June 02, 2021
Media advisory: SIU to host hundreds for regional Illinois State FFA Convention
Potentially up to 1,000 visitors – members of Southern Illinois FFA chapters, their parents, FFA advisers and guests – will converge on Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Friday, June 4, for a day of activities, tours and events.
Reporters, news crews and photographers are invited to cover the day’s events. The celebration, which has a “Dare to Be” theme, is part of the 93rd annual Illinois State FFA Convention. SIU is the only university hosting one of three regional events.
The festivities include a college fair, visits by Saluki dogs owned by Jim and Vicki Blair of Energy, the Saluki Spirit Squad and Grey Dawg.
There will also be tours of the campus and University Farms from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday. The new SIU combine will be on display to showcase the latest technology to teach and train students.
The 93rd annual Illinois FFA District 5 Convention session will begin at 5 p.m. at Saluki Stadium and will include a welcome address from Saluki football coach Nick Hill and a video message from Chancellor Austin Lane. SIU Carbondale student Miriam Hoffman, the National FFA Eastern Region vice president, will address the students during the program. Also in attendance will be Lexi Mueller, the outgoing Illinois FFA state president, a third-generation FFA member from Columbia, Illinois, who is an SIU Chancellor’s Scholarship recipient and will major in agricultural education. (Media who are interested in interviewing state officers or staff regarding the event should arrive by 4 p.m.)
If you are interested in covering any of the events, contact Kim Rendfeld at kim.rendfeld@siu.edu or 765-426-3650 (cell) by 4:30 p.m. Thursday.