For years, I’ve been attending homecoming and as I grow older, it means more . Every year, old friends and classmates travel from near and far to visit the old spots they frequented when they were students on campus. I even found myself in the Wendell P. Holmes Business Building, peeking in and out of my old classrooms and labs. Memories and emotions flow through me whenever I step foot in this sanctuary. Some are good, some not so good, but ultimately, they are all a part of the journey I have grown to appreciate.
Being on campus is one thing, but being on campus during Homecoming at an HBCU is an experience like no other. The impromptu meet-ups, last-minute mall runs, the line at Bethune Grill, it’s all worth it in the end. The weekend was not without its hiccups and flat-out setbacks, and we’ll get to those, but for now, we’ll focus on the highlights and what went right.
The Pep Rally
I’ll be honest, when they announced that the pep-rally would take place at Municipal, I was skeptical. However, in the aftermath, the overall consensus was that it was a success. The Pride, the cheerleaders, and the Royal Court were all in attendance. Boosie and Dougie Fresh lit up the stage and gave everyone a good time. So, while we all had to adjust to a new pep rally venue, it actually worked. We’ve seen parking and other logistical issues at other venues that the school were never able to solve for. This time, they got it right. Ideally, this event would happen on campus, but we understand that it’s a little more complicated than that. All things considered, this was a solid move.
The Tailgate
In past years, we have seen no shortage of issues at the tailgate. The parking situation has been a nightmare for as long as I can remember. Aggressive towing last year, lack of order from the stadium staff, uncertainty regarding parking pass availability, and several other issues hampered the event. This year, we saw significant logistical changes regarding the gameday experience and the tailgate for the better.
First, satellite parking at the Daytona International Speedway was the solution to parking we never knew we needed. This was a great idea. It helped to minimize traffic and congestion to and from the stadium. The bus shuttles were frequent and plentiful. Plenty of announcements and correspondence led up to and on the day of the game, giving everyone ample opportunity to plan and adjust. Kudos to B-CU for this change!
Additionally, if you’re anything like me, when you spend money on an experience, you want a good experience. Grand gestures, while appreciated, aren’t always necessary. However, small touches tell us that you’re listening and you’ve thought it through. For example, the tailgate markers were a nice touch this year. Each sign included school branding, the spot number, and the person or group to whom the area belonged. That was a nice touch. This served multiple purposes. Primarily, the signs confirm your location. It also lets others locate certain spots and who purchased them. Walking around and seeing the names of the people or groups that occupied a particular spot was excellent. Small detail, significant result.
Another small but meaningful improvement was the lovely new fancy portable restrooms. In the past, we’ve had to use old-fashioned port-a-potties. By the way, yuck. Not this year. These restrooms were not only clean, but they had showers. The biggest gripe we heard was that there needed to be more of them. That aside, it was another win for the Homecoming planning team.
There was plenty to feel good about, however, there are some things that need attention. To be clear, this isn’t to admonish the school; however, after speaking to and communicating with alums, we all agreed that there are some areas for improvement.
Campus Activities
One of the best parts of returning to campus for Homecoming is hitting the yard. Whether you’re visiting your old dorm room or walking through the halls of the various buildings, there’s nothing like being back at the place we once called home. Now, if I were passing through Daytona and wanted to stop by the school, I could do those things anytime. During Homecoming, that experience should be different.
We want more welcome events and activities inviting alums to the yard on Friday. Plenty of parties occur during the week and even on Friday. However, not everyone wishes to attend a day party or a club. Some of us make the weekend about the school, the students, and the legacy of Dr. Bethune.
Also, these aren’t just random people stopping through the campus. These are some of our greatest alum. These are professionals, people with influence, and people with vast networks. It’s the one time a year that students can have the opportunity to get in front of alumni who have a vested interest in their future success. We should be more intentional about this type of alumni-to-student engagement. A networking mixer or brunch would be a good starting point. I know, there’s only so much time in a day. But to that point, there wasn’t much to do during the day while on campus. This is an easy fix that I’m sure young and old alums would appreciate. It’s one thing to connect on LinkedIn, however, it’s another thing for the students to be able to rub elbows with successful alumni.
Homecoming on The Yard
When I arrived on the yard on Friday, it was about 3:30, and there wasn’t much happening on the yard. Sure, you could feel the Homecoming energy, but nothing was happening. Some people were over in the vending area, but hardly a crowd. It seems like there should be something – an official alum event happening on the yard. A festival, food trucks, a barbeque – something. The common takeaway I kept hearing from Alumni was that they didn’t feel welcomed this year. That’s a problem, because Homecoming is designed for alums. Alums are the biggest advocates for the institution. They are walking billboards and PR firms. They have the power to persuade students to attend. Make sure they know they are appreciated and welcome.
To add, a common tradition after the game is to regroup and fellowship on the yard. It’s been that way since forever. People depart from the stadium, and naturally, most of us don’t want to sit in our hotel rooms yet, so we go hang out on the yard. The fraternities and sororities get together for their rituals and traditions while other alums catch up with each other. This is one of the only moments when alumni and students spend time on campus together. It’s a beautiful sight. However, one couldn’t help but notice that the quad was dimly lit this year. I want to assume that the lighting or lack thereof was due to the razing of Meigs and Curtis Hall. Things happen. But what it told others who may not understand that is “they couldn’t even turn the lights on for us.” It just didn’t feel very inviting.
Another thing a lot of people noticed was the increased presence of security and law enforcement during this moment on the yard. Now, this is touchy. On the one hand, you want the school to be proactive in its approach to safety, so a part of me felt grateful to see these measures taken. On the other, you don’t want to see security directly up in the space of the students and alumni. It’s like having an officer follow you around your front yard. It just feels invasive. To someone who doesn’t understand the culture, all the boisterous activity, chants, strolls, etc, it can be unsettling or even unusual. But fear not; we’re just having a good time and being extra. We mean no harm.
The Future of Homecoming
Okay, so we’ve said a lot, and now is the time to organize and plan for a better future. While the Alumni Affairs team and the Alumni Association have done a great job of enhancing the alumni experience, we believe there are still some opportunities for improvement. As always, The Ave is here in love, and our only aim is to empower voices, celebrate our people, and ignite change. That’s why we exist.
2004 Alum and Business Consultant at The Ave, Tiffany Spencer, has submitted a letter to the institution outlining these concerns as well as others and also provided solutions. It’s essential that if we are going to be critical, we must also bring forth solutions. Complaining is the easy part. The real work begins when it’s time to come up with solutions to problems. So, in the meantime, think about ways to improve the experience and share those ideas with the school or even with us, we’ll make sure they get the message. They’ve shown this year that they’re listening.
And before we go, this is a fine time to ask, when was the last time you contributed financially to B-CU? If it’s been a while, fear not, you can do so right now: Donate here.
Mother Mary needs us.
All Hail to Thee
