A rose to the Columbus Municipal School District for its selection into the League of Innovative Schools, a national coalition of forward-thinking K-12 school districts organized by Digital Promise, a nonprofit organization with the mission to accelerate innovation in education and improve the opportunity to learn for all through technology and research. CMSD was selected from a competitive national pool of applicants based on its educational leadership, innovative vision for learning, key achievements and evidence of results, and demonstrated commitment to equity and excellence. The past two years have been challenging ones for schools everywhere. If there is one benefit to be derived from the pandemic, it is the emergence of new ideas about how to incorporate digital learning, something that will benefit students long after the pandemic has passed. We applaud the district for its commitment to turning obstacles into opportunities, something this new partnership clearly shows.
A rose to asphalt company APAC Mississippi, Inc. for a donation that is certain to enhance the workforce training provided at East Mississippi Community College’s Communiversity in Lowndes County. APAC donated a refurbished Caterpillar asphalt roller to EMCC that will be used to teach students enrolled in the college’s Heavy Civil Construction program. As it is with many programs offered at Communiversity, the value of having access to equipment used in our industries cannot be overstated. The asphalt roller will allow students to study in practice what it had previously studied in theory, the kind of hands-on training that is certain to enhance skills and opportunities of the students. We applaud APAC, along with other industries who have provided the important tools for our students.
A rose to Chris Misun, who was recently hired as the new festival director of the Magnolia Independent Film Festival Board. Misun is a broadcast instructor at Mississippi State and camera operator for the SEC Network. In his free time, he produces music videos for Mississippi artists and works with students on their short films as an adviser for MSU’s Scene Filmmaking Club. The Magnolia Independent Film Festival, affectionately known as The Mag, is dedicated to bringing high-quality independent cinema to the Golden Triangle Area and to support the growing film industry within the state of Mississippi. As Mississippi’s first and longest running film festival, The Mag is known for being an intimate, filmmaker-friendly festival that consistently brings unique, edgy, diverse, and inspiring cinema to small-town Mississippi while also supporting home-grown filmmakers and storytellers. We congratulate Misun on his new role and look forward to the Mag’s growth under his leadership.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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