Since the beginning of the pandemic the way we operate our lives has changed drastically. From social distancing to working from home, the norm has transformed into something unfamiliar.
This has also taken a toll on Florida A&M and its rich traditions.
Organizations are now having to social distance their events or have them online. Set Fridays went from a weekly event on the set to being scheduled every so often and being moved to the Will Packer Amphitheater.
Students have been discussing their concerns about FAMU changing due to the pandemic and how it is affecting campus life.
Tykia Swint is a third-year biology pre-med student who is active in various organizations on FAMU’s campus. She worries about campus involvement dwindling throughout the student body.
“I think more so people are more focused on graduating nowadays then participating on campus,” Swint said. “Due to COVID people became very complacent just doing schoolwork. So now that they have the opportunity to participate in organizations, they don’t have the incentive to do so.”
She said she feels freshmen and sophomores are more focused on their academics and the extracurriculars are being left behind. Students are seemingly attending campus events less and outsourcing their amusement to off-campus events more.
Makayla Hightower is a third-year pre-veterinary student at FAMU who prefers off-campus events due to fewer COVID restrictions.
“These days you have to sign up for every single campus event and they end up reaching capacity a lot of the time,” Hightower said. “The only ones that everyone can attend are on Zoom and at that point I might as well just go do something else off campus.”
Alumni are also concerned with the state of student life on campus due to COVID. Some have said they want students to have as full an experience as they did when they graced the highest of Tallahassee’s seven hills.
SJGC alum Jonathan Edouard said he sees a change in campus life.
“The culture was a little bit better for us cause we had an easier chance of getting to know each other because we didn’t have all these restrictions,” Edouard said. “But nowadays they haven’t had the chance to truly embrace everybody due to COVID.”
COVID has taken a toll on the student body and has left a mark on the campus. Everyone knows that the culture is changing but the question on everyone’s mind is whether it is for the worse.