The University of Wisconsin marching band played at Lambeau Field for the half time show Oct. 19, anxious to improve their reputation after hazing allegations led to their suspension two weeks ago.
After being barred from preforming at the Badger home football game against Ohio State Oct. 4, the band went into the trip with a new attitude and on their best behavior, according to Band Director Mike Leckrone.
Leckrone said band members enjoyed the trip, despite new travel regulations.
They were still fun and singing and all the things that you would expect,"" he said.
Although the Offices of the Dean of Students is still in the process of investigating the allegations, Leckrone said the band is trying to move on.
""We're proceeding, and they're just trying to keep me advised if there's any steps that I need to take,"" he said. ""We've just put some new guidelines in place, and tried to reemphasize the old ones.""
These new guidelines include the addition of student bus captains to monitor behavior on the buses and random seating assignments on the bus, which Leckrone enforced on the trip to the Green Bay Packer's stadium.
""The band is serious about change,"" Assistant drum major Alex Waskawic said ""We're going to fix the culture '¦ everyone's putting forth a lot of effort to change.""
Leckrone said he thought the investigation stimulated an unfair stereotype of the band as a whole.
""Like the vast majority of kids at this university, they're good, they're smart, and they do dumb things every once in a while,"" he said. ""The last two weeks the intensity has been really good, and the learning curve has been up.""
The band is looking forward to the opportunity to showcase their hard work during homecoming week.
""We're not going to be sitting around twiddling our thumbs this week,"" Leckrone said. ""I think they're anxious to get out there and perform as well as any band in the country '¦ and they will.""
