Each year, tens of thousands of people journey to MTSU for reasons other than college attendance by Drew Ruble
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hroughout the year, the MTSU campus plays host to a number of events not directly affiliated with the University and which benefit local families, serve the community, and boost commerce. In fact, some of these events serve as the first introduction school-age children have to a college campus, and may even help their young minds hatch the dream of earning their own degrees one day, possibly at MTSU. The following list offers a representative selection of the top 10 reasons for coming to MTSU, outside of being a college student, of course. True Blue!
TSSAA basketball tournaments The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) basketball tournament, which annually determines the Tennessee state champion in both men’s and
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women’s basketball, pops up on the campus of MTSU each March as reliably as the daffodils do. Ditto for the TSSAA’s annual Spring Fling event, where MTSU’s Smith Field serves as the venue for the state high-school baseball championships, while all TSSAA track and field events are conducted at MTSU’s Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium. And don’t forget that annually some 500 athletes from area schools compete in the Special Olympics track and field meet at Hayes Track and Soccer Stadium, as well.
The Governor’s School for the Arts The Governor’s School is now in its third decade at MTSU. The pre-professional summer curriculum includes individual and group instruction designed to help each enrolled student explore talents in music, ballet, theatre, filmmaking, and visual art. Students spend about four hours each day, six days a week working in their major concentrations. In June of its 30th anniversary year, Sen. Lamar Alexander, who as governor of Tennessee founded the summer programs for gifted high schoolers, spoke at a welcome ceremony for 305 new participants from across the state and their families during their visit to MTSU’s campus.
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