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JSCC Hosts "A Celebration of Heroes"

Published 2:59 pm Monday, October 30, 2017

By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

Jefferson State Community College Chilton-Clanton campus is observing Veteran’s Day with “A Celebration of Heroes” on Nov. 7 from 10-11:30 a.m.

This free event is open to the community and will be held in the Clanton Performing Arts Center.

Featuring presentations by the JSCC Speech Team and Retired Lt. Col. Albert Byrd, the event will be a “unique and personal look at war,” according to the college.

Ashley Kitchens, associate dean for the Clanton Campus, said Byrd was a photographer in the last battle of the Vietnam War, and his photos have been used in a book chronicling the event.

“I think this is a great opportunity to come see someone from the community that represented our country … speak about it to the community,” Kitchens said.

The speech team includes students from the Shelby, Clanton and Jefferson campuses.

“They are putting on a piece from the book, ‘Nam’ by Mark Baker,” Kitchens said.

She said the team is “really great at bringing stories to life.”

Kitchens said she hopes the event gives students perspective on war, specifically the Vietnam War, and context.

Students in the literature and history classes have created museum-style projects that will be displayed in the main lobby of the college.

“Every semester the literature and history classes, and sometimes the art classes, focus on a theme for the classes and that helps us to develop some projects for the classes to do,” Kitchens said. “We had decided that war was going to be our theme.”

She said the theme was also timely since the event is being held the week of Veteran’s Day.

The literature classes created “The Faces of War” comparing characters in war literature with characters in the movie “Unbroken.”

The projects will be on display the day of the event through Nov. 9.

Retired Lt. Col. Albert Byrd speaks to attendees at the museum's presentation day about his experiences in the Vietnam War.

The JSCC Speech and Debate Team presents selections from the book Nam by Mark Baker to attendees at the museum's presentation day.