At University of Colorado, it is a tradition to throw marshmallows during halftime performances.
This past Saturday, however, much more than marshmallows were slung at the Goin' Band from Raiderland during its halftime performance at Colorado.
"The Colorado fans were throwing what I thought were marshmallows," director Keith Bearden said. "Then, after our performance, I found out there had been lemons, tennis balls, trash, hot dogs, batteries and marshmallows with coins in them, so they'd fly farther."
Band member Erick Venzor, a tuba player, said he saw water bottles and at least one portable chair thrown down onto the field.
Director of Bands Cody Birdwell said he was positioned on the east side of the field where most of the objects were thrown from a student section and was pelted dozens of times.
"I don't know if there was anything other than marshmallows thrown at me," he said. "But those marshmallows sure were weighted down."
The Goin' Band's flag line received the majority of the abuse, according to several band members.
Alysen Cramer, a senior flag line member, said she saw a girl in the crowd position herself in order to hit her with a battery-stuffed marshmallow.
"I saw her crouch and throw as hard as she could," Cramer said.
Cramer and other flag line members said objects were thrown at them during their entire performance, which Cramer said made her scared.
Sophomore trombone player Amy McSpadden said she had a battery thrown at her, which struck her in the eye. The incident gave her a bruise and a bloodshot eye.
"It happened right before halftime - when I turned around to look at the student section, it hit me," McSpadden said. "It was like a showering of hard objects."
Sophomore clarinet player Rachel Deville said she was hit in the back of the head with a water bottle.
"It knocked the air out of me for a while," Deville said. "I just continued the show, but it scared me. They were very vicious, and throwing anything. They had no respect. Something needs to be done."
Lt. McGraw of the University of Colorado police said his department "can't do anything about" the reports from the Goin' Band.
"Officers went through and searched for foreign objects in marshmallows and couldn't find anything to substantiate their claims. We could find no band members to contend they'd been hit."
McGraw said safety is of "paramount importance" to the department, but it can only act on events "when they happen ... not three days later."
McGraw would not allow The UD to speak with the field director of security, saying, "We can't find anything to act on. You got to pick your battles sometimes."
University of Colorado police later said they did find reports substantiat ing band members' claims of abuse, claiming their computer system had "crashed," and two band members reported third-degree assaults. The department reported it is looking at videos to identify perpetrators.
"They don't care what was being thrown," Bearden said of the Colorado police. Several band members said they saw some of the security personnel laughing throughout the occurrence.
Bearden played a tape recording of the halftime performance, in which an array of debris could be seen showering the field and band members and flags ducking to miss objects.
"If I'd known it had been happening, I would've made the band leave the game," he said. "We would've marched right off."
In response to the occurrence, Student Government Association President Kelli Stumbo, who attended the game, called the event "ridiculous."
She said the Colorado announcer began the game by saying, "Let's see what these tortilla-heads can do."
Stumbo sited the recent negotiations for a Big 12 Conference Sportsmanship Honor Code by requesting more tasteful actions during games, such as refraining from throwing objects upon fields by fellow Tech students.
"Don't look like Colorado," she said. "Have some class and learn from this. There's a point where you're having fun and a point where you're embarrassing yourself."
Mike Donnelly, a member of the Colorado's Student Union, equivalent to Tech's SGA, said Tech's band members are rightfully upset.
"It's unfortunate that one rogue individual can do damage to a university's name when the majority of our students would never participate in such behavior."
Bearden had similar statements to Donnelly's.
"It just takes a few idiots out of an audience to make something negative like this happen," he said. "What's important here is what could have happened. People could have been seriously injured."
Bearden said he and his band should expect safety when performing. He said Tech students should not act in a similar manner.
"We don't need that reputation. Tech should be too proud for that," Bearden said.
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