Hall $15.00 (SMCC

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Summit, MS

39666 Permit No. 10

October 28, 2016

Serving SMCC Since 1940

Volume 72, No. 2

g{x

INE

URR

Index

Editorial... 2

Sports...5

Cartoons...7

Ads... 8

P B

Parade of Beauties crowns

Monica Amic Most Beautiful

By Michael Wilson, staff writer

On the evening of October 20th, guests gathered within the Hurst Auditorium to watch nineteen beautiful women compete for the title of SMCC’s “Most Beautiful.” The event began at six-thirty that evening with a rousing performance of Adele’s “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” that featured Haley Simmons, 2015’s “Most Beautiful.” Cody Pol, Treasurer of the Student Government Association, welcomed everyone to the event and introduced Mrs. Ashley Gray, Director of Student Activities and Housing, as the evening’s dazzling host. Next, Mrs. Gray introduced the panel of judges that would be adjudicating the event. The judges who attended the event were Debbie Fant, Michael Marks, and Nelda Sistrunk. After the judges were introduced, the individual modeling began. Each contestant made her way onto the stage and modeled her evening gown for the judges to see. Of those nineteen contestants, only ten women were chosen to enter the next round. As the judges deliberated on who to eliminate from the compe-tition, Loryn Hollis, a stage band vocalist, performed “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables.

Once the final scores had been tallied, the top ten contestants were then asked to join Mrs. Gray on stage. The top ten contestants were Kennedy Mount, Melane Casey Williams, Brooke Elise Smith, Erika Alford, Monica Amic, Kimberly Anding, Jada Brown, Destiny Brister, Laura “Liza” Nettles, and Alexandra Moore. The top ten contestants were then asked to model their evening gowns once more before the judges. As soon as the contestants had returned backstage, Mrs. Gray, Dr. Bill Ashley, and Student Government Association Secretary MeOshia Williams announced SMCC’s Who’s Who of 2015. Each member was awarded a certificate stating his or her presented title and was asked to exit the stage. At last, the top five contestants were announced. The overall top five were Erika Alford, Jada Brown, Alexandra Moore, Laura “Liza” Nettles, and Brooke Smith. As the winning representative of last year’s beauty pageant, Haley Simmons awarded each contestant with a bouquet of flowers, assisted by Dr. Steve Bishop. Last, but certainly not the least, the contestant selected as “Most Beautiful” was Monica Amic. The evening began as a night full of anticipation and suspense; however, as the event came to a close, the night turned out to be a joyous event in which all participants were praised for their gallant effort shown on the stage. Though only one contestant was chosen to come out on top, every contestant that stepped onstage was absolutely stunning.

Haley Simmons, 2015 Most Beautiful, crowns Monica Amic, Most Beautiful, as President Dr. Steve Bishop presents her with a bouquet of roses.

photo by Chuck Barnes

Campus Events

Friday, October 28

A tribute to Elvis

Tickets

$15.00 (SMCC

Workforce

Training Center)

Saturday, October 29

Homecoming

Soccer Semi-Finals

Tournament

Football @ 5:00 East

Central

CC @ Home

Open House for Alford

Conerly Hall 1:00-4:00

Alford Conerly Hall

Dedication Ceremony @

2:00

Membership meeting

and induction Ceremony

(upstairs

Auditorium- HSU) @

4:00

Tuesday, November 1

Election Day

Registration begins for

winter and spring terms

Residence Hall Meeting

Friday, November 4

Last day to drop a class

with grade of W (Day,

Evening & Online)

Saturday, November 5

Basketball @ 2:00/4:00

Delgado CC, New

Orleans

Monday, November 7

Basketball @ 5:30/ 7:15

Mississippi Delta,

Moorhead

Friday, November 11

Veterans Day Assembly

Saturday November 12

All Star Games

2:00/4:00

Ridgeland

Monday, November 14

Coca-Cola Classic

BRCC

(men) 5:30-7:15 Summit

Tuesday, November 15

Coca-Cola Classic @

5:30

7:15 Southern

Shreveport

Summit

Friday, November 18

Residence Hall Closes

@ 4:00

PM for Thanksgiving

Break

Saturday, November 19

Basketball @ Mobile

University JV, Mobile

Monday November, 21 –

Friday, November 25

Thanksgiving Break

Sunday, November 27

Residence hall Opens @

4:00

Tuesday, November 29

Campus Wide

Communion

@6:00 PM

By Brooke Smith, co-editor

The men of Southwest Mississippi Community College are ecstatic about the new Alford-Conerly residence hall. The state-of-the-art wood and brick building began its construc-tion in fall 2014 and has been opened this fall 2016. Students moved in earlier this month, with much praise regarding the mod-ern aesthetic and supreme func-tionality of the building. Every resident and member of the Southwest family appreciates the support that enabled the building of the impressive structure.

The new 31,592 square foot men’s residence hall at Southwest Mississippi Community College is named after longtime college trustees Hollis Alford and Jerry Conerly, Alford, from Pike County, and Conerly, of Walthall County. Alford served 52 years and Conerly served 51 years on the Southwest Board of Trustees and have held positions of both chair-man and vice-chairchair-man for a majority of that time. “They’ve committed a lot of time to Southwest Mississippi Community College, and they’ve been dedicated to the college,” President Dr. Steve Bishop said. Alford-Conerly is a two-story residence hall with the capacity to house 122 students in its 61 dormitory-style rooms. The approximately $6.5 million proj-ect located behind the Baptist Student Union opened for move-in this September, and its resi-dents have been more than happy with their new home. Southwest Mississippi Community College has equipped its new campus housing with state-of-the-art technology such as Wi-Fi that spans throughout the entire building, a security surveillance system, and an electronic card reader access point at the entrance. With amenities includ-ing an elevator, vendinclud-ing machines, keycard locks on each door, study rooms, cable, laundry rooms, and more, the men are experiencing campus living like never before. The new residence hall has changed the campus for the better, and it will accommo-date incoming residents in style and comfort for years to come.

The lobby has become a major “hangout spot” in the new resi-dence hall. “We play cards, hang out with friends, and play music; it’s good times!” Basketball team member, Guy Johnson reported. "The new dorms are bigger, and they have more room. They're nicer. You don't have to share a bathroom; it's just you and your roommate," freshman Jack Kelly said. "It's like living in an apartment!" Alford-Conerly is also home to Head Resident Tate Allen who resides in the building’s Head Resident apart-ment, which boasts its own patio. Director of Student Activities and Housing, Ashley Sasser-Gray, announced, “A building dedication will be held on Saturday, October 29th, at 2:00 p.m. with an open house from 1:00-4:00 p.m.” The building dedication is a monumental part of Homecoming festivities. Members of the Southwest Mississippi Community College administration, faculty, staff, stu-dent body, and alumni could not be more appreciative and proud of what the Alford-Conerly resi-dence hall offers the campus. The building further illustrates how much support for Southwest is poured out from the communi-ty and all of those who can say they are or were a Southwest Bear. From the modern brick-and-glass construction to the advanced technology and home-like amenities, Alford-Conerly sets the standard for what is to come at Southwest.

Alford-Conerly

Hall

welcomes

Monica Amic, Most Beautiful, smiles at the audience. photo by Chuck Barnes

Top Five: Liza Nettles, Beauty; Erika Alford, Beauty; Brooke Smith, Beauty; Monica Amic, Most Beautiful; Alexandra Moore, Beauty; and Jada Brown, Beauty, pose for a picture.

Editorial By Cody Pol, Editor

Greetings! I hope you all have had a productive and enlightening semester; I know I have! Through all of our trials and tribulations, it is important to remember that if we do our best work and put forth as much effort as we possibly can, the results will be well worth the trying time.

The semester is quickly coming to an end, so be sure to stay on top of your grades and finish strong-ly. We all know that in this day and age, a high GPA and the prop-er credentials are pprop-ertinent to landing a good job with an above-average salary; that sentiment rings true when applying to a uni-versity, also. Take advantage of all that Southwest has to offer; the Student Success Center in the library offers tutoring, and all of the excellent instructors are will-ing to help whenever you are struggling. I am proud to say that I am a Southwest Bear, and as always, I wish you all the best of luck in everything you do!

As anyone who has watched

any television news or logged onto social media well knows, it is election season. The United States is a republic that is gov-erned by a representative democ-racy, so it is crucial that every cit-izen casts his or her vote in order to ensure that our government is run as efficiently and ethically as possible. A quote by Bayard Rustin, I believe, resonates with anyone who wants the best for our country, “If we desire a socie-ty of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence. If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society.” In order to build

that ideal society, Louis L’Amour phrased it better than I can, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to com-plain.” Many countries do not have the right to vote; it was not that long ago that women in our country were denied the right to vote. We have traveled such a long way since those times, but we still have further to go. Whoever you support in the pres-idential race, whether that candi-date is Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, or a third-party candidate, be sure to cast your vote on November 8th!

2

October 28, 2016

The Pine Burr

Editor... Cody Pol

Co-Editors...Jordan Boyd, Kimi

Jeanson, Brooke Smith

Staff Writers... Jake Adams, Spencer Bonds,

Chelsey Bowers, Lakin Brown, Caleb Byrd,

Darrion Carter, Devin Chadwick, Cody Gisclair,

Garret Graves, Shalisa Hawthorne, Adrienne

Lomax-Rhymes, Emily Phillips, Stephanie Rimes,

Jonathan Scott, Christian Spencer, Michael

Wilson

Advisor...Joyce Mabry

The Pine Burr is published monthly during regular academic sessions.  Views expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily those of the faculty and administration.  Writers express themselves under their by-lines.

Offices are located in Kenna Hall, Room 29; the telephone number is 276-3843.  The staff invites readers to submit opinion columns and letters to the editor.  Pine Burr, Kenna Hall, Summit, MS 39666.

E-mail:

pineburr@smcc.edu

Southwest Mississippi Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, or disability in its programs, activities or employ-ment practices. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries and griev-ances regarding the non-discrimination policies: Rhonda Gibson, Director of Disability Support Services, 601-276-3885; Dr. Bill Ashley, Vice President of Student Affairs and Title IX Coordinator and Director of Athletics, 601-276-3717, 1156 College Dr., Summit, MS 39666.

Words from the SGA Secretary

Quote of the Month

“Success is not the key to

happiness. Happiness is the key to

success. If you love what you are

doing, you will be successful.”

--ALBERT SCHWEITZER

BEAR AWARE

In order to effectively communicate emergency information to SMCC employees and students, SMCC has implemented a rapid alert and notification system developed by SchoolCast. BearAware is a service that allows employees and students of SMCC to receive alerts, news, or other emergency information via text, email, or by phone. Participation in Bear Aware is not mandatory but encouraged. At this time, the only information entered into the SchoolCast database is the student's "smcc.edu" email address.

Please read the following because our procedures for handling Bear Aware have changed. An email has been sent to all current students, faculty, and staff with their login information for Bear Aware. Students, faculty, and staff no longer need to request this information by emailing bearaware@smcc.edu.

Dear Students,

You should have received an email with your Bear Aware Login Information on August 31, 2016. An additional email will be sent to your email account at 9:00 AM this morning (September 26, 2016) with your login information. It’s basically the same email that was sent on August 31, 2016. If you have already logged in and set up your account, no additional action is required on your part. We will be sending more of these login information emails on the 20th of each month this semester to encourage participation in the system.

Again, if you have already set up your account, no action is required on your part. We do recommend logging in to Bear Aware at least once a month and verifying the accuracy of your information.

Please read the login information email in its entirety. It will explain why your password may be represented by asterisks (*) and what to do if you cannot log in or if you forgot your password.

If you have any questions, send them to bearaware@smcc.edu from your SMCC email account. We cannot communicate about Bear Aware accounts from other personal or business email accounts you may have. You do not have to contact bearaware@smcc.edu for your login information unless you don’t get a login information email.

Editorial

Editorial: Be responsible

Cody Pol

Dear Fellow Students,

I hope that all of you are having a great semester. For many of you, Southwest is your first college experience. With that in mind, I would like to emphasize the important role that the Student Government Association plays on our campus. Our goal as the SGA is to work hard in creating ideas and incentives that will not only benefit you, but also the future students of our institution. We strive to make your college experience the best one possible. Your voice matters; we encourage each and every student at Southwest to make his or her problems or issues known. Each member of the SGA took an oath to serve and be there for our fellow students, so remember that without a voice, no change can be made!

This academic year has flown by quickly so far and has possibly posed many challenges as we make the transition to the modern technology of eBooks. I extend a big thanks to Cengage, fellow students, administration, faculty, and staff members who have worked diligently in trying to make the switch as easy as possible. I know many of you have been swamped with your studies, but as this fall semester closes, try to stay focused and keep your eyes on the prize! Everyone

at Southwest wants your academic journey to be a success, so I challenge you to go forth with a mind to succeed. Take pride in your college, get involved on campus, and share and make memories that will last a lifetime! I wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. Get involved. Go Bears!

MeOshia Williams

SGA Student Body Secreatry

MeOshia Williams

Apply for FAFSA now

Are you aware that you can file your 2017-2018 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this month?

Beginning this fall, students will be allowed to file their FAFSA for the next school year as early as October 1, 2016 instead of waiting until January 1, 2017. Having the option to file the FAFSA in October will be a permanent change to the annual FAFSA process.

The information used to com-plete the FAFSA will be slightly

different from past years. Beginning with the 2017-2018 FAFSA, students will enter income and tax information from two years prior to the academic year for which they are applying. This means that you will use 2015 tax data to apply for financial aid for the 2017-2018 academic year. As confusing as these changes may seem, the actual act of com-pleting your 2017-2018 FAFSA should be fairly easy. By using the 2015 tax information, most students will be able to use the

IRS data retrieval tool. The IRS data retrieval tool allows a FAFSA filer to transfer their IRS tax return information from the IRS website directly into their FAFSA. This decreases the amount of time it takes to com-plete the FAFSA, and it decreases errors.

Remember, you will not know what financial aid is available to you until you complete the FAFSA. The best way to do so is online at the Federal Student Aid FAFSA website

www.fafsa.ed.gov. SMCC’s school code is 002436. If you will transfer to a senior college for Fall 2017, please use their school code.

Should you have any further questions, please contact your SMCC Financial Aid Counselor below based on your last name:

A-G: Tammy Cain,601-276-3707,tcain@smcc.edu; H-M:Stacey Hodges,601-276-4805,slee@smcc.edu;

N-Z: Surbrina Cameron,601-276-4804,scameron@smcc.edu

Alumni thrive at universities

By Brooke Smith, co-editor

Southwest Mississippi Community College bodes claim to many successful alumni. Among its most notable alumni are Woodie Assaf, long time weatherman at WLBT in Jackson; Jarrod Dyson, outfielder for the Kansas City Royals; David Green of the Mississippi state legisla-ture; and Glover Quinn, starting safety in the NFL. Southwest has provided a great start and a phe-nomenal foundation to thousands of students on the road to univer-sities and beyond.

Some of Southwest’s most recent alumni have shared about their time and experiences here at Southwest. Christian Green, inducted into the SMCC Hall of Fame in 2016, when asked to give his best advice to community col-lege freshmen interested in trans-ferring to a university shared, "One of the best pieces of advice I can give to a student coming from Southwest to a university is to get out of your comfort zone. Study, go to the library, be social and meet people, do not be afraid to try new things." Green is cur-rently a junior at the University of Mississippi, where he is double majoring in Mathematics and Chemistry.

"Southwest gave me a sense of accomplishment. From the awards I won and the several roles I served around campus, [the institution] helped me realize what I was truly capable of,” LSU transfer student Seth Nieman stat-ed. “I’d be lying if I said I doubt-ed my decision to attend Southwest at first, but once I set-tled in, I knew it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Wes Wroten, who now attends the University of Southern Mississippi agrees, "Southwest definitely was a huge stepping stone for me going into a univer-sity. I was grateful for the oppor-tunity to talk with my instructors and build relationships inside the classroom, which helped my GPA and my understanding of the sub-jects I studied." Wroten is a for-mer BSU President and Praise Team leader at SMCC.

Former Bear Tracker Leeanna Hodges believes her biggest

les-son learned at Southwest was time management. “As cliché as it sounds, and as much as we hear it all of the time as college stu-dents, time management truly is vital for success in any task you take on. Get involved, but don’t spread yourself too thin,” Hodges offered, “Whatever you’re doing and wherever you are, make sure that you’re all in and making the most of the time you’re devoting to it. Turn off your phone when you’re studying or working. Don’t stress about assignments and due dates while you’re trying to relax and have fun. Work hard and work diligently, but make sure to schedule some time to relax and breathe.” Time manage-ment was a resounding and popu-lar answer among SMCC alumni when asked about their most valuable lesson learned as a new college student and as an SMCC Bear. “No one else will ever love you like your Southwest family. Instructors and administrators at Southwest know your name, care about your future, and want to see you thrive even after graduation.” Hodges said. “Most have an open-door policy and greet you with a smile when you come in, eager to help you. Thanks to the small atmosphere at Southwest, it’s possible to make connections with everyone on campus because most classes will have no more than thirty students in them. At Ole Miss, most of my classes have been in an auditorium, and I have not had a lecture class with less than 100 students in it,” Hodges compared. Leeanna is currently a senior/first year phar-macy student at Ole Miss.

Seth Nieman reported that the biggest difference between Southwest and a university is, “Definitely class size and the connection to my professors. At Southwest, you’re able to develop a closer relationship with your instructors, and that’s something to take advantage of. Learn how to balance your classes out along your schedule, because that can also become overwhelming at a university.”

According to Southwest Mississippi Community College’s website, smcc.edu, the first sentence of Southwest’s mis-sion statement says, “Southwest

Mississippi Community College provides academic, career, and continuing education, meeting the diverse needs of the population at a reasonable cost.” The abound-ing majority of Southwest alum-ni, when questioned, fully agree in every respect. Former students of Southwest are scattered throughout the state, our region, and the country, many boasting tremendous successes.

Abbey Hooks, former “Miss SMCC,” says choosing Southwest straight out of high school as opposed to going straight to a senior college was one of the best decisions she ever made for her education. “I am extremely glad I chose to attend Southwest before going to Ole Miss. Southwest allowed me to grow and mature as a more inde-pendent person,” admitted Hooks. “It gave me a period between graduating high school and going to ‘big college.’ Southwest gave me two years to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and allowed me to take classes that made me realize my strengths and weaknesses. Southwest also allowed me to make friendships and connections that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Attending Southwest has allowed me to continue my colle-giate journey at Ole Miss with scholarship opportunities I would have only dreamed about if I had come to Ole Miss straight out of high school.” Hooks continued, “Southwest pushed me to become a better student, placed me in experiences I would have never gotten anywhere else, and finally, being a SMCC student allowed me to participate in and represent the school in experiences that I am extremely grateful for and still cherish the memories. Because of all these reasons, I recommend attending Southwest to any high school student because it has truly changed my life for the better,” stated Hooks, who is now enrolled at the University of Mississippi major-ing in Accountancy with minors in Business Administration, Management, and Marketing. Ole Miss senior Hodges fully agrees with Hooks’s statement. “Thanks to Southwest, I was able to finish my pre-professional courses

com-pletely debt free, without any tuition, housing, or textbook costs to myself or my parents. When I was a freshman at Southwest, I had an entirely different plan laid out for myself. Along the way, I decided to attend a different uni-versity and even changed my major.” Hodges also added, “If I had gone straight to the universi-ty I had planned on right after graduation from high school, I would have had to transfer after my junior year to complete the coursework as a pharmacy major. Not only do I consider Southwest a financially smart decision, but I would also tell anyone that it is absolutely the best decision I ever made.”

3

October 28, 2016

News

Fall

essentials:

pumpkin

spice and

everything

nice

By Jordan Boyd, co-editor

Pumpkin spice and everything nice, fall is here, can we all cheer? We can all agree that as soon as October comes around, everything gets better from this point on. With Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to, October is bound to get us excit-ed for the following season. Let’s not just let this fabulous month pass us by; it’s time to bring out those fashionable (or not) thrift shop sweaters, get shockingly scared at haunted houses, sit by the fire, and eat and drink any-thing that’s pumpkin spice. This all seems like a great plan, but there is one little problem: when living in the great state of Mississippi, it’s a little rough to sit by the fire in our oversized fall sweaters when the weather is at least eighty degrees. There is no need to worry, though, because I am here to tell you that you can have your pumpkin spice latte and drink it, too. I have one thing to say, “SEC Football!” It’s the best time of the year to wear your favorite university t-shirt, have some boiled peanuts, and cheer on your favorite football team. Along with the SEC, there’s also tailgating, and you all know that we can tailgate down here!

For many people, the coming of fall means just one thing: pumpkin spice is in season. You can sprinkle the spice blend over your popcorn, try it in your pasta, make some sweet spiced nuts, and stir it into pancake batter; there are plenty of ways to use pumpkin spice, but to spare a Bubba Gump moment, you can look on Pinterest to get creative with all things pumpkin spice. Fall is a unique season, and you can’t always do these kind of things in the summer. From the cooler weather to the one-of-a-kind flavors of the season, fall is my favorite time of the year. I hope you all go out and take part in what this season has to offer; I know I will!

SMCC recognizes honorees

By Christian Spencer, staff writer

Tim Ponder is a twenty-year-old freshman from the Ukraine who plays defense for the soccer team. Ponder is adopted, and he and his family live in Hattiesburg. He originally planned to go to college in the Ukraine and play volleyball, but he decided to play soccer instead. When he came to Southwest, he knew he found his new home. “When I came [to Southwest], I really liked Coach Zach and the campus,” said Ponder. “I had a couple of other options, but when I came here, I knew this was the place.” The culture of America has been the biggest difference for Ponder when compared to the Ukraine. “Culture has been the biggest difference for me; like, here, all of the sports people pay attention to are basketball, base-ball, and football. In Ukraine, the only thing that is supported is soccer,” said Ponder. After Tim’s four years in the United States, his favorite aspect about the country is the cultural difference. “Even though there is a similar culture here, everybody is differ-ent and unique. It’s like a bunch of cultures in one place. In the Ukraine, people are more reserved, but here people are more straightforward.”

Tim knew the team had a shot to win as soon as he set foot on the practice field. “Our team has done amazingly so far. We’ve broken six or seven records this year. When I came here the first day, you could tell there were some good players. As the pre-season and the weeks have gone by, I feel like everybody has changed their mind on how to play versus not taking it as seri-ously. Then we realized we actu-ally have a good chance of win-ning state.” Coach Zach Mills has had a tremendous impact on Ponder’s time at Southwest. “I really like our coach. He’s a real-ly great guy not onreal-ly on the field but off the field as well.” After Southwest, Ponder plans to attend a four-year university and play soccer if he is given the opportunity.

Student

spotlight:

Tim

Ponder

By Stephanie Rimes, staff writer

As students gather at the Baptist Student Union on September 28, 2016, they take part in See You at the Pole. See You at the Pole is a national event where students from all around the country take a moment to pray and ask for guidance on behalf of the government and their educational institutions.

Students gather at the Baptist Student Union for breakfast and fellowship. Around 7:30, every-one walks over to the flag pole to stop and pray. As we come together, we pray for the stu-dents, administration, faculty and staff of Southwest. Then, differ-ent members of the BSU read scripture from the Bible. We pray for our nation and the govern-ment. The entire event is a time to fellowship with classmates from around campus. The event was a great success, and all who participated left feeling uplifted and ready to share His word.

Southwest boasts active cam-pus religious organizations. If you are interested, the Baptist Student Union meets at 7:00 p.m. on Mondays, and the NoonDay lunches on Wednesdays are from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every week. In addition to those popu-lar events, the BSU also offers men’s and women’s Bible stud-ies. Drop in anytime; the BSU is happy to have anyone and every-one as their guest! The Wesley Foundation hosts Bible studies at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Come and join in on the uplifting activ-ities the campus offers.

Wayne L. Sterling Alumnus of the Year Wayne L. Sterling was born in Pike County, Mississippi to James Hampton “J.H.” Sterling and Vera Thornton Sterling on October 21, 1937. He received his Associate of Arts degree from Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he later became a founding member and first President of the SMCC Foundation. Mr. Sterling earned a Master’s Degree in economics and a Juris Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Mississippi at Oxford. While serving in the US Army, he was chosen to attend the US Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, after which he served as a translator/interpreter for a branch of Army Intelligence.

With an economic develop-ment tenure responsible for over $60 billion in announcements, Mr. Sterling has been a predomi-nant force impacting capital investment in the Southeast for 30 years. As Chief of Staff at the South Carolina Department of Commerce from 1999-2001, he achieved the highest level of investment results in SC history: over $12 billion in two years. During that time 65,000 jobs were created.

As Executive Director of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Mr. Sterling generat-ed a 500% increase in the number of active projects. The announce-ment of three semiconductor wafer fabrication plants in the state changed the perception and economic structure of Virginia. Big names were convinced to make big investments: Gateway, America Online, Frito-Lay, Volvo, MCI WorldCom, Chaparral Steel, Hewlett Packard, Motorola, IBM, Siemens, Toshiba, and many others.

Sterling is recognized for lur-ing highly significant projects like BMW Manufacturing, Hoffman LaRoche, Fujifilm, US Treasury Department’s printing plant, Mattel, Mercedes-Benz, Keebler, GTE, and Burlington Northern World Headquarters to South Carolina and Texas:

Since retiring, Sterling has worked as an economic develop-ment consultant for companies and organizations across the US and has most recently acted as Executive Director for Pike County Economic Development District in Pike County, Mississippi.

A graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Sterling is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and is a Fellow Member, Honorary Life Member and the past Chairman of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). He is a member of the Southern Economic Development Council, the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC), the Mississippi Bar Association, and is a former board member of the International Development Research Council (IDRC), now known as CoreNet Global.

Sterling is married to Rebecca Wells Sterling from Canton, MS. They have three children: Patricia, Rachel, who is married to Robert Stone, and John, who is married to Cassie Cline. His grandchildren are Katy and Laura Cosby, Ethan and Jennifer Stone, and Eli, Brody and Davis Sterling.

Thomas P. (“Tommy”) Allen Sports Hall of Fame

Thomas P. (“Tommy”) Allen is a 1966 graduate of South Pike High School, where he played basketball and baseball, and a 1968 graduate of Southwest Mississippi Junior College. While at Southwest, he played basket-ball under Coach Horace Holmes and Assistant Coach Oliver Young. He was a two-year letter-man on the basketball team and received the Team Spirit Award. He was also a two-year letterman on the SMJC baseball team.

Upon graduation from SMJC, Tommy went on to Mississippi College, where he was a member of the varsity men’s basketball team, lettering during the 1968-69 season, and serving as an

Assistant Coach and Freshmen Coach during the 1969-70 season. He graduated from Mississippi College in 1970 with Bachelor of Science in Education.

Allen began his professional career in 1970 at McComb High School, teaching and coaching under the tutelage of Coach Bobby Nelson. In 1972, he was named the head baseball coach for McComb High School, a posi-tion he held until 1978. In 1977, he served as coach of the South State team in the Mississippi Association of Coaches High School All-Star Game. While coaching baseball, he also served as an assistant coach for the MHS Basketball team. In 1979, he was named head coach of the basket-ball team, where he remained until 1982. He served as President-Elect of the Mississippi Association of Coaches from 1981-82 and as a board member of that organization for several years. During his years at MHS, he also served as a camp instruc-tor for Dixie Basketball Camps and Ole Miss Basketball Camps. While also teaching and coach-ing at McComb High School, Allen received his Master’s in Education from Southeastern Louisiana University, graduating in 1977.

In 1982, Tommy began his career in sales with the Mississippi Farm Bureau, Southern Farm Bureau Life, and Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Companies as an agent in the Pike County office. In 1993, he was named the Agency Manager for Lauderdale County, Mississippi, where he currently serves offices in Meridian and Collinsville, Mississippi. He is a 30+ year member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, serving as both Board Member and Past President of the Meridian, Mississippi chapter.

An avid supporter of education even after leaving the profession, Allen was a member of the School Board for the McComb Separate School District, serving as its President from 1989-1992. He went on to serve as an Advisory Board Member for the Mississippi Department of Education – Division of Secondary Administration. He was a long-time Board Member of the Mississippi College National Alumni Association, including a tenure as President of the Board, and also served as President of the Mississippi College National “M” Club. He was a member of the most recent Presidential Search Committee for Mississippi College which was responsible for the retention of the school’s current President, Dr. Lee Royce.

Tommy is a member of the First Baptist Church of Meridian, Mississippi, where he currently serves as the Chairman of the Deacons. He was formerly a long-time member of First Baptist Church of McComb, where he was a Sunday school teacher, deacon, Chairman of the Deacons, and a member of the Pastor Search Committee. He has been a messenger and committee member of the Mississippi Baptist Convention.

Allen is a member of the Southwest Mississippi Community College Alumni Association and the SMCC Foundation.

He is married to the former Mary Emma Jagers, an SMJC tennis team alumna, who he met while in school there. They have two grown daughters, Heidi Allen Smith (Warren), and Krisi Allen, and three grandsons, Tag Gatlin (19), Bo Gatlin (15), and Gates Allen (10).

Dennis Murphy Newman Sports Hall of Fame (posthumously) (1954-2007)

Dennis Murphy Newman was born in Magnolia, Mississippi to Leonard Enos Newman and Henry Faye Goynes on January 5, 1954. Mr. Newman grew up in Kentwood, Louisiana and attend-ed Greensburg High School where he excelled in numerous sports. While attending Greensburg, he lettered four years

in football. He was named All-District three years, M.V.P. his junior year, District M.V.P., M.V.P. Greensburg High and All-State in his senior year of 1972. He was also a four year starter in basketball earning All District honors three years and was named team captain both his jun-ior and senjun-ior year. He was also a four year letterman in track fin-ishing third in state in the inter-mediate hurdles and ran on the 440 relay team and the mile run. Mr. Newman was also named team captain for the baseball team and voted most outstanding outfielder. In 1973 he was voted as one of the most outstanding athletes of America. He graduated Greensburg High School in 1973. After graduating high school he continued his education at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Mississippi where he also earned a football scholarship. While at Southwest he was well known for his play on the football field receiving numerous awards and honors. His first year playing for the Bears in 1973 he was voted All-Star and All-State while play-ing both on offense as a wide receiver and on defense as a cor-ner and free safety. His sopho-more year in 1974 was his best by far being named Team Captain, Most Outstanding Back of the South Division and also receiving All-American honors.

ln April of 1982, Mr. Newman married Pamela Darlene Goings from Kentwood, Louisiana. They have a daughter Sarah Elizabeth Schneeweiss and a son Matthew Newman and a son-in-law Justin Schneeweiss and a daughter-in-law Angel Bridges Newman. They have two grandsons Talon and Tracen Schneeweiss and two granddaughters Tenley Schneeweiss and Aniston Newman with another Newman granddaughter due in February of 2017. Mr. Newman also has a son Micah Dillon and a grandson Evan Dillon. Mr. Newman worked for the Boilermakers Union Local 37 out of Slidell, Louisiana for twenty-five plus years until his passing on September 17, 2007, due to hav-ing Large B-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of fifty-three. He was an active member of Kentwood Assembly of God and Love Fellowship Church both of Kentwood, Louisiana.

Joyce Bates

Foundation Hall of Fame Joyce Bates was born April 1, 1942, in Wiggins, MS. Joyce graduated from McComb High School in 1960 and attended Southwest Mississippi Community College from 1960 through 1962. She is married to Charles Ray Bates and they have one daughter and six grandchil-dren. She graduated from University of Southern Mississippi with a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 1980. She was named the outstanding graduate student of that class.

She worked in the Amite County Public Schools for fouryears while building a private practice on Marion Avenue, the Speech and Hearing Center. The Speech and Hearing Center served children and adults in Pike, Amite and Walthall coun-ties, as well as, Louisiana. The center also had an innovative homework lab which served chil-dren with varying degrees of lan-guage/learning problems.

That business was sold to a nationally known company, Pro-Rehab, which had operations in 20 states. Her first position with that company was the State Director of Alabama and Louisiana. While serving as State Director, she helped to develop training programs for new employees. Joyce was named Manager of the Year out of 100 Managers.

Later, Joyce served with Therapy Management Innovations as a Rehab Consultant for the Beverly Corporation in Mississippi and Tennessee. She left there to work for Quality Care and Rehab to serve many administrative roles such as training state directors and setting up outpatient physi-cal, speech and occupational ther-apy programs. She developed the policy and procedure manuals and taught the company docu-mentation and Medicare pro-grams.

In October of 2001, Joyce and Charles established The Summit Health and Rehab Company which is housed on 98 Highway. There is a counseling program and a physical, occupational, and speech therapy program serving both children and adults.

Joyce is an active member of First Baptist Church of Summit, Summit Garden Club, Aspasia Club, and SMCC Alumni Association.

Charles Ray and Joyce con-tribute not only financially to Southwest but they contribute their most valuable asset - their time. Charles and Joyce were the 2013 SMCC Alumni of the Year, and they are well deserving of the honor to serve as the 2016 SMCC Foundation Hall of Fame recipi-ents.

Charles Ray Bates Foundation Hall of Fame Charles Ray Bates was born August 23, 1943. He graduated from South Pike High School in 1961 and attended Southwest in 1961-1962, graduating in 1963.

He was a member of the 1962-1963 State Championship Basketball team. He is married to Joyce Watts Bates, and they have one daughter and six grand-children. He attended University of Southern Mississippi as a his-tory major. He is an active mem-ber of the McComb Rotary Club, SMCC Alumni Association and First Baptist Church of Summit. He is an active member of the SMCC Foundation Board of Directors having served as presi-dent for two years.

Charles has worked in contract rehab since 1989. In his first position, he served a large nation-al company, Pro-Rehab, as a recruiter and marketing director. He remained with that company until he went to work with anoth-er company, Quality Care and Rehab as Vice-President of mar-keting. Charles was responsible for the growth of that company into the Mississippi market and much of the growth into Louisiana.

In October of 2001, Charles and Joyce bought Quality Care and Rehab and changed the name to The Summit Health and Rehab. Under the leadership of Charles and Joyce, The Summit, has expanded into Louisiana and Alabama. Two additional compa-nies have been added to serve an even more diverse population. Serenity is an outpatient psychi-atric program and Peak is a long-term care nurse Practioner pro-gram.

STERLING ALLEN NEWMAN JOYCE AND CHARLES BATES

Alumni support Southwest to ensure the future.

See You

at the

Pole

By Chelsey Bowers, staff writer

Are you experiencing issues with an eBook or Canvas? Do you need help with password changes? Jeremey Lea is the man for the job. With the recent transition to eBooks this year, students are still adjusting to the change. Some students have mentioned problems download-ing their eBooks or accessdownload-ing Canvas, and Lea has offered his assistance. Lea is located in the library work room. He is avail-able Monday-Wednesday from 12:00p.m.-3:00p.m. He is able to assist students as well as instruc-tors. Lea helps sort out any eBook issues. Currently, he is assisting four to six students per week; however, he is eager to help others. Lea is most easily contacted through phone or e-mail. He is contacted six to eight times a day, with students asking questions about eBooks and Canvas problems. Students or instructors can contact Mr. Lea at 601-276-2036 or through e-mail at jlea@smcc.edu.The easiest way to access your eBooks is through the Bookshelf app. The app allows you to download your textbooks onto your device, and they are then available to use when the device is offline. For those who have issues with stor-age, the books do not use as much memory as you would think. I have found that using the eBooks definitely reduces the load on my back, and that is something everyone can appreci-ate. Lea is not the only valuable resource in the library; tutoring is also available. English as well as math tutors are there for the stu-dents’ benefit. Ms. Cassiola, bet-ter known as “Ms. C” offers math tutoring. Various students who attend Southwest also assist with tutoring in other subjects.

eBook

solutions

for

4

October 28, 2016

News

Southwest participates in MI-BEST

By Cody Pol editor

The state of soft skills in the United States is on a rapid decline. With the advent and growing popularity of cell phones and social media, individ-uals are losing the ability to inter-act with each other in a respectful and respectable manner. Knowing when to use soft skills effectively results in a better rep-utation and has the potential to make or break a job interview.

One of the most important soft skills is communication skills. Communication skills are crucial to success in any career. Knowing how to properly com-municate one’s thoughts has the potential to make the distinction between good and great. An important part of communication skills is through written means of communication. Throughout your career, you will certainly be required to correspond with another employee, superior, or customer, and as there is no way for the recipient to observe what you are communicating nonver-bally, it is crucial that your writ-ing is clear and formatted proper-ly.

The classic method of spellchecking is using a printed dictionary, but these days we have so many resources available at our fingertips. Sites such as dictionary.com and other online dictionaries make it possible to quickly look up a definition or spelling. To avoid using repeti-tive language, it is wise to check for synonyms on thesaurus.com. Grammar has the power to make or break a paper or even a simple email, so a good communicator always makes sure that there are no errors. Grammarly.com is an excellent site to use when proof-ing a paper. If there is adequate time, considering asking a friend or professor to check a paper for spelling errors and inconsisten-cies in grammar is advised.

There are many other aspects of effective communication skills that should be observed, but writ-ten communication is perhaps one of the most important, as the Internet is becoming more wide-ly-used in the workplace. Everyone will eventually have to send an email or report to an employer, so use your knowledge of communication skills to your benefit.

Pictured includes (Left to right): Vice-President for Career and Technical Education, Jeremy Smith; MI-BEST Navigator and Job Placement Opportunities, Mrs. Amy Beard; MI-BEST Project Coordinator, Mrs. Janice McKellar; President, Dr. Steve Bishop. photo by Amy Gazzo

ADN students meet Miss Colorado

Patrick Slocum, Lucy Puder, Emelie Taylor; second row: Brooklyn Lampton, Kayla Stevenson, Summer Knight, Leah Chambers, Miss Colorado Kelley Johnson, Blake Brown, Whitney Lewis, Kelli Dawson, Jessica Pounds; third row: Regan Lewis, Rebecca Storey, Shelley Sullivan, Jennifer Boyd, Ken Irvin, Maygan Martin, Ashleigh Littleton

By Michael Gunnell, Director of Sports Information

Three members of the Southwest Lady Bears soccer team have been chosen to partic-ipate for the South squad in the 4th Annual MACJC All-Star game. Head coach Bee Casey has been named the head coach for the team while Brinkley Gallant and Taylor Laurent will play in the game. Gallant (Forrest County AHS), a two-year starter at midfield, had a pair of assists this season. Laurent (Hahnville, LA, High School), a midfielder/defender and also a two-year starter, recorded three goals and four assists. The game is scheduled for a 2:00 start on November 12 and will be played at Freedom Ridge Park in Ridgeland. A trio of Southwest Bears has been chosen to play in the 4th Annual MACJC All-Star soccer game. The game is set for a 4:00 start on Saturday, November 12, and will be played at Freedom Ridge Park in Ridgeland. Representing Southwest on the South team will be forward Morris Aitken and midfielders Francisco Alisiardi and Phillip Mallet.Aitken (Oak Grove High School), a two-year starter, recorded four goals and three assists during the 2016 reg-ular season while Mallet (Richland High School) had one goal. Alisiardi, a transfer sopho-more from Buenos Aires, Argentina, had five goals and registered a team season- and career-tying 11 assists to finish second on the team with 21 points.The trio helped the Bears to a 12-5 regular-season record and the program’s first-ever MACJC playoff appearance.

By Kimi Jeanson, co-editor

As the days become darker and cooler, the sensation of Halloween is seeping into the cracks of our bright summer. It lurks just around the corner and is ripe with fresh horror and thrill. One way to experience the exhilarating feeling of fear is to watch the upcoming Halloween movies and TV shows; there is nothing like watching something scary on TV with the volume all the way up. Popular TV shows such as American Horror Story and The Walking Dead are a must-see when you are in the mood for a late-night-fright.

American Horror Story (AHS) portrays the ultimate spectrum of nightmares. Each season is a new setting for terror-“Murder House,” “Asylum,” “Coven,” “Freak Show,” and “Hotel.” This fall, the new season, “My Roanoke Nightmare,” premieres, featuring Sarah Paulson and Cuba Gooding, Jr. as a couple just moving in. However, unlike the previous seasons, this one is filmed much like a documentary on paranormal activity. The cou-ple’s story is reenacted from their interviews as they try to piece together the events taking place in their home. From mysterious ghosts to insane hillbillies, this season is sure to make you jump and scream. This chronicle pio-neers the way we perceive TV shows, as it is a show within a show. It alters our perspective by presenting “true” stories through the characters’ eyes. The show is often filmed as if the cast are on security cameras or B-roll from a movie, which makes the audi-ence feel like we are in the show watching everything take place. The directors capture the perfect angles to produce the most life-like scenes yet.

The Walking Dead is a riveting horror/drama centered about a county sheriff named Rick. Rick wakes up from a coma in the hos-pital unaware of the zombie out-break in Atlanta, Georgia. He struggles to piece together what happened and the whereabouts of his family. His journey through-out six seasons to find his family and to keep them safe challenges everything we believe to be moral. One of the misconcep-tions of The Walking Dead is the assumption that the show is merely blood and gore. However, despite the gritty scenes, the show really is the ultimate test of human will and survival. We get to see a multitude of human ide-ologies in the apocalypse. Some refuse to kill another man while some lose their humanity alto-gether. The label “hero” is diffi-cult to place on most of the acters, which makes every char-acter completely believable. Ironically, it seems like when we finally bond with the characters, he or she is the next to die. This show is one that will most defi-nitely keep you on edge through-out the entire episode.

Fear has power over reason. We all feel intense moments of fear. For example, when you are in the shower and there is sham-poo on your face, you get this overwhelming panic that some-thing will attack because you cannot see it. Another example is when you run through your house to the safety of your brightly-lit room to escape the darkness. There is something about what is unknown that is so horrifying and so intriguing at the same time, which is why many people enjoy shows like American Horror Story and The Walking Dead. Both American Horror Story and The Walking Dead portray such vivid imagery; they are sure to make you ques-tion if you locked the door at night.

Frightening

Halloween:

watch out

New

series: soft

skills

needed

The former Miss Colorado, Kelley Johnson, who became famous for delivering a monologue in her nurse's uniform at the Miss America pageant, visited with the Southwest Mississippi Community College ADN students on September 2,2016. “Nurse Kelley” discussed her love for nursing and how proud she is to be a nurse. She stated she wanted to highlight the nursing profession on the Miss America plat-form. " “I am a nurse and that’s my talent — taking care of people,

car-ing about other people — and so I wanted to give the nurses that don’t have that voice, that voice and that recognition of just somebody going up there and being a little bit different and unique.” When asked about the controversy surrounding her monologue, she went on to say, it was a “blessing in disguise” because it began a national conversation which informed people on the worthiness of nurses and their profession.

Southwest Mississippi Community College announced that it is a Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (MI-BEST) participant. MI-BEST is an innovative workforce training program dedicated to preparing people who need help with foundational skills for careers by combining career training with additional academic sup-port. This program gives participants the skills they need to succeed in school and compete in the workforce by working on technical and basic skills education while also providing support services to students through a navigator and a job placement coordinator. Southwest

Mississippi Community College will feature its MI-BEST program the week of October 17-21. Throughout the week, SMCC will offer a vari-ety of opportunities for the community to learn more about the pro-gram.

The MI-BEST program includes a partnership with Mississippi’s fif-teen community and junior colleges, business and industry partners in each community college service district, state agencies, private founda-tions, and various community-based organizations. MI-BEST is sup-ported by a major grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Greer receives award

Sheriff Newell Normand presents Jess Greer the award.

Jess Greer received the Class “F” Award- “Civilian Award” from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The Commendation Certificate was awarded to him for saving the life of a civilian this summer at the New

Orleans International Airport. Jess was present when a passenger checking his baggage collapsed. Jess performed CPR and used the air-port AED to administer shocks to revive the passenger.

Bears play

in MACJC

All-Star

games

The 2nd Annual Southwest Lady Bears basketball team's 2nd Annual Tip Off Dinner and Silent Auction will be held on Thursday, November 3 and will be held at the Regional Workforce Training Center located on the Southwest campus. The event is set to get underway at 6:30 PM.

The event serves as a fundraiser for the team.

Head coach Brent Harris said the team "is excited to continue this tradition that introduces our team and the season. Last year was a huge success. We had a great turnout and our team really appreciated the support from the Southwest family."

"This year," Harris continued, "we have more exciting auction items and I believe this will be a great night to help support Southwest women's basketball. We hope the community will take this opportuni-ty to meet our student-athletes."

Tickets for the dinner cost $30 per person or $55 per couple and

reservations must be made in advance.

Among the items up for bids during the Silent Auction will be a Brett Favre-autographed football and autographed baseballs from former Southwest baseball players Jarrod Dyson (now with the Kansas City Royals) and Kade Scivicque (now playing in the Atlanta Braves organ-ization). Also available will be a Corey Dickerson-autographed base-ball and a basketbase-ball autographed by Ole Miss men’s basketbase-ball coach Andy Kennedy.

Other items up for bids will be a two-night stay at the Silver Slipper Hotel in Bay St. Louis, MS; a massage from the Southwest Massage Therapy School; lunch with the Lady Bears; and, an Auto Zone gift basket.

Further information, including a reservation form, can be found on the women's basketball page (under "Additional Links").

5

Sports

September 29, 2016

The Bears surrendered a four-point halftime lead Thursday night as they dropped a 33-21 MACJC South Division contest to the 14th-ranked Jones County Bobcats in Ellisville.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the South. The Bobcats climbed to 4-1 and 1-1.

The Bobcats drew first blood as DeShawn Smith took the open-ing kickoff and raced 95 yards for a touchdown. Brady Farlow boot-ed the extra point to put the hosts up 7-0 with 14:46 still to play in the opening quarter.

The Bears tied the score at 7-7 on their first possession of the game. Taking the ball at their own 26-yard line, the Bears moved down the field in just over 4:00, getting on the board on a one-yard Nakia Trotter, Jr., touch-down run. Ruben Maldonado added the extra point.

A 36-yard dash into the end zone by Scott Phillips put the Bobcats back on top with 7:25 remaining on the clock. Farlow again added the extra point to make the score 14-7.

After forcing a turnover on downs, the Bears began the last scoring drive of the quarter at the Bobcats’ 12-yard line. Neil McLaurin tossed a 10-yard touch-down pass to Ravian Pierce to close out the short three-play series and Maldonado kicked the extra point to knot the score at 14-14 with 3:38 on the clock.

In the second quarter, a seven-play drive ended in a 49-yard Farlow field goal, with 9:16 left in the first half, to put the Bobcats back on top 17-14.

The Bears closed out the first-half scoring by answering the Bobcats’ score with one of their own. This time, Mikel Anderson did the honors for the Bears with a one-yard dive into the end zone with 7:41 before the half. Maldonado booted the extra point that left the Bears ahead 21-17 at intermission.

Two touchdowns in the third quarter left the Bobcats with a 30-21 lead. Phillips ran the ball in from the three-yard line with 11:28 on the clock while Mason

Blocker connected with Jeriko Morris for a 17-yard touchdown pass. Farlow was one of two on extra points.

The final points of the night came on a 29-yard Farlow field goal with 14:29 left in the game.

Asked if the Bears’ loss to the Bobcats, and second-half strug-gles, were a result of being fresh-man-heavy, head coach Tucker Peavey said “I think it somewhat is, but I think the biggest issue is we don’t have a lot of depth. When you throw some injuries in there, it really makes it hard to roll enough guys in and out of the game to be able to play four quar-ters.”

“If you noticed,” Peavey went on, “Jones was subbing the whole defensive front in and out in the second half.” As a result, Peavey said, “We got fatigued and weren’t playing as well. So, I think it’s a combination of the two (inexperience and lack of depth).”

Despite the loss, Peavey said his squad was “playing hard. I don’t think it’s an effort issue. I think we missed some plays here and there that we need to make routine, but everybody does that. We’ve just got to keep swinging, we’ve got to keep battling and see if we can stay healthy enough to be able to take what subs we do have and get some guys rolling in there.”

The Bears were held to 291 yards of offense. McLaurin led the way, completing 8 of 17 pass-es for 86 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted once. Casey Haygood completed 9 of 14 pass-es for 75 yards.

Pierce had 7 receptions for 55 yards with a touchdown.

Anderson led the Bears’ ground game with 65 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

The Bears recorded 12 first downs in the game. They lost one of two fumbles and were penal-ized six times for 40 yards. Maldonado punted 10 times for 34.6 yards.

The Bobcats picked up 353 yards of offense. Phillips led the way with 187 yards, and two touchdowns, on 28 carries. Blocker completed 10 of 19 pass-es for 106 yards and a touch-down.

The Bobcats had 18 first downs in the game and were whistled for 94 yards on nine penalties. Farlow punted five times for 42.6 yards.

October 6, 2016

Casey Griffith’s late 37-yard field goal and Kenan Johnson’s

interception helped seal the deal as the Bears came away from Poplarville with a 31-21 MACJC South Division win over the Pearl River Wildcats Thursday night.

The win, their second straight over Pearl River, left the Bears with a 2-4 mark (1-2 in the South). Pearl River dropped to 1-5 (1-2).

Neither team was able to put points on the board in the first quarter. However, a 13-play, 80-yard drive resulted in a 7-0 lead for the Bears early in the second. The drive culminated in a nine-yard Neil McLaurin to Ravian Pierce touchdown pass. Ruben Maldonado booted the first of four PAT’s (a clock malfunction prevented the time of each score in the game to be recorded).

Taking possession at their own 25-yard line after the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats quickly responded with a game-tying touchdown of their own. Quarterback Tim Arnold closed out an eight-play drive with a seven-yard scoring run and Mark Johnson kicked the extra point to make the score 7-7.

The Bears responded even quicker to regain the lead. Taking the ball at their own 24-yard line, a short two-play drive was ended when McLaurin connected with Jordan Jones on a 59-yard touch-down pass. Maldonado’s PAT made the score 14-7.

McLaurin’s third scoring toss of the quarter, a 10-yard strike to Ladarrious Williams, combined with Maldonado’s extra point left the Bears on top 21-7 at the end of the half.

The Bears went up 28-14 on their second possession of the fourth quarter when McLaurin capped a seven-play, 59-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown run. Maldonado again booted the extra point.

Only three plays were needed for the Wildcats to answer and narrow the Bears’ lead to 28-21. Darrious Leggett found Sloan Spiller on the end of a 57-yard touchdown pass to end a three-play, 84-yard drive and Johnson hit the extra point.

Taking possession at their own 26-yard line following the Wildcats’ kickoff, the Bears slow-ly moved the ball down to the Wildcats’ 20-yard line. Faced with a fourth and six at that point, head coach Tucker Peavey brought in Griffith who calmly nailed the field goal to give the Bears their 10-point margin of victory.

Following the Bears’ kickoff,

Johnson quickly ended the con-test as he stepped in front of a pass from Arnold and ensured the Bears of the win.

When told he must be proud of his team for their performance, Peavey said, “I’ve been proud of the kids every week because I think we play hard. That’s the biggest thing. We haven’t always played as smart as we should have, but tonight we made some plays.”

“At the end of the day,” Peavey went on, “I think any coach will tell you the players have got to make plays and these guys did it tonight. I’m happy for them because they needed some suc-cess.”

Asked if he was tempted to try for the first down late in the game rather than the field goal attempt, Peavey said, “We felt like he (Griffith) could make it, either him or Ruben (Maldonado). They both have the ability. Sometimes the consistency might not quite be there, but we just felt like at that time that it was the right thing to do and give him a chance to put the game out of reach, so to speak.”

The Bears totaled 449 yards of offense on the night. McLaurin lead the way with 185 yards and three touchdowns on 13 of 23 passing.

Pierce caught six passes for 66 yards with one touchdown while Williams had 33 yards and a touchdown on three receptions. Javian Jackson caught two passes for 28 yards with Jones having a 59-yard touchdown catch.

Nakia Trotter, Jr., topped the Bears’ ground game with 131 yards on 20 carries. McLaurin toted the ball 16 times for 77 yards with one touchdown.

The Bears had 17 first downs in the game and were penalized seven times for 50 yards. Maldonado punted five times for an average of 38.4 yards per punt. The Wildcats picked up 397 yards of offense. Leggett led the way with 117 yards on 24 carries. Arnold had a touchdown and 35 yards on eight carries.

Arnold completed eight of 13 passes for 106 yard with a touch-down. He was intercepted once. Leggett had a 57-yard touchdown pass while Eaton completed a 39-yard pass for a score. Bolton and Spiller both had a touchdown catch.

October 13, 2016

Lovers of high-powered offenses got their money’s worth and more Thursday night as the Bears and visiting Mississippi

Gulf Coast Bulldogs combined for over 1, 000 total yards in the Bulldogs’ 47-35 MACJC South Division win.

With both teams scoring on their first three possessions, the first quarter ended in a 21-21 tie. Neil McLaurin had touchdown runs of 44 and 80 yards for the Bears (2-5, 1-3 South) and threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Fredrick Trevillion. Ruben Maldonado kicked all three extra points.

Quentin Frazier had a four-yard touchdown run while T’Rod Daniels scored twice, on a 30-yard run and a 13-30-yard touch-down pass thrown by Larry Sisson. Joshua Rowland booted the extra points.

The second quarter was not as exciting as the teams combined to score only 20 points. Rowland booted a 44-yard field goal with 12:08 left before the half to put the Bulldogs (4-3, 3-1 South) up 24-21. The Bears then quickly answered with a short two-play, 75-yard “drive” that was ended with McLaurin’s 73-yard strike to Trevillion with 11:23 on the clock. Maldonado’s extra point put the Bears back on top, 28-24. The Bulldogs then closed out the explosive first half with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Sisson to Brandon Martin. Rowland’s PAT left the Bulldogs with a 34-28 lead at intermission.

The visitors held a 40-28 lead at the end of the third quarter with the only points coming on Rowland field goals of 22 and 42 yards.

On a drive set up by a Chase Mitchell interception, the Bears pulled to within 40-35 with 13:01 left in the game when McLaurin picked up his third touchdown run of the game on a two-yard scamper into the end zone. Maldonado again added the extra point.

“Gulf Coast is a good football team, there’s no doubt about it” Bears head coach Tucker Peavey said after the game. “As always, our kids played hard and we just came up a little short.”

The Bears played their second straight turnover-free game caus-ing Peavey to say “we’re docaus-ing a lot better job protecting the ball (and) as a result, we’re scoring more points. It hasn’t helped us from a defensive standpoint yet, but we’re scoring points and we’re moving the ball. Tonight, obviously, we had some big strike plays. Again, the team’s effort’s been good.”

The Bears recorded 445 yards

of offense. McLaurin led the way, carrying the ball 11 times for 145 yards (and three touchdowns) and completing 14 of 28 passes for 247 yards and another touch-down.

Trevillion had three catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns while Ravian Pierce had 42 yards on six receptions.

October 22, 2016

The Bears found themselves down 21-0 at halftime and, despite their best efforts in the second half, they were unable to get completely out of it as they fell to arch-rival Co-Lin 30-20 Saturday in Wesson.

The loss dropped the Bears to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the MACJC’s South Division. Co-Lin climbed to 5-3 and 3-2.

Co-Lin took advantage of a fumbled punt to take a 7-0 lead with 7:30 left 34 the first quarter. Brenton Spann ended a short three-yard play with a one-yard dive into the end zone and Griffin Sublett booted the PAT.

Co-Lin scored twice more in the second quarter. Ladarius Galloway closed out a nine-play, 88-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run with 7:05 on the clock. Taking advantage of an interception, Co-Lin reached the end zone for the final time in the half when Dominic DeLira con-nected with Datrin Guyton for a 34-yard touchdown pass. Sublett added both extra points.

The Bears made a game of it in the third quarter. Starting on the Co-Lin 32-yard line following a punt and penalty, they needed only three plays to reach pay dirt. Neil McLaurin did the honors with a 15-yard run with 9:15 on the clock. Ruben Maldonado added the extra point to make the score 21-7.

With 2:42 remaining in the quarter, Chase Hughes reached the end zone on a five-yard run to close out a nine-play, 55-yard drive. Maldonado again kicked the extra point to make the score 21-14 heading to the fourth quar-ter.

The Bears refused to give up. Taking the ball at the Co-Lin 32-yard line following a punt, a five-play drive was ended when Hughes crossed the goal line from three yards out with 5:49 left in the game to make the score 28-20. Maldonado’s extra point kick was blocked, however. Co-Lin’s Isaiah Swope scooped the ball up and raced to the Bears’ end zone for two points to close out the scoring.

Southwest Bears beat Pearl River Wildcats

Bears beat East Central Warriors in playoffs

By Michael D. Gunnell Southwest Sports Information Director

September 30, 2016

Goals from Kendal Walsh (21:50 and 47:21) gave Holmes (9-1) a 2-0 lead. The Lady Bears (2-10) avoided the shutout at 83:50 when Josselyn Hernandez scored with an assist from Taylor Laurent. Despite the loss, Lady Bears’ head coach Bee Casey said, “I’m proud of the way the players were able to step up and deal with a few injuries that hap-pened during the game. Overall, we continue to improve every game even though we might not win on the field.” “We’re growing and experiencing a higher level of soccer,” Casey went on, “and we’re competing. I think that’s the biggest thing for us this sea-son.”

Behind Jaime Delor’s team-record fourth hat trick of the sea-son, the outstanding play of keep-er Kade Jenkins and their always-tough defense, the Bears defeated the visiting Holmes Bulldogs 4-1 Delor’s third goal allowed him to surpass the team career record for goals (he now has 21 with five regular-season games still to play). His goals also helped the Bears extend their team-record winning streak to five games and helped them finish the season 7-0 against MACJC North Division teams.

Delor put the Bears (9-3) up 1-0 at the 19:21-0 mark when took a long ball from Joey Barrick and chipped it over the Holmes keep-er. With an assist from Tobias Perez, Morris Aitken put the Bears up 2-0 at 28:05. At 29:41, Aitken provided the assist as Delor scored his second goal to leave the Bears on top 3-0 at the half. Delor then scored his record-setting third goal at 72:31 when, after taking a pass from Michael Escobar, he shook a

defender and put the ball past the keeper from close range. “I’m excited for and proud of Jaime,” said Bears head coach Zach Mills, “for continuing his (scor-ing) streak (and) I want him to see where he can take it. Also, I want to make a special mention of (keeper) Kade Jenkins. He had a fantastic game (although) he did let a goal in late in the game. But, he made some incredible saves that (helped us) keep our heads up.” Mills also gave praise to Francisco Alisiardi who, he said, “did really well today. He laid it out on the field and I appreciate that. All the guys did well; they all got on the field and they pushed it and did what they need-ed to do and I’m proud of them for keeping this (win) streak going.” Jenkins finished the day with 13 saves.

October 8, 2016

The Bears picked up a crucial 4-1 win on the road at Meridian Friday night, aided by Jaime Delor’s fifth hat trick of the sea-son, to remain in the thick of the chase for their first-ever MACJC playoff appearance. The win moved the Bears to 10-4 overall and 3-4 in the South Division (it also moved the Bears to 7-1 on the road). Meridian dropped to 8-4 and 8-4-3. The Bears are current-ly in a tie with Pearl River for third place in the South (the top three teams advance to the post-season). For Delor, the three goals helped his raise his season point total to 53. Already holding the team single-season mark, he now has claimed the team’s career mark. Delor’s first goal gave the Bears a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half when he took a pass from Francisco Alisiardi and scored on a sliding shot from inside the 18 in the 23rd minute.

Delor scored in the 57th minute to increase the Bears’ lead to 2-0. The score then went to 3-0 in the 70th minute when a cross in from

Connor Smith led to a Meridian “own goal”. Teaming up with Alisiardi for the second time in the game, Delor scored the final goal of the game on a behind-the-back heel shot in the 86th minute that gave the Bears their final 4-1 margin of victory. Kade Jenkins saved eight Meridian shots on goal, including six in the second half. “Finally, we’re back in the swing of things with our work ethic,” said Bears’ head coach Zach Mills after the game, “and on the field it showed. I’m just excited that our guys could push to the very end.” “Jaime, with another hat trick, coming back from (a scoreless game against Jones County) was hungry. Francisco stepped up to get those two assists which was big for us. Of course, our defense just locked it down. We were just a solid unit, working together as a team and as a family. I can’t say how proud I am of my guys for keeping us in the playoff hunt and we’re going to keep pushing forward, getting ready for Pearl River next week.”

October 11, 2016

Kade Jenkins’ record-tying fifth shutout of the season, Jaime Delor’s 25th goal and the Bears’ tenacious defense combined for a huge 1-0 home win over the Pearl River Wildcats in MACJC South Division soccer action Wednesday afternoon. Jenkins had 13 saves in tying Bryant Boyington’s team record for the most shutouts in a season as the Bears moved to 11-4 and, at 4-4, into third place in the South with two games remaining (the top three teams in each division advance to the league playoffs). The win avenged an early-season overtime loss at Pearl River. The teams were deadlocked in a 0-0 tie until 79:52 of the game when Delor scored from 20 yards out after making a splitting run between the Pearl River (5-8, 3-5 South) defenders and taking a

through ball from Joey Barrick. “Obviously,” said Bears’ head coach Zach Mills, “facing my predecessor and coming out with a ‘W’ on our home turf feels incredible. And it’s just another testament to our guys and our team knowing that we can do whatever we want as long as we put the work in.” “I’m so glad Kade was making some big saves today,” Mills went on. “Jaime was just pushing, pushing, push-ing and couldn’t find the back of the net, but finally slotted one home. I’m so proud of him and the entire team for just putting it all out there; giving it their all every day in practice, knowing this game was so important and getting ready for it mentally and physically.”

October 18, 2016

TheBears soccer team made history Tuesday night with a 4-1 win their arch-rivals, the Co-Lin Wolves. The win propelled the Bears to the team’s best-ever reg-ular-season record at 12-5. Their 5-5 MACJC South Division record tied for the teams’ best-ever and clinched third place in the South, securing the team’s first-ever playoff appearance. Co-Lin finished the season at 1-16 and 0-10.The Bears tied the game at 1-1 at 21:53 when Joey Barrick scored off a deflection from a missed shot by Francisco Alisiardi. They then took a 2-1 lead into the half after Alisiardi scored at 36:09 on a free kick from 24 yards out. At 63:41 in the game, Jaime Delor increased the Bears’ lead to 3-1 after scoring from the 18. Michael Escobar provided the assist. The Bears closed out the scoring less than a minute