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 Post subject: Busses
PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2007 1:56 pm 
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For those of you in Wingo who do a little lurking on here, from time to time, what are the chances of having a couple of student/pep band busses to the away games in football this season? Sure would look good for the university to have a decent crowd of students at the games and I'm sure the team and coaches would appreciate it.


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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2007 2:04 pm 
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That is a great idea! We already know that the BMB will be at the SHSU game:BMB Home


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:59 pm 
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Haven't heard any rumors, yet, out of Wingo about busses to the Tech game. Surely, if we got enough jack to host a political debate we got the funds to send part of the band, some students, and some regular die-hard fans to Ruston.
Come on you guys over there in Wingo. We are going to Ruston to win a football game, not just show up. We need all the support the team can get. Give us a sign that we at UCA are serious about this D1/FCS stuff!


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:17 am 
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Do you have to order UCA v LTU tickets from Tech or via UCA?

GoBears!!


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:29 am 
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ucafan1907 wrote:
Do you have to order UCA v LTU tickets from Tech or via UCA?


According to Kyle O'Quinn, tickets will be purchased at the stadium at Tech. No advance ticket sales at UCA.


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:28 pm 
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Thanks.

GoBears!!


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:12 am 
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The Alumni Assn. has been in contact with the ticket office at Tech and is in the process of trying to secure a block of at least 300 tickets where us Bear fans would all be seated together. Tech is also reserving us an area for the tailgate party that will be under trees for shade purposes, very nice of them for that time of year in La. They said the skeeters will also be provided, free of charge. :wink:
Something is still trying to be worked out for a couple of busses to make the trip. The band director was contacted about a pep band making the trip and said at this time there are no plans for that account no money in their budget for the game. Seems to me that with all the things being hosted at UCA, and I assume probably being paid for by UCA, during these summer months that there sure definitely be some money in the UCA "slush fund" for a 40 piece band to have their way paid to the game to help boost up some Bear spirit.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:03 am 
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Honey Bear wrote:
Seems to me that with all the things being hosted at UCA, and I assume probably being paid for by UCA, during these summer months that there sure definitely be some money in the UCA "slush fund" for a 40 piece band to have their way paid to the game to help boost up some Bear spirit.


Hmm.... well let me see if I can draw up a budget real quick.

Bus transport for 42 people (band + director & GA) = $12-15,000

2 meals for 42 people @ $5.50 per meal = $231.00

Bus Driver fee (at least 2 would be needed for the length of the trip) = approx. $1,000

So there you go. At a bare minimum, it would cost about $13,300 for the band to go. That is, of course, assuming the following:

1.) The band makes a round trip w/o staying overnight, which would suck, and might affect....

2.) The likelihood of finding 40 band members who would go w/o any monetary compensation. Sound crazy? Here's a secret: UA Band members get about $140 per person for each away game they go to.

3.) Any other costs not considered, like equipment transportation, tickets, snacks or emergencies.

This leads me to an important topic: our band program needs a booster group. Think "purple circle" for the athletic band. D-1 Athletic Bands are an expensive venture, and if we want our band to go to every game it can, then we (the fans) need to be willing to put forth a little effort to have them there, b/c there simply isn't that much money available to UCA or the band program itself to fund such ventures.

Thoughts? :D


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:26 am 
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Heavens BBM, you've kind of left me speechless with your breakdown of expenses. Was rather shocked to find out the members actually get paid to attend away games. Must make the football players a little jealous to know that they aren't being rewarded. I was told it would cost about $40/person for a bus ride for the 6 hour round trip. With the game being over at around 9 I really don't see the need for an overnight stay.
I guess the days of a little self-sacrificing for the old school spirit must be a thing of the past. I realize there are incidental expenses involved that should be paid for by someone other than the students themselves but to actually pay them to perform, well, I have a hard time accepting that. Hope they report it on their taxes as earned income.
If it is going to cost $13,000 for an approx. 200 mile trip for 40 people just what the heck will it cost for the whole band to go to SHSU? I shudder at the answer.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:12 pm 
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You know, looking back over my numbers I realized I made a couple of HUGE errors in my calculations. :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

1.) The $12-15,000 cost of busses would be what would be required to transport the whole band (6 or 7 busses). I have no idea what I was doing. I was basing my figures off the cost of transporting the UA band, which is a little bigger than the BMB. Anyway, The real number for a single, nice bus would be around $2,000 probably, but that would be a bus which would hold over 60 people. I'm sure the university could come up with a better alternative.

2.) That being said, the bus driver cost should be adjusted as well. I'd still say a few hundred dollars -- bus drivers have to take a break every 3-4 hours and switch every 8 hours.

The meal cost would probably be cut to one meal as well.

SO, IN CONCLUSION CLASS, my previous figures would be more correct for taking the entire band on a trip (say to SHSU), whereas they would be adjusted as stated above for a smaller pep trip. If the band could travel with cheerleaders/mascot/etc that would help costs.

But, Honey Bear, in their defense there are many dedicated band members @ both UCA & the UA who would go to the ends of the earth to play an away game for no charge. The UA pays the band as a courtesy, knowing the scheduleing conflicts, lost study hours, and other things that can come with an away trip. Plus, the students are expected to use the money in part to pay for meals and other incidentals. And it's usually not just an issue of playing at the game -- there are multiple pep rallys and sometimes media events, too. And this is often done with no down time, all in the same day...... the football team usually gets to go a little early so they can have some breaks.

And don't worry; the football players get their perks, though they may not be monetary -- each Hog player that went to the bowl this past year received a free 20" LCD TV, Xbox 360, and up to $1500 for "travel expenses," as well as catered meals, luxury hotel and the like. And that's all I know about. That may sound outrageous, but consider this: some day our Bears will be getting that kind of stuff too!


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:15 am 
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Thanks for clearing up the misinterpretation of travel costs for the band. I guess I misunderstood the $140 topic. I read it to mean the band got the $140 just for playing, along with their expenses. If the $140 is a stipend to help defray their expenses then I see nothing wrong with that.
The band, all athletes, and other students who are involved in extracurricular activities sacrifice much of their free time for the betterment of UCA. However, it is a choice they make. It is a little sad that they cannot be compensated for some of that time. I compare it to volunteer work in the world outside the college life. There are other rewards other than money that make people do what they do.
My hat's off to those students that do get involved outside the classroom. Someday, somehow, and somewhere they will be glad they did because they will only benefit from it later in life.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:59 pm 
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How many Bear Band members are on music scholarships or get stipend for being in band? I know orchestra pays stipends (say $1000 or so per semester) to at least some members.

Any of us willing to send $50 to help pay for the bandtrip to Ruston?

GoBears!!


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:47 pm 
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ucafan1907 wrote:
How many Bear Band members are on music scholarships or get stipend for being in band? I know orchestra pays stipends (say $1000 or so per semester) to at least some members.

Any of us willing to send $50 to help pay for the bandtrip to Ruston?

GoBears!!


You'd have to ask the Director of Bands to get the exact number, but I would venture to say that nearly all of the freshman & sophomore band members are on a minimum scholarship of $500 per semester, while the number is probably significantly less for the juniors, seniors, & "super" seniors (music majors excepted).

As you probably know, most of the marching band are not music majors, and usually by your junior year something has happened to make you lose your scholarship if you've stuck with it that long w/o being a music major. Being a bandie takes a lot of time and effort, and grades do slip on occassion -- it's just the truth.

There are no stipends that I know of for being in marching band, but band GA's get stipends as part of their GA package, though they're actually staff and not band members.

As for the $50, there is a serious effort right now to form a band booster group to help fund things like trips. I am having a meeting w/ the athletic band director @ the end of this month. When I know more I will inform everyone on the board, but we will be setting up a "travel" fund and would appreciate all donations!


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:59 pm 
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^^^ Sounds like a great idea ^^^^


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 7:48 am 
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Word is that a "fan" bus will be going to Tech. No details yet on the cost. I had heard earlier $40 which is not a bad price considering the price of black gold nowadays.


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