Showcasing Along College Street Podcast

The capital of England and the United Kingdom, London comes alive with a remarkable history stretching back to Roman times. The Parliament, the Big Ben clock tower and Westminster Abbey are among its many attractions.

Today, London is a bustling 21^st Century city where MC students are traveling to every year to advance their education and soak up other cultures. The London Semester is one of the key academic destinations that a new MC podcast features this Spring.

In the MC Communication Department, Journalism II students and faculty created the first episode of the informative “Along College Street” podcast.

In the inaugural episode focused on students studying abroad, Professor Reid Vance interviewed Beth Stapleton. And his choice of this fascinating travel expert is getting rave reviews.

An MC faculty member since 1992, Dr. Stapleton serves as the first director of the university’s McMillan Center for Education Abroad. The former chair of MC’s Modern Languages Department, Stapleton is a walking encyclopedia of information about leading educational tours to countries spanning the globe.

Named for the late Edward McMillan, founding father of Mississippi College’s London program in 1990, the center was first unveiled at President Blake Thompson’s inauguration last year. An MC graduate, Stapleton leads a $2 million campaign to support McMillan Center for Education Abroad programs to benefit students.

Stapleton hopes to see MC students broaden their education options by signing up for trips to London, Europe, Asia and South America.

The inaugural “Along College Street” podcast reached out to other award-winning MC faculty members.

Vance’s students interviewed Christian Studies professor Ivan Parke, a key player in study abroad ventures at the Christian university. The podcast also features conversations with two MC students recently taking advantage of learning in places thousands of miles from home.

More podcasts will be produced by the Communication Department on a regular basis for years to come. Dr. Vance is the driving force of “Along College Street,” with students offering extensive assistance.

“Our goal is to have a new episode every two weeks this semester,” Vance said.

Future podcasts are coming to computer screens soon. Broadcast later in February is the production called “MC Eats.”

The second production focuses on dining changes in the school cafeteria as well as students eatery tastes off the Clinton campus. Interview subjects in the podcast include Miss Rose. Also known as Ollie Guyton, Rose is a longtime Campus Dining employee and a favorite of students. The friendly Mississippian always serves customers with a smile.

A third episode will zero in on changes for weekly student chapel programs in Swor Auditorium. Chapel combines contemporary Christian music with powerful testimonies from guest speakers. There is a fourth podcast planned this Spring to spotlight interesting stories in Mississippi College residence halls.

The MC podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and other services. To learn more about “Along College Street” podcasts, contact Reid Vance at vance@mc.edu or 601-925-7785.