Pi News

26 November 2006

Capital One, Here We Come!

It's official. The Badgers are headed back to a sunny Orlando Florida for the 2007 Capital One Bowl. After an amazing 11-1 season that defied all preseason expectations and gave the title of winningest single season to a rookie coach Bielema, the Badgers wind up where they were a year ago, due a pair of top-ranked Big 10 teams and a BCS rule stating no more than two teams from the same conference may go to a BCS bowl. Thus, no Rose Bowl for the Badgers, even if Michigan and OSU were to compete for the national title.

We now look forward to several cold weeks of practicing for the shows and parade, and hope that nothing "happens" on the bus or plane this time around....

6 October 2006

Double Secret Probation!

"The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me."

Thats right folks. After one too many mentally scarred freshmen forced against their will to play 20 questions, the Fun Police have stepped in and put an end to it. So now, freshmen are no longer allowed in small rooms, real names are now unspeakable, and the creation, singing, or reciting of poetry is forbidden.

The news came after a Michigan road trip (their band stood no chance) which, according to Michael Leckrone, went very smoothly and without incident. However, one week after this positive feedback, Chancellor John Wiley, well known in the UW Marching Band, enacted double secret probation on the band, stating that things happened on the trip so profound and disgusting that decorum prohibits listing them here. Actually, nobody knows what exactly happened, and administrators refuse to tell.

How will Mu Mu Pi react? Only time will tell how this ends up, but we are taking this incident very seriously. Since 2005, we have vehemently opposed band hazing, and we think it is a shame that a few bad apples have to spoil a good time for everyone by breaking the rules.

Media coverage:

• Daily Cardinal: Leave Leckrone Alone (16 October 2006)
• Daily Cardinal: Wiley out of tune, line with band (16 October 2006)
• Badger Herald: Poorly conducted (16 October 2006)
• Capital Times: Observations from the press box (15 October 2006)
• Appleton Post-Crescent: Fox Valley musicians proud to play with UW Marching Band (12 October 2006)
• Badger Herald: Marching Band's future up in air (12 October 2006)
• Capital Times: Editorial: On the march against band (11 October 2006)
• Badger Herald: Marching band in dark on Michigan incident (11 October 2006)

28 August 2006

Mud Week

The weather is certainly a critical factor in each Reg Week, though it's usually hot and humid that makes it difficult. This year, however, it has been cool and cloudy...

But it's the mud. Wet, three inch deep puddles of muddy water, slippery slidy mud, thick gobs of gooey mud, squirty moist mud, mud caked onto our legs, hands, and butt, and even mud that smells like manure (which it is).

All in all, an interestingly miserable day to start off Reg Week. But then again, coping with unfavorable conditions is what our band does best. Be thankful we're not some lame-ass marching band that can't get wet, cold, sweaty, or muddy.

1 August 2006

Another season just around the corner...

With less than a month away, an exciting 2006 football and band season is just over the horizon. You'd better be getting ready, because this year is sure to be a great time with lots of crazy stuff in store. Here are a couple of the highlights:

• A full week of practice before Reg Week, starting on August 23. Then four days of Reg Week, which is sure to be hot, as it has been all summer.
• A road trip to Browns Stadium where we'll take on Bowling Green in the first football game of the season.
• The first month packed solid with games, leading up to the huge Big 10 road trip at Michigan in the Big House. We'll be there to show them how marching is really done.
• The Illinois band will make the trip up to Camp Randall on October 28, where they will be the first band in over a decade to play for an energized Badger crowd. Whether or not this is the beginning of more visiting Big 10 bands, we'll be sure to show them which band owns Camp Randall, and what a real gameday Saturday is like!
  [Turns out they aren't coming afterall.]

Happily, we'll also be back at our original, recently-reconstructed practice field, although the "1 – 0 ≡ P = P – I" is still up from two years ago...

In other news, the Mu Mu Pi website is slowly being updated, so sit tight. I've already made numerous changes to the Hot Tub, including removing and preventing spammers from registering.