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Marching Band to play Saturday
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The University of Wisconsin Marching Band will perform at Saturday’s football game, ending their indefinite suspension following hazing allegations, officials announced Thursday.
UW Marching Band Director Mike Leckrone, who made the announcement that the band will perform at Saturday’s night game against Penn State, said it is still “to be determined” whether the band will be allowed to make road trips. For now, the band has been suspended from travel, which Leckrone said may effect a planned performance at an upcoming Packers game.
While only a minority of band members were involved, Leckrone said, sanctions have been imposed on the entire band, including the appointment of a staff member from the Offices of the Dean of Students to work closely with the band to address concerns and promote positive behavior.
Dean of Students Lori Berquam said nearly 70 students voluntarily came forward to cooperate and provided information about hazing incidents.
“Our meetings confirmed that a broad pattern of inappropriate and humiliating behavior took place in the band,” Berquam said.
She added those activities included “students having to kneel and take a bite from a summer sausage, students confined to the bathroom in the back of the bus for several hours” and “a game called ‘mystery door No. 3’ in which students are blindfolded, led to a room behind a closed door and … asked to remove the lingerie from a male band member.”
The announcement came at the end of what Leckrone called a “trying and stressful week” following the band’s suspension from last week’s football game against Ohio State.
“This kind of conduct is a personal embarrassment to me, obviously,” Leckrone said. “As leader of the band, the buck stops here.”
UW junior Jon Alfuth, drum major, and senior Alex Waskawic addressed the media Thursday as student leaders of the band. They said while they were aware of some of the situations, others came as a surprise to them.
They declined to name the specific incidents of which they were aware or how they handled them specifically.
No criminal charges have been filed as a result of the allegations, Berquam said, but an undisclosed number of hazing victims have quit the band “during the course of the investigation.”
Leckrone said he is sorry anyone has felt the need to quit the band, adding it affects the band’s ability to perform.
“Well, it’s very disappointing because you had somebody who was talented; you want them to add to the quality of the performance,” Leckrone said. “And it’s very disappointing that they felt so uncomfortable that they didn’t feel that they could continue.”
Berquam said she cannot say how many people have been disciplined for their roles in the hazing but said penalties could range from an official university written reprimand to expulsion.
She added she regretted unsubstantiated allegations of “sexual fondling,” which were reported as fact earlier Wednesday night.
Berquam, Leckrone and Gary Sandefur, dean of the College of Letters and Science, said the investigation into the band’s behavior will continue indefinitely.
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Embarrassing, simply embarrassing.
Summer Sausage? My god, that’s horrible!
Certainly, an investigation of the alleged band incidents is in order, but to suggest that only one of originally reported events is unsubstantiated is silly. Incidents like this build into legends over time, and when it comes down to it, most are just college kids being “creative.” In reality, it is a few totally out of line students, but those students are well known to the others and those are the students that should be dealt with in the prescribed manner. To sensationalize these incidents out of proportion only creates a smokescreen for the true harrassment that happens on every campus. To think the band is operating in a vacuum on campus is very naive. Because the stories could not be substantiated in a timely fashion, the entire band was penalized. What other class gets punished like this? Yes, this is a class. One credit. And there are no scholarships, contrary to what people on radio have suggested. So now the reputation of every band student that lists “UW-Marching Band” on their resume is in question. Way to go, UW! The ratio of staff to students in this class is not one that any other activity or sport must endure. Perhaps the dean of students should volunteer to go with the band to Green Bay. Rules are rules, violators should certainly be dismissed, but to make everyone guilty while the truth is still being investigated is not the way educated people deal with problems like this. To back Mike Lekrone into a corner is an easy out for the administration.
As a band director myself, when the actions of a few (I have taken 210 kids on trips) is to first, do no further harm. Then, make thinks safe again. Then and only then do we worry about punishment. Hang in there, Mike, you are our hero.
how disappointing and embarrassing to everyone affiliated witht he University of Wisconsin. I commend the Office staff and the band leader for there roles in the disciplinary process.
The band members should be ashamed of themselves!
It is unfortunate that the Frat house environment is allowed to exist within the UW Madison Band. Unfortunately new band members have felt compelled to leave becauase it is apparent that if they want to participate they would have to do so in a hostile environment. Apparently this situation is allowed to exist at Madison because this atmosphere does not exist at other UW Schools such as La Crosse. What is the root of the problem, band leadership, administration or a combination of both? Is this the reputation that UW Madison desires?
It’s sad that this has become a black-eye on UW, especially since these types of behaviors go on in marching bands all over the country. A similar investigation of any college band would likely ellicit similar stories. Many of these games and “activites” are well-established traditions that have gone on in some capacity for decades. These young adults are modeling the behavior of those who came before them. Sorting through what is appropriate and inappropriate is a difficult path to navigate and has lots of gray areas. If you want to change the culture, workshops and counseling are the unfortunate answer.
Sad … the crescendo outcome to this public witch hunt … “an undisclosed number of hazing victims have quit the band during the course of the investigation.”
Lori Berquam should quit based on the sophomoric handling of this entire episode.
actually, no members have quit because of hazing. they quit because band “wasn’t for them”. once again everyone has no idea what they are talking about.
To be honest, this is no surprise. Of course you would find similar situations in other college bands around the country, however, no band (at least big 10 band) is more public about their misconduct than the Wisconsin band. I have seen (first hand) the complete lack of respect that Wisconsin band members have for their program and University as a whole.
The Wisconsin band is not even allowed in the city of East Lansing because of how much damage they did to a hotel room years ago. And that’s East Lansing!
I think that change needs to come from more than just a few students. Clearly, Wisconsin band members need to understand what it means to represent their state, university, and musical program.
Thank God the band is back. The Badgers should win big over Penn State now.
Oh wait…
you know what is REALLY embarrassing? having a student section that booes their own team.
These types of behaviors do not go on in marching bands all over the country.
o give me a break poster at 2 24. we paid good money for those tickets and I CERTAINLY deserved to be able to boo that shoddy performance sat night
“The Wisconsin band is not even allowed in the city of East Lansing because of how much damage they did to a hotel room years ago. And that’s East Lansing!”
Madison is a hole. GO GREEN!
And keep your perv band outta here!
As a member of another Big 10 Band, I have had no such hazing experiences during my time with them. As for Wisconsin band itself, the suspension was needed for the capacity of the investigation. Hazing is a serious thing and the band should not play while the matter went unresolved.