Guest Contributor

December 26, 2011 | Spotlight

I’m Still Glad I’m From FAMU

by Jonathan D. Evans

As my alma mater Florida A&M University struggles with the aftermath of the death of drum major Robert Champion, hazing has been in the forefront of the news recently. As sad as it is to witness the tragic end of a young man’s life, even more unfortunate is the way in which his death has linked the university he loved to the gruesome practice of hazing.

Florida A&M’s motto is excellentia cum carundo: “excellence with caring.” Hazing is quite the opposite: hazers attempt to exact excellence from others while they themselves fall short of the mark. Hazers know not of the excellence they seek, and thus know not when to stop once the mark, if ever, has been attained. Because there is no excellence in hazing, there can be no caring.

As unfortunate as it is that this practice has come to light in such an atrocious way, the death of Robert Champion presents the Rattler community with a defining moment.

It is no secret that hazing has plagued colleges and universities for centuries, and its roots in the HBCU community are well-documented. Generation after generation has kicked the can, hid the bruises, shushed the victims. Today’s modern world will not allow that to happen again. The albatross is around FAMU’s neck, yet I can think of no stronger institution or more capable president than Dr. James Ammons to slay this beast once and for all.

While an undergraduate at FAMU, I was a member of the 2003 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) national championship team, coached by Dr. Vivian Hobbs. We competed in an academic competition against other HBCUs, including North Carolina Central University – then led by President Ammons.

HCASC is quite similar to an HBCU marching band competition, in that each institution has a unique style and tradition. While marching bands highlight pageantry and theatrics, HCASC highlights knowledge and academic rigor. FAMU’s tradition is winning – of the twenty-one HCASC titles, the Rattlers have won seven.

Being a member of this team did not require me to run a gauntlet of fists, nor was I ever abused in any way. Yet, I was certainly held to a standard of excellence. The team met every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. for practice, which dampened all of our Friday night college plans, but showed Dr. Hobbs that we wanted the excellence she could offer. When we arrived on those early mornings – trivia in head, buzzer in hand – Dr. Hobbs poured into us all of her knowledge, wisdom, and insight. We won because she cared.

Dr. Ammons knew how our FAMU HCASC team operated, and he often spoke highly of us and how we could positively influence other students. When he left NCCU and became president of Florida A&M, I was certain that the university was in the best hands, and that our best days were to come. This I still believe.

How can we prevent hazing from happening again? First, there should be a bright-line rule that abuse as a prerequisite for membership in any group is forbidden. Second, every campus should implement an anonymous tip line for students to report incidents of hazing immediately. Finally, and most importantly, institutions such as FAMU should highlight organizations like HCASC and the many other HBCU groups and organizations that do not haze. I propose that FAMU should sponsor the annual Robert Champion Memorial Prize for groups or organizations that work to educate and eradicate hazing. Most student groups on HBCU campuses already refrain from hazing, and many actively work to prevent it; these efforts should not go unnoticed.

There is a song we sing at Rattler gatherings, often accompanied by the Marching 100, which goes, “I’m so glad I’m from FAMU/glory hallelujah, I’m from FAMU.” Even in these dark days that song rings true for me. Hazing is a problem, but there are solutions. Hazing is not FAMUs creation, but we will proudly put the final nail in its coffin by standing strong on our core principle: excellence with caring.