52 • SEPTEMBER 2023
the Jameses Tell us about your family. We are the James Family - Eddie, Shannon, Reed, Zach, and Lauren. We have been blessed with two wonderful daughters-in-law, Sam Curry and Crawford Pieroni. We are all graduates of Mississippi State University. Our children and daughters-in-law are graduates of Germantown High. Eddie is a project management director with ADAMS Management Services, specializing in healthcare construction and property condition assessments. He is a past president of the Madison the City Chamber of Commerce. Shannon is an educator with Madison County Schools. This school year marks her thirtieth year in Madison County where she has taught alongside some of the greatest educators at Madison Avenue, Madison Avenue Upper and Madison Middle School. Reed and Sam live in Collierville, Tennessee, where Reed is a commercial analyst with International Paper, and Sam is a registered nurse at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Zach and Crawford live in Memphis, Tennessee, where Zach is a global planning and scheduling engineer with Federal Express, and Crawford is finishing her clinicals in occupational therapy. Lauren lives in Flowood where she begins her first year as a second-grade teacher at Jackson Prep Lower School. Madison County has been our home for twenty-nine years, where we have raised our children. How did you meet and how long have you been married? Although we are both from Tupelo, we did not meet until we attended State. Greek life and date parties brought us together. We have been married for thirty-two years. What are some of your favorite things about Madison County? The things we love most are the schools, Friday night lights, and the close-knit community atmosphere. Although our community has grown in leaps and bounds over the years, it has still maintained its small-town feel. It has given us numerous opportunities to be involved in church, athletics, and service organizations. What drives you to have the job you have? Our jobs allow us to give back to communities that have invested in people. Eddie works with a variety of clients (and personalities) every day, helping them to complete projects with cost effective, efficient results. This allows healthcare organizations to focus efforts and resources on their patients. Shannon works with children to help them build life skills that will guide them to future success. What do you love about MSU? We love the atmosphere the campus creates on game day, whether it’s football, basketball, or baseball. It gives us the opportunity to gather as a family and enjoy each other while cheering on our beloved Bulldogs. Although our campus continues to grow and change, its beauty remains. Dudy Noble is electric on SEC weekends. Our daughter truly loved her MSU Diamond Girl experience greeting fans as they arrived at Polk-DeMent Stadium. The musical roar of cowbells in Davis-Wade are the perfect precursor to “wrapping it in maroon and white!” As an alumni delegate, Lauren enjoyed passing out stickers to fans as they arrived at the stadium. The Hump is a great place for “an evening of basketball, Mississippi State style!” Our love for MSU is not just for our campus. As a family, we have travelled to over half of the SEC football stadiums and several bowl games. Our favorite trip was in 2021 when MSU won their first national championship at the College World Series in Omaha. Recently, we began touring SEC football stadiums with fellow Bulldog friends. Each year we choose one MSU away game to attend to support our Dawgs on the road. We love taking in the sights, sounds and traditions of other SEC schools. FAVORITE TAILGATE RECIPE James’ Cheese Log • 12 oz. Velveeta cheese • 8 oz. softened Philadelphia cream cheese • ½ cup chopped onion (sweet onion, if available) • ½ cup chopped jalapeno peppers (sweet and hot, if available) • Party size bag of Frito Scoops Warm Velveeta and cream cheese to room temperature. Mix cream cheese, onion, and jalapeno in a bowl (add 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper juice for extra kick). Place wax paper above and below Velveeta (prevents cheese from sticking to pin) and roll out using a rolling pin to desired length and width. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the flattened Velveeta cheese, allowing room to roll up the edges. Fold over the cheese edges to create a log of desired size and slightly fold/press two ends to seal. Place serving dish upside down on top of the cheese log and flip over for serving. Spread Frito Scoops around the edges of the dish for serving. Hometown MADISON • 53