What is the moose?
--an adaptation of the Columbia fight song played by the trumpet section at the beginning of a song during a marching band concert.
--after playing through once, the next verse is sung, asking the question "who eats the moose"
--the answer, of course, is the drum major. in case people don't hear us correctly, we proceed to spell out the name.
--after completion of the thrid verse, which is played, the drum major regains composure and the original song is played as intended
--what the moose is and why the drum major eats it are unimportant matters.

What is the purpose of the moose?
1) Fun: The moose is neither played for it's musical value nor the profound message which its lyrics deliver. It is merely intended to throw a wrench in the drum major's system. The look of shock/disgust on the drum major's face is always amusing for the trumpets. Not being hogs, we enjoy letting the drum major share this look with other sections as well as spectators.
2) A check on the drum major's power: Every individual in the marching band has goals. The drum major is elected because we, the individuals, believed that he can help us achieve these goals. We are members of the Big Red Marching Band, not the (Drum Major's Name) Band. If he is leading the band in a way in which the members don't approve, there are methods of redress. Since he is in power at the concert, the moose reminds him that the real power of this band lies in the people who comprise it. We have made a decision to play a different song and have the power to play it.

Why is surprise necessary?
--If the drum major knows about the timing of the moose beforehand, he will, in a sense, be conducting the moose.
--When he conducts the moose, the drum major removes any check on his power that it holds.

Will this hurt recruitment?
--No. There are several reasons behind my logic here:
1) Even though the current drum major has run and been elected on a platform of "more hard work, less fucking around," this does not mean in any way mean that we can no longer have fun. The moose, as described above, is fun. There are two things that will recruit new members: amazing precision and current members who look like they're having fun. The amount of order and precision that is removed by playing the moose is certainly regained in the fun column.
2) Past precedent has shown that playing the moose will not hinder recruitment. After playing the moose at both the '03 and '04 Cornell Days, we were rewarded with the classes of 2008 and 2009, respectively. These are pretty damn good classes (nothing like 2007, but that's another argument). They would be even larger had we not lost several of them during/after the season.

But the current drum major has been quoted as saying, "Whoever does it that way just won't march next year. It's as simple as that." Should I be worried about this if we play the moose?
--The answer to this depends on who your primary affiliation is with. Do you see yourself as a member of the Big Red Trumpets, or The Big Red Marchiing Band? In a marching band without the Big Red Trumpets, you would play in a section like the bones or the clarinets.
--One of the defining characteristics of the Big Red Trumpet Section is the moose. If the drum major requires prior notification of moosing, he will essentially be removing the Big Red Trumpets from the marching band. I think many members of this section would rather not play, than to play in a section that's not the Big Red Trumpets.
--Should the drum major prevent anybody who identifies themselves primarily as a Big Red Trumpet from the marching band, then, for the sake of the Big Red Marching Band, I sincerely hope that he and the other sections can recruit 15-20 freshman trumpets who feel comfortable coming into this band with no upperclass leadership and filling the shoes of the trumpets from the class of 2007, 2008, and 2009 who would be reduced to little more than spectators.

For these reasons, I say we play the Moose whenever we want to tomorrow. Who's with me?

Da "proud member of the Big Red Trumpet Section since 2003" ve

---Dave Samuels '07, 4-7-06