FAMU may soon decide future of marching band
by Gary Fineout
Associated Press Writer
May 11, 2012 12:25 AM | 2267 views | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend | print
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Members of Florida A&M University’s famed Marching 100 band may soon know when they might perform again, six months after the hazing death of a drum major.

FAMU President James Ammons is expected to discuss the band at a special meeting of the university board of trustees either today or Monday, according to board member Torey Alston and a letter from Ammons this week.

Eleven FAMU band members face felony hazing charges in Robert Champion’s death in November. Two others face misdemeanor counts. Ammons suspended the band soon after Champion’s death.

Champion died aboard a bus outside an Orlando hotel following a FAMU football game. His death revealed a culture of hazing within the band.

But according to information the university turned over to its board this week, three of those charged with Champion’s death weren’t FAMU students at the time.

Ammons also sent a two-page letter to trustees explaining that at the start of the fall 2011 semester there were 457 people on the band roster, but it turns out that 101 of them were not students at FAMU.

A total of 52 people — including 51 band members and one cheerleader — had been previously enrolled at the school but were not enrolled at the time of Champion’s death.

Another 49 were listed as students at nearby Tallahassee Community College or Florida State University but they were not enrolled in a FAMU band class, nor did the university know for sure if they were enrolled at the other schools.

Some band members, however, did not make the trip to Orlando. Twenty-six band members had been suspended prior to the football game because they were alleged to have been involved in other hazing activities before Champion’s death.
Comments
(0)
Comments-icon Post a Comment
No Comments Yet
*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, spam, and links to outside websites will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides