For better or worse, band sends important message

To the editor:
    Last Wednesday night I made it to my first basketball game in several years as I took my daughter to see the Houlton boys prelim game against George Stevens Academy. My daughter loved dancing to the music and cheering. The band was doing an excellent job, as they always do.
    However, near the end of the game, with Houlton up by 20 points or so, the band took me by surprise. They started taunting GSA with chants of “Start the bus” and “It’s all over.” It’s one thing if it was the student section chanting these things, but this is the high school band. They wear the uniforms and represent their school, their parents and the community as a whole.
    I was really disappointed that what has always been a class act bunch of kids decided to stoop to that level. And what was even more disappointing was seeing the band director let it go on. He stood by in the shadows of the bleachers with a smile on his face.
    Since he didn’t do the correct thing and put a stop to the classless act, I’m of the opinion that one of the school administrators in attendance should have told him to. Sadly, they did not.
    In speaking with several other fans in attendance that night, I’m not alone in the way I feel about this. I also learned that the band did the exact same thing the night before during the girls game. Apparently that means this behavior is looked at as acceptable by the faculty and administration of the high school.
    Granted they are only kids and they are having fun. They definitely add a lot of excitement to the atmosphere of the “Shire Dome.” However, such poor sportsmanship should not be tolerated. As I said, when you are wearing the black and white uniform, you are representing all of us.
John White Jr.
Houlton