Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Student Association is kicking off the university’s annual Homecoming Week with a special service Sunday [Oct. 28] at the historic Chapel of Memories, and an array of activities will continue through Nov. 3.

Free to all, the 8-9 p.m. program will include remarks by MSU Student Association President Mayah Emerson and Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt. Maroon, white or black business formal attire is encouraged.

“Old is Gold: Bringing Back Tradition in a New Era” is the theme of this year’s traditional fall semester “welcome back” for the 140-year-old land-grant institution’s graduates, former students, friends and supporters.

To boost the Homecoming spirit on campus, the university’s Center for Student Activities is sponsoring a door decorating competition for all departments/colleges, student organizations, fraternity and sorority chapters and residence hall councils.

Interested groups can decorate office entrance doors or those leading into the building, but must first have building manager approval for decorations. Student organization representatives can visit the Center for Student Activities office in Colvard Student Union Suite 341 to pick up a banner that their groups can decorate. The Center for Student Activities will hang completed banners on doors in campus offices or buildings.

Fraternity and sorority chapters can decorate their on-campus houses or lawns as part of a separate competition. All door decorations/house or lawn displays must be completed by 5 p.m. on Oct. 30.

Winners will be selected and receive a pizza party for their office or organization or $500 credit to Event Services/Union Operations.

On Tuesday and Wednesday [Oct. 30 and 31], the Student Association is accepting donations to its Block by Block program outside of the Marketplace at Perry from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. All MSU students with a valid meal plan can donate one block meal per semester to the Block by Block program, which is a virtual, on-campus foodbank that helps Bulldog students in need.

Other Homecoming Week 2018 events include:

—Monday [Oct. 29], 10 a.m.-noon, “Where is Home?” This interactive tabling event on the Drill Field showcases MSU’s diverse student population.

—Tuesday [Oct. 30], 10 a.m.-1 p.m., “Who Let the Dawgs Out?” The SA is partnering with the MSU student chapter of the Oktibbeha County Humane Society to give students the opportunity to rent a dog to play with on the Drill Field. Proceeds benefit OCHS.

—Tuesday [Oct. 30], 6-7:30 p.m., MSU’s Involvement Ambassadors host “Fear Factor: Homecoming Edition” on the Drill Field, where representatives of campus organizations will participate in four rounds of agility competitions.

—Wednesday [Oct. 31], 8:30-10:30 a.m., “Pancakes on the Plaza,” taking place on the Colvard Student Union plaza. SA President Mayah Emerson, MSU Homecoming Queen Emily E. Turner of Madison and Homecoming King Barrett D. Schock of Chattanooga, Tennessee, will join MSU President Mark E. Keenum in serving pancakes to students as they head to class.

—Friday [Nov. 2], the campus National Pan-Hellenic Council’s 25th Annual Homecoming Step Show takes place 7-10 p.m. at the Joe Frank Sanderson Center. Each of the NPHC’s historically black, Greek-letter organizations will present strolling and stepping performances to compete for the title of “Homecoming Step Show Champion.” Special guest judge will be MSU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Ben Howland. Tickets for MSU students and the general public are $10 and can be purchased online at events.msstate.edu and in the Center for Student Activities office. A ticket sale also will be held Wednesday [Oct. 31] from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Drill Field.

Homecoming concludes Saturday [Nov. 3] with the MSU vs. Louisiana Tech football game that kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. The homecoming court, along with this year’s Mr. and Miss MSU, will be presented at halftime [https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/10/maroon-and-white-royalty-2018-msu-homecoming-court-reigns-during-week]. For more gameday information, visit www.HailState.com/gameday.

The carnival originally scheduled for Homecoming Week has been rescheduled to Friday [Nov. 9] from 5 p.m.-midnight. Food, carnival rides, booths and inflatables for MSU students, faculty and staff will be available in the parking lot at the Newell-Grissom Building.

MSU’s Student Association can be found online at www.sa.msstate.edu, as well as on Facebook @MSUStudentAssociation and Twitter and Instagram @MSU_SA.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.