The Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE) is finally here. Students are fi lled with excitement and alumni are ready to rekindle the relationships they’ve cultivated on these very grounds. As GHOE begins, some students can’t help but wonder: is GHOE a celebration of Pride or Profi t? Is homecoming truly a traditional celebration for students and alumni during the football season? Or is it strictly a business tactic for the university to solicit more money?

The coined phrase “GHOE” is a staple within N.C. A&T’s culture. This acronym holds a special place in every Aggie’s heart and brings forth a feeling of nostalgia for most and a feeling of elation for others. Every year, we celebrate homecoming with eight days of grand events, the greatest of them being football game.

It’s almost like a family reunion, as the alumni reconnect and tell stories about their time at our beloved university, and the success they’ve encountered after graduation. Homecoming becomes a celebration of how far they’ve come. As for the current students, Homecoming presents an opportunity to explicate the true essence of Aggie Pride.

Each year more and more people from across the nation file into Greensboro for this grand celebration. And each year, people spend hundreds of dollars on homecoming events, most of which aren’t free. From the concerts, to game-day vendors, a significant amount of revenue is generated on our campus, bringing the university great profit. The amount of money that is brought in each year causes some students to pose the question, “pride or profi t?” Sure, homecoming is generally seen as a celebration of the past and present, but is it all just for the money?

GHOE brings 20,000-40,000 people to Greensboro each year. These people generate an average revenue of $38 million each year. Considering that we are celebrating our 125th year as an accredited university, and are expecting even more Aggies to participate in GHOE, those numbers are more than likely to increase.

This year’s GHOE lineups for both concerts feature more A-list artist at one time than previous homecomings, and are being moved to larger spaces. Between graduating class celebrations, and other Aggie anniversaries, the numbers of homecoming participants is likely to increase by the thousands.

Is this anything more than an advertising ploy to draw people in to buy tickets for the various events? Whether it’s all for pride or money, homecoming is the university’s gala for alumni to reaffi rm their past relationships and for students to enjoy a vital time within their collegiate stint.

Jamar Skinner – Online Editor

• Email Jamar at [email protected]