The Ole Miss Rebels baseball team find themselves ranked ninth in the new Baseball America Poll that released Monday morning.

The Rebels have won 10 games in a row and finished the week off in a sweep with wins over High Point, East Carolina, and Indiana in the Keith LeClair Classic in Greenville, North Carolina.

Ryan Smith, known to the players as Bobby baseball, is a manager for the Rebel ball club and has been impressed with what he has seen from the team so far. “This weekend went really well for us going undefeated… very proud of the guys. Travel can sometimes hurt a team but we are a resilient bunch,” said Smith.

“Loose is the word I would use to describe the team. Lots of new guys mixing in real well with the older guys and the starting pitching has been outstanding… Seems like Anthony Servideo is always on base being a game changer,” said Smith.

“We have a long way to go to get where we need to be but this start to the year has been a tremendous win for us… Taylor Broadway, Austin Miller, Max Cioffi, and Braden Forsyth have been great for us on the mound coming in to close games late and closing the door,” Smith added.

Rebels slugger Tyler Keenan, who plays third base, said that the team is coming along very nicely. “This team feels different than the previous years as we are finding ways to win and we are super close with each other,” said Keenan. Keenan said he is looking forward to keeping things going and is excited to see where the team ends up.

The Rebels have a home stand this week and Keenan hopes the team continues its success.

Longtime booster for the baseball program, Alan Lee, said he hasn’t been this excited about a baseball team in years. “We are young, hungry and have a lovely confidence about us that makes me fall in love with this team more and more every game I watch,” said Lee.

“We have talent everywhere and you can tell that the guys play for each other and for a common goal,” said Lee.

Johnny Isley, who is a junior on campus, said he has fallen in love with baseball again after the hot start the team has gotten off to. “I used to play baseball when I was little and some in high school but this winning streak makes me want to play for this team right now,” said Isley.

Isley said,” I love the energy we play with.”

The Rebels went from 23rd in the nation to 9th in a week span which is an impressive jump for the team. “I did not expect this young team to be this good so quickly but I would never complain about us winning games,” said Alan Lee.

ESPN analyst Chris Burke tweeted about the team saying they are playing big time ball right now. “[An] impressive start versus a legit non conference schedule. [The team] has a lot to be excited about heading into March,” said Burke.

The Rebels will resume playing Tuesday the 3rd where they host the Memphis Tigers at Swayze Field.

Intramural basketball season has made its return to campus.

Monday, February 24th the intramural basketball season will kick off in the brand new rec center for the first time.

Games are slated to last from 5p.m. to 10p.m. where members of Greek organizations will participate with friends in a competitive setting.

“Intramural basketball gives me a chance to feel competitive again. I can’t play at the college level obviously so this gives me a chance to be on a team again,” said the athletics chair for Sigma Nu, Chris Howie.

Howie said that its fun to see your friends in a new environment and it brings out a different side of people. “I get closer with my friends when I see a competitive side. Its kind of funny,” added Howie.

“I look forward to this season the most because of the camaraderie of the whole thing. Nothing like being part of a team again,” said senior Cash Heath, who will be playing in his fourth intramural season.

Sports have a way of bringing people together and even though intramural leagues aren’t the NBA everyone out there is trying to win. Groups of people with a common goal are powerful and this league amplifies that.

“I signed up to do basketball for the first time this year because I have heard from people that have participated in the past that it was one of the better experiences [they had],” said Cj Clark who is the athletic director for Sigma Chi.

Clark said he usually only plays softball and flag football but chose to do basketball this year to play with a different group of people. “None of my closest friends play basketball so this is an opportunity for me to get to know some others a little better,” said Clark.

The league will consist of 4 weeks of regular season play followed by a single elimination playoff tournament.

Teams can have up to 10 players on the roster and no coach is necessary.

All students are encouraged to play regardless of Greek affiliation.

On Tuesday, February 25th, the university’s largest career fair is expected to bring more than 200 employers to campus to discuss career opportunities with students of all majors.

“Career fairs are important because it gets you ahead of the curve,” said Bryce Biddy, graduate assistant for job development programs. “[It] can really steer you in a positive direction in regards to what you eventually want to accomplish in your life.”

Biddy, along with Bailey Bracken, spoke to students on Monday at a Career Day prep event, offering advice on how to make the most of next Tuesday’s event. At the top of his to-do list: Show up in professional attire and research the standards of the specific industry one is interested in.

Biddy explained the most important items to bring to a career fair are a portfolio with your resume and cover letters and a rehearsed “30-second commercial.” A 30-second commercial is an elevator pitch about yourself that sums up who you are professionally.

“That commercial could make or break you,” said Biddy.

Among the other suggestions offered where, when attending the career fair, be ready to discuss background information, skills, qualifications, and career goals. Being confident is a major factor during this time as well.

“Ask the employer who they are and their position and always make sure to get contact information and the expected time of when you will hear from them,” said Bailey Bracken, a graduate assistant for the job development program. “Alumni love to hire people that went to their school,” added Bracken.

Showing up with questions to ask companies has proven to be very helpful. “Last year when I went to the career fair I had five basic questions planned out and it really helped calm me down and get conversations rolling,” said junior economics major, Geyer Withers.

Withers asked about common career paths within the organizations and what type of professional development the company has to offer. Withers did not get a job from the career but said he acquired valuable information about what he is looking for in an employer.

Many different employers from a variety of industries will be attending the career fair this year. Honeywell , Amazon and Microsoft are three representatives for the internet and software industry. RRD and SixDegrees Inc. are employers for students interested in advertising and marketing companies. The fashion industry will also be present as representatives from FootLocker and Vintage Apparel will be in attendance. The full list of employers attending the career fair can be found here.

After the career fair has ended, Bracken explained that it is important to follow with up the companies and thank the specific representative of the company for coming to the career fair.

Biddy emphasized that career fairs are a time to take advantage of an amazing opportunity given to all students.

For more about the Ole Miss career fair visit here.

Oxford, MS– The annual ‘Running of the Chairs’ is on Wednesday, February 12th starting at 9am.

Running of the Chairs is an event where students line up as early as 5 in the morning with their lawn chairs in order to secure a spot in right field of Swayze stadium for the upcoming baseball season.

Hundreds of students gather at this event every year and take part in a chaotic 20 minutes of action. Each student is required to bring their own chair where then link up with their friends to lock down a section for the rest of the year.

Students line up at the tennis courts directly behind the student section and form a line down the hill to the entrance of right field.

A horn will go off and then students run straight for right field in hopes of getting a good seat. Fights and scuffles have been known to break out from time to time as some students care deeply about their position in the outfield.

Janice Rubbert, assistant director of marketing and fan experience at the University said, “Our annual right field setup is a testament to our incredible fan base. The fans, and particularly the students, make the atmosphere at Swayze truly unique, and this events shows the intense passion and love for the Ole Miss Baseball program. Several departments within our athletic department work together to make this event happen and run smoothly. We work with our facilities department, as well as University Police to ensure safety is a top priority for this event. It’s something we look forward to every year.”

This has been a tradition for many years in Oxford and students look forward to their chance to get as close as possible to the back fence.

Ellis Abdo is a junior on campus and this will be his third year involved in the running of the chairs. “This is by far the most hectic day of the year for me for many reasons. I bought about 30 chairs that me and 2 of my friends will be running out to the outfield on Wednesday morning. We are going to get there at about 8 in the morning so we can beat most of the people there and I will stand out there in line for 6 hours,” said Abdo.

Security guards are stationed around the field in order to mediate the chaos that might ensue. Clifton Red has been working for UPD for quite some time and said that the running of the chairs is always a big challenge for them. “This day is a lot for me man. There are so many students flying around with chairs wanting to get a seat so bad. I have to keep my eye out for anyone trying to hurt somebody.”

Running of the chairs is taken very seriously by everyone involved and for good reason. Everyone wants a good seat for a baseball game. “I get out there so early because to me it is so worth it. One day of suffering is worth a good seat for the season,” said Abdo.

“This is my second year doing running of the chairs and I am a little nervous because last year I was just there to watch but this year I am bringing my own chair,” said Jack Owen. “There were so many people there last year and it was overwhelming to me. I am going to be getting there right when it starts at 9 so I get a good spot in line. Wish me luck!”

The running of the chairs has become a highlight for students and they will look to put themselves in a great position this coming season.

Zach Blaine and  Lindsey Goubeaux 

OXFORD, Miss. — One fourth of all US citizens have decided to eliminate meat from their diet, according to a recent Gallup Poll.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average human consumed 217.3 lbs of red meat or poultry in 2019. This is slightly lower than the record number of 222.2 pounds of red meat and poultry in 2018. 

Although Mississippi is among the top 10 states for meat consumption, there are signs that some longtime meat eaters are also increasingly open to alternatives.

The trend has sparked movements within the fast food industry as well. Burger King released their vegetarian hamburger option in October 2019.

“This year (2020) specifically, we have not been able to keep them in stock. They are a very popular item that sell out very quickly… they go like hot cakes!” General Manager, Natasha Herds, of Burger King in Oxford said. 

People have chosen to live vegetarian lifestyles for hundreds of years due to geographic location, health or personal reasons. But, with the coming of the new year, many are giving up meat for 2020 in hope to live a healthier lifestyle. 

“This January I completely cut meat out of my life..I stopped eating red meat in June of 2019 after watching a documentary on how meat was processed in the body. I never knew how hard it was for our bodies to digest meat,” said fitness instructor Alexandra Watts.

An article written by Justin McCarthy, an American demographer, for the Gallup says nearly one in four Americans (23%) report eating less meat in the past year than they had previously, while the vast majority (72%) say they are eating the same amount of meat. Very few (5%) report eating more meat this year than in the past.

The human body works harder to digest meat as opposed to plant based foods. Cutting meat out of one’s diet will therefore give them more energy in their day to day life. 

According to10 Reasons to Eat Less Meat by Jenny Rose Edwards, researchers from the Massachusetts general hospital found raising the consumption of animal protein in one’s diet by 10% led to a 2% higher risk of death. 

Eating less meat has shown to help people be more energetic, stay slim, live longer and help the wallet out as well. 

The biggest factor in reducing meat consumption is health concerns. Nine in 10 say it is a major or minor reason they are cutting back on meat according to a study done by McCarthy. 

“I am very conscious of what I put in my body, as a fitness instructor I feel like I must practice what I preach and in order to do this I have to eliminate the bad and intake the good…In this short month I realized I feel much less bloated, more energetic, my skin feels better and I feel more ready and able to tackle my days,” Watts said.

Not only does the entire meat industry have an impact on the human body, it also has a direct impact with earth’s environment.

“I have grown up a vegetarian… My parents are very conscientious of their carbon footprint and have always taught me how much of an impact the meat industry has on our planet,” said Jordan Maletic, a senior at the University.

Living Foods restaurant has been an advocate for a more vegetarian diet since 2014.

“I feel like most vegetarians in Oxford tend to come to this restaurant. We’re one of the only restaurants that I know of that have a lot of vegan options, we try to cater to people that have allergies people that dont eat meat. There are surprisingly more vegetarians in Oxford than you would think,” Living foods employee Grace Jennings said. 

Living Foods tries to offer a wider variety of foods to the vegetarian community in Oxford. Not only do they have many options, they try and make them as nutritious and protein rich as possible.

“We have a lot of avocado-based foods… all of our sauces are made with veganaise, which is vegan. Some of our more nutritious vegetarian supplements are; a veggie burger and a zucchini burger, these burgers are filled with protein and our zucchini is most popular,” Jennings said. 

Other restaurants in Oxford such as Taco Bell and Chipotle are also offering new vegetarian options for those looking for places to eat with these accommodations. This story will continue with the success rate of these vegetarian menus all over Oxford. 

OXFORD, Miss– John Altobelli was among those killed in the fatal helicopter crash involving former Los Angeles Laker, Kobe Bryant and Bryant’s daughter Gigi. Altobelli was the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College located in Orange County, California. He served as a coach, colleague and friend for 27 years at the Junior College he called home.

I am from Orange County and this tragedy has overwhelmed my community. Coach Altobelli attended Newport Harbor High School which is where I went as well. While at Newport Harbor, John met his best friend to this day, Clark Smith. Clark has a son named Cole who is a junior Economics major at Texas Christian University.

Cole explained that he was close to Altobelli as well and that their families have a unique bond. Cole said they would go out to dinner together often and fish on their boat. “He was a great mentor to me and a family man to the fullest extent. He was just very ethical in how he coached and always wanted to do things the right way, ” said Cole.

The daughter of Coach Altobelli, Alyssa was also on board the helicopter the morning of January 27th. Alyssa was the best friend of Kobe’s daughter Gianna and Cole said they were inseparable. Alyssa and Gianna had played basketball together for years and their friendship was just at the beginning.

Collin Pipkin is a former Orange Coast College basketball player and he recalled the time Coach Altobelli gave his team a pregame speech before they headed off to compete for a state championship. “He controlled the room so well. I looked around the room and all eyes were locked into him. He was so genuine with us,” said Pipkin.

Across his 27 years of coaching, Altobelli was able to impact the lives of many of his players. Cameron Jabara, a former Orange Coast College baseball player, had this to say about his late coach. “I mean Kobe is the top of the one percent and so is Alto. I imagine Kobe wouldn’t associate himself with anything less than the top one percent in terms of people and character, and I think that speaks volumes for both of them and what type of people they were. He was an unbelievable coach who made you excited about heading to the field everyday. He was a dude!”

Pipkin said his head coach of the basketball team at OCC, Steve Spencer, only had good things to say about Altobelli. “He was a super nice and humble guy. A legend at the school being there for almost 30 years and bringing them multiple state championships,” added Pipkin.

Altobelli leaves behind his legacy with his daughter, Lexi and oldest son JJ. JJ attended the University of Oregon where he played baseball and is now currently an MLB scout.

Altobelli was a victim of a terrible tragedy and his life deserves to be celebrated along with the other 8 people involved in the accident. No ones life is more important than another’s and this is a time for all of us to reflect on all the blessings in our lives. No time for hate just respect to one another.

John Altobelli will always be remembered for his contributions on the baseball field, the friendships he created and the lives of his players he impacted. A fixture of what now seems like a broken community in Orange County is gone but it is bringing us all closer together. Hard to find any good in such a tragedy but being there for one another and sending prayers can mend a little bit of the pain.

Rest in Peace John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Ara Zobayan, Christina Mauser, Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant