Tanissa Ringo
The University of Mississippi invited students, faculty, staff and alumni to campus to celebrate Mississippi Day on Saturday, April 15. The annual event took place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m
Mississippi Day is an outdoor event that mimics an “open house” for visitors to explore various exhibitions and demonstrations, mingle with university academic departments and engage in family-friendly activities.
Each academic department had a booth to inform prospective students and their parents about their programs. Freshman biology major Destiny Kirksey volunteered with the chemistry department to demonstrate a creation of edible slime worms for children at the booth.
“It was very eye opening to see so many people on campus. I didn’t expect to see so many age ranges of people that showed – to kids to parents,” Kirksey said. “It was a good experience to see all the different departments entertain the kids, and it was very interesting to see.”
Mississippi Day was one of several events held last weekend, offering a chance for the public, students, faculty, staff and alumni to highlight the university’s contributions to the state of Mississippi.
“One of my favorite parts about Mississippi Day is the opportunity to give children of all ages memories at Ole Miss that aren’t just tailgating in the Grove, as fun as that is,” Emily Ferris, associate director of the division of outreach, said. She has held her position since 2018.
Ferris said the event opens up the possibilities at Ole Miss.
“They can have fun engaging with our amazing faculty and student volunteers — something they will remember forever — and at the same time, it exposes them to all the different opportunities we have at Ole Miss,” Ferris said.
Ferris has coordinated Mississippi Day for the past two years.
“The whole day offers prospective students, families, visitors and even current students the opportunity to interact with the university in a new and exciting way,” Ferris said.
