Amiya NealIt’s been six years since N.C. Central University bowling lane last appeared on social media, when an Instagram post was made about an event held there. The post advertised a Comedy Night event hosted by Student Engagement and Leadership as part of “The NCCU Underground.” Students could participate in late-night activities held in the Alfonso Elder Student Union.
Now, the bowling lanes are closed to the public. Quietly sandwiched between Eagleson Residence Hall and the Alfonso Elder Student Union. Built in 1968, students were not aware of the lanes’ existence. According to a Campus Echo article, the lanes were closed but renovated and reopened in 2018, but there was no information on when they closed again.
Inside, the place is dark and desolate. With folded tables and chairs to the back. TV screens that once showed the scores of students are now blank screens. Three bowling lanes are left in pristine condition as students no longer send balls tumbling down the lanes.
“I know when I was there, it was a great place to hang out,” NCCU Alumni Association President Nikki Davis-Green said. “It was one of those hidden gems where not all students even realized it was there because it was kind of tucked away and hidden.”
NCCU offered bowling and advanced bowling as physical education courses as recently as 2018.
Green said the Alumni Association did not have much say in bringing facilities back, and that most of the association’s work went into maintaining school traditions and customs.
“If it was a (financial) situation and the university needed money to bring it back, then that is a project the Alumni Association could look at.. And contribute. But to date, there have not been any talks of us specifically getting involved to bring it back,” Green said. Green added, however, that the association could still give their opinion and thinks the current chancellor’s administration would be open to bringing the bowling lanes back if demand called for it.
The Campus Echo reached out to facilities to inquire about plans to revive the old bowling alley, but did not receive a response.
NCCU bowling team
In 2011, NCCU Athletics posted an article titled, “Yes, NCCU has a bowling team,” calling it one of NCCU’s “best-kept secrets.”
“We did have a bowling team when I was there,” Green said. “And there’s a couple of HBCUs that still have a bowling team–not that many–but there are still some HBCUs that have bowling teams.”
NCCU women’s bowling team was dissolved on June 24, 2015. A men’s bowling team existed, but information was found on it. The women’s team did well during their time at NCCU, winning the first-ever Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference’s Women’s Bowling Championship in 2001.
Sharisa Hodge, class of 2000 graduate, bowled alongside her now husband and fellow graduate, Nilous Hodge.
“And our girls’ team, we were pretty good,” Sharisa Hodge said. “We actually made it to nationals, so they flew us to Nebraska, and we bowled in nationals. The guys didn’t make it, but the girls did.”
Nilous was not happy when Sharisa pointed out the men’s team’s lack of success.
“That’s her favorite part right there,” Nilous said. “Saying that part right there. That they made it and we didn’t.”
Shanitra McNeely, another class of 2000 bowling team alumna, remembered taking lessons she learned from her bowling experience and using them when she casually bowled.
“I remember the training. I remember how the coach taught us our practices, how he taught us to bowl, because no one in my life did it to that extent,” McNeely said. “So, I still keep those lessons in my head when I go bowling now.”
NCCU competed against other HBCUs while a part of the CIAA, as well as non-conference opponents.
“I honestly think I just walked in one day and they were practicing, and I’ve always bowled in my younger life, and they were like, ‘hey, there’s a team!’ And ‘you wanna give it a try?’ It wasn’t something I set out to do,” McNeely said. “I didn’t even know it was a thing.”
Sharisa and Nilous had more vivid memories of their time on the bowling team.
“Both our teams traveled a lot…and they used to give us a stipend to travel with. The money was just to cover your meal,” Sharisa said. “So, us being broke college students back in the day, we would make sure that we ate the cheapest meals we could find and pocket the rest of the money.”
Nilous Hodge said he got into bowling because he needed other sports to play in the meantime.
“One of my friends said, ‘Hey, let’s go to the bowling tryouts.’ That’s where I met my wife,” Nilous said.
Sharisa said she got into bowling because her family used to participate in bowling leagues, and she used to follow them to competitions, falling in love with it during the process.
Sharisa also said she and her husband were well known during their time on the bowling team.
“We’re probably the only couple from all of Central’s bowling team years to be married and have kids, and graduate together, and bowl together, and still be married,” Sharisa said. “We’re like bowling team royalty over here.”
Nilous said his favorite part about competitions was beating the white schools that underestimated them.
“Everybody on their team always felt like they could beat each one of us, and that didn’t always happen,” Nilous said. “It’d be personal, and you see that they just thought that they should beat us. So, that felt really good when you could beat somebody from the other team.”
All three agreed that students would benefit from having a bowling team if the program were reinstated at NCCU.
“I definitely think students would compete now. If they do the same thing—paying to travel—oh yeah, that’s money in their pockets, especially for students who don’t come from a lot of money,” Sharisa said. “Even if it’s just an intramural sport, and not a competitive-type sport, I think students would love it.”
McNeely pointed to the building still being up as a reason Central should bring the team back.
“Especially if it’s already still there, then yes, we need to give it a try and open it up. Actually, I think that gives an opportunity [for students to do work study],” McNeely said.
Nilous added that former bowling team members would be open to taking time out of their weekends to renovate the alley if it meant students could use it again.
“I honestly believe that if you reached out to members of the bowling team from over the years—if you [set] a date where you wanted to go in and paint it and do whatever,” Nilous said. “I think everybody would legitimately do their best to come and help.”
Sharisa reminisced about the bowling team and the old bowling lanes one last time.
“[Those were] probably the best teams I think I’ve ever been on in my life. Just because it was a family, we all got along,” Sharisa said. “It was definitely a time to remember.”
