With freebies galore, MTSU ‘Meet Murfreesboro’ connects students with local community

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Two Middle Tennessee State University students with a penchant for taking photographs joined about 2,000 of their peers for the annual “Meet Murfreesboro” event recently on campus in the Student Union Commons.

Meet Murfreesboro, held Aug. 27-28, is an annual two-day event where MTSU students, faculty and staff learn about area businesses and organizations — banks, credit unions, ministries, restaurants and more. Students can benefit and stimulate the economy by later purchasing goods and services and food, and, in some cases, land part-time jobs.

Middle Tennessee State University students enjoy playing cornhole, a bean toss game, next to the McDonald’s Photo Bus during the annual Meet Murfreesboro event in the Student Union Commons in Murfreesboro, Tenn. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

Itzel Cordoba, 20, of Chattanooga, a junior public relations major, takes photos for the Career Development Center. Khori Williams, 23, of Murfreesboro, a senior media and entertainment major and women’s soccer photography student assistant, helped take photos at the McDonald’s Photo Bus.

Cordoba, a graduate of Chattanooga Christian School, said she “likes coming to Meet Murfreesboro because every student likes free stuff. It is a great way to discover Murfreesboro. I like that it’s multiple days. You can return the next day.”

Middle Tennessee State University students visit various businesses, ministries, restaurants and more during the Tuesday, Aug. 27, Meet Murfreesboro event in the Student Union Commons on the MTSU campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn. More than 50 vendors provided free items to about 2,000 students during the two-day event. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

Dr. Tricia Farwell, associate professor, journalism — Dr. Tricia Farwell

Khori Williams of Murfreesboro. — Khori Williams

A Blackman High School graduate, Williams said Meet Murfreesboro “is a good time for people to introduce themselves to each other. It is a wonderful event. MTSU has a lot to offer — a lot of diversity — and that’s what sets us apart from other schools.”

Williams was part of associate professor Tricia Farwell’s 15-member upper division School of Journalism and Strategic Media’s media buying and strategy class that attended both days when temperatures soared to near 100 degrees.

The experiential learning helps the students “experience what it is to advertise to people where they are when they may not be expecting a message,” Farwell said, adding that the student-run Ever Blue branding communications agency would attend on Aug. 28.

Gina Poff, MTSU New Student and Family Programs director — Gina Poff

Gina Poff, director of MTSU New Student and Family Programs, said the event featuring more than 50 outside vendors “introduces thousands of MTSU students to different businesses, getting them connected to the Murfreesboro community.”

Meet Murfreesboro is one of dozens of fall Connection Point events, where they receive special MTSU pins for connecting to MTSU. To learn more about Connection Point and upcoming activities, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/campuslife/connectionpoint/#calendar.

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