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Mississippi College Excels at Statewide 2009 PRAM Conference


MC Web Site, Judges' Choice Award and PRism winner
Mississippi College's public relations team showed its commitment to excellence by winning four awards at a statewide conference of its peers.

On Friday April 17, MC staffers won awards in four out of six categories entered at the Public Relations Association of Mississippi's 2009 PRism awards in Jackson.

The PRism awards honor and recognize outstanding work in the field of public relations by professionals all over the Magnolia State. PRAM consists of about 550 professionals from advertising and public relations agencies, corporations, nonprofit organizations, government, education, industries and others.

Winning categories include:

-Web Site Development: Judges' Choice Award and PRism (first-place award) for the MC Web Site. MC webmaster Justin Garcia, who joined the MC staff in September from a position in Atlanta, deserves the lion's share of the credit. The University of Southern Mississippi graduate and Clinton resident has labored countless hours to revamp the MC Web site to the point where it is the envy of many institutions in the South and across the nation.

-Publications, External Magazine: PRism (first-place award) for "Beacon" magazine, the twice-yearly publication geared to the interests of the Baptist college's 30,000 alumni. Whether it's a story on former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole speech to keynote an MC spring scholarship banquet or a feature on a Clinton tutoring center loaded with MC student volunteers, "Beacon" is a must-read for the Christian university's grads.

MC Public Relations Director Tracey Harrison serves as the "Beacon" editor and leader of a first-rate team that makes it happen. MC university news coordinator Andy Kanengiser of Pearl serves as assistant editor with public relations office manager Tracy May working as the Class Notes editor. Award-winning writer Marlo Kirkpatrick serves as contributing editor and award-winning graphic designer Alecia Porch handles duties as the magazine's designer. MC admissions staffer and photographer Robby Followell and photographer Jay Thomas of Georgia shot the diverse array of pictures.

-Special Purpose Publications: Award of Excellence for the Mississippi College Scholarship Banquet printed publications featuring former U.S. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, an American political legend and Army hero during World War II. The event drew more than 500 guests to the Clinton campus.

-Images, Photography, Color: Certificate of Achievement for Robby Followell's superb photograph of "Servant Savior." The sculpture by nationally celebrated artist and Mississippi College graduate Sam Gore is a centerpiece on the Clinton campus. Followell's photo adorns the cover of the Spring 2008 issue of "Beacon." The sculpture depicts Jesus Christ washing the feet of His Disciples just prior to the Lord's Supper. It was given to Mississippi College by the children of Robert and Sara Hederman.

That issue of "Beacon" illustrates MC's vision to be known as a university recognized for academic excellence and commitment to the cause of Christ. "An important step toward fulfilling that vision is following Christ's own example of loving service to others," President Lee Royce tells its readers.

"One way we celebrate achieving excellence is through the annual PRism Awards," says the PRAM Web site to announce the 2009 awards program and luncheon at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson.

Harrison was delighted her alma mater received multiple honors as the university with nearly 4,900 students competed against its peers statewide. "Our success is a direct result of our team," said the Clinton resident. "They are extremely talented, hard-working and highly competent individuals."