TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Just 24 hours before the rescheduled football game against Alabama State University, the Marching 100 will no longer travel to perform due to Hurricane Isaias. As the hurricane strengthens, Tallahassee is now under a tropical storm warning, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
This week, the Marching 100 spent countless hours navigating rehearsals through constant rain in preparation for a rivalry game against Alabama State University. However, Hurricane Isaias is expected to approach the Gulf Coast on Friday October 9 with possible landfall on Friday night into Saturday October 10.
Band members were notified of the decision at 12:24pm through a remind message from the director of bands. For some members, the cancellation was disappointing after spending the week preparing new material for the performance.
Yakari Bryant, a second-year band member, said he was looking forward to performing against Alabama State and seeing members of its band, including friends he knows personally.
“Personally, I am disappointed that we’re missing this game,” Bryant said. “There’s people I know in ASU’s band.”
Bryant said he was also looking forward to another competitive matchup between the two bands.
“I believe the changes we made to the dance routine would have been very entertaining for the audience to witness,” Bryant said. “So, I’m very disappointed that the work we made for this will not be shown.”
The cancellation also means the Marching 100 will miss an opportunity to continue a rivalry in which the two bands regularly travel to perform at each other’s games.
Jalen Truesdale, a third-year band member, said the cancellation would be disheartening for the fans considering the rivalry between the two bands.
“It’s really disappointing how we always would go to Alabama State, and they would always come to us, and now that we’re not going, its going to be a really sad day for all the fans.”
While the decision was disappointing for members, safety remained the primary concern as the storm approached Florida.
Dr. Nicholas Thomas, director of woodwinds, said the administration made the decision with the safety of band members in mind.
“Safety is the most important thing,” Thomas said. “The administration feels it’s best that we don’t travel.”
Thomas said the priority now is making sure the students remain safe throughout the weekend.
“We just want to get our students through this weekend safely.”
