It started on Oct. 27 with an uplifting concert by the Livingstone College Gospel Choir and ended on Nov. 2 with festivities after the Blue Bears’ 34-31 heartbreaking loss to Fayetteville State University.
In between, Livingstone College alumni, students, faculty and staff were treated to a week of exciting activities while participating in Homecoming 2013. Titled The Experience, this year’s homecoming lived up to its billing.
“First of all, the variety of activities they offered was amazing,” said Augustus L. Jones, a member of the class of 1968. “It made it difficult to choose which events to attend because there were just so many. You wanted to go to almost all of them but you just couldn’t. The homecoming committee provided excellent choices.”
Jones was a star member of the Blue Bears basketball team when he was a student and is in the Livingstone College Athletic Hall of Fame. On Saturday he was among the packed crowd inside Alumni Memorial Stadium for the big game which kicked off at 1:30 p.m.
“I think the football team made a valiant effort, and the alumni appreciated the caliber of play from the team,” Jones said. “Falling a few points short was disappointing, but it was a very good game and we were glad the team played as well as it did. Over the past couple of years many of our games have been lopsided with us losing by great margins, but in this particular game, which could have gone either way, we fell only a few points short.”
At historically black colleges and universities, homecoming is a can’t-miss event, and Livingstone College is no exception. There were a ton of activities for alumni and others to enjoy, including the Coronation of Miss Livingstone College, a performance by comedian Ricky Smiley, a fashion show, The Stone Awards, receptions, parties and dances.
Larry Melton, a member of the class of 1972 and a former Blue Bears football player, attended several activities with his wife, Evelyn. They watched the homecoming parade, attended a brunch honoring Bishop George E. Battle, Jr., Senior Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and Chairman of the Livingstone College Board of Trustees, and also went to the football game.
“It seems each year homecoming gets better and better,” said Melton, a member of the Livingstone College Athletic Hall of Fame and the Commemorative Classic Hall of Fame. “It doesn’t matter whether you just graduated or whether you graduated several years ago because homecoming offered something for everyone. My wife and I look forward to homecoming every year and to seeing old friends. Dr. Jenkins and his staff are to be commended for once again putting on a top-notch event.”
Anna Kay Edwards, Miss Livingstone College and a member of the class of 2014, said she really enjoyed Homecoming.
“I can honestly say homecoming this year was definitely one to remember,” Edwards said. “It was especially memorable for me because of Coronation on Wednesday night, something I’d dreamed of since my freshman year when I thought about one day running for Miss Livingstone College. Having so many fun activities, for example The Stone Awards and Showtime at Varick, made Homecoming more engaging for not only the alumni but also for the students. Another good thing about Homecoming this year was the high participation among faculty and staff at many of the events. The committee did an excellent job and should be proud of their efforts.”