Where is the 2004 football schedule?
The Alumni, boosters and Rattler fans need to know the status of our 2004 football schedule, plans and committed teams we will play in 2004.
Our athletic director apparently is not sure. Our president apparentlydoes not know the Board of Trustees don’t care .
This is serious, because next month the football program will read, sound and look worse than our financial debacle.
Elrea Tephenia Wilsonelreawilson@cs.com
Prime example of a double standard
This semester, my eighth and final at FAMU, I got a new surprise from the administration.
After inquiring why I had not received my net check last weekend, I contacted the registrar’s office. I was told my classes were cancelled due to “non attendance”, meaning I had not gone to class the first day.
After speaking with an extremely non-helpful financial aid “counselor”, I was told many professors had failed to turn in their rosters for the first day; therefore, dropping registration of their respective students. I was told to go find a professor I had that day and have them write a letter, assuring the registrar’s office that I did attend class..
Why is this administration and bureaucracy anything but “excellence with caring?”
Last semester it was made quite clear that any mistakes that students made in filling out their forms would result in a penalty. Where is the penalty for the administration?
I strongly advise all students that have loans to contact their lenders and advise them of the situation at this school.
Danielle L. Robinsondlrobinsonnyc@aol.com
Writer should check his facts
In the Jan. 16 column, “University falls short,” in an attempt to show the ignorance of the FAMU community regarding the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the writer instead showed his own ignorance.
He said he attended FSU’s convocation on Jan. 14 in order to “celebrate the ‘observed day'”of the holiday. However, the observed birthday is Jan.19.
Perhaps the writer was referring to the actual birthday, which being Jan. 15, still fails to make his case.
On Jan. 15, FAMU held its MLK convocation. Since the writer’s column was printed the next day and made no mention of this event, am I to assume he wasn’t in attendance?
The writer later said, “Don’t let FAMU’s lack of celebration discourage you.” What lack of celebration? FAMU students and others gathered on campus Jan. 19 to hear Gov. Jeb Bush speak.
Later, many of the same people and more – including the fraternities and sororities the writer mentioned – attended the annual march and rally.
FAMU’s “lack” of celebration hasn’t discouraged me, but the writer’s lack of knowledge about a man who did wonderful things for people of all colors certainly has.
Crystal Y. Lewissansamor@hotmail.com
Newspapers leave football fans clueless
I am a FAMU class of 1983 graduate, and I would like to see The Famuan report more regularly on the status of the football program. I think it is the single most important issue that we have ongoing at this time.
I work at the Kennedy Space Center and I’m constantly asked what is going on with my University, but I really don’t know.
I don’t believe half of the stuff that I read in the Tallahassee Democrat, but if half of it is true, then we’re in serious trouble as a University.
Will you please get some comments from University staff within the athletic department and administration about where we are with the stadium plans, football recruiting and the upcoming football schedule for 2004?
The Famuan is a very trusted newspaper to all of those who are not on the yard. If we read it in The Famuan, we know it can be trusted.
Please inform coach Billy Joe that his alumni need to hear from him with all the turmoil and negative reporting going on against the University.
Cedric Perrycedric.l.perry@usa-spaceops.com
Bush shouldn’t raise tuition
I had mixed reactions after Gov. Bush released his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
I am glad to see he proposed that the sales tax holiday return to Florida. Many parents and students look forward to this day to get school supplies, clothes and other needed items for school.
But on the other hand, I was a little disturbed to see that Bush proposed that undergraduates from Florida would pay 7.5 percent more in tuition, while all others would face a 12.5 percent increase.
This bothers me, and this should bother you, too. It’s already hard enough to get money to go to college, and I know several of my peers who are still struggling from the last tuition hike.
Rattlers, its time to stand up and let your voices be heard.
Torey AlstonFAMU02@aol.com
Five months later, still no stadium improvements
Athletic Director J.R.E. Lee III and Board of Trustees Chairman James Corbin both guaranteed that expansion of the football stadium would begin after the final home game. On Sept. , 2003, Corbin said, “Come back to me if that doesn’t happen. I will accept personal responsibility for it.”
After a number of other broken promises and misleading statements, I have lost confidence in everything that Corbin and Lee say.
While I support this move, poor execution and a lack of truthful communication has led the FAMU faithful to speculate based on reports from third-party news sources.
Should this move fail, the reasons will be clear, and significant leadership changes will then – if not already – be warranted.
Rodney C. Claytonrodney1.clayton@famu.edu
Alpha’s always honor King
Sounds like Mr. Marcus Calhoun is running for office this spring.
You have probably already heard by now that all three Tallahassee Alpha Phi Alpha Chapters – Beta Nu (FAMU), Iota Delta (FSU) and Gamma Mu Lambda (Alumni) – participated in the city-wide celebration of MLK’s official holiday sponsored by the NAACP and others.
The Beta Nu Chapter was the catalyst for the MLK Convocation by honoring their fraternity brothers back in the 1970s, so it is no coincidence that they participate in this convocation, along with SGA and student activities every year.
It was another Alpha man, myself, Reginald Mitchell, who was the SGA President that encouraged all students to boycott classes in 1985 on the federal holiday that was not yet recognized in Florida.
From the podium, I urged students at the MLK Convocation to skip classes, and encouraged all teachers not to deliberately frustrate our efforts by scheduling quizzes or tests on that day.
Eventually Frederick Humphries officially cancelled classes after calling the governor to let him know what the students had organized.
So as you can see, the Alphas are ever vigilant in participating in activities honoring our fallen brother – the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reginald Mitchellreggie.mitchell@comcast.net.
Don’t be too quick to judge
While I don’t agree with the method in which the 22-year-old woman from Gaza chose to show her political beliefs, I think labeling her as a “sick individual” hardly depicts the complexities and hardships she might have seen in her lifetime.
We, as Americans, never examine the psyche of suicide bombers.
Do we ever consider the hundreds of killings, abuse and plain injustices that this woman might have witnessed before she gave up her life?
I’m not advocating bombing innocent people, but I don’t advocate one-sidedness when it comes to discussing such matters either.
We can’t even fathom what is wrong, right or indifferent about international instances like suicide bombing.
Americans should learn to stop judging other countries based on our Westernized standards.
It is time to put ourselves in the shoes of other cultures and take a look into what’s going on in their country before we judge people.
Gabrielle FinleyGabrielle_finley@hotmail.com