Wow..."bad press" is a understatement. It's obvious that the university is taking these allegations about the "culture and traditions" of the Band-uh very seriously since they are hiring outside counsel to do a thorough investigation. I'm glad the university is looking into all of this and they will need to take appropriate action if warranted when the report is finished. These kinds of "traditions and behaviors" are unacceptable and it needs to be cleaned up and not covered up if the allegations are verified.

I'm going to stay out of this mess, as any opinion I have is obviously biased. Just to say that the University needs to investigate any allegations made and hopefully they will implement whatever changes need to happen after thoroughly looking at all sides of the story.

I noted one band member said activities were voluntary, and even a vocal young lady admitted there were others off to themselves, doing homework. The sad death several years ago happened before a band party.

Ugh.

Both of these articles highlight some individual incidents that are worthy of investigation but are isolated.

The supporting evidence is mostly half-truths or non-truths twisted to fit the needs of a sensationalized story. Example, I was in the alleged "naked van" from the Chronicle article and it was a non-event. Two guys took their shirts off between Redding and Shasta because the van AC was on the fritz. End of story.

Bottom line -
1. Drinking to excess is a personal choice, and not always a smart one.
2. If people want to sing dirty songs or make phallus candles on their own time in their own house, well isn't that their right? Maybe don't go over to their house if that's not your thing? It would seem to be dangerous territory to try to regulate speech in private homes.
3. So what if women want to wear booty shorts and a sports bra to band practice? People acceptably wear this to the ARC or while jogging all the time.

My understanding is that the original complaints reported to the University were handled in accordance with policy, the individuals declined to make it a police matter, and the organization made constitutional changes to be able to better remove problem individuals. As the ink was drying, the Aggie published a smear job, the chief witness being paid student activist with a stated career goal of becoming a professional social justice activist. Consider the source. Then the Bee comes in an uses the Chronicle and Aggie articles as their journalistic support. Move along, nothing to see here...

I must agree with 09’s account. The Aggie article was almost ridiculous in its effort to create a “dirty, prurient” story out of very little evidenced based facts. Of course, newspapers love this stuff. Nothing like “A Naked Van” story as a leader. It seems every college band in California is a potential great source for this kind of story. Kind of sad.

"chief witness being paid student activist with a stated career goal of becoming a professional social justice activist"

Who pays the individual? Is this the student that said a year after an alleged incident, she had a breakdown?

I'm referring to the first person quoted in the Aggie story who gave their name and kicked this off. They are a leader at a campus community advocacy center. My goal is not to dox the individual, but just provide some context. I frequently research people quoted in the news to learn about their angle. No idea who the second two people are in that story, in fact there is no "she" mentioned, everyone is identified as "they".

Gotcha. A few years back there was a large MU sit in over a sombrero hat and escape the border party? The organizer was an unemployed graduate who studied ... social justice.

If they wanted to, the band could just start a petition signed by all who agree that this is all just a bunch of BS and let it go at that. Of course with a clear statement that it was not done with any coercion. Is this just too simple? Probably. . . . However, I do think that the Alumni may be a problem and they should just butt out of the bands activities. Why do they want to hang lout with a bunch of 18-20 year olds? A bit creepy don’t you think?

when they’re talking alumni, yeah sometimes it is of the creepy variety. But often it is someone who graduated last year and may have many friends, including girl/boy friends left in band.

I Get it. A bit more complicated than I thought. But the point that must be acknowledged is that the Band is still very popular with the students and the community. Didn’t BWC ban the band from away games because it was so formidable a foe in the opposition gym.? That’s big.

Last I knew, banned from all away games, limited to 50 members at home games and 30 members at BW tournament because the other schools were all complaining.

Ridiculous.

The Davis Enterprise has published an article regarding the recent Band-uh allegations. The article feels more even handed than the Bee but it is still very concerning regarding the culture and allegations of misconduct within the Band-uh.

Excerpt from the article:

In response to the allegations of misconduct reported in The Aggie last month, UCD launched “an independent, comprehensive review” by an external law firm, the statement reads. The Sacramento firm, Van Dermyden Maddux, will “evaluate whether band members have been subject to conduct that violates university policy or any applicable laws,” Galindo said. The firm will also investigate “whether band administrators failed to appropriately respond to reports of misconduct.”

Past and present band members interviewed by The Enterprise reacted to the news with a mix of surprise and expectation. “The culture I experienced during my time in Band-Uh! led me to believe that it was only a matter of time before an article like the one in The Aggie occurred,” says one UC Davis alum, who was in the band from 2013 through 2017.

Read more here: https://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/campus-reacts-to-band-uh-hazing-allegations/

Official statement regarding the Band-uh allegations from Emily Galindo, UCD Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs:

https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/statement-regarding-cal-aggie-band

I hold the Band-uh in high esteem. They have always represented a special part of UC Davis in my mind. Being such a public and visible organization, they need to keep their house "cleaner" then the general student population.

What does their org chart look like? I assume there are student leaders with administrative oversight? Is there a code of ethics beyond the principles of community for the Band-uh? And if road trips are not a sanctioned school activity, I am not sure how you can police that. Making good choices as an adult which are consistent with your personal values will keep you out of trouble. For example, if getting into a co-ed hot tub drunk and naked is not within your comfort zone, stay out of the hot tub!

And the hits just keep on coming. Band suspended.....

https://www.sacbee.com/news/investigations/article230956528.html

That was pretty much inevitable given what was published by The Bee.

Look at the Katehi situation. The Bee will not let it rest. We have not heard (or read) the last of this.

The great bee of yore, investigational pioneers against the big banks and the big 5 railroads of the 1890’s, now frantically yipping at the heels of a nerd college band. Sad. Basically, what newspapers have to do now if they need a story (and they have a college close by) is go to the college newspaper, which the bee did. The Aggie did this not the poor bee. So sad, the Stanford band, the cal band, USC band, the Poly band, and then us. Yes, a minor nerd college band problem, but really “front page”? But fire the Banduh? no way. . . . .

The lead, headline article on the front page of today's Bee is the suspension of the Band-uh...as if there isn't anything more important happening in the world...

i guess they will pipe in a recorded version of 'Pomp and Circumstances' for graduations?

I hope not, but that's certainly a possibility. In the past, the Band has split the graduation duties with the University Concert Band. Not sure if that's still done.

This is going to be a tough investigation for the attorney who takes on this task. Because there are many, many Banduh alums who will write about all the good things their band membership did for them personally. Yes, there will be some obviously who will write differently, but I think in the end the Band will come out of this OK. So no one was killed. Raped or beaten. Mostly hurt feelings, but thats not good either. We have to stop that.
But basically, my view is that college band controversies are actually very, very funny. Let’s take the Tree vs. the Cal Band. The Stanford Tree is universally regarded and hated as the worst mascot in the country, but Stanford students love their tree. The Cal Band hates the tree with a passion. I recall at Picnic Day not too long ago at the Battle of the Bands, the Tree got too hot and went to the van to remove the Tree suit. Cal BAND broke into the van and stole the Tree suit. Charges filed. No outcome.suspensions . Then at a later Cal event a very inebriated Tree intimidated and outraged Oski to the extend that Oski fake peed on the Tree. Turned out the Tree had a bottle of vodka inside her suit. Suspension. Later, the Tree with help from the Stanford Band attacked Oski and removed his head showing the face of the student. This was a gross violation of the 100 year old Cal rule that Oski was to be forever “unknown”. Suspensions again. Need i go on? This is not “kids will be kids” thing it is that some shy, insecure, but very artistically talented young adults go thru a late bonding and maturation process that draws them to something like the community of the Banduh. It is good for them. Fix it don't kill it.

So nudity caused hurt feelings? I recall seeing streakers in the Coffee House and at Toomey ... should they both be suspended? Maybe create a social justice band unit?

Students did crazy things in the dorm, you didn't like it, a) don't join those activities, b) don't comingle with those people, and / or c) move out of the dorm.

BTW, the LA Times picked up the story.

Let the investigation find what it will. Responsibility and Accountability always.

Hey Bee:

Any updates on the Band-uh status? They will be worth a TD at Cal.

the official word out as of a few days ago was “nothing new to share at this time.” Not sure if no news is good or bad really.

A lot of the student actions seem like personal choices. Life happens.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/investigations/the-public-eye/article180729426.html

Could the alumni band still have a group go out and invite the band members to join them?