Please join us this weekend as we celebrate all things maroon and white at homecoming. This year’s theme is Bears Breaking Barriers. Use the hashtag #BearsHomecoming for social media posts.
Join the fun during ‘Bears Breaking Barriers’ homecoming
We’ve changed our lineup of homecoming activities for this year. The website contains a complete listing of alumni activities and student activities. Highlights include:
- Yell Like Hell pep rally will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 in Hammons Student Center.
- Our first annual homecoming concert will be at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16 in JQH Arena. The headliner for this year’s concert is Earth, Wind & Fire, the seventh top-selling musical group of all time. Don’t miss this amazing show. Tickets are available online.
- Breakfast with Boomer starts at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17 in Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. Bear Cubs of all ages and their families are invited to eat breakfast, get their photo taken with Boomer, and hear a reading of the new book “Where’s Boomer?” by men’s basketball players Camyn Boone and Tyler McCullough.
- The Homecoming Parade will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17 on John Q. Hammons Parkway.
We will wind down our homecoming activities with a tailgate at Bearfest Village at 11 a.m. and by cheering on the Bears to victory when they defend the Missouri State gridiron against the Illinois State Redbirds at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17. Immediately following the football game, the men’s and women’s basketball teams will scrimmage in JQH Arena. There is no cost to attend these scrimmages.
Show respect for all during homecoming, year round
“Bears Breaking Barriers” is this year’s homecoming theme. From the president’s office, my thoughts surrounding Bears Breaking Barriers lead me to the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Having difficult conversations and breaking the barriers of silence and exclusion have been challenges keenly felt across the nation, and on our own campus, over the last year.
We have learned how important it is to respond quickly to harassing and intimidating behaviors, to offer transparency and open dialogues, and to take action to avoid re-occurrence. I can’t say we do this perfectly, but we are striving for continuous improvement by focusing on breaking the barriers via the campus climate study, offering diversity and inclusion training for faculty and staff, presenting events such as the All Black Lives Matter panel, and bringing diverse speakers such as actress Laverne Cox and author Wes Moore to campus to discuss their experiences.
At Missouri State, we value diversity and inclusion and we want everyone on campus to feel welcomed and included as we head into homecoming. The entire campus community is expected to demonstrate cultural competence and ethical leadership throughout our homecoming activities and each day our campus is open. Creating an environment that welcomes all is in the best interest of all. Thank you for joining me in breaking barriers.
Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!