FAMU’s Be Out Day to Feature Bunna B, Fly Boi Keno
Be Out Day is Not Only a Tradition, but a Feeling That Follows FAMU Wherever It Goes
At Florida A&M University, “Be Out Day” does not just show up, it shows out.
With music artists Bunna B and Fly Boi Keno set to headline this year’s celebration, FAMU’s most cherished mid-semester tradition is once again the place everyone will want to be.
“I’m very excited about Be Out Day this year,” said Student Government Association President Zayla Bryant. “I’ve been working diligently with the Student 'Be Out Day' Committee alongside faculty, administration, trustees, and donors to bring to life an experience that will be an everlasting memory for the spring semester. Let the good times roll!”
During the spring, there’s a certain kind of energy that only shows up on The Hill.
It’s not loud and fast like Homecoming. It’s not as formal as Commencement. It's something in between.
Be Out Day is where sunlight hits face, music connects with ears, plates full of food are balanced in hands, and people are fully present.
And if you ask anyone who knows its roots, they’ll tell you that it didn’t start as a spectacle. It started as something simple and unassuming.
Be Out Day is not just for students, faculty, staff and even community members join
in on the activities. (Photo by Glenn Beil/FAMU)
A Legacy Born on the Grill
Before it became the high-energy, campus-wide celebration students know today, Be Out Day was known as “Fun Day,” an intimate, joy-filled gathering led by the late Colonel Bernard Hendricks, then director of student activities in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
“It was almost like his personal barbecue,” Marvin Greene, major gift officer (Athletics/Marching 100) in the Division of University Advancement recalled, reflecting on Hendricks, the beloved student activities director who created the original gathering. “He wasn’t catering anything. He literally cooked the ribs, the baked beans… that was him.”
What began as a personal, campus-centered barbecue on the intramural fields where the Al Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center now stands, evolved into something bigger after Hendricks’ passing. In 1992, under Student Government Association President Rod Stovall, Vice President Isaac Green and Senator Cedric Mobley, the event was reimagined and renamed “Be Out Day,” borrowing a phrase popularized in Greek-life culture at the time.
From there, the tradition took flight.
“It went from ‘Fun Day’ to ‘Be Out Day’,” Greene said. “It created a life of its own.”
During Be Out Day, students are treated to concerts with their favorite music artists.
(Photo by Glenn Beil/FAMU)
That life continues to evolve, especially behind the scenes.
For Christian Aristilde, chief operating officer of Winners Circle, who helped secure this year’s talent, the event is about crafting experiences that stay with people long after the music fades.
“Be Out Day is personal for me because I understand what it means to create moments that people actually remember,” Aristilde said. “It’s not simply about putting artists on a stage, it’s about the experience and how it brings people together.”
This year’s lineup reflects that motivation.
“At Winners Circle, everything we do is intentional. We’re here to create experiences that last beyond the event itself, and I hope the students will enjoy and remember this year’s Be Out Day for years to come.”
Licensed vendors sell FAMU merch at Be Out Day. (Photo by Glenn Beil/FAMU)
A Mid-Semester Exhale
Today, Be Out Day remains what students simply call a “vibe.”
Concerts were added. Crowds grew. What was once a cookout became FAMU’s unofficial “last exhale” before finals season begins.
For Bryan Smith, associate vice president for Student Affairs and adviser to the Student Government Association, it’s about giving students something they’ve earned.
“Historically, it’s centered around a midterm opportunity to relax and hang out,” Smith said. “To decompress after working hard… to be celebrated and rewarded.”
And that celebration shows up in camaraderie, community, and a campus-wide invitation to pause.
“It’s very festive. It’s an all-around good time,” he added. “You get to let your hair down, play games, laugh, talk, and just vibe.”
Held just before the final academic stretch, Be Out Day gives students one last collective
exhale before the sprint to finals and graduation.
Students wait in line for a cold, refreshing lemonade at Be Out Day. (Photo by Glenn
Beil/FAMU)
Evolving, But Never Losing Its Heart
While the format has changed over the years, the spirit has not.
“I think they’ve kept the integrity of what used to be,” Greene said. “It’s still that time where you get to relax before that last month of the semester.”
And the food still matters.
“I like the food,” Smith laughed. “We’ve got vendors from all over. There’s seafood, barbecue, icy trucks. It’s just a great time.”
Over the years, “Be Out Day” has even attracted notable performers, including FAMU alumna K. Michelle and artist Jacquees, who once rerouted his tour to make a stop in Tallahassee.
Each year builds on the last, adding new layers to a campus staple. Perhaps the clearest sign of Be Out Day’s impact is how far it has traveled.
What began on FAMU’s campus now lives in cities across the country: Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Houston and more. Alumni recreate the experience as a way to stay connected.
“That really speaks to how influential that time was,” Greene said. “Because now alumni groups are doing Be Out Day in their own cities.”
Be Out Day isn’t just about stepping outside.
It’s about stepping into a moment that reminds every Rattler, past and present, what it feels like to belong on “The Hill”.
And long after the music fades and the tents come down, that feeling will linger until spring returns.
Media Contact:
Rachel James-Terry
Senior Director of Strategic Communications
rachel.jamesterry@famu.edu
