Alumna Chef Linkie Marais Stays Connected to the W

Charlie Benton

Features Editor

The W has produced outstanding alumni in many fields, including the culinary arts.

Chef Linkie Marais, a graduate of the MUW Culinary Arts Institute, has found success after appearing on Season 8 of “The Next Food Network Star,” lasting six episodes into the series.

“It was a big rush,” she said of being on the show, “very intense, extremely stressful and fabulous.”

Internships Open New Doors to Students

Pedro Acevedo

Managing Editor

As the May graduation date looms upon seniors both here and in the rest of the country, there is one concern that almost every single student will share regardless of their major or university.

What now?

After years of knowing exactly what next semester will look like, the prospect of graduating into the crowded and competitive field of job hunting can be daunting. There is, however, one great way of reducing the uncertainty and making yourself stand out among the crowd.

As Borsig leaves, university reflects on his service, ponders future

Evan Fox

Editor

Earlier this year, it was announced that Dr. Jim Borsig was chosen to become the new Commissioner of Higher Education by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. The announcement came as a surprise to many students and faculty, though many said his appointment was well deserved. As Borsig transitions into his new role by April 15, the campus prepares for the coming changes and reflects on his impact as the university’s president.

Nora Miller, the senior vice president for administration and chief financial officer, remembers the days leading up to the announcement.

“There was just a lot of speculation. He was obviously the best person for that position, so it was just kind of widely rumored. We knew that he’d be sought out for it,” she said.

Upcoming summer blockbusters that are worth your time and money

Patrick Wiggins

Reporter

The snow and ice are gone. It’s warming up and summer, both the season and the break, is just around the corner. So what does that mean? It’s time for Hollywood to begin releasing its summer blockbusters. Luckily, we don’t have to wait much longer, because the first one debuts on May 1.

The latest movie to come down the Marvel pipeline is “The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron.” Joining the usual gang of heroes is Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass,” “Godzilla”) as Quicksilver, Elizabeth Olsen (“Godzilla”) as Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany (“A Beautiful Mind,” voice of JARVIS in “Iron Man”) as Vision, and James Spader (“The Blacklist”) as the villain, Ultron.

Enjoy the present, the future will be there tomorrow

Evan Fox

Editor

With homecoming on campus this week, everyone looks back on their time at the W, be they students, faculty, staff or alumni. The myriad events planned for the occasion allow multiple generations of the Long Blue Line to converse and share their stories.

As students, our schedules tend to fill up very quickly. Classes, events, friends and Netflix binges make the hours speed by every day. Time only moves forward for us, and it seems to go faster every year. We are beginning to realize what our elders mean when they claim time disappears ever so quickly.

Faculty Spotlight: Joy Townsend

Joanna Frye

Reporter

Joy Townsend is the interim department chair of speech pathology, clinic director and an instructor. She is originally from Columbus, Miss., and earned a B.A. from the University of Mississippi and M.S. from Mississippi University for Women. She has worked in various positions as a speech-language pathologist for 28 years and at MUW for 20 years. She holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence and is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is licensed as a speech-language pathologist by the Mississippi State Board of Health.  

Chi Alpha at the W

Velvet Case

Religion Editor

The W's Chi Alpha organization encourages students to discover what its group has to offer.

Chi Alpha was originally founded at Missouri State University in 1953. Today, Chi Alpha reaches more than 300 college campuses around the country.

In 2012, Jonathan and Whitney Youngblood started a Chi Alpha chapter at the MUW campus.

Alumni Spotlight: Jonathan Cumberland

Daysha Humphrey

Campus Editor

Jonathan Cumberland, assistant professor of graphic design, is an alumnus and faculty faulty member here at the W. He received a BFA in graphic design in 2009. Cumberland is originally from Caledonia, Miss., and is proud to be a part of the Long Blue Line this homecoming. In addition, he is looking forward to the “Memories of the W” exhibition, which will show some students’ art work from the past years during homecoming week.

Q. Why were you interested in becoming a student here at the W?

A. “Well, for my first visit on campus, I had the opportunity to meet with a few of the faculty members. They showed me around the building, Shattuck Hall at that time, and I felt an instant rapport.” 

Accessories? More Like Necessities!

Asia Duren

Reporter

The Mississippi weather has been crazy lately, but it is finally feeling like spring. So how does a person transition from winter to spring in such a short time? I asked several students what accessories are absolutely needed to transition into spring and here are the results.

“You can wear scarves during every season! I love that I don’t have to give them up just because it’s a little warmer outside,” said Lindsey Brooke Cain, a freshman psychology major.