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Engineers in the Band
by Mike Reiels
  At about 1:10 on football Saturdays,
200 uniform clad band members come
strutting out of the tunnel doing the
famed run-on step. Few people realize
that almost half of the people out there
are engineering students. The Wiscon-
sin Band is comprised of about 40 per-
cent engineering students, 30 percent
Letters and Science students, 20 per-
cent agricultural students and about
10 percent music majors. Why are so
many band members engineering
students?
  Director Michael Leckrone explains,
"The band attracts the same kind of
student that engineering does." The
band demands that a person be intel-
legent (at least smart enough to learn
the routines), energetic, well rounded,
and somewhat athletic. The band also
offers an excellent release from the
daily grind and most importantly it's
fun."
  Senior mechanical engineering stu-
dent John Morley comments, "Sure,
band is a lot of work, but it's fun. If it
weren't fun, I certainly wouldn't spend
all the time required for the one credit."
"The exhilaration of marching through
the tunnel into the sight of 80,000 fans
is a feeling that can only be expe-
rienced-words would never do!" ex-
claims drum major and agricultural
engineer, Steve Winestorfer. Certainly,
this feeling is quite different than any-
thing experienced in engineering. John
Tank, a senior in electrical engineer-
ing, speaks for many when he calls
band "a very much needed relief period
from engineering."
  Once the marching season is over,
the marching band becomes the var-
sity band which plays for hockey and
basketball games. The demands of
varsity band are much less; rehersals
are only once a week instead of four
times and the games are more laid
back. "The band's job at these games is
to entertain," says Leckrone. "People
come for the total package: the game,
the fans, the band, and fun." The cheers
and comments at the games are not
rehearsed; the band members come up
with them on the spur of the moment.
Fortunately I don't have to prompt
people, in fact, I'd much rather have to
harness people than drive them (to
come up with cheers)," quipps
Leckrone.
  This emphasis on entertainment is
certainly a refreshing change from
engineering and is no doubt attractive
to engineering students in band. So,
next time you're at a game, take a
second look at the band, you may rec-
ognize quite a few classmates.  o
D)ri ni n ij()r an (d agricultural engi neer Steve Winestorfer claims that
performing
bejorc "80,O000fan,,s is afe/lijg that can only be experienced !"
.0 S .            : . .
__ B   S
-~1 ' *
Wisconsin Engineer, February 1983
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