14 JULY | AUGUST 2019
J E S SIC A PAY N E [Editorial Intern and Hot
in MS] will be a senior at Mississippi College in
the fall where she is studying English educa-
tion with a minor in Spanish. She is an active
member of Alpha Mu Gamma and Chenoa
social tribe. She is from Natchez, but she now
resides in Brookhaven. In her spare time, she
enjoys reading the latest young adult novels.TORI ELLIS [Editorial Intern, Calendar, and
Can’t Miss] is an integrated marketing com-
munications and print journalism student at
the University of Mississippi. With a minor in
ceramics, she enjoys throwing pottery on the
wheel and in her spare time, writing poetry,
and playing with her 19-pound tomcat, Win-
ston. She is an avid reader with hopes of work-
ing as a fashion journalist or in the creative
field upon graduation.MEREDITH ENGER [Marketing and Pub-
lic Relations Intern, Culture Center: Main Mis-
sion] is a recent graduate of the University of
Mississippi with a degree in journalism with a
specialization in public relations and a minor
in cinema. She has a love for the theatre and
an even bigger love for Disney. She enjoys
reading novels, spending time with her golden
doodle, Morris, and winning any type of mov-
ie trivia. After completing her internship with
Mississippi Magazine, Meredith plans to pursue
a career in journalism or public relations.CONTRIBUTORS
LISHA HINTON HOPPER [On Being
Southern: The Truth about the Thistle Wars]
is a lifelong resident of Wenasoga where she
lives on the same farmland her grandparents
purchased in 1947. She and her husband Rod-
ney have four children and nine wonderful
grandchildren who keep her extremely busy.
Since retiring from Caterpillar in 2016, she is
rediscovering the joys of writing, crafting, and
gardening. She received her degree in com-
munication arts and journalism from the Uni-
versity of North Alabama.EMMALYNE KWASNY [Bit Magnolia] of
Brandon is a recent Mississippi State Univer-
sity graduate with a major in communication
with an emphasis in journalism and minors in
religion and creative writing. She was editor-
in-chief at Mississippi State’s student newspa-
per, The Reflector, for two years and has spent
summers interning for Mississippi Magazine, The
Clarion-Ledger, and Joni and Friends Interna-
tional Disability Center. Emmalyne likes strong
coffee, good ice cream, and is excited about
getting married in August.AMBER MABRY [Graphic Art Intern] is a
rising senior at Mississippi State University ma-
joring in art with a concentration in graphic
design. She is an active member of Phi Mu and
served as banner chair in 2018. She grew up
in Ridgeland with her parents and two sisters.
In her free time she enjoys reading, shopping,
and spending time outdoors.