After wading through the perilous waters that emerged in the aftermath of the tragic, senseless, and shocking death of drum major Robert Champion last November, I began to realize that we are living in one of the most important periods in the 125-year history of Florida A&M University.
I started to envision this historic time some more when I learned two weeks ago that FAMU had begun its search for a new band director. With President James H. Ammons’ departure yesterday, I now know we are living in history.
The two impending decisions—choosing FAMU’s next president and band director—will either facilitate FAMU making history once again, or one day becoming history.
I am convinced that FAMU will either continue to fall down the hill of progress, or these two people will spearhead the long climb back up to glory that Rattlers shared at the turn of the century.
But there is a glaring problem. I do not see great candidates lining up to fill these two posts—the two most important hires in the history of FAMU. Even as a proud and biased alum, I must admit the obvious.
Who would want to take on a presidency when a crippling lawsuit is hovering over your head, alumni and campus morale is in tatters, financial problems linger, the blame game is being played about hazing, the president’s office has had a revolving door in the last decade, the board of trustees was divided on the performance of the man you replaced, all the while the eyes of the nation are on you, waiting, critiquing, second-guessing?
Who would want to follow a living legend into the directorship of the band when the expectations remain high and the tolerance for impropriety will be at an all-time low, at the same time that you must recruit performers who can not perform for two years and revolutionize the rigid hazing culture of one of the proudest and most powerful artistic institutions in American higher education?
