HATTIESBURG, Miss.  – University of Southern Mississippi tourism management students will get the opportunity to put their skills into practice when they host the annual
Passions of the Palette event, a silent auction and tasting dinner, at 6 p.m., Monday, April 21 at the Hattiesburg Lake Terrace Convention Center.

The event is hosted by students in Dr. Catherine Price’s convention management class and is aimed at raising funds to benefit tourism management students through scholarships and development activities.

According to Price, the third annual Passions of the Palette event is themed around the southern hospitality associated with the late Eudora Welty, the famous Mississippi writer who had a passion for gardening with bottle trees, dining with friends and sharing stories.

Culinary historians Fran Ginn and JoAnn Clevenger will present the tasting dinner. Ginn, a Columbia, Miss., native and owner of In Good Taste Catering Co., is well-known throughout the Southeast for culinary skills and entertaining presentations. Clevenger opened the popular Upperline Restaurant in New Orleans 25 years ago. 

“The event is a unique opportunity for the people in our community to become aware of what the tourism department has to offer, plus it’s a wonderful evening of culinary and artistic creativity with local celebrities,” said Linda Thoms, Southern Miss alum and patron who has attended the event every year.

“It’s a small, intimate event -- only 50 tickets are sold -- with the elegance you would expect to see in New York City,” said Thoms. “The silent auction allows you to bid on, and hopefully experience, many vacation packages, donated primarily by former students who are working at these hotels and restaurants. Dr. Price’s students plan the entire event and it’s great fun to see them practicing their skills.”

Items for the silent auction include restaurant packages, travel packages, art work and home decor.

Tickets can be purchased through the Southern Miss Ticket Office by calling 601.266.5418. For more information about Passions of the Palette, contact Meagan Garner at 601.606.6538 or Price at 601.266.6762.

The Department of Tourism Management offers a bachelor of science in business administration in tourism management with emphasis areas in casino/resort management and hospitality management. The goal of the program is to prepare students to meet the demands for entry level management while, at the same time, laying a solid foundation for executive management in all aspects of the tourism industry.

About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities.  In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world.  Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss., with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu.