LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Penn Band: All in Good Fun

To the Editor: As a Penn Band alumna, and first and foremost a Penn alumna, I was deeply saddened to see the sentiment expressed in the letters of Kathy Neuhaus and Shannon Edwards. I, too, am proud of my alma mater. I am proud of its many traditions, two including its 100-year tradition of the Penn Band, and its (threatened as of late) encouragement toward open expression. Apparently, others do not feel the same way about the second tradition. I feel that the Penn Band, in keeping with both traditions, was merely attempting to do what it always has done for years -- play good music set to good humor. Unfortunately some people seem to lack the sense of humor to enjoy the art on the field, since they feel the humor transcends good taste and flirts with the offensive. Well, the Penn Band has always been an "equal opportunity offender." It is true that the Band often enjoys ribbing other rival schools (just as these schools reciprocate in their band's performances), but the Band also has targeted jokes toward Penn, as most home shows will illustrate. In her letter to the editor, Ms. Edwards claimed that Penn students have a "ridiculous" air of superiority. Then, she went on to criticize the Band for demeaning "schools that are not as academically competitive." I suppose describing a school as "not as academically competitive," would immediately disclaim any air of superiority since it was said in such a graceful way. Really, (since, after all, the Band is an "equal opportunity offender,") by poking fun at Lafayette, the Penn Band considers Lafayette as an equal to Princeton and Columbia, who also fall to the scrutiny of the Penn Band pen. In no way would the Band members, or its alumni, ever truly and intentionally claim that Penn is a "superior" institution, or that Lafayette College is an "inferior" one. Both institutions are excellent, and comparing the two would be comparing apples to oranges since both institutions have different things to offer. I would also like to respond to Ms. Neuhaus' apple to lemon(ade) comparison. I am referring to her comment that the Lafayette show perpetuated the negative image fostered by inebriated Penn students throwing lemonade at football fans. There are thousands of reasons why this is an inappropriate analogy, but I will offer one -- the Band's show was sanctioned by the University. I, too, am upset when I hear of incidents such as those at the Dartmouth game, but I do not feel that 55 excellent musicians who spend hours a week rehearsing so that there is a new show every week should be deserving of a similar scolding. As a former Band board member, I know that every show is submitted to the Athletic Department two weeks in advance, and must be approved to maintain funding. The Lafayette show was approved. Finally, I would like to extend an invitation to those who feel that the Penn Band is an embarrassment to the University. As I recall, music rehearsals are at 6 p.m. on Monday evenings in the Annenberg Center, Room 511. Field rehearsals are Wednesday evenings, usually at 9 or 10 p.m. And please do see the finished product at Saturday's game. (The football team is excellent, too.) All will find that the Band is serious about performances, and that no member would waste that much time and energy just to make cheap shots at other fine schools. MARTHA McGRAIL College '95 n To the Editor: I am furious that any student at this university can criticize the Penn Band so harshly (DP 9/27/95). The band was blatantly lied to by the Lafayette athletic director, who made a single-handed decision to censor a script that had already been approved by a review board. Worse yet, after weeks of the Band's hard work and after an irresponsible action by the Lafayette athletic department, several Penn students somehow had the gall to write to this newspaper and criticize material not of their own taste. I found the Penn Band script to be a humorous display of musical wit, though not a profoundly insightful analysis of Lafayette's academic situation. Any student (or athletic director) who feels otherwise takes this issue far too seriously. I highly doubt that any toast-tossing Quaker fan could possibly be disturbed or offended by the nature of the Band's halftime shows -- I, for one, am not. Kudos to the band for their underappreciated hard work. Ariel Fishman College '98 Page's Debut a Hit To the Editor: Kudos for Max Page's thoughtful and funny critique of the hierarchy of space at Penn ("Sites of Learning" DP 9/21/95). I laughed out loud when I read about the shabby history grad student lounge and its miraculous reincarnation into the Corporation Counsel's luxurious office. But my guffaw was abruptly curtailed when I remembered that my department -- Asian and Middle Eastern Studies -- no longer even has a lounge. Last spring it was converted into two cramped offices for new professors. This has left the grad students in AMES in a nomadic state, with nowhere to meet, study, eat lunch, practice our language skills or meet with undergrads. During the day, we stash our bags behind the desks of sympathetic Penn employees around campus, and those talking in the hallways. AMES seems to have been pushed even further onto the margins than History! Let's reclaim the center. Max, you bring the peanut butter, I'll bring the bread, and let's have lunch at the Corporation Counsel's office. SARA DAVIS Asian and Middle Eastern Studies graduate student