www.miamistudent.net
MUMB,
FROM PAGE 1 year. “Halfway through September, there was a 5k race in Mason and some of the people in the tuba section went and a few ran with tubas.” English added that the band practices are harder and that the group must be more focused than ever to prepare for the parade. In addition to marching the parade route, band members will be playing the Miami fight song, Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” and the blues tune “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That” by Robert Randolph and the Family Band. While the parade route songs might be more appealing to certain demographics, their
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011 grand finale will be a tune that everyone is familiar with: “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” since the band is marching directly in front of the Santa Claus float. “It’s the prime spot,” Lytle said, who kept the surprise under wraps until announcing it to the students in early October. For the students, marching in the Macy’s Parade means an exciting trip to New York and the chance to perform for an audience upwards of 40 million. For the MUMB, the trip means greater prestige and a chance to recruit more members. “People want to be part of a successful organization,” Lytle said. “When you point to things such as
the parade, the bowl game we went to last year or opportunities where they get to do something out of the ordinary, that helps polish your own star.” Of the 260 members, only about 15 to 20 percent come from music majors, Lytle said. The majority comes from different majors on campus. All students who participate in the marching band receive two credit hours for their participation. On top of the already-rigorous schedules, this can be a challenging amount of work. But for these band members, the work is well worth it. English, a math education major with a physics minor, is excited to be a part of a group that’s
going to be in the Macy’s Day Parade. “I’ve never been to New York City. I feel honored to be bringing in the Santa float and closing the parade,” English said. If they learn nothing else from the experience, the students in the MUMB will know that with hard work comes great rewards. They will be joining an illustrious list of Macy’s Day Parade bands that stretches back to the parade’s inception in 1924. “We consider the marching band program one of the cornerstones of the parade,” Whatley said. “You can have a parade without a balloon or a float, but you can’t have one without a marching band.”
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reconnect with student organizations, take part in the parade and attend games,” Mock said. Joe Gieringer, junior and Delta Tau Delta member, is excited to welcome back the fraternity’s alumni, including his father. “I think it’s the spirit that makes homecoming memorable,” Gieringer said. “Everybody gets really excited for it.” Gieringer’s sentiment is echoed by Alanah Raykovich, co-chair of the Homecoming Committee. “We want to make it a week where students and faculty and alumni can come together,” she said. “It’s to remind us why we love Miami so much.”
campus and began work this week, said much of the institute’s focus will come from knowing what other organizations are doing and providing a centralized focus that the university currently lacks. He is a retired United States Army veteran, and was involved with Army ROTC at Eastern Carolina University prior to assuming his position with Miami. Buller mentioned that the office was receptive to his arrival and seemed glad that someone was here to lead the organization, given the absence of a director in the past. “The end goal for me is that the Wilks Institute is the center of gravity for leadership development on campus,” Buller said. Students on campus said they are excited to hear about leadership opportunities they can get involved in. “When I came for my freshman orientation, there were definitely opportunities that you could get involved with, but I don’t remember hearing too much about leadership opportunities,” sophomore Tony Morgano said. “It’s definitely good to communicate those things with the students.” Sophomore Rocco Baldasare agreed, “There’s so much stuff that you can get involved in between Greek life, sports, and classes, it’s hard to know where to start so it’s good that they’re getting the information out there.”
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Tune in to WMSR all this weekend for your Miami Redhawk action.
Miami Hockey takes on Lake Superior State Thursday and Friday, coverage begins at 7:00 pm. Miami Football takes on the Buffalo Bulls Saturday, coverage begins at 3:00 pm.
Listen live all season to WMSR: your home for Miami sports.
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