[2006alum]

Here's my offer:

Dear Stanford Administrators,

I am a Stanford alumnus (2009), legacy (father MS 1988), and married to an alumna (MS 2007). My wife and have football season tickets, and were planning on adding a third for our seven-month-old son. I am introducing myself this way to make it clear that Stanford has been and hopefully will remain an integral part of my life.

But I was dismayed to hear about the disbanding of the band. It has me questioning everything about my relationship to Stanford. I wasn't in band, but had several close friends who were, and fondly remember them at events like roll-out. I look at the Wikipedia list of controversial actions as a source of pride, knowing that my alma mater could produce and stand by such an irreverent organization. Since graduating I've frequently requested bowl tickets that are nearer to the band, and at home games purposefully sit where they're easy to hear. I do my best to watch the field shows before kickoff and during halftime, and still get chills from their rendition of the anthem. I had been looking forward to watching them march up toward the stadium with my son next year, now I don't know if that will happen.

Can you imagine a game without All Right Now after scores? Can you imagine a game without field shows that make you laugh? (Well, I suppose that's getting more and more plausible as they've gotten more and more sanitized and anodyne.) Can you imagine a band like Under Stanford Control (again)'s, with matching uniforms and unpainted, glimmering sousaphones tromping around on Foster field, but in Cardinal and White? I can't, and I don't want to be forced to find out.

This news has me seriously reconsidering my season tickets. It would be an incredibly difficult choice, but if the administration is going to axe something so integral to the Stanford experience because of a few trifling concerns, and punish students for alleged sins of those who have since graduated, then why should I continue to support it? You must realize that an independent band is more important to Stanford's image and traditions than nearly anything else. Without the band we're Harvard but with good weather. With the band we're Stanford. I hope you can come to realize this.

Thank you,
Stuart Coleman

Terrific letter. Thanks for sending it, and thanks for sharing it. As soon as my crushing work schedule relents and I have time to put fingers to keyboard, I'll contribute mine as well.

[2006alum]

Here's my offer:

Dear Stanford Administrators,

I am a Stanford alumnus (2009), legacy (father MS 1988), and married to an alumna (MS 2007). My wife and have football season tickets, and were planning on adding a third for our seven-month-old son. I am introducing myself this way to make it clear that Stanford has been and hopefully will remain an integral part of my life.

But I was dismayed to hear about the disbanding of the band. It has me questioning everything about my relationship to Stanford. I wasn't in band, but had several close friends who were, and fondly remember them at events like roll-out. I look at the Wikipedia list of controversial actions as a source of pride, knowing that my alma mater could produce and stand by such an irreverent organization. Since graduating I've frequently requested bowl tickets that are nearer to the band, and at home games purposefully sit where they're easy to hear. I do my best to watch the field shows before kickoff and during halftime, and still get chills from their rendition of the anthem. I had been looking forward to watching them march up toward the stadium with my son next year, now I don't know if that will happen.

Can you imagine a game without All Right Now after scores? Can you imagine a game without field shows that make you laugh? (Well, I suppose that's getting more and more plausible as they've gotten more and more sanitized and anodyne.) Can you imagine a band like Under Stanford Control (again)'s, with matching uniforms and unpainted, glimmering sousaphones tromping around on Foster field, but in Cardinal and White? I can't, and I don't want to be forced to find out.

This news has me seriously reconsidering my season tickets. It would be an incredibly difficult choice, but if the administration is going to axe something so integral to the Stanford experience because of a few trifling concerns, and punish students for alleged sins of those who have since graduated, then why should I continue to support it? You must realize that an independent band is more important to Stanford's image and traditions than nearly anything else. Without the band we're Harvard but with good weather. With the band we're Stanford. I hope you can come to realize this.

Thank you,
Stuart Coleman

Terrific letter. Thanks for sending it, and thanks for sharing it. As soon as my crushing work schedule relents and I have time to put fingers to keyboard, I'll contribute mine as well.