麻豆直播

ELLISVILLE 鈥� The first musical theater production held in 麻豆直播鈥檚 newly remodeled M.P. Bush Auditorium will be the iconic Broadway hit and movie, 鈥淕谤别补蝉别鈥� on Friday, April 5 & 6, at 7 p.m., with a Sunday April 7, matinee at 2 p.m. 麻豆直播 students who performed in the production 20-years ago are invited to enjoy a class reunion of sorts at Rydell High School, the place in 1950鈥檚 Chicago that writer Jim Jacobs developed the characters and setting for the musical, 鈥淕谤别补蝉别.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to find the JC theater alumni from 2003-2004 and try to incorporate them into the show. They need to contact me, Bruce Smith at bruce.smith@jcjc.edu if they want to be a part of the show,鈥� said Bruce Smith, Dean of the College of Art, Music and Performing Arts.

Ironically, Smith never intended to direct the musical production of Grease because of his close connection to the writer, Jim Jacobs. The JCJC 1990 graduate, played the character, 鈥淒oody鈥� when the musical toured nationally 30 years ago.

鈥淚 worked directly with Jim Jacobs and when the tour ended, I said I would not bring this to the stage since it was so close to me,鈥� shared Smith. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 ironic, and a lot of people don鈥檛 know this, but these characters are based on Jacob鈥檚 friends in real life and the real events that took place in their lives.鈥�

Twenty-seven 麻豆直播 students will be dancing and singing Broadway鈥檚 most memorable songs of the 50鈥檚. Also, the chart-topping songs from the hit 1978 movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, including, 鈥淪ummer Nights,鈥� 鈥淗opelessly Devoted to You,鈥� and 鈥淕reased Lightnin鈥�” will also bring the audience back to this popular time period.

鈥淪ome of the language has been modified, so it鈥檚 not a rough musical, but these characters are inner city Chicago kids that grew up in the 1950s. Their take on life was a little bit tougher than the average high school student,鈥� said Smith.

Playing the role made famous by Travolta, 鈥淒anny Zuko鈥� will be performed by JC sophomore electrical technology major from Oak Grove, Nicholas Singleterry. His favorite role in the Warriors of Oak Grove theater was playing the larger-than-life creature, 鈥淪hrek.鈥� However, Danny admitted, he is a lot like his character in Grease.

鈥淚 like how nonchalant Danny is because he just kicks back and does whatever he feels needs to be done,鈥� said Singleterry. 鈥淚 also hope the audience enjoys the nostalgic music.鈥�

In her first appearance at 麻豆直播鈥檚 musical theater production, Sumrall鈥檚 Jessie Deare plays the role of Danny鈥檚 girlfriend, Sandy, made popular by Newton-John. As a member of the Legacy show choir and singing in the drama club at Sumrall High School, Deare is a member of all three choirs at JC and plans to enroll in the nursing program next fall. When Deare walked into class, Smith said he knew she would play Sandy because she looks and sings like Sandy.

鈥淚鈥檓 very excited and a little nervous but as we keep going, I鈥檓 getting more excited,鈥� said Deare. 鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to be in theater but never had the opportunity to do so in high school because of my busy schedule. My dream has always been to be on Broadway.鈥�

Playing Rizzo is Laurel freshman, Kiandra Lopez who is a member of all three choirs at JC. At West Jones High School, Lopez played the evil stepmother in her high school鈥檚 play, Cinderella. Playing the 鈥渂ad girl鈥� role is something she said she enjoys and thrives on.

鈥淚 feel like I can really get into my Hispanic side for these types of roles,鈥� said Lopez. 鈥淚 can be a little spicy with it.鈥�

Smith shared, 鈥淟opez is a little Cuban spitfire. She鈥檚 like this in real life too. She鈥檚 this tiny, sweet little fireball on stage but when you put the wig on her, she is Rizzo. She rolls her eyes the right way, she鈥檚 nonchalant; she鈥檚 the character.鈥�

Keneckie鈥檚 character, the cool car guy is played by music industry major from Collins, Eli Carter who was in 麻豆直播鈥檚 original musical theater review last spring, 鈥淪TARCROSSED.鈥� Just like his character, Carter works on cars at his dad鈥檚 shop, Classic Auto Sales and is a rising musician.

Tickets for general admission are $15, and $10 for 麻豆直播 employees and students, if using the emailed code in February. For the first time, all tickets are now available for purchase only through a new, ticketing service on the website, /grease/.  

鈥淗aving this ticketing service is a game changer for us as far as being able to do bigger shows and events here on campus. It is opening the door for us as a venue for concerts and other things,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淭he online ticketing service also allows guests to choose their seats way in advance, which are also reserved, just like other ticketing services for concerts and movies.鈥�

Purchasing tickets now, before the show sells out is encouraged with a maximum of 1100 seats available for each performance. Ads in the JC Playbill program are also available for businesses to purchase through the College of Arts, Music and Performance. Check the 麻豆直播 Arts, Music, and Performance website and social media pages for details prior to the performance. For more information about the 麻豆直播 Arts, Music and Performance department, call 601-477-4203.

Cast, Crew and Ensemble

Nicholas Singleterry-Oak Grove, 鈥淒anny Zuko鈥�

Jessie Deare-Sumrall, 鈥淪andy鈥�

Eli Carter-Collins, 鈥淜enickie鈥�

Kiandra Lopez-Laurel, 鈥淩izzo鈥�

Kameron Carter-Columbia, 鈥淔renchy鈥�

Aliyah Watts-Sandy Hook, 鈥淢arty鈥�

Sydney Ivey-Raleigh, 鈥淛an鈥�

Daniel Baldwin-Magee, 鈥淒oody鈥�

Silas Ensign-Laurel, 鈥淪onny鈥�

Seth Walker-Laurel, 鈥淩oger鈥�

Bryce Jasper-Laurel, 鈥淰ince Fontaine

Kelly Biglane-Ellisville, 鈥淐ha-Cha鈥�

Isaiah Spradley-Laurel, 鈥淛ohnny Casino鈥�

Matthew Taylor-Richland, 鈥淓ugene Florczyk

Sydnee Tisdale-Ellisville, 鈥淢iss Lynch鈥�

Taylor Garretson-Leakesville, 鈥淧atty Simcox鈥�

Antarian Chapman-Hebron, 鈥淭een Angel鈥�

Bailie Bishop-Soso, Ensemble

Britton Dunnam-Sandhill, Ensemble

Tristen Goss-Morton, Ensemble

Ella Jolly-Petal, Ensemble

Samantha Jordan-Ocean Springs, Ensemble

Dasia Newell-Sandersville, Ensemble

Danielle Parker-Laurel, Ensemble

Kailand Snow-Laurel, Ensemble

Sydney Starbuck-Bay Springs, Ensemble

Kira Stokes-Waynesboro, Ensemble

Director-Bruce Smith

Assistant Director & Choreographer-Brett Barnes

Sound & Lights-Jacob Arnold

Audio Engineer-T.J. May,

Stage Manager-Sam Griffith, Ellisville

Set Construction, Costumes & Props-Tristen Goss, Kailand Snow, Sydney Ivy, and Kiandra Lopez.

Publicity/Advertising-Assistants, Danielle Parker-Laurel and Sydney Starbuck -Raleigh.

ELLISVILLE 鈥� During a recent episode of HGTV鈥檚 Home Town, featuring the renovation of 麻豆直播鈥檚 Old President鈥檚 House on the Ellisville campus by two of JC鈥檚 famous alumni, Ben and Erin Napier of Laurel, 麻豆直播 President, Dr. Jesse Smith announced a new program to be named in the couple鈥檚 honor. An old factory building, which currently houses maintenance and housekeeping departments, along with storage will be transformed into a centralized home for training future craftsmen to help rebuild hometowns across the country, called the Erin and Ben Napier School of Design and Building Construction.

鈥淲atching them and seeing the growth that happens in the towns where their show goes, it鈥檚 impressive to see and we鈥檝e learned a lot,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淭hose trades and those craftsmen鈥檚 skill sets are art and a craft that鈥檚 been lost. We want to reemphasize and teach those skills in a centralized location.鈥�

Napier鈥檚 emotional response to the announcement during their show sparked support for the facility with donations through the 麻豆直播 Foundation. Smith anticipates the 14-million-dollar project will be partially funded through federal and state money, with private donations driving the project. The Napier鈥檚 emphasized the difficulty in finding local craftsmen while renovating houses in the Laurel area, during the announcement of this project.

鈥淲e are about 564 jobs short in our district in the construction trades industry, which consists of Clarke, Covington, Greene, Jasper, Jones, Perry, Smith, and Wayne Counties,鈥� Smith explained. 鈥淪ome people might not think construction trades make a great career but most of these entrepreneurs do very well and it鈥檚 a great life. We are very dependent on these craftsmen and artisans here, to keep the college going. We鈥檙e building for the future.鈥�

Programs included in the new Napier鈥檚 school include Computerized Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Painting, Foundations, Plumbing, Framing, Roofing, Electrical, Masonry, HVAC, Carpentry, Metalworking, Plastering, and Stonework. Many of these programs are currently available for students, however, Smith said having the programs in a centralized location encourages students to collaborate on projects.

鈥淲e want to rebuild hometowns all over America. Small towns help make America great,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淲e are so grateful to Ben and Erin because they are restoring hope that we can rebuild our hometowns that are so near and dear to us. They are making a difference.鈥�

Classes in the new building are expected to begin in the fall of 2026 when the 35,435 square foot facility is anticipated to be completed. An additional 18,500 square feet will be added to the current 19,000-square-foot former factory building to create the new Napier鈥檚 School.

鈥淲e are so honored,鈥� said Erin Napier during the college鈥檚 鈥淟ive Viewing鈥� of the episode when the announcement was made on their show. 鈥淲e love Jones so much and to know this is going to be in the future plans for Jones, thank you! This is critically important because the trades are vital to us. We struggle to find great, talented people who do things like plaster work for example.鈥�

To learn more about the Erin and Ben Napier School of Building and Design and to make donations go to the website, /alumni_foundation/the-erin-ben-napier-school-of-design-building-arts/

ELLISVILLE – Twelve of the thirteen 麻豆直播 students that competed in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State competition in Senatobia, Mississippi, came home winners. They all placed first or second in their competitive events, qualifying them for national competition in June, in Orlando, Florida. During the three-day conference, each student competed in two business-related events. The events ranged from Fundamentals of Accounting and Economics to Foundations of Technology and Public Speaking.

鈥淭welve of the students will be going to the four-day national conference and competition in Orlando,鈥� said 麻豆直播鈥檚 FBLA Advisor, David Ray.  鈥淭hese students worked very hard, and we are excited to see what they can do at the national level this summer鈥�.

Matthew Taylor of Richland earned first place honors in Foundations of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition. Rebecca Parker of Laurel, placed first in Future Business Executive. Rebecca also partnered with Jaythan Comegys of Laurel to earn second place in the State of Chapter event showcasing Jones FBLA clubs鈥� accomplishments for the year. Jaythan added a first place in Impromptu Speech and he and Barbara Ahlvin of Vicksburg placed first in Emerging Business Issues. Ahlvin also placed third in the Job Interview category. Seminary鈥檚 Ethan Noffke took home first place in Foundations of Technology and also teamed up with Ethan Hammons of Raleigh and Logan Ingram of Raleigh to earn first place in the Technology and Computer Science Case Study. Noffke also placed first in Foundations of Computer Science. Lance Hamilton of Waynesboro placed first in Public Speaking. Laurel’s Raegan Drummer received first place in Retail Management and second place in Foundations of Computer Science. Walker Dear of Florence placed second in Foundations of Entrepreneurship. Laurel’s Deja Baskin placed second in Computer Applications. Quitman’s Terry Rogers placed second in Public Speaking and Impromptu Speaking. 

ELLISVILLE 鈥� 麻豆直播鈥檚 community-wide spring blood drive will be held on Monday, February 26, at the Industrial Services Center Building parking lot and the Allied Health Center鈥檚 parking lot from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.  The Blood Mobile Units will also be available for donations on Tuesday, February 27, from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. in the Allied Health Center parking lot and on Dan Jones Memorial Drive, between the C.L. Neill Student Center and the A.B. Howard Gymnasium and Student Union. The Mobile Blood Units will be used for blood product donations because campus renovations have limited the available space to hold the blood drive. Therefore, appointments are highly encouraged because of the limited space in each mobile unit but walk-ins are welcome. Visit the website, to schedule an appointment or learn more about the blood drive on the JC Ellisville campus.

The overall goal for the two-day blood drive is 86 units of blood stated Benji Sessums, 麻豆直播 Blood Drive Coordinator, and EMT instructor. To encourage donations, T-shirts will be given to all donors and Door Prizes will be available both days for donors during random drawings.

麻豆直播 student, Krista Adamick donated blood during the fall blood drive on campus. 

ELLISVILLE 鈥撀槎怪辈� Social Sciences instructor, Kathryn Davis has been selected as the 麻豆直播 2023-2024 Mississippi Humanities Teacher of the Year. She will be honored by the Mississippi Humanities Council and the college on Thursday, February 29, at 10 a.m. in the Home & Health Services Auditorium. The public is invited to see her free presentation, 鈥淭he Feature Film: A Cinematic Journey of Emerging Adulthood,鈥� before the MHC honors her and 29 other faculty members statewide in Jackson, on March 22.  

鈥淭his presentation will focus on the theme of emerging adulthood as portrayed in cinema. These are students we see every day. They are in a transition period trying to figure out who they are and it鈥檚 big. They are exploring their career options, friends, their identity outside of what their parents have probably told them that they need to do, and social aspects. It鈥檚 a growing field in human growth and development right now,鈥� said Davis.

Initially, Davis planned to become a psychometrist. She got sidetracked while taking retired 麻豆直播 psychology instructor, Randy Vinzant鈥檚 human growth and development and psychology classes as a dual-enrolled high school student. While at the University of Southern Mississippi earning her bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology, the university hired Davis as a recruiter in 2004. After she earned her degree in 2006, she was hired as a full-time admissions counselor in 2007 for USM. 鈥淧sychology鈥� sat 鈥渙n the shelf鈥� for several more years while Davis earned her master鈥檚 in education in College Student Personnel from USM in 2011.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all because of Vinzant鈥檚 class that I love psychology so much. I just didn鈥檛 know what I was going to do with it because I dabbled in testing and learning disabilities, but I wasn鈥檛 sure. Then, I just fell into recruiting,鈥� Davis shared.

After getting married, she left the USM recruiting department and helped launch the 麻豆直播 Office of Recruitment with a group of other JC alumni in 2008. She went on to become the Student Success Center Advisement Specialist, Scholarship Coordinator, and Advisor to the Jones Ambassadors at JC. In 2012, Davis was named the Director of Recruitment, Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit Liaison and Bobcat Advisor. With her second child on the way in 2016, Davis felt like it was a good time to make a career move and became an adjunct psychology instructor.

鈥淚 remember calling my husband Matthew saying, I got to go back to school. He was like, 鈥榃e have a newborn you know.鈥� Yes, we have a brand-new baby, but I signed up to get my additional hours because I already had my master鈥檚, but I had to go back and get my 18 hours in psychology to teach. So, I took classes at William Carey University,鈥� said Davis.

The 2004 麻豆直播 graduate and Laurel native also credits retired Humanities Division Chair, Dr. Ronald Bishop for allowing her to see if switching from recruiting to becoming a psychology instructor in 2017, was truly where she wanted to be.

鈥淚 knew right away that she would make a great teacher because of her exuberant personality, and she proved it was a correct decision,鈥� said Bishop. 鈥淪he taught part-time for several semesters and became an immediate favorite of students. When an opportunity for full-time employment arose, I was happy that she was able to make the move to that faculty position. She did a good job at everything that I asked her to do and was always cheerful and cooperative. It is teachers like Kathryn that students remember fondly. I鈥檓 very happy to see that she is this year鈥檚 Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year.鈥�

Likewise, after teaching full-time for seven years and working at 麻豆直播 for 16 years, Davis said being selected as the MHC Humanities Teacher of the Year is a bit surreal.

鈥淚t’s a huge honor to be in that same category as what I feel are the greats, like Dr. Bishop, Wyatt Moulds, Cheryl Windham, Sarah Ishee, Dr. David Lowery, and Tim Morris. I am still in shock,鈥� shared Davis. 鈥淚 never thought I would be in a category like that. I just never thought I would. It鈥檚 just I know those faculty that taught me are the 鈥榞reats鈥� and to be in that category with them is an honor. It’s a huge honor.鈥�

Current JC Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Julie Atwood said Davis is such an asset to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and to 麻豆直播. Through her various roles at the college as a student, recruiter, dual credit coordinator, and instructor, she has always made students feel welcome and like family.

鈥淲e are very thankful for her willingness to help students reach their academic and career goals and are very excited to honor her as this year鈥檚 Humanities Teacher of the Year for 麻豆直播,鈥� said Atwood.

In addition to teaching five to seven general psychology, human growth and development, and child psychology courses a semester, last fall Davis was asked to take on the new role of Advisement Coordinator by the Office of Instructional Affairs. Her background in recruiting and advisement allows her to work with all of the faculty and help streamline the admissions, business office, and financial aid process for faculty while assisting with questions and troubleshooting, as well as communicating changes in those processes.

Davis is also actively involved in her community, serving as the College and Career Sunday School teacher, Youth Committee member, and VBS teacher at First Baptist Church of Laurel, the Laurel Arts League Chairman of Day in the Park Arts and Crafts Vendors, Hospitality and Scholarships, and has served as President, 1^st and 2^nd Vice President and Chairman of the Passing of the Crown for the Laurel Junior Auxiliary.