Mississippi College Supporters Welcome New Year
Mississippi College’s 190th anniversary celebration wrapped up in grand style in late December as Mississippi Public Broadcasting stations aired MC’s “Festival of Lights” concerts. MC Singers created inspirational memories for thousands of people statewide during the Christmas holidays.
It’s now January 2017, and Mississippi College leaders embrace a new year. The MC administrative team welcomes new leaders on board, including Dr. Cindy Melton as dean of the School of Education. Longtime professor Patricia Bennett goes to work as the new interim dean at MC Law School in Jackson.
Award-winning leaders like Melton and Bennett combine with new online academic programs and key initiatives designed to ensure student success. As always, in the new year, Clinton campus visitors can expect plenty of fabulous concerts, MC Choctaws athletic contests, the spring scholarship banquet and much more on the agenda.
“We begin 2017 anew with a number of positive developments for the Clinton campus and at MC Law in Jackson,” President Lee Royce said. “We seek your prayer and ask for God’s guidance as America’s second oldest Baptist college starts the new year. We believe the future shines bright for the entire Mississippi College family.”
As MC basketball teams hit the hardwood for Gulf South Conference games in January, fans cheering at the A.E. Wood Coliseum noticed major renovations. Part of a $2 million project, the work included enhanced lighting and roof repairs. The Golden Dome’s interior shines brighter than ever.
MC students will love the convenience of taking additional education and nursing programs online in 2017. Reaching millions of students across America via a mix of traditional classroom lectures and online courses is one trend to last for years to come.
The gavel is being passed at the School of Education with Dean Don Locke’s retirement in December after a successful 19 years at his post. Cindy Melton, an MC graduate and chairman of the teacher education and leadership department, will prove to be an effective successor.
Succeeding former dean Wendy Scott, who will teach classes at MC Law this spring, Patricia Bennett takes the reins at an institution enjoying an uptick in first-year students. MC Law welcomed 135 first-year students, an increase from 122 students in 2015.
MC Law recently created new immigration and parent representation clinics and a new business transactions skills course. Led by Bennett, an MC Law graduate, the school will step up its student recruitment and fund-raising efforts. Community service projects in metro Jackson should expand.
On the Clinton campus, the Mississippi College Music Department will sponsor a series of concerts that will appeal to music lovers across the Magnolia State.
The Sclater Chamber Music Series, named for award-winning composer James Sclater of Clinton, resumes Friday January 20. Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” will be the featured program at the Jean Pittman Williams Recital Hall. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students. The program begins at 7:30 p.m.
Another Music Department production sure to delight audiences is the Mississippi College premiere of the Broadway musical “Show Boat.” It was also an acclaimed 1951 movie starring actress Ava Gardner. With music by Jerome Kern, the luxury Cotton Blossom show boat is a must stop for MC music patrons making the trek to Jean Pittman Williams Recital Hall. The show runs February 23-26. Performances are at 7 p.m. Feb. 23-25 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 26. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students.
A February 27 Jazz Band Concert at Williams Recital Hall and Symphonic Winds Concert March 6 at Swor Auditorium are other notable events. Both begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free to the public.
Another must-see production is Donald McCullough’s “Holocaust Cantata” set for a performance Sunday April 9 in the Jennings Hall courtyard.
The 13-movement work for choir, piano and solo cello is based on original music sung by musicians imprisoned in Nazi death camps of World War II. At the concert, the MC Singers will combine with student soloists and local cellist Ben Randman. Mark Nabholz, director of choral music, will conduct. Admission is free to the 3 p.m. event and the public is invited.
Started in 2008, one of Mississippi College’s signature events remains the Christian university’s Spring Scholarship dinner. MC attracts some of America’s premier speakers.
The list includes former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and “America’s Mayor” Rudy Giuliani, a key advisor to President-Elect Donald J. Trump. This year’s guest speaker will be Chuck Hagel. The program at Anderson Hall will be April 18. For ticket information, contact Amy Rowan of the MC Advancement Office at 601-925-3257 or Rowan@mc.edu
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