Homecoming brings SMSU together
University celebrates with both fun events and community service
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MARSHALL -- Homecoming is traditionally a time that brings the community at Southwest Minnesota State University together. This week, SMSU students were both taking time to celebrate with fun events, and giving back to the Marshall area through events like the Mustangs Give Day of Service.
University students got to experience hypnotism on Tuesday night, as Chris Jones performed during Candidates Night on campus. Jones, an Illinois-based hypnotist and comedian, has performed in shows around the country, as well as on TV. Jones' skills gained him national attention when he appeared on "America's Got Talent" in 2015, and got germ-phobic comedian Howie Mandel to shake hands with Jones and the other hosts of the show.
In his bio, Jones said hypnotism started out as a hobby for him, but turned into a way to make people laugh and help others in need.
While a lot of the homecoming activities this week are focused on having fun, students also put in a lot of work around the Marshall community. Wednesday marked the third year of the annual Mustangs Give Day of Service.
More than 200 SMSU students, faculty and staff signed up to help out community organizations ranging from Marshall Public Schools, to United Way of Southwest Minnesota and Prairie Home Hospice.
Some service projects even took place on campus. On Wednesday afternoon, a crew including students Emily Hernandez, Bella Jacobs and Landrey Schmidt unloaded armloads of tree branches onto the back of a maintenance truck near the P.E. building.
The branches had been trimmed off of trees in a courtyard that didn't have access for the truck, Jacobs explained. The only way to dispose of them was by putting them in bins and carting them through the halls on campus.
The three students said they didn't realize they would be hauling branches - but they did volunteer to help with campus cleanup. "So we did sign up for this," they said.
"I think we had a good number of projects and requests, and the turnout of students was great," said Melissa Scholten, director of SMSU's Center for Civic and Community Engagement. For the Day of Service, students did everything from landscaping projects outside the Marshall Area YMCA to helping hang lights for Light Up the Night at Independence Park.
"The feedback I get from students has been good," Scholten said. "They enjoy doing it." Many students volunteer for the Day of Service as part of clubs or athletic teams.
Scholten said community organizations with possible service projects are welcome to contact her at melissa.scholten@SMSU.edu, or contacting the Center for Civic and Community Engagement.
Homecoming festivities will continue through this weekend at the university. The Homecoming Royalty Court will be introduced at a coronation social this evening in the SMSU conference center lower ballroom. The big day on the homecoming schedule will be Saturday, with events including the homecoming parade at 11 a.m., reunions for six different SMSU graduating classes, and the homecoming football game against Northern State at 4 p.m.