Author: Teresa McCreery

ELLISVILLE – Jones College’s 2024 blood drive efforts earned the top three awards of all higher education institutions by the blood service, Vitalant for collecting the most units of blood during the year. At the Blood Drive Coordinator & Milestone Donors Awards Luncheon held in Hattiesburg recently, Jones College’s three donation sites, the Student Union & Thoms P.E. Building coordinated by Dr. Benji Sessums, the Industrial Services Center coordinated by Brad Harrison, and the Jasper County Center in Bay Springs coordinated by Lisa Hammons collected a total of 179 units of blood during two blood drives at each site. The college earned first, second and third place plaques of appreciation at the banquet, however, Harrison said this was actually like winning an Olympic Gold Medal.

“To me, this is like winning the Olympics or the Super Bowl because giving blood saves lives,” said Harrison. “Nothing else could be more important than helping your fellow man and it is rewarding to be able to help so many people by providing a service every fall and spring.”

Vitalant Account Manager, Michelle Anderson-Jones said Jones College is the only college in the state that has a tremendous number of donors who regularly give.

“Jones College is a life changing institution,” said Anderson-Jones. “They always find a way to take care of our community by not only providing excellent educational and vocational opportunities but by also fostering a generation of lifelong blood donors, year after year!”

Over the last 20 years, Jones College has hosted 173 blood drives and has collected 14,169 units of blood.

ELLISVILLE- Jones College art instructor, Mark Brown revealed the two traveling trophies he was commissioned to create for Laurel Main Street’s new event, “Wing Wars” with his sophomore art sculpture students getting a lesson in the unique style of 3D art. With chicken cooking related objects he found, like tongs, whisks and spatulas, mixed with some paper mâché’ using vintage newspapers, chicken wire and Brown’s creative knack for making art out of various items, the traveling trophies for the chicken wing cooking competition, sponsored by Wayne-Sanderson Farms were revealed before sponsors amidst praise.

“We’ve got some cool trophies that travel for all the Laurel Main Street’s other cook-off events, and we were trying to look for something a little bit different,” said Wayne-Sanderson Farms Communications Specialist, Marissa Landon. “Mark actually did a sculpture for us and it’s sitting in the Wayne-Sanderson Farms lobby. He made a sculpture out of chicken house parts after (Hurricane) Katrina and when I saw that sculpture, I knew that’s what I wanted for this cooking event.”

After that summer meeting with Landon to discuss the project and the Wing Wars event, Brown spent about 30 hours actually constructing the two trophies, and about the same amount of time looking for interesting pieces to use.

“It’s an honor, first of all, and I love doing things for the community,” said Brown. “I believe, and I try to demonstrate this for students, how important it is to get out in the community and be active in whatever role that might be. So, I was very honored that Laurel Main Street and Wayne-Sanderson Farms asked me to do this project.”

During the creative process, Brown decided to use the opportunity to inspire his students as it came time to work on their found object art projects. The sophomores learned creating 3D found object art was a true hands-on lesson.

“Mr. Brown was very clever at creating those chicken trophies! I like how he used random objects that go together and turned it into something. I really liked seeing the newspaper with ‘Lunch’ on the side of the chicken, which made me a little hungry this close to lunchtime,” said Precious Perkins of Laurel.

Some of his students were also intrigued by how Brown approached the art found object project with very little planning.

“He taught me that sometimes we overthink stuff and it’s really just a simple process to make art. I learned not to overthink and sometimes simple, is more,” said Zykeria Coleman of Laurel.

Getting out of her comfort zone with this found object art lesson, Lillian Barnett said she was amazed by how trash can become a masterpiece.

“I’ve never done anything like this before and it taught me, anything can be art. You can take nothing and make it into something. I have a new perspective on how I look at the trash on the floor now,” said Barnett.

Also collaborating on the Wing Wars chicken trophy project was the Scotsman Co. who made the wood trophy bases. Jones College’s culinary art students will additionally have two teams competing thanks to Magnolia State Bank who is sponsoring the student teams for the November 9, competition in downtown Laurel.

“Laurel Main Street encompasses a little bit of everything,” said Director of Laurel Main Street, Caroline Burks. “We are the ‘welcome mat’ for visitors to downtown and we try to be the economic engine for downtown, where our businesses are champions. We wear a lot of hats, but this is just one manifestation of us trying to do all those things rolled into one and we’re very excited to partner with Wayne-Sanderson Farms and Jones College. It’s also wonderful to see all the community participating in this new event.”

More information about the Wing Wars chicken wings cook-off can be found at the website, https://laurelmainstreet.com/pages/signature-events

ELLISVILLE –Daniel Baldwin of Magee and Xoe Lockhart of Carriere were recently voted as Mr. and Miss JC by their peers. The sophomores competed for the titles to represent Jones College students and are considered to be the best representation of the student body. They will be recognized during Homecoming activities on Saturday, October 19, 2024.

“This honor means so much to me,” explained Lockhart. “When I arrived at Jones, I was nervous about trying to get involved with any of the campus activities since I didn’t know anyone. Earning this title is such a blessing because I have come a long way at JC making many new friends and lifelong memories at the place I call my second home.”

As a member of the Typhoon Marching Band’s Touch of Gold dance team, Lockhart spends a majority of her time with band members. The 2022 graduate of Pearl River Central High School was a member of the Blue Brigade Dance Team, Show Choir, Beta Club and her peers voted her 2022 Homecoming Queen. The kinesiology major hopes to become an athletic trainer upon graduation from Southern Miss where she also hopes to become a Dixie Darling. Her parents are Jessica Whitfield and Shannon Lockhart.

Mr. JC, Daniel Baldwin is a music industry and recording arts major that moved to Magee as a small child after living in Meridian. The two-time State Karate Champion was also a part of the Homeschool track team and president of the Beta Club. At Jones College, he is the president and social media manager for the Baptist Student Union. Baldwin is also a member of the choir, Jones OnStage, a Resident Assistant for the dorms and a member of the International Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa. He played “Doody” in the musical Grease last spring and has the honor of being the first Christian music artist to release music through the JC recording studio, Free State Records. While on a summer missionary trip to Mexico and Poland, he performed his original song, “Instantaneous” for a live audience and the Mexican Christian Radio station. His future plans include continuing a career in the music industry as an artist and producer and attending Belmont University in Nashville.

“Being chosen as Mr. Jones College is such an honor for a plethora of reasons. Being homeschooled, I never celebrated Homecoming until I came to JC, so getting this honor was unexpected and a privilege. Another reason this role is an honor is because it means that the students trust me to represent them and the college,” said Baldwin.

His parents are Greg and Julie Baldwin.

ELLISVILLE- Jones College’s Office of Student Affairs and Student Government Association along with campus clubs and organizations will host the annual “Treats in the Streets” night of activities on Monday, October 28, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. The Trick-or-Treat Trail event will be held in front of the C.L. Neill Student Center Plaza, the place where the event originated 25 years ago. Admission is free unless otherwise noted, and the public is welcome to attend all events. The annual Treats in the Streets celebration is an outdoor event and may be canceled or modified if it rains or if the weather is not conducive for children.

From 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m., JC clubs and organizations will have treats and games available beginning at the Student Center Plaza. The Trick-or-Treat Trail continues around the A.B. Howard Gymnasium, and around the Hutcheson/Hubbard Administration Building, ending behind the Terrell Tisdale Library and beside the Humanities building. This event is for children, ages 0 to 12 years. All children must be accompanied by an adult to attend.

The children’s costume contest will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the stage located between the C.L. Neill Student Center and the A.B. Howard Gymnasium, for kids ages 0 to 12. At 7 p.m., a costume contest for JC students will begin.

Also, the Jones College all-you-can-eat cafeteria will stay open for dinner until 7:30 p.m. The cost for children ages 4 to 9 years of age is $5.50 and for children ages 10 to adults the cost is $9.55 (tax included). 

For more information about any of these activities please contact Ashliegh Badley at ashliegh.badley@jcjc.edu or call 601-477-2253.

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Jones County Junior College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Jones County Junior College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 3033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Statement of Non-Discrimination and ADA Statement: Jones County Junior College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability in its programs, activities, or employment practices. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries and grievances regarding the non-discrimination policy: The (ADA/ Section 504) Wendy Evans, ADA Coordinator, Terrell Tisdale Library, phone 601-477-2673; email ADACoordinator@jcjc.edu and Title IX Coordinator, Brittany Weatherford-Barron, Hutcheson Hubbard Administration Building, phone 601-477-4127; email brittany.weatherford@jcjc.edu. Jones County Junior College, 900 South Court Street, Ellisville, MS 39437.

ELLISVILLE – The “Golden Era,” Jones College’s Homecoming 2024 theme will be on full display with the Typhoon Marching Band debuting its new uniforms to its largest crowd on Homecoming Saturday, October 19. The parade begins at 10 a.m. at the Terrell Tisdale Library and circles downtown Ellisville, ending on Bush Ave. in front of the M.P. Bush Fine Arts Building. The band’s final performance on Homecoming Saturday is during the Homecoming Court at half-time presentation and through the end of the football game between East Central Community College and Jones College, which begins at 2 p.m.

“It’s been about 11 years since the band has had new uniforms,” explained Director of Bands, Dr. Ben Burge. “I think these new uniforms are beautiful and I’m very excited to be one of the groups on campus wearing the new colors, Cardinal and Vegas Gold. The band was one of the catalysts for that change when Dr. Jesse Smith (JC President) shared the new color scheme with us while we were looking for a new uniform design. He thought the Typhoon would be a great way to spotlight the new campus colors.”

The Typhoon marched into the Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field on September 19, at the football game with Co-Lin and were greeted with a warm welcome. Jones College Typhoon members were also glowing with pride.

“I absolutely love them!” exclaimed Touch of Gold co-captain, Sadie Jones of Taylorsville. “I love the new, ‘old’ Cats logo, and the Vegas Gold and Cardinal colors go really good together.”

Sophomore tuba player from Ellisville, Leo Norman believes the new uniforms also inspire a better show performance.

“It is definitely the best uniform we’ve had in a few years. The colors blend well together, and I love the new logo,” said Norman. “The old uniforms were kind of confusing being cut off really high on the top, there was a lot of black and there is no black in these uniforms. They look clean, sharp and just beautiful!”

The overall “look” of the new uniforms resembles Iowa State’s, with a few little touches, like gold sprinkled in the cardinal color plumes on top of the hats, and the added side sash with the word, “Typhoon” is a favorite amongst current and older band members. Hannah Latham, a sophomore drum major from Sandersville thinks the new uniforms look great on the field, as is the consensus with sophomore drum major, Braden Yarber of Ellisville.

“They are incredible! I am so happy with how they turned out because they look so much cleaner than just the plain black that we had,” said Yarber. “They turned out beautifully!”

Besides the annual Christmas parades, the Typhoon’s last performance during a home football game will be Thursday, October 24, 2024.