Hinds Community College Blog

Eight years of Hinds CC stories mulled over

Posted by Cathy Hayden on Thu, Jan, 08, 2015 @ 13:01 PM

January 2015 marks my eighth anniversary as the head of Public Relations at Hinds Community College. I came here after a career in journalism, including nearly 25 years at The Clarion-Ledger, 17 of those as an education writer.

I began work here on Jan. 8, 2007, with my first event being the annual spring convocation. I believe the first story I wrote was about that year’s emeritus class when we honored the late Vashti Muse, Bob Dunaway and Adam Jenkins for their service to Hinds. Just a few days ago, I finished a release honoring retirees Rebecca Tustain and Dr. Dan Hogan who were named as this year’s emeritus honorees. Hogan retired the first year I worked at Hinds.

Working at a higher education institution is very different from working at a newspaper, of course. I was surprised at how heavy and fast-paced the workload was, just like newspaper work was. But there is a lot more variety in my job duties. On any given day, I may escort a television crew to an interview about our new tobacco-free policy, teach a class of student journalists in a publications class, participate on a committee discussing student services policies or write a feature story about a graduate for our alumni magazine.

The variety and the fast pace keep me busy – and, I hope, fresh.

I’ve had the pleasure of covering lots of big events at Hinds. I thought in celebration of my eight years here I would spotlight a few of the stories I’ve covered at Hinds each year. These aren’t necessarily the biggest of the year in terms of news value – but important to me.

2007 - In April, Hinds gained 60 acres of land along I-20 next to our Rankin Campus and Pearl High School. The Garner family including Ronnie, Sigrid and their son T.I. donated 40 acres of land and the Rankin County Board of Supervisors purchased another 20 acres for the college.

The land acquisition more than doubled the size of the Rankin Campus, which has the second highest enrollment of Hinds’ six locations.

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The next year, in 2008, the college unveiled the expansion plans for what is now the Clyde Muse Center, with a 3,000-seat auditorium. Opening in 2011, the Muse Center has been the location for fabulous Hinds events, plus it has been booked for events ranging from high school graduations to trade shows to conferences.

2009 – Hinds broke a credit enrollment record of more than 12,000 students. On the first day of fall classes, students parked on Hinds Boulevard on the Raymond Campus because there were no available spaces.  I remember having to park there myself when I returned from someplace and there were no parking spaces.

2010 - In May, we hosted for the first time what has become an annual tradition – a field trip at Renfroe Stadium for Hinds County special education students. I’ve worked that event several times and it’s always fun and heart-warming. Hinds employees and students probably have as much fun as the kids do. That same spring, Hinds began the first district wide GED graduation, which has also become an annual event.  The first year 84 GED achievers participated. I love hearing their inspiring stories of why they decided to get their GED. Many times, it’s to be a role model for their children or grandchildren.

Field Day Special Ed Visitors  (77)

 

2011 - Hinds Honors student Tameka Wilson was elected as the first Phi Theta Kappa International officer from Hinds when she won the job of president from among a field of 10 candidates. I got to know Tameka a bit and was impressed with her drive and determination.

2012 - A beautiful new classroom building at Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center was named for the late trustee Jobie Martin. That building continues to win awards for its innovative and energy efficient design. We also opened two new residence halls on the Raymond Campus, one for women and one for men, a much needed boost to our residential life.

2013 – Hinds and Mississippi University for Women inked a partnership allowing culinary arts students to get their bachelor’s degree at Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center. This partnership is among many we have with state public and private universities that benefit Hinds graduates and, in some cases, our employees.

Kendra Conley, one of my former students on the Hindsonian staff, was surprised when her dad who had been deployed in Afghanistan as a sergeant in the Army made it to her May graduation.  He had videotaped a message to her but managed to get home in time to see her get her diploma. Getting all of that arranged made for a hectic but exciting day.

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Graduation is probably my one most favorite event to cover. I love seeing the excitement in the faces of the graduates and their families, especially the nursing graduates.

2014 – We spotlighted our Unmanned Aerial Vehicle program at John Bell Williams Airport at spring convocation that included special guest Mississippi first lady Deborah Bryant.  We also opened the new George Ball Simulation Center at Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center that is a huge boost for our nursing and allied health students as a way to practice their clinical skills. And exciting for us sports fans – the Hinds Eagle baseball team came within a hair of winning the national title in baseball at the World Series in Enid, Okla.

In between all of these stories I’ve singled out, there have been lots of events that we have every year, sometimes several times –graduations, convocations, legislative meetings, employee and student award recognitions, homecoming and the annual April golf tournament, among many others. All of these stories have one big thing in common: They’re all about the people of Hinds Community College, students, employees or members of our community.

It’s been a great run so far, and I’m looking forward to many more years to come.

Topics: Hinds Community College, Graduation, Raymond Campus, Rankin Campus, Hinds CC, Jackson Campus-Academic-Technical Center, Jackson Campus-Nursing/Allied Health Center

District wide Fall Tornado Drill

Posted by Joey Jamison on Wed, Oct, 22, 2014 @ 07:10 AM

tornado drillThe office of Emergency Management will be conducting a District Wide Tornado Drill on Tuesday October 28, 2014 for Hinds Community College. The purpose of this drill is to call attention to the secondary peak severe weather season that begins in the late fall. November historically has been a very active month for severe weather and tornadoes.

Faculty, staff and students are asked prior to the drill to go to the EagleOne site at http://eagleone.hindscc.edu to manage their accounts making sure that they will receive the alert message. You will be using your HindsNet credentials to login to your dashboard.

8 a.m., Day of the Drill, Tuesday, Oct 28:

  • Consider a tornado watch to be in effect
  • Announce watch to staff, students 

9:30 a.m., “DRILL… Tornado Warning for Hinds CC… DRILL!”

  • Messages sent via the EagleOne Alert network – e-mail, text, web, etc.
  • If you do not receive the alert, press on as if there still is a threat.

9:35 a.m., Move to Safety

  • Once the alert is received move to an area of safe refuge. Upon determination of immediate threat, give “take shelter” or “duck and cover” command. 

9:45 a.m., Termination of Drill

  • An “All Clear” message will be sent via EagleOne. Give instructions to return to normal activities – local campus personnel

For more information contact Joey Jamison, District Emergency Management Coordinator, joey.jamison@hindscc.edu or 601.857.3584

Topics: Students, Raymond Campus, Rankin Campus, Emergency Alerts, campus life, faculty, Utica Campus, EagleOne Alerts, Eagle One, Nursing/Allied Health Center, Jackson ATC, Vicksburg/Warren Campus, Tornado Drill, Severe Weather, Tornado

5 Reasons Why Having Renters Insurance in College Is Important

Posted by Joey Jamison on Wed, Sep, 03, 2014 @ 07:09 AM

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Think of all your personal belongings in your dorm room or apartment, and then try to imagine how much it would cost you to replace them. Is the number in your head a little intimidating? Well, if you have renters insurance, you might not have to pay anything to get your belongings replaced in the event that something happens to them. In other words, renters insurance can be a real lifesaver. Here are five reasons why it’s important to have it in college:

1.  You might not be covered under your parents’ policy
While full-time students living in dorms are often covered under their parents’ homeowner’s insurance policies, their coverage might not be as thorough as it would be if they had renters insurance. In addition, there can be strict limits on how much homeowner’s insurance can actually cover for their customers’ children. And if you’re living off campus, odds are that you’re not covered under your parents’ policy at all.

2.  Coverage for disasters
Though you might be careful and take good care of your belongings, there are some things that are just out of your control. If there’s a fire or natural disaster, your items can get damaged or destroyed. However, if you have renters insurance, it can cover the cost of replacing those things in certain covered circumstances. Just some of the items that renters insurance can cover are furniture, clothes, electronics, appliances, school supplies, and even musical instruments.

3.  Protection from theft
If someone wants to steal a laptop, they know they’ll be able to find plenty in student housing facilities or student-friendly apartment complexes. It’s no surprise that there’s a high risk of theft and vandalism in college. That’s a big reason why renters insurance can be perfect for college students. If something happens to your belongings, you can get them replaced without having to pay out-of-pocket.

4.  Personal liability coverage
If you throw a party, and your living space gets damaged, you could potentially face some huge fees. The same goes if someone at that party gets hurt. Renters insurance policies often include liability coverage that will protect you against costs you can be faced with if your property gets damaged or if someone gets injured on your property, just double check with an agent to find a plan with adequate liability coverage.

5.  You can share the wealth
If renters insurance is starting to sound good, you might be thinking that your roommates would be interested in it too. Conveniently, many renters insurance plans offer shared coverage for people living together. So if you have roommates or friends sharing an apartment with you, everyone listed on the lease can have protection and coverage together under one policy.

Knowing how valuable renters insurance can be, you might be surprised to find that it can also be pretty affordable. In fact, based on a national average, premiums are typically just $160 a year. Compare that number with how much you could save if you need to file claim on your belongings. To prepare, you can help the process of filing claims go smoothly by always keeping track of your valuables, and by saving receipts.

For a quick overview of the value of renters insurance for college students, check out this video...

 

Topics: Hinds Community College, Residence Halls, Raymond Campus, Student Life, College Students, College Life, campus life, dorm, Utica Campus, Hinds CC, Campus Fire Safety Month

Campus Fire Safety Month Activities

Posted by Joey Jamison on Mon, Sep, 01, 2014 @ 07:09 AM

firesafetylogoSeptmeber is National Campus Fire Safety Month and here at Hinds CC we have a lot of things going on in support of it.

Look below and find something to come too...

Fire Safety 101 PDI
Raymond Campus – Fountain Hall
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
PDI Presentation about Fire Safety

Popcorn and Prevention
Raymond Campus – Courtyard
Thursday, September 11, 2014
12:00 PM – 2:00PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, and Fire Extinguisher Training (Clinton FD)

Popcorn and Prevention
Vicksburg/Warren Campus – Courtyard
Monday, September 15, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, and 1 Hour Fire Safety PDI (MS State Fire Marshall)

Popcorn and Prevention
Jackson ATC
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, and Fire Safety House (MS State Fire Marshall)

Popcorn and Prevention
Rankin Campus – George Wynne Hall
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, 1 Hour Fire Safety PDI (MS State Fire Marshall), and Fire Extinguisher Training (MS State Fire Academy)

Popcorn and Prevention
Nursing/Allied Health Center – Courtyard
Thursday, September 18, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, 1 Hour Fire Safety PDI (MS State Fire Marshall), and Fire Extinguisher Training (Clinton FD)

Popcorn and Prevention
Utica Campus – Courtyard
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
11:30 AM – 1:30PM
Free Popcorn, Fire Safety Materials, and 1 Hour Fire Safety PDI (MS State Fire Marshall)

Topics: Hinds Community College, Students, Residence Halls, Raymond Campus, Student Life, Rankin Campus, campus life, faculty, Utica Campus, Hinds CC, Nursing/Allied Health Center, Jackson ATC, Vicksburg/Warren Campus, Campus Fire Safety Month

Do YOU get alerts from EagleOne?

Posted by Joey Jamison on Mon, Aug, 18, 2014 @ 16:08 PM

EagleOne Logo stacked

Do we have class or work today? Why are the lights out?

A friend said, that another person said their is a person with a gun on campus...

No need to question or get false information when you get alerts from EagleOne.

EagleOne Alert is the accurate source for emergency information from Hinds Community College. It is used to communicate vital information to let the campus community know when there is an emergency on or around campus and what they need to do to be safe.

The EagleOne Alert network includes the following notification components: SMS/Text Message, Voice Calls,  Campus E-mail, Eagle Vision, Web Alerts, 24/7 Emergency Info Line (601.857.3600), & Twitter (@EagleOneAlert).

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) on the first day of every month at noon will conduct monthly tests to ensure the system is operating properly. This is also the way you know you are signed up correctly.

Using your HindsNet credentials, go to the EagleOne website at http://eagleone.hindscc.edu/ to manage your account. You can also check out the “How To” video.

If you need help with EagleOne contact the OEM at 601-857-3584 or email Joey.Jamison@hindscc.edu.

Topics: Hinds Community College, Students, Raymond Campus, Student Life, Rankin Campus, Emergency Alerts, campus life, Hinds, faculty, Hinds CC, EagleOne Alerts, Eagle One