the school is there yet” Payne said. “It feels like the education is not as important to them (students) as the partying. The University hasn’t been able to shift that thinking.”

Though both women have noticed similar problems, Payne sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

“If we’re trying to be the best campus in the South, then let’s do it all the way,” Payne said. “Raise the standards for everybody and we’ll do better.”

For more information about Ole Miss, visit: http://www.olemiss.edu/info/stats_facts.html

Diversity at Ole Miss' Newest Residence Hall

Wesley Sparkmon
Section 10
May 8, 2011
Final Project

Diversity at the Residential College

Since its opening in the fall of 2009, the Residential College at Ole Miss has been one of the most diverse places on the campus at the University of Mississippi.

When the Residential College, or RC, was built, the application process was a multi-step process requiring teacher recommendations, an essay and a minimum GPA for all hopeful residents. The applications were reviewed by a committee of RC residents and Residential College Coordinator Sue Gauthier. These applications were reviewed blind, so nothing besides the resume, essays, recommendations and GPA were known about each applicant.

“Our goal is to eventually have about 30% freshmen, 30% sophomore, and 40% junior/senior mix,” said Gauthier. “But that will take time as we are doing our best to change the concept that you liveon campus only your freshmen year.”

The RC, when built, struggled to fill the 464 beds until the Ole Miss Athletic Department decided to move freshmen football and men’s basketball players from Deaton Hall to the RC. Many of the Rebel tennis players from Germany and Sweden have lived in the RC since its opening in 2009. On the ladies’ side, freshmen tennis, basketball, volleyball and soccer players are placed in the RC by the housing and athletic departments. By combining the athletes with the academics who had already applied to live in the building was described by some residents as “the weirdest conglomeration of athletes and nerds in the Southeastern Conference.”

A second residential college building was opened in fall 2010 to just house the freshmen class of Ole Miss’ Luckyday program. This residential college did not require the application process to live in like the original Residential College, now known as the Residential College-South. As the new Luckyday Residential College was preparing for the new Luckyday class to move in, the applications came in and were reviewed for those wishing to live in the RC-South for the 2010-2011 school year and the new students moved into the building in August of 2010.

“I did a survey [fall semester of 2010] of our ethnic and minority numbers,” said RC Senior Fellow Dr. Daniel O’Sullivan. “19.7% of the RC-South membership belongs to a racial or ethnic minority. The [University of Mississippi] average is 20%, so the RC-South really is a representative cross-section of the university.”

With the representative cross-section of the campus within the building, diversity has been on the forefront of the RC-South by the people accepted. However, the diversity has not been entirely cultivated by the staff at the Residential College.

“Diversity is already in place by membership,” Gauthier said. “I think it is supported by both the efforts of the staff as well as developed on its own. Word is getting out about the concept of the residential college concept at UM, both in-state and out-of-state.”

With many of the old dormitories at Ole Miss being torn down or renovated, the increase of freshmen on campus and the success of the residential college in both practicality and diversity, the residential college system is a possible system to replace these dormitories on campus and at school’s throughout the state.

For more information on the University of Mississippi Residential College, visit www.olemiss.edu/rcollege

Where Is The Line With Title Nine?

Sophomore women’s basketball player, Maggie McFerrin, walked on to the Lady Rebels for the 2010-2011 season. After becoming a starter towards the end of the year, there was buzz about McFerrin receiving scholarship money for her contributions to the team.

After meeting with head coach, Renee Ladner, McFerrin was informed that she would not be receiving any scholarship for the 2011-2012 season. Onlookers wondered why, and linked this case to the recent violations of Title IX in the NCAA.

Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Ole Miss Executive Associate Athletics Director, Lynette Johnson, said “It’s nothing about women, it’s about the under represented sex. It doesn’t say the word ‘woman’ anywhere in the law. It is about equality for all student athletes.”

Equality for all student athletes isn’t based on numbers, but percentages. The Ole Miss Sports website posts their EADA (Equity in Athletics Data Analysis) report annually. After doing some simple math, one can see that Ole Miss does a nearly perfect job in carrying out Title IX.

Within Title IX, it states there must be equality from the recruiting process up to the scholarship offer, and beyond.

“There are two types of scholarships: an equivalency scholarship, based on percentages, and a headcount scholarship, based on each individual,” Johnson said. “Scholarships are decided by the coaches based on their assessment of a student athlete’s performance.”

The women’s basketball team can offer 15 full scholarships. With 10 females on the 2010-2011 roster, and three graduating, it’s hard to say why McFerrin still didn’t receive scholarship.

However, McFerrin is relentless. “Quit? That’s not an option; I love the game, that’s why I play. If I don’t receive money for one year, I’ll try harder and hopefully get it the next.”

As far as Title IX is concerned, Johnson is adamant that it has improved athletics. “It is vital.” She said. “I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Title IX. I’m a woman and look at my office! It tremendously helps the under represented sex, as well as many other student athletes that are often overlooked.”

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ole/genrel/auto_pdf/EADA2010.pdf

How Diverse is the University Of Mississippi?

Croft Institute of International Studies.

Jordan Wulforst

Weakley

Journalism 102

11 May 2011

When students think of the University of Mississippi, most would think of the years of southern tradition that the schools represents.

A smaller school located in the heart of the south, would never be seen as a school with a lot of diversity. However many students from all around the world choose to attend Ole Miss.

This is especially the case for freshman Alex Williams, 19. “I am one hundred percent Irish and most everyone in the family went to Trinity College Dublin in Ireland,” Williams said. “I chose to be different.”

Williams resides in Columbia, South Carolina, a state where she also contemplated attending school.

Williams choosing to attend a University other than Trinity College Dublin, was a shock and somewhat of an upset to her family she explained. Her decision on the University of Mississippi had to do with most of her friends attending the school as well.

As for her thoughts on diversity at Ole Miss, “I don’t really feel like the minority at this school, there is a lot of diversity. But the fact that I grew up in the states makes me feel like I belong. I am used to the American ways and customs.” Williams said.

With a slightly different opinion to student Alex Williams, a Crosby Hall Residence Assistant, Kesha Rena, also commented on student diversity at Ole Miss.

"There could absolutely be more room for diversity, even though I do believe this is a pretty diverse campus," Rena said. "It is definitely not overflowing with different races, but racial diversity os evident."

There are various opinions about diversity on the Ole Miss campus and students are not afraid to voice their opinions about it.

According to the University, the number of students that attend Ole Miss will grow in the years to come. Along with the size, diversity may increase as well, raising even more opinions.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W6F49RjRlo

For more information on international programs and studies at Ole Miss visit: http://www.international.olemiss.edu/

Ellie Turner
Section 10
Final          

          Ole Miss will forever be scarred by the James Meredith era that impacted civil rights in Mississippi, but the university has been on the road to a more diverse community since then.
          Robin Street, a journalism professor, remembered her dad telling stories he saw first hand of James Meredith being enrolled to the university. She recalled the explanation of riots that left the university in the national news. Her father led Ted Kennedy around the campus after a night of terror to show him the damage.
          It’s hard to believe that there ever was a time like that in America, especially Mississippi. To say that civil rights have come a long way is somewhat an understatement.
          Even though riots are not breaking out all over campus and African Americans walk the campus everyday, there is still progress to be made when it comes to a more diverse community. At the turn of the 21st Century, all types of people came out of the woodwork proud of what they believe in and who they are.
          Perhaps the most recent movement towards diversity is the fact that homosexuals are petitioning the government for equal rights to marriage.
          Though some homosexuals are open and willing to stand in the midst of judgement and, at times, ridicule, one man showed his insecurity when asked if his name could be published in this article. He is a gay nursing student and he has many friends, but he doesn’t feel comfortable letting the world know his sexual orientation.
          “People treat me differently when they know I am gay and they don’t approve,” he said. “It is harder than most would think to be who you are when society as a whole doesn’t accept your choices as normal.”
          Street said that her goal for diversity on the campus is mostly that students will be accepted for who they are and what they choose. Tolerance is the key according to her. Street decided to create Diversity Rocks week, which focused on the different aspects of diversity on campus, because she wants to have a hand in making a more accepting environment. More information is on the Diversity Rocks webpage that can be accessed at http://diversityrocksonline.org.           
          Though there will always be something we can do better, Ole Miss is taking steps in the right direction in order to change the image most people have branded in their minds from our racist past. Black students are being accepted more, but now other minority groups are being neglected. This scenario begs the question: “Will there ever be full tolerance of all minority groups?” According to Kaitlyn DuBose, the answer is probably not.
          “To me, there will always be people grouped by like characteristics that are not socially accepted,” she said. “For instance, with the war in the Middle East, the majority of Americans still treat Muslims like they are outsiders and assume they are all dangerous.”
          Street, along with the anonymous student and DuBose all agree that there will always be room to grow in tolerance of diversity, but as long as Ole Miss is making an effort, the community will be a better place. Maybe one person can sleep better at night knowing that there are others willing to stand up for the acceptance of all people no matter their sexual orientation, physical conditions, race, ethnicity or anything else that make them a diverse person.