Decision made on band practice area
After meeting with Provost Raymond Coward and music department head James Bankhead, ASUSU President Christian Thrapp said an official decision has been made to move the band’s practice area to the fields beginning Fall 2013.
Early in the semester Thrapp said because of construction, student athletes had started to park in a set-aside area in the stadium lot where the band practiced.
It was proposed the band move practices to the soccer fields outside the Valley View and Mountain View Towers.
After nearly a month of debate, ASUSU voted to keep the band in the parking lot for the remainder of this school year in October. Thrapp said this was not meant to be a permanent solution, but a temporary fix until the executive board could make a final decision.
Thrapp said a big reason for the change is because Bankhead felt the band deserved to practice in a central campus location.
“He felt that it was an academic issue because marching band is part of many of the members’ majors,” Thrapp said.
When asked why the final decision has been so long in the making, Thrapp said he felt ASUSU took care of the issue in a very timely manner.
“We voted and did our duty,” he said.
The marching band has not officially been informed about the latest decision concerning the practice location.
Band member Spencer Jensen said he was not aware the issue had been brought up again.
“I thought it was all settled,” he said.
Emily Ashcroft, a member of the band, said she had not been informed that the space conflict was once again an issue.
“I know that we had some trouble this year trying to switch over and then we ended up switching back to our parking lot,” Ashcroft said. “That’s about all I know. We haven’t heard anything else.”
Jensen said the lack of space in the parking lot is not a new problem, nor is it unique to USU.
“Every college deals with it,” he said. “It’s just one of the things you just deal with trying to get people to not park there while the band is there.”
Jensen said there are several reasons why the move might actually be a good thing.
“I think it would help school spirit,” he said. “Students could hear the band play.”
Jensen said a lot of the band members who live in campus housing would benefit from having band practice closer.
Jensen said he does not see a problem with the current location. He said although the cars are inconvenient, the band is able to work around them.
“If they are in the way, we just think about where we are supposed to be and just deal with it,” he said. “We try not to bump into them.”
Jensen said it did not matter where the band practiced.
“Wherever we are we will do fine,” he said. “It’s just a matter of having a place to call a classroom.”
Thrapp said the main reason ASUSU originally voted to keep the band in the parking lot was to keep the noise level down for the residents in the Mountain View and Valley View Towers.
Lori Caldwell, a freshman who lives in Valley View Tower, said the band is loud and obnoxious for those who live near the fields.
Caldwell said she supports the band but does not appreciate them practicing on the tower fields.
“They always seem to practice at the times when I am trying to study,” she said. “I sit down and the all of a sudden I hear LMFAO on the tuba.”
– ashlyn.tucker@aggiemail.usu.edu