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If given the choice of one or the other, would you rather have your high school have a successful football team or a successful marching band?
| Response | Percent | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Successful football team | 58% | 662 | |
| Successful marching band | 41% | 468 | |
| Total | 1130 | ||
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Comments
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Marshalus (Michael Stanclift) says…
I'm all about the band.
Or both.
Danimal (anonymous) says…
My high school had a miserable football team that was lucky to win a game or two every year, but one of the best marching bands in the state. I've got to say, from an educational standpoint, many more kids lives were positively influenced by our great marching band than by our mediocre football team.
kusp8 (anonymous) says…
^ You could say this applied to KU during the 90s.
gccs14r (anonymous) says…
Music at least has lifelong benefits. Football, not so much.
motomom (anonymous) says…
Lawrence High Marching Lions received a first place at the Blue Valley Marching Competition 2 weeks ago......they are
really terrific this year and i encourage folks to come out and see them perform. You won't be disappointed! Mike Jones, Pat McCarty and Johannah Cox are the finest band directors in the entire state of Kansas. : )
mom_of_three (anonymous) says…
Does this apply to a particular local school?
What a question to ask.
RETICENT_IRREVERENT (Ronaldo Ignacio) says…
What a silly poll.
Everyone knows the freaky chicks are in band, not pom-pom squad.
autie (anonymous) says…
.... the other musicians hurt you, sometimes very badly.
but nobody likes band. Nobody.
Practicality (anonymous) says…
Um, when was the last time everybody got all fired up about how well the band performed? When was the last time the media devoted coverage to the bands performance? Answer: NEVER.
The band adds to the enjoyment of a football game and provides musically inclined students an opportunity to contribute and participate in school functions, but I have never seen the student body or parents or the school faculty distraught at how the band performed.
infidel (anonymous) says…
You know what happens at band camp.
concernedeudoravoter (anonymous) says…
In the grand scheme of life one has to ask: Which will have a greater influence on the educational experience and preparation for what lies beyond high school and college - band or football? I would wage a guess that for any of the Douglas County schools, that musicians have more scholarships and are better prepared for a college career than your average football player. Sure the schools have produced some quality athletes, but very few of them make a career out of it. Music provides a base for so much in the grander scheme of things.
And to respond to an earlier comment - I believe there was an extensive article about one of the drum majors at one of the two Lawrence high schools in the LJW just last week. So in response to media never covering band or their performances, or their members - think again.
mjwgoku (anonymous) says…
Silly question. Without football, why the need for the band? I played football and my sister was in the band at KU, so I see both sides.
gsxr600 (anonymous) says…
How about telling us why this poll is being asked? Without a "see related story" this is just non-sense and people will get into a heated discussion and not really know why they're even arguing. I'm assuming this is because the LHS football team sucks and the LHS marching band is spectacular this year, yes? So how bout you all write a story, post it, and link it up to this poll?
gsxr600 (anonymous) says…
mjwgoku
Marching bands in the fall compete against other schools. It's kind of like a sport, except in marching band you're more competing against yourself and your abilities. Marching bands are at games to help create an atmosphere and entertain the crowd but also to practice for upcoming competitions. If there wasn't football, we'd still be out there practicing and improving. So, even if there were no sports, a marching band would still exist.
Cappy (anonymous) says…
Hey, let's hear it for Orchestra and Jazz Band! That's where I had the most fun. Football was a big disappoint.
jumpin_catfish (anonymous) says…
Both would be cool.
artichokeheart (anonymous) says…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODu888...
happypill4014 (anonymous) says…
Band all the way! Music has been shown to help students academically and students are graded in band, as where football is a sport and has no grade tied to its performance or participation.
2002 (anonymous) says…
The one sad thing is the kids who have the false hope that the band will take them somewhere. Don't they realize how few make it at the professional level?
mjwgoku (anonymous) says…
Uh huh... I was in the band and orchestra and yes they will always be there and compete against themselves and other bands, but I guarrantee you if a high school drops football, the marching band goes too.
Penny_Bullock (anonymous) says…
"...this one time, at band camp..."
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Band, hands down! The years my son was with the LHS marching band, they were extremely successful, which was a great experience for him. They won several competitions, including Neewollah, which is such a fun event, and it was wonderful to see how hard the kids worked and how happy they were that their efforts paid off.
Kudos to Mike Jones, Pat McCarty, and Johanna Cox for their phenomenal efforts at consistently keeping the LHS band at the top. I know that band was a highlight of my son's high school years and he will always have a great network of band friends. He is still very active in music (while studying mechanical engineering for a good day job).
Autie~ That was very funny! ;-) Ditto, 2002!
labmonkey (anonymous) says…
Where is the obligatory "Nobody likes playing in band. Nobody. Sometimes the other band members hurt you....."?
StirrrThePot (anonymous) says…
"The one sad thing is the kids who have the false hope that the band will take them somewhere. Don't they realize how few make it at the professional level?"
Take out the word band and replace it with the word football and that statement is accurate.
Band will take them further than football will in many cases. How many of those high school football players end up in NFL? Or even the college level for that matter?
Being one who holds a music degree, I can name dozens who have made a career of music in some capacity whether it is teaching, conducting, performing, or music therapy.
There is very little false hope with kids in band. Many know already whether or not they will continue beyond high school--they either do it because they are good at it and/or they love it, or they do it for those reasons and because they want to do it as a career. You want to look at false hope, look at all the kids who think they'll play football forever, or the ones who might even get a scholarship only to find out they actually have to go to class too!
kujayhawk (anonymous) says…
Football, not even close. Don't get me wrong, I love the band, but without a decent football team, what's the purpose of having a band.
StirrrThePot (anonymous) says…
This really is a stupid question, I agree.
It also seems to imply that marching band is all there is to a high school band program, which is completely false. In reality, the students who want to perform as professional musicians often get as far away from marching band as humanly possible once they get to the college level, based on what I have seen.
Another thing to consider is we are comparing apples and oranges here. Like football, band may be considered extra curricular except in most schools it is a credit class and you get graded. Marching band is part of the overall grade depending on the school.
Both football and band have similar benefits to kids in life; I personally would not want one more than the other to be successful. In my experience though, I have seen band programs flourish depsite what the football team does, proving that no matter what...the band still plays on. As long as that is the case, I am fine with it.
ClaroAtaxia (anonymous) says…
Seeing as how playing an instrument requires WAY more intellect and skill than slamming into the guy who is holding inflated pig-skin, I would have to select marching band. I really REALLY want to know the logic behind wanting your school to have a good football team, seriously! All it shows about your school is that you have stronger, faster jocks than the other school, big friggin deal!
PS: No, I'm not, nor have ever, been in band. I just don't see how having a good football team says anything about your school, at all!
volunteer (anonymous) says…
It was hard enough to get a second high school in this town, and I don't think it was the band fans leading the protests.
ralphralph (anonymous) says…
If the football team is bad, you can visit, text, get some nachos, or whatever, until it's over.
If the band is bad, there's no place to hide.
Band.
honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…
that's a hard one for me because i am a band geek. played trombone from grades 6-12. 2nd chair and proud of it. ;)
anyway, i had so much fun in band and at that time, my school had a great marching band (not sure how good they are now, last time i heard them i was kind of disappointed but that might have just been an off day). BUT sometimes having a really strong, successful football program makes folks want to be in the band moreso because you get into games for free, get to travel when they go to state, etc.
i'm not going to officially vote. i'm split.
kcwarpony (anonymous) says…
Band...and I know we had better road trips than the football team. We had both boys AND girls on our buses :)
BABBOY (anonymous) says…
Yeah, but we dated the cheerleaders.....
R0ckChalk13 (anonymous) says…
My band director always said we were artists from the waist up and athletes from the waist down. There's nothing wrong with a good football team, but there's also nothing wrong with giving talented and hardworking band "geeks" the credit they deserve too!
kcwarpony (anonymous) says…
"you too kcwarpony? you ever unload trailers of citrus in your dreams? ;)"
Why, I have no idea what you're talking about. I have absolutely no idea how to unload 20 and 40 pound boxes of oranges and grapefruits from a semi trailer, before first period, and stack them in the band room. Nope, not a clue...
hardworkingmom (anonymous) says…
What came first, football or the band?
hannahdawn0709 (whitney harper) says…
the band!!! In case nobody knows music and band have been around a lot longer than the sport of football.
slowplay (anonymous) says…
When i was in college our Marching Band was in the National finals. It was great. I was lead trombone. everyone looked up to me and I felt I could lead the band to victory. Then it happened, I twisted my knee on a sharp 180 degree turn. I had to be carted off the field. My hopes dashed. I really thought I was going to the big show. I spent the next few years in the minors playing in small town parades and junior high football games but I never regained my confidence and my life spun out of control. I now regret not spending more time in class, but i was blinded by the big dollars of turning pro. Kids, remember, no matter how well you can high step or how precise your turns are, it can all come to a crashing halt.
jaywalker (anonymous) says…
Have always loved the band, musicians, music, etc. But seriously, what the hell kind of question is that? That's along the lines of: What do you wish for: sexual encounters that linger for a lifetime or a comfortable condom?
Too much scotch?
Cartemus (anonymous) says…
I just want pretty cheerleaders.
kjo_shorty (anonymous) says…
Well, since the band gets to play at football games, I think we should play football at the band concerts! That sounds about as ridiculous as your little poll here, I know. Just making my point. Asinine. And I don't pay admission on Friday nights to listen to the band, I go to watch the game.
Opinionation (anonymous) says…
Football games would be considerably more boring without the band. Especially with how the LHS football team is doing this year.
What I really want to hear is the opinion of someone who was in both the band and on the football team. I know that that happens in some rare cases...
hannahdawn0709 (whitney harper) says…
While I was in high school we half our band was made up of students both in band and sports. We had several football player, cheerleaders, baseball and softball players too. If you were in a sport and in band or choir it was hard but you fought hard for them both. I was in band and choir and was at the top and had no problems balancing things of this matter but most everyone by senior year realized sports don't last forever and education does. Art is part of education and music is an art.