By: Alum

Alum
Sat, 24 Jan 2015 16:53:31 +0000

SeekTU is absolutely right. I never dreamed of trying out for the band because of the reputation it had. I'm not the only one. I personally know people who sat out certain years based on the 'leadership' of certain squads. The stories that were told were horrible, I'm sure what wasn't told was worse. I witnessed band members coming back to the dorms in tears. I witnessed horribly offensive nicknames and tricks. I read the Glaros report and the Montgomery report...neither exonerates Waters, as I said before, just because blame is cast elsewhere than the band director, does not mean the band director is blameless. The Montgomery report, endorsed by tbdbitl alum, specifically described how students are endoctrinated into the organization by hazing rituals and how the hazing to 'make the band' discourages them from recognizing and admiting how damaging the band members' behavior is to themselves and each other. I haven't seen any credible rebuttals of the calendar and the videos. Were they photoshopped and planted by the university? Were they not really band members and staff? What the university did was take a stance against inappropriate behavior in one of our most visible groups. They said 'we're better than this, and our students deserve better than this.' There won't be a problem finding a replacement, just like replacing Tressel, or Cooper before him, there is no shortage of true leaders who are willing and able to join an organization with problems and turn it around. Now, with the demands on the band members and shortage of university support being illustrated in the Montgomory report, the next director will have support to make changes to the schedule, ask for more support, and inspire students to behave as the mature, responsible university representatives they should be.