Missing Marching Hundred

When I arrived at Memorial Stadium on Saturday and went for my usual seat at the front of the student section, I was shocked to discover that the band would no longer be in the stands next to me. While the game was still very enjoyable (despite the rambunctious drunks behind me) and I was elated to see our Hoosiers pull out a win, I left the stadium with a feeling that the student fans had been gypped. One of the most memorable moments from last season was the team crossing the field after a win to sing the fight song in front of the band and student sections. \nThis year, they went through the south end zone to where the band was stationed and celebrated far away from the horde of student fans that came out to support them in their opening game. Student ticket sales are up for the second year in a row, and all around Bloomington people are finally beginning to recognize that IU actually has a football team. Maybe the Marching Hundred was moved to accommodate the rising number of student tickets sold, but when they were moved, so was part of what makes being in the student section so great. Seeing the team walk away from the student fans to celebrate at the end of the game rather than enter the stands with us to acknowledge our support is a bit of a slap in the face. Please, bring the band back to the students so we can all cheer our Hoosiers on together!