November 25, 2024
The holidays have truly come alive at Pearl River Community College, where festive celebrations have united students, staff, and the community in joyful traditions. On the Forrest County Campus in Hattiesburg, the Wildcat family gathered for the sixth annual Making Spirits Bright. In Poplarville, the eighth annual Wildcat Wonderland and Holiday Pops concert drew several thousand guests, filling the campus with the sights and sounds of the season.
Making Spirits Bright
The Dr. Cecil Burt Special Events Room on the Forrest County Campus was decked out for the holiday season and the annual Making Spirits Bright event. The night sparkled with the perfect mix of sweet treats, camaraderie, and mesmerizing music, leaving attendees with lasting memories. During intermission, guests were invited to do a little Christmas shopping from a selection of homemade gifts.
Instructor Jackie Runnels launched the event in 2017, donating the baby grand piano to make the musical extravaganza happen. Funds raised from the first year helped cover the expense of maintaining and tuning the piano.
Dr. Rudy Gaitlin coordinated the local talent for the musical portion of the evening. Gaitlin opened and closed the evening with familiar tunes and also served as accompanist for two selections sung by Dr. Amy Duke.
Duke’s daughters Larkin and Lily sang a piece accompanied by Beau Purvis on guitar. Pianist Aaron McKenzie served as both an accompanist for vocalist Tyler Berry and a solo artist performing his arrangements of familiar tunes. Berry and McKenzie were both students at PRCC.
A crowd favorite of the evening was “Hallelujah (Light Has Come)” arranged by Jackson, Warren & Kibble, and sung by the Dubose Family. Alicia Dubose, also served as accompanist for her daughter, Bethanie, who performed both as a flutist and vocalist on other pieces.
Benjamin Russ of Brooklyn attended with his wife and son. Russ is Maintenance Supervisor at FCC and is usually setting up for the campus events.
“I’ve never been, and my wife wanted us to go,” said Russ. “It was wonderful.”
Several students of Dr. Gaitlin attended the concert, including middle college student Alexis Brown. She is a junior at Petal High School and just started her journey at PRCC this fall.
“I came because I wanted to do something fun, plus I am getting bonus credit for an assignment,” said Brown. “ ‘Mary, Did You Know’ was phenomenal as was the song the Dubose Family sang.”
Wildcat Wonderland
The Poplarville Campus transformed into a magical holiday wonderland, complete with a dusting of snow. Every corner of campus offered something special during this free, community-centered celebration.
Amid sparkling decorations and festive lights, the PRCC Baptist Student Union brought the Nativity to life, with students taking on familiar roles. Just behind the scenes, a petting zoo delighted visitors with a camel, ponies for rides around Centennial Green, and an array of small animals for kids to enjoy.
The whimsical town of Who-Ville was a favorite among children, featuring photo opportunities with the Grinch, the Mayor, and Miss Cindy Lou Who. Inside White Hall, Cosmetology students added to the fun by creating Who-Ville hairstyles and holiday-themed face painting. Under the gazebo, children could make an ornament to bring home and hang on their tree.
In the cafeteria, thousands of children visited Mrs. Claus to decorate sugar cookies and sip on hot cocoa. Miss Pearl River County 2025 Baylee Albritton mingled with those decorating their cookies. Several areas in Crosby Hall served as photo op spots with stations providing coloring pages and craft kits for children. W.C. Rivers was on hand to take photos in Crosby and in the Post Office, children could write and mail their letters to Santa.
Recruitment River Navigators guided children in preparing reindeer food for Christmas Eve, while PRCC Baseball and Softball team members hosted games. The library joined in with cornhole games to ‘win’ a set of reindeer antlers, Rudolph face painting, and a photo op with Rudolph and Yukon Cornelius. Nearby, Seal Hall featured a Lego Land display that left visitors in awe, along with opportunities for young guests to spin the Dreidel and create their own Lego masterpieces.
Enrollment Offices kept the fun going with cotton candy, popcorn, and games, while guests snapped photos with Buddy the Elf, Barbie and Ken, Anna, Elsa, and Olaf, as well as Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The ever-popular train ride was back, whisking guests on a light-filled tour around the front of campus. Attendees could also visit the PRCC Museum to get a glimpse of the college over the past 115 years.
Across from the Brownstone Center for the Arts, the Coca-Cola Truck was alight with a holiday design and reuseable plastic cups were distributed to all who wanted one. The Brownstone lobby was transformed into Candyland with holiday musical performances to delight guests awaiting their turn to see Santa Claus. Miss PRCC Melany Carrasco served as Santa’s special helper for the evening.
Community members were given the opportunity to give back through a food drive for The Market on campus. The Iota Mu Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa selected the drive as their College Project for the year. Staff members from Pearl River County Hospital & Nursing Home also joined in the spirit of giving by hosting a toy drive.
“In addition to making more students aware of it, we wanted to assist with collecting donations for both areas of the Station – The Market and Career Closet,” said Iota Mu Advisor Dr. Whitney Chambers. “We are so appreciative of those who chose to donate during Wildcat Wonderland! We were able to collect: 19 personal hygiene items, almost 40 food and drink items, and 2 pairs of men’s shoes. This will be a big help to those in need.”
Friends Rowan Craft and Drew Fleming of Picayune came with their families for the evening, including the Holiday Pops Concert. Wearing nearly identical sweatshirts with their initials on them, they were ready for optimal holiday fun.
“This was our second time coming and it was really fun,” said Fleming. “We like it so much we plan to come back next year, too.”
While they agreed Wildcat Wonderland is a great experience, they did disagree on whether marshmallows belong in hot chocolate. Fleming is ‘Team Marshmallow’ while Craft is not.
Wildcat Wonderland was made possible through generous sponsors including Coca-Cola, Heritage Plastics, Main Street Coffee, Paw Paws Campers & Cars, Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association, and Poplarville Eye Clinic.
Holiday Pops Concert
Ending the evening on a high note, groups from the Fine Arts Department performed beloved holiday songs to ring in the season. Community members of all ages and many PRCC students packed the Brownstone Center for the Arts to enjoy an hour of dancing and music.
The concert showcased the incredible talents of PRCC’s vocal groups, including the female ensemble, The Currents, the male ensemble, The Rapids, and the premier a cappella group, The Voices.
The PRCC Singers added to the festive atmosphere as the concert started with them surrounding the audience for ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ arranged by Travis Cottrell. Talented soloists shone brightly, accompanied by the Candyland Combo. Upbeat music came from the Jazz Cats, while The String of Pearls dazzled with their choreographed dance performances.
A Carol Sing medley of ‘Deck the Halls,’ ‘Joy to the World,’ and ‘Angels We Have Heard on High’, arranged by John Leavitt, where audience participation brought extra holiday cheer.
Pearl River sophomore Isaac Knott attended the concert to support a friend dancing in The String of Pearls.
“When my close friend I grew up with asked me to see her dance tonight, I came,” said Knott. “I really enjoyed the concert, especially the dude beatboxing into the microphone.”
Upcoming Events
One more holiday-focused event is scheduled on the Poplarville Campus. The South Mississippi Ballet will once again take to the stage in the Brownstone Center to perform the beloved ballet, “The Nutcracker.”
Performances are scheduled for Saturday, December 7 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and on Sunday, December 8 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $21 for orchestra seating and $17 for balcony seating. Discounts are available for groups of eleven or more. Purchase assigned seats at prcc.edu/brownstone/upcoming-events/ or at the door one hour prior to the performance.
For the latest news on Pearl River Community College, visit PRCC.edu and follow us on Twitter (@PRCC_Wildcats), Instagram (PRCCWILDCATS), Facebook (@PRCCMKTG), and TikTok (@prcc_wildcats).
Article by Laura O’Neill. Photography by Kaitlyn Jones and Laura O’Neill.
