The Alumni Association of the University of Liberia (AAUL) has announced that it grades very highly, its 100th homecoming day which takes place this Friday, February 19, 2021, following the holding of a series of activities in honor of its late president Mr. James S. Davis, II, to commemorate the day.

Mr. William Namusa Geelor, Vice President for Operations of the Alumni Association of the University of Liberia, has explained that the Alumni activities are almost like the kick-off of UL’s convocation.

According to him, this year’s homecoming is the AAUL’s centennial, disclosing that the alumni grade it very highly.

To kick off the alumni activities, Mr. Geelor explained that on Saturday, February 13, 2021, the AAUL held a sporting tournament in memory of the alumni’s late president, Mr. James S. Davis, II.

The late Mr. Davis was elected in 2013 and stayed in office up to the time of his death on January 3, 2021, and has since been laid to rest.

Participating teams in the tournament included the alumni from the host institution the University of Liberia, the UL’s graduating class of 2020/2021, the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU), and Young Life Liberia, a group that the late Mr. Davis worked with before he died.

According to Mr. Geelor, AAUL defeated the UL graduating class in the final, displaying the trophy during this interview at his office on the UL Capitol Hill campus.

Following the sporting activities, Mr. Geelor said they held a beach retreat on Sunday, February 14, 2021 at the Afro Beach in Paynesville and discussed topics including, “Building on the Legacy of the late James S. Davis, II, and Moving the AAUL Forward to Another Level.”

At that retreat, the AAUL highlighted a series of things regarding the achievements and challenges of the late Davis’ administration, and the way forward in addressing the challenges.

He detailed further that on Thursday, February 18 at 12 p.m., the AAUL will have a round table discussion which has to do with the role of the alumni in the developmental drive of the University of Liberia.

At this forum, he disclosed that there will be three panelists in persons of Prof. Weade Kobbah – Boley, Vice President for Planning and Institutional Development at UL; Assistant Prof. Thomas Kaydor and veteran journalist Atty. Philip Wesseh of the Inquirer Newspaper.

On the Homecoming Day which is Friday, February 19, 2021, Mr. Geelor indicated the AAUL will march from Broad Street to UL Capitol Hill campus, using the UL Band.

“Again we want to appeal to our colleagues to join us for this great event. It is not a small one, the 100th homecoming of the Alumni Association,” he added.

Naming some of the great achievements from the late Mr. Davis’s administration which were highlighted during the beach retreat, Mr. Geelor said the AAUL both home and abroad has revamped the university’s band and provided some sporting equipment for the university at the total cost of US$20,000.

He said they also highlighted the ongoing collection of resources for the construction of a multipurpose complex at Fendall which when completed is expected to host not less than 30,000 persons.

After the launching of the project and the groundbreaking ceremony last year, Mr. Geelor said some funds were raised and people made pledges.

“We are still making efforts to collect those pledges. But that is one of the targets … that we have in mind to implement to the fullest,” he said.

Additionally, he said in consideration of giving the university a facelift, the late Mr. Davis made a call and alumni all over came to his call and provided paint in cash, saying the money for the painting was turned over to the UL Administration. According to him, the UL administration purchased some paint and some buildings on Capitol Hill were painted.

“Not only that, Alumnus Al – Hassan Conteh, then Ambassador of Liberia to the Federal Republic of Nigeria also donated 16 barrels of paint to the university under that same call,” he added.