Annual golf tournament raises funds for communication scholarships
The communication department at Mississippi State University raised more than $5,000 in scholarship money and honored the memory of a beloved professor with its 11th annual golf tournament.
The annual event seeks to raise scholarship money for students within the communication department as well as help offset living and travel expenses for department majors who earn internships in distant locations. Over 20 scholarships have been awarded to date.
The Fall 2017 tournament also honored the memory of Lora J. DeFore, the professor for whom the memorial endowed scholarship and student travel fund is dedicated. A former Kentucky resident who taught in the department for nearly 20 years, Defore died in 2009 following a long battle with cancer. The awards are a memorial to the popular faculty member known for encouraging communication majors to seek internships to enhance their educational experience and employment opportunities.
MSU’s golf course hosted this year’s shotgun start tournament, which included a putting contest, lunch and 18 holes of golf. Tournament packages for each player included greens fees, a cart and an MSU Adidas shirt.
This year’s tournament saw an increase in the amount of player prizes awarded. Each of the 12 teams received a playing package at some of Mississippi’s local golf courses, including Starkville Country Club, Lion Hills Golf Course, the MSU Golf Course, and more.
Additionally, prizes were awarded to those who won in-tournament contests such as longest drive and closest to the pin. Prizes included a BBQ grill set donated by East Mississippi Lumber Company, a driver donated by Old Waverly Golf Course and a Harvey’s gift card donated by Harvey’s, among others.
Sponsorships making the tournament possible were provided through three different levels:
* Gold - Coca Cola, MaxxSouth Broadband, and WCBI.
* Silver - Canon Solutions, NewSouth NeuroSpine, Watson, Heidelberg, Jones PLLC, and the Insurance Associates.
* Bronze - Aramark, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Blake Balzli, D.M.D., PA, Clark Beverage Group, Foster Relations, Inc., Frank Chiles State Farm, Jason Prendergast, John C. Stennis Institute of Government, MSU Department of Political Science and Public Administration, MSU National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center, Shep’s Cleaners, Snaparazzi, The Little Dooey and UPS.
The Department of Communication has five concentrations: broadcasting, communication studies, journalism, public relations and theatre. One of the largest academic units in MSU's College of Arts and Sciences, the department currently includes approximately 600 majors. Departmental faculty members also provide classes to hundreds of other students across the institution.
For more information about the tournament or the department, please contact Becca Hawkins at bh1035@msstate.edu or John E. Forde at (662) 325-8033 or jforde@comm.msstate.edu. Visit the department online at www.comm.msstate.edu.
Kendall Fiser | Department of Communication
