FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2009
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
aperkins@pa.muw.edu

MUW Homecoming April 17-19

COLUMBUS, Miss. - As Mississippi University for Women continues to celebrate its 125th anniversary, the university will welcome alumni to campus this weekend with many special events planned for Homecoming.

Festivities will kick off Friday with the Golden Girls Luncheon at 11 a.m. in Pope Banquet Room located in the Hogarth Dining Center. Tickets for guests are $15 per person.

The much anticipated Zouave Drill will be held at 1 p.m. on Shattuck Lawn. A French military precision marching drill, Zouave began at MUW in 1912 and was performed regularly until 1955. It has since been re-created for special occasions.

Dr. Mark Bean, chair of the Department of Health and Kinesiology, said, “We are very excited about bringing this MUW tradition back to campus for the 125th celebration."

At 2 p.m., residential students from the Ina E. Gordy Honors College will present historic tours of campus buildings including Callaway Hall, Hastings-Simmons Hall, Orr Chapel, Peyton Hall, Pohl Physical Education building (North campus), Poindexter Hall, Reneau Hall, Welty Hall and Whitfield Hall. Their presentations will include monologues about the people for whom the buildings are named with each performance lasting two to three minutes.

Guests are invited to attend the Alumni Invitational Art Exhibition Reception, which will feature works by MUW graduates. The reception will be held in the renovated Art and Design Building from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Campus tours and college open houses, the MUW Alumni Association Board meeting, recruitment workshop and Class of 1959 reception also will be held on Friday.

The evening will conclude with the 125th Anniversary Gala Celebration, which will feature gourmet delights presented by MUW’s Culinary Arts Institute. The celebration will be held in Pope Banquet Room at 7 p.m. and tickets are $50.

On Saturday, participants will have an opportunity to reconnect with old friends at the Long Blue Line March, which will assemble on front campus at 9:45 a.m. Convocation will follow in Rent Auditorium, Whitfield Hall.

Reunions will be held throughout the day, and at 6 p.m., attendees will be treated to food and entertainment at the Barbecue & Blues event on Shattuck Lawn. Tickets are $15.

The weekend will close with the Farewell Brunch sponsored by the MUW Foundation from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Cochran Ballroom.

Mary Margaret Roberts, executive director of alumni relations, said, “Homecoming 2009 promises to be a great weekend. We are especially looking forward to the 125th Anniversary Gala catered by the Culinary Arts Institute and Barbecue and Blues, an event that has been a big hit with all ages the past two years.”

For additional information and tickets, call Alumni Relations at (662) 329-7295.