Dive Brief:
- The University of Oklahoma’s marching band on Friday ran full-page advertisements in more than a half-dozen newspapers in Oklahoma and Texas, accusing the university's president, David Boren, of using threats to quell opposition to the band’s direction.
- The ads also criticize second-year band director Justin Stolarik, claiming that the marching band’s leadership created “an environment of mediocrity and complacency,” the Tulsa World reported.
- In three cities alone, the ads cost nearly $20,000.
Dive Insight:
Don’t make the band angry. You wouldn’t like the band when it’s angry. Band alumni helped raise money for the ads through Gofundme.com. Boren called the ads a waste of money that could have been spent on scholarships. According to the ad, band members have to agree in writing that they won’t express anything negative about the band, including online or printed statements, or they could be dismissed and receive a zero as a grade for band.