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Dave Zweifel's Plain Talk: Don't punish whole band for sins of a few

Dave Zweifel  —  10/08/2008 5:32 am

I think the world of UW Band Director Mike Leckrone.

He and his marching band have been nationwide ambassadors for the University of Wisconsin for decades, adding color and excitement to everything from athletic events to the wildly popular spring concerts at the Kohl Center.

Sports purists hate this, but some people actually go to football games to hear the band first, watch the team second. The band is, after all, one of the best bands in the land, if not THE best.

I'm disappointed, though, in Leckrone's decision to suspend the entire band for the misdeeds of what appears to be a handful of members. It reminded me of my fifth-grade teacher, who typically made the entire class stay after school because of an infraction by one kid. We grew to resent her.

It seems that instead of punishing the innocent, which I understand is probably 98 percent of the members, you should make every effort to find the bad ones and then make life absolutely miserable for them -- like kicking them out of the band, for instance, or filing charges if they're warranted.

It doesn't make sense for every kid who has practiced his or her heart out to be denied the chance to play in front of 80,000 people and relatives who have traveled hours to watch.

Lots of football players get into trouble every year, after all, but, funny, the coach never suspends the entire team.

Dave Zweifel is editor emeritus of The Capital Times.

Dave Zweifel  —  10/08/2008 5:32 am