OXFORD, Miss. — \u00ad University of Mississippi students, alumni and friends
\nlook forward to an array of activities Friday and Saturday (Oct. 16-17)
\nduring Homecoming Weekend, planned around the theme “Ole Miss: An
\nExperience That Lasts a Lifetime.”
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\n“Homecoming Week is a special time on campus and a tradition that the
\nOle Miss family looks forward to each fall,” said Jennifer Taylor,
\ncampus programming director. “The Student Programming Board sponsors a
\nvariety of activities at the Student Union throughout the week. The
\nweek culminates with the annual homecoming parade traveling through
\ncampus and to the Oxford Square.”\n<\/p>\n
\nHighlights include the
\nAlumni Awards Ceremony, Fall Visit Day opportunities for prospective
\nstudents and a gridiron match with the University of
\nAlabama-Birmingham. “We are looking forward to all the homecoming
\nactivities we have planned this year,” said Bradley Baker, campus
\nprogramming coordinator for student affairs programs. “We are
\nespecially looking forward to the pep rally on the Square following the
\nparade on Friday.”\n<\/p>\n
\nWeekend activities get underway at 5:30 p.m. when the Pride of
\nthe South Band strikes up for the parade, beginning on campus at the
\nLyceum Circle and continuing on University Avenue to the Oxford Square.
\nA pep rally is scheduled at the end of the parade route.\n<\/p>\n
\nA free, public reception Friday at 6 p.m. at The Inn at Ole Miss
\nhonors the six outstanding people who are to receive the university’s
\nhighest alumni award, the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame, and recipients
\nof the Alumni Service Award and the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.
\nFollowing the reception, the awards will be presented at a ticketed
\ndinner for the honorees in the Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom at The Inn.\n<\/p>\n
\nFall Visit Day is set for Saturday, with activities planned for
\nprospective students to introduce them to campus life. Registration
\nopens at 9 a.m. in front of Martindale Student Services Center. Campus
\ntours and maps are to be available, along with a schedule of the day’s
\nactivities.\n<\/p>\n
\n“Fall Visit Day provides the perfect opportunity for prospective
\nstudents and their families to get a firsthand look at Ole Miss,” said
\nJody Lowe, associate director of enrollment services. “Representatives
\nfrom academic programs, student organizations, student life and
\nacademic support services will be on hand to talk with visitors. We
\nlook forward to showcasing the many amazing opportunities the
\nUniversity of Mississippi has to offer.”\n<\/p>\n
\nThe new alumni award honorees also are to be presented at the
\nannual meeting of the Alumni Association at 10 a.m. Saturday in the
\nGertrude C. Ford Ballroom at The Inn. New Alumni Association officers
\nare to be elected at the meeting, which is open to members of the
\nAlumni Association.\n<\/p>\n
\nInductees into the Alumni Hall of Fame are John Warner Alford
\nJr. of Oxford, John “Kayo” Dottley of Vicksburg, George E. Hilliard of
\nMemphis and William W. Parsons Jr. of Merritt Island, Fla. David E.
\nBrevard of Tupelo will receive the Alumni Service Award for service to
\nthe university and the Alumni Association. Tamara Yvette Crawford of
\nArlington, Texas, will receive the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.\n<\/p>\n
\nPregame ceremonies at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium begin at 5:30
\np.m. and include the introduction of Alumni Hall of Fame inductees and
\nrecipients of other alumni awards. Miss Ole Miss and Colonel Rebel also
\nwill be introduced before kickoff. They are Carmen Rae Musgrove of
\nBrandon and Steven Nelson of Hattiesburg. The Ole Miss Rebels take on
\nthe UAB Blazers at 6 p.m. Halftime ceremonies feature the crowning of
\nthe 2009 homecoming queen, Hart Wardlaw of Belden.\n<\/p>\n