“Fired up and ready to go” was the chant that started off the debate? held Wednesday night in B.L. Perry discussing the many issues facing ?Florida A&M students.
The elections, school dress code, race relations, SGA, and the health of our students were some of the ?topics discussed at the forum.
Our goal for this year is to mobilize the students to impact FAMU as ?a whole, using our organization as the voice of the whole,” President of the FAMU chapter of the NAACP Kristen Solomon said.
The students stressed the recent elections and the participation? from the FAMU students. Many students felt that while the NAACP did? its part, more could have been done to increase the voter? participation from FAMU students.
Danyle Jackson a sophomore from? Mobile, Ala. serves as the political action chair. Jackson ?read the results of the recent election and she broke down the? percentages pointing out that only about 500 students from FAMU voted ?in the actual election.
The FAMU chapter, in partnership with the Tallahassee chapter, provided students with shuttles from the set to the court house, ?visited community centers to discuss the upcoming elections and? registered students to vote.??
“This was a good frank ?discussion that focused on where we are as a community,” said Vincent Evans, a member of the NAACP. “It was a good? way to see what our priorities are. NAACP has always been a good ?vehicle to tackle tough issues on campus. This discussion has been one ?of the most effective things.”??
Students also brought up important issues about not having a? strong open door policy with President Ammons. However, students were? educated by some SGA representatives on ways to get their problems? addressed with the university.
“I ?think that it is important for us to know our president and have a ?great relationship however it is important for the students to try and? develop a cohesive relationship with him as well,” Karla Black, a senior business administration student, said.
The overall purpose for this event was to promote awareness? about the issues going on at FAMU according to the NAACP executive? board.
“I feel? that if we had more of these discussions we would get a lot more? accomplished FAMU’s reputation has declined but we have the Rattler? pride and spirit throughout our school that we can work on these ?issues to transform our school,” Vincent Gaitling, a senior mathematics student, said.