As for the double standard of being in favor of throwing hats on the ice, I don't think it is a double standard, because there is one big difference. Throwing a hat on the ice is a way of celebrating a hat trick and supporting your team; it has positive connotations. Throwing objects at members of the opposing team is not the least bit positive. As for the Dartmouth band's dismissal from hockey games, I think it is a sad day for Dartmouth hockey. I was fortunate enough to conduct the pep band at Cornell, where Brian McCutcheon is very supportive of the band. He has said that the crowd is worth 1-2 goals a game, and he realizes that the band is a huge part of the crowd. I have never heard recorded music that can elicit crowd cheering like a good band can. A good conductor works with the fans, getting them to cheer when things get quiet, and doesn't play when the crowd is doing a cheer of their own. Working with the crowd, play of the game, and possibly another pep band is not as easy as it seems. I find it rather ironic that this decision has come down after the Dartmouth band has improved greatly. When I went to the Cornell games in 85-86 and 86-87, the band only had about 10-15 members and one of them played a keg! This year, the band had about 20-30 members and sounded pretty good (they ditched the keg for a real bass drum). A band like that could teach the fans there a number of cheers and greatly improve crowd participation, not to mention the fact that on road games, you can take a band to another rink, but who's going to let you play your music over their PA system? I realize that Dartmouth hasn't had to think about this for a long time, but wouldn't it be great if, this year, in their first playoff game in ages, the team had a roaring crowd to support them? Paulette Dwen Cornell pep band conductor 88-89