10.16.2006

"When you say over-reac-tion, you've said it all."

An unspecified source alerted me to this article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel regarding the recent drama surrounding the UW Marching Band.

As a recovering band member (of four years) myself, I'd have to agree that this is the most accurate depiction of what really happens on the now much-discussed band trips and gatherings. I'm pretty sure that all band members I know would agree, and I'm also sure that I speak for the nine years of marching band experience represented on this blog.

Then we get down to women and men swapping shirts. Younger members forced to run errands or fill beer glasses for their band elders. Upperclassmen showing up in the dorm rooms of freshwomen and insisting they drink.

Wiley uses the word forced to describe what happened. Two women in the band told me there is no force. If my daughter were in the band, I'd advise her to tell these guys to stick their girls-gone-wild suggestions right up their tubas.

"What we do is out of pure fun," said one student who didn't want me to use her name. "We make sure that the freshmen understand that if they don't want to do something, whatever it may be, they do not have to do it."

[ed: emphasis added]

As a freshman, I told many upperclassmen to stick it in their ear when "pressured" into doing obnoxious things. And no real harm came from it. There really isn't any animous or malice involved; just a lot of goofing around. So, everybody should take a chill pill for a bit and determine what really happened, and then determine an approripate response instead of threatening the end of the band.

It's telling to note that there has been no rush to demand an "end to the football team" after incidents like this or this. In addition, the football team's roster is much smaller than than band's, and should be easier to control. Heck, even Bucky's been arrested before. Let's simmer down now.

posted by brian at 4:43 PM | Permalink

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