This year’s Homecoming will be a stampede of Southern pride.

At least, that is what Julie Blackford, director of student activities, is hoping the work put into the week will accomplish.

“We’re just here to celebrate Missouri Southern,” she said.

The theme of Homecoming is Southern Stampede. Blackford said part of the reason the theme was chosen was how simple it was to prepare for it.

“It’s easy to decorate for that theme,” she said. “That’s kind of why.”

With the overall theme will come different activities that students can participate in. Monday students can go to Billingsly Student Center to record their own CDs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Daniel Horner, junior health promotion and wellness major, said the University has had this activity, called LegaCD, in the past. He said it attracted a good turnout. Blackford said the event consists of students being able to go into a recording booth and singing, in turn recording their own voices on CD.

Tuesday’s activities consist of the volleyball game at 7 p.m. Horner said the Campus Activities Board will be handing out free T-shirts with “Southern Stampede” written on the back, along with free popcorn and sodas to students with their ID. After the game, students may go to the Student Life Center for Western Movie Night. The event will start at 9 p.m.

“It’s something to do,” Blackford said. “It’s free.”

The festivities will continue Wednesday with Western Pictures. The event takes place on the oval. A Western backdrop will be set up and students can have their picture taken and keep them.

Thursday’s activities consist of the Lion’s Den Saloon from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Blackford said. The saloon will probably serve cokes and root beer floats, drinks that will foam up.

“We do the best we can for a dry campus,” she said.

From 7:30-10:30 p.m. that night will be the Western Lion Dance on the third floor of BSC. Blackford said country music will not be the only type played.

“It’s not just like a country-western dance,” she said.

Friday will consist of the picnic on the oval. Held from 10:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m., food will not be the only thing available to students. They may also try the mechanical bull or the western obstacle course. Horner said he expects a good turnout to the event.

“I think it’ll be fun just because it’s different,” he said. “It’s a different kind of obstacle course.”

Also at the picnic the Homecoming royalty announcement and crowning will take place at noon during a pep rally.

For the voting of the Homecoming king and queen, Blackford said they have had a good turnout.

Blackford said she expects a good turnout for the events this year. She hopes students will look at the week not just as an athletic thing, but also as a school thing.

“We kind of see Homecoming as more than athletics,” she said.