Even Better Bands

Next year i will be a sophomore in college and im going to join my university’s marching band. I go to a Historically Black University, and the marching band is a known band.There is one problem.there is a BIG HAZING issue. You either have a option to cross or dont cross. When u cross yo have to do all types of crazy ish to earn respect and also get hazed and get beat with a paddle. I do not want to go through that.Its not worth it becuase anything could happen with this and also when i apply for a job they wont care that i was in So&So section. On the other hand if you dont cross they will pick on you and talk about you.I do not want to cross. I keep tellin myself im there to get my education not there for them so they can talk about me and say all types of things.But i want my respect but i dont want to cross.Also when u cross you get cool boots but not eveyone in the band has cross. I just do not want to go through with all that getting beat its not worth it.What is a good option?
my school was just in the news about a BIG hazing Incident the band director does know but he does not/will not do anything about it because of tradition. The hazing wont stop until something really bad happens like maybe a death but other then that he knows he just does not do anything about it and wont

Haha… I attended an HBCU for 2 years. Marched with them for both of those years. I pledged my section. Yes, I was hazed. BRUTALLY hazed. You have some balls for asking this question online…. and I have a lot for just answering it!

I initially didn’t want to go through the process, but I did. If you didn’t pledge your section, then they totally shunned you. Everyone taunted you. Your band experience would not be very pleasant if you chose not to participate in the abuse. But I looked at it like a challenge. I was considered the weakest link in my section and probably in the band. At first glance I was fragile and intolerant. I wanted to prove them all wrong, so I pledged my section and I crossed. It was pure hell. Yes, I got the paddle COUNTLESS times. I shed many tears.

Was it worth it? No. I have moved on with my life (military) and I don’t keep up with them anymore. After I crossed, I was still bitter about a lot and I couldn’t bond with them the way that I was "supposed" to (I was bitter because personal reasons. . . . long story). Some other things happened… a lot of drama and conflict arose. They weren’t my "brothers" and "sisters" like they were "supposed" to become. But it was a very memorable experience. I had some good times with them while it lasted. Do I regret it? Nope! I look back on some situations and I laugh at them. I’m stronger and the pain from back then doesn’t pain me anymore. Plus, the experience showed me that I had an inner strength and endurance that was previously unfelt. It was hard going through it, but at the end I was so proud of myself. . .

I won’t tell you what to do. I don’t condone hazing and abuse. But trust me when I say that IF you decide to go through with it and you cross, you will laugh at most of the happenings. Beautiful bonds are created with your line brothers/sisters. But again, I DON’T condone hazing and abuse. I’d NEVER tell someone that they should go through that.

I don’t regret my experience though. I wouldn’t re-do it.

If you really don’t want to do it, don’t. And don’t do it for the boots, lol. I had to personalize my reason to pledge to make me feel like doing it. . . . . . . . . .

i am kinda picky like i like shoes that are as flat as possible because i am tall and i have a skaterish style these shoes also have to be conformable because i have to wear them for marching band as well.
they can’t be too expensive like less expensive is better!
can you give me a link to the ones you find?

thanks soo much!

easy go online. Seriously you can get way better deals and much more variety
http://www.nike2nike.com/Brand-Shoes-c-1624.html

ok so im captain of the marching band colorguard team and i usually start planning things for next year when the season is almost over. i know its good to have one ascent on everyone like the same lipstick or something but most of the guard are black and i think it looks bad a little with red lipstick which we used this year. i wanted to switch to cat eyes makeup because i think it would look better so what do you think?. also do u know what hair styles we should do? keep in mind that most of the gurad wears weave so a hair style that works around it would be nice. or do you think we should not allow the girls to wear weave during marching season? is that mean and unfair?

What I would recommend as a former director would be accentuate the face with the same lipstick and " your mascot eyes". The more uniform you are the more you begin to act as a team. However, be as democratic as possible. Have cycles that you go through whatever to make it work. As far as the makeup use your school colors. I.e. If your school colors are blue and silver try find silver lipstick for everyone, black and gold, gold lipstick etc… The weaves are not as important as long as you can get them to feel and work as a team interested in outperforming and outclassing everyone they come against. I hope this helps.

Does anyone know where I can get a black parade marching jacket?
Like the top to a marching band uniform, but designed like My Chems black parade?

I saw one at Hot Topic a long time ago, but it I haven’t seen it since, not even online.
Any help?

Oh, and I don’t use ebay.
Thanks.

Yea Hot Topic and Cosmic used to have one all i know to do is to check there online sites sorry.

The video is in black and white. In the video I believe domino s are being knocked over. The band is an all guy group. The video was released between march 2006 and june 2006. Anyone know who the song is by or the name. It is in my head and I can’t think of the name of the song.

The Bravery – "An Honest Mistake"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEVvITPBtCs

I am trying to find a video that was featured on yahoo video a long time ago. It was a black and white animation with birds that were in a marching band. It had a nazi/communism undertone to it. I remember it had one bird ordering other birds to dive into a bathtub to try and get a man to get out of it. It had a catchy scat style song that was in the background. Anyone know of this video?

The Real Tuesday Weld – "Bathtime In Clerkenwell"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awuTkVytgYs

Blood Stripe

Prologue

When a man or woman goes to war, their families go with Them. – Michelle Obama

For hundreds of years Americans have marched off to war. Starting with the American Revolution up to the conflict today in Iraq and Afghanistan. This book will focus primarily on the war in Vietnam, and the families that survived with the returning Veteran. Only because it is the experience I know, as the son of a career Marine. Vietnam offered Americans a unique perspective during this time. It was the first televised war in History.
Most nights during that conflict, a well known Anchorman Walter Cronkite would open the nightly news with the numbers of dead and wounded, it would be prominently displayed on the television screen and he would read them, then proceed with the headlines of the day.
As a young boy with a father in Vietnam, I may have not showed the concern the moment merited, but I did pay attention, and I watched as my mother also sat with me. “Do you think dad was killed or wounded mom?” I would ask. For some I thought he was fighting Germans. I thought Germans were always the enemy, the old black and white John Wayne movies may have played a part with my innocent perspective of that.
American servicemen and women of all wars sacrifice, they have agreed, if need be, to give their lives in order to preserve the freedom and democracy of our society. Most have no idea what military life will be like until they enlist. Some have families they take with them to their duty stations, others marry and have children during their tours. Not much has been said about the families left behind, when the man or woman receives orders to deploy to a war zone or foreign duty station. During this unpopular war veterans came home and were not treated as victors. They were not given parades and airport welcomes and marching bands. In some cases they were spat upon and received some of the most vile insults one can endure.
Most veterans may have been greeted by families, then tried to acclimate themselves back into a civil society. Some veterans saw things no human should have to see, endured pain no human should have to experience. Injured physically and sometimes mentally they suffered. Many did so in silence and kept it to themselves.
They came home to wives and children that accepted them home. Children one or two years old that did not recognize their parent. Wives that had not touched their husbands or head the sound of his voice for over a year, or a dad that had seen only pictures of his son or daughter before the introduction at home.
That Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine, would want to return to some normalcy, and get back to the job of raising a family. This would no doubt create problems with a wife that had been the head of the household for a great deal of time, and now would be the second mate.
I remember being at the airport with my mom. I was tired, and it was very late at night. I knew my dad was coming home and I wanted to be part of it. My mom ran when she saw him, hugging him as he kissed her. I ran to him and he picked me up. In his crisp Marine uniform he piked me up and I threw my arms around him. I could smell a mix of alcohol and cologne on him, that was fine for me. His buddies began shaking hands and saying goodbye’s to each other, the crowd started to thin, and they put me in the back seat of the car. I remembered little else until morning.
What I woke up to is the story I will tell, a story of love, confusion, and sometimes even abuse.
Many of the wives and children lived with the effects of war. Long after the protesters had dropped their signs, and the North Vietnamese took control of that country. Dependants of these Veterans lived with, and supported them. The Veteran has numerous, although sometimes questionable resources of which they can get relief. The Veterans Administration provides services long after the uniform has been hung in the closet for good. With the exception of the rather embarrassing exposure at the Veterans Hospital in Washington DC, the services have improved over the years.
This story will not be told from the perspective of a wife, but as the son of a Marine. A Marine that served this country for twenty years. Traveling across the country from city to city, wherever the Corps had decided to place him. I came along, with my family. This is the story of the Military Dependant, or brat, as some like to refer to them. I like thousands of other children over the years, lived a different life t

If you’re telling a story, narrarate, but not in a way that you actually say "this book will be about…" Books often require the reader to temporarily suspend their disbelief. By throwing in this statement, you take away from that. It makes it more of an introduction rather than a part of your story. What you want is a prologue, so try to begin with something like:

For hundreds of years Americans have marched off to war… From the American Revolution to the conflict today in Iraq and Afghanistan, everyone’s concept of war is different… And we have all been affected by it. My own experience began with the war in Vietnam…

And lead on from there. That’s just a suggestion, but you don’t have to take it.

You have excellent material, and will be a great author when you refine your skills [not that you're not now, we could just all stand for some improvement, huh? ] You’re doing a wonderful job and I’m already finding myself sucked into the story. Keep at it and good luck!

ok well i got marching band this year and i am black and a girl and i live in G.A so humidity ain’t no joke here and i got practice 3 times a week 2 hours a day out there howcan i prevent my hair from getting frizzy

Get a shampoo/conditioner that helps keep it tamed. By favorite is Pantene. Their "smooth" products are great for taming frizz. I have curly poofy frizzy thick hair, but it totally works on me.

Also, on days you know are going to be humid, plan ahead and put your hair in a ponytail.

There’s a thousand products out there that work great-you just have to find the right one. Here’s my top three picks for you though (from personal experience)

Pantene
Garnier Fructis
Herbal Essence

To get put on the front?

https://www.bluedevils.org/merchandise/images/Trumpet_comp.jpg

I’m designing my trumpet section shirts for marching band, and the order will be for 8 people. I’m thinking that if I go with this design, the shirt will be black and with white letters on the back.

probably like $10 for the shirt alone, an additional $3 or $4 for the design.
That’s my guess, but if anything, it’ll cost more.

I’m making a mix cd for my friend who was in marching band with me, and I wanted all the songs on the cd to either have that word in the title of the song, or mentioned somewhere in the lyrics. The way the word march is used in the song doesn’t really matter..like it doesn’t have to be about a marching band or anything. I already have Marching Bands of Manhattan by Death Cab for Cutie, March of the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, and Blue Lips by Regina Spektor. Any other ones you can think of?

March by Jackopierce
March of the Pigs by Nine Inch Nails
March of the Dogs by Sum 41
March OUt of the Darkness by Papa Roach
Into the Mouth of Hell We March by Trivium
How Many Miles Must We March by Ben Harper