2011 Homecoming to Bring Southern Miss Black and Gold Colors Alive
Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:51am | By: Perri Jackson
“Give me that Black and Gold” is the theme for The University of Southern Mississippi's 2011 homecoming, and the school colors will be on full display as students, faculty, staff, alumni and community supporters celebrate being a Golden Eagle throughout the week.
Starting Oct. 16, homecoming week will be filled with plenty of activities to get Southern Miss fans ready for the football game against Conference USA foe Southern Methodist University Saturday, Oct. 22.
Prior to homecoming week, campus is buzzing over homecoming court elections. Starting on Tuesday Sept. 27, the primary elections will narrow down the list of candidates. If necessary, a runoff election will be held Thursday, Sept. 29.
Homecoming court is made up of a freshman maid, sophomore maid, junior maid, senior maid, graduate maid, homecoming queen and Mr. and Miss Southern Miss.
“It has been an overwhelming, wonderful, and fast-paced experience,” Jessica Dominguez, SGA elections commissioner, said. “We have a total of 53 candidates running for Homecoming Court and Mr. and Miss Southern Miss this year. This is an outstanding number. It is one of the greatest feelings to be able to lead a large group of individuals who represent everything that a Southern Miss student is.”
Students can vote for the candidates that share their classification, as well as for Mr. USM and Miss USM, at any of the following voting precincts: Thad Cochran Center, Liberal Arts Building, Century Park and Cook Library.
Along with elections, other important dates connected to homecoming week include:
· Sunday, Oct. 16: Blackout-Kickoff Party - The Homecoming Kickoff Bash will be at Centennial Lawn, starting at 8 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by DJ Don King. This event will also include special competitive activities, snacks and drinks.
· Monday, Oct. 17: Golden Eagle Challenge - Starting at 4:30 p.m., teams will participate in a campus-wide, competitive race designed to test students about their knowledge of Southern Miss facts and trivia. Start/finish line will be at Union Plaza in between the Hub/Union and Stadium.
· Friday, Oct. 21: Fountain Sit - Beginning at 1:30 p.m., team members will sit in the fountain located next to Shoemaker Square. The goal is to see who will last the longest in the fountain. Participants will also be required to answer a series of questions on Southern Miss trivia. Wrong answers result in challenges making the fountain sit an even more difficult task.
· Friday, Oct. 21: Friday Night at the Fountain begins at 6 p.m. and will feature live music by 2Hypnotic and activities presented by the Southern Miss Activities Council (SMAC). The homecoming court will also be presented at this time.
· Saturday, Oct. 22: Homecoming Parade- The parade will begin at 10 a.m. in downtown Hattiesburg.
· Football Game: Southern Miss vs. SMU - The game kicks off at 7 p.m. at M.M. Roberts Stadium. At halftime, the homecoming court will be introduced and winners of homecoming week activities will be announced.
Students aren't the only ones that get to have fun during homecoming. The Shell Finish Line Golf Tournament is a way for Southern Miss alumni to get involved. The tournament will be held Friday, Oct. 21 and will begin with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. at Hattiesburg Country Club.
The proceeds of the event benefit the Pierce Legacy Scholars Program, a $1,000 scholarship available to high school seniors that are children or grandchildren of a Southern Miss graduate.
“We've been fortunate to have loyal sponsors and outstanding Southern Miss supporters who each year are excited to support this worthwhile cause,” Jerry DeFatta, executive director of Southern Miss Alumni Association said. “We expect that this year's tournament will again feature a full field of alumni and friends coming together to generate additional funding for the Pierce Legacy Scholars Program.”
The tournament costs $150 per person and includes breakfast, range balls, registration, course games, mulligans, lunch and tee prizes.
For more information, contact student homecoming director Lauren Barrios at usmhomecoming2011@gmail.com. For Shell Finish Line Golf Tournament registration information, contact Dane Reiter at 601.266.4856 or kristopher.reiterFREEMississippi. For sponsorship information, contact Jennifer Payne at 601.266.4095 or jennifer.l.payneFREEMississippi.