The Centennial Celebration of Homecoming: More Change and Even More People

Howard University students rushing to see a celebrity at Yardfest (Courtesy/101 Mag –  Naiya Brown)

The 100th-year celebration of Howard University’s Homecoming brings excitement, anticipation, and public safety concerns as the number of expected attendees increases due to the centennial celebration. 

The Homecoming kicks off with Call to the Chapel on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. The week-long celebration includes events like the student fashion show, the greek step show, the yardfest, and more. 

All the events lead up to the Homecoming football game on Oct. 19, where the Howard University Bisons will take on the Tennessee State University Tigers. Alumni and students alike will gather to show off their Bison spirit.

Homecoming at Howard University has drawn thousands of people from all over to celebrate. While many attendees are alumni or students, the events are public and allow open access to the festivities. However in the past few years, many have noticed an increase in the amount of people.

“I would say the past two years of tailgates were more crowded than usual. Should there be some sort of crowd control? Maybe,” said Ayahnna Gordon-Hines, a Howard University alumni.

Howard University released a statement announcing the centennial event and the expected celebrations that will occur.

“Yardfest, as well as the parade and football game, are major attractions with reports sharing an upwards of 100,000 attendees throughout homecoming week,” Howard University stated on their website. 

Because this is Howard’s centennial celebration, it is expected that the university will go all out. , this celebration has worried some students and alumni because of the rise in the expected rise of attendees and how it could affect the nature of the celebrations.

Kamryn Gaines, a junior TV and Film major at Howard University, believes that security and crowd control need to be more present this year because of her past experiences at different homecoming events.

“The crowd gets to be too much. There are just too many people and I’m sure it gets hard to control all of them within the space we have. ” Gaines said. 

Many students debate whether the events have become less enjoyable due to the number of people. Some recall occurrences at previous events, where the crowd became an issue and the event’s experience became spoiled.

“Last year, I remember standing in front of the art building and a big group of people started running. Then everyone started running and we didn’t know why. It just showed how easily things can get out of hand without realizing it,” Gaines said.

Gaines also remembered her hesitancy in attending the events because of Yardfest’s lack of audience structure and control. 

“Overcrowding has always been an issue, but I wish there was a specific way to organize the event. People are always passing out because of the lack of space,” Gaines said. 

Kayla Amisial, a bioethics major, recalled her experience at the Yardfest event. She remembered that even though she enjoyed most of the events, the large crowd and lack of organization made the event less enjoyable.

“I left Yardfest because of the crowd size and eventually got less interested,” Amisial said. “I feel there needs to be more crowd control and security in the crowd to help handle the hundreds of people coming.”

Gordon-Hines believes that she is not too affected by the amount of people, because she and her friends are making a plan to stay safe. 

“I have always had good experiences at homecoming. If it’s a celebratory year or anniversary for us, we tend to go to a lot of events. But for the most part, we have our signature things we attend.” Gordon-Hines said.

Making plans to stay safe is always encouraged for the homecoming week. 

Howard University Department of Public Safety releases tips on how to stay safe during homecoming annually. In 2023, some tips included:

While students and alumni worry about crowd control and security presence, they still have high hopes for the familiar thrill of Howard University’s Homecoming.

“Things like the Yardfest lineup, and other events happening will be things to help keep the same vibe as last year,” Amisial said.

Gordon-Hines believes that the homecoming experience will always be different for everyone. Though she will miss the tailgate, which will not be brought due to Howard wanting a more “unique and family-friendly experience,” She knows that the Howard University family will continue to have a good time.

“Ultimately, the experience is what you make of it. So, I will still be attending and have a few signature events that I will support,” she added.