Women make history at two Florida university marching bands

The historic story: Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 is legend for its performances, which draw huge crowds when the band tours the state.

It’s about to make some history in its 79-year existence: For the first time, it will have a woman serving as head drum major.

Senior Dupe Oloyede, a saxophonist who was the second-ever female drum major last year, will lead the band and be in charge of show planning and dance routine. “Her warm, spirited nature, steady demeanor, and ability to lead with integrity make her the ideal choice,” band director Shelby Chipman told the Tallahassee Democrat. Read more here.

But wait, there’s more. The University of Florida’s Fightin’ Gator Marching Band has its first female drum captain this year, too, the Independent Florida Alligator reports.

Hot topics

Career education: Pinellas County teens attended the school district’s first-ever welding camp, targeting rising interest in career and technical education programs.

College names: Hillsborough Community College has officially dropped its middle name.

Hurricane relief: The state has allocated $500,000 to help the Martin County school district rebuild a middle school damaged by Hurricane Milton, WPBF reports.

Parent involvement: The Santa Rosa County school district launched a new app for parents to follow their children’s classroom and school activity, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

Scholarships: More than 20,000 Florida private school students had their state-funded scholarships spared in the legislative budget, Central Florida Public Media reports.

Security: The Highlands County school district is increasing the qualifications required for its safety and security coordinator, Highlands News-Sun reports.

Speed zones: Miami-Dade County schools continue to use camera enforcement of speed zones during summer course hours, the Miami Herald reports. • A Hillsborough County man is challenging enforcement of the school district’s speed zones, saying the information was unclear, WPTV reports.

Spending cuts: Clay County school district officials cut $10 million in spending to offset the impact of Florida’s growing student voucher program, Clay Today reports.

Teacher discipline: A Brevard County high school teacher was reprimanded by the state over accusations of making sexualized comments to a student and retaliating against her for reporting him, Florida Today reports.

Test scores: Florida educators continue to examine how they use state test results and what they mean, WUSF reports.

University accreditation: The Board of Governors is poised to take the lead in establishing a new accrediting body that would initially serve six university systems, News Service of Florida reports.

Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to Thursday’s roundup.

Before you go … Are you ready for an updated Running Man? With who else but Glenn Powell?