The return to school is always filled with many events. Jakhia Gray, a Biology Pre-Physical Therapy major from Jackson, Mississippi and the 2019-2020 Miss Alcorn State University (ASU) made it her mission to make this year’s return one to remember. On August 27th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on the Campus Green, she welcomed students back with a picnic. Anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing Miss Gray knows she is all about the closeness and family environment of Alcorn. One of her missions during her reign is to bring that back and improve the social and academic lives for students on campus. Gray understands that college is expensive, and wants to continue to curate events for students that are free of charge.
This was not your typical picnic. Hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks, homemade lemonade, and snow cones were provided. There was so much to partake in and the occurrence created a space for students to get to know one another better. Sophomore Class President, Janajah Ford from Detroit, Michigan stated, “I think Miss Alcorn will bring back the unity, vibrancy, and vitality that Alcorn has been missing. She is going to restore that glimmer, fun, and everlasting youth that age can’t steal.”
Games were also provided at the picnic such as volleyball, hula hoops, tug-of-war, and sack races. The best part of the picnic was the live DJ that continued to keep the energy alive. Gray had benches and picnic cloths for students to lay and sit on. It was obvious that she wanted everyone to note this event as one of the greatest times of their lives. She stated, “I hope everyone leaves feeling like we need to have more events like this because I would love to host more gatherings similar to this one for the student body.”