I wasn't there for the Virginia Pep Band's final performance at the men's lacrosse game on April 28, 2003, so I didn't get to hear what the set list consisted of. But one song which would've have been appropriate for the occasion is Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi." A year after the group was black-listed by the athletic department, many Virginia sports fans have come do realize that "you don't know what you got 'till its gone."
Virginia had been the only school in the ACC without a marching band. That will officially change on Sept. 11, 2004 when the Cavalier Marching Band makes its debut at the home opener of the Virginia football season.
This, of course, is good news. The marching band was created after the University received a $1.5 million donation for that purpose. After the announcement of the formation of the band, University Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said that its creation was part of a larger effort to make the University more arts-oriented. Sounds like a noble cause to me.
The problem is that as soon as the announcement was made that a marching band would be established, the Pep Band was banned from all Virginia athletic events.
They weren't allowed to perform at football games last season, even though the Cavalier Marching Band wasn't scheduled to debut until the 2004 season. They were banished from U-Hall even before a subsidiary of the marching band, the HOOps Band, was ready to perform halfway through the season.
But that's not the worst of it. One of the best features of the Pep Band was its frequent appearances at the non-revenue sports at the University (officially known as the "Olympic Sports"). From men's and women's soccer, to men's and women's lacrosse, to even the occasional field hockey game, the Pep Band could be found in the stands providing music and livening up the atmosphere for Virginia fans. Now, even though neither the Cavalier Marching Band nor some subsidiary of the organization will be performing at these sporting events, the athletic department insists on black-listing the group. The Pep Band has become the Pep Banned.
"The goal is that our band program will be a comprehensive program and will feed into the support on-site for our Olympic sports programs," Littlepage said. "The band that performs at different Olympic sporting events will grow out of our larger band program. There will not be an independent effort to have a separate organization that does that."
Once again, it is noble for the athletic department to work toward this. But right now, such a feeder band does not exist. So, what good does it do to keep the Pep Band from performing at these events in the meantime?
The athletic department made a big mistake last year by prematurely ending the Pep Band's run at football and basketball games. They should be able to recognize that by now. While they can't change the past, the least they could do is let the Pep Band play at athletic events where no other Virginia group would be performing otherwise. According to Littlepage, however, there is little to no chance of that happening.
"Any of the groups and musicians that perform at athletic events will come as a result of the expansion of our band program under the direction of [Cavalier Marching Band director] Bill Pease," Littlepage said.
This doesn't make much sense to me. Why ban a group from performing at an event, even before the replacement for the group is ready to play? If Littlepage considers having a performing group at the "Olympic Sports" as a priority, why would he take actions to keep out a band who is ready and willing to play there?
The Pep Band was never the most popular group on Grounds, and there certainly was no large public outcry when their departure was announced. But any Virginia fan who has been to a soccer or lacrosse game without the presence of the Pep Band has noticed its absence.
The easy solution to all of this is to let both bands co-exist peacefully as performers at Virginia athletic events.
This school is supposed to be about student self-governance, right? Then why does the athletic department continue to ignore Student Council's resolution supporting the Pep Band's performing at some athletic events?
The hostile stance the athletic department has taken against the Pep Band is inexcusable. In the best interests of the Virginia fans, its time the policy be changed.
The athletic department is hoping that students will forget about the Virginia Pep Band. And maybe most students won't consider this situation that big of a deal. But such a smack in the face of student self-governance should, at the very least, not go unnoticed.
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