Mississippi State will host several events for alumni returning to campus for Homecoming this weekend. The colleges and organizations on campus will use these events to show their alumni what is happening at the university.
Libba Andrews, associate director of the Alumni Association, has been informing alumni about the activities planned this weekend. She said the colleges and schools on campus will host breakfast meetings, tailgates and other events for their alumni.
The communication department will host a tailgate party for Saturday. It will be located north of the Lloyd-Ricks building across from the WMSV Radio Station.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to see our alumni and have them meet with our current students and faculty,” said John Forde, communication department head.
Forde said he sent out an e-mail to over 1,000 alumni, updating them on news in the department and inviting them to the tailgate.
The tailgate will be a convenient way to contact the alumni and see what they are doing, he said. There are over 450 students in the department and the tailgate will help some students make connections before they graduate, he said.
Andrews said that many of the events this weekend will show the alumni what their colleges and departments are doing.
“We’re really moving forward,” Andrews added.
She also said Homecoming weekend has been well attended in the past, and she estimated the number of returning alumni this year would be in the thousands.
Sara Beth Parks, a sophomore graphic design major, is an alumni delegate. Alumni delegates serve as liaisons between alumni and the Alumni Association.
“We just want everyone to come out and really support our bulldogs, kick off Homecoming and support the Mississippi State’s State of the Future campaign,” Parks said.
The MSU Foundation and the athletic department will host a State of the Future campaign showcase and athletic fan fair at the amphitheater from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Laura Kitchens, the director of Fund for Excellence at the MSU Foundation, said that there will be over 50 booths representing the colleges, schools, departments, student groups and student affairs organizations. She said this event will be bigger than usual, due to the State of the Future campaign.
Amy Cagle, director of communications for the MSU Foundation, said the group is organizing the State of the Future campaign to increase the amount of private support for the university. She said that these events are a way for alumni to renew their feelings for Mississippi State; the university has to keep trying to improve these events so that the alumni will have a memorable experience.
“We tried to plan an exciting weekend, as part of the State of the Future campaign kickoff, so that it would be appealing to the entire MSU Bulldog family, and that includes alumni, friends and family,” Cagle said.