A sort of pep rally welcomed students as they arrived at Southwest Elementary School. The brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha came together to encourage and cheer on the students for their first day of in-person class in a year. "I'm excited about that pep rally! I hope the students feel a lot of joy," Durham School Board Chair Bettina Umstead said. "I know there's some anxiousness about returning to in-person learning, but I hope that while seeing all these caring adults there'll be some joy about returning to school. But the Alpha Phi Alpha brothers went one step further; they recognized a pair of teachers, Antoinette Tate and Katie Kizzy, and gave them gifts to use to enhance their classrooms.