FAMU pep-rally at Gaither Gymnasium
Photo Submitted by Stephen Brown.
Florida A&M University had its latest pep rally in Gaither Gymnasium, but to the surprise of many, the attendance was below expectations.
The event, coordinated by the Student Government Association, was supposed to get students excited about the upcoming basketball season and shine a light on the success of the cross-country team.
The low attendance left some students and alumni wondering if the school spirit at FAMU is slowly starting to disappear.
“Not even gonna lie, the picture of the pep rally really hurts to see. The school spirit has dwindled down so far,” said FAMU student Devon Driskell. “I’ve never seen a FAMU pep rally so dry.”
Although some think the pep-rally was a reflection of low school spirit others say that the event was promoted poorly and left students with little to no time to prepare. The school first announced the event two days before it was set to happen.
Being so close to finals some students say they spent their time studying for exams instead of attending the pep rally.
“I feel as though the time of the pep rally wasn’t the best,” said FAMU student Aubria Bell. “Finals are coming up soon. Students’ main concern right now is studying for finals to make sure their grades are looking right, not attending a pep rally.”
While some students say they were away studying, others say they simply didn’t know about the event until after it happened.
“The pep rally was poorly advertised. SGA waited until the last minute to announce the event,” said Shaylyn Brown, a FAMU student. “The school can’t pub something a few days before it happens and expect it to be packed.”
Brown wasn’t the only student who felt as though the pep-rally was announced last-minute. Numerous students complained on Twitter saying that they were unaware the event was taking place.
“Lol Famu had a pep rally tonight, I didn’t even know,” tweeted FAMU student Juan Wonton.
To many, the short notice was a large inconvenience being that finals are quickly approaching.
In the future, students hope that SGA will do better promoting their events so there's a better turnout to show Rattler pride.