Jones College’s Music & Theater Departments presents, “Grease”
ELLISVILLE – The first musical theater production held in Jones College’s newly remodeled M.P. Bush Auditorium will be the iconic Broadway hit and movie, “Grease” on Friday, April 5 & 6, at 7 p.m., with a Sunday April 7, matinee at 2 p.m. Jones College 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’s Chicago that writer Jim Jacobs developed the characters and setting for the musical, “Grease.”
“We’re 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,” 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, “Doody” when the musical toured nationally 30 years ago.
“I 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,” shared Smith. “I think it’s ironic, and a lot of people don’t know this, but these characters are based on Jacob’s friends in real life and the real events that took place in their lives.”
Twenty-seven Jones College students will be dancing and singing Broadway’s most memorable songs of the 50’s. Also, the chart-topping songs from the hit 1978 movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, including, “Summer Nights,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” and “Greased Lightnin’” will also bring the audience back to this popular time period.
“Some of the language has been modified, so it’s 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,” said Smith.
Playing the role made famous by Travolta, “Danny Zuko” 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, “Shrek.” However, Danny admitted, he is a lot like his character in Grease.
“I like how nonchalant Danny is because he just kicks back and does whatever he feels needs to be done,” said Singleterry. “I also hope the audience enjoys the nostalgic music.”
In her first appearance at Jones College’s musical theater production, Sumrall’s Jessie Deare plays the role of Danny’s 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.
“I’m very excited and a little nervous but as we keep going, I’m getting more excited,” said Deare. “I’ve 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.”
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’s play, Cinderella. Playing the “bad girl” role is something she said she enjoys and thrives on.
“I feel like I can really get into my Hispanic side for these types of roles,” said Lopez. “I can be a little spicy with it.”
Smith shared, “Lopez is a little Cuban spitfire. She’s like this in real life too. She’s 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’s nonchalant; she’s the character.”
Keneckie’s character, the cool car guy is played by music industry major from Collins, Eli Carter who was in Jones College’s original musical theater review last spring, “STARCROSSED.” Just like his character, Carter works on cars at his dad’s shop, Classic Auto Sales and is a rising musician.
Tickets for general admission are $15, and $10 for Jones College 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, https://www.jcjc.edu/grease/.
“Having 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,” said Smith. “The 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.”
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 Jones College Arts, Music, and Performance website and social media pages for details prior to the performance. For more information about the Jones College Arts, Music and Performance department, call 601-477-4203.
Cast, Crew and Ensemble
Nicholas Singleterry-Oak Grove, “Danny Zuko”
Jessie Deare-Sumrall, “Sandy”
Eli Carter-Collins, “Kenickie”
Kiandra Lopez-Laurel, “Rizzo”
Kameron Carter-Columbia, “Frenchy”
Aliyah Watts-Sandy Hook, “Marty”
Sydney Ivey-Raleigh, “Jan”
Daniel Baldwin-Magee, “Doody”
Silas Ensign-Laurel, “Sonny”
Seth Walker-Laurel, “Roger”
Bryce Jasper-Laurel, “Vince Fontaine
Kelly Biglane-Ellisville, “Cha-Cha”
Isaiah Spradley-Laurel, “Johnny Casino”
Matthew Taylor-Richland, “Eugene Florczyk
Sydnee Tisdale-Ellisville, “Miss Lynch”
Taylor Garretson-Leakesville, “Patty Simcox”
Antarian Chapman-Hebron, “Teen Angel”
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.
The Erin and Ben Napier School of Design and Building Construction at Jones College
ELLISVILLE – During a recent episode of HGTV’s Home Town, featuring the renovation of Jones College’s Old President’s House on the Ellisville campus by two of JC’s famous alumni, Ben and Erin Napier of Laurel, Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith announced a new program to be named in the couple’s 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.
“Watching them and seeing the growth that happens in the towns where their show goes, it’s impressive to see and we’ve learned a lot,” said Smith. “Those trades and those craftsmen’s skill sets are art and a craft that’s been lost. We want to reemphasize and teach those skills in a centralized location.”
Napier’s emotional response to the announcement during their show sparked support for the facility with donations through the Jones College 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’s emphasized the difficulty in finding local craftsmen while renovating houses in the Laurel area, during the announcement of this project.
“We 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,” Smith explained. “Some people might not think construction trades make a great career but most of these entrepreneurs do very well and it’s a great life. We are very dependent on these craftsmen and artisans here, to keep the college going. We’re building for the future.”
Programs included in the new Napier’s 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.
“We want to rebuild hometowns all over America. Small towns help make America great,” said Smith. “We 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.”
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’s School.
“We are so honored,” said Erin Napier during the college’s “Live Viewing” of the episode when the announcement was made on their show. “We 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.”
To learn more about the Erin and Ben Napier School of Building and Design and to make donations go to the website, https://www.jcjc.edu/alumni_foundation/the-erin-ben-napier-school-of-design-building-arts/
Jones College FBLA students head to national competition
ELLISVILLE – Twelve of the thirteen Jones College 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.
“Twelve of the students will be going to the four-day national conference and competition in Orlando,” said Jones College’s FBLA Advisor, David Ray. “These students worked very hard, and we are excited to see what they can do at the national level this summer”.
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’ 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’s 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.
Blood Drive at Jones College
ELLISVILLE – Jones College’s 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’s 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, https://donors.vitalant.org/ 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, Jones College 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.
Jones College student, Krista Adamick donated blood during the fall blood drive on campus.
Jones College’s Kathryn Davis selected as Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year
ELLISVILLE –Jones College Social Sciences instructor, Kathryn Davis has been selected as the Jones College 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, “The Feature Film: A Cinematic Journey of Emerging Adulthood,” before the MHC honors her and 29 other faculty members statewide in Jackson, on March 22.
“This 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’s 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’s a growing field in human growth and development right now,” said Davis.
Initially, Davis planned to become a psychometrist. She got sidetracked while taking retired Jones College psychology instructor, Randy Vinzant’s human growth and development and psychology classes as a dual-enrolled high school student. While at the University of Southern Mississippi earning her bachelor’s 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. “Psychology” sat “on the shelf” for several more years while Davis earned her master’s in education in College Student Personnel from USM in 2011.
“It’s all because of Vinzant’s class that I love psychology so much. I just didn’t know what I was going to do with it because I dabbled in testing and learning disabilities, but I wasn’t sure. Then, I just fell into recruiting,” Davis shared.
After getting married, she left the USM recruiting department and helped launch the Jones College 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.
“I remember calling my husband Matthew saying, I got to go back to school. He was like, ‘We have a newborn you know.’ Yes, we have a brand-new baby, but I signed up to get my additional hours because I already had my master’s, but I had to go back and get my 18 hours in psychology to teach. So, I took classes at William Carey University,” said Davis.
The 2004 Jones College 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.
“I knew right away that she would make a great teacher because of her exuberant personality, and she proved it was a correct decision,” said Bishop. “She 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’m very happy to see that she is this year’s Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year.”
Likewise, after teaching full-time for seven years and working at Jones College for 16 years, Davis said being selected as the MHC Humanities Teacher of the Year is a bit surreal.
“It’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,” shared Davis. “I never thought I would be in a category like that. I just never thought I would. It’s just I know those faculty that taught me are the ‘greats’ and to be in that category with them is an honor. It’s a huge honor.”
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 Jones College. 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.
“We 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’s Humanities Teacher of the Year for Jones College,” 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, 1st and 2nd Vice President and Chairman of the Passing of the Crown for the Laurel Junior Auxiliary.