A Wonder-fall Season

As 2021 draws to a close, I find I am more grateful than ever to have had a classic fall at Mizzou. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so celebrating autumnal traditions on campus was extra special this time around.

Thanks to Mizzou Alumni Association members and Traditions Fund donors, we hosted all new students for the tradition of Tiger Walk, and we celebrated Homecoming in our usual grand style in early October. This year’s festivities included some special touches. In the past, Jesse Hall’s dome has turned gold for Homecoming week with little fanfare. This year, nearly a thousand students attended the first Dome Lighting Ceremony to kick off the week. Taking some of what we learned from pandemic engagement, we broadcast our first Homecoming Parade Show so that Tigers everywhere could experience a bit of Mizzou. The spirit and participation for these traditions, both in person and online, were inspiring.

The Mizzou community also celebrated major events, such as the groundbreaking for a new Children’s Hospital and the Mizzou Football Stephens Indoor Facility. The dedication of the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building was an historic day. The facility will harness the power of the University of Missouri System’s four universities, along with MU Health Care, MU Extension and external partners. Together, they will bring to bear cutting-edge research, technologies and treatments to transform health care and save lives. As Missouri’s land-grant university tackles the state’s biggest health issues, we deliver on our motto: Salus populi — the welfare of the people.

In many ways, I believe we will look back at the fall of 2021 as a landmark moment for our university. I’m grateful for your continued support. Here’s to big things in the new year!

Todd McCubbin

Executive Director, Mizzou Alumni Association

Email: mccubbint@missouri.edu

Twitter: @MizzouTodd