MC’s 2012 Family Weekend Set for September 7-9

Free ice cream, tailgating on the Quad, a movie in Olde Towne and a Choctaws football game are some of the crowd pleasers during Mississippi College’s 2012 Family Weekend.

Drawing hundreds of new students and parents, the annual fall event is set for September 7-9. The fun kicks off with an intramural kickball game on the university’s intramural fields at 1 p.m. that Friday.

In recent years, as many as 360 visitors participated in Family Weekend festivities on the Clinton campus.

With so many events jamming the 2012 Family Weekend calendar, this year’s program is likely to see the turnout grow.

“This is one of the largest and most important weekends for the college every year,” says Jim Turcotte, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs. It’s a good way for students, parents, alumni and friends to get together and celebrate MC’s strengths in education and community, he said.

One of the first stops for Family Weekend supporters will be the September 7 visit to the Nelson Hall lobby from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. On that Friday, family members can pick up Family Weekend tickets, tour the residence halls, and watch an 8 p.m. movie on the brick streets of Olde Towne. The movie is sponsored by Mississippi College and Main Street Clinton.

Family Weekend crowds continue to get bigger largely because the number of tailgating fans on the Quad has expanded in recent years, says Joseph Odenwald, associate dean of students and director of student life. There were 37 families transporting their tailgating goodies to the Quad in 2010, and the numbers were up last year.

Mississippi College supporters who don’t mind the extra calories will discover loads of brownies, scores of grilled hamburgers, cups of sweet tea and pecan pies. The tailgating takes place in front of Nelson Hall from 3-5 p.m. that Saturday September 8. For those who miss out, there’s also a barbecue dinner on the Quad starting at 4:30 p.m.

Saturday’s activities begin with a 10 a.m. parents brunch in the piazza. An ice cream social is booked for 2 p.m. in the New Men’s Rotunda with the event sponsored by the MC Parents Club. Enjoying a delicious summer treat is also a delightful time for parents to meet faculty and staff members.

Saturday’s events should get football fans in the right mood to cheer for the blue and gold. The Mississippi College Choctaws play their first home game of the 2012 season at Robinson-Hale Stadium. The opponent is Webber International, an NAIA school from Florida. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.

There are still more events planned for Sunday. MC parents are encouraged to attend church with their sons and daughters. Family Weekend concludes with a 2 p.m. volleyball match between the Lady Choctaws and Victory Christian in the A.E. Wood Coliseum.

Mississippi College figures to be a busy place that weekend. Hundreds of high school students will visit the Clinton campus for the Fall 2012 Preview Day where they can attend classes, meet with professors, learn about student organizations and learn about financial aid. MC is also welcoming hundreds of adults to a September 8 marriage seminar.

For more information on the 2012 Family Weekend, go to the website at www.mc.edu/familyweekend. Some of the events, including the barbecue dinner on the Quad, the student brunch with parents and the Choctaws football game will require tickets.