Weekend festivities in full swing

 Eaglefest

Gene Gouaux is not a member of the Greek system at USM, but that did not stop him from hanging out with his friends who are during Eaglefest Saturday.

While talking with friends near the Phi Mu tent, Gouaux, a sophomore accounting major, said he definitely enjoyed the tailgating portion of the event.

“It’s a great chance for everyone to get together and have fun,” he said.

Eaglefest is a yearly event held in spring to bring athletics together and create the game day atmosphere of a home football game at Southern Miss.

“It’s a Southern Miss weekend,” Scott Carr, associate director of athletics for external affairs said. “It’s an opportunity in the spring to have a second homecoming of sorts.”

Athletics are on display that weekend, highlighted by the Black and Gold spring football game. Other sports, like baseball and softball, are included in the act.

Part of the Eaglefest experience is the tailgating, a large part of Southern Miss home games each fall. Among the events going on in the tailgating areas Saturday was a barbecue contest, a dirtiest vehicle contest, a playland for children and a tailgating area in the district, hosted by USM fraternities and sororities.

Tailgating and games were not the only things going during Eaglefest, however. The M-Club inducted eight people into its hall of fame Friday night.

Jeff Hammond, Onesimus Henry, Michael Jackson, Kerry Valrie, Steve Summer, Kristen Karchnik, Jack Thomas and Casey Fisher were the members of the 2005 Hall of Fame class.

Carr said he thought Eaglefest went well this year. The crowds are growing each year and fans are becoming more involved, he said.

“I thought it went very well. We had the largest crowd since I’ve been here,” Carr said. “That’s what we want for this to be, not just another scrimmage. We’re trying to make it like it’s the first home game of the season.”

Chi Omega sisters Amy Johnson, a sophomore business and marketing major, and Jennifer Jones, a sophomore fashion merchandising major, said the best part of the weekend was the tailgating though.

“I love it,” Johnson said. “It’s a great idea to include the tailgating with the Black and Gold game.”

“It’s good because tailgating is the best of football season,” Jones added.