It\u2019s always a bit dangerous to offer a personal perspective of a current event that is controversial, but since there are some personal and professional ties, I will give it a (hopefully) unbiased attempt.\u00a0 Many people have come up to me since the announcement by The Ohio State University President Dr. Michael V. Drake that OSU Marching Band Director Jonathan Waters would be dismissed.\u00a0 It was just last year that Van Wert was abuzz that the OSU Marching Band would perform at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.\u00a0 Add to that the fact that my son has just completed five years as a member of the band, and I suppose people feel I have some insight or at least an opinion.<\/p>\n
In case you haven\u2019t heard, Jon Waters was fired last week by the university because of a parent of one of the female band members complained there was an atmosphere of sexualization in the OSU Marching Band.\u00a0 Feeling that the university needed to take action, perhaps for fear of a lawsuit, or maybe just out of a sense of dignity, the three-week-old university president made a bold move and fired Waters, who had been at the helm for two years.<\/p>\n
In a 23-page investigative report released to The (<\/i>Columbus) Dispatch<\/i>, the public became privy to a culture in the band that has existed for over 100 years.\u00a0 On the outset of reading the report, many would find the \u201cactivities\u201d disgusting, juvenile and just wrong.\u00a0 I admit I had a sense of that feeling as I read through the report.\u00a0 After fully digesting the report and taking it all in perspective, I want to raise a few thoughts for consideration.<\/p>\n
Anyone who has been to college and experienced any kind of organization, whether it be a team sport, a fraternity, sorority, or band, knows that when two or more are gathered, there is bound to be some tomfoolery.\u00a0 To understand the culture of the Ohio State University Marching Band, one needs to understand the roots of the organization.\u00a0The OSU band was established in 1878 as a military drum corps that provided music for military exercises.\u00a0It wasn\u2019t until 1973 that women were admitted into the band because of the passage of Title IX legislation.\u00a0 Ironically, it is because of this that they now are without a leader.\u00a0On the field, and while in uniform, this band displays the discipline of a well-oiled military machine; more so than any university band I have ever seen.\u00a0As in the military, there are certain \u201cthings\u201d that make it the \u201cPride of the Buckeyes\u201d that it truly is.<\/p>\n
When my son made the band (and a few others in our area who were fortunate enough to make this organization would agree with me), I was surprised at how much respect was shown by the general public to band members wearing the uniform.\u00a0It was almost reverent.\u00a0Not only was my son proud to wear the uniform, but we, his parents, were proud to walk along beside him.\u00a0\u201cThe few, the proud, TBDBITL!\u201d was an appropriate statement.\u00a0 I soon found out how hard these \u201ckids\u201d worked to, first of all make the band, then to keep their spot in the band.<\/p>\n
As with any organization where determination and discipline are a requirement, there seems to be a time when they \u201clet their hair down\u201d and enjoy the fruits of their labor.\u00a0 Now, I realize that \u201cletting your hair down\u201d can be quite different for many people.\u00a0 For those of you who ever belonged to an all-male organization and especially mostly adolescents, you have a little idea of what kind of tomfoolery goes on that I referenced earlier.\u00a0 My son witnessed many things he did not partake in, and did not feel pressured into doing them.\u00a0Many other proud Buckeye band members are now coming forth to defend the culture of the OSU Marching Band.\u00a0 Many of them are females who either understood what they were getting into — a male dominated organization with military roots — or just knew and accepted that some of what they had to go through was making them a stronger member of the organization.<\/p>\n
From the perspective of Mr. Jon Waters, he had two years to undo a culture that had existed for 136 years.\u00a0As I have read and been told by band members, he made strides to correct injustices and to right the ship in a decent manner, given the politically correct culture in which we all live.\u00a0 But two years is not enough to change a entire culture developed over 136 years. Could a statement have been made by University President Drake that they were going to work toward improving the culture by providing the needed resources?\u00a0A staff of three directors and a couple graduate assistants were in charge of 225 band members.\u00a0 How many coaches does the university provide for the Buckeye football team of approximately 100 members?<\/p>\n
Well, I am certainly not going to influence anyone of their decision at Ohio State.\u00a0 And I certainly do not agree with, nor condone, all the activities some in the band have been guilty of.\u00a0 But there is one thing I don\u2019t want anyone to forget, the Ohio State University Marching Band is still TBDBITL; fortunately or unfortunately, for many of the accused reasons.\u00a0Let\u2019s just hope that political correctness doesn\u2019t destroy another proud institution and its onetime leader, who was making progress while swimming upstream!<\/p>\n
FIN\u00c9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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