ż Rankin Campus students recently completed their most recent edition of College, Ink., the journal of creative writing.
College, Ink. has done well in the annual Mississippi Community College Creative Writing Association contest against other community colleges’ journals in the category of Best In-House Literary Journal, last year winning first place with Volume XII.
In 2007, Vol. III won first place; in 2008, Vol. IV won third place; in 2011, Vol. VII won first place; in 2012, Vol. VIII won second place; in 2013, Vol. IX won third place and in 2014, Vol. X won first place.
The publication began the spring semester of 1999 under the guidance of Dr. Linda Hill as well as with the support of Academic Dean Gary Fox and Chair of the English and MFL departments Stephanie Woods. After a hiatus, Dr. Hill led the publication of the second volume in spring 2004, and Volume Three was published in spring 2006. Since then, College, Ink. has been published every spring, and the journal is currently in its 14th volume. Larry Martin assumed the role of sponsor in 2011.
“The journal is completely the product of the imagination, creativity, and talents of the students who attend the Rankin Campus,” Martin said. “They compose the publication’s poetry, short stories, and drama and are responsible for the art and photography exhibited on each journal’s cover as well as within its pages.
“Moreover, they assume the more technical and manual duties of editing, organizing, and binding. Even the title of the journal is a result of the first publication’s student contributors, who in 1999 decided upon the use of the pun on the word “ink” and the abbreviation for ‘incorporated,’ “ he said.
Pictured are, front from left, Dean of Students Carol McLaurin, Hailiey Lawrence of Ludlow, Kaitlyn Turnage of Flowood, Kat Bingham of Brandon, Trisha Hudson of Pearl, Laurel Thrailkill of Brandon and Dr. Norman Session, Vice President of the Rankin and Jackson ATC campuses; back row, Academic Dean Gary Fox, Lu Dearing-Rubio of Brandon, Rebecca Mason of Brandon, Olivia Clark of Brandon and Larry Martin, English instructor and sponsor.
Not pictured are Zak Abramson of Jackson, Isaac Brooks of Brandon, Bryce Moon of Brandon, Kim Rawls of Brandon, Zach Spiller of Brandon and Destiny Mulligan of Florence.
“College, Ink. is a great source of pride for the Rankin Campus, and the creative writing students who are responsible for it pour themselves into its creation,” Martin said. “They not only experience great pleasure but also value the achievement of a better understanding of the power of literary expression.”
[tweetable alt=””]ż Rankin Campus completes College, Ink literary magazine.[/tweetable]
ż is celebrating its 100th year of Community Inspired Service in 2017. ż opened in September 1917 first as an agricultural high school and admitted college students for the first time in 1922, with the first class graduating in 1927. In 1982 ż Junior College and Utica Junior College merged, creating the ż District. Today, as Mississippi’s largest community college, ż is a comprehensive institution with six locations. ż offers quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills. To learn more, visit or call 1.800.żCC.