The MTSU Alumni Association is bringing back the popular 2020 “shoebox” homecoming event that will be paired with the return of the in-person MTSU Homecoming Parade later this month.

This year’s virtual MTShUbox Showcase was called the MTShUbox Parade last year when the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed nearly all in-person homecoming activities. To view entry rules and to enter this year’s showcase, go here. The deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13.

Homecoming activities for the MTSU Student Government Association and alumni will begin Monday, Oct. 25, leading to Oct. 30 Homecoming Day events that include the 10 a.m. parade and 2:30 p.m. Blue Raiders football game against Southern Mississippi in Floyd Stadium.

The SGA theme this year is “True Boo Homecoming” as this year’s celebration falls close to Halloween.

Entries to the shoebox event will be “showcased” at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, and air on True Blue TV. Alumnus Chip Walters, voice of the Blue Raiders, will announce float entries. The show will also be on www.mtsu.edu/live and the MTSU Facebook page.

The 2020 MTShUbox event captured the fancy of alumni and others.

“We hope that the MTShUbox Showcase will be enjoyed by our MTSU community near and far,” said Rhonda King, Alumni Relations assistant director.

“We’ve invited everyone — alumni and students from around the globe — to create a shoebox float,” King added. “It takes a little creativity, and inspiration can be found from the 2020 entries at www.mtalumni.com. We encourage you to heat up your glue gun and get busy working with friends, co-workers or children for this fun event.

“The Alumni Association will continue to provide opportunities to be involved with homecoming for our Blue Raiders who are unable to return to campus.” 

The MTShUbox idea received national recognition after being nominated in the Council for Advancement and Support for Education, or CASE, Circle of Excellence awards. It earned a grand gold in the Alumni Engagement on a Shoestring category and silver in the Alumni Relations Pivot category.

True Blue TV airs on Comcast Xfinity channels 9 and 1096 in Murfreesboro and channel 9.1 on the MTSU campus. It airs as channel 195 on DTC in Alexandria, Tennessee, digital channel 206 on United Communications in Chapel Hill, Tennessee, and as channel 99 on AT&T U-verse in Middle Tennessee.

True Blue TV is also available on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.  Simply search for the "Education Resource Channel" apps in Roku, the Apple TV App Store, and on Amazon.