On Feb. 25, Marley Bisme’s ceiling fell through her bathroom shower in Florida A&M’s Palmetto Street Phase III Apartments.
Bisme shares the apartment with her roommates, and she posted the situation on different social media platforms such as TikTok and Fizz.
When the ceiling came down, Bisme described how her roommate was in the shower when it happened and that she got hit by one of the rocks that fell through.
After the incident, they called the emergency maintenance hotline, and someone came immediately.
“They came pretty quick, on the same day and they put a temporary wooden board,” she said.
The following day, Bisme shared how an RA stopped by and did a wellness check. She also notified her parents about what happened and explained how they were very concerned.
Four days later, the maintenance team came back and put up a more permanent solution. The ceiling was patched and the hole was no longer there.
She said that they checked the air and water quality. They also explained how it could’ve been avoided and how maintenance plans to focus on taking more preventative measures.
Overall, Bisme remains relatively positive about the situation and finds comedic relief in it.
“It’s a funny story at the end of the day. I’m not really tripping over it,” she said.
Though she remains optimistic, she plans to live off campus next year and is concerned for the next resident who has to stay in her apartment.
As a sophomore computer science major from Georgia and a Presidential Award Scholar, she has endured different trials and tribulations during her time at FAMU.
In addition to the most recent incident, Bisme and her roommates had to deal with the pest crisis that happened at the start of the fall semester. They were one of the many students who had to leave the apartments and stay in hotels for a short period of time while the issue was addressed.
Also, during her first year at FAMU, she had to deal with other problems, such as maintenance breaking her TV and receiving an accidental $5,000 refund that she had to give back two days later.
Bisme said she has become known as “the girl that FAMU continues to do wrong.” Despite her ongoing struggles, Bisme says she enjoys being a student at FAMU.
“Nothing has been too much for me to handle. All of this is funny mishaps. I think FAMU offers a lot of good things, such as the experience and culture,” she said.
The director of FAMU housing was contacted, and she shared how “housing works closely with Plant Operations management to respond to all maintenance issues in the residence halls.”
Kendall Jones, the interim vice president for facilities, was referred but he did not respond to a request for comment.
RAs with the apartments also declined to respond to requests for comment, but an employee from neighboring Palmetto Street South Apartments, who’d like to remain anonymous, shared how they plan to continue upkeep.
“Here we have pest control come, we check for mold and water damage, check the fire extinguishers and maintenance checks to see if anything’s wrong,” they said.
They also shared how they urge students to keep a relationship with the maintenance team and immediately tell them of any issues that arise.
Bisme believes that some sort of compensation would be nice but is ready to move on from the event.