Anna Margaret Foster

At the Send Silence Packing event held on Tuesday, March 19 on the University of Mississippi campus, 1,000 backpacks were laid out across the grove in hopes of starting conversations about mental health and suicide. Some of these backpacks had personal stories attached to them, which made the event much more intimate and real. Personally, I know many people willing to speak out about their struggle with mental illness, by giving a new perspective to the stigma surrounding suicide and its’ victims. I want to write a story about Ole Miss students that have been affected by suicide and mental illness. I also want to talk about the services offered by the university to raise awareness and help students struggling with mental illness and suicidal thoughts. With the Send Silence Packing event fresh on the minds of University of Mississippi students, I feel like this would be the perfect time to write about such a sensitive topic.

 

I searched the words “ole miss confederate statue” in the twitter search

I set the parameters to Mississippi and the time from yesterday-today.

I think that Seth Dickinson is a good source to use because he is an Ole Miss Law student which will give the perspective of a student on campus that knows thoroughly about the issue. He is also followed by various writers and those interested in politics.

Following the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump, the unemployment rate in the United States has been at an all time low. In the months of September, October, and November, 2018 the unemployment rate in the United States fell to 3.7 percent, the lowest since October 1969.

Mississippi has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, but in December 2018, unemployment rate was at 4.7 percent, the third lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in the state.

So, what is the reason behind such low unemployment rate?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 304,000 U.S. jobs were created in January 2019. Job gains occurred in several industries, including leisure and hospitality, construction, health care, and transportation and warehousing. At this rate, if industries continue to flourish, over 3.5 million jobs will be created in the United States in 2019.

The United States as a whole can credit its’ economic prosperity to states such as Mississippi who have recently broken state records for the number of jobs created. In December 2018, the number of non-farm jobs in Mississippi rose to 1,173,000, which are the most jobs ever recorded in the state.

For example, four hundred jobs will come to Blue Springs, Mississippi by the end of April 2019 as a result of Toyota expanding. A commercial kitchen equipment manufacturer, Unified Brands, is making its way to Vicksburg, Mississippi, creating 250 new jobs. Blauer Manufacturing, a company that makes clothing and protective wear for police officers and fire fighters, is also expanding to Batesville by the end of 2019, creating 125 new jobs.

Mark Henry, Executive Director at the Mississippi Department of Employment Security in Jackson, Mississippi, works to help unemployed Mississippians get jobs. MDES connects qualified employees to employers and strives to expand employment, improve work force skills, and enhance productivity in the state of Mississippi.

“Mississippians seeking jobs can use our services to build and post their resumes, perform job searches, find job hunting tips, and locate their nearest WIN Job Centers (which are located throughout the state). They can also apply for unemployment benefits through us. At MDES, we constantly strive to help Mississippians find jobs because every time a Mississippian gets a job or learns enhanced job skills, this state becomes a better place for all of us,” said Henry.

So, what do all of these jobs coming to Mississippi mean for employers?

One Oxford resident and Home Depot manager says he surprisingly has not had a hard time finding employees due to the number of jobs available in the state.

“People are always looking for jobs, so I do not think new jobs in the area will affect being able to find employees. I always have people coming to me looking for work,” he said.

“There will always be unemployed people throughout the state, but I am glad Mississippi is working to better its’ workforce and are bringing bigger companies to the area,” said the manager of the store.

If you or someone you know is looking for a job or wishing to improve work skills in the Oxford Community, contact Oxford’s WIN Job Center at 662-234-3231 or reach them by email at oxfordjobcenter@mdes.ms.gov.

 

 

In the months of September, October, and November, 2018 the unemployment rate in the United States fell to 3.7 percent, the lowest since October 1969. Mississippi has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, but in December 2018 unemployment rate in Mississippi was at 4.7 percent, the third lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in the state. I want to compare the national numbers to those of Mississippi’s today. I will also look at statistics on different minorities and factors that contribute to unemployment rate.

Sources:
deptofnumbers.com
mississippitoday.org
ncsl.org
thebalance.com

For most students in their twenties the thought of losing a parent is unimaginable, but unfortunately for some Ole Miss students this thought becomes reality. During times of loss and grief, case managers with The University of Mississippi’s Office of Leadership and Advocacy reach out to students. These case managers meet with students who are faced with any number of concerns that could impact their ability to persist at the university.

Libby Weyel, a Houston, Texas native and sophomore at Ole Miss, had began preparing for her mothers death at a very young age. Weyel found out her mother had cancer when she was two years old. The cancer went away and came back metastatic when Weyel was thirteen. Weyel’s mother recently passed away on January 7, 2019, just two weeks before Libby was to return to school for spring semester. “I thought it was going to be a difficult transition coming back to school. […] I thought I was going to feel lost, alone, and not know who to turn to; however, I feel so fortunate to have such sincere friends and a loving family who have reached out to me consistently since her passing”, Weyel said. According to Weyel, the university has served as a source of support, making her feel as if they sincerely wanted to help her during the recent loss of her mother. Weyel said she is fully aware of the recourses offered to her by the university and thanks the university for being so understanding throughout this time.

For another student, Freshman Barton Brigham, the loss of his father was unexpected. On move-in day, Brigham was told that his father was hospitalized for a routine bacterial infection. As weeks went on his condition worsened and Brigham’s father passed away on September 13, 2018. “The toughest thing about all of it was the realization that no matter how bad I felt, life still goes on. Even though I was going through a lot of pain in my personal life, I was still enrolled in school and I had to tough it out that semester to ensure that my GPA did not suffer, ” Brigham said. Like Weyel, Brigham ensured that the University was very understanding in the weeks following his father’s death, allowing him to make up any assignments he had missed. Two counselors also reached out to Brigham during this time.

Though their circumstances were different, both students were contacted by a case manager from The University of Mississippi’s Office of Leadership and Advocacy, upon losing a parent. Kate Forster, a case manager for the university, said that if aware of the loss the case management team will offer outreach to students. “I believe that the university approaches each situation sensitively. A significant loss can truly turn a student’s world upside down, and having the support of university faculty and staff during this time is critical,” Forster said. “My hope is that our office can provide a safe space for a student to talk through next steps, options, and other supports that may be beneficial. […] I hope that this connection will allow the student to not worry as much about their absences, but to focus on taking care of themselves and connecting with family,” she said.

To both Weyel and Brigham the love and support received from The University of Mississippi, has been simply overwhelming. Through times of grief and tragedy, the Ole Miss community offers resources to students who are experiencing loss. Brigham details how much the Ole Miss community has impacted him since the loss of his father stating, “[w]hile losing my Dad was undoubtedly the worst thing I have ever gone through, the one positive was seeing the outpouring of support from friends and family. I received countless texts from people offering their support and telling me they were there for me. Almost everyone I knew from high school that attended Ole Miss reached out to me in some sort of way, and that meant a lot to me.”