"4 expelled over band death; Hazing suspected at Florida A&M is common practice" December 02, 2011|By Christine Armario and Errin Haines, Associated Press
ATLANTA - Four Florida A&M University students have been expelled for their role in what is believed to be a hazing death of a marching band member.
Hazing is part of the price band members at historically black colleges and universities pay to be part of a vaunted campus tradition that eclipses the prestige and popularity of the football team. Band members can endure anything from punching to paddling to being forced to drink copious amounts of water, all for a chance to perform in front of thousands of people at football games, parades, and other high-profile events.
On campus, band members are often given perks and treated like celebrities.
“If you were in the band, it was like you were a superstar,’’ said Fontreia James, a piccolo player for three years in the marching band at Jackson State University in Mississippi. “People don’t come to the games to see the football team. People come to see the band.’’
In the fall, halftime is game time for the band and fans at historically black colleges and universities, which are mostly in the South. Few people leave to get refreshments or take a bathroom break. The crowd cheers and applauds as the band high-steps out onto the field, dancing and marching in sync in elaborate formations, playing songs including traditional marching band numbers, Motown hits, and today’s chart-toppers.
They do it week after week in heavy uniforms, holding instruments in the blazing heat....
Started in 1892 with fewer than 20 instruments, Florida A&M Marching 100 has grown to over 400 members and is regarded as a pioneer, performing at Super Bowls, the Grammys, and presidential inaugurations. The band even represented the United States in Paris at the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.
The most revered members are the drum majors, described as the generals. They are as popular on campus as a star quarterback would be at other colleges. Florida A&M has several drum majors, including Robert Champion, who died Nov. 19 after he collapsed on a charter bus a few hours after a football game.
Authorities have still not said how the junior died, only that hazing played a role. University President James Ammons referred to the student dismissals in a memo he sent earlier this week to the school’s board of trustees but did not specify what they did.
According to 911 tapes, Champion had vomit in his mouth the moments before he died and he could not breathe.
“We need an ambulance ASAP,’’ an unidentified caller says in a recording. “His eyes are open but he’s not responding.’’
Champion’s death was puzzling because of his high position within the band, and because he was an upperclassman....
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"Fla. drum major’s death ruled homicide" December 17, 2011|Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE - The cause of death for a Florida A&M University drum major, whose killing revealed a culture of hazing within the school’s famed marching band, was shock caused by internal bleeding after suffering blunt force trauma, officials said yesterday.
Robert Champion, 26, had bruises to his chest, arms, shoulder, and back and suffered bleeding from soft tissues, causing him to go into shock, the medical examiner’s office in Orlando said. The autopsy said Champion was vomiting before becoming unresponsive Nov. 19 aboard a band bus.
The drum major’s death led to the suspension of longtime band director Julian White and the end of band performances for the near future. Four students suspected of involvement in hazing were briefly expelled from the school. They were reinstated after State Police asked the school to stop any disciplinary action until a criminal investigation is finished.
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