MSMS 101 is a new course offered to juniors in the first semester at the Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science. This new class attempts to teach juniors how to live, work, and get the best experience at one of the best high schools in the United States. Classes are held for an hour and a half each week on Tuesdays or Thursdays, usually with a theme or issue to address. Classes have been held on subjects from proper time management with guest speaker, Executive Director  Germain McConnell; how to address college representatives with guest speaker Shelley Moss, director of admissions at Mississippi University for Women; to proper e-Mail etiquette from school counselors Dr. Crook and Dr. Stephens.

The inspirations from this class came from ideas of shortening and and simplifying orientation week. Dr. Ty Crook, a counselor at MSMS, and a usual speaker in these classes said “The original intention for MSMS 101 to reduce the hectic-ness of new student orientation time. We wanted to new students more time to gel together as a family, as a new class.” He explains that the class addresses “pertinent issues that we know will help students to become successful for their first year by spacing out topics throughout the academic year.”

But, all things come with controversies, including this class. Noah Hunt, president of Film Club, secretary of GSA, and editor in chief of The Vision, said he had problems scheduling meetings for clubs, “..for GSA it’s been an issue because we want lots of people to come, but it is hard to organize that around when juniors will be available since MSMS 101 is on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

However, Uriah Jenkins, president of Ani-Manga club, didn’t have any problems with scheduling his meetings, “We just reschedule for later in the night, we really don’t have a problem.”

As RA in Goen Hall, Gabriel Goodmen says, “moving one problem to a later date doesn’t make the problem disappear.”

Whether it’s leaving more time in the weekday schedule for homework and club meetings, or making time for our class to meet one another during orientation week, there will be people arguing for both sides. But for now, at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon, Juniors at MSMS will be in MSMS 101.