Homecoming 2009 Welcomes "Carnival on College Street" Oct. 30 - Nov. 1
Mississippi College's 2009 Homecoming will attract thousands of alumni to the Clinton campus for Choctaws football, class reunions, a golf tournament, worship services at Provine Chapel and much more.
With its theme of the "Carnival on College Street," the Oct. 30-Nov. 1 weekend will be jam-packed for MC graduates, family and friends.
Homecoming at the Baptist-affiliated school will combine deep-fried corn dogs with tailgating on the Quad. Choctaws soccer games Saturday Oct. 31 at Longabaugh Field will attract cheering fans. So will a Dixie Division Table Tennis Tournament at the Baptist Healthplex that day.
The ping pong action goes from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and features MC's nationally ranked team battling other outstanding collegiate squads including Alabama, Mississippi State, Alabama-Huntsville, West Florida and Southern Miss. The National Collegiate Table Tennis Association event is free and open to the public. The list goes on: there's a Provine Chapel concert by the MC Singers, a Hap Hudson Road Race Saturday morning, a service opportunity at Stewpot in downtown Jackson.
Homecoming really kicks off in style with a noon golf tournament Friday Oct. 30 at the Live Oaks Golf Club followed by a 3:30 p.m. pool volleyball tournament at Alumni Hall. And who can forget Friday night's Follies as MC student clubs and tribes put on hilarious skits at Swor Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for that lively show beginning at 6 p.m.
MC Student Government Association President David Parker of Meridian said he's anxious to meet with former SGA leaders of yesteryear to swap stories and build friendships across generational lines. They will gather for a Homecoming reception at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Jennings Courtyard.
Being part of Saturday's Homecoming parade on College Street is another must for MC faithful. The event will bring out the university's marching band plus floats galore. Saturday's parade, just hours before the start of Halloween, leaves from the Baptist Healthplex promptly at 1 p.m.
Ed McMillan figures he's been to more than forty MC homecomings during his lifetime. A Clintonian and retired MC administrator, he definitely won't miss this fall's parade of events.
"I thoroughly enjoy seeing former students and old friends," said McMillan, a 1950 MC graduate."I enjoy the fellowship at the luncheon. I can't make them all (events). I get to as many as I can."
A retired vice president for graduate studies and special programs and former MC history professor, McMillan served as the 2008 MC Alumnus of the Year. This year, the honor goes to Circuit Court Judge Henry Lackey of Calhoun City, a distinguished member of the Mississippi Bar for 43 years. Lackey is a member of the Class of 1956.
Both McMillan and Lackey are members of MC's 50-year club that convenes 10 a.m. Saturday Oct. 31.Participants will hear club President Louis Smith discuss the year's upcoming events at the B.C. Rogers Student Center. An hour later, hundreds of alums and other members of the MC family gather at Anderson Hall for an awards luncheon.
Among the recipients: business professor and former MC interim President Lloyd Roberts will receive the Award of Excellence, the latest honor for the Clinton resident. Kay Cassibry, a member of the Class of 1980, and Dr. D. Wayne Goodman, of the Class of 1968, are winners of the Order of the Golden Arrow Award. Stewart Lee, a member of the Class of 1998, is the Young Alumnus of the Year.
In its 184th academic year, MC will honor many others who made outstanding contributions to their alma mater. The kudos come from departments and schools.
MC School of Nursing Dean Mary Jean Padgett is delighted to see recognition going to Deborah "Becky" Beckenbaugh Welch during Homecoming weekend. She's distinguished herself as a professional nurse who earned her master's in nursing with a clinical focus as a family nurse practitioner. Welch has served on the MC faculty since 2005.
"Deb is one of those people every Dean would love to have," Padgett said. The 1978 MC graduate is always willing to volunteer her services whenever she's asked, the dean added.
The alums honored include some who tirelessly served a number of Mississippi's most powerful people. Pete Smith, a member of the MC Class of 1994, is being honored by the Department of Communication. Whether he worked around the clock during the Hurricane Katrina crisis in 2005 or helped deliver somber news to reporters about state budget cuts, Smith served with distinction as Gov. Haley Barbour's press secretary for several years. The Oxford native recently shifted gears to a similar communications post for the Mississippi Department of Education.
Other graduates honored include: Etoyle Meadows Semons, Class of 1958, an artist being saluted by the MC art department; Indianola physician Dr. Edgar "Eddie" Donahoe Jr., a member of the Class of 1985 is being recognized by the biology department, while the chemistry department spotlights Dr. Brad Therrell of the Class of 1966. Christian Studies will honor Dr. Russell "Rusty" McIntire Jr. of the Class of 1967; computer sciences will recognize Steven J. Safigan of the Class of 1983, and the English department will pay tribute to Dr. Charline M. McCord of the class of 1986.
Other award recipients - Bebe Richardson of the Class of 1987 - health services administration; Glenda Carpenter Holleyman, a member of the Class of 1976, is being recognized by the kinesiology department, while the mathematics department award goes to Dr. Selwyn Ellis of the Class of 1987. The music department is honoring Kay Owens of the graduate (M.M.) Class of 2000 and Jeremy Little of the Class of 2000 as its distinguished young alumnus.
The physics award winner is Gregory B. Tackett of the Class of 1982; the psychology department recipient is Jan Cummins Lemon of the Class of 1995 and the MC School of Business is honoring Colin Maloney of the Class of 1986. Sociology and Social Work is recognizing Dr. Nollie Wilbur Carpenter Jr. of the Class of 1943. The award in teacher education/leadership goes to Dr. Robert N. Fortenberry of the Class of 1954.
The MC School of Law is honoring Robert "Bob" G. Anderson of the Class of 1987 as its Lawyer of the Year. Tina S. Williamson, a member of the Class of 2004, is the Young Lawyer of the Year. Gale Walker of the Class of 2003 is the Black Lawyers Association Lawyer of the Year.
For more information on Homecoming weekend events, contact Ross Aven III, director of alumni affairs at 601.925.3228 or alumni affairs coordinator Lori Bobo at 601.925.3252.
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