THE
Daily
MISSISSIPPIAN theDMonline.com
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Volume 113, No. 8
Oxford locals struggle with housing costs Residents blame increasing student population for rising rent prices. The university and city officials say they are working on solutions. HANNAH IVEY
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One thing has increased consistently in Oxford: rent prices. According to a July 2024 survey from Rent Cafe, more than a third of the apartments in Oxford charge more than $2,000 in rent per month, with the average being $1,834 per month. The bulk of the remaining apartments charge anywhere between $700 and $1,500 per month. For many Oxford residents, this is cause for concern; however, there is not a general consensus on what the root of the problem is. Resident perspectives on rent increase Before purchasing a house in Oxford, Army veteran Mike Watkins was homeless on and off for 10 years. “When I moved to Oxford, I was helped out through a program that helps veterans get on their feet, so I came from being homeless to getting an apartment,” Watkins said. “Eventually, I got married, had two kids, and I bought a house right before COVID.”
CHRISTIAN TOLLIVER / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Mike Watkins looks at family photos in the hallway of his home on Oct. 2. While he has grown to love Oxford, Watkins expressed concern that stories like his are becoming more rare as housing costs increase — pointing to the influx of
students as a contributing factor. According to a study conducted by the UM Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning, the student
population at the University of Mississippi has grown from 11,405 to more than 24,000 between 2000 and 2024. “The problem that we run into
is that the students can generally afford more than the residents can between school loans, parents, Pell Grants and things like that,” Watkins said. “Housing is a big issue for students. It’s one of the major costs that you’ve got to deal with. They tend to pay more for it than a family with mouths to feed would, so some of the working class people are kind of being priced out.” Jacqueline Cissom originally moved to Oxford eight years ago to go back to school and finish her degree. Now a New Albany, Miss., resident, she is one of the people who have been “priced out.” “In 2016, my rent was $400 a month in a very nice condo, and rent in 2020 was $425 a month. I moved into a three-bedroom house for $1,050 including cable and water, and then another leasing company took over and (rent) immediately went up $100 per month. This year to renew it went up another $250, and new renters are paying $1,500 a month,” Cissom said. “My roommate and I
SEE HOUSING PAGE 2
WATER VALLEY ART CRAWL
CROSS COUNTRY
LAVENDER LETTERS
The Water Valley Main Street Association will host its 16th annual art crawl on Friday, Oct. 19.
The women’s and men’s teams are both ranked heading into pre-nationals.
Opinion columnist Kadin Collier shares his experinece as a LGBTQ+ student at UM.
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Students weigh the value of their vote JORJA CARTER
thedmnews@gmail.com
Students at the University of Mississippi are grappling with their role in democracy. Some students are skeptical about the value of their vote, while others believe in the importance of civic engagement. Kennadi Parker, a sophomore allied health studies major from Olive Branch, Miss., shared her disinterest in voting in this year’s elections. “At the end of the day, I don’t think my vote is important,” Parker said. “The elec-
toral college process makes it feel pointless.” KJ Johnson, a freshman business and entrepreneurship major from Grenada, Miss., said he is not voting in the upcoming election because he feels uninformed. “I don’t really know anything about politics. So my vote would just be based on what everybody else is saying and not what I know,” Johnson said. “I feel like my vote could really mess them
SEE VOTE PAGE 3
Zach Adamz: UM faculty by day,
certified bonsai master by night
SIMONE BOURGEOIS
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Zach Adamz finds joy and purpose in a craft that originates from 7,500 miles away: the art of bonsai. Adamz, project coordinator for the University of Mississippi Chinese Flagship, has transformed his backyard into a sanctuary for tiny trees and shares his miniature creations with the Lafayette-Oxford community through his business, Komorebi Bonsai. Bonsai is a Japanese word that translates to “tree in tray.” Originating in China and popularized in Japan, bonsai is the process of miniaturizing anything with woody tissue such as trees or shrubs. Bonsai is done by manipulating chemicals produced by the plants and performing intentional restructurings of them.
PHOTO COURTESY: ROBERT JORDAN
Zach Adamz shows off a bonsai tree during the Magnolia State Bonsai Club Annual Show on Oct. 13, 2023. “It’s really about understanding the life cycle of a tree,” Adamz said. Adamz is from East Tennessee and has enjoyed spending time outdoors since childhood. Twelve years ago, he was
searching for a new hobby. One day, at a garden center, he realized that bonsai was a way to bring the outdoors inside. “That was just the hobby
SEE BONSAI PAGE 5