Funding an Independent Documentary

The independent documentary I Didn't Do It that focuses on Kevin Curtis, the Mississippian who was accused of sending ricin to President Obama and other government officials, seeks donations to finish the last stage of production.

Still shot of the documentary's protagonist Paul Kevin Curtis that is currently being used to promote the film.

With only 32 days left in the production's campaigning, the producers of Velvet Ditch Production are thinking of creative ways to encourage people to donate funds that will contribute to the completion of their documentary, I Didn't Do It. 

One of the main campaigning tactics is the awards that are given to each benefactor of a certain fixed amount of money.  Benefactors are eligible to receive rewards when they donate any amount from $5 to $5000.  A list of items that could be won includes but is not limited to: shirts, valuable memorabilia, acting lessons, portraits, and original paintings.  

Other tactics I Didn't Do It filmmakers are using are social media based.  I Didn't Do It has a very active Facebook page that has over a thousand likes, and people share their posts about fundraising everyday. 

Current college freshman Kelsie Luke commented on the effectiveness of the Facebook page by saying, "I personally have a few friends on Facebook that have been following the film's production for quite some time, and the posts and reposts they have made about the subject is how I even know anything about I Didn't Do It."

Director Melanie Addington outside of Fox News

 Another way I Didn't Do It is reaching out to potential benefactors is by reaching out through news media.  Melanie Addington, the director and a producer of the project, has even appeared on several news' networks in Memphis such as Fox News and Action News 5.  Along with spreading the news about the documentary through broadcast media, Addington has also been involved with interviews for online news and radio. 

When talking about the documentary's concept, the plot can easily sell itself.  I Didn't Do It meets the appeal of local residents because it is a recent, true story about a heartbreaking story that took place in north Mississippi. 

In the spring of last year, many events began to take place around the same time that shocked people in our area and nationwide.  An elephant was shot, but not killed, in north Mississippi, the traumatic Boston Bombing occurred and a man from Mississippi sent ricin letters to high ranked political officials, including President Obama.  Paul Kevin Curtis was charged for the latter was taken into custody with what turned out to be no solid evidence.  Curtis was a man known for doing Elvis impersonations.  The idea of an Elvis impersonator trying to kill the president put a spark in news rooms nationwide, and people around the world quickly became aware of who Curtis was.  Curtis was later found to have been set up by J. Everett Dutschke.  Even though he was found innocent, the things he went through still continue to bring him struggles today.

Attorney Hal Neilson (left), Curtis (center), and attorney Christi McCoy (right) being interviewed after winning the trial.

First Q&A with Laura Warner, one of the five producers for the documentary I Didn't Do It and the assistant director: conducted by Montana Byrd

Producers Addington (left)  and Warner (right) on set of I Didn't Do It.

MB: How did you get involved with this project?

LW: I got involved with the project because my film partner Melanie Addington called me and wanted to know if I'd be interested in doing a documentary on Paul Kevin Curtis.  We did some investigating ... we went to Kevin, talked about the idea, and he interested.

MB: So you have been involved since the beginning?

LW: Yes, we have been working on this documentary for about a year now.

MB: What is your job in this project?

LW: I am a producer and the assistant director.

MB: If you reach your set goal, how long will it take for the documentary to be released to the public?

LW: We are filming are last day of the shot on Easter Sunday then we are going into post production.  I believe post production might take up to four months if we get our funds.

MB: Why is this movie worth watching?

LW: This documentary changed people's lives and because this tragedy could happen to anyone.

MB: Finally, where can people donate and how are the donations being spent?

LW: We are doing a fund raiser on Indiegogo, and because we have to obtain the rights to the news footage and also pay an editor and someone to do the score.

I Didn't Do It Still has to raise 87% of its funds.  You can donate here.

Young Adults Now Targets of E-Cigarette Marketing

A congressional investigation has concluded that manufacturers of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are marketing their products to young adults and teens.

A young woman inhales from an e-cigarette, now wildly popular among young adults.

In recent years, electronic cigarettes have been known as the "next big thing" for tobacco products. They have become so popular, in fact, that the Food and Drug Administration is suggesting young people are using e-cigarettes more than any other tobacco product. Congress has taken notice, and recently launched an investigation into the marketing strategies of e-cigarette producers.

The investigation was led by Democrats in Congress, namely Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Rep. Henry Waxman of California. Their motive was to require the FDA to regulate the marketing of e-cigarettes. According to the report, e-cigarettes were being marketed at events typically for young people, such as parties and music festivals. Promotions and free samples were common at such events, therefore giving youths a free pass to nicotine addiction. 

Some college students, such as freshman Melissa Connelly, find possible marketing regulations irrelevant in comparison to other dangers present at events targeted at young people. "How dangerous can e-cigs be?" Connelly stated, "Kids get free drugs at concerts, so it's not like they're solving a bigger problem by regulating e-cigs. It's something so incomparable to kids being given MDMA at concerts on hot days with no water."

E-cigarettes are exempt from any regulations pertaining to traditional cigarettes. Advertisements for cigarettes were banned in 1971, but commercials for e-cigarettes can air freely. They are described as being a healthier alternative for smoking, with no tar or smoke. According to the advertisements, e-cigarettes seem too good to be true. According to The Scientific American, there is no way to determine if these revolutionary devices are safe.

Regulations to a certain extent would serve the industry well, says Dylan Abernathy, general manager of Vape N Stead, a store dedicated to electronic cigarettes in Carrollton, Ga. "I think light touch regulation wouldn't be a bad thing. Regulating ingredients and possibly nicotine levels would keep most of the product domestic. But I think the way the biased media is blowing it up isn't going to help anyone. Big tobacco is losing lots of money and customers, so they're trying to fight a free market the best they can."

Could the marketing and use of e-cigarettes be a renaissance of the tobacco industry? Abernathy believes so. "It's like smoking was back in the day. It's a booming fad. It's unjustly taboo with the media, it's semi-edgy, and everyone digs it, but a good bit of the customer base comes from converted smokers."

Converting smokers to e-cigarette users has been the original reason behind the boom of e-cigarette sales. Statistics, however, still suggest e-cigarette manufacturers are trying to market to a younger generation. Money spent on marketing by these manufacturers have doubled in the past year, according the aforementioned congressional report. This spending can be linked to the problems which stemmed the investigation, including advertising and use of free samples.

The debate rages on in Congress, within the FDA, and among young people. Possible regulation would burden the tobacco industry even further, but hopefully would spare young individuals from nicotine addiction.

Buzzfeed delivers a thorough overview of e-cigarettes in this short film.

Double Decker Anticipation

Oxford anticipates the 19th Annual Double Decker Festival 

Spring is here and the upcoming Double Decker Festival is just around the corner. Oxford becomes the center of arts, music, and food for people to come together.

Spring in Oxford, Mississippi is one of the most wonderful times of the year. The weather is warmer the town just radiates beauty with the flowers and the amount of people that accumulate on the Square. On April 25-26 the festival will draw the people of Oxford in with a handful of art and food vendors. The history of Double Decker began in the bed of a pick up truck as a stage and a few vendors by local town people. Today, the festival is crowded with 60,000 people around the Courthouse and grows each year because of how successful the event has become.

Ole Miss alumna Kristy Bridgers says, "I've been going to Double Decker since I was a little girl, through college, and still go with my family. It is such wonderful tradition that I believe will continue when my kids have kids. I help with many of the vendors and try to participate in the event because it is such a great way to show what Oxford is about. We give people a little taste of everything especially the food. The food is my favorite most of the dishes are old family recipes and are just to die for."

The event will kick-off with Thacker Mountain Radio on Friday with a live broadcast of unlimited music. Saturday all-day will feature over two hundred food and art vendors while music locally and on tour will take the stage. The music that will be playing will be a mix of blues/americana, country, jazz, bluegrass, rock, and today's hits.

The Line up Friday- Saturday
Friday April 25
6:00 pm- Rosco Bandana
7:00 pm -Thacker Mountain Radio
8:00 pm - Bo-Keys

Saturday April 26
10:00 am - Morgan Pennington
11:00 am- Garry Burnside
1:00 pm- Dent May
2:30-4 pm- T-Birds and The Breaks and The Infamous Stringdusters
5:30-7 pm- The Wild Feathers and Preservation
8:45 pm- Charles Bradley

It isn't a festival without the delicious cuisine and fine art. The food ranges from homemade recipes to Oxford's restaurants. City Grocery, Ajax, McEwen's bring food to some of the vendors. Others are homemade recipes that local townies bring and get recognized for. The art is a major attraction to the vendors. Most of the art ties to the town of Oxford such as paintings, sculptures, jewelry, pottery, and crafts.

Ole Miss student Maggie Durnien says, "Ever since I came to Ole Miss there is something about the town and its history that I love. The Double Decker just shows how cool Oxford is. My entire family from St. Louis come every year now and wont stop telling me how lucky I am to have a town that takes pride in their history. I am obsessed with trying all the different types of food. I can't wait for Double Decker I have high anticipation."

So what should most people check of their lists to do? Check out the great bands that will be playing whether you are into rock or country. Taste test the winery and wide variety of food. Look and be fascinated with all the art. Finally, take a tour learn about Oxford and all it has to offer.

The festival is a tradition that expresses the culture of the South and Oxford. The Double Decker rides around the town give tours and information about the Square. People get to know what Oxford is all about during this weekend. This festival has gotten so popular and has drawn many tourists in. There is a lot of anticipation for this years festival and many people have no doubt that it will be another great year.

Boston Marathon Ruined by Bomb Scandal

Unnamed man arrested for leaving a suspicious backpack near the finish line of the Boston Marathon Memorial.

The Boston Marathon Memorial remains abandoned as authorities search the scene for suspicious objects.

Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon tragedy, where two impromptu bomb devices were detonated near the finish line of the race, killing three and permanently maiming many others. The marathon scene was recreated on Boylston Street for the memorial, with many people, including Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama, in attendance of what was expected to be a sacred gathering.

This changed after a few hours, when a man, whose name has not yet been released to the public, was discovered walking through the street, with no shoes, in heavy rain, with a suspicious bag, and chanting “Boston Strong”. When the man was approached by a police officer, he dropped the bag and attempted to flee the scene.

This immediately set off red flags among the policemen in the area; after the man was detained for questioning, another suspicious looking bag was found in the vicinity, and both of the bags were detonated by the New York Bomb Squad for safe measures. The remains of one bag showed pieces of what appeared to be a rice cooker, but authorities have yet to share what they believe the second bag contained. The man is likely to be charged for disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and possession of a hoax device for aggravating the already thin nerves of citizens nationwide.

Brian Kates, senior Senate member and Public Policy major at the University of Mississippi, took strong offense to the event. “This memorial was the first of many steps to moving past a national tragedy, and it has been sullied by the actions of a man who was inconsiderate enough to revive traumatic memories of a still sensitive event.” 

Chikira Brown, an ROTC member and student at the University of Mississippi echoed much of what Kates stated. “It almost makes you lose faith in humanity when you hear of someone being so insensitive and crude.  Instead of Americans taking those first steps towards moving on, everyone is now sidetracked with this guy’s sick idea of a joke.”

Both Kates and Brown’s comments represent the views of many Americans after hearing of the event. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter were ringing with posts expressing both shock and outrage at the time of this publication’s writing.

The actual marathon is still on schedule to occur on April 21^st. If you would like to contribute with fundraising, many groups such as Crowdrise have online fundraisers to assist those effected by last year's bombing.

Decisions, Decisions!

Which is better for high school graduates to attend at first? Community College or straight to a University?

Pursuing a higher education has many pathways, but
which one is the right one to take? Straight to a four-year
institution or a two-year? 

To some, this decision is not much of one; to others, it’s one of the most important of their life. Which is best when it comes to career paths, growing as a person, or when it comes to finances?  These are important things to look at when trying to tackle the decision on whether to jump straight into a four-year university or attend a community college after high school.

Cody Spears is one of the students who decided to attend a community college out of high school. “I attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC),” he explained.

Future college students must make the 

decision on whether to attend a 

two-year or four-year school. 

“I did not feel I was prepared mentally to be that far away from home,” Spears said about why he decided to attend a community college. “I felt like if I went [to a university] right away, I would fail.”

Spears, after graduating from MGCCC, decided to attend the University of Mississippi. “The transition has been tough,” he said, “The academics at university level are much more intense than at the junior college. Junior college was basically like going through high school again.”

Unfortunately, this feeling of “going through high school again,” is shared by a lot of community college students.

“You get yelled at for being on your phone in the hallway,” Christopher Jackson, a student at North West Mississippi Community College said.  

Attending a four-year institution is, on

average, more than twice as 

expensive as attending a two-year 

college according to Forbes.com

Instead of helping students be prepared for university classes, community colleges may be a hindrance. According to Breakthrough Collaborative, it might be better to jump straight into university life. Their research states that it takes students who begin their degree at a junior college 71 months, on average, to complete a bachelor degree; while students who begin at a four-year institution usually graduate in 55 months.

There are advantages to choosing a community college to attend first, however. The main advantage is the tuition: it’s cheaper. “In 2010-1011, the average community college student paid $2,713 in tuition - a tenth of the tuition expense shouldered by students at private four-year colleges,” Forbes.com reports.

Thomas Toole, a junior at the University of Mississippi, decided to go straight out of high school to a university. “Attending Ole Miss was academically hard for me. I didn’t really transition well, and I think [going straight to a university] was more of just something [one] did after high school, not really a decision I made,” Toole said.

“Going to a four-year school just seemed like the natural next step,” he explained, “I think if I had to do it over again, I would go to a community college first. It would, for sure, save money, and I think I would've been able to play sports while I was there.”

An important fact to remember, is that a student graduates
with the same university degree whether they transfer from 
a two-year institution or attend all four years at the 
university level. 

There are certainly advantages to both institutions. Community college is the financially sound choice even if students may be sacrificing quality education. Universities, however, can be expensive, but they can offer so much more academically. All things considered, students can graduate with the same bachelor's degree no matter where they begin their education. That is one of the most important factors to consider when deciding upon which route to take. 

U.S. Army Controversial Hair Regulations: How They Affect Ole Miss ROTC

U.S. Army bans certain hairstyles that directly relate to ethnic women, and act that is seen as offensive, especially by African-Americans women who are currently soldiers as well as ROTC students at 

Ole Miss.

Two Ole Miss ROTC Army women who will be affected by the change of policy regarding women's appropriate and allowed hairstyles.

The U.S. Army released new regulations on appearance last week, with specifically interesting attention to women’s rules, which banned styles frequently used by African-Americans and leaving many questioning whether this act was one of racism and discrimination.

The new rules include guidelines for styles that “must be of uniform dimension, small in diameter (approximately ¼ inch), show no more than 1/8 (inch) of the scalp between the braids." Any hair that is unkempt, matted, cornrowed, twisted, or dreadlock is not allowed.

Nationally, women soldiers are in an uproar, petitioning against the policy and claiming it is discriminatory and racist, even though these deliberations are what the Army deemed appropriate for combat. Here in Oxford, the guidelines directly affect Ole Miss ROTC students, as they are required to follow the exact same regulations as the Army does.

When asked about the racial offensiveness of the issue, freshman ROTC Army student Brody Morin had a more practical view, expressing, “I don't think it's racist because hair that's not taken care of, no matter what race you are, looks unprofessional and not uniformed.” He brings in the perspective of not just looking at the ethnic discrimination of the rules seen by others, but at the need for uniformity of the Army’s hair regulations altogether.

 

Morin also points out the fact that men of all ethnicities in the Army follow similar strict hair codes as well. He states, “Us guys have to take care of our hair by making sure it's not on our necks or over our ears. So why shouldn't the girls have to keep theirs neat and clean as well.” The fact that the policy specifically bans ethnic hairstyles doesn’t faze Morin; from an Army student’s perspective he follows strict code himself, as he knows it is more uniform and better for battle.

The women of Ole Miss have slightly different opinions, as they can relate to the struggles of female hair maintenance. Freshman Ashley Nordahl says, “It’s a little offensive to specifically ban all those hairstyles. Many women rely on twists or dreadlocks or things like that to better retain their hair, and isn’t that what’s important?”

Nordahl’s comment brings to attention the fact that although these regulations are what can be thought of as cleaner and neater no consideration is being taken for different types of hairs and hair textures.

Unless there is any improvement nationally, this issue can continually be debated over. For now, Ole Miss ROTC women will have to abide by this policy and make any necessary changes to their hairstyles.

Is Ole Miss Ready for Men's Soccer?

Even though the Southeastern Conference is the last major conference to authorize men's soccer as a sport, the Ole Miss soccer community continues to grow with the looks of a promising future ahead.

A member of the Ole Miss Men's Soccer Club during a game at the Intramural Fields.
(Ole Miss Intramural Sports & Sport Clubs; Sept. 13, 2013) 

When Ole Miss thinks of soccer what do they think of? Many say the Ole Miss women’s soccer team that placed fourth in the SEC overall standings. There is an annual philanthropic event hosted by the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity called the “ATO Greek Cup” that some might think of. Others think of the men’s soccer club in corporation with Ole Miss campus recreation. However, no one thinks of an Ole Miss men’s soccer team, because there is not one.

Women’s soccer has been a Southeastern Conference sanctioned sport since the early 1990s. However, men’s soccer is still outside of the loop according to the SEC. The Southeastern Conference is notably the most supported and financially able conference in the National Collegiate Athletics Association. So why haven’t they stepped up to the plate?

Grant Morgan, a freshman sports enthusiast and SEC supporter, says, “Personally, I’m not a soccer fan, but I think a prestigious conference like the SEC should offer all sports for men and women.”

Check out this discussion board about Men's Soccer in the SEC!

The ideal situation would be for the SEC to begin a men’s soccer program for all fourteen schools of the conference to participate in.

But, two schools of the Southeastern Conference, the University of South Carolina and the University of Kentucky, already have men’s soccer teams. They must compete with Conference USA due to the position of the SEC. With these schools making bold actions to have a men’s soccer team, it shows that the interest is there and growing.

The ladies of Phi Mu smile for a picture after competing in the ATO Greek Cup
and finishing 3-4 against Alpha Omicron Pi.

 Michael Cherry, a freshman soccer player at American University in Washington, D.C., says, “I like that schools that are so heavily invested in one or two sports are becoming open to including other sports like men’s soccer as a part of their varsity programs.” 

Cherry, who is one of the leaders in assists this season, thinks that he might have explored SEC schools more if an established soccer program was available. Cherry explains, “I don’t know if I necessarily would have gone to a SEC school, but it definitely would have allowed me to have more doors opened.”

If the Southeastern Conference decided to expand by adding men’s soccer, Grant Morgan thinks that the interest in soccer would only continue to grow. With the facilities for women’s soccer already being in place, men’s soccer could bring a different dynamic to the Ole Miss campus. Morgan says, “Bringing men’s soccer to Ole Miss would only expand the university and offer more to its students.”

Lafayette County Schools Embrace Common Core State Standards

As Lafayette Middle school wraps up its first year of fully implementing Common Core, expectation and enthusiasm are high among teachers and administrators.

Melissa Johnson strives to use a varied, interesting curriculum to teach social studies at Lafayette Middle School. Rather than simply read about Pangea, her students created their own picture of what the landmass may have looked like.

The impending switch to Common Core State Standards as the primary assessment of Mississippi public schools has been one of the hottest topics of debate in the realms of both education and politics so far in 2014.

Although the standards were adopted by the state board of education in 2010, many schools are just now beginning to fully implement them. Melissa Johnson, a social studies teacher at Lafayette Middle School, is finishing up her second year of teaching with the Common Core standards in mind.

“When I first saw the standards for Common Core I thought, ‘If I’ve been doing my job correctly, then this isn’t new,’” Johnson said. To her, the standards are not a rigid curriculum as the opposition often argues.

“It’s the unspoken curriculum that I think, speaking for the middle school, a lot of teachers were practicing in their classrooms,” Johnson said. “It changed from something that was understood to being a requirement.”

LMS assistant principal Joseph Adams is also supportive of the way his school is implementing the standards, at first slowly and now with full force. Last year, the school pushed to facilitate the qualities of teaching Common Core, and the 2013-2014 school year has seen full application of the standards.

“The thing is, these are standards; it’s not a curriculum,” Adams said. “They’re not telling you how to teach it; they’re telling you the things students need to be prepared for by the time they get out of high school beginning with tenth grade, ninth, and on down to kindergarten.”

One way that Johnson altered her teaching style to become more compatible with Common Core was to rearrange her classroom, allowing students to sit in groups, rather then individually.

“I arrange the seats in these pods so that the students are working independently as far as from the teacher, but they are also working collaboratively as a group to solve problems,” Johnson said.

Desks in Johnson's classroom are arranged into groups as opposed to traditional rows in order to give her students a chance to better communicate with one another as they learn to articulate their thoughts, one of Common Core's primary goals.

Because Common Core State Standards are expected to be more difficult than the previously used Mississippi standards, Lafayette chose to incorporate the standards in the elementary schools first and slowly work into upper schools in order to maintain a narrow learning gap.

“Our current third graders will be prepared wonderfully by they time we get them in sixth grade, but the gap comes when we’re doing Common Core and our fourth, fifth, and current sixth graders haven’t had that type of training,” Johnson said.

Adams sees the rise in expectation of students as a positive of Common Core.

“You always here that phrase ‘a mile long and an inch deep’ about those [old standards], and what we’re going for here is an inch long and a mile deep,” Adams said.

With continued enthusiasm from teachers and administrators, as well as public support from local lawmakers, Common Core is proving to be an asset to Lafayette County schools, perhaps a picture of what the rest of the state will grow to look like.

Ole Miss track closure effects team's season preparation

Ole Miss athletes face adversity following the track's recent closure. Spirits remain high.

On April 1^st it was brought to the attention of the Ole Miss athletic program that the track and field complex might be unsafe. Reported cavities under the surface of the track have prompted the facility’s immediate closure until experts can further identify and correct the issue.

This means a few things for the Ole Miss Rebels track and field team. The first of which is the cancellation of the home meet scheduled for next week. This is the 2^nd meet cancelled due to the condition of the track. Apart from competition, Ole Miss athletes have been moving their practices to Oxford high school.

Cones surrounding track ward off would-be runners

Moving the home meet on the 26^th to Memphis is a possibility; this will give the athletes a chance to have another week of competition under their belt before the LSU invitational in May.

Moving practices to Oxford high school during repairs, however, proves to be a more strenuous fix. The hours that Oxford High’s track is available are far less flexible so that means different practice hours and in many cases, carpooling.

Ole Miss track athlete Scarlett Fox claims another alternative, running.

 “ We just incorporate it into our workout,” Fox said. “ It’s two and a half miles between campus and Oxford High’s track, so we just make that our warmup and cool down runs.”

Fox looks at the positive side and believes that adversity only makes the team stronger. The focus of the team will remain on hard work and team bonding now more than ever.

“Sure it’s a headache,” Fox said. “But we all just push each other that much harder so that we can perform well regardless of the circumstances.”

Hunter Harrison, a discus and javelin thrower for Ole Miss, said that he has faith in the athletic department to fix the issue, and his only focus is on school and training.

“ The school will take care of this problem right away,” Harrison said. “ I’m just going to focus on throwing and finals, the rest is out of my hands.”

There is currently no set timeline on the renovations for the track, but the season is still in full swing. The Rebels team will split this weekend. Some will go to the War Eagle Invitational at Auburn, and others will go out to Walnut, California to compete in the highly competitive Mt. Sac Relays. 

Ole Miss Expanding Presence on the International stage

According to the data from the StudyAbroad Department at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), the international students have increased dramatically, and the number of countries Ole Miss exchanges with is growing.

The Study Abroad program at Ole Miss, called “Exchange,” has been growing over the last few decades. In 2009, the number of the exchange students was around 50, but in 2013, the number reached to around 150. In 2014, 111 international students came to Ole Miss as the academic exchange students. Ole Miss made exchange program contracts with many countries, including South Korea, Brazil, Germany, and China.

 “We have two kinds of visiting students for the IntensiveEnglish program (IEP) and for the academic credit exchange,” said Molly Fryman, an International Student Advisor at the University of Mississippi, from Illinois. “Exchange students are able to get academic credit at Ole Miss for one semester or two semesters,” Fryman said.

Molly Fryman, an International Student Advisor, talked about the Study Abroad program.

In the response to the increasing number of exchange students, Study Abroad Department has several programs for international students. 


One of the programs is peer-mentor program, called “global ambassadors program.” To help the international students to get used to unfamiliar environment, the peer-mentor program was designed. This program is also good to Ole Miss students. Through this program, Ole Miss students are able to have opportunities to interact with international students. Most of the global ambassadors are foreign language majors or minors and are interested in studying overseas in future. There are few academic requirements and interview process for Ole Miss students to be a global ambassador.

Rachel Yi, biology major, senior, talked about her experience as a global ambassador. “My friend, Annie Hu, was a Global Ambassador at the time. Through her, I learned about role of the Global Ambassadors program and the way it impacted the lives of foreign exchange students here. As I met more international students, I also became more closely connected with the ambassadors who took it upon themselves to look after the well-being and cultural integration of these students," Yi said.

The Study Abroad Department also has several trips to larger cities such as New Orleans and Atlanta. One of the popular trips is the Memphis trip. This trip consists of visiting the Graceland and going to international food market.

“The last event in this semester will be the farewell party on Thursday just before the final week,” Fryman said.