Homecoming has always been celebrated with pride at Missouri Southern, and prior to this year, was always held near the end of October or the beginning of November

 In an effort to separate the 2014 Homecoming festivities  from the tragic incident in which a Missouri Southern coach lost his life on Homecoming weekend in 2013, events have been scheduled for Sept. 29 through Oct. 4.

Last year, celebrations were canceled when the opposing team made the decision to call the game off out of respect for our University’s loss.

While we never want to forget the loss of Coach Derek Moore, it’s nice to look back over the past year and see how Southern has rallied, bounced back and moved forward from the tragedy.

Athletes, coaches, faculty, staff, students and the community all came together and held each other up.

This year, we hope that students will come out in full force to celebrate Homecoming like never before.

The decision to press on, but never forget, means our University will grow stronger and become more unified.

Separating the tragedy from the celebration says the University is ready to move forward; the best thing is for students to do the same.

Participate in the events that are scheduled all week: go to the picnic, vote for royalty, watch the parade and go cheer for the Lions at the afternoon game.

A month from now, the entire campus will mourn the loss of an important member of our community, but this week, root for Southern. It’s what Coach Moore would have wanted.