Florida A&M University is preparing for the annual event, “FAMU Day at the Capitol,” which will take place Wednesday.
The event will begin at 10 a.m. and it will kick off with the cheer team, students, alumni and, of course, The Marching 100.
The idea behind FAMU Day at the Capitol is to garner engagement, connection and discussion between FAMU stakeholders and state officials and politicians. This also allows individuals associated with the university to advocate for its needs and interests directly to their partnered policymakers.
This is a unique opportunity for the FAMU community to have direct communication with policy and decision-makers over the university’s aspects, concerns and future plans.
Chad Preston, a legislative intern at the Capitol and a fourth-year political-science major at FAMU, shared his perspective on FAMU Day at the Capitol and how significant it is.
“I feel like it is very beneficial to the students. It allows them to share their voice about current issues affecting the school; it allows students to speak on behalf of the university, which they don’t often get to do,” he said.
“I hope it provides better overall funding to the school, [and] allows the university to gain funds to make more expansions. We need housing, we need parking, we need basically stuff to improve the lives of students, because I think that plays a big role on campus life,” Preston added.
Aaron Collette, a fourth-year social work major, spoke about how this will be his first time attending FAMU Day at the Capitol and what he hopes to gain.
“This is my first FAMU Day at the Capitol, I don’t really know the process of everything. I want to go for the experience, to see what everyone has to say, and what concerns my classmates [have],” Collette said.
This initiative is more than just a celebration or a look into what Florida A&M has done in recent years. The purpose of this gathering is to exemplify and showcase the relations and connections between lobbying and addressing concerns about the university and its future.
“FAMU Day at the Capitol is important to the masses, but to the average student it may not seem like it has an importance. Sometimes it makes it seem like the university is trying to focus on how good it makes them look, rather than fixing internal issues within the university,” said Julius Walls, an engineering ambassador for the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and a third-year computer engineering major.
While this is a chance for the university’s students and officials to address the state of Florida, it is a great time to embrace how far the institution has come since 1887. This year, FAMU Day at the Capitol will be available online and in person. More information can be found at famunaa.org/event/FDAT2024.