From theatre to athletics, MTSU Spring Showcase targets alumni

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Middle Tennessee State University Office of Alumni Relations, in collaboration with many campus departments and programs, has put together an assortment of activities for this year’s upcoming Alumni Spring Showcase.

The showcase will be held from Friday, April 5, through Saturday, April 13, when MTSU sports teams will help wrap things up with the Blue Raider Athletics Showcase.

For the upcoming Alumni and Blue Raider Athletics Spring Showcases, Middle Tennessee State University’s softball team hosts Liberty University at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Blue Raider Field in Murfreesboro, Tenn. It is the middle game of the series, as MTSU hosts Liberty at 6 p.m. Friday, April 12, and at noon Sunday, April 14. Numerous MTSU events and activities for alumni and others are scheduled April 5-13 during the annual Alumni Spring Showcase. (Photo by Maya Lewis/MT Athletic Communications)

The focus of the alumni showcase is to help alums reconnect with their alma mater by inviting them back to campus to participate in events, classes and more during a busy spring semester.

All events — including the Monday, April 8, solar eclipse event, weather permitting, at the MTSU Observatory — are listed on www.mtalumni.com under the MTSU Spring Showcase icon.

Parking passes are required and available from the Alumni Office, 2259 Middle Tennessee Blvd., for those visiting campus for the day.

Beth Dye, MTSU Alumni Relations assistant director — Beth Dye

“The MTSU Spring Showcase is an annual event spanning the course of nine days and is an opportunity for our alumni to experience the energy of campus life at MTSU this spring,” said Beth Dye, assistant director of alumni engagement in Alumni Relations.

“This year highlights special events, classes, conferences and exhibits created with alumni in mind,” she added. “Don’t forget to end the week with a bang at the Alumni Family Fun Night (6 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 12), registration required, and with the return of the football Blue and White spring game (1 p.m. April 13).” It will mark coach Derek Mason’s first spring game.

A few highlights

• The Department of Theatre and Dance presents “The Ruminants,” a play exploring protest, privilege, legacy and talking rabbit. Shows in Tucker Theatre are at 7:30 p.m. April 4-6 and a 2 p.m. Sunday, April 7, matinee. The department also will open several classes to alumni on modern theater, directing and design throughout the week.

Phil Williams, NewsChannel 5 reporter and 2023 recipient of the Jhn Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism — Phil Williams

• The School of Journalism and Strategic Media kicks off its 50^th anniversary celebration with a career retrospective by Phil Williams, NewsChannel 5 reporter and 2023 recipient of the John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 11.

Alumni and supporters are invited to attend the exclusive anniversary celebration on Friday, April 12, to observe 50 years of education excellence. The goal is to raise $50,000 for the school’s Student Experience Fund, supporting students in hands-on media enrichment opportunities. For more, visit www.mtalumni.com/sojsm50.

• Alumni are invited to a reception launching the new Department of Political and Global Affairs, which will house Global Studies, Human Geography, International Relations and Political Science under one department in the College of Liberal Arts.

• The Department of Criminal Justice invites alumni to attend a mock crime scene from 9:40 to 11:05 a.m. Tuesday, April 9, in the old internal audit office (Wansley House), 209 N. Baird Lane, in Murfreesboro. Students will work an indoor and outdoor crime scene, determining ballistic trajectories and analyzing blood spatters.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)