Local alumni chapters and clubs send off newest ̫ӳ Bulldogs
Contact: Amy Cagle
STARKVILLE, Miss.—From Mississippi to Illinois, Texas to Washington, D.C., ̫ӳ alumni chapters and clubs across the nation will hold send-off parties to usher incoming freshmen and transfer students into the university for the first time.
More than 60 send-off parties are scheduled to take place July 14-31. This will be the 11th year of this ̫ӳ tradition, which brings together new students and their parents with current students and alumni chapter members.
“Send-off parties provide incoming freshmen and new transfer students with the opportunity to be welcomed into the Bulldog family by alumni and friends in their communities,” said Jeff Davis, executive director of the ̫ӳ Alumni Association. “These parties provide a unique experience for students to begin their transition into college life, bridging the gap between their local area and life at ̫ӳ.”
̫ӳ currently has 135,000 living alumni and 101 alumni chapters and clubs. Send-off parties encourage this worldwide community of Bulldogs to join in celebration of future ̫ӳ students. During each gathering, representatives of ̫ӳ admissions and scholarships, as well as other campus offices, will be on hand to answer questions regarding university life and academics. Various ̫ӳ faculty and staff members also will be in attendance, along with ̫ӳ Alumni Association representatives.
Kaylie Mitchell, a senior graphic design student from Pascagoula, attended the Jackson County send-off party the summer before her freshman year. She returns to that particular party annually because of a connection she cultivated there.
“I have the pleasure of painting custom cowbells used as door prizes each year, and I’m also invited to speak about student life and what it’s like to be a Bulldog. It all started from meeting the chairman of the Jackson County Alumni Association at my first send-off party,” Mitchell said.
Fellow ̫ӳ senior Ben Coggin is a Tupelo native majoring in mechanical engineering. He recalls meeting an ̫ӳ student at his own hometown send-off party who was “very excited to already be at State.” Through that send-off party experience, Coggin’s own enthusiasm for his future at ̫ӳ grew.
For a schedule of the 2016 send-off parties and their locations, visit .
To learn more about ̫ӳ and its 138 years of excellence, follow the university at , , and , or visit the website at .