Last weekend the annual Grambling University National Alumni Association (GUNAA) Convention came home.
With a four-day agenda and a new president elected, many alumni came to represent the theme: “We Are Grambling!”
Those Tigers that roared into town came ready to work, plan and enjoy those not seen in a while.
Thursday, July 9 kicked off with a joint project. Alumni and members of the Grambling Student Government Association came together to do some enhancing to the campus by repainting handicapped signs and parking spots along Main Street.
After a hard day’s work and business, the Tigers toned down to the tune of a DJ and good friends, in the Black and Gold Room of the Favrot Student Union.
The convention consisted of many activities for the alumni to mingle and to make future plans for the university.
The 9th president, Dr. Willie D. Larkin, was enthusiastically embraced by alumni as he delivered his the State of the University address Friday morning.
Dr. Larkin drew favor from the alumni when he said, people asked him what was his plan and he responded, he had no plan because he could not leave the alumni out.
The president said, “My goal is to continue to build upon the legacy and not simply replace the great thing about GSU.”
He said some things need to be changed, but they must be the right things.
He gave an update on having the out-of-state fee waiver for all students and the Land Grant that was approved for the university by the Louisiana legislature.
Dr. Larkin said the message was clear, “United we stand, divided we fall. I urge you to get involved and to show your love for Grambling, too. Remember, it’s all about ‘One Grambling: Honoring History, Keeping Promises and Fulfilling Dreams.’”
The speaker for the “We Are Grambling!” Unity Luncheon reinforced the belief in Grambling State University was Davin Pierre.
Pierre, GSU grad and assistant baseball coach, asked the question, “How many believe Grambling State University is dead?”
Then he answered the question by saying, “If you believe Grambling State University is dead, you need to leave.”
“We have to believe that we can get enrollment up. We have to believe,” Pierre said.
The speaker said, “We must believe the same things.”
Pierre said that there should be three things all Tigers must believe. They were building each other up, commit to building each other up and value each other.
“One Village, One Mission, One Living by Faith,” said Pierre.
Saturday evening, the event Jazz Brunch on the Green was held in front of the T. H. Harris Auditorium. It was another socializing event for the association.
“….Being around the alumni and them having the sense of pride, gave me energy as the SGA president to go out and give that to the student body,” SGA president Jonathan Wallace explains.
Attending the convention is to help bring the unity of the school as one, while also noticing the issues that need to be taken care of with the university.
Returning to Grambling State University as an alumnus and seeing the effects on the campus you’ve made being involved shows the unity and the continuous of Tiger pride.