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Among the activities scheduled for this week’s Alumni Reunion at Michigan Technological University is a celebration of a half-century (more or less) of pep. The Husky Pep Band is celebrating its 50ish Anniversary throughout the Alumni Weekend.
Past and present band members and Husky fans can check out the Pep Band “museum,” hang out with friends and former band mates and pick up some sweet Pep Band swag from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the McArdle Theatre. Practice time has been schedule from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday – Saturday.
At 1 p.m. Thursday, the McArdle will host the premiere of the Pep Band’s 2017 CD. Band members past and present will gather at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the McArdle to prepare for the Pasty Picnic Parade. The band will march to the Pasty Picnic at 4:15 p.m. starting near the Chem. Sci. Building.
Hannah Kowalewsky, a Pep Band member, is among the organizers of the 50ish Anniversary celebration. She explained the motivation behind the events.
“This Pep Celebration is about bringing together folks from across many generations, both those who have been and who currently are Tech students. We also want to include those in the community who have given support to the band.”
Kowalewsky says for many the band has always been in existence so the goal was to create an event to celebrate “this organization that has brought so much energy to games, parades and events.”
Friday Pep Band events include “Record Your Story” from noon to 5 p.m. in Walker 210. The McArdle Theatre hosts “History Alive” at 2 p.m.
Saturday’s highlights include performing at the Alumni Men’s Basketball Game at the Wood Gym and at performance with the “Rock Camp” kids at the Rozsa Center.
Kowalesky says while there isn’t an exact year being celebrated for the reunion, the designation does make sense. “We chose to coin this event as the ‘50ish’ due to this being when the band switched from a military style band to a scramble band.”
She says with three performances over the weekend, the band had a chance to pull music from many decades to present a fun mix of new and old music to each “Pep Bander.”
