Photo courtesy of FAMU Royal Court Instagram
After the controversy generated by FAMU’s Royal Court failing to appear at last month’s Florida Blue Florida Classic in Orlando, some students have changed their expectations and opinions about how they will soon elect student leaders.
With the Royal Court elections in the spring and alleged discrepancies among members of the Royal Court this year, students are concerned about the face of leadership at FAMU.
Royal Court members are the face of the student body, and they serve as recruiters for students who might be interested in FAMU.
On the other hand, students believe they are misinformed about what’s going on inside the Royal Court and aren’t too excited about new student leaders next semester.
Micah Barkley, a first-year journalism major, isn’t impressed with her overall view on the Royal Court. She described it as a popularity contest.
“The Royal Court is half and half. I really enjoy it and seeing them represent FAMU, but it isn’t something that I often look forward to seeing. I believe the Royal Court, in all honesty, just represents the vote of the people to make FAMU stand out more. I feel it’s more so a popularity contest of the university,” Barkley said.
Barkley plans on closely examining who she will elect during her first year voting for Royal Court members.
“After hearing of the alleged discrepancies, I will be very selective of who is picked. There are people deserving of a title, and there are people not deserving. We just have to be able to read people carefully,” Barkley added.
Justin Brown is a senior political science major and a former King of Orange and Green candidate in the 2021-2022 Royal Court election. He shared his experience in participating in the election.
“My experience running for a position within the Royal Court last spring was definitely unconventional, as it was completely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, running for a position opened a wide number of opportunities for me to advance as a student leader in other capacities,” Brown said.
Despite the current Royal Court brouhaha, Brown said he will continue to exercise his right to vote for the new faces of the FAMUly.
“I would tell anyone opposed to voting in the next election to reconsider their decision. I think every student should exercise their right to vote and have a voice in choosing the next Royal Court. In the future, I plan to continue to vote the same way I always have, and that’s for the candidate I feel best fit to serve and lead in that position,” Brown said.