Members of the Associated Student Body Senate recently formed an External Affairs Committee aimed at better connecting the ASB and The University of Mississippi community with the city of Oxford.
Senators Rod Bridges, Madeleine Dear, Lizzy Wicks, Alyssa Wilmoth, Austin Powell, Paul Neubert, Preston Myers, and executive legislative monitor Emilie Street will work with both students and the city to encourage dialogue to solve common problems.
The committee met with Mayor Pat Patterson and the Board of Aldermen for the first time Tuesday night to discuss concerns they have heard from their fellow students so far.
Specifically, soft-closings of Oxford bars, the closing of Rebel Ride and need to replace the service, improving sidewalk paths in the city and refurbishing Old Taylor Road were brought to the table by ASB senators in attendance.
Senator and Vice Chair of the committee Madeleine Dear sees the committee as an opportunity for the ASB Senate to represent the student body’s concerns off campus.
“Our committee is aiming to keep constant contact with the mayor and Board of Aldermen in an effort to maintain communication with Oxford’s leaders and the students of Ole Miss,” Dear said.
City officials have also mentioned upcoming events in which they would like to see student participation, which include helping with the mayor and board’s Thanksgiving food drive as well as a new initiative against texting and driving.
The committee is encouraging students to voice their opinions on what issues should be addressed in their meetings with city officials, and committee members are currently in the process of placing suggestion boxes around campus.
Students are also encouraged to email committee members with any suggestions.
Bridges hopes the new committee will allow for all of Oxford residents’ voices to be heard.
“We as a committee are excited and eager to hear what other issues Ole Miss students would like to see discussed,” Bridges said. “This student body constitutes an enormous part of the Oxford community. It is their right to be heard. The Senate can’t wait to see what’s in store.”
— Allison Slusher
