Nissan Auditorium filled on August 6 with a cacophony of chattering juniors and seniors, faculty, staff and several other MUW and Columbus representatives.  They sat, anxious to begin the 2015-2016 school year’s Opening Convocation for the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.

Opening Convocation is a ceremony to begin the first day of classes at MSMS.  It is intended to inspire and to unify the MSMS student body as they sit together wearing official school dress. “Though it was raining, I had a good feeling about [Opening Convocation],” said Jenny Nguyen, a current junior. The ceremony also gave seniors a daunting sense of their final high school year.  

Senior Angie Harri admitted, “It made me realize that this is my last year in school and my last year with a lot of these people.”

This year’s speakers included Columbus City Councilman Bill Gavin, MUW Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Thomas Richardson, MUW Council Karen Clay, Cadence Bank representative Mr. Doug Robertson, and Microtek Medical representative Mrs. Beth Jolly.  The main speaker was Mr. Shannon Eubanks, a member of the school’s very first graduating class, 1990.  Mr. Eubanks is currently the principal of Enterprise Attendance Center in Lincoln County, Mississippi.

Students agree that Mr. Eubanks did a phenomenal job in both inspiring and entertaining.  “[The speech] made me feel inspired to continue my educational endeavors … he put himself into our shoes and was very relatable and funny,” said Nguyen.  Junior Hamhari Brown recalled, “It was great and inspirational. His jokes got my attention and kept me engaged.”  (To hear full speech, go to themsms.org)

To end the Convocation, the emissaries choreographed a dance to the song, “We are Family.”