Dr. Tanya Dantzler-Cole, an academic coach in the Office of Student Success, said that repetition is the key to successful studying. She encourages students not just to familiarize themselves with information, but to spend time with it and truly learn it. “That’s the biggest barrier, I think, for students. They glean it once or twice and they’re familiar with it, and then they think they know it, but in order to truly know something, we have to spend more time with the materials,” Dantzler-Cole said.

While repetition is a beneficial tactic, the way it is applied may look different depending on what a student is studying. For Jason Bridges, a senior accounting major, this includes repeatedly solving calculations involving bonds and leases. “I just do them over and over again until I learn them,” Bridges said.

For Andrew Jordan, a sophomore studying social studies education, the best method is uploading notes to websites such as Quizlet, which he uses to make flashcards and quizzes. Jordan also recommends teaching the information to another person. “If you teach somebody how to do the thing you’re trying to study, you actually get a lot more out of it than if you just studied by yourself, so I always try to study with somebody,” Jordan said. He also emphasized the importance of taking care of his personal health during exam week. “Make sure you get enough sleep, make sure you eat well, get rest. That’s kind of the most important deal, I believe,” Jordan said.

When it comes to prioritizing self-care, managing anxiety is an important factor. “Anxiety, a lot of times, is a result of feeling overwhelmed, like there’s too much to do,” Chip Wilson, a counselor for MC’s Mental Health Services, said. He recommends assessing priorities and focusing on what actions are possible in the moment. To make tasks more manageable, students can break them down into smaller, ‘bite-sized’ steps. “It’s realizing, ‘all right, what can I do in this moment to help mitigate that anxiety’,” Wilson said.

For students in need of additional support during finals week, MC’s Mental Health Services is offering same-day counseling appointments through May 8. To schedule an appointment, students can email Mentalhealth@mc.edu.

Students can access the Spring 2026 exam schedule by visiting mc.edu and navigating to the Spring 2026 calendars section.

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“Tonight is one of my truly favorite events on campus because we stop to celebrate and honor our students and individuals from our campus and community,” Ambrose said. “Each year, we are grateful for the partners, with students and organizations who commit themselves to the continued advancement of the vision and mission of Mississippi College. The awards of excellence have been created to recognize these groups and individuals.”

Among the evening’s top honors, Reed Travelstead and Maddie Ann Storey were named Mr. and Miss MC for embodying the ideal MC student. Five seniors were inducted into the Hall of Fame — Brandon Welch, Brinley Sullivan, Hannah Hinckley, Caroline Cook and Charlie Hight — recognizing their contributions to campus life throughout their time at MC. Brinley Sullivan received the Scott-Swor Founders Award, one of MC’s highest distinctions.

Other seniors were also honored with the Senior Awards of Excellence in Leadership, recognizing students who have shown leadership on campus by demonstrating commitment to the mission of MC. Winners included Grace Archer, Anne Bigley, Ruthie Bischoff, Rylee Grace Davis, Mary Frances Duncan, Reece Gibson, Nathan Heard, Travis Jefferson, Beth Johnson, Darcy Jones, Judah Land, Landon Maughon, Paul Michaelis, Rachel Regan, Hannah Beth Spencer, Maddie Ann Storey, Grey Thompson, Reed Travelstead and Garrett Viator.

Underclassmen were also honored for their campus involvement. The Freshman Male of the Year Award was given to Seth Dorroh, and the Freshman Female of the Year Award was given to Lillian Deluca. Many other freshmen received Spirit of MC Awards for fostering a positive on-campus atmosphere. Winners included Anna Adkins, Caitlin Alfonso, Emma Arnold, Caleb Beeker, Nathan Carraway, Zoey Corales, Lydia Dean, Kate Gibson, Paula Jimenez, Thatcher Jones, James Knighton, Lauren Land, Eli McReynolds, Jay Myers and Ella Trowbridge.

“This award reflects what we try to give back to MC,” Ella Trowbridge, a Spirit of MC Award winner, said. “Mississippi College is a really special, sweet place, and it’s really my way of giving back to a campus that has given so much to me.”

Additional recognitions included the Student Organization Award of Excellence, the Student Organization Advisor of the Year, Club of the Year, Tribe of the Year and the Community Partner of the Year.

The Student Government Association received the Student Organization Award of Excellence, highlighting its work providing a 24-hour study space, making changes to the campus laundry system and encouraging interest in the school’s athletic programs. The Student Organization Advisor of the Year was Daniel White. Club of the Year and Tribe of the Year were awarded to Kokoa Men’s Service Club and Laguna Social Tribe, respectively. The Clinton Public School District was awarded Community Partner of the Year.

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This year, the Arrowhead staff focused on MC’s bicentennial. The theme of this year’s publication centered on time, giving students and staff a way to reflect on the past, present and future of the university. Students submitted their work during the fall semester, and the judging results are released in the spring, along with the publication.

The magazine offers several categories for students to submit their work, including poetry, short stories, creative essays, comics, 2D art, 3D art, photography and digital illustration. The Arrowhead staff also creates guidelines for students to follow during the submission period.

Janalyn Childress, the literary editor of the Arrowhead, has been contributing to the magazine for much of her time at MC. She has submitted work and also serves on the staff. Childress has worked on several projects and helps ensure each edition is well organized. One of the most important aspects of production is meeting deadlines.

“The creation of the magazine itself, we usually start at the beginning of February because in January, we are still getting results back from judges,” Childress said. “That’s whenever we start figuring out where we’re going to put what … And then it’s a matter of creating it on somebody’s laptop, and that can take a long time.”

With the amount of work put into the magazine throughout both semesters, a strong staff is essential. Key staff members this semester include Gracia Oden as art editor, Jonathan Dickey as media manager and Jane Sherwood as production assistant. The team also includes Caroline Misner and Ella Murphree as assistant editors.

When asked how she would describe her team, Childress used one word.

“‘Dedicated.’ That’s not a super great word, but everyone is so loyal to the process. Everyone wants the best magazine it can be, even if it means they have to do more work.”

On Thursday, April 9, the Arrowhead hosted a release party in the Leland Speed Library. The event also featured a historical exhibit of several past editions of the Arrowhead. This year’s award winners were recognized and allowed to read some of their work aloud.

Adeline Segalla, a junior at MC, placed second in short stories this year. Her story was titled “The Wooden Mannequin.” The story follows a wooden mannequin searching for a greater purpose in life. The Arrowhead provided an outlet for Segalla to share her work with others.

“What’s cool about it is that it’s not just writing for you and nobody sees it, so it challenges you to actually make it the best you can,” Segalla said. “It’s nice to push yourself and see the process of trying to find my potential and make my writing the best it can be.”

The staff encourages students to get involved and learn more about the Arrowhead because of the sense of community it offers.

“Do it! No, it really is a lot of fun, and anyone on our team or staff will tell you it is so much fun,” Childress said. “You make friends out of it, and it really is a lot of fun. It’s a good little community.”

The show tells the story of a fictional small town called Grover’s Corners in New Hampshire. The plot follows the residents’ stories over 12 years of their lives. It observes the Gibbs and Webb families through their life changes, the mundane and the chaotic. The stage manager who narrates the show brings the audience through three acts—Act 1: “Daily Life,” Act 2: “Love and Marriage,” and Act 3: “Death and Eternity.”

The show mainly focuses on the love story between Emily Webb and George Gibbs, their family dynamics and other residents in the town, weaving a tale of the significance of being human. The true impact of the show lies in the simple fact that life is fleeting; one must do the best they can with the time they have been granted.

Slade Haney, a senior at Mississippi College, played George Gibbs. “Throughout the show, you can see how he matures,” Haney said. “In Act 1, he’s a very boyish character because he’s a teenager, and though he’s still young in the rest of the show, he sees a lot of maturing through the death of his wife, through getting married, and realizing what his values are in life.” He explained the difference between this role and his other roles is that George is a normal guy, meaning that he does not have to act overly animated. That is what makes the show so profound—the actors are telling the stories of people experiencing normal life.

Robert Hight was the stage manager in this production of the play, and it had an impact on him. “Perspective,” Hight said. “One of the nights my grandmother came and watched the show, and I was like, I don’t really know how I’m gonna feel about talking to my grandmother about this show afterwards.” The play highlights the importance of taking each day as it comes and living in the moment.

Helen Bunger, a Mississippi College student and audience member on opening night, was moved by the performance. “I think that was kind of a time that I could step back and appreciate,” Bunger said. “We need to take every day for [the Lord], we’re not even promised tomorrow. We are promised today, so I think that was a really neat kind of reminder of that.”

Peyton Miller, a freshman at Mississippi College, was Emily Webb. The character was integral to the significance of the show. Emily experiences growing up, falling in love, marriage and even death, and the impact of these events is realized by the other characters around her throughout the story. Peyton explained the importance of portraying Emily in an accurate light, as she has never experienced grief such as is experienced in Our Town. “And then on top of that, I was constantly throughout the term of this show—I’d be in the middle of class like wow, I’m so grateful that I can have an education, that I can be here, that I can sit in a seat, just anything,” Miller said. “I found myself walking around campus, just completely in awe of God’s goodness.”

The show had audiences in laughter and tears, and the overwhelming reaction was one of reflection and appreciation for life. “Oh, earth,” Emily Webb says near the end of the show, “you’re too wonderful for anyone to realize you.”

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Tailgating, giveaways, raffles and competitions will highlight the event. Sam Gibson, a student and intern for the MC Department of Kinesiology, is serving as the main organizer for Game Day 200. The sophomore said he hopes the festivities will raise student involvement and interest in supporting MC Athletics. “200 active students to this event, that is my biggest goal,” Gibson said. “After that, I just hope we win, I hope everyone has a good time, I hope this is something everyone can look back and say ‘wow, remember that tailgate we had.’”

Saturday will be a busy day on the field with three games total for the two MC teams. The Mississippi College baseball team will play a doubleheader against the University of West Florida, concluding a three-game series. The first game will start at 1 p.m. and the second at 4 p.m. The team goes into the weekend with a 24-18 record and has clinched its Gulf South Conference Championship berth earlier this week. The MC softball team will also conclude a three-game series against West Florida at 1 p.m. The team goes into the weekend with a 25-16-1 record.

Gibson, a sports management major, said that the idea behind Game Day 200 came during a sports management class where his professor, Suzanne McDonough, worked with him in developing the concept. “Dr. McDonough talked about a project she wanted to do as far as this thing called ‘gameday,’” Gibson said. “I was just in class, throwing out ideas with her, and we were just kind of in a flow state, and I said, ‘What if we tried to get 200 students for the 200th year [of MC]?’”

Another student, Aidan Castillo, a junior exercise science major, is assisting Gibson in organizing and advertising the event. Both students made it clear that their hopes for Game Day 200 are about long-term student involvement with athletics. Castillo, also a member of the Student Government Association, commented on his experience in planning Game Day 200. “We are trying to get all of these student organizations, along with athletics, to incentivize students to show up so that we can continue to support athletics throughout the next couple of years,” Castillo said. “I will tell you, it’s been hectic behind the scenes, but we ultimately hope to leave an imprint on the coming years.”

To reach their ambitious goal of 200 total students in the stands for baseball and softball, the MC Kinesiology Department is supplying certain giveaway items for students. Gibson said that upon arrival, students can check in at a table and receive MC Athletics merchandise such as T-shirts, water bottles and bags.

The department is also hosting raffles that students will be entered into at the games. The grand prizes are two Turtlebox Ranger Bluetooth speakers. For the baseball game, the winner will be announced after the seventh inning, and after the fifth inning for softball.

For Gibson and Castillo, Game Day 200 is more than just fans in the stands; they hope the event can be an opportunity for students to come out and enjoy themselves before the busy season of final exams begins. “The vision that I have is everybody coming out — clubs, tribes, alumni — really just a great time,” Gibson said. “I hope everyone has a great time.”

Admission to the games and participation in Game Day 200 programming are free for MC students.

Gunn delivered an approximately 17-minute speech to an eager crowd at the Clinton visitors center off of Pinehaven Drive. The Clintonian addressed Mississippi’s recent success in education, business, and infrastructure development. Gunn also spoke about his desire to lower taxes, cut state spending, and maintain Mississippi’s values. “We must get government spending under control, we need to tax our citizens less, we need to grow jobs, not the government,” Gunn said. “Our values in Mississippi are the backbone of the strength of our state.”

Gunn is the third republican to announce gubernatorial candidacy. Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Andy Gipson, announced his campaign in June 2025. State Auditor Shad White announced his bid to supporters in December but has not yet officially declared.

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Elections for the Student Government Association (SGA) of Mississippi College (MC) are in full swing as the association prepares for the 2026-27 academic year. Election week kicked off on April 13 with an open forum that took place at Swor Auditorium in Nelson Hall.

The SGA is holding elections for all of its sophomore, junior, and senior Senator positions on April 15. Five seats will be elected from each academic class, for a total of 15 seats. The sophomore class is the most competitive, with nine candidates in the race. Three seniors — Avery Long, Cade Wethersby and Price Hester — are seeking reelection for their fourth consecutive and final term. Freshman and transfer elections are held each fall. This year, voting is conducted through a form posted on the SGA social media accounts.

SGA acts as a liaison between the university administration and the student body, advocating for student interests. In the past school year, SGA worked to change MC’s resident laundry policy by removing per-use charges in dormitory laundry machines. This year, SGA has also extended the hours of student access in Alumni Hall. “It’s stuff that people on a daily basis are being impacted by, that is, certain policies that I’m going to keep building on and making better and better as we keep going into next year,” Bryce Varner, a vice presidential candidate, said.

Several important SGA elections are taking place, including Business Manager, Chief Justice, Vice President, and President. Three of the races are uncontested this year: Kaden Coats running unopposed for Chief Justice, Bryce Varner for Vice President, and Marco Pineda for President.

These executives emphasized collaboration with other student organizations, clear communication with the administration, and a growing presence on campus. “As MC turns the page on 200 years, I think we’re at a crucial point,” Pineda said. “There’s a lot that SGA can be doing, and I’m really excited to continue.” The only contested position is Business Manager, with Alonnah Patterson and Alana Liddell facing each other.

To be eligible to run for Business Manager, a student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 at the time of election and must have completed 54 credit hours by the end of the semester in which the term begins.

The position has a wide range of responsibilities, including fulfilling the SGA’s graphic design needs, serving as the clerk of the Senate, and maintaining Senate records and legislation. The Business Manager also oversees SGA finances, publicizes elections around campus, and handles catering and other logistical needs during the year. During the moderated debate, the candidates, Liddell and Patterson, outlined their reasons for running and discussed their qualifications for the position.

Patterson decided to run after realizing how her skills and major could benefit SGA. As a marketing major with an interest in public relations, Patterson hopes to increase student engagement through SGA’s social media platforms.

“I’ve developed a strong presence in media and design, and I feel that I have a really good skill set in that,” Patterson said. “I’ll be able to use that to do more student engagement and more activities, have a lot of takeover on Instagram and leave an impact with that.”

Patterson also addressed the organizational and financial aspects of serving as Business Manager. “I know that it takes a lot of responsibility and accountability to also deal with the finances and the executive side of that,” she said. “I’m very organized, having different positions on campus and within my tribe, and I can do that in an orderly and timely manner.”

Liddell, a two-term SGA senator, said her reason to run came from her desire to work directly with students and advocate for their interests. “I want to have a more hands-on position, where I can really embody who I mean to be and be more confident in servicing our students,” she said. “I really wanted to hear everything that students are saying and be able to live out and create and build upon their goals and what they want to see more on our campus.”

Liddell said she also strives to be a dependable figure for both SGA members and the broader student body. “I would really love to be able to enact the thoughts that I have for this position and the student experience at MC as a whole,” she said.

Both candidates emphasized their personal habits and previous experience in similar roles. Patterson said she had a planner for her schoolwork, which helped her prioritize her tasks and effectively manage a tight schedule. “I’m very good at time managing, and I can focus and get things done,” Patterson said. “Not just get them done but have them done right.”

Liddell has taken business management classes and currently serves as the SGA Director of Student Affairs. “I plan to do more and build upon it, to show you all that I can handle this position and that I can grow in it and be more confident to help everyone else around,” Liddell said.

They also vowed to ensure that SGA stays within its budget throughout the year. Liddell emphasized accountability with the executive team. “I plan to be someone that speaks first, so they will know where to go forward, and I just plan to be responsible over our finances and be held accountable,” Liddell said. “And I expect my executive team to also hold me accountable.”

Patterson emphasized clear communication and time management. “It comes down to commitment and communication that you know your team, and that you know each person and who they are and how they communicate,” Patterson said. “Doing it in a timely manner, to where you’re not putting it off last minute, but that it’s done with enough time to have it sorted and organized.”

Voting opened on April 14 at 7 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m. Although voting usually happens through the MC website, due to technical reasons, SGA had to shift to a Google Form ballot distributed through social media. Election coordinators said results will be posted by April 17, after all races are finalized.

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The trip was an extension of the Territorial Politics and National Defense course (PLS 403), taught by Antizzo; students who participated received credit. Two students, Grant McNally and Kye Webb, were also enrolled in International Field Studies in Economics, Defense, and Government (GBU 493), taught by Morehead.

For Morehead, the 2026 trip marked his 35th visit to the U.S. territory. In 2021, he secured a grant for a project that incorporated travel to Guam. Though the grant has since concluded, Morehead continues to lead Guam trips. This year’s trip, which departed on Thursday, March 5, focused on political science.

The group toured U.S. Space Force facilities at Andersen Air Force Base and the base itself. They met with Rear Adm. Brett Mietus, commander of Joint Region Marianas.

Morehead said a planned visit to a naval base was canceled due to rising tensions involving Iran.

“We had a visit scheduled to the naval base, but it was canceled because of the Iran crisis,’ Morehead said. ‘We did get to visit with the admiral in his office and discuss some aspects of what’s going on with the naval defense system.”

The U.S. territory of Guam, a part of the Mariana Islands chain, is a strategic location for the United States military. The island is positioned near key adversaries, such as China and North Korea, and key allies, such as Japan and South Korea, in the region. The MC group visited with the current lieutenant governor and a former governor of the territory. Antizzo said both conversations were productive. “I was able to ask direct questions, without any intermediaries, to the former Republican governor and the current lieutenant governor, who’s a Democrat, and they were very frank in their answers, and nobody was trying to beat around the bush,” Antizzo said. “You felt like you were getting straight answers to straight questions, which was refreshing.”

During their stay, the nine members of the MC party experienced Guam’s rich culture. “I think my favorite aspect of the trip was seeing how many different cultures have influenced the island of Guam, especially in the sense where it’s still a United States territory, so it’s still very American in so many ways, but you also have high populations of Koreans, Japanese, and then the indigenous culture, which is the CHamoru people,” Grant McNally, a junior political science major, said. “So, getting to see how they all come together in terms of festivals, food, architecture, things like that was just really, really cool.”

Transportation to and from the island presented unique challenges. “Guam was 16 time zones away across the International Date Line when we started off; it went down to 15 after Daylight Saving Time,” Ryan Brown, a junior political science and homeland security major, said. There are no direct flights to the island from the continental United States, so the group traveled through South Korea. To travel to Guam, the group drove to Memphis, flew to Salt Lake City, and then flew to South Korea. “The travel getting over [to Guam] was hectic,” Thompson, a senior political science major, said. “The travel getting back was even more hectic.”

On the return trip, the group visited a historically and politically important South Korean location. “We stopped in Korea on the way home and visited the Incheon landing, which is where Gen. Douglas MacArthur, as part of the Korean War, came to liberate South Korea from North Korea,” Morehead said. Upon arriving in Atlanta from South Korea, the group faced delays due to inclement weather conditions. The group ultimately returned to Mississippi on Sunday, March 15.

According to Chief Levius Buckley of the Clinton Fire Department, a lack of rain was the reason for the ban’s implementation. “It’s in place right now because we’re in a drought,” Buckley said. “And since the beginning of the new year, we’ve been overloaded with grass fires, whether it’s caused by fireworks or just dry and windy conditions.”

According to Buckley, unattended grass fires are one of the most common fire hazards he sees in the Clinton community. “Like, somebody burning limbs and they leave their house, it happens all the time, [they] end up burning their neighbor’s fence or something like that,” Buckley said.

Other common causes of fires include outdoor cooking and the overheating of lithium-ion batteries, especially those in cellphones, which, according to the fire chief, is a common cause of fire among college students.

When it comes to students living in dorms, Buckley also noted several other potential fire hazards. He said overloading washers and dryers, irresponsible and unattended cooking, hanging clothes from the sprinkler systems in dorms, and charging bikes containing lithium-ion batteries inside of dorms are all major fire risks.

Mississippi College sophomore Elijah Whitfield shared how the recent burn ban has affected his family’s plan to build a lake on their property. “So, right now, we’re mining dirt to put a lake in, and we had to take out a bunch of trees,” Whitfield said. “So, right now, we probably have [about an] acre of wood piles that we need to burn.”

Whitfield also said that his family usually burns their overgrown fields, but they have not been able to because of the ban. “Usually, we’ll burn a field if it gets too overgrown, and if the grass builds up too high, burn it, and all the weeds will go, and the fresh grass will come in, and the cows will eat it better,” Whitfield said.

The local student said that overall, the ban has not significantly impacted his family’s routine. “This is really a one-off, and we really haven’t burned too much, so it hasn’t done us off too bad,” Whitfield said.

Some ways to prevent fires include not leaving flames unattended, properly disposing of hot coals, and removing lint from lint traps. When charging lithium-ion batteries, Buckley recommended placing the charging device on a hard surface, such as a desk. He also warned against charging phones on a non-porous soft surface, such as a mattress, to prevent overheating. Talking on a cellphone as it charges can cause overheating as well. Buckley also emphasized the importance of using a UL-rated charger to charge cell phones, as other kinds may cause overheating and start fires. The fireman said students can prevent dangerous situations simply by paying more attention to what they are doing. “Just be present and watch what you’re doing,” Buckley said. “Slow down, take care of what you need to take care of, and we’ll be good.”

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All MC students are required to take four semesters of Chapel. To fulfill this credit, they must attend at least 10 sessions per semester. There are also events, such as worship nights and special lectures, which provide 15 additional opportunities for students to earn a Chapel credit. In recent years, Chapel has been held every Thursday in the Swor auditorium. The two sessions begin and end with musical worship led by MC’s Worship Collective. The musical group is composed of student singers, guitarists, keyboardists, and drummers.

Chapel also includes a weekly message or sermon from a guest speaker. This provides an opportunity for students to hear from various seasoned pastors and speakers from different backgrounds and walks of life. “We want you to be challenged and corrected and taught sound doctrine and good teaching from Scripture,” Ben Goff, instructor of Christian Studies and current Chapel director, said.

Chapel plays an important role in shaping MC’s culture as a Christ-centered institution by supplementing Sunday and Wednesday church services. It provides a midweek pause from the rush of students’ schedules and allows a time of spiritual reflection and renewal. “It’s something that is unique to us as a Christian college and university that gives us an opportunity during the week to throw in an extra worship service and spiritual aspect to life here on campus,” Goff said. This year, MC Chapel hosted Shane Pruitt, the director of the North American Mission Board, and Shane & Shane, a popular Christian musical duo. Matt Papa, writer of popular modern hymns, such as “His Mercy is More” and “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death,” is also scheduled to visit later in the semester.

Some students have fully leaned into the chapel experience. “My perspective has shifted because I realized that it’s not just another thing on my schedule,” Kara Byrd, a second-year MC transfer student, said. “It’s an opportunity to take a break from my schedule and really sit with the Lord.” Although she has completed her required chapel credits, Byrd continues to attend as a chapel team member. Student team members help host Chapel by taking attendance and assisting in production. “I love getting to see the behind-the-scenes with what people put into Chapel and what Chapel means to them – how they’re really intentional about trying to do what the Lord has called them to and trying to build God’s kingdom,” Byrd said.

Beyond simple attendance, Goff hopes that Chapel will leave a lasting impact on the lives of students. “I hope by the time that they finish their requirement, they can look back on Chapel and say, number one, it wasn’t a waste of their time. And number two, they had the experience to hear from people, gifted by God, come and challenge them and teach them things that they can take with them from the Chapel space to wherever the Lord decides to send them,” Goff said.