Florida A&M’s annual event, Be Out Day, is off the calendar for now, according to a recent decision made by the Student Senate.
During to a Student Senate Meeting held in mid-March, a number of senators voted against the “Be Out Day” bill because the funds were not available to pay for the event, according to reports from the meeting. While a majority of senators voted for the bill, which included a $55,000 budget for the event, fewer than the required two-thirds of the senators voted to pass the bill.
In voting against the legislation, some senators said the cost of hosting the event was too high. The event was originally scheduled for Saturday (April 9).
“We didn’t want to run out of funds,” said Freshman Senator Cecil Spears of Griffin, Ga. “We wanted to be able to have enough money for other events and clubs and organizations on campus.”
Be Out Day is an outdoor event that hosts several musical celebrities and various activities for students on campus. Many students were looking forward to the event this year.
“I love going to Be Out Day,” said Valencia Solomon, 21, a senior criminal justice student from Tampa. “I think that by not having it, you are taking away from the students. Be Out Day is one of the biggest events of the year. It’s a fun free activity and gives students an opportunity to relax and have a good time after a long semester.”
Angelo Porter, 21, a senior criminal justice student from Jacksonville, agreed with Solomon.
“Be Out Day is a big deal,” Porter said. “I always enjoy it. It is not only popular to students but many Tallahassee residents embrace it. It is an event that uplifts the university and the community.”
Although Be Out Day is doubtful for this year, there just may be a glimpse of hope for the event. Spears said the Student Government Association is still searching for alternative ways to pay for it.
“We are still trying to come up with legislation to fund the event,” Spears said. “The executive branch is willing to give $7,000 and Campus Activities is willing to give between $1,000 and $1,500, but we still need help with coming up with more money for the event.”
Sophomore business administration student Raysean Brown, 19, hopes things get back on track so that he may experience the event this year for the first time.
“It’s my freshman year and Be Out Day was one of the events I would constantly hear about before coming to FAMU,” said Brown of Orlando. “I was really looking forward to experiencing it this year, but being that it’s canceled, I guess I’ll have to wait until next year. I’m a little disappointed, but life goes on.”