Note: Thoughts expressed in the columns and letters of the opinions section are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of the CW editorial staff.
Facebook and Twitter erupted over an opinion column last Friday. An article by Dave Folk introduced quarrels to an otherwise mundane afternoon. I read this article and laughed, as the exaggerated P.O.V. from Folk outlined the thoughts I, and other students, had the past two games at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The games featured a halftime show I was very excited about, but the formations were somewhat ambiguous. In addition to enjoying the melodies fashioned by our nationally recognized Million Dollar Band, I sat wondering what on Earth was on the field. I never thought to ask my band friends about this. I assumed that formations are based on what would highlight the musicality of the pieces.
I think Folk’s article was taken too seriously. Don’t get me wrong, I was livid when a sarcastic Guerrilla Theatre article surfaced my freshman year. Dave’s a comedic frat daddy who would always make the classroom laugh. He probably loves the MDB just like the rest of us, but he chose to write to generate controversy. His accusations were purely hyperbolic. What budding writer would hash out a boring and conventional column?
Most students adore the Million Dollar Band. The MDB is one of the largest collegiate marching bands and the largest Million Dollar Band our university has seen. As a musical theatre major and member of the UA “Resonance” show choir, it mesmerizes me to see a topnotch example of UA fine arts and performing arts. It’s true that the halftime show is also for other supporters and not the students. But many students go to the concessions before halftime starts so we can get back to our seats and observe if the formations aren’t just a crimson and white amoeba. I love watching the band because they devote their time to present a show that easily represents us as national champions. Nevertheless, the members of the MDB have no say in how the formations look. Thus, members of the MDB felt as if they were bashed for something they can’t control and their sentiments are completely reasonable.
The bottom line is that if one knew Dave Folk, one would take what he says with a grain of salt and a tequila shot. The article was an overly exaggerated opinion of what some students thought. I, and plenty other students, appreciate the 90-minute, six days a week, two hours per Saturday morning rehearsals that MDB members do. Yet, it’s difficult to overlook that this article produced plenty more readers, even reached the Auburn University Marching Band, increased the number of visitors on the website, propelled the popularity of the CW, and possibly sparked a handful of new supporters to our Million Dollar Band. Let’s applaud the CW for motivating our students to renew the act of debating issues, swapping opinions, and simply reading a newspaper. It was refreshing to see my Facebook news feed have plenty of opinions about an article instead of wondering what bar we should get drunk at tonight.
Gia Asperas is a junior in communication studies and musical theatre.
