The Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase may have been at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, but the real battle commenced at the Embassy Suites in the Galleria.
“Never have I seen such a group of wild, disrespectful and unruly students,” said Delores Randolph, SGA office manager .
Randolph is referring to some of the approximately 300 students who traveled to the culmination of the inaugural Honda Battle of the Bands exhibition held in Atlanta last weekend. The SGA-sponsored trip provided travel via bus to and from Atlanta and over-night hotel stay.
Randolph, along with eight faculty members and 10 student officials served as chaperons for the event.
“Students were hanging over the balcony rails yelling, in between floors,” Randolph said. “They were loud and cussing. Just plain disrespectful.”
She also said that student officials patrolled the hallways until 2:30 a.m. to make sure students kept the noise down and stayed in their assigned rooms.
Randolph said that the disruptiveness escalated to the point where hotel guests began to check out.
“Their (Embassy Suites) corporate guests began to check out,” she said. “I am not sure if we (FAMU) will ever be able to go back to that hotel again.”
Karen Colston, office manager for student activities, echoed Randolph by saying that the student’s behavior “was absolutely ridiculous.”
“It was an embarrassment to be affiliated with FAMU,” Colston said.
Randolph said prior to this incident, FAMU students had always been commended for their good manners and behavior.
Colston wants students to know “that if this is the way that they act at events they should not complain when extra security is request for Luau, Homecoming and other local events.”
Veronica Gray, a student official who also served as a chaperone, praised those student officials who went on the trip for adequately representing FAMU. She added that students must be held accountable for their actions.
“For every cause there is an effect,” Gray said.
Gina Danze, sales director for the Embassy Suites at the Galleria, who was on duty while the students were there could not be reached for comment.
In an effort to prevent this from ever happening again, both SGA and Student Activities are seeking displinary action for those overt unruly students.