Mississippi State

Mississippians are preparing for the possible arrival of Gustav. On this third anniversary of Katrina, even places far north are keeping an eye on the weather.

Mississippi State does have an emergency management plan. In case of a campus emergency, students will be notified through the MSU emergency web page, text messaging, campus radio, the hot line (662-325-5555), and other media.

The Maroon Alert is normal but students are encouraged to keep an eye on the weather as many will be traveling home or to the MSU/LA Tech football game this long holiday weekend.

As of Friday, MSU will be closed Monday for the holiday but classes will resume Tuesday, September 2nd.

Are you ready for MSU football? It’s hard to believe that football season is finally here. It’s still so warm outside but don’t let the hot dawg days of August keep you from enjoying the tailgate and pep rally planned August 30th.

MSU will kickoff the 2008 football season with an away game at Louisiana Tech. The tailgate party will be held from 3-5pm in the Hale Hall parking lot. That’s the admissions building on the Louisiana Tech campus located in Ruston, Louisiana. Just look for the tents to find the fun. The pep rally will begin at 4:15pm. Bully, the MSU cheerleaders, and the pep band will be there.

Sandwiches, chips, cookies, and lemonade will be available for $5 while supplies last. The tailgate and pep rally are being sponsored by the Bulldog Club, the MSU Alumni Association and the MSU Foundation.

Kick-off for the game is at 5:45pm and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Students, faculty, and staff will begin the fall semester Monday, August 18th. The fall semesters is always full of activities and sporting events. It always seems to fly by, so make sure to mark down important dates on a calendar. There’s nothing worse than showing up to class on a test day and being unprepared.

At five o’clock on the drill field will be an ice cream social. At six o’clock, there will be The Drill held on the front steps of Lee Hall. Bring your cowbell and get ready for a pep rally to kick off the new school year. Free t-shirts and collectible cowbells will be given away.

It sounds like a great way to kick of the fall semester at Mississippi State.

The MSU Alumni Association is hosting send off parties in July and August for incoming freshmen. These events are held in various places around the state and beyond. Here is a rundown of the send-off parites with dates and locations.

Fall classes begin August 18th, 2008.

It’s hard to believe that the fall semester at Mississippi State University will begin in less than a month. Soon the MSU campus will be bustling with students. Summer time is very quiet on campus even with summer school classes taking place. The fall semester will soon begin and so will the excitement of another year at MSU.

August 9th is the 3rd annual Moving You to MSU - an event to help students move into university housing. It begins at 8am at Humphrey Coliseum.
August 14th and 15th are the final days for regular registration and paying fees.
August 15th is new student orientation day.
Late registration will be through August 25th.
The fall semester begins Monday, August 18th.
September 1th is Labor day and MSU will be closed.
Fall break will be October 6th and 7th.
There will be no classes that day but administrative offices will be open. Thanksgiving break is November 26th and 27th.
Fall classes end December 2nd.
Final exams will be held December 3rd - December 10th.
Commencement services will be December 12th and 13th.
December 23rd - January 2nd MSU is closed for Christmas holiday.

The fall semester is always busy with football season and other activities. It can almost be a blur since it seems to fly by. Mark important dates on your calendar so that mid-semester test doesn’t catch you off guard.

I always enjoyed the fall semester much more than the spring. Maybe it’s the cooler weather, football games, and Christmas break. Whatever the reason, I always loved it more and hated that it always seemed to go too fast.

Mississippi State will be closed Friday for the July 4th holiday. There is still something to do in the Golden Triangle to celebrate the holiday.

The Columbus Air Force Base will be hosting ‘Fireworks on the Water’ Friday, July 4th. The event is free to the public and gates open at 4pm. It will be held at the east bank of the Stennis Lock and Dam.

There will be local bands, food, and activities for children. Those who plan to attend are encouraged to carpool since parking will be limited.

Freshmen entering MSU in the fall can sign up for an orientation this summer. Orientation weekends are:

June 6-7
June 12-13
June 20-21
June 23-24
June 27-28

Rates:

$95 Freshman Students
$50 Freshman Parents

Both students and parents will become accumulated to college life at MSU. It’s a great chance to become familiar with campus and to make contact with some students before the semester begins.

More information about orientation can be found at Msstate.edu.

Here’s an interesting tidbit news from Starkville, the home of Mississippi State University. New buildings in Starkville will be more friendly to the environment. The Board of Aldermen passed a sustainability policy last week that will require all newly constructed city buildings larger than 3,000 square feet to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards.

The standards are a rating tool to encourage energy-efficient planning. Structures are rated on energy use, water efficiency, and building materials.

The new rule doesn’t apply to schools, private structures and many public buildings.

Only city-owned new building structures will have to meet the requirements.

Last month I got to visit the campus at Mississippi State. I haven’t been on campus in years, probably at least nine if not longer. My has it changed! It was wonderful to be on campus and to see so many familiar places. It brought back a lot of good memories.

Here is the Perry Cafeteria where I ate a lot of meals. One end of the caferteria housed Mazzio’s Pizza. That is where I would eat a lot because you could buy pizza by the slice and they took Moneymate. Moneymate was like a debit card before there was such a thing as them.

I think it was during Orientation that I was told this tale about the unique shape of Perry Cafeteria. It was built 82 years ago, a few years before the beginning of WWII. But even though we were at peace, they built the cafeteria to resemble a church so that it wouldn’t be bombed by enemies. Not sure if this is true or just a tall tale.

When we were there, they were doing some construction on campus in front of the cafeteria. Not sure what is going on with that. Hopefully it won’t be another 8 years until we go back. I’d love to visit when school is in session so that the buildings are open.

A college education just got more expensive. The Mississippi College Board has voted to increase tuition at eight Mississippi universities, including Mississippi State. Here are the increase and the yearly tuition costs.

$175 at Alcorn State University, raising tuition to $4,498.
$201 at Delta State University, raising tuition to $4,449.
$157 at Jackson State University, raising tuition to $4,634.
$172 at Mississippi State University, raising tuition to $5,150.
$214 at Mississippi State University for Women, raising tuition to $4,423.
$158 at Mississippi Valley State University, raising tuition to $4,575.
$173 at University of Mississippi, raising tuition to $5,107.
$181 at the University of Southern Mississippi, raising tuition to $5,096.

The Ron Polk era at MSU is coming to an end. This weekend will be Polk’s last weekend to coach at Dudy Noble Field. MSU fans, alumni, and students are invited to come and pack Polk-Dement Stadium to thank Polk for his 29 years at MSU.

Plan to be there May 15th at 6:30pm, May 16th at 6:30pm and May 17th at 3pm. MSU will be taking on SEC rival Arkansas.

Imagine my surprise and sheer enthusiasm when I started to watch Jeopardy! yesterday and saw someone wearing an Mississippi State jersey. Best of all he was a contestant. Joey Beachum won yesterday’s battle to advance to the semi-finals.

Here is an interview with Beachum in