Bethune-Cookman’s Donovan Wells Plays Sour Note With Comments on Marching 100 Hazing
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Bethune-Cookman University, Features, Florida, Florida A&M University
The Orlando Sentinel recently reported on an increase in interest from high school students wanting to join the Bethune-Cookman Marching Wildcats marching band. In the article, BCU Band Director Donovan Wells said that he believed the increase was a direct result of the suspension of the Florida A&M Marching 100, and that he wouldn’t accept transfers from the 100 into the Wildcats’ ranks.
Publicly, Wells says he doesn’t want the “controversy” of the Robert Champion murder and its resulting scrutiny to find a place in his program. Privately, I’m sure he doesn’t want the prospect of Marching 100 transplants with allegiances to FAMU to transmit performance secrets back to Tallahassee and the Marching 100, regardless of the Rattlers’ suspension being extended to 2013.
But is it a low blow to give any statement on the issue, whether in honest commentary or in a seemingly slick play to stoke the heated rivalry between the two bands?
