Community Chats

In the first new episode of 2021, Anthony and Jody chat with Nicholas Crasta, president of the UM Black Student Union (BSU). He discusses the role of the BSU on campus and their goals for the new year. Tune in to hear how the BSU is working towards making our community and campus a welcoming space for everyone.

In this special episode of Community Chats, Erin chats with Rebecca Nelson, director of Volunteer Northeast MS, to discuss the CARES Act and what it can mean for your nonprofit organization. With just 2 weeks until the deadline, Rebecca Nelson tells us everything you need to know about the application process and eligibility. Tune in now to see if your organization is eligible!

In this episode of Community Chats, Anthony sits down with David Stone, volunteer recruitment specialist with the North Mississippi chapter of the American Red Cross, to talk about the mission and work of the Red Cross as well as the power of volunteerism. Tune in to hear about how you can get involved with the Red Cross and help those in our community affected by disaster.

In this episode of Community Chats, our team chats with JR Riojas and John Hydrisko from the Warren Debate Union. Recently, the duo won awards in the Intercollegiate Advocacy and Dialogue competition hosted by the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Their project discussing Confederate memorialization in the southern United States won Best Letter, Best Creative Argument, and Honorable Mention in Best Use of History. Tune in to hear about that as well as how speech and debate can foster conversation and understanding within communities.

As the country reflects on the election, Jon Winet sits down to discuss some of the efforts he and others in the LOU community have put forth to understand people’s “why.” Why do they vote? Why do they care about these issues? Tune in to learn about Oxford to the Ballot Box and all the people that helped bring this project together, including the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Oxford Film Festival, Mississippi Votes, and the University of Mississippi.

In the week before the 2020 election, Anthony is joined by Jaycee Brown, operations specialist for the Voting Ambassador (VA) program at the University of Mississippi. Brown and the rest of the VA team are working to increase civic engagement and voter turnout in the LOU community. Tune in to hear about why it is so important for everyone to exercise their right to vote.

In this installment of Community Chats, we are talking with Kieran Murphy, a junior at the University of Mississippi, about the good work he and the rest of the team are doing at UM Food Pantry. Tune in to hear Kieran talk about why fighting hunger is so important and how you can get involved in fighting food insecurity in the LOU community.

Lawrence Muruako, founder and director of Operation FitNation, joins Dr. Siracusa for this week’s episode of Community Chats to talk about his passion for making great health the standard. He discussed the inspiration, motivation, and determination behind Operation FitNation, his nonprofit promoting accessible health and wellness in the LOU community and surrounding areas.

On this episode of Community Chats, we welcome Allen Kurr, Vice President of the Oxford-Lafayette Economic Development Foundation (EDF), as he chats with us about the Oxford Relief Fund and how it is helping alleviate some of the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tune in to hear how this fund will be used and how you can contribute to the success of LOU’s small businesses and entrepreneurs.

In this installment of Community Chats, we are joined by Ike Adams and Erin Payseur-Oeth, who is switching to the other side of the interview table for a change, to talk about their program Leaderful Communities. Leaderful Communities is a 10-week summer curriculum focused on helping community leaders make a lasting change in their communities. Tune in to hear about the goals of this program, new developments under way, and why this work is so important to the growth and prosperity of local communities.