Keeping the ORANGE bright and the GREEN tight

What do you do with your family on holidays?  Well for me as a child everyone would meet at my maternal grandmother’s home. We had the 3 F’s: Food, Family and Fun. Now multiple that by 10. That's how it feels when you step foot on the highest of 7 hills. Since its homecoming week I had to give credit to the greatest institution created.  Thee Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University.  See FAMU has this thing where it teaches you patience, love, pride, honor, hard work and how to survive in any environment. I almost forgot how to organize documents and ensure you have multiple copies just in case your stuff gets lost. I am sure you are like how is all that even possible. Let me tell you. My first day on the hill as a freshman, I was dropped off on the set by my brother who said just call me when you’re done. I am looking crazy and was like “So you are not going to go with me”. I was lost. I had to get housing straight, register for classes and make sure my financial aid was good for the first semester.  Now back in 04 I had to register for classes in the GEC building. O boy that line was out the door. It took at least 3 or 4 hours to get a schedule. This was before iRattler.  Housing took another 2 hours(shout out to Paddyfoote). Now financial aid took the whole semester. If you have been to FAMU and received financial aid you stood in that line at least once in your career. Now I can’t forget to mention the incomparable marching 100. You name a better organization and band. I will wait I have time. If you are wondering I'm fall 04 snare from The Muck. Attending and graduating from FAMU is like being birth into the best family ever. You have family everywhere.  It doesn’t matter where you are. And other HBCUs are like your cousins who live in another state. When you see them it's like COUSIN!!! Listen, I am able to do what I do and connect with people because of the giants whom shoulders I stand on. One of the best leaders I've seen was my section in 04. Never met a guy like that in my life. You can’t help but to give all you have every day when you see him modeling behaviors.  This is not to dismiss any other leaders because all of the leaders made us great. I mean that literally. I salute all of you for pouring into a small kid with a high pitched voice from the muck. This my friends is what FAMU expects of you, EXCELLENCE. If you have never received  a parking ticket, got your car towed, parked illegally to take finals early in the morning or snuck in the cafe, you haven't had the college experience. I still think that orange secret sauce was really Gutheries sauce. If you haven't had a gut box, Chubbys or Top Flight wings you have missed the staple of Tallahassee.  If you want the best college experience, if you want to be successful in ever endeavor of your life, if you really want to be around family who expect greatness from you #DoBetter, grab a shirt, and graduate from FAMU. Salute to all the Rattlers near and far. I look forward to seeing you on the hill. Let’s GOOOOOO!!!!! To the……