3 February ICC Humanities to present "Professional Wrestling in the South," Feb. 18 February 3, 2025 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 “Professional Wrestling in the South” will be the subject of a Humanities presentation at 6 p.m., Feb. 18, at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center auditorium. The public is invited to attend the event, which will feature a panel discussion by Dr. Chris Stacey, professor of history at Louisiana State University – Alexandria; Jeffrey Martin, manager of the Itawamba County Pratt Memorial Library; Dr. Chuck Westmoreland Jr., interim chair for the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and associate professor of history at Delta State University; and Dr. Toby Bates, associate professor of history at Mississippi State University – Meridian. Stacey, whose research interests include the history of professional wrestling and 1980s cultural history, is the author of “Populism and Professional Wrestling in the Sunbelt South: From Rasslin’ to Sports Entertainment.” Martin is a lifelong Mississippian and a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. His first book, Professional Wrestling in Mississippi: A History,” was released by The History Press on June 5, 2023. It revisits everything from the carnival wrestling days of the late 1800s to the chiseled melodrama of modern wrestling. Readers learn about Billy Romanoff, the old school wrestler turned promoter, who made wrestling a weekly staple at the Jackson City Auditorium; Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee, who brought down the house on Friday nights at the Tupelo Sports Arena; and George and Gil Culkin, the father-and-son duo who split with “Cowboy” Bill Watts to create their own Mississippi territory, kickstarting the careers of Kamala, Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes and many other pivotal figures. Westmoreland has researched and published on the intersection of sports, race and religion in the U.S. South. Growing up in Tupelo, Bates was immersed in the world of Memphis area wrestling, which extended into the Tupelo area. The event is sponsored by ICC’s Humanities Club. Admission is free. For more information, email Masha Laney, History instructor, at molaney@iccms.edu or call (662) 862-8o23. Related Articles ICC's Eidt to present free humanities lecture, Feb. 4 Megan Lewis Eidt of Tupelo, Itawamba Community College’s 2025 Mississippi Humanities Teacher Award nominee, will present “In Your Face History: How Technology and Mass Media Have Transformed the Study of History,” Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. at the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center at the Fulton Campus. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend. Eidt will be among those honored at the Mississippi Humanities Council Awards Ceremony, Mar. 28, at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. The event pays tribute to outstanding faculty in traditional humanities fields at each of the state’s institutions of higher learning. Since 2004, she has taught history at ICC, where her activities have included former two-term president of the Tupelo Campus Faculty Association and former adviser to the ICC Political Science and Humanities Clubs. Her professional memberships include ICC Faculty Association, National Council on Public History, Atlanta History Center and American Historical Association. Eidt earned the bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi, master’s degree from Mississippi College and additional coursework from the Center of Bi-Lingual and Multi-Cultural Studies in Cuernavaca, ... ICC's Griffith to present "Music: A Uniquely Human Experience," Feb. 6 Christy Colburn Griffith of Amory, recipient of Itawamba Community College’s Mississippi Humanities Teacher Award for 2024, will present “Music: A Uniquely Human Experience,” Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center auditorium at the Fulton Campus. “Music does more than just make sounds,” Griffith said. “It changes the way people think and behave. The skills learned in music will help students be successful on the stage, in the classroom and for the rest of their lives. Music is a human experience, and it plays an important role in educating the entire person.” Griffith will be among those honored at the Mississippi Humanities Council Awards Ceremony in March at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. The evening pays tribute to outstanding faculty in traditional humanities fields at each of the state’s institutions of higher learning. In her 25th year as a music educator, Griffith serves as associate band director at ICC. A graduate of Aberdeen High School, Grifith earned the associate’s degree from ICC and both the bachelor’s and master’s ... ICC Humanities Teacher of the Year Griffie schedules Jan. 31 presentation Judith Griffie of Amory, recipient of Itawamba Community College’s Mississippi Humanities Teacher Award for 2023, will present “What are you saying to yourself? Exploring self-talk and its impact on personal functioning,” at 6 p.m., Jan. 31, in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center at the Fulton Campus. Griffie will be honored at the Mississippi Humanities Council Awards Ceremony, Mar. 24 at 5:30 p.m. at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. Griffie earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mississippi State University. Since the fall of 2009, she has served as a full-time psychology instructor, transitioning into that position from adjunct status which began in 2005. Previously, she was a mental health therapist with the Region III Mental Health Center initially serving children through crisis intervention and later providing mental health services to adults and the elderly. At ICC, her activities have included serving as an adviser for the Beta Tau Sigma Chapter (Tupelo Campus) of Phi Theta Kappa, for which she received the Regional Hallmark Paragon Award in 2012. Griffie is a member of the ICC ... ICC's Morris schedules humanities presentation for Mar. 28 Keith Morris of Tupelo, recipient of Itawamba Community College’s Mississippi Humanities Teacher Award for 2022, will present “Little Boxes: The Importance of Purpose” at 6 p.m., Mar. 28, at the Health Science Education Center at the Tupelo Campus. “I’ve come to think of my writing as little boxes, idea containers,” Morris said. “My purpose for writing has changed since I first started. As my purpose has changed, so has the care with which I build and fill the little boxes.” Morris earned the bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and master’s degree from Mississippi State University. Since 2008, he has served as an English instructor at ICC, where he has co-created World Literature I and Drama Production IV and created Writing for Publication. He is poetry editor for “The Calliope” and sponsor for both Sigma Kappa Delta and Film Club. Morris has served as a poetry judge for SKD’s Hedera Helix literary journal for the last two years and ICC’s entries for the Mississippi Community College Creative Writing Association. His honors also ... ICC to present "Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play," with public tickets available Feb. 25-27 Itawamba Community College will present “Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play” by Joe Landry, Feb. 25-27 at 7 p.m. at the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center Auditorium on the Fulton Campus. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, seating is limited and socially distanced. Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc., the unique 1940s era show will feature live Foley sound effects and three Hitchcock favorites: “The Lodger,” “Sabotage” and “The 39 Steps.” Members of the cast and crew include Adam Whitten of Fulton; Tony (Matt) Savell of Philadelphia; Zion Cooper and Gabrielle Cooper, both of Russellville, Ala.; Isaac Floyd of Tupelo; and Trinity Eacholes of West Point. Admission is $8, and tickets are available at www.iccms.edu/VintageHitchcock! Dr. Anna Morgan Named ICC’s 2026 Mississippi Humanities Teacher Award Nominee Itawamba Community College has selected Dr. Anna Morgan, piano instructor, as its nominee for the 2026 Mississippi Humanities Teacher Award. Morgan will be recognized at the Mississippi Humanities Council Public Humanities Awards Ceremony on March 20, 2026, in Jackson. The annual event honors exceptional faculty in traditional humanities disciplines across Mississippi’s colleges and universities. Morgan, a Mantachie resident, joined ICC in 2017. Before returning to Mississippi, she taught PreK through fifth grade elementary music in Tennessee, laying an early foundation for young students’ musical development. She holds a doctorate in music education from William Carey University and a master’s degree in piano performance from Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to her teaching role, Morgan serves as pianist for the ICC Choir, supporting student musicians and contributing to the College’s longstanding choral tradition. She also remains active in the regional arts community as manager of the North Mississippi Youth Orchestra and pianist and organist at Baldwyn First Baptist Church. Her service beyond the arts includes previous work as a board member for the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society. Morgan will be featured alongside honorees from ... Comments are closed.