No school, no storm: Unplanned school break offers options for FSU, FAMU students

Jaela Stephens
Jaela Stephens

Catching up on sleep, connecting with friends and preparing for the aftermath of canceled classes have been popular student activities during the unexpected university-mandated hurricane break announced Monday afternoon.

Florida State and Florida A&M universities made the decision Monday to cancel classes Tuesday through Friday when the path of Hurricane Ian was still unpredictable. The storm made landfall Wednesday afternoon in Costa Caya in southwest Florida, causing millions of dollars in destruction and an unconfirmed number of deaths.

Many FSU and FAMU students shared that they were glad to hear about the break despite the threatening circumstances of the initial unknown trajectory of Hurricane Ian in other parts of the state, some of which they call home.

Jaela Stephens, a FAMU social work and pre-law student from Jacksonville Beach,  shared her concerns.

“I’m just hoping and praying everything is OK back home,” Stephens said after learning her mother, father and sisters, as well as her grandmother, and aunt, all evacuated their homes to find safety before Hurricane Ian made landfall.

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While some planned “hurricane parties” before the massive destruction caused by Ian was evident, most of these “parties” are more of a last-minute get-together, as students are choosing to find comfort in one another’s presence because of the distance between their families.

While saving their homework for the middle of the week, most get-togethers were planned for Thursday night and take students all the way through the weekend, as they prepare for classes to resume Monday.

Tyeika Byrd, an allied health pre-occupational therapy student at FAMU, said she has her list narrowed down on how she intends to spend her time.

“Spending time with my friends, partying, and maybe catching up on a little work,” she explained while at Fried Chicken Wednesday, a Florida A&M cafeteria tradition.

More: FAMU’s ‘Fried Chicken Wednesday’ turns campus dining into a lunch option for outsiders

Social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and TikTok are filled with content of students going out to dinners, hosting game nights and simply using this as a vacation, whether they are in or out of the city.

Logan Droege
Logan Droege

Logan Droege, a second-year Florida State University student said he couldn’t wait to catch up with old friends with the extra time on his hands.

“I immediately went and hung out with friends,” Droege said at FSU’s Student Union building.

Thai-Lee Missick, a third-year political science student at FAMU, shares this narrative.

“I needed the break honestly, but I know once the break is over, they’re going to try and stack us up with work,” Missick said in the fairly dense FAMU dining hall.

Sebastian Amores
Sebastian Amores

Some students were even taken aback that classes were canceled, including Sebastian Amores, a second-year chemistry student at FSU.

“I knew they would cancel, but I didn’t think it would be that many days,” said Amores.

Many students share they were grateful to get the extra time needed for other things on their agendas, especially during university courses, unpredictable weather patterns, and with their families heavy on their hearts.

Kyla Sanford can be reached at ksanford@gannett.com for any further questions.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU, FAMU students take advantage of unplanned Hurricane Ian break