FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2008
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124

WCBI-TV’s Aundrea Self to speak at MUW Mag Chain ceremony

COLUMBUS, Miss. – WCBI-TV anchor and reporter Aundrea Self will be
the guest speaker for Mississippi University for Women’s Mag Chain
ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 10 at 8 a.m.

Self’s bio, which describes her as “home-grown,” grew up in
Starkville and graduated from Starkville High School. She earned degrees
in English and mass communications from Stillman College in 1996. While
at Stillman, Self fell in love with news reporting when she did her
first story on the school’s renowned student choir.

After graduation, she began her broadcasting career in Columbus as the
morning show “sidekick” on WACR radio. She continued to work in
radio for six years before making the switch to television. Self joined
the WCBI family as the “Sunrise” producer and eventually began
reporting, which ultimately led to her seven-year run as co-anchor of
"WCBI News Sunrise" and “Midday."

Currently, she anchors the five and six o’clock newscasts and reports
stories from area schools in her weekly “Making the Grade” series.
Self has won many Associated Press awards for her work, and in 2004, she
was honored as a "Top 40 Under 40" by the Mississippi Business Journal.

Outside of work, she enjoys teaching the kindergarten Sunday School
class at her church and singing in the choir. She is involved in the
community and spends much of her spare time speaking to area churches,
schools and civic organizations. Self is an active member of the
Starkville chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

She enjoys reading, spending time with family and sampling her
husband’s tasty dishes. Self is married to David Nichols and has
two “bonus” children, Kimberly and Alan.

The Magnolia Chain, one of MUW’s most treasured traditions, has taken
place in some form since 1890. During this event, the magnolia chain is
carried by seniors singing the “Magnolia Chain Song” from in front
of Columbus Hall to Shattuck Lawn where the ceremony is held.

The procession is led by the senior class president who carries a
bouquet of daisies in honor of the graduates who began the ceremony
years ago. Daisies are carried because the magnolia chain was originally
made of daisies and other flowers.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the seniors form a circle around the
magnolia chain, lock arms and sing the “Friendship Circle” song.
After the song is completed, the seniors make a mad dash for a magnolia
blossom.

Tradition holds that graduates who are able to walk away with a
magnolia blossom will find good fortune and romance.