THE
Daily
MISSISSIPPIAN theDMonline.com
Monday, August 21, 2023
Volume 112, No. 1
Recruitment: the rush of it all ELYSE LITTLETON
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Sorority recruitment week, a well-known tradition in Oxford, commenced on Aug. 12. Perfectly manicured hands nervously gripped canvas totes that read “Panhellenic” as girls raced to rounds at 11 chapter houses on Sorority Row and Rebel Drive. The week marked a new beginning for many Ole Miss students. Though running home on
bid day on Saturday, Aug. 19, was the moment of a lifetime, it took months to perfect the logistics of recruitment for both sororities and fraternities. With nearly 39% of the student body already involved in Greek life, recruitment seems as if it is an annual Oxford holiday. Many businesses, organizations and city events alter normal hours and routines in order to prepare for recruitment week. There are various recruit-
ment positions that require different skills to allow the week to run smoothly. Recruitment counselor Gretchen Taylor said that the spring and summer training was demanding, but viewing the process from different perspectives was rewarding. Taylor has seen many sides of recruitment as a potential new member, active member and now recruitment counselor. “There’s a new layer you
SEE RUSH PAGE 3
PHOTO: EMILY HOLLOWELL / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
Pi Beta Phi sorority house on bid day on Aug. 19.
Residential assistants grapple with housing woes As the university anticipates another record-breaking freshman class size, RAs are facing more responsibility and pressure than ever before.
Enrollment up, Kincannon down EMILY O’REILLY
thedmnews@gmail.com
GRAPHIC: SEDLEY NORMAND / THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
JORDAN ISBELL
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Editor’s Note: All residential assistants are quoted anonymously to prevent any repercussions from the comments made in this article.
W
ith classes beginning, Ole Miss has spent the last few days greeting returning students and welcoming a plethora of new faces. The 2023-24 academic year is projected to have yet another record-breaking freshman class size. Thanks to that, move-in days featured hundreds of new students moving into residence halls, creating busy schedules for everyone involved — especially the residential assistants
who staff campus living quarters. “So far, move-in has been hectic,” said a Martin Hall RA who assisted new students. “Rush movein for Martin Hall was super busy and tiring but we pushed through. Stockard’s busiest day for movein was Aug. 14. About 300 guys moved into their dorms in one day, which was as busy as it sounds.” Unfortunately, such a large student population has led to issues that go far beyond a hectic move-in day. Nearly all student housing buildings are at maximum capacity. Some RAs have been assigned roommates, and in some residential halls, large two-person rooms have been converted into three-person rooms. “One of my concerns for housing about the large freshman classes is that RAs now are doing more
work than they’ve ever done,” the Martin RA said. “We have to interact with more residents than we’ve ever had before, on top of being students ourselves.” The increase in occupancy is meant to accommodate the rising number of students, but it has left the Martin RA wary. “Personally, I am a little uneasy about having 50 girls on my floor, considering last year I only had about 30,” they said. One RA from Crosby Hall believes the operational changes and increased population has led to several instances of miscommunication between departments, making for frustrating work. “I think this job can wear you down as policies change, and as they let in more freshmen, you feel more and more frustrated,” they
SEE HOUSING PAGE 2
In an effort to accommodate its ever-increasing student population, the University of Mississippi is doing away with the old and ushering in the new. Demolishing Kincannon Hall is the first major step in these plans. The demolition began on Aug. 9 and will continue into early September. In its place, three residential halls are expected to be built by fall 2026 to accommodate the rising number of students. Kincannon, which opened in 1963 with room for 540 students, has been vacant since 2015. Beginning Monday, Aug. 21, dump trucks will remove Kincannon debris from campus. The University of Mississippi Police Department is urging students to use caution when they are driving or walking near Kincannon. According to Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Student Housing John Yaun, the demolition is just one step that the university is taking to make room for incoming freshmen. “The Department of Student Housing has been collaborating with the Office of Enrollment Management to support increasing enrollment this fall and for future semesters,” Yaun said. Some of these plans include some freshmen students living off campus and converting larger residence hall rooms to accommodate more students. “We have partnered with The Quarters to provide 402 additional beds for first-year students and have also converted a number of upperclassman beds in several residence halls to first-year beds, as well as providing some triple room options in Martin, Stockard, RH2 and RH3,” Yaun said. The department also plans to improve the on-campus living experience, Yuan said. “Student Housing is planning to
SEE KINCANNON PAGE 3