The Ohio State Athletic band announced some exciting plans for the 2022-23 semesters this Spring game weekend. This includes the construction of a bigger band center right below the current one, the removal of all chairs from all athletic band rehearsal spaces to encourage grooving, and the introduction of more than 1 unpolished arrangement in a single year.
Most importantly: the Athletic Band shared details of an exciting partnership with the cheer squads for a special routine during Script on Ice.
Script on Ice is one of the most beloved traditions of the Ohio State Athletic band. However, there have been safety concerns brought up on behalf of the A-band members, who must march on ice aided only by a single spiked cleat. Band members of notable seniority and expensive instruments or unfettered selfishness have the privilege of using two cleats. Sadly, slipping and the occasional fall have been experienced by the performers, so various measures will be implemented in the future to reduce the chance of injury to persons and instruments.
Rough ice has been notorious for causing slips, so the athletic department has agreed to Zamboni the ice before Script so the ice surface will be smoother and therefore safer. Additionally, to reduce the total amount of time spent on the ice, the band will perform at 1.5 times the usual tempo. In the past, one performer, the i-dotting sousaphone, had to spend the most time marching, which poses an inequitable safety risk that will soon be eliminated…
The most exciting improvement will be the incorporation of the expertise of the OSU Cheer squads to basket toss the I-dotting sousaphone directly from the stands to their spot on the ice. While initial practice runs proved shaky, due to the combined weight of the I-dotter and their Sousa, a fix was quickly implemented. The sousaphone player will be tossed independently of the instrument, put it on in midair, and then land right above the “i” and go straight into their salute and solo. Both the Sousa and its player will be launched as high as possible to maximize their time to prepare for their landing.
“Script on Ice 2.0” will be sponsored by Elk+Elk: Columbus’s leading Personal Injury Firm. The athletic department projects that this partnership will be both useful and invaluable.
–By Idris Malik, Social Media Officer