University of Mississippi - Ole Miss Yearbook (Oxford, MS)

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The English Way Double Decker takes the iconic bus known better in the United Kingdom and gives it a Southern, Oxford, festival flair. Story by Jermaine Jackson Photography by Cass Green ' 4 ' ftg t: ' Hip M

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greenscenestealers We know how to treat Mother Earth A • 4ww ■ Ir If 1 K Li :- ' - V ' . Bis«isf» .:- j- ' r 7jJ ' . Fhoto by Jennifer MtcHagg Katy McClenahan and Cephra McKee donate their time to help clean up the Grove after game days and separate the plastics and cans in special green bags to take to the recycling plant. This practice of recycling helps keep the Grove green, the way it is supposed to be. Cody McCloy and Brian Hardy of CNN ' s biofuel road trip challenge, interviewing Brad Crafton, made a pitstop in Oxford in their cross country treck in a 1978 Scout that was powered only with biofuel. They were impressed with the green initiative the campus promoted. The campus newspaper The Daily Mississippian and the University promote the action of placing discarded newspapers in special containers in the buildings. The same is done for office paper, bottles and cans with designated containers for each. TheOleMiss|019

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Double-Decker rocks my socks off, man! Nothing like this festival nowhere near this festival! The shout emerged from the crowd near the south side of the Oxford Courthouse Square as the people surrounded the unknown shouter started clapping and cheering. The cheering was just the first of several as many people made their way around the Square during the Double Decker Arts Festival. The sky may have been dark and threat- ening during the morning, but the unfavorable weather conditions could not dampen the moods of the crowds as they descended Oxford for Double Decker. According to Rachel Ehrhardt, a senior hospitality management and psychology student from Houston, the day was full of a variety of things to do. That morning it looked like it might rain, lit it was still a pretty good time, she said. The food was good, and the shopping was excellent. It was overall not bad even though it could have started pouring at any second that morning. j The festival, held Saturday, April 26, 2008, v s the 13th year the event was held in Oxford. The event presented a host of a , food, music and fun for all ages. With two stages, the Budweiser North Stage and the AT T South Stage, nearly 15 artists performed for the slightly damp crowds on both sides of the courthouse. These artists came from a variety of music genres, including pop, rock and Local aft was also leatured at the festival, with over 100 artists displaying their works for patrons to view and purchase during the event. The artists worked with many different elements, including glass, pottery, wood and paint. Over 30 food vendors provided culinary reats for everyone to taste from fried shrimp to bar- beque to ice cream and other desserts. Square Fair is an event just for children where they saw magicians and jugglers perform and heard story telling. The children ' s event was held just off the Square at St. Peter ' s Episcopal Church and was meant to allow children to have a part in the Double Decker festivities. The Double Decker Arts Festival started in the mid-1990s as a way to encourage community, according to Hugh Stump, the executive director of the Oxford Convention and Tourism Bureau. The festival borrows its name from the double-decker tourist bus that can often be seen around the city giving tours of Oxford ' s attractions. The festival was started by the original tourism council to encourage a community event and bring it to the Square, Stump said. It is a way to highlight Oxford music, art and food. Stump said his favorite part of the festival is the family interaction he witnesses. Every year my favorite part hands down is the coming together of the community. It ' s amazing and cool to see families out together enjoying music and food, he said. Some families plan reunions around this time and make plans to come back to Oxford for the festival. Layson Lawler, a senior psychology major from Jackson, agrees with Stump. She said the best part of Double Decker is the sense of community. I like how the whole town, both the Ole Miss and Oxford communities, come out to celebrate, Lawler said. There ' s something entertaining for everyone. Stump said the event gets bigger and better each passing year. This year I think we saw some of the best in art, music, food and fun in the Double Decker Festival, Stump said. The festival grows each year and attracts more people to our city. In future years we can expect to see more att ention as people see food, music and art mix with Oxford ' s hospitality, sense of community and good-natured fun.