Yes, certainly the "RPI rule" has put the kibosh to an extent on people
bringing in extra noisemakers, be they cowbells, air horns, or those
miserable thunder sticks that are so ubiquitous.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with a thousand cowbells in the
arena.  The problem is that the refs would have to start calling crowd
penalties when they are played during play.  And no one wants that
responsibility in the refs hands.  Generally speaking, with a few notable
exceptions, the bands are very good about stopping the music as soon as play
starts.

I didn't realize there was no SLU pep band, I've been away from things too
long.  That's too bad for SLU.  The bands have always, to my eye and ear
added a special something to the college game.  Nothing grates me more than
going to a college hockey game and hearing some sort of Jock Jam record
playing over and over in breaks instead of a band.  Or worse, like at the
UVM @ BC game Thursday, BC had a band but you could hear records more than
the band!  But I digress..

A band can really help their team and crowd along, especially as a little
home-town lift in a visiting arena.  Sara, since you don't have a band at
SLU, why don't you or other alums/students whoever, speak with the SLU
administration and get designated as the mini pep-band for a given game.
Then you could bring drums, bells, whatever you like within the official
rules.  I'm not sure how the administration would take it, but why not?

There's no rule that says bands must be made up of current students.  If a
school wanted to, they could bring in or hire, say, Springsteen or
Parliament Funkadelic or anybody else for that matter to be their band.
(Harvard could even bring in Weezer- they've got one member as a student...)

So I'm symapthetic to Sara for wanting to support her team, but
unfortunately there are rules, and the home teams will enforce them.  Ask
the Cornell non pep-band members in attendance in Minneapolis last year
about their cowbell confiscation(s).

Arik
Cornell '91
Michigan '99