• fugawe09
    194
    The alumni band is not supposed to perform with the students at current. The alumni band is free to perform its own gigs, however has chosen not to do so until the student band is freed. The alumni do not want to appear to “replace” the student band.
  • agalum
    332
    Countdown for the Cal game. Anything new on the band-uh?
  • CA Forever
    670
    Band-uh alumni just recently received an email that basically said "we have no updates at this point in time". There has not been a lot of transparency between the band and university through this process.
  • agalum
    332

    Maybe time to fill the chancellor’s inbox with emails? Thanks for the update.
  • aggie08
    53
    Anything new here? Or are we bandless for the Cal game?
  • agalum
    332
    My understanding is “band-uhless” for Cal.
  • ucdboyd
    28
    Dang-uh, that stinks
  • MTBAggie
    119
    I was trying to explain to my 12 year old son why the band wasn't at the game Saturday. He was really looking forward to seeing the band do their thing. Any word on when they'll be back?
  • CA Forever
    670
    The latest update us alumni received was that everything is still status quo in terms of the investigation. So still no band-uh for the time being.
  • CA Forever
    670
    Well, just as I said that we got an update... alumni band is being dissolved entirely and the band-uh is being completely reformed under a new name, losing it's student run title, and will remain on probation.

    RIP Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh

    https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/statement-moving-forward-new-marching-band?fbclid=IwAR1mdAOhLrFMsDfHoIFnkrOw-plN0hSVNu3tqpPdcmsjkEJcHXwxmVrwKYU
  • Oldbanduhalum
    599
    A sad day. I hope that some of the positives of the band are carry-forward.
  • CA Forever
    670
    Sad day indeed. I'm not saying that there weren't issues that needed to be addressed, but this seems like a very aggressive response. Truly a shame to lose an organization so steeped in history and tradition.
  • True Blue Aggie
    49
    This is a shame, "The group referred to as the “Band-Uh” will no longer exist."

    Minus the alleged misconduct and the associated bad press, I hate losing something that is a very real part of the fabric of our campus - and one of the "old" things that today's undergraduate likes as well. Many alumni that I have met over the years often speak reverently about the Band-Uh. Essentially, when we compare notes . . . and experiences with UC Davis . . . the love of the Band-Uh was a relative constant. Some people lived in the domes (I didn't), some people didn't go greek (I did), some drove for Unitrans or worked at the Coffee House (not me), . . . but we all love the Band-Uh. They are Aggies. Today they might play the cymbals with a goofy hat; but tomorrow they may be your orthopedic surgeon - and that's life as an Aggie. I just hate to see some of our old and valued campus elements dissolve.
  • fugawe09
    194
    Horrifying injustice is the word I would use. I read the full report. The long and short is they sent out a few hundred email surveys and then interviewed 23 students who volunteered (so not representative sample). Approximately 90% said they were satisfied or very satisfied. Of the 10% who weren’t about half had specific examples, the other half “had heard something” second hand. Of the specific examples, almost all referred to incidents on private property that were not band events and many of those were regarding dirty songs being sung in private homes - which is not a crime nor something the university has a right to legislate. The campaign against the band was organized by 2 individuals who found some sympathizers. One had been voted out as section leader and wasn’t taking it well. So there you have it, some hurt feelings multiplied by a non scientific survey with some unsubstantiated reporting along the normal university admin incompetence. Time for Emily Gallindo and Richard Engel to hit the road in my opinion.
  • AggieFinn
    500
    First they took the Bonfire, then they took the Band-Uh!, what's next?
  • agalum
    332
    What a crock of bull manure. And I am sure they will not allow the lyric "Sac State Sucks" in the new, re-organized, castrated band. Finn, I'm thinking a big banner needs to go up at the tailgate, "bring back the band-uh."
  • movielover
    534
    It's worse than that. They took ...

    East Hall?
    The Pub
    Hickey Gym (now 100% ICA?)
    The Bonfire
    Cowbells
    The Steam Engine
    Toomey Field (no warning)
    Probably others (please add) ...

    And now ...

    The Band-Uh? Over PC Millenial hurt feelings?!

    If ever there was a sign campus is run by disconnected non-Aggie outsiders ...

    But a campus department staff group - composed of mature ADULTS in their 30s, 40s, and 50s - on a recent "training session" to Monterey was ...

    - drinking while driving (campus vehicles?) to Monterey
    - inconsequential, frilly field training
    - expensive rooms (misuse of campus funds?)
    - heavy drinking
    - [a complaint was later lodged by an attendee]
    - the new Manager, a Military Veteran, was notified by email (not protocol)
    - the Manager (and Father) committed suicide

    Which episode is worse?
  • Bige70
    69
    That's a damn shame. A real living part of campus history is now gone. That said, I have literally no idea how marching bands at the big-time programs are managed. Were we an outlier with our "student run" approach? I had thought the band-uh wasn't student run for the past several years (which made them less interesting IMO).
  • fugawe09
    194
    they’ve been eroding the student run aspect for years by limiting what the band officers can do, ie Campus Rec got to review things and took over the money control but the students still wrote the shows and music and decided what gigs to play. Student-run was historically a west coast thing with Cal, Stanford, and Humboldt being the good and bad modern examples. Most D1 bands today are run by faculty directors associated to a music department, employ professional show writers, and require tryouts. Often times run as a class fall quarter with a limited pep or jazz band winter quarter for basketball. Almost all have an alumni group that joins on homecoming- we will be unique in specifically prohibiting an alumni band from existing.
  • Bige70
    69
    Man - what a gut punch for alumni band members. I know a lot of alumni band members - such an enthusiastic group. I wonder how many of them were big donors - going to be difficult to convince them to open their wallets in the future. It's pretty raw right now; maybe it all works out for the best down the road, but this feels like it will make game day and campus life a bit more sterile...
  • CA Forever
    670
    There is a lot of talk amongst the alumni and predictably people are not happy with this decision. People are already talking about how they will not be giving money to the new version of the band and that the endowment for the CAMB should be refunded to the donors considering it was for the CAMB and not whatever this new iteration will be. It's a difficult situation because we want to support the students currently in band, but what the university has done is way overboard.
  • movielover
    534
    My assumption is that the Alumni Band is purged bc one or two members flirted with (over 18) and possibly partied with Band members?

    Does this now mean campus professors, grad students, and adult staff are strictly prohibited from flirting, dating, and socializing with students?
  • Bige70
    69
    As much as I am upset by this, I think faculty being romantically involved with students has been banned for some time. See, e.g., https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-015.pdf. Nevertheless, I can't see how that extends to members of an alumni group.
  • OC Aggie
    35
    You're absolutely right. For this CAMB alumnus right here, this is a huge punch to the gut. It actually didn't register too big when I first heard the news earlier today because I've become so numb to years of administrators pouncing on the Band-uh at every opportunity. Now it's starting to sink in. And you're damn right I'm not planning on opening my wallet for the university with the way things are. I've always been happy to donate directly to the Band-uh itself, but now...?

    I suddenly feel so disconnected from UC Davis athletics. I attended so many football games, basketball games (men's & women's), gymnastics meets, even a swim meet as a band member. We always cheered on the athletes, and many of them cheered on us. I even met a few coaches and heard them say how much they appreciated us. Every time I've streamed a game from far away, I've thought of all those great memories and they've reinforced the excitement I've felt to watch the Aggies play. And now every game from this point forward is going to be tinged with sadness for me, knowing the organization I loved and helped pass down to future students will be no more. I live way down in SoCal; do I still have a reason to drive up to the homecoming game? To Picnic Day? Is there a point to me still interacting with my alma mater? I'm sure other alumni who were part of less active organizations do that, but for me it will never be the same knowing that my music-playing is no longer wanted.

    I don't personally know how much misconduct had been going on recently, though certainly steps should be taken to limit it. It just feels like the many are being made to suffer for the actions of the few. Surely, if the Florida A&M Marching 100 can continue to exist after a drum major was beaten to death in one of their own rituals, the California Aggie Marching Band-uh can be allowed to continue despite not having had any members die at each others' hands?
  • Bige70
    69
    To clarify, I'm upset with the band stuff, not that faculty-student fraternization is banned. I think that's a sound policy.
  • movielover
    534
    What are the options.

    Appeal?

    Legal action?

    Is Chancellor May OK with this?

    What's next, Picnic Day Battle of the Bands truncated over administrative fidgeting?
  • AggieFinn
    500
    How about no more Student Engineering Projects...sorry...just not enough lab space. (this is a legit thing happening now...)
  • CA Forever
    670
    Who knows if the new band will even do anything at picnic day. That was the band-uhs thing and they are going out of their way to distance themselves from that. They are under no obligation to continue the traditions that were previously done. Just about the only thing that can be done is that the current bandsmen stage some sort of revolt, but who knows the university might just say screw it an axe the whole thing to save themselves a buck.
  • movielover
    534
    How many band members own their own instruments?

    I have an idea!

    Cal Aggie un-Band-uH gathering at Plainfield Station ... WITH a bonfire!!! Private property... private instruments... have a blast ... and sing rebellious lyrics!
  • OC Aggie
    35
    I don't know what the options are, beyond letting everyone know what importance you see in the CAMB.

    If I had the stomach to read whatever it is The California Aggie or The Sacramento Bee have published, I'd send letters to their editors in response.
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