Looking back !

Looking back over the 18 months since we began this blog we've had an opportunity to share with you many important stories in the life of our university that weren't being covered by traditional media sources. Depsite the exsistence of an oppressive regime many FAMUans continued to excell and light the path to greatness.

Here are a couple of those stories.

The good

FAMU gets $9M from Congress, Professor wins Guggenheim grant, FAMU researchers using lasers to detect radiation, FAMU researcher identifies potential drug for parkinsons, and Physics wins $5 million grant.


FAMU students and graduates continued to represent the Rattler Nation well, Rattler is a Dreamgirl, FAMUan named to USAToday All Academic Team,Life gets better for a Rattler, and FAMUan launches new magazine.


One of our favorite features was our periodic updates on FAMU graduates . It is graduates, like Avido Khafaifa, Sr. Vice President/GM Orlando Sentinel, who inspire current students and let us know that anything is possible with a FAMU degree.



And, we'll never forget legislative leaders like Sen. Al Lawson. The lanky, affable, approachable, Midway native and FAMU grad, used humor and wit to work behind the scenes to take care of FAMU in the state budget. Lawson often labored on FAMUs behalf dispite his testy relationship with the Bryant administration. Sen. Lawson's behind the scene dealings took down Challis Lowe and kept the College of Engineering firmly in FAMU's control.

Also he got us over $90 millions in projects funded these past two years. See: Sen. Lawson puts $31 million in 2006 state buget for FAMU and 2007: Lawson brings home the ($59 M) bacon.


The bad

Now for the bad news we've covered. Two words --Castell Bryant!

She swept the universities computer systems, at least twice, trying to find out where the leaks were coming from and she couldn't stop them. She moved and intimidated employees in a nervous fit to stop us and she couldn't.

Besides trying to give FSU total control of the Engineering School, landing us on probation with SACS, and her 35 audit exceptions Rattler Nation gave you a front row seat to all the drama.



Mrs. Bryant wasn't alone in her efforts. She had help. See: how things got this bad and Castell's legacy of shame.

What we never truly understood, was the reasoning behind Mrs. Bryant's fight with the FAMU Credit Union. I mean why them?

We could go on, but then again, you could search the archives. Its all there.