Honoring Veterans

Yesterday's Tigerband half-time show was posted on youtube. With Nov 11 just days before, the show honors veterans. The person who recorded the show was sitting in upper nosebleed territory....where we were sitting.

I have not idea where Josh was on the field. If he reads this post he may leave a comment as to what letters he was part of for each service branch.

Traditions and Alma Maters

During our visit to LSU I was struck that the playing and singing of the LSU alma mater is so central to campus traditions, far more than it was at Iowa.

At Iowa most students know their alma mater and are able to sing it when it is played before every football game (in contrast to Canada colleges where a large number of students can only sing their alma meter if given the words.) As with Iowa, at LSU the alma mater is also played before every sporting event. At LSU the alma mater is utilized more than at the beginning of the game. After the game, victory or lost, the team gathers before the band, and the team stands arm in arm to sing the alma mater as the band plays. Many of the students in the stands link arm in arm as they join the team in singing too.

Following the team’s departure as the band plays “Let us Break Bread Together” (a nice tradition I also like…we fought hard on the field but we depart as brothers/sisters in spirit), the band sets their instruments down, link arm in arm and sings their alma mater. This is the second time the team has sung the alma mater together on game day, the first being at the end of practice before exiting the IFF (see picture below).

The same takes place at other sporting events. Evie and I witnessed at the end of the woman’s volleyball game on Friday night. The little pep band playing for the team to sing the alma mater at the end of the game and the before putting their instruments away, the players put down their instruments, linked arms and quietly sung the alma meter.

The use the alma meter is wonderful tradition.

FYI - Josh is in the red shorts by the guy in the blue shirt.

Mini-Vacation Ahead

Evie and I have been in PA for the weekend. The next two days we will be repacking and getting ready for our mini-vacation. We head direct to the airport on Wednesday. Wednesday evening Evie and I fly to New Orleans from where we will travel to Baton Rouge to see Josh for the weekend.

Before heading to Baton Rouge we will be staying at a old elegant hotel, the St Louis, in French District of New Orleans. http://www.stlouishotel.com/photogallery.html

Thursday afternoon we will drive to Baton Rouge to take Josh out for dinner...the pep band is playing for Friday's volleyball game so we will take him to dinner to a nice restaurant Thursday evening before driving back to New Orleans, about an hour's drive.

Friday we move to Baton Rouge to take in the tailgate atmosphere and the game Saturday night. I am looking forward to hearing the LSU band. We return to Washington Sunday night around 9 and 7 AM Monday I am back to the same airport to fly to Atlanta.

LSU Band Goes Into Hall of Fame Saturday Night

Last night Josh told us last evening of the “LSU Golden Band from Tigerland” being inducted into the Louisiana music Hall of Fame. I got this google alert on the news coverage. If you watch carefully you will see Josh in the background several times (2:08-2:12, 2:31-2:32). He is in a gold T-shirt and red shorts. At the 2:31 mark he is front left on the screen whereas in the earlier section he is well in the background.



Congratulations to the band on their recognition.