Panola College
November 17, 2017 - A grant from the Panola College Foundation allowed 20 Panola College students and their professors to visit the R.L. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport, La., on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Students enrolled in art, photography, Spanish and humanities classes toured the museum and gardens with professors Dr. Kathy Watlington, Amanda Clements, and Teresa Beasley.
Participating were Tarsheanna Bauer, Gabrielle Berry, Madison Buck, Destiny Buffin, Melonie Caserta, Sheli Caserta, Evelyn Coleman, Brandon Castillo, Daria Eremeeva, Ekaterina Karchevskaya, Jazmine Graves, Tyesha High, Kayleigh Isbell, Nate Morris, Paola Rangel, Tyler Ryan, Mia Sartor, Sydnee Taylor, Vanessa Tirado and Kierra Ware.
The Norton Museum, a gift to the city of Shreveport from the R.L. Norton family, showcases paintings, drawings, and sculpture from American and European artists, along with antique firearms, silver, posters from the war years, and porcelain dolls representing historic figures from Louisiana and the South.
The expansive gardens behind the museum offer an array of native plants and trees, and includes outdoor sculptures, bridges and waterfalls. Thousands of azaleas bloom in the spring, and during the autumn season, camellias and fall foliage add color to the garden. The gardens serve more than an ornamental purpose. The Norton Museum has an ongoing project to improve honeybee habitat and food sources. The gardens are also home to a flock of ducks and chickens, and goldfish swim in the decorative ponds.
“We have been fortunate to secure a grant from the Panola College Foundation for several years,” said Teresa Beasley, photography and humanities professor. “While we have traveled to Houston and Fort Worth in the past, we have especially appreciated the opportunity to visit the R.L. Norton Museum. It’s a fine museum close to home. The exhibits and grounds are spectacular.”
A survey of participants revealed that all students appreciated the opportunity to tour the museum. One response read, “Students may never be exposed to these kinds of things without trips like these. I believe it really broadens your knowledge of art just to walk around.”
November 17, 2017 - Panola College signed an articulation agreement with East Texas Baptist University on Tuesday, November 14, in the Frances B. Ross Ballroom of the Charles C. Matthews Foundation Student Center on the campus of Panola College.
East Texas Baptist University’s partnership with Panola College (PC) marks ETBU’s sixth and Panola College’s third articulation agreement with institutions and organizations in the region. ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn and PC President Gregory Powell signed the agreement that offers students at PC and ETBU access to enhanced educational opportunities.
“ETBU is honored to partner with Panola College in the education of students in East Texas. Our region has a bachelor’s degree completion rate of less than 35 percent and we want to provide greater opportunities for East Texans and Panola College students and graduates to receive an affordable Christ-centered education at ETBU,” Dr. Blackburn said. “PC President Greg Powell is a visionary educational leader for Panola County and East Texas. I am excited to work closely with Dr. Powell in exploring other strategies to widen the doors of access and affordability to higher education for our students.”
Located in Carthage, Texas, Panola College is an award-winning community college. PC was established in 1947, operating with just two temporary buildings. Now, the institution stands with 19 permanent buildings and serves over 2,600 students in the counties of Marion, Panola, Shelby, and Harrison. In its 70-year history, Panola College has grown to meet the needs of the community by providing a wide range of education and training opportunities to students of any age. PC President Gregory Powell’s vision for expansion led to the partnership between PC and ETBU.
"Panola College is delighted to sign this articulation agreement with East Texas Baptist University,” Dr. Powell commented. “This provides our students with a seamless transfer pathway as they continue their education towards bachelors' degrees.”
The agreement will ensure that eligible graduates of PC will be able to seamlessly transfer approved courses, receive priority for admission, and be granted precedence for scholarships at ETBU. The University will also offer $11,000 each year in academic support to Phi Theta Kappa students.
“As a local partner, Panola College has a great impact on the education of students in Harrison and Panola County,” ETBU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Thomas Sanders said. “In this agreement, we are providing a seamless transition for students to finish an undergraduate degree. Partnerships like this are key to us improving the workforce and economies of our region.”
November 15, 2017 - The Panola College Rodeo Team was on the road to the final Southern Region Rodeo of the fall semester November 10th-11th, hosted by SAMSU, in Conroe, TX. The team had some great results before heading to a well-deserved break.
Bareback Rider’s, Tyler Johnson and Travis Chapman, started the weekend right with a 1st and 3rd place finish. Tyler won the long round with a 78 point ride, while Travis scored 67 points good enough for 7th place finish. The top 10 are taken back to a short go where the average on two head becomes the champions. The short go proved to be very exciting. Travis scored the highest score of the weekend with an 80 point ride, while Tyler scored 77 points for 2nd place finish in the short round. The two scores where added together and the final tally was: Tyler Johnson 1st place finish, Travis Chapman 3rd place finish. The win’s these two were able to put together this semester has both cowboys in the top three positions in the Southern Region, Travis is number 2 with 518.50 points, while Tyler is 3rd with 422.33 points. The top three at the end of the season move on to the CNFR in June.
Michael Womack, a freshman from Bastrop, La., did his part for the team in the Saddle bronco riding. Michael scored a 63 point ride in the long go for a 3rd place finish. Only four cowboys had qualified rides in the long, making the short round tough with a great field of bucking stock to draw from. Michael failed to win anything in the short round, but held his position in the average of 3rd place. Womack moves to number 8 in the region, while fellow team mate Logan Cook holds on tight to the number 2 position.
C.K. Wright, sophomore from Lufkin, did a great job for the Fillies’ side of the team in the Barrel Racing. Wright had a great run in the long go with a time of 17.57 for the 4th place finish. C.K. then came back to the short round with a time of 17.58 for the 6th place finish. The average times she was able to combine landed the young cowgirl in 5th in the average for her and her team. C.K. and team mate Campbell Grover both are in the top 20 in the region with lots of rodeo time left before the season ends.
Team Ropers Logan Cook, and Colton Johnson, did an amazing job roping their first steer in 6.3 seconds and a 4th place finish in the long go. The short go proved to be very difficult for every team as only two teams were able to make smooth runs without penalties. The cowboys had a 5 second penalty in the short go, but still had a fast time of 11.40 seconds. The times on two head were added together and the team came out with a 3rd place finish. (In the team roping a team is penalized 5 seconds if only on back leg is roped)
The Panola College Rodeo men’s team is still on top of the Southern Region standings with a total of 2753.83 points, while close 2nd is Hill College has 2633.33 points. The top two teams in each region will move on to the CNFR. The spring season will kick back off in Athens, February 9-10. Coach Jeffrey Collins said “It has been a great Fall and I am very excited for this team, we have big goals and plans, right now our plan is to enjoy the break and keep pressing on towards a regional championship as well as a national title.”
Submitted by Jeff Collins
November 13, 2017 - The Panola College men’s basketball team defeated On Point Academy here Saturday night, 99-72. With the victory, Panola increases their record to 3-1. “I really liked our focus tonight.” Head Coach Grant McMillan stated. “We didn’t have much slippage, our routine was sharp, and we played with a purpose.” He added.
Despite On Point knocking down 9 three-pointers in the first half, Panola took a 52-39 halftime lead. Juwan Williams came out on fire in the second half scoring all of his 14 points in the first eight minutes of the second frame to give the Pones a 31 point lead with just 11:39 remaining in the game.
Six players scored in double-digits and were led by Marlon Taylors 15 points. Williams, TJ Killings, Jeremy Roscoe, Alex Holcombe and Jeffrey Boyd round out the double digit scores. Shandon Goldman recorded 10 rebounds in the win. Panola shot 62 percent from the field for the game.
Panola continues non-conference play this upcoming Tuesday, November 14th when they host Louisiana Christian Prep. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM in AJ Gym on the campus of Panola College.
November 10, 2017 - The weather outside may be frightful on Wednesday, November 29, but inside it will be delightful for people who come to “Cookies and Cocoa with Santa” at Panola College from 4 to 7 p.m. Santa will make a special trip from the North Pole to be on hand to greet children and adults alike in the foyer of the Charles C. Matthews Foundation Student Center to kick off the Spirit of Christmas.
KTBS 3 Meteorologist will accompany Santa and will do the weather forecast live from Panola College every half hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. For the three-hour visit, Santa will be available to hear children’s Christmas wish lists and to pose for photos. Complimentary cookies and cocoa will be available.
Panola College band students, performing in ensembles, will add to the holiday atmosphere by playing Christmas favorites. The band and choir are preparing for the annual Christmas in Carthage extravaganza, set for 7 p.m., Tuesday, December 5 at the Carthage Civic Center.
Basketball fans may want to stay on campus until 7:30 p.m. when the Panola College Men’s Basketball team faces Blinn in the adjacent A.J. Johnson Gymnasium.
“We invite everyone to come out and join us on November 29 as we usher in the Christmas season,” said Dr. Greg Powell, Panola College President.
November 10, 2017 - The Panola College men’s basketball team defeated LSUA-JV here Thursday night, 75-63. The victory improves the Ponies record to 2-1. “We were just OK tonight. We had really good moments and really bad moments. Overall, we just have to improve.” Stated head coach Grant McMillan.
Panola came out hot in the first half taking an early 9-0 lead. LSUA cut the lead to 5, 29-24 but never got any closer. The Ponies took a 35-26 halftime lead. The second half Panola gradually increased their lead to 21 points before taking the 12 point victory.
Four players were in double figures and were led by Jeremy Roscoe with 18. TJ Killings, Marlon Taylor, and Juwan Williams all pitched in with 10 points. Alex Holcombe recorded 9 blocks in the game.
Panola hosts Houston Community College the upcoming Saturday, November 11th. Tip-off is set for 5:00 PM in AJ Gym on the campus of Panola College.
November 8, 2017 Carthage – Panola College sophomore, TJ Killings, signed his national letter of intent this afternoon for Portland State University. The Bridgeport, Connecticut native kicked off the season scoring 24 points, tallying 10 assists, and chased down nine boards in the prestigious East/West challenge. As a freshman, TJ averaged 7.3 points per game and was top three in total minutes played.
“TJ has never taken a day off for us since he stepped foot on campus.” Head Coach Grant McMillan stated. “I am so proud of the strides he has made on and off the floor and will only continue to grow as a young man. We are very excited for his future.” He added.
Killings was part of the winningest season ever last season as Panola made the national tournament for the first time since 1979. He becomes the 11th division one signee in the Grant McMillan era. They finished the season ranked 13th in the media poll. Panola hosts LSUA-JV tomorrow in their home opener. Tip-off is set for 6:00 PM in AJ gym on the campus of Panola College.
November 8, 2017 - Carthage, Texas - The Panola College men's basketball home opener is this upcoming Thursday, November 9th against LSUA - JV. Tip off is set for 6pm in the AJ Gym on the campus of Panola College.
Due to a schedule change, tip off was moved up an hour to 6pm. The Panola men are ranked 12th in the NJCAA national poll.
November 7, 2017 - Six Panola College theater students won awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) at Angelo State University on Oct. 27. These include Allyssa Woods and Maelbi Caeldron, both for Meritorious Achievement in dramaturgy; and Lacie Sepulvado for Meritorious Achievement in Costume Design.
Three actors won the Irene Ryan Acting Award: Nathaniel Endsley, Sarah Funderburk and Katt Smith.
“Only six Meritorious Achievement awards were given at the State Festival, and Panola College students garnered three of them,” said Karen King, Panola College Drama Professor.
The Panola cast and crew presented “Flyer,” a play written by Kate Aspengren. The story is based on the Mercury 13 women who passed the physical examinations developed for NASA’s astronaut selection process. The majority of the action takes place in the early 1960’s in and around the Lovelace Foundation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lovelace’s Woman in Space Program was a short-lived, privately funded project testing women pilots for astronaut fitness in the early 1960’s. Although nothing concrete resulted, the women who participated have since been recognized as trailblazers, whose ambitions to fly the newest and the fastest craft led them to be among the first American women to gain access to sophisticated aerospace medical tests.
The Kennedy Center American College Theater is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents.
Cast included Sarah Funderburk, Katt Smith, Zach Holmes, Jasmine Ryan, Nathaniel Endsley, Yancy Flores, Tailer Chong, Ashlynn Stamps, Julian Johnson, Kayla Brimer, Emmalee Tomaszewski, Jessica Bailey, Edward McMillian, Kayla Featherston, Quay Rice, Joseph Allred, Big Mak Lindsey, Angel Hubble and Dustin Bennett.
Crew included Allyssa Woods, Maelbi Calderon, Big Mak Lindsey, Kassandra Escobar, Enoiola Sogsbean, Kacie Sepulvado, Lacie Sepulvado, Julia Prewitt, Brandon Castillo, KeKe Woodson, Glitch Smith, Christina Patterson, Kennedy Udumukwu, Leonard Maxwell, and Katy Chance.
November 6, 2017 - Lewisville, Texas – The Panola College men split this weekend in the Midwest Scouting Service East/West Challenge held at Lewisville High School. In game one, Panola upended Clarendon College 90-79 and lost to seventh ranked Odessa College 70-84 in the second game. Both Clarendon and Odessa compete in Region V.
“It was a great honor to be invited to the East/West Challenge” Head Coach Grant McMillan Stated. “We played two high end opponents this weekend. I was so proud of the way we prepared and came out against a Clarendon team who beat a ranked San Jac team the night before. Against Odessa we just weren’t disciplined enough but it’s why we played these hard games early in the year.” He added.
In the first half against Clarendon, Panola found themselves down by as much as 12 points before evening the score at 40 before intermission. The Ponies took control in the second half by going on a 26-9 run to give them a 17 point lead midway through the half and eventually the 11 point victory.
Four Ponies scored in double figures and were led by Marlon Taylor with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Juwan Williams netted 17, while Jeremy Roscoe and TJ Killings recorded 16 and 14 points, respectively. Shandon Goldman almost recorded a double-double tallying 9 points and chasing down 11 rebounds.
In the second game, Odessa and Panola battled back and forth the entire first half before Odessa took a 10 point lead into the locker room. Panola cut the lead to four, 58-54 with 13:39 remaining in the second half but couldn’t get any closer. Odessa’s lead stayed in the single-digits most of the second half but some untimely turnovers and missed layups prevented any comeback efforts.
Jeremy Roscoe scored a game high 21 points in the loss while Marlon Taylor recorded another double-double.
Panola’s record is 1-1 after the opening weekend challenge. They host LSU-Alexandria JV this upcoming Thursday, November 9th for their home opener. Tip-off is set up for 7:00 PM in AJ Gym on the campus of Panola College.
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