I always swore I would never be one of those alums who had nothing better to do with her time than to write letters to the Collegian; however, Joey Langone's letter ("Tailgaiting and football draw fans, not band," Sept. 16) annoyed me just enough to make me change my mind.

When I was seven years old, my father started taking me to Penn State football games. Like most little girls, I didn't care what went on during the game (as long as Penn State won). I did care, though, that we were in our seats early enough to see the band come marching out of the tunnel for pre-game.

Snacks and souvenirs could wait until the game started-before the game, at halftime, and after the game, I insisted that we stay and watch the band "blow their horns," spin their flags, play their drums, and twirl their batons. And now, as a former Blue Band member, that hasn't changed.

Of course the majority of fans (myself included) are there for football and tailgating, but we could watch the game, eat sandwiches, and drink beer at home. The band is a major part of the atmosphere that we all love.

I'm sure I was neither the first nor the last kid who cared more about the drum major landing his flips than the quarterback throwing interceptions.