Today Is A Great Day and Tomorrow Will be Better!

ANN ARBOR, Michigan - The "Beep" is on a little R&R and family business in Ann Arbor.

At 3:00 p.m. today, my daughter will be conferred the Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Michigan Medical School.   For any parent, this is a day to be proud.  I am and we are!

She has raised the bar significantly higher for her two brothers and step-sister, that all will soon be pursuing their own pathway in life.  Her undergraduate major --- bio-chemistry, Spelman College, only four years ago.  Seems like forever, and also valedictorian of her high school class.  If you can get your first born to a high level, hopefully the rest will follow and make good decisions.

Second daughter will be a junior at her college in Virginia and doing well.  Older son has won three high school championships in soccer and lacrosse.  Just elected to be the captain of his track and soccer teams for his senior year.  Bright future with good grades and good athletic skills.

The eight year old --my joy and giving the ole man a real challenge in staying physical fit.  May become a Rattler --if the mess can ever get cleaned up!

FAMU, an institution with a proud 125 year history, and now enduring its worst scandal in decades.  Not over academic integrity or research shortcomings -- but the marching band!

We are talking about an entertainment group with 100 "semi-pro" non-students that have made FAMU ground zero for a  life-style of hazing and beat downs of tuition paying students that were pursuing a college education.

One such student, drum major Robert Champion ends up dead after a severe beating at the hands of these thugs.

Robert Champion deserved better than what Julian White and his staff provided.

I'm a FAMU graduate (undergrad) and former Marching 100 member - a few decades ago. Without that Dr. William P. Foster music scholarship, I may not have earned a college degree.  Certainly, I would not have had the pleasure of marching with 193 other men and three women, in the pre-final decade of the celebrated career of Dr. William P. Foster. 

Make no mistake, without FAMU's band and the many lessons learned, I would not have had a successful career that has led me to the highest levels in my career fields, and one that gave me the entrepreneur skills to form my own corporation, and build it into a successful regional employer and service firm. 

Back in the day, I was in a hurry.  Earned degree in less than three years at FAMU and rushed off to face life challenges and pursue my dreams.  No time for frats and foolishness.  On a  mission, seeking success for my future family.

My car has a FAMU-1 plate.  Over the years, I have been an active donor, but today, I have mixed emotions about my institution.

How can you have 100 folks marching in the band and they are not even students at your university?

Read the report yourself. at the Rattler Nation Blog.  What good is expulsion, when they never were qualified to even be on the bus or field with legitimate, tuition and board paying college students.

It is unimportant when Dr. White and Dr. Ammons made the wrong turns -- but this is inexcusable!  Period!

Pay the Champions whatever they want for their son's death! Case Closed!!

And end the Marching 100.

The program ended forever with the retirement of Dr. Foster. These impostors are not the "Marching 100" that I once knew and loved.

The University can survive without a marching band.

FAMU is better than the 100 idiots that have been parading around in its uniforms for possibly the past few years with no financial or academic connection to the institution.  Flat out fraud and abuse of the higher education system.

The FAMU -1 plate will come off my vehicle once I return home.  Dr. White, James Ammons and others within the Department of Music have demolished a legacy that took Dr. William P. Foster a lifetime to build.

Back in the day, when I marched with 195 others, we stood for something greater than our individual goals.  Back in the day, we were 1,000 times better than this 420 member -- bloated, gang minded version, formally known as the Incomparable Marching 100.

I can't get pass 100 people marching in the band that are not students at FAMU.

Why would leadership let folks with no school affiliation, and students at Florida State University or Tallahassee Community College march on the "Patch" or in official university performances as members of the FAMU band?

Only full-time FAMU students should be allowed in the FAMU's band. Case Closed! 

I am outraged!  Rattlers everywhere are outraged!  Clean house!

This is a great teaching moment for our children.  You can learn from other folks mistakes.
 
Have a great day!  Tomorrow will be better.  Hubba Doc!

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