Nov. 20, 2004.
To any other college student, this date holds no significance.
It’s equivalent to another Saturday to hang with friends, chill at home or catch up on some homework.
But to Rattlers, this day represents an historic event called, “The FAMU/BCC Classic football game” or “The Orlando Classic”.
Weeks of preparation among students precede the classic weekend.
“I wait for the Orlando Classic all year. To make sure I’m prepared, I’m going to line up all my best outfits, get my hair and nails done so I can look my best,” said Dione Newman, a freshman pre-med student from Orlando.
Preparation and anticipation go hand-in-hand for several students this year that will be attending the Classic.
“I have anticipated for the Orlando Classic for about three weeks. I’m from Orlando, so I know that there are extremely entertaining events,” said Kelli Simmons, a sophomore mathematics education student.
Excitement is also arising among the FAMU student body.
“The Classic Weekend is just like homecoming weekend atmosphere,” said Donell Carey, a senior biology student from St. Petersburg.
Some students who are not familiar with the annual game look forward to the Orlando Classic game because they will have a chance to visit a new city and see new people.
“I’m from Washington D.C. so this is my first Orlando Classic game,” said Jibri Duncan, a freshman business student.
Many students expect the football team to deliver a win this year.
“I expect them to redeem themselves for the lost last year,” Ketia Felix, a freshman physical therapy student said.
Though a seemingly countless number of FAMU students are going to Orlando for the Classic, many were not able to get student tickets to watch the game.
“Last year I was able to watch the game, but now I’m just going to walk around, enjoy the local vendors and classic events because they ran out of student tickets a month ago,” Simmons said.
Visiting Orlando’s malls and local hot spots is also on the agenda of many students.
“I’m going to the malls and local clubs; I just want to have a good time and relax for the Classic Weekend,” said George Darden, a third year computer science student from Connecticut.
The Marching “100” is also a reason some students plan to make the trip to Orlando.
“I brought my ticket to see both the game and the halftime show,” Duncan said. “The band had good halftime shows for the previous games this year, so I know that this will be one hundred times better because we will be playing against our rival.”
The weekend will be filled with various events.
“I plan on going to the step show Friday night and to the club on Saturday after the game,” Felix said. “I know there will be something to do every minute of the day this weekend in Orlando.
Contact Katrelle Simmons at thefamuan sports@hotmail.com.