The homecoming event that used to be a Student Government Association-sponsored BBQ was transformed to “Taste of a Rattler.”
The trees were draped in orange and green paper, and orange and green balloons swayed to the sounds of a mix by DJ Loosekid.
Food trucks were parked from end to end on the Set with students flocking to them. There were 2,000 tickets for students and 1,000 for staff to eat from any truck of their choice.
Ki-Jana Garman, a first-year psychology student from Tampa, was excited and really enjoyed the event.
“We are about to turn up,” Garman said. “This is a good experience for freshmen. It brings a family feel from our FAMUly.”
With traffic blocked off on the Set, students were able to run freely. The lawn of the Diamond and McGuinn dormitories held an obstacle course, bounce house and tug of war.
Students formed a line that stretched from the front of Lee Hall Auditorium to the front of Jackson Davis’ lawn for the Fat Mac’s Cafe food truck, which seemed to be the most popular.
The truck met its 200 student mark after an hour and a half. Ribs ran out first, but the menu also included chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, baked beans, green beans and coleslaw.
“The lines were long,” said Esther Dorilus, a fourth-year chemistry pre-med student from Naples, Fla. “However, this was definitely an upgrade from last year’s barbecue.”
For those who were seeking a more foreign flavor, the Filipino Fusion sandwich truck served chicken and ice dinners; Taco Gringos served tacos; and Turnover Cafe served stuffed empanadas. College Club Townhomes sponsored all the drinks for the event.
SGA kept true to its tradition. It served students hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans and potato salad. The crowd cooled down with desserts from Irie’s Italian Ice and Lofty Pursuits ice cream truck.
Students waited anxiously for members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. to unleash its line of Que dogs. The crowd yelled and screamed as the new members began chanting and unveiling themselves.
Travis Hicks, a second-year health care management student from Key West, Fla., felt a sense of liveliness on campus that he had not felt in a while.
“It’s a scene of rebirth for FAMU,” Hicks said. “The Set is the heart of FAMU.”
Jonathan Owens, SGA relations committee chair, was proud of the event’s turnout.
“The event turned out better than I thought,” Owens said. “Many of the faculty was saying the event reminded them of what the Set used to be like.”