Band will travel to Lambeau, with changes

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Marching Band will be allowed to make a Sunday, Oct. 19, trip to perform at Lambeau Field, director and professor Mike Leckrone has announced.

The Green Bay visit represents the last planned road trip of the regular season and an important opportunity for the group’s outgoing senior student leadership to set a new tone and example for returning students, says Leckrone.

“We’re going down a new path, and I believe this trip is a chance to start to live the changes that we’ve agreed on,” he says. “But I’m not na�ve. I’ve made it clear to the band that I’m prepared to take immediate additional action if, somehow, my message hasn’t gotten through.”

On Oct. 19, the band is scheduled to perform during the halftime show of the 3:15 p.m. game between the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts. The group will travel up and back on buses on Oct. 19, and the trip will not have an overnight component.

Leckrone, in consultation with the Offices of the Dean of Students (ODOS) and College of Letters and Science Dean Gary Sandefur, says that new policies on band travel will be in place for the first time.

They include random seating assignments on band buses to break up instrument sections and class levels; a quiet bus option for those wanting to focus on studies; and a prohibition on all initiation activities.

Should the band code of conduct be violated, those responsible will be reviewed for suspension or dismissal, in addition to possible sanctions from the Offices of the Dean of Students.

The band did not perform at the Ohio State game on Oct. 4, the first time in nearly 40 years that the band did not perform at a home football game. Dean of Students Lori Berquam and ODOS conducted a review of the conduct of members, confirming allegations of inappropriate behavior.

The ODOS review of band conduct remains open, but immediate concerns related to the health, safety and academic impact on its members have been addressed, according to Berquam.

The band’s leaders, in cooperation with Leckrone, band staff, Berquam and Sandefur, are beginning a long-term process designed to promote a culture of excellence on and off the field.

UW-Madison junior Jon Alfuth and senior Alex Waskawic, both drum majors, say that being a part of the band is a privilege and that members will try to meet the expectation of the public and their fans.

“Positive changes have been instituted over the past two years, and progress has been made,” Alfuth says. “However, we recognize the need for ongoing improvements. A focus on our overall culture is one way to channel our energy.”