Sound of USD Alumni Reunion Set for Nov 17 18
After three years of assembling the gathering around Dakota Days homecoming festivities, the music department chose this game for the excitement around the event. Through the cooperation of multiple departments, the group of alumni will join the current student marching band and take the field at halftime of Saturday’s football game against SDSU. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
“We can’t find any records in the history books of an alumni event like this happening before, so why not showcase this nostalgia in the midst of one of the most noted rivalries in the state?” said David Holdhusen, chair of the Department of Music. “Any graduate of USD knows how important this game is to the fans.”
Both teams have winning records and have consistently been ranked among the top of the conference. Tickets have been sold out since early October.
With over 30 participants registered for the two-day event, the current members of The Sound of USD are excited to welcome alumni back to campus. “This is one of the best ways to build energy within the current student band and hopefully, show future generations of The Sound of USD how being a musician will impact their lives later on,” said Todd Cranson, director of Athletic Bands.
“At other schools, the band alumni has always been a dominant piece of the bigger institution that is ‘the band.’ The generations might have differences, but the stories and traditions are very much the same,” he said.
Alumni will travel from as far as Arizona and California, as well as just down the street in Vermillion. Organizers are planning to greet alumni from every decade dating back to the 1950s.
Several events have been planned for both students and alumni throughout the weekend.
“What a spectacular way to showcase our University, as well as the talent residing in and outside of its walls,” Holdhusen said.
