BY BRIANNA WARE, Sophomore
BLYTHEWOOD-- Recently, the South Carolina Legislature proposed the law to make Marching Band a Physical Education credit. Marching Band members spend hours upon hours working, sweating in the heat, and on the field.
According to Cynthia Roldan from the Charleston Post and Courier, Marching Band could satisfy Physical Education requirements.
“It [marching band] should be a PE credit because, when you do marching band you do it for 3-4 years and that is plenty enough exercise. We stay out for hours at a time and do a lot of hard work. I think marching band is similar to PE, it's just that Marching Band does so much more,” sophomore Marching Band member, Taylor Harris said.
Marching Band members spend a considerable amount of time conditioning and doing calisthenics to be able to march and do visuals during performances that are up to 10 minutes long.
There is some debate on whether Marching Band meets all of the Physical Education curriculum standards.
“Marching band is a sport. We are incredibly physically active in our art form, as much or more than in any athletic sport. So, if there was a decision to give P.E. credit for what we do, I would support it,” Westwood Band Director Daniel Humber said. “I know there are some legitimate PE teachers that are passionate about their standards and are concerned that there are any exceptions.”
“If our goal as PE teachers is just to be active all the time, then yes, Marching Band is something that could become a credit, but our goal is to teach lifetime movers to have a skill foundation to be able to be active years past high school. I would be totally against it [marching band becoming a PE credit]. It would be a total disservice to the students,” Blythewood High School PE Coach Bryce Clifton said.
SC State senator, Vincent Sheheen, is trying to push this proposal because he has a son in the Marching Band and has witnessed one of their practices first-hand.
“My observation is that my son, who is in Marching Band, consistently for a longer period of time gets more exercise than my sons who have just one semester of PE, which is the requirement,” Sheheen said.
According to the Post and Courier, the bill passed its first hurdle but still has to pass through another panel before heading to the Senate for a vote.
