[SuperJon]

Our band is actually really good this year. I had that we can't hear them on the student side.

[Sly Fox]

It may not be my place to say, but let me understand something. The LU marching band will not, for what ever reason, be marching at halftime at a home football game, a homecoming game? Seriously? Forget what Woody Hayes said, "The band is worth 3 points." This is the first time I've ever heard of a marching band not playing a home game because it had something better to do than support it's football team. I'll bet App State's band never misses a home game. If I was coach Rocco I'd be..........livid.

The band is not balking at playing. The school is using a concert by a high profile alum at halftime and postgame to try and generate more attendance. I'm sure the band is rather disappointed to not get a chance to be out on the field at halftime of what will likely be the largest crowd in the history of LU football on the mountain.

[Hold My Own]

It may not be my place to say, but let me understand something. The LU marching band will not, for what ever reason, be marching at halftime at a home football game, a homecoming game? Seriously? Forget what Woody Hayes said, "The band is worth 3 points." This is the first time I've ever heard of a marching band not playing a home game because it had something better to do than support it's football team. I'll bet App State's band never misses a home game. If I was coach Rocco I'd be..........livid.

And I'm betting you were once in a band, or the director, or went to band camp

[Sly Fox]

I doubt it if he is anything like his brother and nephew.

[1buckeye1flyer3barons]

"The band is not balking at playing. The school is using a concert by a high profile alum at halftime and post game to try and generate more attendance."


Okay, that's not bad. The previous post read like the band was in a parade during the game. Since this is nearly my only source for up to date football info on the program I was out of the loop on all the festivities. Thanks for the clarification.

[Hold My Own]

Well, that still was a very solid rant...stick around and maybe you'll get to use another for something worthy

[phoenix]

If you have an opinion, let the powers that be know how you feel ... especially those of you without ties to the band. Your voices will be especially valued since you have no vested interest other than maximizing the experience.

Done and done. If they're going to play pre-game, that works (I've done it many times myself in high school and college). I know the band's upset that they're not going to be playing. From what I've heard, Dr. Kerr was pushing to be able to play the show pre-game. Sounds like someone in power doesn't care about the current band students OR the band alumni (who do support the school), if he's got to negotiate and push to be able to march a pre-game show.

[Cider Jim]

Will the band at least be playing in the homecoming parade?

[Sly Fox]

There is still time for this to be resolved. There are a ton of logistics surrounding that Saturday which I am assuming makes this more challenging than any other home date. But if the people speak up asking for the band to be a part of the festivities then I'll bet it will not fall on deaf ears.

[SuperJon]

After what BJ said in the postmortem thread about the band, I'm not sad at all they're not getting to play homecoming.

[BJWilliams]

Im sorry you feel that way SJ. I would rahter the band have been able to play a lot oat the game because Im sure that one can condition themselves to be able to play at a football game and still have plenty left for an additional performance should tha opportunity present itself. Im hearing inklings that there is dialogue between all the parties about the band getting to do the show in pregame. It should be noted that Im sure youre aware I was referencing playing in the stands. In any case, this was the last exhibition for the year (As a side note the crowd at JF was tended to sit on their hands throughout...they didnt even respond al that well to JF and they hosted that competition) Im sorry that this one week and one thing I said has set the band back in your mind (although I was simply noting what I heard during practice yesterday morning). The band is playing to the students next week.

[coolhandluke]

Nothing the band does makes sense to me...

1. Why did they not play to the students this week... it was CFAW!

2. They play no music besides "Hey Baby" that the crowd knows or will sing along with.

3. When the band director is confronting students (about something that is none of his business anyways) and being rude to them for no reason, then he is overstepping his boundaries. He needs to just stick to his job of being the head band geek. I have no respect for him anymore. I'm glad his band isn't going to be able to play at homecoming.

[BJWilliams]

Nothing the band does makes sense to me...

1. Why did they not play to the students this week... it was CFAW!

2. They play no music besides "Hey Baby" that the crowd knows or will sing along with.

3. When the band director is confronting students (about something that is none of his business anyways) and being rude to them for no reason, then he is overstepping his boundaries. He needs to just stick to his job of being the head band geek. I have no respect for him anymore. I'm glad his band isn't going to be able to play at homecoming.

1. i can understand the desire to have played to the student side yesterday. I was in the stands because of a knee injury and I had told a friend of mine about how its hard to fully appreciate the show when youre on the backside.

2. I think there is a discussion on the board somewhere where I asked for suggestions for music to play. Why not break out the search function and punch a few songs in that youd want to hear. Im not gonna be in next year but that doesnt mean I wont be dropping Dr Kerr a nice long email with all the different suggestions/

3. As for that, I didnt see what happened so Im not gonna comment on it for or against because that wouldnt be my place.

[SuperJon]

The band may not play music that students recognize, but when they play, they're really good. The problem is yesterday they didn't play. And unfortunately, because of their placement, when they play at home games we can't hear them.

[coolhandluke]

Nothing the band does makes sense to me...

1. Why did they not play to the students this week... it was CFAW!

2. They play no music besides "Hey Baby" that the crowd knows or will sing along with.

3. When the band director is confronting students (about something that is none of his business anyways) and being rude to them for no reason, then he is overstepping his boundaries. He needs to just stick to his job of being the head band geek. I have no respect for him anymore. I'm glad his band isn't going to be able to play at homecoming.

1. i can understand the desire to have played to the student side yesterday. I was in the stands because of a knee injury and I had told a friend of mine about how its hard to fully appreciate the show when youre on the backside.

2. I think there is a discussion on the board somewhere where I asked for suggestions for music to play. Why not break out the search function and punch a few songs in that youd want to hear. Im not gonna be in next year but that doesnt mean I wont be dropping Dr Kerr a nice long email with all the different suggestions/

3. As for that, I didnt see what happened so Im not gonna comment on it for or against because that wouldnt be my place.

Yeah. That is respectable that you would say that. Its also not his place to talk to students. That's not his job.

[Hold My Own]

Anyway we can get the horns to play Swagga Like Us? That would be tight BJ



Dr Kerr has always had a tendency to ruffle feathers at LU...it seems he's starting to ruffle everyone's now...not just LU Admin

[BJWilliams]

lol...that might actually not be a half bad shoice considering how well the team is doing. I'll have to write that one down

[Hold My Own]

If anyone asks what song that is just say you dont know...if they as "WAS THAT SWAGGA LIKE US?!?!!?!" Just say no, it's supposed to be something else but we're so bad it sounded like swagga like us....that way your clear

[Kolzilla41]

Can someone clue me in with what happened on the student side with Dr. Kerr? I am really confused.

[givemethemic]

I don't mind saying this now, but I have waited for 5 years for someone to help him with pulling that stick!!!! He gave us nothing but problems at the radio station and you know what they say about Karma Sorry rant over... Please continue to display your dislike...

[Hold My Own]

I don't mind saying this now, but I have waited for 5 years for someone to help him with pulling that stick!!!! He gave us nothing but problems at the radio station and you know what they say about Karma Sorry rant over... Please continue to display your dislike...

My version: Politically correct way

Your version: someone who no longer has to be politically correct

[givemethemic]

I know right... I still have to play nice for the most part... but not on every issue...

[coolhandluke]

Can someone clue me in with what happened on the student side with Dr. Kerr? I am really confused.

Its a long story, but my sisters, (one is an LU student and one is a high school student visiting for the weekend and still thinking about which college to go to) were talking junk like all the fans do and apparently a few girls in the band didn't like what they heard and told Dr. Kerr they were being disrespectful. There was something said about not drinking there water or something and so Dr. Kerr walked all the way up the stands and around to the other side of the 50 yard line to chew out my sisters. He handed them two waters and said since you don't want their water I thought I'd give you ours or something like that. Then he just went off on them saying they were being disrespectful and were giving LU a bad name and I didn't like the way he was talking to them...

And I don't let people disrespect my family like that...

So I went up to Dr. Kerr and told him he needed to leave them alone and go back to conducting the band. He then told me to go back to my seat and that it was none of my business. I told him it was my business because the girls he was chewing out were my sisters and that one of them is a minor and still in high school. And I said... You are lecturing them about giving LU a bad name but that is what you are doing to my sister who is considering coming here in 2 years. He then said... Do you know who I am? In a really cocky and stuck up way. And I said yes, you are Dr. Kerr and frankly I don't give a crap who you are, you are out of line. Then he asked for my student ID and I told him I graduated back in May. Then he told me to go sit back down. I told him I wouldn't because he was harassing my sisters. Then my friend Courtney came and grabbed my hand and pulled me back down to my seat. As I was heading back to my seat I told him that it was not his job to confront students and that he was just the head band geek. He then talked to my sisters for another 2 minutes and then finally left them alone. My sisters were both very upset about this encounter with Dr. Kerr, not to mention it caused them to miss half of the 3rd quarter.

The bottom line is that it is not his job to confront students and obviously he is not very good at it because it actually made my little sister say she'd rather go to Charleston Southern if all the people who lead our school act like him. My sister just visited there last weekend and she liked it, but she likes LU more. She is interested in Aviation and she wants to go into the Air Force and both schools have Air Force ROTC.

Also not to brag or anything, but my sister is the star soccer player at her high school and she will probably play for whatever school she decides to go to. I don't want her to go to CSU but I also don't want her to be harassed by power hungry and legalistic leaders of this University like our band director. He basically didn't like that we were talking trash and so he tried to take matters into his own hands. It's okay though because I believe that you reap the consequences of your actions and I think the administration will deal with him on this issue. I have faith in the upper administrators of this school and I think Dr. Kerr will learn his place and learn that it is not his place to talk to students about things like this.

Basically that's all I have to say. Sorry I wrote so much! But that's the story.

[Champion]

A "water" dig prompted all that? Wow....we could have gotten away with a comment like that back in the fundementalist 70's and 80's. My dealings with him have been limited, but he does tend to rub people the wrong way ... most of the time. Just out of curiousity....who's job is it to "confront" students at football games about behavior deemed questionable and disrespectful? I don't think that's a job I would want to make a career at!

[BJWilliams]

As I said before, since I didnt see any of this I wont comment on who is right and wrong in this situation (as that wouldnt be my place), because frankly all parties here could have done some things better. Yes Dr Kerr can rub a few people the wrong way at times but I know that there are people who have had very positive dealings with him. I personally could tell a few stories about how Dr Kerr has helped me through some very troubling times in my life.