Campus Life | October 26th, 2023

FAMU Drive-In Sparks New Traditions

By: Athaiya Mack

Homecoming at Florida A& University is always filled with thrills, excitement, and surprises. With all these elements in mind, you can always count on FAMU to stick to tradition. Newer traditions start this year with their Homecoming Drive-In event, a showing of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.

Students, friends and families gathered Saturday, October 21 for an evening movie delight at FAMUs Bragg Memorial Stadium. With Halloween right around the corner, it was the perfect excuse for children and fans to dress up as their friendly neighborhood Spider-man.

The parking lot was packed with cars, SUVs, and more. As moviegoers sat in the back of their trucks and trunks to watch the film, they were filled with blankets and snacks to keep them company and comfortable.

Gregory Meeks, a second-year computer science scholar from Orlando, Florida, enjoyed the drive-in and would love to see more events like this in the coming years.

“This was my first drive-in movie, and I enjoyed how FAMU conducted this one with the choice of the movie, as well as providing snacks,” Meeks said. “I’m a big Spider-Man fan, so I enjoyed watching the Miles Morales movie.”

Movies are pieces of art that bring people together. Whether it’s a nostalgic film from our past or the hottest blockbuster of the year, it’s sure to gather audiences from far and wide. Drive-ins bring that same sense of nostalgia. The perfect excuse to get the family together and the community outside. For our College of Love and Charity is all about togetherness.

Drive-in theaters started to become unpopular between the 1970s and ’90s as a result of improvements to home entertainment. Things like color television, VCR, and video rental eventually ran beloved Drive-Ins out of business. Deeming it more of an inconvenience as opposed to something the people looked forward to.

FAMU is changing the narrative.

“I thought it was really nice! Drive-Ins were more a thing of the past and are now becoming popular again,” Justin Matthews, a senior psychology student from Tallahassee, Florida said. “I also went to the Dream Girls showing at the beginning of the semester, this could be done semi often too!”

Not only is FAMU giving back to the community by hosting events like this, they’re providing a safe space for students and families alike and creating new traditions for everyone to enjoy.