Lauren Shuman
Online Editor
The 2017 Spring Fitness Challenge is already underway, with 244 W students and faculty members competing to be the “biggest loser” this semester.
For five years now, Campus Recreation and Passport to Wellness have sponsored and organized this weight-loss competition. Yet LeAnn Alexander, director of Campus Recreation, says there’s more to it than just dropping a few pounds.
Briana Rucker
Reporter
The presidential election results had various emotions circulating the campus as well as the rest of the nation.
“What I witnessed when I came back to school immediately the next day was just—silence,” said Mattie Walls, a Family Studies major at The W. “Everyone walked around like it never happened. We didn’t discuss it in class. You may have discussed it a lot with your family and friends, but at school it was like no one said anything about it.”
Lauren Trimm
News Editor
W alum Jamie Scrivener met with students on Nov. 10 to talk about how to get a job in the communication field after college.
Scrivener is currently working as the Public Relations and Sports Information Director for Mississippi Delta Community College. She graduated from The W in 2013 with a degree in Communication and a minor in Marketing.
Anush Aryal
Reporter
The W is set for a change of faces as Sodexo is making way for GCA Services Group. Sodexo’s contract for facilities management with The W is expiring at the end of this year, and GCA will replace it.
“Sodexo’s facilities management contract with The W facilities management is expiring this December," said Dave Haffley, director of Outsourced Resources. "So we had issued [Request for Proposals] in August calling for companies to bid. A committee of seven to evaluate the RFPs was formed, and they addressed the bids through September and October and decided for GCA Services Group."
Casanda Anderson
Reporter
The city of Columbus is presenting a series of events from Nov. 28 to Dec. 13 to ring in the holiday season.
The festivities start on Nov. 28 with the lighting of the Columbus Christmas tree at the east end of the pedestrian bridge on the Riverwalk. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. with caroling from the Columbus Choral Society. Columbus Mayor Robert E. Smith Sr., will light the magnolia Christmas tree at 6:15 p.m.
Trisha Maxey
Photographer
The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Sciences hosted its annual Science Carnival on Oct. 18 in Pohl Gym.
More than 1,100 third and fourth graders from communities across northeast Mississippi were expected to take part in the fun. During the event, students from MSMS taught hands-on science experiments at eight stations. The experiments covered areas such as chemistry, biology and physics.
Lauren Trimm
Reporter
The W hosted a series of events on campus from Oct. 20-22, including a writers’ symposium, a press conference and a gala.
The Eudora Welty Writer’s Symposium began Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Poindexter Hall. Brad Watson, author of “Miss Jane,” was the keynote speaker. Other writers included Patricia Boyett, Randall Horton, James Kimbrell, Cole Lavalais, David Armand, Paulette Boudreaux, Dana
Chamblee Carpenter and Kendall Dunkelberg. This year’s theme was “Overcoming the Silence: To Speak Out When ‘It Warrants No Stir.’” This title was inspired by Welty’s 1966 novel, “The Demonstrators,” which dealt with racial issues and integration.
Tara Baucom
Reporter
The W’s Art & Design building hosted an exhibit for Dia de los Muertos, also known as “Day of the Dead.”
The exhibit is a collection of personal pieces put together by Beverly Joyce, Erinn Holloway and Jo Shumake. It is the second year this exhibit has been set up in the Art & Design building. Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of ancestors who have died. The holiday is marked thoughout Latin America, but is predominantly celebrated in Mexico.
Lauren Trimm
Reporter
MUW’s Department of Health and Kinesiology hosted three events Oct.4-6 to commemorate Women’s Health Awareness Week and encourage women to live healthier lives.
The events focused on sexual health, heart health and metabolism. Speakers for the events included Dr. Kathrynmay Malone, Dr. Caroline Payne-Purvis, Dr. Hector Dox and Melissa Parsons.
