As a third year drum major I was outraged and appalled by the decision to eliminate Marching 100 members as well as potential members based on recent qualifications set by President Bryant. I am not personally affected by this decision; however, it has a significant impact on the infamous Marching 100 that I’ve grown to love so much. After weeks of trying to fight this battle, I found myself worrying about the current state of the band rather than the actual band itself. I’ve been spending time worrying about how the band looks and sounds rather than focusing on the show.
I don’t understand how a decision could be made to crush the dreams of so many individuals who have always dreamed of being in that number.
My problem is with the approach that has been taken to address the issue. I feel that a level of tact and grace could have been used to approach various issues regarding the band.
We should have been given an ample amount of time to adequately prepare for such drastic and abrupt decisions. Students who attend FSU and TCC should have been given adequate time to adjust to these decisions.
I don’t understand how something that has been a part of tradition for more than five decades could now create so much of a problem for the university. Among other things, it is not clear as to why FSU ‘s band is allowed to partake in dual enrollment but the world renown Marching 100 cannot.
It has also come to my attention from personal experience that President Bryant does not interact well with students, more specifically band members. I really wish she would take a chance and listen to her students, especially to an organization that provides a significant amount of revenue for the university.
Jessie Boyce is a fifth year architecture student from Marietta, Ga. He can be reached at jessieboyce4@hotmail.com