The Preserve Student Apartments.
Tajae Jones | The FAMUAN
Hurricane Michael hit Wednesday, Oct. 10, severely damaging various parts of Florida’s Panhandle. The City of Tallahassee set a goal to restore power to at least 90 percent of its customers by the end of last weekend.
However, some FAMU students did not make the cut. Jaylyn Daniels, a sophomore psychology major, was without power for more than seven days and has suffered academically.
“I currently live in The Preserves at San Luis on the north side. Due to not having power, I have missed at least six online assignments between last week and today. My residence said if it did not come on yesterday, I would have power no later than Wednesday.
“Monday was a very stressful day because I was so behind at that point and my professor was giving me the run around about an extension, doing the assignments almost felt pointless,” said Daniels.
Other students had professors who adjusted their syllabus for those still out of power.
“I feel like most of my professors were thoughtful and thought about the fact we didn’t have power and were helpful. I had a project due Monday but my professor gave us until Wednesday and I was supposed to have a test last Thursday but he changed it to this Thursday. My online professor moved all of our assignments to the end of the month,” said Destinee McBride, a senior criminal justice major.
Although classes were not scheduled to resume until Monday, Oct. 15, some parts of the campus opened their doors to students. Coleman Library opened on Friday, two days after the Category 4 hurricane struck.
“On Friday we were open until 6 p.m., I talked to one young man. I asked him how he fared the storm and he said, ‘The storm wasn’t anything, this no power is about to drive me crazy.’ He had his laptop, his iPad, and his phone to charge. That’s what a lot of them were doing. Some were finishing assignments for when class started again but most were trying to contact family, get on the internet, and charge their phones,” said Brenda Wright, associate dean of libraries.
Oriana Plummer, a junior public relations major, said being out of power when you still have to attend classes places her behind her peers with power and alters her normal daily duties.
“I don’t have Wi-Fi, a hot shower, or a microwave to heat up my food. It definitely hinders me from being able to come to the school equipped as I normally would because I’m so used to having things like basically life necessities there for me to use.
“I do feel a little pushed back because homecoming just happened and right after homecoming was the hurricane, so it’s like a break after a break so just not being able to get acclimated and jump right back on my feet like I’m use to does make me seem a little pushed back,” Plummer said.