Business in Progress

Business is hopefully about to start pouring in for Pa’Dasia Harden. Harden was recently certified as a new eyelash technician and is ready to start her business.

She took a one day class that lasted about 6 hours and she got one on one training on the ins and outs of doing people’s eyelashes.

“The class was very beneficial and I appreciate the girl for taking her time teaching me all the techniques I need to know.”

Harden is originally from St Louis, MO but went to school in at Belleville, IL which isn’t that far from St Louis.

At a relatively early age Harden knew she wanted to be a “pretty girl” despite playing sports at a young age she got into glamour and hasn’t looked back.

She is in the midst of getting her Bachelors Degree and working a part time job, but wanted to start her own business for extra income and so she can get paid for doing something she actually enjoys for a change.

She hasn’t quite built her brand, but she’s in the process of getting business cards made and has her first client coming in this week.

The Name of her Business is Mink Kouture and she feels good about the name and business in general

” I really like the name because it’s cute and unique. I felt like it fits me and what I’m trying to do.”

Though still being in the midst of a pandemic, Harden is eager to begin her business and see how far it takes her.

“I want to get really into it and it can be my main source of income until I get a job in my career.”

Harden is looking for people who want their lashes done as bad as she wants to provide the service to them and who knows you make be her next client.

Are Food Allergies that Serious?

By: Griffin DeMarrais 

OXFORD, MS- Everyone knows about food allergies, whether you have them or your sibling or relative has them, or you saw kids with allergies eating at what is known as the peanut free table. A lot of people grow out of their allergies but for others it is something that they have to deal with their entire life. 

According to Foodallergy.org 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 13 children suffer from food allergies. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports that the prevalence of food allergy in children increased by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011.

The most common and well known food allergy is the peanut allergy. Between 1997 and 2008, the prevalence of peanut or tree nut allergy appears to have more than tripled in U.S. children. The peanut allergy is something that many kids have to deal with not just throughout childhood but usually their entire life. 

Sometimes allergies are not a lifelong struggle, but it all depends on what kind of allergy it is. About 80 percent of people with egg, milk and wheat allergies outgrow them, usually by age 16. About 20 to 25 percent of children with peanut allergies outgrow them, and about 80 percent who outgrow them will do so by age 8. 

Some people grow out of their allergies while others actually find out later in life that they are allergic to something. For example Ole Miss senior Ellie Sharp just found out that she is allergic to red meat at the age of 22. 

“It was super weird because I had never had a problem with red meat before I actually really liked it, said Sharp.” It kind of just came out of nowhere and one day I was having steak with my family and I broke out in hives and did not know what was going on.”

Many kids nowadays get tested for all of the major allergens at a young age. Such as eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts to name a few. By the age 16 most people know whether or not their allergy is going to be life long. 

Now there are multiple types of reactions that people have the most common which is the lesser of the reactions. This reaction causes hives or rashes on the skin, wheezing or a struggling to breathe as well as an itchy mouth and swollen lips and tongue. In some people with food allergies their reactions can be life threatening also known as Anaphylaxis. This can cause life-threatening signs and symptoms, including constricting and tightening of the airways, a rapid pulse and a severe drop in blood pressure. 

The way to stop an anaphylactic reaction is with an epipen. An epinephrine auto injector is a medical device for injecting a measured dose or doses of epinephrine by means of autoinjector technology. It immediately opens the airway in your throat. 

There is another major factor when it comes to allergies. An economic part that is really eye opening. According to foodallergy.com Caring for children with food allergies costs U.S. families nearly $25 billion annually.

The life threatening symptoms that these kids go through are nothing to joke about. That leads us to the peanut free table also known as the allergy table in the lunchroom and how schools handle their students. Many schools recognize that food allergies beyond peanuts and tree nuts are common, so they’ve implemented an allergy-friendly table. The original intent was to separate the child from their allergen, but with so many allergies it’s common to see kids sitting with other kids who are consuming their own allergy-producing foods at the same table. 

Still, this approach allows the staff to easily identify and keep an eye on students with allergies. Some kids will need additional accommodations. For example, a child with a milk allergy may need to be seated away from others consuming dairy products at that table. 

The problems that schools run into are students saying that they want to sit at the “regular table” To do so safely, students should know not to share or trade food, be aware of food debris and feel comfortable navigating issues either by themselves or with the help of school staff.

A major challenge children face is getting older and have to be smart about their allergies. When you grow up you’re responsible for your own safety. I have an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame seeds. I have had these allergies my whole life and having a life threatening allergy really has its challenges.

I first found out about my allergies when I was 2 years old and I found out the hard way. My mother ate a peanut butter cookie and then kissed me goodnight, and then all of the symptoms started. I was rushed to the hospital and they ran all the tests and the results of the allergy came out. 

The worst part of growing up with an allergy was by far sitting at the allergy table. When you are a young kid during elementary and middle school all you want to do after a long day in school and hang out with your friends at lunch, and I could not do that. It was me and two other kids always sitting together at the lunch table not being able to sit with anyone. 

In my opinion I do not like the idea of a peanut free table just because it makes kids with allergies feel like there is something wrong with them and second it does not prepare you for high school where the rules of sitting in a certain spot no longer apply.

I went to high school pretty much never being around peanut butter while eating and things changed immediately. I was now sitting at a table around all the things I could not have, and could even kill me. 

With the rate of kids being born with allergies going up while the chances of them growing out of them going down, our society needs to make the lives of kids with allergies more normal and not make them feel like outcasts anymore.

There are certain ways for kids with allergies to make sure they are safe, and that is do not be afraid to ask. When you go out to eat make sure the waiter or waitress knows what you are allergic to. Do not be embarrassed to ask in front of your friends because if you do not and something goes wrong you could die.

Another step to take if you are buying food at a grocery store is to always read the label for the ingredients, most allergens such as eggs milk and nuts will be in bold but always read everything to be sure. 

Having an allergy is something that many people like myself are born with and can not control, although some people might not think of it as something serious but it is truly life threatening and should be taken seriously. 

Student Teaching in a Pandemic

Education has taken a different face this year while the nation continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Mississippi schools faced outbreaks of unexpected proportions at the beginning of the year. As a part of a longstanding, crucial part of the University of Mississippi School of Education’s curriculum, Oxford School District still welcomed university students and aspiring student teachers to sit in on classes in the midst of COVID-19. These soon-to-be graduates have gone above and beyond this semester in the beginning phases of their education career.

Schools across the country face uncertainty with closures and the threat of all-virtual, but education majors at the University of Mississippi are still getting the hands-on experience necessary for their senior practicum.

Like most college seniors, education majors must go through a full school year under a teacher at one of the local primary or secondary schools while assisting with lesson planning, problem-solving, and any problems that may arise to gain the real-world experience that is teaching.

Education major and student-teacher Kam’Ron Bracey goes to Oxford Elementary every Monday and Wednesday for his senior practicum. 

Bracey faces a lot of challenges as a new student teacher, trying to navigate the classroom for the first time through uncertain conditions.

“I’ve gained a lot of experience as a student and think this prepared me for the real classroom when I graduate. Keeping them under control is a challenge, but in a pandemic, it’s pretty difficult. Having to remind them after they do everything to keep their mask on is hard because they want to take it off every time they do something.”

Some of these challenges include engaging in class, having a steady learning environment, and remaining healthy. That’s a lot for even a dedicated, long-term teacher, much less one student that is completely new to the education field.

Bracey says some students have more difficulty learning online than in-person due to a number of reasons. Some students feel like their environment at home being more distracting than a classroom setting. It has been proven that the most effective learning is done in a separate, more conducive location than where your day-to-day mundane activities take place. 

When parents take the extra step to cozy up their homes and make it feel like a learning experience rather than the living room, there is an improvement in morale for the students, making them more welcome to the idea of at-home learning.


Another issue students face is the lack of social interaction. It is important for young children to be able to interact with their peers at such a formative age. The effects this lack of social interaction may have is evident as productivity varies on days there is online learning rather than in-person learning. Bracey finds it more engaging when students have some sort of game or interactive activity in which they can actively participate rather than sit and listen to a lecture. 

The most important and prominent issue Bracey has seen in his students is reminding them they are in a health pandemic and they are not in that same close-knit, touch-friendly environment as last year. 

Students like to take off their masks at every opportunity, whether that be after they eat a snack, to ask a question, to talk to their neighbor, or even when they just feel uncomfortable in it. It is the student teacher’s job to ensure that they are keeping their mask on at all times.

To put it into perspective, in August over seventy counties in the state of Mississippi have active coronavirus cases leading to upwards of 2,000 students in quarantine and more than 500 teachers. Some schools in most rural areas did not put in place mask mandates. Itawamba County was one of these schools, where there is little to no medical assistance and the nearest hospital is miles away. 

A lot of teachers shared with Mississippi Today their horror stories of grim reopenings despite potential firing that illustrated how little concern state government and the Board of Education had for the students and educators. 

Imagine starting off your first year as an educator while simultaneously being shown how little respect and care there is being shown for your life.

The state of Mississippi had a rocky start to education and several counties are reverting back to remote learning. Bracey thinks the Oxford School District is faring well with minimal cases.

Lafayette County has seen 135,000 cases since March with peak case numbers hitting in July. Currently, there are 2,897 active cases.

“School has been going great during the pandemic. I feel like the school takes the necessary measures to ensure that we are safe. They have had probably ten coronaviruses in all since we’ve been here and they make sure that they quarantine everybody that’s in contact. I think they’re doing a great job in keeping the cases low.”

Chair of Student Teaching Dr. Susan McClelland thinks that students being able to observe several different classroom settings whether it’s face to face in a class like this or hybrid-online learning will prove to be effective for the teachers of tomorrow.

“While it’s been a challenge in a lot of ways, I think in the long run it’s going to be a tremendous opportunity for learning how to balance multiple platforms. ”

Student teachers have had several different challenges that arise in their practicum that would better equip them for the very real threat of COVID-19 that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon.

“One of my students was saying how it was so difficult to keep some of her first graders engaged in-class work on Zoom. Sometimes, they’ll pull out their stuffed animals and just be like ‘Do you want to see my bear?’ in the middle of class and that’s a very realistic issue to have with young children stuck in front of the computer all day.”

The School of Education has prepared students to return back into the classroom for another semester of senior practicum in the Spring while continuing to follow the University guidelines in the classroom. Most Lafayette County schools have not announced their plan for the spring semester, whether they will continue the hybrid-course or switch to all online classes.

Dr. McLelland is certain that in whatever the Spring semester brings, the School of Education and its students will be well equipped to handle it. 

“We have our students’ social distance, sanitize every surface they touch, and sanitize their hands, even if their assigned schools don’t have this in place. We tell them to act like they are still at the university and to follow our protocols.”

The University of Mississippi has been working to flatten the curve on their end as well with sentinel asymptomatic testing offered to students and faculty by appointment. 

There is also a mask mandate on campus, hand sanitizing stations almost everywhere, heavily enforced social distancing in classes and at events, as well as limitations on the total of amount of people in any room in accordance with CDC guidelines.

As for the students, Bracey and his fellow classmates believe that their practicum is still a necessary and vital part of their education and have not been opposed to continuing on in the Spring semester.

Ole Miss Game Day Vlog: The New Normal

OXFORD, Miss.– There are a million things to readjust to this year due to the global pandemic. One of those being how Ole Miss celebrates a game day. While everyone in town used to congregate in the Grove on Saturdays in the fall, the new normal has forced everyone to make new plans. There are fewer tickets available for the games now so the most popular place to be on game day is The Square. Annie Sharp, a senior Broadcast Journalism major at Ole Miss, and her friends took us along for the ride this past game day when Ole Miss played South Carolina. Read below to hear about how she and her friends aren’t letting COVID-19 restrictions put a damper on their final game day as undergrads.

“Hey guys! I’m Annie Sharp and I had so much fun vlogging my day to show what my new normal is on game day. While I am so sad that I don’t get to enjoy a grove for my final football season, I understand why it was canceled. Fortunately, I turned 21 this past summer so I do not have a problem going to the bars in place of the Grove, I do feel bad for other underclassmen who are not as lucky! I would have been so upset if this happened to me any other year. (not that I am not devastated….)

In a normal year, my friends and I start off the day with pregame at one of our houses, typically we would not have much food there because of the feast awaiting us in the Grove but this year things are different so we decided to all pitch in on a gorgeous spread to fill us up before hitting the town for the day. We had buffalo chicken dip, pretzels, a charcuterie board, and a variety of crackers (in hindsight… maybe a little too much food for just 10 girls). Kickoff was not until 6 so we started the pregame at 1pm and after drinking and hanging out for an hour we made our way to the bars. We live off South 16th so it is not that far of a walk to Harrison’s Bar just off The Square. 

One of the worst parts about this whole “new normal” thing is that many places are closed and the ones that are open can only have 50% capacity so since everyone still wants to go out and enjoy themselves so things get too full capacity ten times faster and covers surge. It is challenging to keep up with because while we all still want to go out, it feels crazy to go out early enough to get a table, we aren’t crazy!! At the beginning of the year we played the game and went out early and paid extra to reserve tables but as the year has gone on we have found that it is much cheaper to drink before going out and just going where they have open tables. Since once you get to the bar you are only really allowed to sit at one table with the people you showed up with, it does not really matter where you end up. This weekend we went to the Square with the intention of ending up at Harrisons and we thought that 1 P.M. would be early enough to get in, BOY were we wrong! When we got there the cover was already $20, the line was out the door abiding but the “one-in, one-out” policy. That is when we decided to pivot to Round Table until we found out their cover was too high as well. We would have gone to Funky’s if it wasn’t also at full capacity. Finally, our last option was Boure’s upstairs bar. This would never be our first choice but since they do not charge a cover we were slightly more ok with how their drinks are double the price of any other bar. 

After waiting 20 minutes to get into Boure, we got a table inside and slowly table hopped until we finally had a premium table on the balcony. We spent almost 4 hours at that table until we found out that our other friend got us a table at FUnky’s and we immediately closed out our tabs and ran over to join them just in time for the game to start. This was really lucky because we did not have any TVs in view of our seat at Boure. Funky’s still had a line but since our friend was there and had seats for us at their table we were able to get right in. Funky’s is really good about making sure they are getting full use of their establishment so they know me by now, I always have friends getting tables for me there on weekends. 

Once the game came on it was as if we were not even in a pandemic because I would normally be at Funky’s on a game day. I am going to miss these moments next year when am living wherever I end up so I think it is important to take in every moment that I can this semester and next. After watching the game for a few hours Anna and I walked home and freshened up before going to another house party. It was a crazy Saturday and not much went according to plan but when I look back on it all I am going to remember is that I had a good time in this small southern town and that is all I can ask for. Hotty Toddy!

Time To Get Organized With D-Clutter By Delia

“Having an organized home ultimately helps create an organized life.” – Delia Vandevelde

Well, let’s face it, having an organized home is hard. It goes hand in hand with having an organized home. I fail at that completely.

For Delia Vandevelde, a senior Hospitality Management major at the University of Mississippi from Birmingham, Alabama…it’s the complete opposite. She has a thumb for being tidy. Recently, due to the coronavirus pandemic, she decided to start her own business. As it started out, organizing for just her close family and friends. It is now a full-time business called D-Clutter by Delia.

D-Clutter by Delia is an organizing company that offers a multitude of organizational services – as small as closets, pantries, and Tupperware cabinets, to whole rooms, basements, and offices. Anything you’re heart may desire and D-Clutter has your back.

Did someone say snack drawer? I’ll take one of each!

Vandevelde’s love for organizing began at an early age.

“I’ve always been very organized, and clean,” she told me. “Even as a kid, my room was always in tip-top shape.”

Her passion for organizing only became more clear when she moved into her dorm freshman year of college. Her friends noticed that and even asked her to organize their spaces as well. “After helping out friends in college,” Vandevelde explained, “I began to help out friends and family at home. They told me over quarantine to start a business, and make a name for myself.”

“I really wanted to start D-Clutter because I am definitely somebody who is a go-getter,” she said.

relocation & proper use of space makes the BIGGEST difference, especially in a pantry. LOVED doing this project

Fast forward to May 25th, 2020 when Delia launched her business into the public. “This was something for me that was different, and creative, and is a way for me to express myself and use my talents…that other people probably don’t think about,” Vandevelde said.

One thing that really inspired Delia to do this; was the new Netflix show called “Get Organized with The Home Edit” a show on expert home organizers Clea and Joanna who help clients contain their clutter and create stunning spaces. “I followed them for years, on Instagram, and YouTube,” Vandevelde said, “when they released their show, I was like..okay…I definitely want to do this now that people have seen it on a larger scale.”

After seeing that organizing is something she could make a living doing, she hopes that even after graduation she could take her business anywhere and keep doing it.

Delia said she was fortunate enough to be approved for both an Amazon and Container Store affiliate program. “On my website link Amazon and Container Store organizing products, and you can go to my website and check out all the products,” Vandevelde said. She said she makes a small commission off of that, with no extra cost to the buyers. “I am able to link items there that I have personally tried out, or I order for clients,” she explained, “That is a great way for someone who might know how to organize, but doesn’t know what to get to get started.”

Vandevelde has big hopes for the future of D-Clutter.

“I definitely have a lot of growing to do, I would love to see D-Clutter branch out on a larger scale and hopefully have people that I can hire under me,” Delia said, “It would be great if I could start a team eventually and we could be booking up all over the place.” She also is looking to get into more staging homes for people moving and real estate agents.

before & after of a “keepsake closet”

Currently, D-Clutter offers a wide-range variety of services, with the three main services being “Home Organizing,” “Moving Out,” and “Welcome Home.” Included in the Home Organizing Package, Delia will declutter any area in your home. In the Moving Out Package, she will help you get rid of things before you leave, as well as leave you with a detailed packing list, that groups things by similarity, and overall help your move go as planned. With the Welcome Home Package, it is a great way to get settled into a new home, where you might not know where everything should go.

Due to her new range of clients being mostly college students. Alongside the main three packages, Vandevelde offers two smaller, low-cost packages. The “Mini Maintenence” and “College Clean-up,” are both affordable, and cover smaller areas such as student housing, or apartments.

To view the costs of these packages visit her website at D-clutterbydelia.com.

Depending on the space Delia is organizing; the time of organization varies. “I do like to pride myself because I’m a fast organizer,” Vandevelde said, “I do charge by the hour so, I don’t waste any time when I’m organizing.”

An average closet space would take Delia around an hour. If it’s a full attic or living space, it will take a lot longer. “The longest I’ve spent organizing was a full area of someone’s house. Including the pantry, storage closets, closets, bathroom, and the attic,” she said, “I think in total it took me around 81/2 to 9hrs.” That was Vandevelde’s biggest project, but she said most people average around an hour.

Essentially Delia’s process for organizing one’s home would look like this: Start with a consultation, usually a week before, assess the situation, measure, take some before photos, and plan out how she will start.

Through and through the process is time-consuming, and tough, but there is no better company to take initiative than D-Clutter by Delia.

Some of Delia’s favorite tips and tricks to kick-start an organized home and space include:

  • Use storage bins to keep items tidy
  • Use cutlery trays for areas that tend to be disorganized in the kitchen
  • Use the same type of hangers in a closet for a clean and orderly look

For Delia, organizing is a hobby but also a talent. Throughout her time at Ole Miss, she has become extremely versed in how to organize and live orderly as a college student.

Delia says that making your bed every morning, or using a planner every day (and putting everything in it) will automatically help you live a better life, with less stress from what the day brings.

“There is a power of having an organized life, it will enhance your overall mood, and make you less stressed,” Vandevelde said.

With the stuff that has already exceeded her expectations, she is only just even more excited about the future of D-Clutter by Delia.

Did someone say they need help organizing?! Call me!!

To learn more about D-Clutter by Delia and to book an organizational service, visit her website at D-clutterbydelia.com

Or follow her on Instagram @D-clutterbydelia. Stay organized my friends.

Inside a Professional Clubhouse

Lane Thomas, who plays baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, was part of one of the most impacted teams in professional sports in regards to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Thomas, 25, is the teams center fielder and played his college ball at the University of Tennessee.

https://youtu.be/YOAu5YPJCIw

Thomas was able to share multiple stories of the morale in the clubhouse and how the team was able to deal with covid throughout the season.

“The weirdest part of the season I would say just being in the clubhouse wearing a mask everywhere,” he said. “The trainers reactions were very weird in regards to how they would watch un interacting and trying to get a feel for how to go about it.”

“The baseball stuff was always the same on the field there is no changing that but the stuff in the clubhouse was for sure the weirdest part for me.”

Thomas also added that it was different because they could not eat around each other and the learning curve to the entire process was a little bit of a struggle.

When asked about the no fans Thomas said that the only positive that came out of this was that they were able to play this year.

“the fans are what drives you as a player and that’s what you play for so it was tough to get everyone going because there was not as much adrenaline going out for the game.”

Thomas is now in his third season for the Cardinals and set to take on an even bigger role in year four.

Lane Thomas talked of the morale of the clubhouse and said it was for sure down at one point.

“The entire team got covid including the player personnel and we were out for 2 weeks dealing with that so the team was down and out during that for a little bit for sure,” said Thomas.

The entire team being out for 2 weeks was one the longest breaks in sports this year and resulted in a multitude of cancellations throughout the MLB.

The MLB worked diligently through the contact tracing the Cardinals medical staff to get the proper testing and personnel in the building to stop the spread and get the players in a healthy environment as fast as possible.

Thomas noted that the break stopped some momentum the team was gaining and put the season in perspective for everyone.

The players just wanted to be out there playing in front of 1 fan or 10,000 fans but the love of the game never changed for the men out there.

Thomas said the thing that got the players back on track was the season in general and that they were still able to play and compete.

The Cardinals were able to eventually get into the playoffs and he said that lifted the teams spirits tremendously.

Everyone is happy when the team is winning.

When asked about the shortened season of going from 162 games to 60 the main difference was the pay.

“Everyone was happy to get back and play 60 games,” said Thomas. “We were just fortunate enough to be able to get back out there and play so I don’t think anyone hung their heads too much out there.”

This season was a wild ride for everyone in professional sports and the Cardinals are no exception.

Being on a covid riddled team is a different type of hardship and to hear the news from inside the clubhouse was very interesting to say the least.

Thomas said the thing he is looking forward to most next year is to just get back the guys and play in front of big crowds again.

“That’s what we play for,” said Thomas in regards to fans coming back into ballparks.

Thomas reiterated that fans bring a lot of adrenaline to the sport and having them there is everything for a player.

Playing a sport of any kind that relies on the crowd to bring juice to the team can be at a huge disadvantage without fans.

Fans bring a different element to the game unlike anything else in the game.

Sure, missing the starting pitcher or shortstop would be detrimental to what the team is trying to accomplish, but without the fans there, all of the jitters go away.

Thomas explained that not having them there was something he never adjusted to or thought that he would be able to adjust to in the future.

He explained that fans are who they play for and essentially their why.

Their why meaning that every time they put that jersey on its for something bigger than themselves. There is a deeper meaning to what they are doing. Not having that electricity in the ballpark can weigh on a player and let him/her not excel to the best of their abilities.

Thomas did express his gratitude for still being able to play and said that the team knows the fans are watching from home.

“It was for sure a very weird year and I am hopeful everything can get back to normal soon,” Thomas ended with.

How Adoption Has Impacted Me

by Karly Trimble

After years of taking jokes about adoption, Karly Trimble, an Ole Miss senior, has come to terms with understanding the way her adoption has impacted the way she views life. 

From an early age, Trimble always knew she was adopted by her parents—there was never a formal sit down talk where she was told that she was different from the rest of the people in her family. 

“I think a lot of people have this movie-esque idea in their minds that adoption is this charity-based process, you know, that saves a child,” Trimble said. “And in that mindset, I think a lot of people think of adopted kids as being unstable or unwanted or unloved. And that’s really not the case.”

Despite this common mindset, Trimble doesn’t see her adoption as being one of those stereotypical movie portrayals of adoption.

“My adoption isn’t something I think about every day,” Trimble said. “It really isn’t. I understand that it has changed the way that I look at people, and acceptance, and the way I interact with people having similar stories, but there’s not this looming sense of ‘oh I’m adopted and it impacts my life negatively’. That’s not a thing.”

“It’s something that I’ve never thought of as being a big deal,” Trimble said. “Yet somehow when new people find out that I was adopted it’s ground breaking news to them. And honestly, sometimes I feel like people look at me and my family differently when the find out I’m adopted, which is the last thing I’d want.”

Though she doesn’t think her adoption is something that should change someone’s views about her, Trimble recalls a time in her life where people made her feel ostracized for being different from her peers.


In elementary school, Trimble’s fellow class mates told her that her brother has not truly her brother since she was adopted. In middle school, she was told that she “didn’t live with [her] real parents” constantly. However, her most memorable interaction talking about adoption was in her Catholic Sunday school class  as a 12-year-old.

Trimble said she was sitting in the class listening to the professor’s projection of the Catholic church’s view on same sex marriage when a classmate raised his hand to ask a question.

“So if two men who are gay adopt a child, is that a sin?” Trimble recalled the student asking. 

Immediately after asking the question, Trimble said the teacher responded with a firm ‘yes’—something she wasn’t expecting. Trimble then explained that she felt it was her right to comment on the scenario.  She said “as an adopted child, [she’d] rather have two dads or two moms than none at all,” effectively urging the teacher to reconsider her stance on sexuality and adoption.

“Following that interaction I was immediately removed from the class, and I didn’t really understand why,” Trimble said. “Maybe my urge to reconsider viewpoints was uncalled for, but in the end, I would never change that interaction. Excluding people for sexuality is bad enough—and I would’ve spoken out on that anyways—but saying that a child is better off alone than with a lgbt couple is absurd.”

After hearing such hurtful words coming from the mouths of others who didn’t understand adoption, she made it her mission to make sure she was accepting of others, alongside being accepting of their backgrounds. 

“When negative things are thrusted at you, you don’t want to thrust them at someone else,” Trimble said.

“One thing I’ve always tried to do is understand that people—no matter how close I am with them—have special details about themselves that I don’t know or that I may not understand, just like some people don’t understand my view on my adoption” Trimble said. “But where I feel I can make a difference is how I respond to people when these conversations arise.”

In order to be more accepting of others, Trimble spends one day per month talking with a collaborative group on diversity on college campuses. While the group was originally started by a friend, Trimble says the group has grown largely over Zoom in the last couple months due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and currently has students from six different campuses in the United States.

Through this group, Trimble and other students talk about their backgrounds, their struggles, and problems they’ve had with diversity and acceptance on their college campuses. Trimble realizes that her adoption does not put her at a disadvantage the way many students feel about their backgrounds, but she still likes to collaborate with others in order to ensure that they maintain respectful views and have informative conversations on the topics of adoption and even adoption as it pertains to the rights of LGBTQA+ couples.

Trimble is very vocal about her views on such topics, often publishing self-written articles about the positives that come along with adoption.  One article, though informally written, showcases 10 reasons why individuals should be confident, secure, and comfortable with their adoption story.

Publishing with multiple outlets, including self-publishing with Medium and Buzzfeed, has given Trimble the platform to speak out about her background, as well as what she is passionate about.

According to Voices For Children, a nonprofit that works directly with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), more than 400,000 children are placed into the foster care system in the United States each year. Out of those 400,000 children, 25% of foster children experience PTSD and 25% of foster teens will experience homelessness prior to their “aging out” of the foster system.


Though Trimble was never in foster care, the foster system is something she cares deeply about, and she wants to be involved in this system later on in life. Believing that the foster system is unjust as is, Trimble hopes that reform will come to the system sooner rather than later.

“I just want children in the system to have the experience that I got from the start,” Trimble said. 

Oxford Treehouse Gallery Hosts First Pop-Up Art Show in Downtown Oxford

The Oxford Treehouse Gallery hosts its first pop-up art gallery in downtown Oxford, Mississippi on Friday, November 13 to Sunday, November 15 to showcase artwork from local and regional artists.

Video and article by Anna Margaret Foster

The Oxford Treehouse Gallery hosted its first-ever pop-up art gallery at the Oxford Square North Atrium at 265 N Lamar Blvd. The three-day event, which lasted from Friday, November 13 to Sunday, November 15, recognized both local artists and out-of-state creators who showcased and demonstrated their work on site.

Among the artists present at the event was Trapp Tischner of Tisch Jewelry Werks out of Marrieta, Georgia. Mississippi native Ellen Langford of Jackson was also present to showcase her oil and acrylic paintings, and the Mississippi Plein Air Painters, Carol Roark, Linda Peters, Pam Locke, Debbie Myers, and Jan Carnall were on-site demonstrating their open-air painting techniques. A psychology professor at the University of Mississippi and musician, Alan Gross was also present to present his cigar box guitar creations. A jazz duo hired by the shopping center at the Oxford Square North Upstairs Atrium was even playing on-site to provide those in attendance with a relaxing ambiance fit for the serene outdoor location provided. Various paintings and ceramics from the Oxford Treehouse gallery were also on hand from many of the artists they represent.

Vivian Neill, co-owner of the Oxford Treehouse Gallery and Event Venue, felt it was an honor to utilize the beautiful outdoor space at the Oxford Square North Atrium to promote regional artists. When preparing for the event, Neill emphasized that she did not seek to make the first-ever pop-up art gallery big and complicated, but instead wanted the event to be a place where artists could feel free to express their work and do so in a safe way due to the mandates set in place by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is almost like we feel like we are starting from scratch,” Neill said. “This is the first pop-up gallery we have tried to do, but [COVID-19] has definitely changed our business.

Neill emphasized the struggles that the pandemic has imposed on local artists and art shows, but says she is beginning to see more activity in terms of artists wanting to showcase their work and others wanting to attend these types of outdoor galleries in the wake of COVID-19.

“Since we could not do Double Decker this year, we decided we would wait and see how things went,” Neill said. “When this opportunity came up, we thought it would be an ideal spot to be in the outdoors, and with the mask mandate in Oxford, it is a great way to attempt something like this,” she continued.

The Oxford Treehouse Gallery is located in the county about seven miles from the Oxford Square and as Neill put it, “it’s not a very likely spot for an art gallery”. When her husband overbuilt space for his blacksmith shop in the area, Neill ultimately knew that she wanted to utilize the extra space for an art gallery. The gallery has been opened for about six and a half years now to showcase work from local and regional artists in the area.

Neill explained that Visit Oxford has been imperative in increasing traffic to the gallery and often sends travel writers their way to promote the Oxford business. There is a wide range of artists and artwork located in a fairly small space at the original gallery, including paintings, block prints, ceramics, jewelry, and sculpture. The Chancellor’s House Hotel also serves as a satellite gallery in town to showcase work for those who do not want to travel the seven miles to the gallery.

“This [event] was kind of a no-brainer,” Neill said. “The people at Mike Overstreet Properties that own Oxford Square North were wanting to utilize this space for more activities, so when we were asked if we wanted to use it, we figured we would give it a shot.”

Debbie Myers, one of the founders of the Mississippi Plein Air Painters who joined Oxford Treehouse Gallery for the pop-up art show, spoke about how the event served as a breath of fresh air for artists who have been set back and ultimately forced to find new ways to demonstrate their art in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Joining Myers at the pop-up gallery were other members of the local group which includes artists Carol Roark, Linda Peters, Pam Locke, and Jan Carnall.

Plein air painting is a French word that means “outside” which Myers explains has made a huge comeback since the pandemic began. The Mississippi Plein Air Painters get together at least once a week to paint outdoors in Oxford and surrounding areas. On Thursday, November 12, the night before the pop-up show, the Mississippi Plein Air Painters hosted a 2020 virtual Zoom webinar where 57 participants gathered online to listen to three Mississippi artists speak about plein air painting. Jerry Partridge, an artist out of Ocean Springs, Mississippi also joined the Zoom to demonstrate his plain air painting techniques live and talk about color with those who joined the meeting.

“It is just a great way to be with other artists doing what we love,” Myers said. “During the pandemic, it has been great because we are socially distant,” she continued. “We are usually 10, 20, or 30 feet apart while painting, but we are still doing something we love and we are still doing something together.”

Since the first Oxford Treehouse Gallery pop-up show revealed itself as a success, Neill has plans to host additional pop-up art galleries around the Oxford community in hopes of boosting local knowledge of the Oxford Treehouse Gallery and giving art lovers who visit the area the ability to discover new artists and their works. Neill feels hopeful for the future of the Oxford Treehouse Gallery and encourages everyone to make the short seven-mile trip to 328 County Road 418 in Oxford, Mississippi to check out the works on display in her quaint local art gallery.

Presidential Election- Ole Miss student discusses what it means for African American Community

By Marissa McCardell

Carson Avery, the Amory, MS native, feels that it’s time for her voice to be heard. As a 20 year old and current junior majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications at the University of Mississippi, Avery participated in voting for her first presidential election this past month.  

With this election being a part of a year that has gone through societal challenges, Avery felt that it was important for her to take part in voting for the next president of the United States.  

“Being a young African American woman, we haven’t always had the privilege to vote and use our rights, exercise our rights, use our voice and say what we want and what we stand for,” Avery said. “I would have to say I’m at peace with everything just because there is someone new in office. Maybe change is really going to take place in our country. Maybe there will be more peace, more joy and not so much division.”  

Growing up with an African American background, Avery and her family have felt the emotions that have been a result of this year’s social division. Because of this, Avery to the heavy influence of Avery wanting to take part in the change for this country.  

“I just feel like so much has happened over the past four years that it was time for me to exercise my rights as a young black woman. Like I said, we haven’t always had the right to vote so the fact that we do now, it is very important to use my voice,” Avery said. “And you know there’s a lot of young black women that still sit at home and they don’t go vote. So if I can be that one piece of change that we need then I would love to.”      

Avery, who is the daughter of a business man and a mother who is a pastor, explained that because she has a close relationship with her family, she was influenced to partake in her duty as a citizen. However, although her family has the same general thoughts and beliefs, her household was a little more divided for this election than in previous years. 

“My mom being a pastor and looking at things from a more spiritual side than my dad who is a businessman who runs his own company and does insurance and retirement plans, definitely bumped heads,” said Avery. “But I was just trying to understand everyone and how everyone feels.” 

“Of course we all want to live in a country where we feel free, feel protected, so as far as that goes we were all on the same page. Everytime from here on out, when I vote I plan to think about the lives of others as well,” said Avery. 

Because Avery has always felt the need to make a difference in this world, she has participated in beauty pageants, in hopes of creating a platform that can influence young women around the world. 

“So my platform right now is called Crazy Confident. I try to promote in young women, even my age, all around the world. You know there’s a need for that type of confidence, especially in women who don’t always have a voice as strong as a man’s,” said Avery.  “So it’s really important to empower women across the country, across the nation to just use your voice and be confident in whatever you do.”    

Avery also believes that no matter what you look like or what you believe in, a person should always be confident in who they are, despite what society says. 

“And it’s just being your true self, not being what has to be accepted in society. It’s being you, it’s being beautiful, its being happy, its being peaceful, full of joy. Whoever you are, whatever your confidence is, being that very exact thing,” said Avery. 

With pageants paving the way for Avery to embed herself in making a change, her thoughts about the future, especially surrounding the 2020 election have opened her eyes.  

“America has always been known to be a country that has been united, in God we trust, very Christian based and very free Everybody wants to live the American dream,I hope to see for the future more unisom, not so much division,” said Avery. “I feel like not everyone is on one accord, which that’s OK but at the same time there’s a lot of chaos, a lot of racism, things that take place that shouldn’t. And I just feel like we all have equal rights as Americans and we should keep it that way. Everybody will be happy.”  

With current political topics and events dealing with racism, Avery feels that these need to be addressed in a brighter light to the world. 

“My dad is an African American man, my brother is an African American man and I just truly hope and pray that our future presidents take key to white supremacy. I hope that they know protection is needed for black men,” said Avery. “There are definitely bad cops and there are definitely good cops. I just feel like of course nobody should be punished if they are not doing wrong.”   

And surrounding the unbearable tragedy that happened with George Flyod in May of this year, Avery feels that if change doesn’t happen, African Americans will continually be living in fear.  

“I just hope and pray that whoever is in office will put their needs aside and what they think is important at the time aside to just take care of those types of situations. You know there’s people who have lost their lives, who have families, who have children, for no apparent reasons,” said Avery. “And I just think that when justice is needed, it needs to be served.”  

Now that the 2020 election is over, Avery, as well as her family, are hoping for the change that Americans need to see, dealing with division within the country and society becoming more aware of these racial issues. 

“There’s cops that are put in bad situations because of all the victims that have been killed for not even doing anything, not even doing wrong, not even resisting arrest. So all we can do is hope and pray for this country,” said Avery. “As Psalms 27:1 says The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear? The Lord is my strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” 

Dating in a Time of Quarantine

By Mckenzie Richmond and Danielle Angelo

On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a state of national emergency due to the outbreak of COVID-19, displacing thousands of college students and putting a pause on any social life for an undetermined amount of time.

As in-person classes were canceled and campuses shut down, the pandemic forced thousands of college students out of on-campus housing and back home in their childhood rooms with their parents. 

In a time of economic, social and medical uncertainty, college students tried to adjust to online courses while facing poor internet connection, insufficient access to school materials and unfavorable study environments, while also facing a lack of social freedom.

While adults worried about the impact to their careers and families, college students were concerned how this pandemic could affect their social lives and relationships.

“We got another week of spring break which was cool,” Owen Weatherell, a senior at the University of Mississippi, said. “At first everybody started to celebrate right when that happened. We were all excited, but we got back to Oxford and there was a full blown panic happening. There was no toilet paper, there was no soup, no bread, no eggs anywhere, in like any grocery store around us from [Oxford] to Florida and we had to figure out what we were going to do.”

Students were displaced hundreds of miles away from their friends and significant others, which negatively impacted the mental health of college students by impacting intimacy and social habits.

According to the Journal of Medical Internet Research, of 195 students, 71% indicated an increase in stress and anxiety. Multiple stressors were identified that contributed to the increased levels including worry about the health risks of the virus, academic concerns and decreased social interactions due to physical distancing restrictions.

“I was sad about going home for quarantine because I don’t have that many friends at home and so I was just bored all the time,” Brandon Midden, senior at Missouri State University, said.

To help cure the boredom and loneliness, many turned to dating applications such as Tinder. 

Tinder reported that on March 29, just 16 days after the nation went into lockdown, there were more than three billion swipes on the app, more than any day since its release.

According to Business Insider, the number of first-time Tinder subscribers increased nearly 15% by the end of June.

Midden believes Tinder users were more likely to go out of their comfort zone to seek humor while messaging matches because of the pandemic.

“Knowing that you might not meet some of these people, you can say more bold things,” Midden said. “No consequences, so might as well throw shit in the wind and see how that goes.”

Tori Guilliams, senior at St. Charles Community College and first-time Tinder user, turned to Tinder in March as a social outlet during quarantine while lockdown prohibited her from going into work or socializing with friends. 

“I hated not being able to go into work or do anything,” Guilliams said. “I literally was so bored and I wasn’t talking to anyone, so I’m like you know what I’m gonna download Tinder. Why not?”

While some used Tinder to socialize during the uncertain times, others took advantage of Tinder Passport. Normally a paid feature, Passport allows members to match and chat with users anywhere in the world. 

This feature was available to all users during quarantine to maintain social interactions and increase connections during the challenging time.

According to Tinder, daily conversations were up by 20% around the world and would last 25% longer, following the release of complimentary Tinder Passport.

Haley Kuhnert, senior at the University of Mississippi, took advantage of Tinder Passport during the lockdown rather than risking a match with old high school classmates back in her hometown.

“I kept seeing TikToks about it and people were like ‘oh my gosh you have to see the boys, or whatever, in so and so country’ and I was like ‘I want to see the boys in whatever country this is,” Kuhnert said. “I think the best one was the Cape Town, South Africa. They were the most beautiful men I have ever seen.”

Kuhnert took advantage of the new feature and set her location in Australia, Italy, France, Spain, England and various other countries. She said it was fascinating to see what men from different countries were attracted to and the different types of people she would match with globally. 

While Kuhnert and other Passport users were unable to go on dates with their global matches, many online dating users still found ways to safely go on dates with local users. 

According to an NPR article, instead of the typical first date conversation comparing common interests and hobbies, the “COVID talk” includes partner safety in the face of a pandemic. Now, people have to worry about high risk partners and their COVID-19 safety.

Essential questions include, but are not limited to: “Does your job require you to be around other people? What precautions do you take during and after interactions with others? Do you live with other people, and if so, how do you track risk of exposure to the virus? Do you go to restaurants and other public spaces?”

According to Fox News, matchmaker Emma Vernon, shares key safety tips for dating during the coronavirus pandemic. First, discuss your risk tolerance because it’s important to set boundaries so each partner feels comfortable during these uncertain times.

Second, write down your non-negotiable in a relationship to help narrow down your in-person interactions. Make it clear what you want in a relationship to narrow down the potential candidates to ideal matches. This will help limit unnecessary interactions without eliminating dating life completely.

Third, pay attention to the bad dates and avoid putting yourself at risk in public if the relationship is not worth it. Fourth, use the “9-3-1” rule:

“Set up nine virtual dates, or over the phone, whichever you feel comfortable with,” said Vernon, according to the Fox News Article. “Of those nine, try and go on a second date — maybe something in-person but socially distanced — with three of them. Then from there, hopefully you can choose one person. Think of it as a self-produced season of ‘The Bachelor.’”

Finally, be intentional in your dating app bio. Make it clear if you are looking for a relationship or just looking for short-term company and attention during quarantine.

Vernon assures that dating culture is not cancelled and that now is the time to take advantage of the technology at our fingertips including dating apps and video apps, such as Zoom, for dates.

Cosmopolitan suggests masked and socially distanced dates to cut out the digital aspect and make it more intimate. Putting a mask on and going to a local park together, taking a bike ride, playing a game of tennis or going on a walk around the city are just a few suggestions. 

Midden was one Tinder user that felt comfortable enough to meet up with one of his matches once restrictions began to lift to go on a socially distanced date.

“We wanted to hangout but nothing was open,” Midden said. “So we went to a drive thru to get food and sat in the park cause that’s a nice, open public place. Especially, you know, meeting with a stranger can be kind of creepy.”

While many took extra precautions around new people during the pandemic, Midden was not too concerned about the virus, but instead excited to spend time with someone new after quarantining in solitary for weeks.

“I asked, ‘hey have you been sick lately’, and they were like ‘no’ so I was like, good enough for me,” Midden said. “We didn’t really care too much about the social distancing.”

Guilliams also shared a COVID dating experience with a Tinder match during quarantine, but her match was a mutual friend, so she felt safe spending time around one another.

“I was comfortable enough inviting him over to my house, because we literally could not go anywhere else,” Guilliams said. “He made it clear he was being very careful if he went anywhere, and he really didn’t go many places because he was also stuck at home quarantining.”

While singles struggled to find intimacy with a partner because of the lockdown and social distancing restrictions, those in a relationship were faced with important decisions on how to move forward. 

According to GQ, COVID-19 put many new relationships on the fast-track to the next level of commitment. Many couples who only considered themselves in the early stages of a relationship, began moving in with each other to avoid separation.

Weatherell decided to move in with his long time girlfriend, instead of risking an uncertain amount of time apart. 

“We had always talked about what it would be like to live together,” Weatherell said. “After dating for a long time these are things you do need to figure out, because living with someone is a different ball game than just being in a relationship.” 

While Weatherell said they faced challenges living together for the first time, it helped them learn more about each other and ultimately strengthened their relationship.

“We ended up having to figure out how to actually communicate effectively because there would be times, there would be days where either one of us could wake up in a bad mood and then maybe we don’t talk to each other in this small house for about three hours,” Weatherell said. “But after that it was just comical to watch us avoid each other, but it was worth it.”

Couples that quarantined together were able to proactively work on the quality of their relationship together while stuck in close quarters and free from distractions.

According to an article by Well+Good, many couples saw improvements in their relationships after quarantine. 

“Several relationship therapists are able to note bona fide positive effects they’ve seen from couples in quarantine,” the article states. “Some have been able to work together to overcome obstacles presented by the situation in a way that actually allows them to improve and strengthen their relationship. Others have more simply thrived from constant togetherness without external obligations and distractions clouding their priorities.”

However, not all couples found the same success. While many relationships took the next step and moved in to stay together during uncertain times, some relationships suffered. 

According to the National Law Review, divorce rates have spiked this year as a result of COVID-19. 

The article states that, “by April, the interest in divorce had already increased by 34% in the US, with newer couples being the most likely to file for divorce. In fact, a full 20% of couples who had been married for five months or less sought divorce during this time period, compared with only 11% in 2019. Some predict a continuation of this trend, anticipating that divorce rates will increase between 10% and 25% in the second half of the year.”

According to a study by Psychology Today, of 742 coupled respondents, 34% reported increased relationship conflict and decreased intimacy during the quarantine.

Kylee Dedmon, senior at the University of Mississippi, was one of many to undergo an increase in conflict in her relationship after lockdown.

“We thought we’d come back after spring break and everything would be normal cause who thought anything would happen like this,” Dedmon said. “We’ll just see each other when we see each other. Thinking that like we’d see each other in a month, maybe, just not thinking it would be six months or that even a breakup would come into the picture.”

Dedmon and her boyfriend both lived in on-campus housing, and were forced out of their residences and sent home when the University of Mississippi campus shut down. Dedmon shared that the morning after she got back home she received a call from her boyfriend to end the relationship. The uncertainty of the pandemic was too much for him while being four states apart.

“This breakup was a lot harder, and I think what really made it hard was because we were in quarantine,” Dedmon said. “I wasn’t able to busy myself with school…and I didn’t have my friends to try and help me, distract me, so I was just at home in my room.”

Dedmon said the isolation and limited distractions made it hard for her to move on. All she could focus on was the breakup, and this caused her to struggle with her mental health during the beginning of quarantine. 

According to Contemporary Pediatrics, research found that there was a higher rate of mental distress among college students during quarantine. The article points out the importance of students maintaining social contact with other students during these times.

The study conducted during quarantine had a population sample of 69,054 students. The report showed a prevalence of suicidal thoughts 11.4%, severe distress 22.4%, high level of perceived stress 24.7%, severe depression 16.1% and high level of anxiety 27.5%.

According to the BBC, “suicidal thoughts increased from 8% to 10% and they were highest among young adults (18-29 years), rising from 12.5% to 14%.”

The study taken from the BBC suggests that uncertainties associated with COVID-19 provoked a feeling of hopelessness amongst young adults.

As cases begin to rise again, Students continue to face many uncertainties and fear separation from friends and significant others again in these uncertain times of pandemic.