Erin Jones is a senior broadcast journalism major at Mississippi State, and is also a campus rep for CSTV. I was lucky enough to have her fight through gameday traffic to meet me on campus and show me around. We began by going into MSU's newest tailgating section, known as the Junction The area got its name thanks in part to an old railroad track that used to intersect a nearby street at the location. The MSU fans were out in full force, decked in maroon and white, talking and laughing as the undeniable smell of grilled chicken and pork permeated the summer air. Along with the tailgaters, the MSU Alumni Assocation was also in full force, and we were able to get some really cool MSU stickers for the car (one sticker from each school for this road trip!) Across the street from the Junction was the Bulldog Fan Fair, held at the Ampitheatre, which is a huge stage in the middle of a slightly sloping grassy field. The MSU Band, along with the cheerleaders, arrive hours before gametime and keep the fans entertained.

We then took a trip down fraternity and sorority row, noticing the banners over some of the houses, and the stickers worn by just about every sorority girl and fraternity guy, many of them saying "WE LOVE THE DAWGS", or "BEAT THE GAMECOCKS", or something to that effect. We stopped and went inside the Kappa Delta house, which is a beautiful, well-manicured, classic Southern mansion that serves as the largest sorority house (by square footage) in the entire SEC. Erin, along with the KD house mom, known as "Mom" Kennedy, were incredibly gracious hosts, and provided me a tour of this amazing house. They also provided me with much needed ice water (it's HOT in Starkville in August!). and a sticker of my own to wear (I have it stuck to one of my bags as we speak). To put it short, the house defined Southern class and elegance.

We then traveled back through the Junction, and over to the Chatham Cheese Shop, located just a block away from the stadium and the Junction. Mississippi State, which used to be known as Mississippi A&M, makes their own brand of Edam and Cheddar cheeses, along with the widely popular chocolate milk and muscadine grape juice. The shop stays busy most days, but today was even busier, as fans trickled in nonstop into the shop.

Erin's favorite SEC game? Actually, it was last year's Battle for the Golden Egg (Jack Cristil told me it's NEVER the Egg Bowl, and I'll respect his wishes on that one). "Living in Houston, I wasn't able to go to the MSU-Ole Miss game my first two years, because it was always around Thanksgiving," she said. "I finally got to see them play here in Starkville last year, and even though people were saying 'Oh, they're two bad teams, it won't be a very good game', we beat them, and everyone in Starkville ended up very happy."

To continue with the tour....another great MSU hot spot is their bakery/creamery. Along with cheese, milk, and wine, MSU makes their own ice cream as well (which is pretty good stuff). Emily struck an immediate friendship with an employee named Lydia, who turned out to be really great, and gave us free samples, all of which were really good!

Overall, I was incredibly grateful to Erin for guiding me across the MSU campus. We definitely would not have known as much history, or seen as much of the campus, without her help. It was the essence of Southern hospitality, served CSTV style, which made us feel right at home in Starkville.