Overcast skies didn’t keep Missouri Southern students from enjoying the Homecoming week activities.

The free campus-wide picnic Oct. 10 served barbecue beef and spicy chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, chips, cookies and Coca-Cola products to 2100 students from 10:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m.

This year’s event was one of the most successful of recent years in the eyes of students and faculty.

“I think people like the free food, I definitely do,” said Jared Lett, junior psychology major. “There’s definitely more school spirit this year.”

Some instructors held classes outdoors or released their classes early so students could participate in the festivities.

Nathan Chambers’s Freshman Orientation had students participate in some of the homecoming activities and then had the rest of the students write descriptive papers on it.

“I rode the mechanical bull for my class today,” said Chambers, freshman undecided major. “It’s pretty fun. I’m enjoying myself so far.”

This year’s theme was Southern Stampede. All of the attractions were of a western nature. Besides the mechanical bull, a calf-roping exercise, miniature horse race around a giant sombrero and a western obstacle course featuring cattle, hay bales and cactus attracted students and faculty during the picnic.

The event inspired some less active students to get involved in campus activities again.

“I think Homecoming is an awesome event,” said Julie Allord, sophomore business administration major. “I think this is way better than last year.”

“This year I’m kind of lacking in school spirit because I haven’t gone to anything, and in the past I went to every football game. But this year is definitely going to help my spirit improve.”

The KSYN radio station sent disc jockey Jason Knight to provide the music for the event.

At noon, the Homecoming royalty was announced. Butch Loveall and Jaime Green, both senior secondary education majors, won Homecoming king and queen for the Kinesiology Club.

As a 35-year-old non-traditional student, this is an unusual honor for Loveall.

“This is the greatest moment of my life,” he said. “As a non-traditional student, you don’t really expect stuff like this, so, way to go for us old guys.”

Kristen Smith, senior mass communications major, and Daniel Horner, junior health promotion and wellness major, Homecoming royalty candidates for Koinonia, said they held no hard feelings toward the winners.

“I don’t care [about losing],” Horner said. “I’m just glad that we made the top five.”

Oct. 11 featured the Homecoming parade. The parade lasted over an hour and featured campus organization floats and area high school bands including Diamond, Joplin, Picher and Lamar.

The first place award for best float was given to Residence Hall Association. A $150 check was made out to that organization.

Other awards included best Homecoming decoration and best Homecoming decorated office.

Gang Green and Zimmer Radio Group both put on student tailgates before the football game that Southern lost, 15-3.

Julie Blackford, director of student activities, said she is proud of the students.

“It’s hard when the team is struggling, but our students are still here, trying to get involved,” she said.