[MVCard]

If there is an instigator to be found here, the answer is much more in the history between Stanford and its martial arts team/club.  With leadership changes in the office of student activities, there’s an increased focus on ensuring student organizations are “pure” in that they don’t have outside coaches, paid non-student staff, or alumni members.  This was already affecting other groups.

Obviously if you’re the Band, with a paid director, and a reliance on alumni to cover some events and add to numbers, and you’re focused on being inclusive across the broader community, this trend is a problem.  Also, if you compare the bureaucracy in student affairs with athletics, you’ll find it’s way easier to deal with specific behavior issues in a world where the norm is coach/captains make a call, vs a world where there’s a giant committee and paperwork and a tendency to hold an entire organization liable for one young adult’s bad decision.  And if there’s one thing the Band likes, it’s being able to be more in control of what it does.

Suffice to say, I think this solution is a great idea.  Now tell me that since the Band is in Athletics, my gifts to the Band can count towards seating priority!!! :)

[MVCard]

If there is an instigator to be found here, the answer is much more in the history between Stanford and its martial arts team/club.  With leadership changes in the office of student activities, there’s an increased focus on ensuring student organizations are “pure” in that they don’t have outside coaches, paid non-student staff, or alumni members.  This was already affecting other groups.

Obviously if you’re the Band, with a paid director, and a reliance on alumni to cover some events and add to numbers, and you’re focused on being inclusive across the broader community, this trend is a problem.  Also, if you compare the bureaucracy in student affairs with athletics, you’ll find it’s way easier to deal with specific behavior issues in a world where the norm is coach/captains make a call, vs a world where there’s a giant committee and paperwork and a tendency to hold an entire organization liable for one young adult’s bad decision.  And if there’s one thing the Band likes, it’s being able to be more in control of what it does.

Suffice to say, I think this solution is a great idea.  Now tell me that since the Band is in Athletics, my gifts to the Band can count towards seating priority!!! :)