Artist Nathan Mullins’ sports exhibit on display at Jones College
ELLISVILLE – Jones College’s Art Department will be displaying the baseball themed oil paintings of Nathan Mullins in the Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery until March 27. The show, “Play Ball” features images of Baseball’s superstars and interesting memories from Mullins youth, including images from Baseball Cards to live action images he remembers watching on TV. Additionally, Mullins, who is also a painting instructor at the University of Southern Mississippi, will be giving an “Art Talk” in the gallery on Tuesday, March 25, at 1:30 p.m.
“These paintings feature baseball players, legends of their respective times – largely the 80s and 90s, though at least one is from an earlier period. These are players my brother used to tell me about as we looked together at our baseball card collections when we were younger,” explained Mullins.
Some of the compositions were inspired when Mullins began scanning through highlight reels of the baseball players.
He said, “Fuzzy broadcast images are pulled from these reels and either left alone as found compositions or manipulated to greater or lesser extents before the painting is made as an observational response.”
All of the paintings in the exhibit at Jones College were first made as small oil on panel paintings featuring some of baseball’s stars like Bo Jackson, John Smoltz, Willie Mays and Cal Ripken, Jr. His larger scale paintings were made as observational responses to images of these initial smaller paintings.
Mullins further shared, “The iterative nature of this process lends itself to further abstraction with each additional step away from the initial broadcast image. As a painter, my interest lies in the color and light contrast opportunities presented by the team uniforms along with the iconographic nature of the broadcast image – an image that isolates the figure despite the fact that baseball is a team sport.”
Mullins’ exhibit will be on display in the Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery until March 27. For more information about upcoming JC art shows or to arrange a visit to the gallery call 601-477-8401. The Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., and by appointment only on Fridays. The gallery is closed during the holidays. To learn more about the Jones College Art Department, https://www.jcjc.edu/programs/finearts/ or the JC Art Department’s social media: Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/JCJCFineArts/ and on Instagram @artatjonescollege.
Jones College hopes to meet Spring Blood Drive goals amidst critical needs
ELLISVILLE – After two days into the Spring Blood Drive at Jones College, Vitalant representatives are thankful and concerned. Typically, the first day of donations exceeds goals but donations are coming in slow. The community is invited to the Jones College campus to donate on the last day of the three-day blood drive on Thursday, February 27. The Mobile Unit will be collecting donations between the C.L. Neill Student Center, and the Student Union from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Donors are welcome to walk in and donate or make an appointment on the Vitalant website, https://donors.vitalant.org/
JC Blood Drive Coordinator, Emergency Technology-Paramedic Program Director and Healthcare Simulation Center Director, Benji Sessums, Ph.D. NR-P, reports that about 50 units were collected over the last two days. Forty more units are needed to meet the goal.
“Vitalant is in a critical need for blood currently. While I am grateful we’ve surpassed the half-way point of our goal, I hope we can have a big turnout on the last day because the JC blood drive helps provide a critical resource to sick and injured people throughout the state. JC students, faculty and staff step up every year to do our best to meet the needs of our state and our community and we hope the community will join us in meeting the blood supply needs.”
To encourage donations, all donors will receive a $10 e-gift card, in addition to other door prizes including $50 bookstore gift certificates, restaurant gift cards, and more, during random drawings for donors.
Jones College’s enrollment growth ranks #1 in the state
ELLISVILLE – Jones College ranks first in the state in enrollment growth amongst the 15 Community Colleges for the Spring 2025 semester according to the Mississippi Community College Board’s semester report. Jones welcomed an additional 520 students over Spring 2024 and generated 4,136 more semester credit hours, marking the most significant increase in both headcount and credit hours in recent history.
“This record-breaking growth, with the largest student body since Spring 2011, and the highest credit hour generation since the onset of COVID in Spring 2020, demonstrates our resilience and our ability to adapt to the evolving educational landscape,” said Dr. Finée Ruffin, Executive Vice President at Jones College. “Our commitment to providing quality education has resonated with students and the community, as evidenced by these historic gains.”
Several other factors are being attributed to the unprecedented surge in enrollment, including a strategic effort to remove barriers which prevent students from being successful and finding resources to reach their goals.
“Jones College’s enrollment growth reflects our strategic efforts to strengthen student support and create clear pathways to success. This year, we thoughtfully restructured tuition to lower costs and provided early estimated Pell Grant amounts, giving students confidence that college is within reach,” said Jones College VP of Enrollment Management, Amanda McLeod, LCSW. “Moving forward, we will continue to innovate and expand initiatives like our One Step program, which offers a free class to full-time working individuals. Our goal is to make education accessible to everyone, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed.”
The growing trend in enrollment began last fall at Jones College. College officials point to the institution’s academic rigor, with 80 career and technical programs and appealing collegiate environment as additional forces driving the upward trend. The remarkable enrollment and credit hour increases at Jones College mirrors a broader statewide trend. Among Mississippi’s community colleges, students are taking more semester credit hours which has reached levels not seen since before the COVID pandemic.
“At Jones College, we are excited to build on this momentum, ensuring that our students receive the highest quality education and support as they pursue their academic and professional goals,” said Ruffin. “We look forward to continuing this growth and making a lasting impact on our community and the broader educational landscape.”
Jones County Junior College (Jones College) is an open door, two-year institution granting Associate in Arts (AA) degrees, Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degrees, Career and Technical certificates, Adult Education credentials, and Workforce credentials. JC inspires greatness by providing higher education programs and support services consistent with the ideals of a democratic society in order to meet the higher education needs of the communities of interest through postsecondary programming, workforce and economic development, and community development.
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Jones County Junior College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Jones County Junior College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 3033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Statement of Non-Discrimination and ADA Statement: Jones County Junior College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability in its programs, activities, or employment practices. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries and grievances regarding the non-discrimination policy: The (ADA/ Section 504) Wendy Evans, ADA Coordinator, Terrell Tisdale Library, phone 601-477-2673; email ADACoordinator@jcjc.edu and Title IX Coordinator, Brittany Weatherford-Barron, Hutcheson Hubbard Administration Building, phone 601-477-4127; email brittany.weatherford@jcjc.edu. Jones County Junior College, 900 South Court Street, Ellisville, MS 39437.
Jones College hosts MCTM Jr. H.S. Math Competition
ELLISVILLE – Jones College’s Math department along with the Mississippi Council of Teachers of Mathematics recently sponsored the district level MCTM Math Contest for Jr. High School students. Thirty-six students from nine Pine Belt area schools spent the morning working out various math problems to earn a spot at the state competition. The following winners of the regional competition will meet at the Mississippi School for Math and Science in Columbus, on April 12, to compete on a state level.
Raleigh seventh grader Jaylon Hosey took first place with Northeast Jones’ Presten Graham earning second-place honors. Eighth-grader Jackson Harper from Stringer won first place and Tyson Breazeale from Seminary achieved second place. All of the participants received a certificate and the top two finishers in each grade from each school received a calculator from Texas Instruments.
Jones College’s Practical Nursing Programs are accepting applications
ELLISVILLE – With nurses continuing to be in demand, more options for training are available at Jones College. The Practical Nursing program is offered at the main campus with full-time day class, and part-time night class times available. The Jasper County Center in Bay Springs offers a full-time day class and the Wayne County Center in Waynesboro, offers a part-time day class. Part-time classes start this summer at the main campus in Ellisville & at the Wayne County Center.
The entrance requirements for the practical nursing program include meeting admission requirements for Jones College, have a minimum ACT composite score of 16 (12 if taken before 1989), 14 on English, Math, and Reading subscores, ATI TEAS Test composite score of 50 or greater, a minimum GPA of 2.0 on previous college work and the student must be at least 18 years old on program entrance. Click on the JC Practical Nursing program website for full details and requirements.
The part-time application deadline for the Summer 2025 Class at the Wayne County Center and for the night class program in Ellisville is Monday, March 3, 2025. The full-time program application deadline for the August 2025 Class at the main campus and at the Jasper County Center is April 1st, 2025.
Applications and all documents (ACT score, transcripts, TEAS test score) need to be delivered to the Practical Nursing Office in Ellisville, located in the Home and Health Center, or it may be emailed to the practical nursing email at, PracticalNursing@jcjc.edu. Students with any questions or concerns can email, or call, 601-477-4101 for assistance. For further information about the Jones College Practical Nursing program, including a description about the program and requirements for prospective students check out the website, https://www.jcjc.edu/programs/practicalnursing/
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Jones County Junior College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Jones County Junior College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 3033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Statement of Non-Discrimination and ADA Statement: Jones County Junior College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability in its programs, activities, or employment practices. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries and grievances regarding the non-discrimination policy: The (ADA/ Section 504) Wendy Evans, ADA Coordinator, Terrell Tisdale Library, phone 601-477-2673; email ADACoordinator@jcjc.edu and Title IX Coordinator, Brittany Weatherford-Barron, Hutcheson Hubbard Administration Building, phone 601-477-4127; email brittany.weatherford@jcjc.edu. Jones County Junior College, 900 South Court Street, Ellisville, MS 39437.