As people all over the world become their own stars through the video social media app TikTok, Mississippi State University Dining Services started to feature its own stars through the app.
Dining Services started a TikTok account in May of this year. Its videos highlight the staff members, locations and food by posting the latest trends. The posts use popular songs or running jokes within the app’s community to reach students at the university.
Marketplace at Perry’s beloved Ms. Annie became the star of most of the videos. Annie Doss started greeting students at the Perry doors 15 years ago. She said many students come up to her to ask when she will be in the next TikTok.
“Well, (the TikTok page) is good. I love it and I love y’all. I do it because of y’all. That’s why I really do it. I love it,” Doss said.
Rylee Jones, a junior communication major from Dallas, Texas, is a TikTok user and said she saw Dining Services’ TikToks as she scrolled through her feed. She highlighted a post of Doss in a police car as her favorite.
“She (Doss) is so sweet and hilarious, and seeing her on my ‘for you page’ is perfect,” Jones said.
Dining Services posted a video joking that Doss is the mastermind behind the clever, comedic videos. Doss said she had not heard of TikTok before the creation of Dining Services’ account and is not the one who runs the page.
Parker Cunningham, a Mississippi State alumnus and marketing specialist for Dining Services, oversees the TikTok account. He said he wanted to engage students and add value to their experience at Mississippi State through the posts on TikTok.
Cunningham said what he does is all about the positive impact. He said he heard from students about how much they enjoyed the videos, and he said he loves helping the dining staff and the rest of campus shine on the platform.
Jackelyn Garcia, a sophomore interior design major from Dumas, Arkansas, said she thought it was funny when she saw the dining TikToks on her “for you page.”
“I like whenever they dance,” Garcia said. “I think it’s funny whenever they dance or recreate trends.”
Along with its fun filled posts, the dining TikTok put out videos exploring their hidden gems. One of these includes McArthur Café Express, a dining hall that opened in 2010.
Christian McCuury, a catering attendant at McArthur Hall, said it is fun to be a part of the TikTok videos. He said the account is something amazing.
McCurry said he and the staff at McArthur saw a rise of “newcomers” since the post about their location. He said he is appreciative of everyone that comes through.
Cunningham posts weekly about all things to do with Mississippi State dining and campus life. He runs all social media accounts for the department. He said the staff around him, and his experience at Mississippi State, helped him create the popular videos.
The Mississippi State dining TikTok posts are under the handle @msstatedining and reposts are on Instagram Reels under the same name.