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This past saturday prior to the UTEP game, the SMU alumni band flatly refused to play the school fight song for the football players during their "Pony Walk". After numerous requests to the band by Doctor James Dugal (Billy Dugal #36) and John Grenier (Kevin Granier #90) to play the fight song, the band refused. The band directors spokeman told Doctor Dugal and Mr. Grenier that it is not the bands responsibility or desire to play for the players. Both parents responded by exercising their first ammendment rights describing the usefullness of the SMU alumni band. What does the refusal to play for our boys say about the nSMU alumni band. Shameful. It is time for President Turner, Athletic Director Steve Orsini, Band Director Don Hopkins and the Mustang Club to organize the Pony Walk honoring Coach Jones and the student atheletes of the SMU football team. It needs to happen now at family weekend.

email rgt or orsini...you sound like a parent, maybe they will listen...

Time to disband the band or at least ban them from the campus until their attitude changes. Ban anything and/or anyone taking away from the "SMU Spirit".

Sounds like there is more to this story. Would like to hear the other side...............

Usually the alumni band is very opportunistic and good. I am surprised to hear this. Sad if true.

Go Ponies!

+1 We not only need a band to play, we need them to do some sort of rallying call (maybe "call to the post/fanfare"). It hard to know when to gather to see the players off.

And when was this request made? I never heard of any such request. Did you call the band hall prior to Saturday? Did you ask the Alumni Band prior to Saturday? Did you give any information that the Pony Walk was even going to happen?

Before you come on a public forum and berate one of the longest and most supportive organizations at SMU please consider what all is involved in getting a group together to play the school songs. It isn't like putting a CD in a machine and turning it on. There is a lot more involved.

friarwolf wrote:Sounds like there is more to this story. Would like to hear the other side...............

I agree with friarwolf here. And DiamondM. I find it hard to believe they just said "No, we're not playing."

The Alumni Band played for the fb players several years ago when they'd leave their team meetings in the Theology Quad, when PB was still coach. The players listened to their own music and acted as if they couldn't care less if we were there.

Also, the band has always been a staunch supporter of Peruna, the official mascot of SMU. We don't want people to get the impression we support the geldings, JJ's mascot.

I think the alumni band is a private organization of former band members. I don't think they are officially part of the SMU band structure. As such, I am not sure they can be forced to do anything by the university except of course stop playing when they are banded from the campus for not playing player request.

I would hate to see it but it could happen. It wouldn't be the first time we punished fans for doing something extra for the school.

So if players ask other private fans to do something or say something and the fan(s) refuse, should that/those fan(s) be banded, lecture, censured by the university?

And will such a policy improve alumni relations and donations?

And just so I know, did the Alumni band have specific instructions for the university about appropriate/ approved tunes during the walk? And was the band just following instructions?

Please put a list of the ‘appropriate’ things fans are to do during the walk to show the players respect,. Reverence, devotion and adoration.

ha! ha! ha! What goes around-comes around

DiamondM75 wrote:And when was this request made? I never heard of any such request. Did you call the band hall prior to Saturday? Did you ask the Alumni Band prior to Saturday? Did you give any information that the Pony Walk was even going to happen?

Before you come on a public forum and berate one of the longest and most supportive organizations at SMU please consider what all is involved in getting a group together to play the school songs. It isn't like putting a CD in a machine and turning it on. There is a lot more involved.

I'm sure there is more to the story, but they asked you to play the fight song, not some new song you had never heard of. You could play that sucker in your sleep.

Diamond Girl wrote:The Alumni Band played for the fb players several years ago when they'd leave their team meetings in the Theology Quad, when PB was still coach. The players listened to their own music and acted as if they couldn't care less if we were there.

So now, even though the team is under new leadership, you deny such requests made by the football team out of spite?

Also, the band has always been a staunch supporter of Peruna, the official mascot of SMU. We don't want people to get the impression we support the geldings, JJ's mascot.

Evidently you also desire to not give the impression that you support the football team.

Diamond Girl wrote:...Also, the band has always been a staunch supporter of Peruna, the official mascot of SMU. We don't want people to get the impression we support the geldings, JJ's mascot.

This is the opinion of one person and not the entire alumni band.

I marvel at our collective dysfunctionality