Every year, tens of thousands of hard working students, teachers, and volunteers put forth a tremendous amount of energy to provide entertainment for half-time shows around the nation. Is this why they do it? To make sure those who aren’t going to the snack bar don’t get bored? Well, if you know any of these people, you know the answer is an undeniable NO!
I am an alumni of the Goin’ Band from Raiderland, one of the biggest (and best ;o) marching bands in the nation. I have spent hours and hours standing in the hot sun, memorizing music and sets, wearing hot suits and generally working my tail off to be a part of this fantastic organization. Now, I know I’m not the only person that has worked hard to be a part of such a fun organization, so that’s why I’m writing this letter.
I know that (literally) tens of thousands of people are involved in one marching band or another right now, and there will be many more in the future.
This past Saturday, I was watching my alma mater play, and for the first time in several years, I was not in uniform at the game. While I enjoyed sitting in an air-conditioned house, I did not enjoy having to listen carefully for the band. During a lull in the game, the camera followed one of the referees around as he grabbed a bottle of water, passed it to another ref, and drank. The announcer even stopped to circle the bottle of water as he drank it. What is the point of this!? The whole time the zebras (who I have the utmost respect for) were on the screen, my favorite band was playing. Did the camera even look at them? Was there a mic set up to listen to them? NO! Somehow, a handful of refs was more important than the 400 students, working and sweating their butts off in the stands.
Leave a Reply