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By THOMAS RANSON
LVN Assistant Sports Editor
RENO — Zachary Koenig stood outside, grabbed his father’s trumpet and tried to play with former and current members of the University of Nevada marching band.
Lucas Koenig, Churchill County High School’s band director, watched his 2-year-old son and saw his interest in music, a vision of playing at the high school and college levels. Zachary may not get that chance to march on the same field his father did when he attended the university last decade.
“When Ohio State won the national championship, the first thing the coach did was thank his 12th man, the marching band,” said Koenig, who will start his 10th year at CCHS next month. “He did it on national television. You can’t do it (football) without a band.”
Koenig, along with about 75 current and former Nevada members, played for almost two hours in front of the Joe Crowley Student Union Wednesday to protest the university’s potential cutting of the band next year. Members gathered on the lawn and played the school’s fight song and alma matter, the drum line performed several cadences and a gathering crowd joined in chanting “Save the band.” The tubas even played their widely requested song, “Go, Pack, Go.”
University President Milton Glick walked by the band on his way to the ballroom before addressing a crowd of about 500.
“That was great. It was moving when they played the alma matter as I walked by,” Glick said.
The president addressed concerns about the proposed budget for the next two years. One of the hot topics he presented was the potential cutting of the marching band, the Pride of the Sierra.
“If they stop at the highest level, there will be two reactions,” Koenig said about the possible cut. “The first would be ‘why play now if we can’t later?’ and the other is, ‘if they cut it there, then it will be cut here (at the high school level).’ ”
Koenig’s wife, Tina who taught at Churchill County Junior High School from 2001-2006, said cutting the marching band could also effect elementary and junior high school students.
“It’s always a big effect on the younger kids because they look forward to the Millennium Scholarship money,” Tina Koenig said.
Over the weekend, Glick said that the cuts would eliminate the band next year. He even mentioned letting high school bands perform at halftime as alternative form of entertainment.
“I would never bring my group here if they lost the marching band,” Lucas Koenig said. “High school groups would be booed off the field.”
Jaysen Goodnight, a 2003 Fallon grad who will be marching at Nevada for his fifth and final season, said marching band makes it worth going to college.
“I wouldn’t be in college if there wasn’t a marching band,” said Goodnight, who plays trumpet. “It keeps fans in the game. How many fans would there be if there wasn’t a band out there?”
LVN Assistant Sports Editor
RENO — Zachary Koenig stood outside, grabbed his father’s trumpet and tried to play with former and current members of the University of Nevada marching band.
Lucas Koenig, Churchill County High School’s band director, watched his 2-year-old son and saw his interest in music, a vision of playing at the high school and college levels. Zachary may not get that chance to march on the same field his father did when he attended the university last decade.
“When Ohio State won the national championship, the first thing the coach did was thank his 12th man, the marching band,” said Koenig, who will start his 10th year at CCHS next month. “He did it on national television. You can’t do it (football) without a band.”
Koenig, along with about 75 current and former Nevada members, played for almost two hours in front of the Joe Crowley Student Union Wednesday to protest the university’s potential cutting of the band next year. Members gathered on the lawn and played the school’s fight song and alma matter, the drum line performed several cadences and a gathering crowd joined in chanting “Save the band.” The tubas even played their widely requested song, “Go, Pack, Go.”
University President Milton Glick walked by the band on his way to the ballroom before addressing a crowd of about 500.
“That was great. It was moving when they played the alma matter as I walked by,” Glick said.
The president addressed concerns about the proposed budget for the next two years. One of the hot topics he presented was the potential cutting of the marching band, the Pride of the Sierra.
“If they stop at the highest level, there will be two reactions,” Koenig said about the possible cut. “The first would be ‘why play now if we can’t later?’ and the other is, ‘if they cut it there, then it will be cut here (at the high school level).’ ”
Koenig’s wife, Tina who taught at Churchill County Junior High School from 2001-2006, said cutting the marching band could also effect elementary and junior high school students.
“It’s always a big effect on the younger kids because they look forward to the Millennium Scholarship money,” Tina Koenig said.
Over the weekend, Glick said that the cuts would eliminate the band next year. He even mentioned letting high school bands perform at halftime as alternative form of entertainment.
“I would never bring my group here if they lost the marching band,” Lucas Koenig said. “High school groups would be booed off the field.”
Jaysen Goodnight, a 2003 Fallon grad who will be marching at Nevada for his fifth and final season, said marching band makes it worth going to college.
“I wouldn’t be in college if there wasn’t a marching band,” said Goodnight, who plays trumpet. “It keeps fans in the game. How many fans would there be if there wasn’t a band out there?”
