Alexander Junior High welcomes special guest – Daily Leader

BROOKHAVEN – Alexander Junior High welcomed Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann Wednesday morning. Jennifer Whittier, a former Alexander teacher, said her granddaughter is a student at the school and she knew Hosemann, so she pulled the strings for the visit.

Hosemann toured the school and spoke with Rod Henderson, superintendent of the Brookhaven School District. He walked and talked with Alexander director Patrick Hardy through the black and yellow checkered hallways.

Whittier said her granddaughter’s favorite class is Mississippi Studies and Hosemann visited the classroom as students studied a map of the Mississippi Delta region for an upcoming quiz. Students listened as Hosemann shared facts about Issaquena, Washington, Leflore, Bolivar, Sharkey, Humphreys, Sunflower, Tunica, DeSoto and Tallahatchie counties.

“The Delta is shrinking due to automation. About 60,000 people have been lost moving to DeSoto County and other places. It’s sad,” Hosemann said. “It is the most fertile soil in the world. They grow corn, soybeans, cotton and other crops there and had a great production year, but prices were cheap, so farmers are hurting this year.”

Hosemann was asked about his role as lieutenant governor. He told the class he is one of seven elected officials statewide and the second person in line for governor. As lieutenant governor, he heads the Senate and receives every bill that comes through the Senate. He then sends the bill to the appropriate committee and also appoints senators to serve on committees.

Anyone can watch the Senate proceedings on YouTube and TV. Hosemann told the class that they should watch some of the good debate later in the term.

He told the class that he would visit communities in Mississippi, such as Brookhaven, during the remaining nine months of the year.

“I come out to find out what people think. Absenteeism is an important theme. So many children stopped coming to school after COVID and we had figures as high as 28 percent,” Hosemann said. “You can’t learn unless your chair is on your seat. It’s very important. Your future depends on what you learn here to one day be able to earn a living.”

One problem Hosemann mentioned regarding education is the presence of cell phones in the classroom. Not a single student’s cell phone went out during his visit. It’s not the norm everywhere in Mississippi.

Hosemann said the Senate could work on a bill that would limit cell phone use in schools because it creates a distraction for education and for teachers.

“What you learn today is your future,” Hosemann told the class.

He left the classroom and went with Henderson to a conference room in Alexander, where the two sat down and had a private meeting behind closed doors.