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FAMU Marching Band Hits Sour Notes

By Sakina Bowser and Carnell Hawthorne Jr.
Black College Wire

File photo/the Famuan FAMU's Marching 100 could be barred from traveling from Nov. 18 to the end of the spring semester.

Seventy-four members of the Florida A&M University Marching 100 have been placed on academic probation and, separately, the entire band faces possible suspension after accusations that some members stole sheets, pillows and other articles from a hotel after a road game in Detroit.

"As of right now we are not pressing charges; furthermore, the school has been very cooperative in negotiations. We have not restricted the band from returning," said Raynard Lawler, the residential manager of the Detroit Marriott hotel.

After the team's losing 34-14 performance Sept. 2 against Delaware State University at the Detroit Football Classic at Ford Field, members of the Marching 100 returned to the hotel to rest before the long bus ride back to Tallahassee, band members said.

Hotel officials stopped the band members Sunday morning as the band was departing, alleging items were missing from their hotel rooms, Band Director Julian White said.

Body towels, face towels, pillows, irons and comforters were among the items recovered, delaying their return by three hours, white said.

"Some of the property was recovered and immediately given back," White said.

White said he could not give an estimate of how much was stolen.

The incident could result in suspension of the entire band from traveling from Nov. 18, the date of the Florida Classic, through the end of the spring semester, White said in a memorandum distributed to band members and university officials.

White asked that any band member who participated in the thefts or had personal knowledge of any thefts come forward. If no one came forward, the entire band would be subject to the travel ban, he said. None had taken responsibility by Sept. 7.

"Once the investigation is complete the band will make further decisions and penalize those students, and there are plans in place to prevent this in the future," White said.

After the students returned home, the band members learned separately Sept. 6 that some of them would be placed on probation for academic reasons.

At the start of the school year, the division of bands gave students a pre-drill information packet that outlined the specific academic requirements students must meet in order to perform with the band.

The regulations regarding academics state that students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in order to participate. Freshmen are required to take up to 29 course hours. Sophomores must work to complete 30 to 59 hours, juniors must work to get 60 to 89 and seniors try to complete 90 to 120 hours.

Ralph W. Turner, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said White submitted a list of all 329 members of the Marching 100 to the registrar’s office. White was given back a report of all the band students who did not meet the academic eligibility requirement.

Fifty-four students were on the list.

The registrar’s report also showed at least 20 more students were not actually enrolled in classes or had no valid student identification numbers. Those students were immediately dismissed from band involvement.

“Most students are not losing their band numbers and positions,” Turner said. “However, they are restricted from traveling and performing. The students who have been placed on academic probation have the opportunity to rejoin their band mates next semester. They must simply work hard and pull up their grades.”

The absence of the 74 members will require the band to rearrange some drill formations and fill spatial arrangements.

One of the affected students, Travis Roberts, 19, a sophomore pre-dentistry student from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said, “I don’t knock the university for handling the situation, but it just seemed kind of last minute.”

Roberts said he attended two weeks of training and practices before he received the news.

He was told at a night practice prior to the game against Delaware State. He decided it was best for him to drop the band course until next semester, when he hopes to rejoin.

“It is my intention to work with Dr. White and others on campus to give students ample opportunity to pull up their GPAs,” said Turner. “We constantly emphasize to students that their number one priority is to get an education and earn a degree."

Turner spoke with White about the impact of performing with a reduced number of members and said he was told the band will be able to perform at “a high level of excellence.”

Sakina Bowser and Carnell Hawthorne Jr. are students at Florida A&M University who write for the Famuan.

Posted Sept. 12, 2006