So many positive things can be said about this year’s Be Out Day. All of the performers came and performed very well. It was extremely organized, and everyone behaved like they had some sense.
Psyche!
If I had to choose one phrase to describe Be Out Day, it would be a “hot, ghetto mess.” From the scantily clad high school girls to the sheer disorganization of it all, I was disgusted.
Problem one: Where in the world was Field Mob?
I purposely got there late to avoid all the local performers. At 5:30 p.m. and two big ‘ol bottles of Aquafina later, there was still no Field Mob.
So why couldn’t someone have announced they wouldn’t be performing? Why couldn’t someone have saved me the sweat and three hours in the heat and just said they couldn’t make it?
Problem two: Hey, what do you mean I can’t get a bottle of water?
Something told me to just brave the line at the corner store for a bottle of water, because betting that I could go to Be Out Day and get one was really taking a chance.
Thank the Lord for my inner voice, because as I stood there drinking, I was informed by a friend of mine that yes, they were giving out water – but no, she couldn’t get one because the volunteers were holding them for their friends.
I swear you give some people a little power and it goes straight to their heads!
Problem three: Tallahassee’s gangs made an appearance.
As I made my way through the masses and back to the confines of my home, I passed a Leon County police officer, who informed me that if I left I couldn’t come back. Fighting between gangs at Be Out Day had caused them to not allow any more people to re-enter.
Maybe I’m just naive, but really, Tallahassee and gang violence don’t even belong in the same sentence – and you know the ones involved in the gangs and fighting weren’t college students – it was the locals who look forward to things like Be Out Day, the Thrilla and Homecoming so they can act a fool. Occurrences like this make the university look bad.
So for next year, I have a few rules.
Rule number one: Make sure that all acts are able to perform, and if not, have a Plan B that won’t disappoint Be Out Day attendees.
Rule number two: Professionalism. That’s all.
And for my third and final rule: Make Be Out Day a college student event ONLY. It’ll alleviate the confusion and keep most of the immaturity and ignorance out.
I’m all for Be Out Day and events like it, but there are things that could definitely be improved. Oh well, maybe next year.
Amber Vaughan is a senior public relations student from Pensacola. She can be reach at famuanopinions@hotmail.com.