Pi Beta Phi - University of Mississippi

The MS Beta Post PAGE 2 M argaret "Meg" Farris Adams '77 is a Chi Omega legacy, but she chose a different direction after experiencing recruitment with Pi Phi. "My mom was president of her Chi O chapter, and she wanted me to join as well," Meg recalls. "But when I met Pi Phis while visiting Ole Miss before my freshman year, I just loved the genuine personality and friendliness of the chapter." Meg was proud to join a quality group of women who prioritized sisterhood. "The loyalty, friendship and genuine care impressed me." Meg's favorite memories from the chapter house feature the women who would become her friends for life. "I loved the laughter, hanging out and telling stories with each other," she says. "Today, we still have a text thread with a dozen sisters that pings constantly! We send each other birthday wishes, prayers for difficult times, laughs, praise and encouragement all the time." After planning to major in biology, Meg switched tracks during her junior year at the university. "I took public relations as an elective because the cute football boys were taking it," she laughs. "But the professor, Dr. Ed Meek, literally changed the course of my life." After meeting with the dean of the school of journalism, Dr. Will Norton, she decided to double major in print journalism and radio and television. Meg now works as a general assignment TV news reporter, covering a wide variety of stories, but for decades her specialty has been covering medical, health and fitness stories. Her career reached a new height in the last two years when Meg was awarded Emmys for two of her stories. "The first was about a school- aged girl, forever paralyzed by a drive-by shooting," she explains. "Her life was saved by a police officer who had a special military kit in his bag that his wife had given him that Christmas. I followed her and her mom through the daily struggles of life living in a wheelchair." The second story followed the first man in the world to get a usable, gripping, 3D-printed thumb after losing his original digit in an industrial accident. "We went into surgery and watched Dr. Eric George put in an implant. We watched him go through rehab to get his strength back and how the new thumb was printed and attached." Meg also witnessed the man's life, job and happiness return. "This story is so important because the research will help military veteran amputees one day have new limbs with this technology." Meg lives in the New Orleans area, where she goes to CrossFit seven days a week and rescues Louisiana Catahoulas, German Shepherds and rabbits. "All my children have four legs!" Meg also makes jewelry and sells items under Meg Farris Designs on Etsy. She has five brothers who all went to Ole Miss and enjoys a close relationship with them and her sisters-in-law. Penny Ray Sisson '62 has retired from the University of Mississippi, where she was an instructor in Spanish. She now serves as a vocational deacon at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Oxford, Mississippi. Email: psisson@olemiss.edu Dinah Leavitt Swan '66 retired from her 26-year career as a college professor. She is now a writer, and you can find her written works on Amazon.com and her art at dinahswan.com. She is living in Durango, Colorado, and working on her sixth novel. She shares, "Pi Phi gave me two of my best lifelong friends!" Email: dinahswan@aol.com Gail Rose Harrell '74 is retired with two children and seven grandchildren, who are ages 6-20 and are a source of joy. Gail spends her time with her family and enjoys organizing homes for others in Collierville, Tennessee. Email: gailroseharrell@gmail.com Nancy Pegram Warren '74 shares, "I earned my degree in music in 1975. That August, I married Rufus (SAE), whom I met at Ole Miss. Through the years, I have taught piano lessons and elementary music. I also served as a church pianist. Now retired, I enjoy spending time with our three sons and their families, which include seven grandsons and one granddaughter." Nancy lives in Senatobia, Mississippi. Email: npwarren3@yahoo.com Lou Anne Pritchard '83 recently retired from her role as a family nurse practitioner and moved back to her childhood home in Columbia, Tennessee. She is recently engaged and plans to be married in 2025. She and her fiancée have been renovating their house and enjoying time together. Email: louanne2764@gmail.com Nancy Magee Speed '86 is an associate director in the School of Kinesiology and Nutrition at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she also serves on the House Corporation for the Mississippi Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi. She resides in Collins, Mississippi. Email: nancy.speed@usm.edu Coming to You Live Margaret "Meg" Farris Adams '77 Talks Journalism and Lifelong Friendships Want to contact Meg? Send her an email at megfarrisnews@gmail.com. ALUMNAE NEWS Meg's Words of Wisdom for Would-Be Journalists "Consume all media! Don't just get your news from the internet or TikTok without checking its validity. Read news from more than one outlet. You are not in the business of making news or pushing your own views— you are there to present the facts so people at home can learn and decide for themselves. Sharing information is a weighty responsibility, so be fair and balanced, and don't post anything on any social media that shares your political opinions. You will lose all credibility and that's the most important asset a journalist can have."

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