<p>Never really thought about this until recently when I heard some rumors. Anyone familiar with marching band at the college level and incidents of hazing for new members? My d is considering band but not yet decided and it depends where she winds up.</p>
<p>I understand that UW Madison has a great marching band program. In the past joining has included hazing. In the past few years, the “official” policy is that the members could be suspended if they are caught hazing. However, I have heard that it still happens under the radar.</p>
<p>At my college, the things the band did on the field were embarrassing enough without any additional hazing.</p>
<p>I think it was UW-Madison that I heard stories about. Haven’t heard anything too wild about schools here in Ca although the USC band itself has plenty of attitude and gets its sunglasses from some hotshot sunglass company!</p>
<p>Oh my goodness…I’m answering my own question! I just found several articles re: the UC Davis marching band. Apparently the new band director filed a sexual harassment suit this past Oct. based on lewd behavior by the student-run band. Reading the articles was not a pretty picture. And I think of UC Davis as being a little more straight-laced compared to some other schools. Yikes!</p>
<p>At my school, about all they do hazing-wise (if you can even really consider this hazing) is make you sing the fight song in the cafeteria at lunch on the day when the rest of the freshmen are moving in. It’s pretty low-key.</p>
<p>This post is hilarious. I’m not denying anyone’s claims, I just think it’s really funny that marching bands would haze their members.</p>
<p>Think about a college marching band as more of a co-ed fraternity and you can understand the hazing. In general, schools are really cracking down on the hazing and the drinking. Things now are much more tame than they were even 10 years ago. </p>
<p>My college band wasn’t bad. Most of what might be considered hazing was to teach the new members things. For instance, you make a mistake you take a lap, we would have to line up by class and play a song from memory. We also had to memorize “alternate” lyrics to other school’s fight songs. It wasn’t bad at all, and joining the marching band was amazing.</p>
<p>My college marching band traveled a lot. All trips were paid for by the band, no selling anything. It was awesome.</p>
<p>S2’s HS band hazes. The school tries to stop it, but it continues anyway. The hazing is basically fun, wearing funny clothes, face writing (nothing permanent) with a little being thrown into the lake added in. No drinking, etc. All hazing is voluntary, no one is forced to do anything. S2 loved his hazing, (which included wearing a skirt and a wig while preforming in front of the entire school at an assembly; now a suspendible offense) and now looks forward to the freshman each year.</p>
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<p>I think at UW Madison, it is almost like a cult. Members are really dedicated to the Conductor. That’s one reason it is one of the better marching band programs. FYI: very few Music Students join the Marching Band at UW Madision.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech band freshmen wear Rat Caps, these little beanies that they write the scores of all the football games on. They also write “to HE!! with Georgia” on the back (meaning UGA, not the state). Most of the other hazing has disappeared - my son’s class was apparently the last to enjoy “Dwarfing” (don’t ask) - now upper classmen must do partake of all the same things as the freshmen so it is not hazing. It was all in fun and not dangerous or tooooo embarassing, but the university has put a stop to it nonetheless as part of a zero tolerance on hazing policy. Probably not a bad idea.</p>