Band in the stands was great

[JimmyJack]

Re: Band in the stands was great

So will section D be student seating or general admission or reserved seating? I'm in section E the right next to D, Seat 1 and 2, and I'm wondering who will be sitting right next to me?

I think they ran out of space for students at the GSU game. So I'm guessing it'll be at least partially student seating.

[JackrabbitGuy]

Re: Band in the stands was great

So will section D be student seating or general admission or reserved seating? I'm in section E the right next to D, Seat 1 and 2, and I'm wondering who will be sitting right next to me?

I can't answer these questions, but I think it is a great move to do this. I love the band and am not necessarily looking at it as needing to move the band, but it a new section will be put up to be their new home, then the seating capacity of Coughlin Alumni will be increased.

Now we just have to fill up those seats! I was a little dissapointed there weren't more than 14K at the Beef Bowl, but the next 2 home games are premium events and if the Jacks can pull a couple of road wins in the next three weeks there should be big crowds for UNI and NDSU.

[RabbitinTea]

Re: Band in the stands was great

Great move by the administration or whoever decided to make the move. As others have said, we just need to make sure we get butts in those seats. The next 3 home games are probably the best consecutive home games in our history. No excuses for not filling those seats.

[Cowbell]

Re: Band in the stands was great

I hope I'm wrong, but I believe the Pride will be half its present size in 2-3 years. We are witnessing the end of an era.

[2002jack]

Re: Band in the stands was great

I hope I'm wrong, but I believe the Pride will be half its present size in 2-3 years. We are witnessing the end of an era.

Why would that be?

[JimmieTuba]

Re: Band in the stands was great

Why would that be?

Dr. Peterson will start holding tryouts instead of it being open to whom ever would like to play (my theory).

[JackJD]

Re: Band in the stands was great

The Pride has been unique for several reasons, two of which are: (1) size -- I'm told most marching bands are much smaller. I think I heard that something like 120 is about as big as they should get. (2) most schools do not emphasize marching band like SDSU always had. Consequently, we have a great marching band every year.

Tryouts make sense. As the school grows, more people will want to "walk-on" for the Pride. That has to stop at some point.

Peterson has a lot of fun at the games.

[JimmieTuba]

Re: Band in the stands was great

Tryouts make sense. As the school grows, more people will want to "walk-on" for the Pride. That has to stop at some point.

In my opinion that isn't "The Pride". That will be the SDSU Marching Band.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Band in the stands was great

There's an undercurrent of hostility towards Dr. Peterson here that I don't fully understand. Mr. McKinney was a great director. But he has retired.

Isn't Dr. Peterson entitled to run this program the way he wants to? He has certainly had tremendous success where he has been before. I've heard from a few students who are griping that he isn't like McKinney (the implication of which isn't entirely clear to me, although I have an idea of what it's about... and I'm not sympathetic.)

I would say that any claims that the band will decline under Dr. Peterson's leadership are, to say the least, premature. The reality is that in a few years, Mr. McKinney will be forgotten by a new generation of students and Dr. Peterson will be the only band director any of them remember. Meanwhile, the Pride is only becoming more central to the success of the football events under Dr. Peterson. In their new seats, the crowd will be better able to see and hear the band, for one thing. For another, they're playing before the game AND at halftime. And they're playing something on every play. They're more integral to the atmosphere than before. You can't tell me that isn't appealing to potential band members. You should have seen Dr. Peterson being mobbed by prospective Pride members on Senior Day last Saturday afternoon. I think the Pride will be OK.

I'm a little disgusted by this "it won't be the Pride" talk. It smacks of a cult of personality. The Pride is a representative of the entire university, not the embodiment of any single individual.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Band in the stands was great

Having not been in The Pride, just an outside opinion, but I always thought it was the marching band of SDSU. If the Pride starts to have tryouts and limits the number of members, it may also attract different students that want to participate. I know that several students that came from schools that had competitive marching band programs did not join or left the Pride because it was not what they were used to and wanted to continue doing. As a parent of child that was really into the competition part, and having a neice that was in the Pride until last year, I can see why my kid would just say, "No thanks, I'll stay in the concert bands/orchestras."

Not saying that one is better than the other, but they really are different.

[JackrabbitGuy]

Re: Band in the stands was great

The Pride of the Dakotas marching band has done a great job for years and is a big part of the university. I'm confident that Dr. Peterson will continue and expand the excellent reputation of The Pride.

I think we all will notice certain ommissions that we hold dear from the past, but I think we must have an open mind and let Dr. Peterson put his mark on The Pride.

[JackJD]

Re: Band in the stands was great

My tickets are in Section E and we enjoy watching Dr. Peterson interact with the band. They're having a great time and sound great...loudest cheering section in the stadium!

[JimmieTuba]

Re: Band in the stands was great

I'm a little disgusted by this "it won't be the Pride" talk. It smacks of a cult of personality. The Pride is a representative of the entire university, not the embodiment of any single individual.

What the Pride is to me:

1. Open to everyone.
2. 250, 300, 400 members
3. The largest student organization on campus.

Loose one, to me, lose what the Pride is.

If that makes it cult by your definition fine. But to former Pride members (I think), the Pride isn't just music majors.

[JimmyJack]

Re: Band in the stands was great

What the Pride is to me:

1. Open to everyone.
2. 250, 300, 400 members
3. The largest student organization on campus.

Loose one, to me, lose what the Pride is.

If that makes it cult by your definition fine. But to former Pride members (I think), the Pride isn't just music majors.

I get where you're coming from. But the Pride is the marching band of South Dakota State University. Period. You're just hurting current Pride members by declaring conditions for it to continue being "the Pride" in the eyes of alums.

Surely you don't wish to diminish what the young people in the Pride are doing, right? Because that's the effect of this. If former Pride members start running down the organization, simply because it has changed, the people who are hurt by that are the kids who are working their tails off to be the best Pride they can be.

[JimmieTuba]

Re: Band in the stands was great

Surely you don't wish to diminish what the young people in the Pride are doing, right?

You might be able to convince me if you weren't condescending.

Listen - The South Dakota State University Marching Band will be The Pride of the Dakotas.

To me it is more than just a name. It is a atmosphere, a group, and yes even a cult.

I am sure you would have a problem if SDSU athletics decided to drop football. Without football the South Dakota State Athletics are the Jackrabbits but without football it won't have the same feeling.

And now … a moment of good feelings.

I believe Dr. Peterson will be good for the band. It already sounds like he has the pep band atmosphere that was so hard to obtain when I was in The Pride. McKinney was just about the show. After halftime he kind of disappeared to kiss babies and left everything to the drum instructors (they just couldn't get the attention of 400ish kids). I believe if he doesn't change the 'format' of the band, it will just become more widely known (Macy's anyone??).