Columbus, Miss. -- Here’s what’s happening around town for the week of October 26- November 1.

The Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation and Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau will host the 2014 Decorative Arts and Preservation Forum and Antique Show & Sale October 30 - November 1. This year’s theme is “Comin’ For to Carry Me Home: 19th Century Mourning Customs.” It will explore how death was handled during this time as well as ways in which the departed were memorialized. The featured speakers include Ty Leslie, AIFD (Friday, 31st); Kate Sweeney, author of American Afterlife (Friday, 31st); Graham C. Boettcher, the William Cary Hulsey Chief Curator of American Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama (Saturday, 1st); internationally-recognized restaurateur Robert St. John (Saturday, 1st); and Terry Cournoyer.

Evan Fox

Managing Editor

Keanu Reeves’ presence in Hollywood has declined over the past decade, but with “John Wick,” he’s back in fine form. Much of what made Reeves such a venerated action star in “The Matrix” was his physicality, and he puts his all into this role.

The film follows former assassin John Wick as he grieves his dying wife. He receives a puppy from her post-mortem and finds a friend. Enter the spoiled gangster’s son (Alfie Allen, “Game of Thrones”) of John’s former employer. The overconfident boy wants John’s car and kills the dog while stealing the car. Of course, John doesn’t respond well and mayhem ensues.

The world of the film is believable and the cast is surprisingly filled out with big names. Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane, Adrianne Palicki, and John Leguizamo all take part in the fun as various members of the underground.

Pedro Acevedo

Sports Editor

The initiative to bring back sports is moving along, but students will have to hold on for a while longer before the return of collegiate sports to The W can become a reality.

The process began about two years ago, during the summer of 2012, when a division three athletic director was brought in to look at all sport facilities to make sure they met the requirements should MUW pursue athletics again. Shortly after that, the process underwent two phases: first, a campus committee was created to review the possibility in depth, and then an evaluation was made by an independent consultant. The results were positive: the W was ready to play sports.

According to President Jim Borsig, the university is now attempting to find a suitable conference to join. But it’s a long and arduous process.

Velvet Case

Religion Editor

Some MUW students seem to be bucking a national trend. Instead of leaving the church behind when entering college, many W students are growing deeper in their walks with God, thanks to the religious organizations on campus.

“I attend BSU (Baptist Student Union) on Thursdays,” shared Kayla Dearman, a speech pathology major. “It helps me continue to grow in my faith and remain strong in it since I have started college life. That has really helped me rely on God during all my stress.”

After high school is over, a young person might decide to leave his or her home to live on a college campus, away from family, community and a home church.

Taelor Proctor

Reporter

Students all over Mississippi University for Women are trying to reach one similar goal, and that is to find out who they really are and what they can really do. The ways they go about doing it are often similar. Some students are trying courses that are outside of their majors to see if they will find interest in multiple things, and others are joining social clubs.

To piece together who they are and what they want to make out of their college experience, they often compile lists of what they want to accomplish during their time as a student. Students were asked what they had written down on their own bucket lists.

Daysha Humphrey

Dr. Sue Jolly-Smith

Senior Writer

Dr. Sue Jolly-Smith, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences, is an alumna and faculty member here at MUW. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in home economics education from MUW, and her doctoral degree in educational leadership from Mississippi State University. Dr. Jolly-Smith is originally from West Point, Miss., and has been at MUW for 10 years.

Q: What made you decide to become a faculty member here at the W?

 A: “I loved my own experiences as a student here. I prefer the small campus atmosphere and the opportunity to get to know the students. Also, I wanted to give back to a campus that had meant so much in my own professional growth.”

Reagan Graham

Campus Editor

With Halloween just around the corner, W Leadership Program (WLP) is planning its first Halloween haunted house available for all students and the public. The theme remains secret, but is inspired by a recent, popular horror film.

The house will feature about 10 locations inspired by the film with various interactive scenes. The house will be set in the Hogarth break room and auditorium, located above the W room.

“We want everyone to be excited about the theme of the haunted house, which is why we’re keeping it a secret,” said Kelsey Boman, a senior W Leadership Intern. “This is the first year W Leadership Program has hosted a haunted house. There have been haunted houses held on campus in the past, but organizations have decided to take a break on it, so we’ve decided to pick it up.”

Charlie Benton

Entertainment Editor

With time, an institution will gather its fair share of urban legends.

Founded in 1884, the W is no exception. Several legends exist on the campus. Probably the most well-known of these is Mary, the ghost of Callaway.

The story goes that she was a nurse in Callaway Hall, which was being used as a military hospital during the Civil War. She fell in love with one of the soldiers as she nursed him back to health. When the soldier returned to the battlefield and died, Mary threw herself from the clock tower. She haunts Callaway to this day.

Evan Fox

Evan Trease

Managing Editor

When the alarm clock goes off, Evan Trease begins his morning routine.

But unlike other students who can jump up and get going quickly, his routine takes a bit longer.

In fact, it can take from 45 minutes to two hours for him to get ready. The biggest part is taking a shower and putting on his leg braces.  

Trease is a senior psychology major undergoing his final semester here at the W. He spends much of his day rolling from place to place on campus in his wheelchair, chatting with students and professors and taking care of class assignments.