Something Something Something, Dark Side...

Entry posted by Akano August 23, 2008

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I think I just have to say that LEGO Star Wars II for XBox 360 is one of the most amazing games ever made.

Randomness aside, today marks the end of this year's marching band camp (which started last Saturday) for the resident Moo-Obsessed Toa of Electricity. So why am I bringing up marching band? Well, this year my little brother had marching band camp for four weeks, consisting of two weeks of mini band camp, one week of full band camp, and then another week of mini band camp. Full band camp is 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., mini band camp is 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Four weeks. That's a lot of prep compared to my marching band. Of course, my little brother is in high school, and I'm at college. Well, let me take you back to 2003 when I was a freshman. I had one week of full band camp (same as my little bro) and one week of mini band camp, which for the first year was 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., then changed to 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. That was it from my freshman year to my senior year. Why the change? A change in band directors. My marching band director from freshman year to senior year was strict. He made us work, and he had us get done what we needed to get done. He was not lenient unless the suggestion given to him was one that needed to be done, such as a water break on a hot day. Then, my senior year, he stepped down because he got an administrative position in our school, so the marching band was directed by the high school band director, who was much more lenient. She didn't change anything the year after he left, but after that she made things "easier" on the kids, and because she went easier on the band, the productivity went down. Now, you'd think, "They have two more weeks to practice, so their shows must be much better and better prepared than those of years previous." Nope, unfortunately the shows have stayed the same if not declined in quality over the previous years. The energy isn't as intense and the drive to do well seems to be less obvious than it was when I was in the band.

Now, the marching band director I had was not as well liked by the band, but he got stuff done. The director my little brother has is probably more liked/less complained about, but the quality seems to be lacking.

So, which is better? The band that accomplishes two weeks worth of work in two weeks, or the one that accomplishes that same amount of work in four weeks?

Sorry to eat up your time, my rant is over. ^_^ BITIL RULEZ!!