(The following is an editorial submission from Jennifer Diffley, whose son is a member of the North Penn Marching Knights.)
I have started and stopped writing this a dozen times. I’ve been afraid of appearing as a “sanctimommy,” whiny, or holier-than-thou. I’ve been afraid of people being defensive, rather than listening and understanding.
However, if the shoe were on the other foot, I would want to know.
My son is a member of the North Penn Marching Knights. It saved him. It saved our family. It’s his story to tell, and though I can't select which parts of that story he wants to tell, I can share that middle school was rough for him. It was rough for all of us. We still don’t know all of what he endured.
At that time, I said to a respected music teacher: “I’m thinking about guiding [my son] toward trying marching band.” The teacher encouraged me.
My son found a place where he felt like he belonged. Life got better — for all of us. Busier, for sure. Not perfect by any means — he’s still a teenager — but so much better.
We sit in the stands and watch. We volunteer. We got to know these other amazing, unique kids. We are so proud of them. We haul their equipment, feed them dinner, hand their sweaty bodies bottles of water, carpool, chat with them at games, wait in crowded parking lots while they chat, cheer for them, celebrate with them, love bomb with candy and air-grams.
We are exhausted, but we wouldn’t trade a thing.
There was recently a pep rally for our newly built stadium. The marching band marched in after all athletic teams were on the field. I cried tears of pride watching those kids march in. I became emotional seeing all the kids I knew being called onto that field. It didn’t matter to what group they belonged. These kids I helped navigate the cafeteria in kindergarten, check out books in second grade, classroom parties, book fairs, Olympic Days — watching them do what they love and find their place, I’m so proud of every, single one of them.
I then heard boos. As our marching band entered the field, the athletes booed them. We thought it was great that they marched in last, thinking it would be so supportive. But as a few members of the Marching Knights said: “they did it that way so they could all make fun of us. That’s just what people do.”
That’s just what people do…in 2021.
Marching Band embraces many of the kids that the world is crying out to be embraced — those marginalized communities, as well as those neurodiverse, differently abled and typical kids. All in one group, all supporting each other, all holding each other accountable emotionally and physically.
Marching Band is tough physically. It takes a lot of knowledge and discipline to memorize the steps, perform those steps at the right time, spend eight hours in the August heat practicing those steps and timing it just right so as to not walk into other performers.
At home and away games, I’ve witnessed first-hand — and seen the aftermath when I’ve missed it — that these kids are being brutalized. They have been put next to the student section, who mock them, throw things at them, loudly make fun of them and grab at them. When they march in and out of the stadium, they are pushed, jeered at, grabbed and touched. People try to break them out of formation and then call them names when they don’t acknowledge them as they have been taught to properly do. People cut through the middle of the marching band, breaking their formations because getting to their car faster is more important than respecting the band’s march back to the building — where they all help one another get out of uniform, put all equipment away, clean up the inside from where they’ve spent hours practicing before changing and preparing for the game. They often have 12-hour days.
As they march from the field after performing, they stand under the bleachers for a talk from the director. Last week, I watched in horror as they were spit on and had trash and food thrown at them —all by students, many of whom have known these kids since they were in kindergarten.
Many of whom sit next to them in classes.
These same students are booing opposing teams as they approach the field. They are booing or ignoring the other team’s band, who work just as hard as our band. The trash we see under the student section when we leave is outrageous. The language, the behavior…it’s so disappointing.
This past Friday night, there were students that decided it was ok to touch the band’s personal property and instruments while the band visited concessions. They then continued to behave that way while the band was back. They were kicking brand new drums worth thousands of dollars. They were commenting on the bodies of the Color Guard members. They were mocking the band as they played. They were behind the drum majors, mocking and miming.
When a staff member approached kids for touching instruments, one student spit right in his face then quickly disappeared into the crowd. A group decided to go try to fight with spectators from Pennridge. They destroyed three Pennridge trumpets, and they tread through the band’s section and stepped on personal belongings and instruments.
Band kids tell each other: “don’t go anywhere alone during the game.” They use the buddy system to go to the bathroom for safety reasons. They don’t engage when they are called names. They stay stoic when they are being mocked. They all claim to be used to it. They don’t say anything for fear of retaliation. They silently wipe away tears after they have been grabbed, poked, pinched, kicked, taunted. The color guard has been on the receiving end of inappropriate language and suggestive comments.
These kids, in 2021, have accepted that this is just the way they will be treated because they are in marching band. They say nothing. It was only when adults/parents/spectators/the other team’s chaperones brought this to light that they started sharing some of their stories.
“This is just how things are when you’re in marching band.”
Nope. Not anymore. This changes today.
Friday night is homecoming. Please cheer for our kids. Please talk to your kids that are going to the game. If you can’t convince them to be kind, convince them not to be cruel. This is where those “stander-uppers” they‘ve learned about in all of those Olweus anti-bullying lessons come into play.
And if you can’t convince them to not be cruel, to not stand up, then at least share with them that the state-of-the-art stadium has state-of-the-art cameras. The district is aware of the behaviors I have mentioned, and the district also owns some of our instruments and equipment. At a minimum, they will protect their investments.
Editor’s note: North Penn Now has confirmed with the school district that an investigation was launched in the aftermath of Friday’s incident. We will have original reporting on this issue later this week.
See also:
For the North Penn Marching Knights, The Band Will Play On
‘Return to Play’ Procedures for Athletics, Marching Band Approved by North Penn School Board
In a Split Vote, North Penn School Board Approves High School Fall Sports for Upcoming School Year
Editorial: Why the Renovation of Crawford Stadium Matters
