Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A record-breaking 58 "send-off" parties will be hosted this month and in August by the Mississippi State University Alumni Association and Office of Admissions and Scholarships, as chapters around the nation welcome incoming students to the 132-year-old land grant institution.
From July 26 to August 9, the Alumni Association's biggest year yet for these events will include chapters in Ohio and Illinois for the first time, along with chapters in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Texas.
Annual send-off parties provide opportunities for incoming students to meet future classmates, as well as alumni and friends of the university. These events also give prospective students, and their parents, more information about what Mississippi State has to offer.
"Our chapters have rallied behind the send-off parties in an effort to increase awareness about Mississippi State in their local community and to welcome our incoming students to the Bulldog family," said Dr. Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the MSU Alumni Association. "Our alumni and friends are without question our best allies."
During this year's parties, representatives from the Office of Admissions and Scholarships, Alumni Association and other campus units will answer specific questions regarding life at MSU. University faculty or staff members also take an active part in each gathering.
"The annual send-off parties are among the most ambitious events hosted by Mississippi State each year," said Mark E. Keenum, university president. "This effort is a tribute to so many MSU alumni and friends whose involvement and support are helping us reach out to students and parents in their communities."
For details on the scheduled events or to find those in local areas, visit the Alumni Association website at www.alumni.msstate.edu/sendoff.
For more information on Mississippi State University, see www.msstate.edu.