Beacon Spring I Finale

Page 1

62nd Year--Vol. 2

Northeast Mississippi Community College--Booneville, Miss.

March 9, 2011

Northeast Breaks Ground On New Building By Olivia King, Co-Editor Northeast Mississippi Community College president Dr. Johnny L. Allen, Ed.D., said it best when describing Northeast’s newest venture. “This is the starting point for our campus going east and west,” Allen said. Northeast Mississippi Community College started a new chapter in campus history with the groundbreaking of the new $9 million dollar, T. Jack Ramsey Student Services Building on Tuesday, February 8. Allen opened the ceremony by explaining the details of the building Northeast has been anxiously awaiting. According to Allen, this is the first capital investment in twelve years. The last major capital investment on the Northeast campus was Childers Hall, which serves as the centerpiece of the allied health complex just off Jefferson Street. Named after Jack Ramsey, current chairman of the Northeast Board of Trustees and former Northeast student, construction on T. Jack Ramsey Student Services Building is scheduled to be completed in fall 2012. The 37,000 square foot edifice, that was put on a five year plan three years ago See Building, on page 3

Staff Photos by Felecia Sparks

Northeast Board of Trustees chairman T. Jack Ramsey (top, left) along with other dignitaries turn the first shovel of dirt on the college’s newest building, the T. Jack Ramsey Student Services Building. Northeast president Dr. Johnny L. Allen, Ed.D., (below) speaks about the importance of the T. Jack Ramsey Student Services Building at the groundbreaking ceremony on February 8.

Building Affects Parking By Sha’ Simpson, Co-Editor With the construction of the T. Jack Ramsey Student Services Building on the horizon, the students of Northeast Mississippi Community College are already experiencing an immediate impact. According to the Vice President of Finance and Operations Cheryl Ragan, over the summer of 2010, planning for additional parking and the expansion of parking lots on the east and west ends of campus has accommodated students with about 200 additional parking spaces to compensate for the lack of parking that will

incur due to construction. Despite the inconvenience of having to park farther away from class, Northeast is intent on providing students with the best parking available. The 18-20 month project should be completed around the fall 2012, but the east end of the boulevard will be blocked causing about 100 student\staff parking spots to be lost. Not only will this be a convenient “one-stop shop” for students but it will also free up much needed space, providing the campus with more instructional space, testing centers, and more room for state of the art technology.

Freshman Captures Title of Northeast Elects Class Favorites Miss Mississippi Teen USA By Lacey Burcham, Staff Writer

Northeast recently held its annual campus-wide class favorites election via the Northeast website. Ben Ford and Tyler Reed finished with the two highest vote totals and were in the run-off for Mr. Northeast with Ford being proclaimed Mr. Northeast on Thursday, March 3. A rarity occurred in the vote for Miss Northeast as Carly Wilbanks and Summer Smith ended in a tie. The tie-breaking vote was scheduled for after presstime so look for a feature story on Mr. and Miss Northeast in the April edition of The

By Olivia King, Co-Editor Freshman Sarah Jayde Bobo is living her dream. Late in 2010, Bobo was crowned Miss Mississippi Teen USA at the state-level pageant held at Harrah’s Event Center at Harrah’s Casino in Tunica Saturday, November 6. Bobo is the daughter of Jeff and Kathy Bobo of Kossuth and the sister of Weston Bobo, a student at Kossuth Middle School. “I have honestly dreamed of this since elementary school,” Bobo said. “When all the other kids were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up and said things like doctors or teachers I was always the one who wanted to be Miss USA or Miss America.” Approximately 35 young women competed in the pageant from across the Magnolia state. During the two-day pageant, contestants competed in swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions. Bobo received help in the expenses for the pageant from Pioneer Machinery and Formal Affairs in Corinth. It was an employee – Heather Austin Mauney – that informed Bobo about the pageant in the very beginning. In addition to those three rounds, the top five contestants were each asked an onstage question during the pageant. Bobo was not alone in her conquest for the title – over 20 of her closest friends and

Beacon. Freshman girl class favorites were Casey Davis, Liz Davis, Kelsie Follin, Hannah Hastings, Mollie Hellums, Ashley Lee and Sallie Richardson. Freshmen men class favorites of Seth Bragg, Toby Brandon, Adam Chism, Drew Cristo, Taylor Dees, Blake Littlejohn and Kyle Stephenson. Sophomore women class favorites included Katie Bishop, Shannon Dye, Allison M. Floyd, Laquinta Jones, Molly Lambert and Skylar McCrimon. Sophomore men class favorites included Drew Dodds, Tucker Holmes, Correl Hoyle, Hunter Maness, Reed, Sawyer Wheatley, and Chase Wilkerson.

Booneville Changes for the Better By Brittni Cox, Staff Writer

Sarah Jayde Bobo family joined the Northeast freshman in Tunica for the event. “I had so many fans there to support me,” Bobo explained. “They all brought signs and were cheering like crazy. I have the best support group and was so excited that they were there.” Bobo topped Jasmine Lewis (first alternate) of Monticello, Madison Blocker See Teen, on page 5

Booneville’s changing and students will notice a difference. Developer Brad Frederick recently told The Banner-Independent, “I really like Booneville.” For Frederick and his partners, that love for Booneville has grown into a development in the old Wal-Mart location just off of Second Street. Frederick and his partners have signed contracts with Aaron’s, Goody’s, Dirt Cheap and Hibbett’s Sporting Goods to relocate to the building. Dirt Cheap opened its doors on Wednesday, February 16 and Aaron’s has already erected a sign next to Dirt Cheap and is looking to open soon as well.

Dirt Cheap is a discount retail store that specializes in liquidations, overstocks and out-of-season goods and offers those savings to its customers. Aaron’s is a rent-to-own business where customers can find household items while Goody’s offers family clothing in a department store setting. Hibbett’s, which has a store in Corinth along with Aaron’s, is a national sporting goods store that has over 750 locations in 24 states. Another development happening in the same area as Frederick’s conglomerate is the recent publication that Los Abuelos, a Mexican restaurant, will be locating in the shopping center just north of Wal-Mart. Los Abuelos opened its doors in The Marketplace at Booneville during the final weekend of February.


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