The Effect of Oxford's New Alcohol Legislation

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A Hidden Path

A Hidden Path

Discoveries are always happening worldwide but could you imagine making a discovery of something in your hometown. According to several news posts, there have been two new encounters dealing with The Trail of Tears. The Los Angeles Times and CNN news gives information about the Trail of Tears that no one has ever known about including certain college professors.

The Trail of Tears was a part of the Indian Removal Act in 1830 passed by President Andrew Jackson, forcing all Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi river. All Native Americans took long routes that led them from Georgia all the way to reservations in Oklahoma. While traveling the Trail of Tears the Native Americans took route through Northeast Mississippi and supposedly went through Oxford, Ms.
April Holm, first year Assistant Professor of History at the University of Mississippi knows a lot of about History, but surprisingly she didn’t know about the Route through Oxford, Ms. “ I find this very interesting founding out this information about the Indians traveling through Oxford, I didn’t know what route they took actually so this is amazing.” , April Holm.

April Holm was asked what is the specific reason that Native Americans were forced from their land, “At the time cotton was a profitable crop and owners were looking for land to grow their crops, they demanded to settle where the Indians happened to be settling, and they forced them out so they could use the land to distribute more crops.”

Not only did the Natives Americans have to leave, but African Americans also had to leave with the Indians. It was said the African Americans that traveled the same route were the Native Americans slaves. Not too many people knew that blacks traveled down the Trail of Tears, and that they were slaves to not only whites but also to Native Americans. April stated, “This reminds me that there were not only whites and Native Americans but also blacks and other mixed races, I had no clue that Native Americans owned African American as slaves; I don’t see the necessity of slavery of any kind, but I don’t see the point of Native Americans using African Americans as slaves.

This shows that no matter what the new discoveries, if it new information that has been unknown it could really surprise you or caught your attention as new info about the Trail of Tears did April Holm.

Art Professor Witnesses a Da Vinci Restoration

Corey Lewis talking to her students.

      

     The Associated Press has recently reported that the Prado Museum in Spain has revealed a restored version of the Mona Lisa.

  

    The painting will be on display until March 13 and will then be moved to hang next to the original Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

    One University of Miss. Art Professor, Cory Lewis, would know a lot about restoration of the late Leonardo Da Vinci’s work.

“I actually saw the restoration of The Last Supper in progress,” Lewis said,“ watching the restorationist work is really a mind-boggling, amazing experience.”

   Lewis recalls being in Milan during the early 90’s and being able to see the restorationist work inch by inch, cleaning and repairing the paint.

“..Even though I have yet to see the restoration of the Mona Lisa, I expect it to be of the same quality,” Lewis said.

   Lewis said that if she could choose any other career it would be restoring old paintings because it’s a fascinating journey into the past and you are also able to see exactly how a painting was done.

    Many people who are not artist may not grasp the full concept of a restoration.

   These artist work day and night to make the painting look the same as it was the original day it was painted.

  “They simply, remove centuries worth of sut and grime”, Lewis said “…they brighten it up and you will actually be able to see a lot more detail.”

  Lewis also tells of time she traveled to the Opera Museum in Siena to see a certain painting by Cello and when she arrived there were grey curtains over the painting. This usually meant that something was going on.

    "So i was curious..", Lewis said. "And i looked behind the grey curtain and they had all their x-ray equipment set up. They had found a painting by Giotto that was done two hundred or three hundred years before, underneath the Cello.

  

Average Rates for 30 Year Mortgage too High?

Having the opinion on the average rating on a 30 year fixed mortgage is usually judged off where the person actually stands of being financially settled with their lives. For some it will be a little too high and for others it will actually be something that they could work with.  The average rate of this year stays the same at 3.87 percent, which is the record of being the lowest level since long-term mortgages since the 1950s.

 Merrill Magruder, a Project Coordinator of The University of Mississippi and also the housing placement director for The Luckyday Residential College. Dealing with actually housing of the campus of a college, Magruder also places her opinions on the average rates of mortgage.  

Picture of Magruder working at her desk.

"I think the average rate is too high. I think it would be a good move if they were able to lower it for the people it can not afford it," Macgruder stated.

 Even though Magruder feels it is too high, she finds is reasonable and feels that we will just have to deal with it until something is to make a change.  Having hope on whether or not the average rates to get better is questionable for us to know. Magruder thinks it is a good change for it to happen.

 "I feel it will get better, because we have seen tremendous change in our economy lately, and anything is possible of happening," Magruder stated.

 Even though the rates have lowered, the change has done nothing to make change on the housing market in order to rising up from the struggle that is it currently in.  Seeing that it still being this rate, the question is, will there be some to still buy houses? 

"I feel people will still will make the decision of buying houses, because people like to own t things, whether the rate is high or low in the economy," Magruder stated.

 Dealing with these type of rates are risky for some people to make a decision on with their time.  They think about the long run and the happenings of their decision that they have made. The thought of the their money falling in the price is something that is a big move.  Dealing with housing.  "It is similar to the way people react to the way they have to deal with housing on campus for their children to live," Magruder states. It can all be something to deal with.

UM Grad Student pursues his Passion

Above, UM grad student and professor Tom Bennitt, discusses literary stratagies implemented in poetry.

According to the United States Labor Department, "every 2 out of 5 Americans, switch careers every 5 years."

Factors such as the shift in the economy and industrial lay-offs along with jobs being relocated overseas, has forced many Americans to look for jobs elsewhere.

UM grad student and Professor Thomas Bennitt wasn't affected by any of the above mention factors, but chose to give up his Law career, to pursue love. His love of writing...that is.

Bennitt,37, was born and raised near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After college Bennitt really didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. " I had strong reading, writing, and analytical skills, so I felt that law school would suit those strengths. I spent 7 years working as a lawyer because my law degree gave me certain skills that are valued in the private sector, and I had to earn a living somehow.", Bennitt said.

After those 7 years, Bennitt made the ultimate decision to go back to school. "I decided to come back to school because I wanted to pursue a career in teaching and writing fiction, and even though I could have continued to practice law and write in my spare time, it would have been very difficult to be good at either one.", said Bennitt.

Here at the University of Mississippi, the Master of Fine Arts programs ranks in the top 30 in the nation for fiction writing and Bennitt expressed that is one reason why he chose to come here. "Ole Miss is one of the most flourishing literary towns, and it supports artists and the arts, which I love.,"said Bennitt.

Regarding advice for aspiring journalists and writers, "I would have to say, is to write what you want to write about, because it's a hard life that requires commitment and endurance. You need to have passion for it, and be proud enough of your work that you want to make it the best you can make it. The same goes for journalism. You need to be your own best editor and biggest critic. Others will give you great advice along the way, but once you get good enough, you'll learn to trust your instincts about what works and what doesn't.", said Bennitt.

When asked where he might be in five years Bennitt said, "I hope to graduate in May with my Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing, with a concentration in English Literature. I don't know where I will end up next, but I hope to keep teaching and writing for a long time."

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

Women in today’s society seem to be taking over and every woman has a calling truly made just for her.

Kimba Langas, a native of Denver has a house over flowing with bras. They aren’t all for herself, instead they will head to the town of Mozambique, Africa. The bras are not for the women to wear, but to sell, the luxury item sold at top dollar can help the women escape sex trafficking in Mozambique. 

            Dr. Linda Spargo a native of Arkadelphia knows exactly how it feels to go through life learning that happiness comes from making a difference.

            Spargo began married life after college in Dallas in 1970. Her husband Chris Harris was the starting free safety his rookie year for the Cowboys.

            “He was there when they were called America’s Team and it changed my life,” Spargo said. “It put me around an economic group of people that were very celebrity oriented but they were still people.”

            Spargo, sitting in her chair with her legs crossed, back straight and hands folded, looked perfectly put together, like she had taken small qualities from her years as a football wife forever with her.

            “I felt like I was an observer of a lifestyle, I still worked at the apparel mart in the show room. There was a woman who did a book on the Dallas Cowboy wives and it was so traditional,” Spargo said. “I was 23 years old and I was perfectly cute, but she treated us all like we were very traditional stay at home people.”

            After six years in Dallas Spargo found her independent freedom in New York City.

Miles away in Mozambique women are fighting from being sold into sex trafficking as early as 12 years old. Without economic freedom it quickly becomes the only life these girls know and escaping seems impossible.

            With the large changes in the airline industry starting with the arrival of the 747 at American Airlines, Spargo found herself as a new flight attendant on the advanced airline.

            “I was 28 and loved living in the city and for the first time I was supporting myself, but the biggest issue for me was, American Airlines was a union,” Spargo said. “Because of union issues we were not able to provide good customer service for passengers and I hated working for that.”

             In a video with CNN, Dave Terpstra, Langas’ partner said these women finally have economic freedom and a way to support themselves and their families by selling bras that we donate through their new organization called “Free the Girls.”

Leaving New York after a year, Spargo set her sights on San Francisco, where she met her second husband. With the wine industry booming in California the two decided to wet their feet in a bucket full of grapes.

 “I knew nothing about wine and food,” Spargo said. “I remember one Christmas we ordered a Brie only made from cows who had eaten frozen grass. It was crazy.”

            Kimba Langas found the idea of donating bras a fun project, but she didn’t realize how large her impact would become.

            In her video with CNN Langas tears up saying she never thought how large the project would grow, a drive in Arizona collected 8,000 bras and another in Tennessee collected 3,000 bras, women from everywhere were coming together to help.

            In 1995 Spargo chose to move her and her daughter to Oxford, Mississippi where she could receive a doctorate in English. Then went on to work in the chancellor’s office starting with Dr. Khayat.

            Langas, wiping the tears from her eyes said Free the Girls was the first time she’d been involved in something in such a hands on tangible way.

            Spargo’s main involvement with the university was started when her daughter received a DUI.

            “There were pages and pages of DUI’s given out between 5 pm and 11 pm,” Spargo said. “I wanted to find a safer way for students to get around.”

            The idea of Rebel Ride came up in the spring of 1999 and started the next fall.

            “I’m not going to be president and I’m not going to be governor, but here I can make a difference in the life of a student,” Spargo said. “Whether it’s keeping them safe or helping them with life decisions.”

            Just like Spargo, Langas has found her way to make a difference. Free the Girls is online and ready to receive any help from women anywhere.  

Spargo at her office in the Lyceum.

            

Marriage is Forever

Marriage is a term that is taken advantage of in today’s American society, but not for Campus Crusade intern Lauren Sandifer who is about to tie the knot. Sandifer is a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi and is currently on staff with Campus Crusade ministries at the university.

W. Bradford Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia believes that marriage is becoming more popular and more successful for Americans with a stable family background and a college degree. Wilcox agrees that children who are raised in a strong and stable environment are more likely to get a college degree.

Sandifer is a mentor to many students at Ole Miss and guides them spiritually in their walk with Christ. Her outlook on marriage is based off of God’s plan and the way he designed marriage.

“We grow up thinking of marriage as a fantasy where the husband and wife live happily ever after but what we fail to realize is that it is something you always have to work at. In our world today, divorce is so common and having affairs are not a huge deal. Cheating on your spouse is considered a sin and we think of it so casually,” Sandifer said.

The newly engaged intern knows that marriage is not all bells and whistles. She knows that it will be a challenge to share her everyday life with someone else and to not make every decision with selfish ambition.

“I am so excited to share my life with Ben but I know that we will not make it if we don’t keep the Lord first in our lives. I believe that no marriage will last if it isn’t centered around Christ and that will definitely be something that Ben and I will always have to remind ourselves,” said Sandifer.

Marriage is rushed in so many relationships and it is a life decision. Many couples go into their marriage thinking that divorce is always an option.

“Marriage should be something where you go into it thinking that it is for life, for better or for worse and that is taken advantage of. You have to fight for your marriage at some points but I will never give up no matter how tough things get. When it comes to raising a family, children grow up seeing the way their parents treat each other. I was so blessed to be raised by such loving parents who cared for each other and that is what I want for my children as well,” Sandifer said.