All the Fun Without the Fuss

To some young adults, alcohol may seem like an unavoidable part of their college experience. Marching bands across the country are finding solutions that keep their members safe and performing at their best.

- Savy Leiser

When the Blue Band of Pennsylvania State University traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, this past winter, band members brought a little 1920's flair with them. But their roaring 20's pizzazz didn’t appear in the pregame or halftime shows they performed during the Jan. 2, 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl; it came from the New Year’s Eve party they hosted two nights before. While the city of Jacksonville may have been ringing in the start of 2016 with glasses of champagne, the Blue Band was celebrating its season of success at an alcohol-free, “Great Gatsby”-themed celebration.

Gregory Drane, Penn State’s director of athletic bands, allocated a small budget for the band’s student leadership to put the party together but left all the planning to the students themselves. “I told them to create a party nobody wanted to miss,” Drane says.

Rather than mandating how students spend their free time, Drane prefers to instill an understanding of professionalism in his students and create safe environments for them, so they aren’t faced with a tempting decision. “I believe if you give students the opportunity to meet your expectations, they will do it,” he says.

SETTING EXPECTATIONS