FSU to wait 6 months to celebrate homecoming

Photo courtesy: FSU Homecoming Twitter page

Florida State University was scheduled to have its homecoming through the week of Sept. 26 –Oct. 2, with the actual game on Saturday, Oct. 1 against Wake Forest.

But FSU decided to postpone its homecoming events due to the university’s closure for Hurricane Ian. The hurricane was first identified as a Category 3, and the university planned to stay open.

However, as it intensified to a Category 5 the Big Bend was in its cone during the early forecasts.

The university had no choice but to close for the rest of the week, as did Florida A&M University.

Nimna M. Gabadage, FSU’s student body president, provided clarity on what the students and university supporters could expect.

“FSU is still scheduled to host a plethora of our homecoming events towards the end of the spring semester.  However, the game that was held against Wake Forest on the first of October served as our Homecoming game this year,” Gabadage said.

Several students said they were unhappy about postponing of homecoming week, but Gabadage said it was important they “aired on the side of caution” making sure students had time to focus on their families and their own wellbeing.

A lot of the students had mixed emotions about homecoming being postponed. A few said they were “upset because there will be no game.”

However, they enjoy attending events so they’re just grateful it was postponed and not canceled, they said.

Many students also said they would attend events because they like to be around people and they like the vibes.

One student, Brandon Ritzowsky, said he was unaware that homecoming had been postponed.

“Nah, I’m probably not going to participate,” Ritzowsky said. “I thought that homecoming was a dance, and it wasn’t, so then I was like, ‘Yeah, to hell with this.’ That’s why I didn’t do it.”

FSU now has six months to plan its homecoming festivities. Popular artists Lil Durk and Tinashe were scheduled to perform at two different events during homecoming week. Events like these have raised questions about how they will still be carried out, with contracts and artists continuing their busy schedules with tours and concerts.

This is an issue that the homecoming committee will be working on.  It won‘t be simple to schedule an exciting week of events just weeks from spring graduation.