Tallahassee International Airport sees its share of travelers and, like most cities, it provides the first taste of the community for first-time visitors. Tallahassee is commonly touted for being the home of FSU and the state legislature all while being the capital city of Florida.
Inside the airport, however, a small blemish recently was discovered that has both visitors and locals taken aback.
A woman arriving at Tallahassee’s airport from Miami was examining a row of mayoral portraits. As she reached the end of the line and arrived at the city’s current mayor, Andrew Gillum, she noticed that something was wrong; the nameplate under the picture read “Andrew Gillium” and has said so since it was created when the Florida A&M graduate took office in 2014.
The typo was fixed earlier this month, though some believe it was a bad look for the airport and how it portrayed the man who is now the Democratic candidate for governor.
Two Florida A&M students were interviewed on their thoughts on the controversy.
DeAnna Wilson, a senior social work major from Miami, said that she had been to the airport before. “I’ve been to the airport before for a car rental but never noticed the portrait,” Wilson said. When told about the misspelling on the nameplate, she said, “I didn’t notice it (the portrait) but I think I really should have paid more attention.” Wilson had a lot to say about the oversight. “I was unaware that it has been there for years which tells me that it’s there because it has to be, and they don’t care. It makes them look biased because if it was a top priority for them, it would’ve been changed and replaced ASAP.”
And as for the impact the mistake had, Wilson looked to the important race coming in November. “Things like that should motivate the community even more to go out and vote.”
Another student, Olivia James, a health science major, had a similar experience and reaction to the issue. “I know that Andrew Gillum is the mayor of Tallahassee and is running for governor.” Though James was not as passionate about the issue as Wilson, she was no less concerned. “I haven’t been to the airport recently but if it was up to me, I would have liked to know why it was never addressed. It shows that they don’t care about Andrew Gillum.”
The airport has yet to provide a public statement on or about the topic. The Miami Herald first reported the news of the misspelling in late September.