Respect

You know... I have a TREMENDOUS amount of respect for the military. I was going to be a part of the Air Force, after all. And, I still am around the military every day here at Tech, since Tech is one of the 2 schools in the nation with a Corps of Cadets within the civilian school.

I am, as you may know, a member of the Marching Virginians... the 330+ person marching band, that is the CIVILIAN marching band. Virginia Tech also has a 'regimental band' known as the Highty Tighties. I'll have to admit that the Highty Tighties aren't the best sounding band in the world. In fact many bands I heard throughout high school sound better than they do... But, they do have several things working against them.... 1) The Highty Tighties are rather small... the Corps of Cadets is only 3% of the entire population at Tech, so with that in mind... they can't really be that large.. (appx. 80 people are in the HT's) 2) They not only have to balance band and academics... but also military training.

The MV's constantly are making fun of the HTs. Their marching is really not bad at all, but yet the MVs criticise them for that too.. Just because it is military style marching doesn't mean its bad... Besides these people have done something the rest of us should have done... they're training in order that they can serve the United States and protect every American's freedoms... I RESPECT THAT ENORMOUSLY... we all should have some commitment to protecting America and all it stands for.... and these Cadets are doing just that.. they're the future of the military... we need them... and they just need some respect... we're all in the band... band is about enjoying what you're doing... entertaining the crowd.... etc... that's what we're doing in the MV's and that's what they're doing in the HT's, but we both have our ways of doing things... I don't think its right or fair for us to be so critical of them... and it really bothers me... like sincerely bothers me that the MV's treat the HTs this way...

There's my soapbox.