MIAMI, Florida - Before Florida A&M University accepted me in 2006, I’d heard rumors and stories about FAMU — that it was nothing but a party school, that it did not offer a serious education and that the bar for success was set pretty low.
When I enrolled, I planned on tolerating the school for two years, getting my associate’s degree and transferring to the more well-regarded Florida State University.
Over the next four years, however, my perspective was turned completely on its head, and I couldn’t be happier with my choice to remain a Rattler.
Now as the school is stuck in a difficult moment, I can’t help but think back to the tough stories I once heard about the college from those who did not really know it — and about how wrong they were.
Yes, students party and some of the friends I met freshman year didn’t make it to graduation, but those who base reputations on rumors rarely think of the thousands of other students each year, and the hundreds of thousands throughout the years, who have become successful adults because of their education and experiences at FAMU.
Bits of negativity sometimes create an aura that envelops an institution, and it simply isn’t fair.
In no way am I ignoring reckless acts of some members of our beloved Marching 100 band, but they made up only a small fraction of our student body, faculty, staff and other organizations who are passionate and loyal Rattlers. Their acts, which are undeniably unfortunate, do not reflect the ideals of the university as a whole. We are so much more than that ugly fragment.
READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment