The sudden turn in the weather caught Amber Sims off guard as she got ready to head to Tennessee State University the morning of Oct. 16.
"It was a little colder than I anticipated," she said with a laugh as she talked with a friend at Hale Stadium in the heart of the campus.
Still, she proudly sported her plaid bubble skirt, matching button down top and calf-high leather boots to the pep rally at the stadium. The rally is one of the high points of the historically Black North Nashville university's homecoming festivities each year. A 2005 graduate, Sims said she loves reconnecting with the TSU community each time it rolls around.
"It's like a big family reunion," she said.
Just before noon the TSU marching band, known as The Aristocrat of Bands,
started its long march around the perimeter of Hale Stadium before making its way into the stands. The band included a mix of current students and alumni who came back to join the musicians, dancers and color guard.
The weeklong homecoming was host to a wide variety of events, including the crowning of Miss and Mister TSU, a step show, a fish fry and the rally. The ever-popular homecoming parade along Jefferson Street is slated for 9 a.m. on Oct. 17. The TSU Tigers are set to square off against the Morgan State University Bears at 5:30 p.m. at Nissan Stadium that night.
In the middle of the hubbub at the pep rally, 20-year-old junior Karis McGowan worked her way through a queue to get a free purse charm. She's on the student government committee that helped organize homecoming this year.
"Seeing our ideas and our planning come to life has been really, really fun," McGowan said.
Across the field, 1995 and 1997 graduate Rommie Vasser said he hopes homecoming inspires his fellow alumni to give back to the university.
"The more we can do that, the better off we can make it not just for the kids that are here now, but for our future kids that are looking to come," he said.
Vasser, who played receiver and punt returner on the TSU football team from 1991-95, said he loves to catch up with his fellow graduates and hear about what they've accomplished over the years.
"We're people that are able to give back to a school that gave us so much," Vasser said. "It's just good to be able to come back and see folks and rejoice."
Rachel Wegner covers education and children's issues for The Tennessean. Got a story you think she should hear? Reach her via email at RAwegner@tennessean.com. You can also find her on X or Bluesky under the handle RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSU alumni gather for homecoming week 'family reunion'
