UAPB’s festive occasion on hold
Homecoming is the heart of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It’s a time when alumni arrive from all over the country to reconnect with old friends and to connect with current faculty members and students. It’s a festive time when drum beats, band music and Greek chants can be heard, and the aroma of barbecue fills the air as preparations are made to tailgate and get ready for the big game.
Pine Bluff would normally have been flooded with gold and black right now as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff homecoming was scheduled to take place this week. But this long-standing tradition for the community is nothing but a distant memory as covid-19 erases yet another annual event.
Homecoming was more than just football for UAPB students. It was about social interaction, hugs and selfies. But students are trying to take it all in stride.
Alphadesha Milton, a junior at UAPB, said that at the beginning, the pandemic was depressing. But now that he is back on campus, he and his fellow students have learned to make fun out of anything, he said.
“Even without homecoming, even without the parties, everyone is trying to make sure everyone has
fun despite the pandemic,” said Milton.
A g roup of college students sat outside the student union on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. They said that during homecoming week, the area would have been full to capacity with day parties, step competitions, music and fun.
“It is usually livelier out here, and it’s kind of weird,” said Milton.
Aubreona Ward, also a junior at UAPB, was looking forward to all of the homecoming festivities leading up to Saturday’s football game.
In past years, homecoming would kick off on campus with church fellowship, homecoming barbecue, food trucks, vendor shopping, campus comedy shows, concerts, a ceremony, golf tournaments, the annual Alumni Assembly, the Greek Show, and the annual homecoming parade, to name just a few of the scheduled activities.
Alexis Simpson, a Pine Bluff native, said homecoming has always had the support of her hometown, and the community always showed up to keep the spirit alive on and off campus.
“The vibe on the campus ever since the pandemic is definitely different, and everyone is getting acclimated to everything, trying to focus on work and make the most fun of what we do have,” said Ward, who added that students have been coming up with innovative and safe ways to enjoy campus life.
According to Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander, UAPB is planning homecoming for the spring with the return of the football season, tentatively on April 17. That game will be against Prairie View A&M, which is sure to draw fans near and far for the much-anticipated event.
“Homecoming is extremely special and an important time for the entire UAPB community, and the university looks forward to the spring when we can welcome SWAC football and our beloved alumni back to campus, in a safe fashion,” he said.
No one is as excited as the football players themselves, who said they can’t wait to get on the gridiron. UAPB football player Dylan Smith said he isn’t letting the pandemic take the excitement out of the sport.
“It just makes me want to go out and practice harder knowing that they are shutting everything down,” said Smith, who has been doing the optional workouts before practice begins next semester. “There is a lot of down time to myself, so I can work harder and better myself.”
Teammate Jalil Lenor said the team has become closer during the pandemic.
“We all stay together as a group,” said Lenor. “The more we are together, as a team we’ll be ready for when the season comes.” Lenor added that the players and coaches meet to go over certain criteria but haven’t gotten into the full groove of football practice.
“People are just trying to keep the peace until everything gets back to normal next semester so we can get our actual college experience,” said Milton.
Even so, the homecoming experience will have a virtual flair, as some of the homecoming events will be online and others in-person in compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Arkansas Department of Health guidelines.
In an earlier release when homecoming was set for this week, Alexander said that homecoming would not include the traditional fanfare and activities to ensure the safety of the Golden Lions family. That statement still holds true with the postponement of the event to the spring.
Students’ spirits are not dampened by the changes. Any type of celebration that they can get, they said, will be better than no celebration. To keep the spirit of homecoming alive, the UAPB Office of Development will present a virtual Tail Gate Party via YouTube at 11 a.m. Saturday.
“I really feel like even though UAPB is down due to the pandemic, Pine Bluff is still going to make it good for us when homecoming does happen,” said Simpson. “I’m ready for that, but until then, we are making the best of what we got here”