Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 is one of the school’s most treasured organizations, yet the struggles they face on a yearly basis go unnoticed. During their pre-drill camp, many of the students in the band who have off-campus housing are unable to move into their respective units before the camp begins. Those students are faced with the hassle of finding a place to stay amid demanding preparations for the football season.
For some students, the housing situation means temporarily relying on friends and other band members for a place to sleep while waiting for their apartments to become available.
Emery Mitchell, a second-year band member, said he experienced this struggle.
“For the first 14 days of predrill, I experienced having to live on someone else’s couch due to apartments and student housing not being open regardless of other situations,” Mitchell said. “Being that I was on campus early, I was hoping to have housing as soon as possible.”
Mitchell’s experience reflects a challenge that has affected band members across multiple seasons, including those who have since graduated from the university.
Sean Lewis, a Florida A&M alumnus and former Marching 100 member, said during his second year, his apartment complex did not allow him to move in until several days after pre-drill began. As a result, some of his nights were met with stressful decisions.
“I know my second year, my apartment wouldn’t let us move in until like a few days after pre-drill started,” Lewis said. “So, I ended up having to stay with a sib and then sleep in my car some nights.”
Lewis mentioned how apartment complexes often fail to accommodate marching band students who need to move in early. He also said varying move-in schedules make it difficult for students to know whether their housing will be available in time.
“There’s no consideration, I feel like, on Tallahassee apartment complexes and letting students move in early under extenuating circumstances, especially for marching band members,” Lewis said. “It’s really stressful that a lot of apartments have different move-in processes.”
Lewis then said he believes the university could communicate more directly with apartment complexes to request accommodations for students who must return to campus early. Through these struggles, Lewis said he believes apartment complexes are largely responsible for the recurring issue.
“I’m not exactly sure what the university could do, except be willing to take that step and communicate with these apartment complexes,” Lewis said. “The issue that I always hear is that the apartment isn’t ready, when it is really just that the apartments, in my opinion, are being lazy.”
Byron Smith, the compliance officer of the Marching 100, also acknowledged that some upperclassmen experience delays with their off-campus housing before pre-drill begins. He said band staff advises students to communicate with their apartment complexes in advance and seek temporary housing with other upperclassmen.
“The main thing that we tell them, a lot of times what they will do is that they will bunk with another upperclassmen during that time,” Smith said.
Smith said students are also encouraged to explain their responsibilities as band members. He mentioned there are certain instances where complexes may accommodate requests for early move-in. However, for students living off campus, housing arrangements may depend on the policies and availability of individual apartment complexes.
The situation also raises questions about how off-campus housing arrangements align with the university’s early return schedule. With students expected to report for band activities before the fall semester officially begins, the timing of apartment leases can create a gap between their academic commitments and living arrangements. The timing raises questions about whether apartment complexes and university officials are adequately coordinating housing arrangements for students who return to campus early.
As the Marching 100 prepares for another football season, students continue to navigate housing challenges that can complicate their return to campus. For some, the commitment to the band begins before they have a place to call home, leaving them to find temporary arrangements while waiting for their apartments to become available.
