Michigan State Signs

[billhoward]

One might note MSU doesn't care about hockey vs. basketball, which is, what, ranked #15? The MSU student paper has a freshman covering varsity hockey - must not be a lot of competition for the job, or else the kid's really good.

OTOH it's hard to say nobody cares if all 6,000 seats are filled.

[ninian '72]

Agreed, that's EXACTLY what they'll think, particularly if the Pep Band plays the Victors.  The "Michigan rejects" sign will push buttons, though.  A lot of MSU folks have a huge chip on their shoulders about U of M.  There's a strong intra-state rivalry between the two, in that people in southeastern Michigan tend to be Michigan fans, and folks in other parts of the state are more inclined to be MSU fans.  However, U of M fans tend to see MSU as a secondary rival, after Ohio State, which irks Spartans even more.  Add to that the recent football outcome - Michigan won 45-37 in the third overtime after trailing 27-10 with 8 minutes to go in regulation - and there are some raw nerves in East Lansing.

A few factoids that may be useful:

Lansing, Michigan was settled by pioneers from Lansing, New York.  No joke.  Let's settle what the proper orbit is here.

Based on what I've been told by a few MSU friends and co-workers, they regard their campus as the -- cough, cough -- most beautiful in America and claim to have the best hotel and restaurant management school in the country.  ("You're Number 2?")

You won't be able to use some of the usual Michigan annoyances, such as the Moo U cheer, obviously, but I have great faith in the creativity of the Lynah Faithful road show.  Wish I could be there. LGR, beat MSU.

[RichH]

[Q]ninian '72 Wrote:
 and claim to have the best hotel and restaurant management school in the country.  ("You're Number 2?")[/q]
Umm...try #3 at best.  I think UNLV has something to say about that as well.  Almost bizarro-world to be envied for the hotel school, rather than mocked.

[Q]billhoward Wrote:
Most people at MSU are thinking "Ivy League assholes" no matter what. [/q]
It seems most people can name at most 3 Ivy schools anyway, so I'm not too concerned about that reaction.   Judging by the reaction we got when we went to Yost in '97, we'll get "Hey...where the hell is Cornell??  Isn't that in Iowa?"  

[jtwcornell91]

[Q]Sam Wrote:

 That would be great, playing "Hail to the Victors" ... maybe everytime they try their fight song?  How offensive.[/q]

How about we don't play over their fight song.  What are we, Colgate?
::rolleyes::

[Jordan 04]

How about it's a moot point since our band will not be there.

[billhoward]

So I don't know if this happens much now, but it was de rigeur for the abridged version of the Big Red Marching Band to appear at every away game. Sometimes it was one trumpet and a cowbell, but that was enough to lead the charge, play Davey, and do the alma mater. Hard to say if the trumpet or cowbell is more important. I guess one guy could do both.

Maybe Schafer should make sure the third goalie has a minor in music.

[Pace]

[Q]billhoward Wrote:

Maybe Schafer should make sure the third goalie has a minor in music. [/q]

Now now, Bill. Then who would help the equipment manager? Hand the guys towels? Refill their water bottles? Chabot is crucial to the team, I tell you, crucial...

[Lauren '06]

[Q]billhoward Wrote:

 So I don't know if this happens much now, but it was de rigeur for the abridged version of the Big Red Marching Band to appear at every away game. Sometimes it was one trumpet and a cowbell, but that was enough to lead the charge, play Davey, and do the alma mater. Hard to say if the trumpet or cowbell is more important. I guess one guy could do both. [/q]

Ew.  Do you really want a Cornell version of that one guy with the trumpet from Clarkson who showed up to the quarterfinals last season?

The pepband recently may or may not have gotten reamed out by their advisory council for taking too many roadtrips.

[billhoward]

[Q]Section A Banshee Wrote:

Ew.  Do you really want a Cornell version of that one guy with the trumpet from Clarkson who showed up to the quarterfinals last season?

The pepband recently may or may not have gotten reamed out by their advisory council for taking too many roadtrips.[/q]

The pep band gets reamed out for supporting the teams at sporting events? Am I missing some part of the equation here?

Oh, wait, the advisory person figures that all those road trips are bad for academics. Well how about sending a rotating five-person Pep Band Lite? How about recruiting alumni band members from Michigan, from Boston, from Florida? (The Florida trip can't affect academics.)

But even two trumpets and the cowbell is pretty good. Agreed, one trumpet, solo, looks like it could be a lone ranger. Two or more suggests some kind of organizational plan. Can you major in cowbell, by the way?

[jtwcornell91]

[Q]Section A Banshee Wrote:
Ew.  Do you really want a Cornell version of that one guy with the trumpet from Clarkson who showed up to the quarterfinals last season?
[/q]

I vote for five trombones and a french horn.

[Jacob 03]

something tells me academics is seldom a primary concern when it comes to those reaming out the pep band

[Lauren '06]

[Q]billhoward Wrote:

 [Q2]Section A Banshee Wrote:

Ew.  Do you really want a Cornell version of that one guy with the trumpet from Clarkson who showed up to the quarterfinals last season?

The pepband recently may or may not have gotten reamed out by their advisory council for taking too many roadtrips.[/Q]
The pep band gets reamed out for supporting the teams at sporting events? Am I missing some part of the equation here? [/q]
Yes, and that part of the equation is a four figure cost for a bus.  There's a line in the insurance agreement that stipulates the pepband cannot travel any other way, and that probably extends to a small group of people representing the pepband as well.

[billhoward]

[Q]Section A Banshee Wrote:

 [Q2]billhoward Wrote:

 [Q2]Section A Banshee Wrote:

Ew.  Do you really want a Cornell version of that one guy with the trumpet from Clarkson who showed up to the quarterfinals last season?

The pepband recently may or may not have gotten reamed out by their advisory council for taking too many roadtrips.[/Q]
The pep band gets reamed out for supporting the teams at sporting events? Am I missing some part of the equation here? [/Q]
Yes, and that part of the equation is a four figure cost for a bus.  There's a line in the insurance agreement that stipulates the pepband cannot travel any other way, and that probably extends to a small group of people representing the pepband as well.[/q]

You're saying bean-counting is alive and well in academia ...? Cornell must be scared that if four band members travel by private auto and get in an accident, then liabity accrues to Cornell, as opposed to it being your own fault for drivinig in a poorly maintained car, or being a lousy driver. There must be some liability opt-out if Cornell wanted to really work at it. But I suspect Cornell figures it has bigger fish to fry.

[David Harding]

[Q]billhoward Wrote:

 [Q2]Section A Banshee Wrote:

 [Q2]billhoward Wrote:

 [Q2]Section A Banshee Wrote:

Ew.  Do you really want a Cornell version of that one guy with the trumpet from Clarkson who showed up to the quarterfinals last season?

The pepband recently may or may not have gotten reamed out by their advisory council for taking too many roadtrips.[/Q]
The pep band gets reamed out for supporting the teams at sporting events? Am I missing some part of the equation here? [/Q]
Yes, and that part of the equation is a four figure cost for a bus.  There's a line in the insurance agreement that stipulates the pepband cannot travel any other way, and that probably extends to a small group of people representing the pepband as well.[/Q]
You're saying bean-counting is alive and well in academia ...? Cornell must be scared that if four band members travel by private auto and get in an accident, then liabity accrues to Cornell, as opposed to it being your own fault for drivinig in a poorly maintained car, or being a lousy driver. There must be some liability opt-out if Cornell wanted to really work at it. But I suspect Cornell figures it has bigger fish to fry. [/q]

I'd wager that the issue was partly them killing or maiming themselves, but even more the possibility of them killing or maiming a whole busload of other people.  Those people's survivors aren't going to care that the students said that they would be responsible for any damages; they're going to go after the deep pocket.

[Lowell '99]

Academics are the concern of the individual members of the band, and they do a pretty good job of determining what they can and cannot do.  

While the number of games there is Pep Band representation at has definitely increased in recent years - and this is a very, very GOOD thing - if you think these has been a cadre of musicians at every single away hockey game for any era of recent memory, you're wrong.  

The students (and alumni) work hard to make the band better every year and increase it's presence.  People on either side may be offended when you make uninformed, incorrect statements.  And they read this forum.  And you come across as a cynical jerk.

Of course, this is all moot.  Being a realist, the answer is of course money.  If you'd like to make an annual gift to the Big Red Pep Band, it would be GREATLY appreciated by many people.  You can fill in "Big Red Pep Band" (not just "Big Red Band") on any gift card you receive from Cornell.