In response to Professor Coleman’s editorial (“Out-of-control football fan behavior is intolerable,” ODE Nov. 9), I am one of the many students who is also disappointed with the behavior of our disrespectful students and fans. I completely agree that the University should not tolerate the behavior that occurs within the student section.
However, you seem surprised that the students booed the opposing band. No, it is not the best demonstration of sportsmanship, but it is not surprising. As a senior member of the Oregon Marching Band, I have been booed at every single away game I have attended for the past four years. I have had things yelled at me, thrown at me; I have been spit at, sworn at and physically pushed. The OMB has a tradition of clapping and cheering for the opposing band, and also creating gift bags for visiting musicians and are recognized as a classy organization.
I have friends in the UW and OSU bands that enjoy visiting our stadium because of the warm encouragement provided by our band. I have certainly been embarrassed at the behavior of our student section, booing everything not in green and yellow, sneaking in alcohol and drugs, passing out and puking in the stands – it is disgusting, but you, professor, shifted your attack in such random ways that I feel your argument has been completely invalidated. For example, the racial implications of booing some Husky band members. Our drum majors are booed along with our band as we travel, and our drum majors are all white!
The booing of the UW drum major, particularly after a dropped baton, was not a racial issue. The students booed before they could see who the drum major was!
Following the unjustified racial statement, you began to insult our band. Given that you are not part of the School of Music, it is perhaps justifiable that you do not understand how to compare marching bands. For clarification, the UW band is a traditional marching band, limiting their repertoire to marches and using a showy technique called “high step.” They employ simple moves in order to allow focus on stand-still music and drill visuals. Their uniforms reflect their traditional style.
The OMB is a contemporary marching band. We play many different tunes and do not limit our repertoire. Just think about the last eight years of shows, or maybe you haven’t paid enough attention to the music, given the distraction of our shiny “military helmets.” We also use a different marching technique to make our motions more uniform. A couple of years ago, it was decided that we would change our uniforms to something more contemporary: new and different, to reflect our style. Yes, our uniforms are very different than UW but so is our style and music. We are a very respectable marching band; one of the top in the country. But I guess you are probably too concerned with the racism in the student section and the shiny helmets on the field to listen to us play. Try purchasing an OMB CD and supporting the school that you so eloquently referred to as “well-respected.”
Beth Overgard is a University senior, and four-year OMB member