ASB Senate Adapts to Represent a Growing Student Population

In light of the growing student population, Ole Miss’s Associated Student Body Senate has made internal changes aimed at adapting the university’s legislative body to accurately represent the influx of Rebels.

In the spring 2014 semester, the ASB Senate passed a bill adding 10 new seats for student representatives. According to Vice President Emerson George, the additional seats reflect a shift to proportional representation of the number of students in each academic school, as opposed to the set number of seats of the past.

“Out of the 60 senators that we have, it’s whatever percentage of the population is from say, the school of liberal arts, then liberal arts get that rounded off percentage of seats and that many votes,” George said.

Hannah Haley, freshman senator and chairperson of the Governmental Operations committee, is supportive of the changes and the vision behind them.

“Expanding government is not always the best, but being able to expand to be more representative is good because we are able to accurately represent in Senate,” Haley said. “We’re able to say that our school is increasing and so is our senate.”

According to George, the newest adaptations of the ASB Senate also include adding two at-large seats, meaning that candidates can run to represent the university as a whole rather than their year, residence hall, or academic school.

“We want to make sure as many groups ass possible can be added and represented,” George said.

George and Haley agree that as campus population increases, the ASB senators must become more proactive in problem solving and connecting with their constituents. Haley believes that students and organizations have a responsibility as well to make their voice heard on a growing campus.

The ASB office serves a hub for students to get information about various campus activities.

“We are all a part of ASB in a way,” Haley said. “People sometimes don’t care until it influences them after the matter, but I think if people were more proactive in going out and telling their senators their thoughts, then things would get more efficient.”

The ASB Senate’s “Let’s Talk” tent is put up in front of the Union several times each semester. It is intended to be a way for students to get to know their representatives and share ideas. Members of the legislative body value this opportunity as a means of getting both feedback and ideas.

“We have the tent to get student’s opinions and hear what they think about what we’re doing,” George said. “Hopefully that provides a chance to hear about the problems that might arise with the growing number of students.”

An Increase of Incoming Freshmen Leads to Recruitment Revamp

Fall is right around the corner, which means recruitment for Greek organizations will be here in no time. As you know, student enrollment is at an all-time high. The University of Mississippi is finding ways to prepare for the surge of freshmen students, whose class is expected to be one of the largest ever. Many organizations on campus have made changes to accommodate more students. Greek Life is no exception, with Ole Miss Panhellenic, the organization that oversees sorority life, making new changes to sorority recruitment this fall.

 

 Anxiety runs high as girls wait to receive their bids

during last year's sorority recruitment.

Greek Life already has a large presence on campus, with 36 percent of women joining sororities. Recently, Panhellenic has seen more and more women go through formal sorority recruitment. This year, however, is predicted to be drastically larger. 

"This is an increase in projection as we are assuming the amount of incoming students will increase this fall. In Fall 2013, there were 1,394 women who registered for Panhellenic formal recruitment," Jenell Lanski, Greek Life coordinator, said of the recent increase of women participating in recruitment. 

This is leading to an overhaul in the recruitment process for next fall. The amount of sororities visited each day has changed, with new sorority Alpha Delta Pi participating.  Instead of three rounds during recruitment week, you can now expect to see four rounds leading up to Bid Day. Recruitment will last from Sunday to Sunday, with only one day open for to the Honors College convocation. Not only is this an impact for women going through recruitment, but for active sorority women who put in hours and hours preparing for and participating in recruitment week. 

Sorority recruitment chair Molly Harris, a junior here at Ole Miss, spoke on how the increase in women participating will affect sororities and their members. 

 

Molly Harris explains how her job will be impacted by new changes in recruitment.

Along with adjusting to more women participating, Panhellenic is also changing the way sororities promote themselves during recruitment. This is a move toward a "no-frills" recruitment, which would make elaborate decorations and excessive song and dance part of the past.  

"We are moving toward a no-frills recruitment, which would make each round more values-based. Recruitment has changed so much since I was a freshman. There would be ice sculptures and other ridiculous decorations in the houses. It wasn't as long of a process, either. Recruitment would only last from Wednesday to Saturday, with Bid Day on Sunday," Harris said. 

There are some changes that can be considered downsides. Typically, you would visit up to three houses during Preference round, which is the last round before Bid Day. If you wrote down all sororities visited that night during your final ranking session, chances were you would receive a bid the following day. The influx in women participating puts a strain on that usual guarantee, however. Preference round will now only include up to two houses for each woman participating. 

Ashley Olson

Sorority advisor Ashley Olson, an operations manager for facilities planning at Ole Miss, spoke about the new changes. 

"With two houses to choose from on Preference night, there is no longer a mindset that the third house is their last choice. With this, there is now a 20 percent chance you will not get a bid afterwards," Olson explained. 

These changes may seem overwhelming, but the University is working together with the Office of Greek Affairs and Greek organizations to find ways to expand Greek life by accommodating the increasing student body.  

Ashley Olson tells of ways the school and Greek 

organizations are adapting to more students.

Greek Life becoming more popular at Ole Miss is a reminder that joining a Greek organization has great benefits, like a way to get involved on campus and in the community, and networking outside of the University. 

As a business professional, Olson agrees. "Greek Life is not only for college. It's a way for networking when looking for a job. I wouldn't have the job I have now if it weren't for the experience gained and networking through my sorority."

Feeding Frenzy in the Student Union

Sophomore Molly Brosier pays for her Pinkberry at the Student Union

The Ole Miss Student Union offers dining options that will be sure to satisfy any taste bud. Food ranging from chicken and burgers to pizza and salad, and even frozen yogurt is what you have to choose from when walking into the Union.

Yet when you walk into the Union during lunchtime, all you see is people. People lining up to get their chicken from Chick-fil-a or people snaked up the stairs to the third floor waiting to order a Subway sandwich.

Once you get your food that you waited countless minutes for, you then have to battle other students to find a place to eat your lunch. Finding a seat for one person isn’t impossible, but when eating with a group you might as well take your lunch to go.

Walking into the Union during lunchtime is like a feeding frenzy and with increased student enrollment rates, the problems won’t go away for at least a few more years.

The Union is set to undergo some changes over the next few years, which includes an expansion that many students will appreciate. The Union will increase its size by expanding into the parking lot that currently accompanies the building.

Some changes have already occurred at the Union. Magnolia Kitchen was closed down to make room for Panda Express, which seems to be a hit among students.

“Panda Express is a great addition to the Union because it adds more food variety. Everybody seems to love it so I think it was very smart of them to add it,” said sophomore, Julie Roher.

While restaurant changes are positive for the Union, extra seating is what the students will be looking for. With the Union being a hub for students and the campus, the increase of students in the coming years will mean that seating will become essential. The expansion will add another dining area to the Union, addressing the issue of overcrowding.

Heather Bradley, Pinkberry worker give her opinion on increased student enrollment's impact on the Student Union.

“When eating at the Union you have to figure out the best time to go. During lunchtime it’s always crowded and hard to find tables that are clean or open for people to sit and eat before class. I think that with more students it will become harder to eat at the union unless you plan accordingly,” said sophomore, Molly Brosier.

In addition to another dining area, the Union is set to add more meeting rooms for groups like the Associated Student Body and a ballroom to host a variety of events. The addition is scheduled to begin this summer and will be completed in four years.

Ole Miss Students are Moving Up and Out

Martin Hall, one of the freshmen dormitories.

The number of enrolled students is on the rise and Ole Miss is running out of room, literally. 

In the fall of 2013 student enrollment was up 758 students, totaling out to be 3,579 freshmen on campus. This upcoming fall semester is no different; numbers are still rising as the 2014-2015 academic term approaches. There are already 2,254 members on the Class of 2018 Facebook page, and that number increases daily. 

With the enrollment growth, there has been many demands placed on the University as they try to adjust and expand for students. To name a few, parking and dining have already started to present themselves as issues that need correcting.

Several students that have already lived on campus as freshman are hoping to remain living on campus as long as they can. Sacrificing your own bathroom, kitchen and laundry room may seem to be a bit absurd to some, but the convenience many students find in walking out of their dorm and straight to class, as well as constantly being surrounded by friends, is a sacrifice they are willing to make. 

Freshmen Annie Owen says "I think being able to live on campus and not have to commute here every morning for class is better than having your own room".

Rising sophomores entered their second semester this past January, many with roommate plans for Crosby Hall, were stopped in their tracks as Ole Miss Housing announced that there was no longer room to house students other than freshmen on campus. This is not the first year Ole Miss has run into this issue; it happened two years ago. Needless to say, the University cannot seem to keep up with the growth. 

Community Assistant Kristin Hogans discusses the effects an increased number of students has had on housing. 

This housing issue adds more financial strain on parents who are now spending an average of $4,500 moreover their original tuition to accommodate their students living. After this announcement it didn’t take long before many apartment complexes - The Hub at Oxford, Molly Barr Trails and Faulkner Flats  - to immediately reserve space for students to book rooms through their Greek organization. 

While the housing issue on campus is not beneficial to many of the students, Oxford has found a new opportunity to grow its community. In the past six months, the city has issued nearly $65,000,000 in housing permits. The new construction for apartments and homes, seems to be driven by the increase of students needing places to live.

George Walker, local builder and developer, says that “The demand for off-campus living has increased community growth and allows for new construction.” 

Turner Center Makes Big Changes Just in Time for Incoming Freshmen

Have you been to the Turner Center lately? If you have, you might have noticed something different. Ole Miss Campus Recreation is gearing up for the largest incoming freshmen class in school history. With renovations and expansions, the Turner Center will be leaner and meaner by early next fall.

A short two months ago, Ole Miss Campus Recreation announced a new director, Peter Tulchinsky, and ever since, the program has been fast at work. An updated fitness center has been in the works for some time, but the renovations could not have come at a better time. With the expected largest incoming freshmen class arriving in Oxford next fall, the average 3,000 students who enter the Turner Center daily is expected to rise as enrollment hits an all-time high.

 Allison Hahn, a sophomore majoring in Exercise Science,
 completes her day by exercising at the Turner Center.

So is this a large renovation or an expansion of the Turner Center you might ask? Peter Tulchinsky says, “Both!” The Turner Center is looking to renovate their current facility that was built in 1983. However, they are hoping to expand the Campus Recreation program through these new renovations.

The Department of Campus Recreation released a statement that says, “An innovative Turner Center expansion will meet the recreational needs of our growing student body and serve as a beacon as part of Mississippi’s flagship institution strengthening efforts to create healthy lifestyles for its citizens.” 

Many of the staff members, like Demetrius Morgan, are looking forward for what is to come at the Turner Center.

The anticipated construction and makeover is already underway. The current locker rooms are receiving a major face-lift with new lockers, carpet, and shower facilities. The Ole Miss Outdoors Club is updating their office, which is located on the lower level of the Turner Center.  

The biggest change will be seen in the group fitness program at the Turner Center. Currently, the program, which includes classes like Zumba and cycling, is limited to one multi-purpose room on the second floor. With the improvements, they are adding two more multi-purpose rooms in the Turner Center. This will expand the program by allowing multiple classes to take place at once, which will allow the Campus Recreation program the opportunity to serve more students.

In the coming years, the Campus Recreation Director, Peter Tulchinsky, says he looks to see many more improvements. He explains, "The possibility for a rock climbing wall and food services in the Turner Center have already been discussed." Another opportunity he looks to expand on is adding more energy in the fitness center with TVs and brighter colors.

The new and improved Turner Center is expected to unveil on September 1, 2014.

Rising number of students spark changes in Ole Miss Dining

This fall may bring many changes for students living both on and off campus at Ole Miss. The rise in student population will ripple across campus, showing effects in various ways.

Students wait in line at the Starbucks in the JD Williams Library. 

Along with the regulation changes in housing and the rather constant change in transportation the rising student population is bringing in a need for more on-campus food options. The logic is simple: more people need more food. 

Ole Miss has experienced a record number of anticipated freshman for the fall semester of 2014. Though the University has experienced many such leaps, this one has been stated to be the largest. The University of Mississippi's Institutional Research and Assessment Center has tracked student population for many years and has seen a steady rise in attendees. 

The Student Union, among other facilities, are already so packed that freshman Ashton Dawes said she does not know how the University can compensate with the rising population.

“There is a constant crowd,” Dawes said. “It’s practically impossible to get anything during the lunch rush between classes.”

Jason Phillips explaining features of the new
Rebel Market. 

The population rise was expected and had been prepared for in the University’s twenty-year plan, Jason Phillips, Director of Operations for Ole Miss Dining said. There are new facilities that will open this fall and many more in the works.

The dining program has only recently become an integrated part of the University’s planning system. Whereas the two used to work independently, they have now made a joint operation in order to keep the students happy and healthy.

The influx has caused the construction and renovation of dining across campus. The opening Rebel Market, a new hub for students, will give many options for dining. 

The Rebel market will also include highly demanded increase in fresh-food options for students. Along with allergen sensitive and gluten or wheat free areas, the new facility will house multiple interchangeable stations for different dining opportunities. This facility is scheduled to come online this fall, just in time for the new students.

Though the induction of multiple new facilities should help stem the traffic around lunchtime, Phillips said, tensions should not be fully eased until 2016, when multiple facilities will be completed.

It will take time to increase the University’s food industry enough to feed the masses that will be flooding onto campus this fall. There has been some dispute about wether or not the University should take such a large amount of students if it is incapable of sustaining them, however, Ole Miss Dining is ready. Are you? 

Final Projects Due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 7

JOUR 102 students, post your final projects here.

Remember, they should read as broadcast stories, conversational and less formal. And you're typing them as usual – no split broadcast screens or audio/video directions. 

Your final projects should include: your 400-word broadcast story, at least one photo that you took, with a cutline, and a one- to two-minute source soundbite. Your soundbite should not also appear as a quote in your broadcast story; however, you may feature different quotes by your soundbite source in your typed story. 

And, as always, your sources will be verified.