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.

Jeremy RoscoePanola 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.

 Award winners include, from left, Maelbi Calderon, Allyssa Woods, Lacie Sepulvado, Nathaniel Endsley and Sarah Funderburk. (Not pictured: Katt Smith.)

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.

November 2, 2017 - Registration for the 2017 winter term, and the 2018 spring semester will open at 8am, Wednesday, Nov. 8.  Current students may log on to Campus Connect and register. New students should complete the application at Apply Online, and make an appointment with an academic adviser by calling (903) 693-2048.

Winter term at Panola College begins Thursday, Dec. 14 and ends on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. More than 30 courses are offered during the winter term, allowing students to complete three college semester hours in an intensive three-week time frame. All courses except for a hybrid Natural Gas Compression class, are online via the Canvas learning management system. 

"Motivated students excel in our winter term," said Dr. Billy Adams, Vice President of Instruction. "We have had excellent response from university students who are on winter break and want to take a course that will transfer back to their universities. Our academic advisers are happy to discuss this money and time-saving option for university students."

Tuition and fees at Panola College are 40 percent less than public universities and 80 percent less than private universities. Public universities must designate as core complete any student transferring from Panola College with an associate degree.

New students should also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at https://fafsa.ed.gov/index.htm. Students should type in the Panola College code of 003600 to ensure that their financial aid information is submitted correctly, according to Denise Welch, Financial Aid director. For more information about financial aid, call 903-693-2035.

"I would encourage all students to fill out the FAFSA at least one time. You never know what you might qualify for," Welch said.

Academic advisers are available in Carthage, Marshall, and Center. Students majoring in Career/Technical programs, Education, Criminal Justice, and Development are required to visit with an adviser before registering. All students are encouraged to visit an adviser to establish a degree plan for completion of associate degrees, associate of applied science degrees, or certificates of completion.

Registration for the winter term ends on Wednesday, Dec. 13, while spring registration is open until Monday, Jan. 15.

November 2, 2017 - Panola College rodeo team traveled to Lake Charles, La. on the 27th and the 28th for the McNeese State University rodeo. The rodeo was very exciting to say the least.

The bull riding was taken over by two Panola bull riders, Koby Radley and Boudreaux Campbell, both are freshman at Panola College and both are at the top of the leader board in the Southern Region Standings. Koby started the action off with a 79 point bull ride and a 1st place finish. Boudreaux followed up his team mate with a 74 point ride and a 3rd place finish. The young bull riders move to number 1 and 2 in the standings, with Boudreaux number 1 with 466 points and Koby number 2 with 416 points. The top 3 point leaders in the region will advance on to the CNFR in June; both bull riders will be expected to advance to the college finals.

Bareback rider, Travis Chapman, continued to fight for his spot at the top of the field scoring 76 points for a 2nd place finish. Travis, a sophomore from Woodville, has had a very good season placing in his event at all four Southern Region Rodeos. Travis not only helped his team to the victory but also helped himself to the number 2 spot in the Regional Standings, with a total of 418.50 points. Chapman is expected to be a strong contender for regional and national titles.

Logan Cook was back to his winning ways this weekend in the calf roping. Cook tied down his calf in 9.3 seconds, and secured a 3rd place finish. Logan’s weekend helped push him to the number 1 position in the Southern Region All around Standings. To be qualified as an all-around competitor a cowboy or cowgirl must enter 2 or more events. Logan enters the Calf roping, Saddle Bronco riding, and the Team roping at all the college rodeos. Logan is now setting number 2 in the Saddle Bronco’s, number 3 in the Calf roping, and has no sign of letting up there. “I think Logan has the potential to be a National Champion in all of his events, he is a fierce competitor and one of the best cowboys I have had the pleasure to know, let alone coach. Logan will without any doubt in my mind continue to be a leader for this team and continue to be very successful in the arena.” said Jeffrey Collins, Panola College Rodeo Coach.

Tyler Johnson also continues to impress his peers in the Bareback Riding, Tyler scored a 70 points this weekend and finished 6th. Tyler, a freshman from Athens, is now setting in the number 4 position in the Southern Regional Standings. “Tyler is a very hard working and dedicated young man; he is someone I can count on to do all the little things it takes to win, be in great shape mentally and physically, shows up and gets the job done. It is great to have such a young athlete show such leadership that Tyler is giving us” said Coach Collins.

Panola College Ponies men’s team won 1st place this weekend due to these individuals’ efforts. Panola continues to hold on to the number 1 spot in the Southern Region. The rodeo team has the last rodeo of the fall season scheduled for November 10th and 11th, in Conroe, hosted by SAMSU.

Octrober 31, 2017 - On Thursday, October 19th more than 500 friends of Panola College gathered at the Carthage Civic Center to play bingo for a chance to win designer purses and other prizes. The fundraising event, hosted by the Panola College Foundation, was a complete sellout for the third time. Designer Purse Bingo raised more than $42,000 to support scholarships, faculty grants and other college projects.
 
Two bonus games were available for guests to purchase. The grand finale bonus game, sponsored by Premium Graphics and Design of Timpson, TX was also available for guests to purchase. The grand prize for the game was a Louis Vuitton Neverfull Tote valued at $1,260. There was also a bonus game played during intermission for a shopping spree worth $1,000, sponsored by Jolee & R.H. Ritter.
 

Game sponsor, Children’s Dental Center in Center, TX, showed their support to Panola College.

Joshua Carter of Carthage kept the crowd laughing and entertained all evening long as emcee for the occasion.
 
Guests also enjoyed a photo booth which printed souvenir photos from their evening, sponsored by First State Bank & Trust Company of Carthage.
 
Pippen Motor Company sponsored the Koozies for the evening. Game sponsors included Carthage Furniture, City of Carthage, Children’s Dental Center of Center, TX, Citizens Bank, LimeLight by Alcone with Brandie Best, Worthington Plumbing & A/C, General Shelters, Hayli Cagle with Keller Williams, Kelly’s Collision Center, Sanford & Sons, Inc., Simply Beautiful Salon, and Texas Home Health.
 

Nelda Salas shows off her $1,000 shopping spree after winning the bonus game.

Dazzle sponsors were Ace Hardware, The Balcony, Genpak, Panola National Bank, Rural Water Service, Shelby Savings Bank, and Smith Energy Services.
 
Bingo game purses included 24 different purses including brands such as Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Frye, Brahmin, and Coach. A ring raffle also garnered prizes that consisted of over $500 worth of gift cards to dine around East Texas, A Vera Bradley purse donated by Chicken Row Market, a decorative sign donated by Dazzle’s Collectibles, a gift basket donated by Dillard’s in Longview, and a gift basket full of beauty products from Rachel Davis at Simply Beautiful Salon.
 

First State Bank & Trust Company employees take advantage of the photo booth that evening.

Panola College Occupational Therapy Assistant students are always instrumental in assisting with the event. Additional support for Designer Purse Bingo came from Brookshire Brothers, Photography by Teresa Cage Beasley, and Whataburger.
 
“The Designer Purse Bingo is such a fun event and has been a great fundraiser for the Panola College Foundation,” said Jessica Pace, Director of Institutional Advancement at Panola College. “We appreciate the support shown to Panola College from all the counties we service.”
 
Sponsors are already claiming their spots for the fourth Designer Purse Bingo in Carthage. Pace recommends that bingo players do the same and mark their calendar for Friday, March 23rd and watch for ticket sales to open in January.

500 guests gathered to support Panola College and play Bingo for a chance to win a designer purse.

Esmeralda Acosta of Center plays flute in the Panola College Band.

October 31, 2017 - On Thursday, Oct. 26, the Panola College Band and Jazz Band performed in concert in the Q.M. Martin Auditorium. Dwaine Hubbard, instrumental music professor, directed the band concert. Students in the Jazz Band are noted with (JB).

Nicklaus Powell of Shelbyville plays percussion in the Panola College Band. 

Student musicians include on flute: Esmeralda Acosta, Center (JB); Ma’Kayla Campbell, Henderson; Jessica Coats, Henderson; Maricruz Gonzales, Center; Savana Hanaway, Carthage (JB); Julie Hernandez, Center; Alexandria Lavender, Carthage (JB); Mallory Sims, Center; and Madison Youngblood, Carthage.
 
Alexis Barlow of Center plays guitar in the Panola College Band.Playing clarinet are Jazmin Alvarado, Center; Emily Averitt, Hallsville; Chelsea Ener, Hemphill; Taylor Hughes, Carthage (JB); Marissa Jones, West Rusk; Kirsten Mayfield, Garrison, and Perla Perez, Henderson. Playing bass clarinet are Kaci Griffin, Shelbyville, and Samantha Stilley, Hallsville. On contra-alto clarinet is Megan Gilley, Hallsville.
 
Whitney Thomas, Center (JB), plays bassoon. On saxophone are Elijah Johnson, Shelbyville (JB); James Lilly, Jasper (JB), and Kassi Orbaugh, Carthage (JB).
 
Playing trumpet are Kaleb Baker, Carthage; Alexis Barlow, Center, (JB); America Cabriales, San Augustine; Scott Rogers, Carthage (JB);  Josh Wood, Carthage (JB);   Michael Harding, Center; Sheldon Holt, Center; Casey McMullen, Elysian Fields (JB); Vincent Raybon, Joaquin; Scott Rogers, Carthage (JB); Maggie Sims, Center, and Josh Wood, Carthage.
 
Whitney Thomas of Center plays bassoon and tenor sax in the Panola College Band.On the French horn are Sarah Allen, Henderson; Tarsheanna Bauer, Center; Tessa Griego, Henderson (JB), and Alexis Salas, Center. Playing the trombones are Jaime Gonzales, Carthage; Matthew Harding, Center; Brandon Harris, Henderson; Carrie Hudman, New Caney (JB); Tressie Key, Henderson; Akesh Patel, Henderson, and Urias Quetzala, Garrison (JB).
 

Elijah Johnson of Shelbyville plays Alto Sax in the Panola College Band.

Baritone players include Jaqui Alejaldre, Center; Cole Donald, Carthage; Andres Leon, Center; Lirio Rodriguez, New Diana (JB); Vanessa Rodriguez, Henderson (JB); Shantanelle Stephens, Marshall; Colby Taylor, Carthage (JB); Delaina Truitt, Center (JB); and William Yaws, Mabank (JB).
Five musicians play the tuba, including A.J. Bowers, Carthage; Aaron Nolan, Hawkins; TyKerion Osborn, Beckville; Daniel Quetzala, Garrison, and Derrick Wade Weaver, Beckville.
 
Percussionists include Godwin Adewale, Lagos, Nigeria; Michael Iwalesin, Lagos, Nigeria (JB); Israel Keshinro, Lagos, Nigeria; Valerie Kirkwood, Tenaha; Emmanuel Ogunfuwa, Lagos, Nigeria; Nicklaus Powell, Shelbyville; Tya Roberts, Marshall;  Moses Sangbowoye, Lagos, Nigeria; Benjamin Smith, Hemphill, and Hunter Stilley, Hallsville.

Jaqui Alejaldre of Center and Carrie Hudman of New Caney play baritone in the Panola College Band.

Rachel Mukueyi, Mansfield (JB), plays piano, and Branton Reeves, Beckville (JB), and Alexis Barlow, Center (JB) play guitar.

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