Students lit up the block with dancing, barbecue and good vibes to kick off homecoming week, hosted by the Students for The Propagation of Black Culture on Oct. 22.
Jeromy Hunt, president of SPBC, said the annual event is a way for students to get together before alums make their way back to campus for end-of-the-week festivities.
“You always want to kick homecoming off with a bang,” Hunt said. “And a block party … a big way for students to come together in a neutral ground and to have fun.”
Hunt said the timing of the event is pertinent.
“Homecoming always falls right after midterms, so being able to kick the week off straight and by coming off fall break — it’s a great one,” Hunt said.
SPBC partnered with the homecoming committee to provide free T-shirts for the event. This year’s Block is Hot featured a food truck — Wade’s BBQ — which differed from last fall.
“Last year we wanted to do a bonfire but we were under a burn ban,” Hunt said. “Last year food was food catered by Aramark, but this year, we brought the food truck back.”
Students lined up as the sun set to grab some grub and share in excitement about the upcoming week.
Junior Jordan Moody, an elementary education major and SPBC’s treasurer and community service chairperson said this event is a more laid-back introduction to a busy week.
“Stuff pops off Monday, but since we just had fall break, a lot of people came back today,” Jordan said. “We just want to start the week off right. Get everybody in that mood of having fun.”
“I feel like it gives a chance for everybody to come together and eat good before the older ones come in. It’s just undergrad people,” Jordan said.
Sophomore psychology major and SPBC’s Secretary and Special Task chairperson Kuhreem Shabazz said this event had a significant impact on him during his freshman year.
“This was my first actual UCA event where I … actually felt comfortable and enjoyed myself,” Shabazz said.
“I know this event can be very helpful to the freshmen Especially [them] finding their community,” he said.
La’Mya Luster, president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council at UCA and a junior nursing major, said this event is “very important to NPHC and anybody that’s involved with that because it showcases all the hard work that the sororities and fraternities put into” homecoming week.
Miss UCA 2023 Jada Simpson, a junior elementary education major, said that homecoming is a great way to find new connections and revisit old memories.
“Homecoming is really an awesome way for people to connect with each other with the current students as well as the alumni students. And it’s just a really fun week,” Simpson said.
“Homecoming falls around midterms and when midterms are coming up, so it’s good to be able to kind of relieve some of that stress and be able to have fun.
“Because school is not only about academics, of course, that’s important. But we want to have fun at school too. So homecoming is a really great way to do that.”
To learn more about SPBC and keep up with its events, follow its Instagram @uca_spbc.
