Michigan Tech Hockey (YEAAAH!!) wrote:
>
> Michigan Tech has one of the most "alive and well" pep bands in the
> league.  In fact, the band has been outlawed at Lakeview Arena in
> Marquette, Mich., due to the effect it has on the game.
 
And Pam Sweeney wondered:
>
> Are you certain that's the reason?  A few years ago (must be 7 or so)
> the WCHA decided that, as a cost-cutting measure, no bands or
> cheerleaders are allowed at WCHA away games.
 
Yup, that is in fact the reason; I was head manager of the MTU Huskies
Pep Band some 10 or 11 years ago before the ban on bands at away games
was implemented; I can remember one occasion when NMU relented and let
us send a band. The condition was that we could only send as many
members as their whole band had; at that time, their band was about 50
students strong.  Ours was about 175; thus all of the people who went
from MTU were those by and large with the most seniority.
 
It was an interesting experience; firstly the average age of the NMU
band member seemed to be around 19, and most of the members were from
the more formal ensembles making up the music department; the average
age of the MTU contingent was at least 22, and ALL of them were
engineers. (MTU has a Fine Arts department, but offers no musical
degrees.) The two bands were placed side by side, and there was a lot
of good-natured razzing going back and forth. (MTU: "WE HAVE JOBS! WE
HAVE JOBS!" NMU: "WORKING FOR US! WORKING FOR US!") The real difference
between the two bands, however, made itself obvious while I was under
the stands they were in, getting a soda. There was a break in the game,
and the NMU folks played a cheer. I thought to myself, "You know, they
sound pretty good!" And then, the MTU band played: the same number of
people, at about four times the volume. It was pretty bizarre.
 
We ended up winning the game, by the way, in a dramatic
come-from-behind finish that the MTU pep band played, if I do say so
myself (and please excuse the pun) an instrumental part in; the NMU
fans and team were less than pleased with us. As I remember, we were
also banned from Minnesota for similar reasons; we were just too
demoralizing.
 
                                -- Andy
 
 
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MICHIGAN TECH HUSKIES PEP BAND ALUMNI                           Andrew B. Peed
Still crazy after all these years....                         [log in to unmask]
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