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-Dr. David L. Beckley, ‘67, President -Dr. Ishmell H. Edwards, ‘71, Vice President -Mr. Ray V. Autry, PR Director

Announcing!

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY…

Emergency notifications for students, faculty and staff will be handled by mass

email, Channel 19, WURC 88.1 FM, RC-TV 2, and campus loud speakers. If

you would like to receive emergency notifications by text message, please sub-

mit your cell phone number to Mrs. Carolyn Hymon, Dean of Students. The

numbers will be used for emergencies ONLY and will not be distributed.

Emergency Numbers:

Security office: 662-252-8090

Security guard on duty: 662-216-3429

- Ms. Adrienne Phillips, Public Information & Publications Specialist

The Rust College family would like to ex-

press condolences to the family of Coach

Priscilla Fisher, whose brother, Greg

Gilliam, passed away last week. Mr.

Gilliam was funeralized in Oxford on Sat-

urday, January 23.

In Sympathy...

Rust, Holly Springs Schools Collaborate to Provide Classes for

Holly Springs Students

Members of the Rust College faculty met with the Holly Springs School District (HSSD)

January 21, via video-conference, to discuss providing distance learning classes for the

students of Holly Springs High School. Involved in the conference were Drs. Paul Lam-

pley, Sheila Flemming-Hunter, Bill Scott, and Frank Yeh, as well as Ms. Irene Walton,

superintendent of Holly Springs Schools, and Mr. Joseph Selman of the Holly Springs

School District Technology Department.

The use of video-conference during this meeting was essential, indicating the manner in which classes will be taught. The organizers

wanted to test the equipment to make sure it was operating correctly. Participants discussed if Dr. Yeh would be able to use the equip-

ment in order to teach the classes. The goal for both Rust and HSSD is to provide personal enrichment classes and tutoring sessions to

the students of Holly Springs High School through Rust College.

Left to right: Dr. Paul Lampley, Dr. Sheila Flem-

ming-Hunter, Dr. Bill Scott, and Dr. Frank Yeh

discuss distance learning classes via video-

conference

Holly Springs superintendent Irene

Walton and HSSD Technology Direc-

tor Joseph Selman discussed how to

implement video-conference as a

method of teaching classes.

The John Gyles Education

Award

Selected students will receive up to

$3,000

Requirements:

• Must be a citizen of the United

States or Canada

• Must have a minimum GPA of

3.0

• Criteria other than strictly aca-

demic ability and financial need

are considered in the selection

process

To apply, go to

www.johngyleseducationcenter.com

Application deadline: May 1, 2010

Scholarship

Opportunity

Vol. 39, No. 20 January 27, 2010

A Weekly Update of Activities at Rust College

Campus NewsBriefs

Where Tomorrow’s Leaders are Students Today

Rust Mourns the Loss of Former First Lady

Former First Lady, Mrs. Milverta A. Smith, wife of former Rust College

president, the late Rev. Dr. Earnest Andrew Smith (1957-67), passed away

Thursday, January 21, 2010.

Mrs. Smith grew up in Benton, Mississippi. She is a 1937 graduate of Rust College,

who served as a librarian and first lady during the Smith administration. During her

ten years of service as first lady, she served as a role model for students with an

emphasis on work with female students. She will be remembered as a warm and

friendly person who always demonstrated concern for the welfare of

students.

Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by two siblings and her husband of 70 years, Dr.

Earnest A. Smith. Dr. Smith passed away in November of 2009. She is survived by

two sisters and three brothers. She was funeralized Tuesday, January 26 in Yazoo City,

Mississippi and is buried alongside her husband at Captain Simmons Cemetery in

Benton, Mississippi.

Best-Selling Author Visits Rust College

The Rust College Lyceum Series presented Mrs. Kimberla Lawson Roby,

a New York Times bestselling author, on Friday, January 22. Mrs. Roby

has published 14 novels, including her latest, Be Careful What You Pray

For, which hit store shelves in January. Her debut novel, Behind Closed

Doors, was self-published through her own company, Lenox Press. The

author spoke to students, staff, and guests about starting her own company

when she could not find a publisher and how her background in business

helped her to do so. She encouraged students to figure out what they love

to do and to continue their education in order to do what they love.

Mrs. Roby’s novels have frequented numerous

bestseller lists, including The New York Times

and those in the The Washington Post, Publishers

Weekly, Essence Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Emerge Magazine,

Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, The Dallas Morning News,

and the Austin Chronicle to name a few, and both Behind Closed Doors

and Casting the First Stone were #1 Blackboard bestsellers for four

consecutive months in both 1997 and 2000. Behind Closed Doors was

the #1 Blackboard Bestselling book for paperback fiction in 1997.

Mrs. Roby lives in Illinois with her husband, Will. She told her Rust

audience that both she and her husband have ties to Mississippi and

always enjoy visits to the South. Mrs. Roby signs a copy of

one of her bestselling novels.

(Photo by A. Phillips)

Mrs. Roby paused to take pictures with several

students and employees. (Photo by Ray Autry)

Mrs. Milverta A. Smith,

former Rust College First

Lady

The latest novel by

Kimberla Lawson Roby

“BY THEIR FRUITS… Page 2

Pre-Alumni Club Members to Represent Rust at UNCF Conference

in New Orleans

The 2009-2010 Rust College Miss UNCF, Cecelia Smith and Mr. UNCF, Antonio Leigh

will represent Rust College in New Orleans, Louisiana February 3rd-7th for the 64th Annual

National Alumni Council/52nd National Pre-Alumni Council

UNCF Conference. These students along with eight other juniors

and seniors will give Pre-Alumni reports and attend a career and

graduate fair where invited companies will be on hand to inter-

view on-site. Some of the companies include: Federal Express,

Bank of America, Lowes and many more. Also, Dr. Kevin

McLin, former publicist for Michael Jackson will conduct a

seminar on “Minding Your Music Business”. Smith will partici-

pate in the Miss UNCF Coronation Saturday, February 6th and escorting her will be Rust

College President Dr. David Beckley.

Elementary Education Major To Receive Scholarship The Division of Education has selected Candence Simon to receive the 2010 Clara Alexan-

der Jackson Scholarship. The scholarship is sponsored by the Forward Lookers Federated

Club, an affiliate of the Mississippi State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, Inc., and

the National Association of Colored Women’s Club, Inc.

Ms. Simon is a senior Elementary Education major with a GPA of 3.233. She was selected

by the division because of her strong commitment to remain in the teaching field. Ms.

Simon will be recognized during a luncheon, Saturday, February 6, at the Regency Hotel

and Convention Center in Jackson, Mississippi. Candence Simon, recipient of

the Clara Alexander Jackson

Scholarship

Division of Business January Student of the Month

The faculty of the Division of Business would like to recognize Mr. Lakendric Williams as

Student of the Month for January 2010.

This year has been a year of firsts for the Division of Business as Lakendric is the first non-

business major to be honored as student of the month in the Division. Mr. Williams is a Biol-

ogy major who has taken time away from his biology studies to complete a minor in Business

Administration. While taking classes in the Division of Business, Lakendric has been an in-

strumental part of Business Week and is a member of Phi Beta Lambda. Mr. Williams is a

student leader—SGA chaplain & Resident Assistant—who works to promote understanding

among all students. Lakendric is the type of student that seldom says “no” when asked for

help, and still maintains a 2.9 GPA while taking classes in both his major and minor.

Mr. Williams is from Chicago, IL and is interested in a career that will allow him to use his

business knowledge in the field of Biology.

LaKendric Williams

Cecelia Smith,

Jamaica, New York

Antonio Leigh,

Rock Island, Illinois

...YE SHALL KNOW THEM” Page 3

Zetas, Sigmas Celebrate Founding Weeks

The ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and the men of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. celebrated their founders’ weeks with

activities, basketball games, bake sales, pageants, and assemblies. The Zetas

crowned Ms. Angel Williams as the 2010 “Mz. Blu Revue” and Mr. Devin Hester

as 2010 “Mr. Debonair”. Williams and Hester participated in the next day’s as-

sembly by introducing the speaker, Ms. Juanita Smith.

The Sigmas crowned two queens during their week: Ms.

Brittany Murphy was named “Miss 1914”, and Ms. Ver-

lynda Wooders was crowned “Miss Phi Beta Sigma”.

Both Murphy and Wooders

participated in the Sigmas’

assembly.

The Zetas held their assembly

January 14, welcoming fellow

soror Juanita Smith. She is a na-

tive of Byhalia, and works for the

Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs. The Sigmas held their as-

sembly the following Thursday, January 21, welcoming Pastor Rickey Dugger of

Norris Avenue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Both speakers shared

enlightening messages with students: Mrs. Smith discussed the importance of good

character, while Rev. Dugger encouraged students to stay on course, never give up

and live their dreams.

The next assembly will be held Thursday, January 28, hosted

by the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc.

The Iota Gamma Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority,

Inc. with advisor Ms. Emma Miller and speaker Mrs.

Juanita Smith.

Rust College Theatre Guild Presents Run Joe, Run Directed by Mr. John A. House

The Rust College Theatre Guild, under the direction of Mr. John House, enter-

tained audiences with the stage play, Run Joe, Run January 22nd - 23rd. The

play, written by Glenn Alan, is the story of JoJo (played by Terrell Williams),

who has extremely cold feet the night before his wedding. He goes to the barber-

shop for a trim and a bit of barbershop banter. The characters Harrison (played

by Brandon Flanagan), Uncle

Remus (Randy Readus), and Ma-

jor (Perry Johnson, Jr.) tease JoJo

about his upcoming wedding, but

try their best to convince him to

marry Anna Mae (played by Jas-

mine Luellen). While the guys

talk, Anna Mae prowls the

streets, looking for her fiancé.

The Rust College Theatre Guild will present Radio Golf, written by August Wil-

son, in March. Radio Golf, Wilson’s last play, is also the last play chronologi-

cally in his famous Pittsburgh Cycle, a series of ten dramas chronicling African-

American life in twentieth-century America.

Stars of “Run Joe, Run” left to right: Terrell

Williams, Brandon Flanagan, Mr. John House,

director, Jasmine Luellen, Randy Readus, and

Perry Johnson, Jr.

Left to right: Randy Readus (Uncle Remus), Ter-

rell Williams (JoJo), Brandon Flanagan

(Harrison), and Perry Johnson, Jr. (Major) share

barbershop talk.

Brittany Murphy,

“Miss 1914” Verlynda Wooders,

“Miss Phi Beta Sigma”

Rev. Rickey Dugger, speaker

Pastor of Norris Ave, Baptist

Church—Memphis, TN