What is the most pressing issue in DCI for 2023

[Amil Muzz]

My gut reaction to this poll was funding issues. In light of finding out that there are drum corps who have members practicing and performing DESPITE a positive COVID test. I guess the issue that still needs to be addressed is MEMBER SAFETY. After everything that's happened in the past 5 or 6 years, its just gobsmacking that adults would still be that reckless with the health and well being of members. It is beyond disappointing that there are people, "responsible adults" who are so wrapped up in winning at "super band camp" they would risk the health of kids, volunteers, drivers, staff, and the future of the activity (as well as potentially their own future) over a score or placement. I would say it is unbelievable, but sadly it is not.

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Amil Muzz

[scheherazadesghost]

8 hours ago, Amil Muzz said:

My gut reaction to this poll was funding issues. In light of finding out that there are drum corps who have members practicing and performing DESPITE a positive COVID test. I guess the issue that still needs to be addressed is MEMBER SAFETY. After everything that's happened in the past 5 or 6 years, its just gobsmacking that adults would still be that reckless with the health and well being of members. It is beyond disappointing that there are people, "responsible adults" who are so wrapped up in winning at "super band camp" they would risk the health of kids, volunteers, drivers, staff, and the future of the activity (as well as potentially their own future) over a score or placement. I would say it is unbelievable, but sadly it is not.

I really hope it's not this cut and dry... but this was always my worry, that tracking, processing, and recovering young people with covid would be problematic for these corps. It's not what they were designed for in any way.

My hope is that each case is handled with as much sensitivity, privacy, and TLC as possible because that's what covid patients deserve.

Needless to say, I didn't have the trust going into this season that corps management would handle it WELL. I knew it could be done, but this activity has a legacy of pushing young people beyond their limits or boundaries. Adults who are in charge are willing to fudge, plain and simple. They always have been.

And as I've argued in this thread, adults are all to willing in this activity to push young people for shows and numbers. This manifests in injuries, illness, and many other unpleasant side affects like those I endured while I marched.

So yes, agreed, member safety is first. And corps have to open themselves to info sharing and learning from each other on this because it's MM's furture lives they're putting at risk for shows and scores.

 

[Phantom56]

Weather! Schedule five consecutive weekend regionals in domed stadiums, with all World class corps competing. July 15: Dallas. July 22. San Antonio. July 29. Atlanta, or New Orleans.  August 4-5 Syracuse. (Replacing Allentown).  August 10-12.  Indy.  Keep the corps in their respective regions till July 10. Have a renewed Drum Corps East championship in Allentown July 7-8. Drum Corps Midwest championship in Whitewater July 8, and DC West at Stanford July 8.  

[Jeff Ream]

On 7/30/2022 at 3:39 PM, Sideways said:

And here Is why you are wrong…it’s highly likely that there would have been less of a disruption via Covid last than what we are currently seeing.  Vaccines last year provided much better overall protection to the strains at the time.  Omicron variants spread far more easily and produce breakthrough infections, although much milder, at a vastly increased rate.  Hence the disruption we are seeing.

Also there was a much greater need to return to normalcy last year and instead they wrote it off.  BOA, WGI, any number of smaller state and or regional circuits pulled it off.  We can discuss if a shortened competitive season would have been more viable than a full blown tour…instead it was a completely missed opportunity.

However…

 

housing was far more of a concern and guidelines were stricter in some places than others and stricter overall than they are now. When the fall came around, yes schools did more… because it was a school function. Drum corps on school property is a different beast and brings higher liability. There was far more than you think went into last years decision making behind the scenes 

[Jeff Ream]

17 minutes ago, Phantom56 said:

Weather! Schedule five consecutive weekend regionals in domed stadiums, with all World class corps competing. July 15: Dallas. July 22. San Antonio. July 29. Atlanta, or New Orleans.  August 4-5 Syracuse. (Replacing Allentown).  August 10-12.  Indy.  Keep the corps in their respective regions till July 10. Have a renewed Drum Corps East championship in Allentown July 7-8. Drum Corps Midwest championship in Whitewater July 8, and DC West at Stanford July 8.  

Syracuse is an acoustic and logistical nightmare 

[KVG_DC]

24 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

Syracuse is an acoustic and logistical nightmare 

Yeah Carrier Dome would be horrible for drum corps.   And getting the trucks/busses in and out of that place would be absurd given the way it's embedded into the campus.

[cixelsyd]

On 7/29/2022 at 12:14 PM, MikeN said:

August is just so much tougher for Texas due to football.  They're already in preseason and scrimmages then, and facilities would be much harder to come by. 

Do they play football outside in August?  Do they practice outside?  What is the prevailing attitude toward player safety with respect to Texas summer heat?

[scheherazadesghost]

29 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Do they play football outside in August?  Do they practice outside?  What is the prevailing attitude toward player safety with respect to Texas summer heat?

In K12, it's heavily regulated how long students can be on the field in marching bands and sports. This is still UIL, no, Texans?

Professional sports may be different but they have a different set of resources to work around the heat.

[JohnDF]

I was also thinking that regionals should be held indoors so the rain isn't such a factor.

[rpbobcat]

23 minutes ago, JohnDF said:

I was also thinking that regionals should be held indoors so the rain isn't such a factor.

Sounds good.

But, what about the Easts ?

The only dome that could be used is Syracuse.

A number of people have commented on how trying to 

use it would be a logistical nightmare for the corps.

Plus the location ,i.e. travel time. would not be attractive to the majority of fans that go to Allentown every year.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by rpbobcat