A rose to the Starkville Partnership as it begins its Starkville Stride program. The six-week event encourages citizens to walk by participating in a fun and friendly competition. This is the third year for the program, which started Friday with 570 participants and 63 teams. Over the next six weeks, registered walkers will use the MoveSpring app to sign up with a team. These teams are divided into small, medium and large divisions. Each division will compete for a trophy at the end of the competition, while individuals in different step categories will be “in the running” in drawings for door prizes from local businesses each week. Research shows that walking 30 minutes a day decreases stress, combats anxiety/depression, reduces risk of heart issues, strengthens joints and improves circulation. We applaud the Partnership for providing this program for the benefit of citizens of all shapes, sizes and ages.
A rose to Libba Fairleigh, whose donation to Mississippi University for Women this week was a welcome respite from the weightier issues the university has been facing recently. The 1970 MUW graduate announced earlier this week that she would provide up to $12,500 to match donations to the university’s campus beautification fund. This generous donation came after a bruising fight over a proposed name change and a pair of bills that would harm the school. For Fairleigh, the contribution was her way of expressing her love for her alma mater in a way that reflects her own passion as a master gardener in her home community of Black Mountain, North Carolina. Within hours of Fairleigh’s announcement, donors contributed $3,000 to the fund, which means the match challenge is well on its way to a successful outcome.
A rose to TVA and three teachers in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District for using grant funds to promote STEM education among girls and provide virtual reality goggles. Tara Agnew and Tina Cockrell, teachers in the engineering pathway at Millsaps Career and Technology Center at Starkville High School, will use their $5,000 grants to fund projects designed to spur girls to become more involved in STEM career pathways through the Technology Student Association at SHS. Sara Walker, a teacher at Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary will use her $5,000 grant to purchase virtual reality goggles and the creation of lesson plans and curriculum to incorporate the state-of-the-art technology into opportunities at the HWS Imagination Station. The unique classroom is a “MakerSpace” fostering collaboration, critical thinking and communication through the use of innovative technology and other resources. We thank TVA for making these funds available and Agnew, Cockrell and Walker for using the funds for worthwhile projects.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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