By ryan September 21, 2000
Most Cornellians use the waning days of August to relax before they face the gauntlet of classes, but Big Red teams warm up for fall success. The men’s soccer team, however, surpassed the pre-season athletic standard, by about 5,000 miles. From August 10th to August 18th, the Big Red booters toured England and Scotland, competing with semi-pro teams and soaking up the atmosphere of football-mad Britannia. “One of our team goals for the trip was to have some good competition you can’t find in the States before the season starts; and also to foster a sense of cohesiveness among team members,” head coach Bryan Scales commented. Upon arrival in London, the Yanks took some time to make some classic tourist stops, like London Bridge, Wimbledon, Buckingham Palace, and the local discos and pubs. After a few practices on English fields, the Big Red took its game up to Newcastle, to face off against Newcastle Blue Star FC. In the words of senior Nick Haigh, “it was a great feeling to finally step onto the football pitch to face off against our first real opponent.” Cornell ultimately downed Newcastle, 2-1. On August 14th, Ponteland United FC fell to the Red, 4-0. In the final match for Cornell, on August 15th, the men defeated Gretna FC of Scotland, 2-1. Scales was pleased by his players’ performance. “The North of England is home to some good teams. For instance, Newcastle has semi-pros and former pros, from 18 to 32 [years of age]. And Gretna, which was our toughest match, is one step from Third Division, and has a lot of salaried professionals. “The style of play we saw was a little more direct than ours. They tend to lob balls into the box, and win aerial duels. We keep the ball on the ground more. I think they rubbed off on us a bit, and we probably rubbed off a little on them.” As athletically enriching as it was, the direct athletic competition probably wasn’t the highlight of the tour for team. On August 16th, the team obtained tickets to see Manchester United take on Manchester City, played in senior tri-captain Rick Stimpson’s hometown of Manchester. Junior Ted Papadopoulos described the sensation of being in one of soccer’s hallowed grounds. “The look on every player’s face as we entered Old Trafford (the stadium) can’t be put into words. Little did we know that the last second tickets we acquired were fifth row! “The atmosphere couldn’t have been better, and the English managed to relay to us what it truly means to be a football (not soccer) fanatic.” “There is a different atmosphere concerning soccer in England,” said Scales, “it’s more frenzied, more competitive. [England] is further advanced than we are. “I think the immersion in a soccer culture helped the team.” But what was the most important part of the trip for the team? “Actually being together might have been a little more important that the competitive atmosphere,” Scales concluded. Junior striker Ozzie Rodriguez thought the same. “. . . as we trained, we noticed that the team had developed a different mentality. Not only did the team seem closer as a group, but the level of expectations from one player to the other was higher.” Archived article by Tom McNulty
By ryan September 21, 2000
What’s big and loud and red all over? Even amid what the athletic department hopes will be 25,000 hollering Big Red fans on the sold-out Schoellkopf Crescent this Saturday, it’s impossible to miss it. With over 200 members cheering and playing fight songs, and doubling in size due to returning alumni at Homecoming, the Big Red Marching Band is, according to its motto, “the only real marching band in the Ivy League.” “The Big Red Marching Band is an extraordinary orginization. The group is student-run, alumni funded and performs at a level that belittles any other Ivy band,” said David Conn, the band’s faculty advisor. “Just go to a football game and this is all too obvious.” Originally the ROTC marching band, the group has been a fixture at campus events for almost a century. The lengthy parades and musical performances, however, are simply the end result of weeks of rehearsals. Practices on Tuesday nights, Thursday and Friday afternoons, and Saturday mornings before games commence with Drum Major Tovah Minster ’01 climbing a ladder, sharply blowing her whistle and commanding, “Band! Atten-hut!” The band responds with, “Go Red, dammit!” At the practices, the band puts together a new field show for every home game and practices from a catalog of over 30 songs. Featured tunes at Homecoming will include “Copacabana,” “Emerald Eyes” and “Fire Dance.” The band also plays traditional marching band fare, such as the theme to Jesus Christ Superstar and Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.” While improving musical ability, participation in the marching band counts toward one credit of physical education — for a reason. “Just think about marching up the slope or around campus, carrying about 30 pounds worth of quads, playing non-stop in about 80-degree weather with a wool uniform on,” said Karen Liu ’03, a percussionist. Although the band is one of the largest student-run organizations at Cornell, the members form close friendships within and across their sections. “The band has really been like my family from the moment that I arrived at Cornell,” Minster said. “The band is the most personable and friendly organization on campus that I’ve come across,” said Kurt Guenther ’04, a trumpet player. “It is a great way to meet a lot of people, and it certainly helped me meet some new people my first few weeks here.” Alumni are looking foward to the annual return to their place in the band at Homecoming, especially if they can play before a soldout stadium. “Being on the ladder and listening to the Band was just as exciting after two years as it was the first day,” said Lowell Frank ’99, former drum major. “Every time I come back to campus, I realize that the memories — as strong and wonderful as they are — don’t really do that feeling any justice.” “The band adds excitement and a certain amount of pageantry to the football games,” said Assistant Athletic Director Tom LaFalce ’94, the band’s advisor and former head manager. “It’s got a tradition of its own, intertwined with the tradition of Cornell Athletics.” Part of the ties that bind the alumni and undergraduate band members together stem from the timeless traditions and jokes that are carried forth from year to year. Duct Tape Appreciation Night, a free-for-all on Schoellkopf Field at a Tuesday night rehearsal late in the season, quite literally binds the band together . “Duct Tape Appreciation Night can trace its origins to 1994, when the tuba section decided that it would be fun to duct tape a certain flute player to the goal post. Things that night were kind of dull, and this was just the sort of thing needed to enliven people,” said Jeffrey Newman ’98, a tuba player who will be back for Homecoming. “Every year since, the band has celebrated ‘Duct Tape Appreciation Night’ to relieve stress near the end of the season, when classes are heating up and the available time to learn a new show for every home game is shrinking due to end of season commitments.” Each section of the band also has its own identity, attitude, traditions and inside jokes. The percussion section favors black clothing and Chinese food; the horn players prefer milkshakes. When Cornell scores and the band launches into “Davy,” the Cornell Fight Song, trumpets and flutes race down to the track to certify the score with push-ups and “flute-ups,” which involve tossing a flute player into the air for each point. Trombones celebrate the last home game of the season by donning bathing suits, despite the chilly November weather, and playing “Hawaii Five-O” for the fans. Perhaps the most lasting tradition, however, is evidenced by the saxophone tattoo. “The sax tattoo originated with the class of ’93, and the newest addition was a freshman who got it last week,” Chris Payne ’02 said, showing off the two eighth notes stamped on her hip. While most of the traditions are not quite as permanent, each display of spirit enables the band to go forth with its primary objective: to boost the spirit of the Cornell athletes and fans. “The band is a great organization to be in because not only to we have a lot of fun but we actually give something back to Cornell,” Minster said. “Every time we get out there to parade or perform a show, we’re not just doing it for ourselves; we’re doing it for the whole Cornell community.” “The Big Red Marching Band is so important to the Cornell community because of the spirit that we provide on campus,” said Heather O’Dell ’01, head manager of the band. “I am really proud of the band this year, and I’m really excited for Homecoming. I think that the alumni will enjoy the band’s performance and parade.”Archived article by Sun Staff