Does Making Money Count as a Class Project?
Outside, next to a lonely smattering of protesters, Andrew St. John and Jamie Davis hold up a sign advertising their home: “Rooms 4 Rent. Free HBO. Indoor Plumbing.” St. John and Davis, both students at Florida State University, figure they can sleep on the floor for a couple of nights if it means a cool $300 for them. St. John had decided to cut class to hawk the apartment, while Davis perhaps the bigger opportunist of the two claimed the rental scheme actually counts as a class project. Tallahassee has about 5,000 hotel rooms, according to Charles Wright, president of the Tallahassee Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. All are booked this weekend, and many were paid for months in advance of the big game, Wright says. Once locals heard of the shortage early in the week, Wright says, “We started getting spontaneous calls from residents who want to be part of history and show that Tallahassee is a very hospitable community.” As word spread, that charitableness spread like a rash across
