Last week, Hurricane Ian caused the closure of multiple university campuses, including FAMU, out of caution of the storm’s trajectory.
Tallahassee, though not in the direct path of Hurricane Ian, wanted to take the necessary precautions due to the very impactful storm.
However, the school closure on FAMU’s campus proved to be a welcome break in the midst of the ever-changing fall semester.
Grace Stanley, a 2nd-year Health Sciences student, described the break as “slowing her week down for the better.”
“The 4-day break was needed to recuperate and start fresh with a new month, so I could get back on track for school,” she continues.
This break opened up time to re-center as October starts and as the school year continued to truck along.
This break also opened opportunities for people to do things they normally haven’t done due to school or just because the break allowed the opportunity to do so.
Ahkira Ware, a 3rd year English and Pre-Law major, used this time to explore and relax in Tallahassee.
“I went outside a lot on this break since we didn’t get any rain. I used that time to go to different places around the city and just explore by myself. It was refreshing to say the least,” Ware said.
This free week allowed people to finally do things for themselves to relax and unwind as the semester amps up even more.
Most times, these brief moments of calm allow students to begin to get back on track.
As it put most campus activities on pause for a little while, it created a time in which students were able to play at a time when most were previously stressing about notes for someone’s class.
Brandon Smith, a second-year Political Science major, said this break came at the perfect time.
“This break couldn’t have come at a better time, especially since classes often get hectic around week 5 or 6 of the semester,” Smith said. “I rested, made sure my mental and physical health was ok, and was enjoying a week where nothing was expected of you, as most students haven’t felt that way in a while.”
This, among the other experiences, shows how much of a benefit this break was to FAMU students.
In times like this, although it was thought to be a time of distress, the break brought on by the Hurricane proved to be a time of rejuvenation.