The Marching Band Committee

I know that adequate funding for the Marching Band has been a concern for at least the past three SFAC Chairs. We admire Gordon Henderson’s efforts to meet as many requests as possible, while also working to retain students, raise funds, maintain excellence, and keep equipment in passable repair. I joined the committee in hopes that I could help develop a plan for reasonable shared funding. To my consternation, much of the meeting time was taken up with hostile exchanges and disagreement over the bases of Henderson’s research, rather than on substantive planning. Because the discussion was primarily about budgets that are outside of student control, there was really no useful place for students on the committee. It was a thoroughly frustrating experience because our primary participation was to point out flaws in one argument or another. The recommendation at our final meeting was that the administrators work on funding reports that include the Band’s role. Perhaps after this process, when students can debate funding on an equal footing, the participation will be less frustrating.

Tracy Curtis, Spring 2000