APSU begins "legen-dairy" Homecoming tradition
Austin Peay State University began a “legen-dairy” new tradition on Friday, Oct. 20, affectionately known around campus as HomeCowing. At 11:45 that morning, as part of the University’s Homecoming celebration, the APSU Beef Show Team paraded two of its champion heifers—Blakely and Danielle—around campus.
The event was in commemoration of a social media milestone that took place the previous winter. On the morning of Jan. 28, 2017, a calf was spotted running loose around campus. The animal was eventually caught and returned to its owner, but not before thousands of people posted photos and pun-filled comments, like “udderly spectacular,” on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. That day, the University’s social media accounts experienced a large engagement spike, and since Homecoming is a time of celebration, University officials decided to “raise the steaks” again.
On Oct. 20, hundreds of APSU students, faculty and staff crowded around the two heifers, taking selfies and petting the animals. The University’s social media accounts encouraged individuals to post comments and images with the hashtag #APSMoo. Within minutes, the images began appearing online.
The event proved successful, and plans are already in the works for another “udderly” spectacular event next year.