To the person who threw a hat on the court...

[LitchMingo]

Oooooookaaaaaayyyy:



The Wichita State game was a volunteer effort, just so you know. Also, only about 70% of the band gets paid 100 dollars for the entire season, so I can understand how getting those PHAT paychecks could make us a little bit listless. Seriously though, we show up when we can.

I personally always look on this board but never really write on it due to a connection with the athletic department, but this one i feel that I need to chime in on...

If you look on page 510 of the University of Northern Iowa budget you will find the pepband recieves $11,000, which is quite a bit more than most clubs and organizations recieve directly from the University. Also this money comes from the Athletic Department, so I believe this would put the pepband under the command of those in the Athletic department...and on another note the money you recieve in band is $100 more than the UNI Cheerleaders and Dancers make for a season of basketball and $100 more than the Mac's Mainiacs recieve for cheering their heads off, so get off your high horse!

and here is the link to the budget... https://access.uni.edu/reports/budget/UNIBU022.pdf

[Newsbreaker]

Good point Litch. FYI, that $11,000 is less then they keep an entire radio station running on for an entire YEAR, for an example. Actually, some year's it's almost double what they get.

You save that $100 a person, and you've got some money to buy some new songs.

Problem. Solved.

[Panthers#1]

Good point Litch. FYI, that $11,000 is less then they keep an entire radio station running on for an entire YEAR, for an example. Actually, some year's it's almost double what they get.

You save that $100 a person, and you've got some money to buy some new songs.

Problem. Solved.

Then you have no pep band. I don't know how many people would be willing to play if there was no money involved. I realize that the students are getting credit for it but it is one credit hour. The time put into pep band is far greater than one credit hour. Go back to the drawing board and think of a new plan or make your checks payable to the UNI Music Department.

[Newsbreaker]

They're getting A CREDIT. What's the value of that, about 300 bones if you take a single credit class as a part-time student I believe, maybe even more.

There's you're compensation.

I did plenty of things at UNI that took up a great deal of time, where I didn't receive a dime. I did those things becasue I actually gave a crap about those things, therefore it was worth the time investment.

If that deal isn't good enough, then we have no band and explain to the world that the Univeristy's Music Program is not able to put one together. It'd be the truth.

[LitchMingo]

Then you have no pep band. I don't know how many people would be willing to play if there was no money involved. I realize that the students are getting credit for it but it is one credit hour. The time put into pep band is far greater than one credit hour. Go back to the drawing board and think of a new plan or make your checks payable to the UNI Music Department.

Then maybe we should want those pep band members that want to be their for the game and not for the paycheck...and dont forget the Mainiacs have to pay for their t-shirts while the pep band recieves their shirts to wear for games (even though the shirts are not theirs to own)

[Newsbreaker]

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the pep band fill an 'ensamble' requirement for these kids, that they'd have to replace with another 'band' of some sort?

[Panthers#1]

They're getting A CREDIT. What's the value of that, about 300 bones if you take a single credit class as a part-time student I believe, maybe even more.

There's you're compensation.

I don't see where you are going with this first part. Most of these students are full time students.

I did plenty of things at UNI that took up a great deal of time, where I didn't receive a dime. I did those things becasue I actually gave a crap about those things, therefore it was worth the time investment.

If that deal isn't good enough, then we have no band and explain to the world that the Univeristy's Music Program is not able to put one together. It'd be the truth.

Yes there are students that actually care about about the pep band but are there 30 of them? I'm sure if you were a band geek, you would most likley sign up for a credit hour but are there 30 people that are as dedicated as you? I don't know and I don't want to know. I think taking away the students scholarships is the last thing we need to do.

[Panthers#1]

Then maybe we should want those pep band members that want to be their for the game and not for the paycheck...and dont forget the Mainiacs have to pay for their t-shirts while the pep band recieves their shirts to wear for games (even though the shirts are not theirs to own)

But will there be enough people? I wouldn't want to take 15 pep band members to St. Louis to look like a high school band. I also wouldn't want to pull a Bucknell and not send the pep band.

[Panthers#1]

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the pep band fill an 'ensamble' requirement for these kids, that they'd have to replace with another 'band' of some sort?

No it doesn't fill an ensamble requirement.

[SteinPizza]

Hey, we could be talking about something other than band members throwing drumsticks. This is from an article currently linked on Drudge.

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Fans of No. 5 Gonzaga have been asked to stop yelling "Brokeback Mountain" at opposing players.

The reference to the recent movie about homosexual cowboys was chanted by some fans during Monday's game against Saint Mary's, and is apparently intended to suggest an opposing player is gay.

[Newsbreaker]

My point is that a credit is very valuable, it shouldn't be looked at as 'only a credit.' That is, and should be, compensation enough.

Maybe the Athletic Department plays a card they probably would rather not...if a band member wants to go to STL or the tournament, they must attend a specific percentage of home games as a member of the band.

Take away the reward at the end of the year, and I bet you'd see more participation.

[panther2317]

Good point News.

[Marc Wigim]

The problem there is that St. Louis and the NCAA only allow a certain number of people to go anyway, so it doesn't matter.

Whoever told me to get off my high horse can do the same. 11,000 goes to the Pep Band every year. I see 100 of it every year. Considering the 15 or 16 games I play at every year, that's 6.66 dollars a game. Considering that we are there playing for 2 and a half hours per game, we're getting 2.66 dollars and hour, which is more than some migrant workers, but I digress.

You all need to realize something very important. Basketball players get scholarships covering books, tuition, room and board, fees, etcetera. We get: 100 bucks. IF you get a scholarship, and there's only about 30 of those to give you. At any given game, there are about 1/3 to 40% of those band members volunteering their time anyway. If you respond with "they get credit!" then I tell you that we receive 1 hour of credit for what amounts to anywhere from 2 1/2 to 6 hours a week in performance. So there IS an element of volunteerism, ladies and gentlemen.

There is this disgusting stigma with musicians that just makes me want to throw up, and I mean that. As a music major, I try to get gigs to supplement my meager income. About 90% of the gigs I try to set up automatically assume that I'm going to do this for free and that if I do a reeeeal good job, they'll get my name out to others in the community.

Let's pause the game tape for a minute.

Let's say you are wanting to remodel your kitchen. When contractors come to give your their bid, how many of you in your right mind would tell them, "Oh we can't pay you... but if you do a good job, we'll get the name of your company out to all our friends who might need your help down the road!"

They would laugh in your face. And DON'T accuse the band of not being "Panther Fans" because they are there for class credit or 100 bucks or whatever. That's a shot below the belt and you all know it. Marketing directors at the game get paid (if they don't they BETTER be)... does that make them less of a fan? Mac is getting paid to be there... does that make HIM any less of a fan?

But I'm digressing from my original point. The point is that it takes time and effort to be involved in this pep band, just like it does if you're on the team. If you're on the team, your education is being provided for you. If you're in the band, it isn't. We know that thems the ropes, but stop questioning our motivation and our reason for asking for a break.

Oh, and bonner97? It's VERTICAL stripes that make you more slimming. If you think we look slimmer, it's just that the band has been working out. We're glad that you noticed.

[Panthers#1]

My point is that a credit is very valuable, it shouldn't be looked at as 'only a credit.' That is, and should be, compensation enough.

Maybe the Athletic Department plays a card they probably would rather not...if a band member wants to go to STL or the tournament, they must attend a specific percentage of home games as a member of the band.

Take away the reward at the end of the year, and I bet you'd see more participation.

Have you ever been in a college pep band or marching band? They are very time consuming. There should be more than one credit offered for the time that these students put into this band.

Lets break it down. It takes about 130 credits to graduate. Pep band is one credit so that is .7% of your credits each year. Times that by 4 years, that is only 3% of your credits that you need. Not that many credits.

Lets to it by the numbers. It costs about $4,000 per semester for a student. If you take a full load of 15 hours plus 1 for pep band, that is $250. Since you are not giving the pep band $100, you are making them pay $250 for a one credit hour class where they are being educated on how to play cool music but they can't play because there are so many promos that UNI has to run so the pep band just sits there and plays 1/4 of the time. Multiply that by 4 years, that is $1000 for 4 credits where they hardly play the cool music.

Now does a one hour credit seem like much?

[panther2317]

When I worked as Associate Director of Hammons Student Center at Missouri State...getting paid made me a Bears fan. Now that they aren't paying me...I'm not anymore. Employees aren't necessarily fans first. UNI is unique in the fact that many people working for the Panthers were students first, but that is not always the case.

The question is: would you play for the band if there wasn't $100 in it for you?