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Marching 100 Have Phone Books Covered

FAMU Marching 100 members are featured at left on the "Real Yellow Pages" being delivered this summer; and on the mid-sized directory to be delivered in mid-January.

By A'sia Horne-Smith
Black College Wire

Florida A&M University's Marching 100 performed with Prince at Super Bowl XLI and its members took a trip to Paris. The next stops are the living rooms of Tallahassee, Fla.

AT&T announced that the Marching 100 will be featured on the covers of its "Real Yellow Pages" phone directories.

Images of the band will be on an estimated 385,000 copies in the Tallahassee area. They will feature a photo of the marching band performing with "precision and accuracy."

The band is to be featured on the cover of the regular-sized phone books and also on the mid-sized, portable version of the book. The directories include residence, business and government contact information and are provided to residents free of charge.

"We really like to partner with someone who has a strong influence on the community," said Barb Orton, a regional sales manager at AT&T. "We really wanted to recognize the (band's) commitment to the community and the state."

Last year, Florida State University was featured.

Although it is summer and much of the campus is away, 19 band members were able to perform at the July 17 unveiling ceremony.

Michael Scott, head drum major of the Marching 100, has played in the band for four years. He said it was another great experience for the band and the university.

"It's always an honor to see the accomplishments and the hard work that you do pay off in the end," said the 24-year-old music education student.

Shelby Chipman, associate director of the marching band, said, "These students work hard and it's good to see the community recognizing us in a positive manner because the university has been going through adversities."

AT&T produces "Real Yellow Pages" directories in 22 states.

A'sia Horne-Smith, a student at Florida A&M University, writes for the Famuan. To comment, e-mail .

Posted July 20, 2007