Mississippi Christian University

Budding entrepreneurs in the School of Business at Mississippi College are refining their business acumen while developing what could become the next great commercial startup idea by competing in the NextUP! Student Pitch Competition in Hattiesburg April 13.

Laguna Social Tribe welcomed new members in the fall semester. Laguna is a social and service organization that joined the club and tribe system at Mississippi College in 1952. The Hard Places Community serves as the tribe's philanthropic focus. Mississippi College's clubs and tribes system is made up of ten organizations that provide social and service opportunities to students.

Nathan Thomas, a biology/ pre-med major and member of the class of 2023, was recently accepted to the University of Mississippi Medical School.

Hannah Rose Turner is selected as the recipient of the Mississippi College Social Work Program nominee for the Mississippi Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) annual Claire Nowlin undergraduate student of the year.

Research dealing with Alzheimer's disease, autism, and alternative medicines remain popular research topics for college students nationwide. The impact of climate change, methods of destroying cancer cells, studies of neonatal intensive care units are other subjects attracting studies on campuses. On April 12, undergraduates from Mississippi College and Tougaloo College will present their latest research findings at a conference on the Clinton campus. The 16thannual symposium is open to students in all disciplines doing undergraduate research. Students from the two nearby Mississippi institutions will make poster and oral presentations in natural sciences, social science, humanities along with education. MC's student chapter of the American Chemical Society received a $1,000 grant from ACS and $300 more from its Mississippi section to help pay for the sessions. Other funds for the Spring symposium are coming from student chapter fund raisers. Breanna Holmes serves as president of the American Chemical Society chapter on the Clinton campus. She successfully applied for the grants coming to the university. "This is a great honor," said Mississippi College chemistry professor Trent Selby. "We received one of only three available grants from ACS for this purpose." An Albertville, Alabama resident, Holmes is a former chemistry major who recently switched to electrical engineering. Holmes leads an American Chemical Society student chapter at Mississippi College with 122 members. MC's organization ranks among the best in the nation. The group engaged in more than 100 events in 2017-18 to rank 5th best in the USA. The ACS remains the world's largest scientific society. The Washington-based professional development society consists of 150,000 members in over 140 nations. To be eligible to receive symposium awards in April, students must submit an abstract of 1600 words or less to Mississippi College chemistry professor David Magers by a March 7 deadline.

Caleb Shipman's photo of a pair of shadowy figures at the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson was good enough to receive a major award. In fact, the Mississippi College art student received the top honor for his work at a statewide contest. "State Fair Shadows" was chosen the best in its photography category at the 69th annual Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition. The recognition came at the program's awards ceremony on January 26 at Delta State University. Being recognized No. 1 in the competition's photography division is quite an achievement. It should also make Caleb better at his craft. "Getting the award has made me want to keep on improving my skills as a photographer," Shipman says. "I am very happy that I won the award." Studying graphic design, Caleb is the talented son of longtime overseas missionaries. He's also among seven players on Mississippi College's nationally ranked table tennis team. Shipman's photo will remain on display at Delta State's Fielding Wright Art Gallery through February 21 on the Cleveland campus. Other winners will have their works on display there as well. MC art student Catherine Reed received an award of excellence at the event. Her beautiful drawing portrays the late Rosa Parks. An American civil rights activist, Parks is best known for her pivotal role leading the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott in 1955. Then a black Alabama seamstress, she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. Parks died in Detroit in 2005. There were 900 entries submitted by college students in various categories in the statewide contest. Catherine Reed, Caleb Shipman, JT Smith, Katie Robinson and Emily Dacus were the five Mississippi College students submitting entries. "We are very proud of all our students who entered and those who got in the show and placed," said Randy Jolly, director of MC's Gore Galleries. "These students are to be congratulated for their talents and diligence in pursuing the high talents that God endowed them with." Of the 900 entries turned in each year, the list is narrowed to about 100 chosen for the show. The competition is open to all art students from four-year colleges across the Magnolia State. Jenny K. Hager, a sculpture professor at the University of North Florida, served as the juror selecting this year's award winners.

MC senior Emily Simmering of Gulf Breeze, Florida Emily Simmering seeks to impact lives as a future interior designer. A Mississippi College senior, Simmering penned an essay exploring how her profession intends to do just that. It was good enough for Simmering to recently win an essay contest sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers in its South Central Region. Advancing the profession, the association's region covers Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. As a future designer, Emily wants to "craft spaces that are not only aesthetically beautiful, but accessible to everyone. I hope to paint a picture in the client's heads about their future customers or employees' needs." In her essay, the interior design student wrote that clients "need to see how imperative it is to their business that spaces have a universal design that's welcoming and functional to all." One of Simmering's family members is visually impaired and navigates through life's spaces, both public and private, with his seeing eye dog. Experiencing how he moves through life's spaces "shows me how important the smallest design details can be," Emily said. As an interior designer, the 21-year-old Gulf Breeze, Florida resident wants to "create spaces that impacts and makes life better.'' The regional chapter of the Washington-based organization includes nearly 700 student and professional members. Competition winners from regions nationwide will attend a student interior design conference in New York City. Mandy Berdami, director of the interior Design program in the MC Department of Art, raves about Emily Simmering's accomplishments on the Clinton campus as she pursues her life's calling. Her successful entry pays her expenses to attend an interior design conference in the Empire State, Berdami noted. "She will network with a variety of design professionals from all over the country and learn a great deal about the industry." Happening prior to her Mississippi College graduation in May, Emily will gain insights by attending meetings of America's oldest and largest professional organization for interior designers. Founded in 1975, the group includes 13,500 design members nationwide. There are 5,500 student members and 6,000 industry partners signed up. The Floridian was recognized for the honor in the South Central chapter's monthly newsletter. Graduate School Dean Debbie Norris joined Art Department professors adding their congratulations to the innovative Mississippi College student.

The Mississippi College debate team recently turned in solid performances at the Red River Classic tournament at Louisiana State University-Shreveport. Results show MC earned three octofinalist trophies, two quarter-finalist trophies and one finalist. William Moore of Alexandria, Virginia, the university's best finisher, ended with an impressive 9-2 record. MC debaters Jo Doucette of Magnolia, Miss. and Moore earned fourth and third-place speaker awards. Several other Mississippi College debaters made the trip to the Bayou State. Others included: Christian Wear, Creed Hendrickson, Warren Tripp, and Muriel Collins. Collins of Union, Miss. and Wear of Abita Springs, Louisiana finished the competition as quarterfinalists.