Kayla Smith | Staff Writer
Photo Credit: Zya Kinney
This year’s 100 Days was truly celebrated 100 different ways. As the Hampton holiday commenced, everyone was excited to celebrate the final countdown for our seniors. However, this year’s celebration was a little different.
The 100 Days 12-2 that is usually held in the Student Center was moved to the arena of the Convocation Center. Due to this big change, there was a lot of preparation that had to be done to ensure the seniors had a day to remember. Calvin Harris, assistant director of Student Activities, said he and Vice President for Administrative Services and Student Affairs Dr. Barbara Inman intended to “try to find a safe space and make it fun for everyone,” which was where the idea of having it in Convo sparked.
He also said that “in the past couple of years, the 100 Days celebration has not been a sanctioned Hampton University event,” which led to more safety hazards when confined to the student center. Harris said the only major challenge faced when planning the 100 Days celebration for this year was “trying to satisfy the majority” considering that they knew 100 Days would be a day when many students would take part, not just the seniors. The Convocation Center was transformed into a carnival atmosphere with a giant-sized inflatable pirate welcoming students as they filled the floor. Pizza, chips and beverages were available. There was even a cash vault money machine. From first-year students to seniors and even administrators, everyone let their cares go away as they celebrated this big accomplishment for the class of 2020.
To Jonathan Mack, a graduating senior kinesiology major from Virginia Beach and current SGA president, and many other students of the senior class, these last 100 days are more than just days marked off on a calendar. When asked what 100 Days means to him, Mack said, “For me, it means that a chapter of my life that I’ve invested so much time and effort into here at Hampton University is coming to a close; but at this stage of the journey, I can truly say that I gave it all I could while here.”
Between the hustle and bustle of the day, there were a lot of memorable moments through it all. In terms of which moments were the best, Senior Class President Armohn Erskine, a senior business management major, psychology minor from Atlanta, said: “I would definitely say the mob over to Convo. The excitement had been building up for years, and it was really moving to see everyone taking in the experience and being able to celebrate as seniors.”
When asked how he would describe 100 Days this year in three words, Jonathan Mack said, “Transcending, exciting, legendary.”
Since 100 Days is a celebration that the entire campus joins in on, this year’s 100 Days gave the younger students a lot to look forward to. Julian Wright, a first year business finance major, leadership studies minor from Charlotte, said, “I feel my last 100 Days will be bittersweet knowing it is my last; but the fact that I’ll have experienced it with my friends of all four years and [that it will be] my own will be one of the biggest things to look forward to.”
This year’s celebration was truly a success and enjoyed by all, including Dr. Inman. When commenting on the outcome of 100 Days this year, she said: “I want to commend the Office of Student Activities, the Student Affairs team, the Hampton University Police Department, the SGA President and the Senior Class President for coordinating this year’s 100 Days to graduation celebration. … I am so proud of the graduating class. The countdown begins now.”
For the classes following the class of 2020, Mack had a couple words to share to ensure that they make the most out of their own 100 Days.
“Enjoy your experience, but don’t lose sight of your goals and handling your business so that when the time comes, it will be a genuine celebration of your 100 Days.”
For the seniors, these last 100 days will be filled with many lasts, but as graduation day approaches, hopefully these days will be ones they will never forget.
The Hampton Script 