Above Photo: Vice President of Student Development Dr. Said Sewell/Photo by Jared Bethea

Written By: Parker Owens, Staff Writer

Homecoming is a chance for alumni to return to their old stomping grounds and relive their glory days for one weekend. At Morehouse College, homecoming has also become about uniting the brotherhood through different generations.

Vice President of Student Development Dr. Said Sewell ‘92 is one of those alumni who takes every opportunity to come back and bridge the generational ties.

“I would say that I have made homecoming probably 97 percent of the time since I graduated,” Sewell said. “My dad went to Morehouse so I also attended homecoming for years before I even got here.”

Sewell noticed several changes throughout the years, the most noticeable being the increase in participants in homecoming.

“We have always had a large number of people coming, but over the last 10-12 years it has seen an exponential growth,” Sewell said. “When I come to homecoming now it’s what I would see at other institutions that have a large number of people.”

The crowd at homecoming is especially remarkable considering that only about 2,000 students attend the institution.

“The number of alum has drastically increased, and that’s a good thing,”  Sewell said.

“I believe the reported numbers for (Homecoming) are approximately 23,000.” Said Henry Goodgame Jr. ‘84, who is the director of alumni engagement and giving at Morehouse College. “Approximately 13,000 at tailgate and 10,000 in the stadium. There could be more.”

The ability to draw in these large figures, despite being a relatively small college, speaks to the importance that this institution has in the minds of many of the alum.

The numbers are also indicative of the ability to form an event that is catered to every generation. The students as well as the alum at Morehouse appreciate the various activities the school hosts.

“I really enjoyed the Caribbean section of tailgate,” Morehouse sophomore Randy Carter Jr. said “It brought out a new culture that I was not always exposed to and really expanded on what Blackness means.”

The diversity that the events can have is another draw of homecoming. The opportunity to showcase many different cultures allow for more student and alumni interaction than other schools have.

Sewell, having worked for many different institutions, has seen the cultural differences regarding homecoming.

“The main distinction between mainly the PWIs and the HBCUs is that it is more about the fellowship of coming back home,” Sewell said. “Whereas at the PWIs, they are more focused on the game.”

The fellowship that Sewell speaks about is what makes Morehouse homecoming unique. It is a highlight every year for both students and alumni, and is the main focus of building the brotherhood together.