By JIM MEYER
Staff writer
A large crowd showed up at Monday’s Oil City School Board work session to engage in another discussion about the school district’s marching band policy.
The meeting was moved from the district administration building to the Hasson Heights Elementary School gym to accommodate the big turnout.
During last month’s work session, Jake Hoovler asked the board to reconsider a policy that requires students to join marching band or play two fall varsity sports in order to join concert band.
Hoovler argued that the rule is used to guarantee a minimum of marching band participants.
Oil City’s marching band program is co-curricular rather than extra-curricular, and supporters of the policy argue that it should stay that way.
Truman Littler, a third year drum major with the marching band, argued that many new students are afraid to try new things but eventually grow to love band.
“I have seen many new members in my experience thrive and grow to enjoy something that maybe they originally did not know they would love,” he said.
Littler argued that a policy change would ultimately hurt the students and the program.
“If this policy changes and band is not required, excluding two-sport exceptions, I fear that some incoming freshmen will completely miss out on an opportunity that will help better them for the rest of their lives as well as make them have a ton of fun,” he said.
Lisa Littler, Truman’s mother, also spoke in favor of the current requirement.
She described students being afraid to try something new and looking for a seat in the corner.
“Then we get to band camp, and that’s where the magic happens,” Lisa Littler said. “They emerge with new friend groups and they’re no longer afraid. If this requirement does that, it can only be a good thing.”
Lori Horn spoke in favor of the marching band being required before concert band, and she addressed reasons why someone may want the policy changed, including the child simply not wanting to march.
“Then don’t join band,” she said. “This may sound harsh but this is life. Are we really benefiting our young people by getting them out of everything that they don’t want to do?”
Horn also addressed the issue of other after-school activities interfering with practices.
“Having marching band during school allows for a lot of leniency for after school practices,” she said.
School board president Joseph McFadden thanked the participants and said the board would discuss the issue, after having now heard both sides.
