In the Florida A&M University Café, plates, cups, and silverware were scattered among the tables as students engaged in a full-fledged food fight on Tuesday afternoon.
The chaos forced operators to shut down the Café and order the students to leave. Café staff declined to comment on the closure.
Alexia Williams, a first year theater performance student from Jacksonville, was seated with friends, when students began tossing plates and cups around the cafeteria. Williams said she was forewarned of the food fight after someone sent her a text message at 2 p.m. saying, “There will be a food fight in the cafe today at 7 p.m. Please pass on.”
According to students, Café food fights have been a long time tradition that happens at least once every year.
Despite the expected mayhem, the incident proved to be dangerous for students. Lori Smith, a freshman from Tampa said was waiting in line to be served when she saw an empty plate coming towards her face. She ducked to avoid being hit.
“This is pretty upsetting that after a long day I am not able to eat dinner and have to leave the cafeteria,” Smith said as she stood downstairs in the food court.
Ten minutes after the evacuation, the fire alarm sounded and campus police escorted everyone outside the building.
A FAMU police officer, who declined to give his name, said he suspected that a student pulled the alarm. No one was arrested or hurt as a result of the food fight.