What a semester… No one and no thing can prepare someone for a fall working and learning in student affairs during a pandemic! It was exhausting yet rewarding, and I learned a great deal about adaptability and innovation throughout the start of my second year as a master’s student and graduate assistant in higher education!
The Student Activities Association, the student programming board I work with at the University of Mississippi, was presented with its first challenge of the semester right when we came back to school: Welcome Week. We were presented with the difficult task of planning events for students that both met stringent COVID-19 guidelines and engaged students, and I am proud to say that we did that! From putt putt to a mechanical shark to virtual Drag Queen Bingo to trivia night to a photo booth to a chicken biscuit giveaway and more, we were able to welcome students back to Ole Miss with fun each day and night. Crowd control, RSVP systems, sanitation procedures and check in systems were all obstacles we tackled for our safe week of programming! We were tired but fulfilled as week one of the year wrapped up.
Although it looked different, I was able to continue leading an incredible group of sophomores and juniors in a Pinelake Church small group! I began meeting with these girls in January of 2020, and little did we know what was to come for the year. However, they rolled with the punches and remained committed and energetic and as we dove into various scriptures, podcasts, sermons and more and explored the topic of relationships this fall. We met in a hybrid format with some on Zoom and some in an outdoor space, and all social distancing measures were met to keep things COVID-19 friendly. I adore them and am grateful God put each of them into my life!
One of my favorite new job responsibilities of the fall has been leading the Leadership & Engagement wing of the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union’s social media platforms! Promoting the amazing work of the Associated Student Body (UM’s student government), RebelTHON (a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital Dance Marathon), The Big Event (the largest day of service in the state of MS), MPower (the Extended Orientation program at UM), the Leadership & Engagement Ambassadors (a student group that promotes involvement) and the Student Activities Association (the campus programming board) has been exciting and rewarding. I love working alongside an incredible team at the GCFOMSU and L&E!
It might sound silly, but the biggest fear this athletics-loving gal faced this fall was not having a football season due to COVID-19. I have been born and raised an SEC sports fan, and not getting to cheer on the Rebs in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium would have broken my heart. Because of that, I was THRILLED to learn that I would get to Lock the Vaught for one last season! Even without the Grove and the typical festivities, it was better than nothing. Some great friends made my last season as a student a special one! I can’t wait to cheer on UM in the Outback Bowl soon!
I was able to continue a passion of my despite the strange circumstances of the semester as I promoted financial literacy for college students! Sharing the importance of sound money management with young people is something I am deeply driven by, and speaking to an EDHE class about this topic was a blast. It led to a really big project that I am VERY excited to announce soon… Stay tuned!
An annual tradition continued with a new twist… Homecoming Week! While some of our typical festivities couldn’t take place like the parade, we were able to adapt and put on different and exciting programming for our student body. Bumper cars, jousting, a swag bag giveaway, a drive-in movie, double decker bus tours, laser tag and more were all staples of this week. We even debuted a new initiative, the homecoming lawn art decoration contest! Student groups were paired together to pomp a large sign to be displayed on the Grove lawn. They went all out and really showcased the theme of Lane, Trains and Automobiles in honor of our new head coach, Lane Kiffin! We were able to build on our Welcome Week events to put on safe, in person options for our students.
2020 was a monumental year (as we all know), especially because of the 2020 Presidential Election! I have always voted absentee in my home state of Arkansas, but this year I participated in person for the first time in my second home state of Mississippi. Being a part of the sweeping vote to replace Mississippi’s controversial flag was an honor, and I am so proud to see the progress a place I have been lucky to call home for six years is making. Here’s to a better and brighter future for Mississippi as it continues to fight for inclusion and kindness!
This fall has been anything but typical, but I am grateful for the opportunities I had to find semblances of normalcy while ushering in creativity and innovation. As a student, a staff member and community member, I can say that Oxford has never seen a semester like this one, and I feel that we truly made the most of it. Here’s to one last semester at the Flagship and exciting opportunities post-grad!
