To the Editor:
As the director of the Dartmouth College Marching Band, I feel compelled to write to the student body in order to attempt to insert some sanity and balance into the "rushing the field" situation, which is once again becoming a problem. According to the Ivy League Conference rules, the only people permitted on the field during the pre-game, game-time and half-time periods are those that are officially involved with the team or the band. This rule is made to protect individuals and property from the rampages of out of control crowds.
At no other school in the Ivy League do students demonstrate the poor sportsmanship that I have witnessed here at Dartmouth. Trespassing on the field and harassing the guest marching band is not a tradition, it is a disgrace which must be stopped.
Last year, the Harvard Band was assaulted on the field at half-time and the year before the Yale Band had students injured and several thousand dollars worth of instruments destroyed by misguided "spirited" freshmen under the influence of fraternity incitement from the grandstand. This type of mob mentality has been the cause of much trouble in the world, and I would have thought that the supposedly intelligent students of Dartmouth would know better than to emulate the Nazi Youth tactics of Hitler. We must respect our guests and allow them to perform their shows just as the DCMB is respected when we travel to Harvard, Yale, Brown, Princeton and Columbia.
Because of Dartmouth's poor record in crowd control, the Yale Band will not be coming to Dartmouth for this year's Homecoming game. This is a richly deserved insult to all of us.
I appeal to all involved to enthusiastically cheer for our team and our band at football games, but to show the same respect that is always accorded to us at the above schools when we travel. To do less than this is to devalue your own school! Wake up Dartmouth!
