Rice University's Marching Owl Band "may have went too far" during halftime of their Friday football game against Baylor when they formed an "IX" and a star, which may have been in reference to Baylor's repeated sexual assault scandals and their now-former President Ken Starr.
Starr was removed from his position in May of this year after the school failed to investigate several sexual assault claims against members of its football team and the sexual assault victims subsequently filed Title IX lawsuits against the private Waco, Texas, school for negligence.
The Marching Owl Band is known for its comedic performances, ESPN reports, and the band took both the IX formation and the star one in front of the Baylor fan section. "There are nine judges on the Supreme Court or is it?" the stadium announcer said before the band formed the IX. When they formed a star, the song "Hit the Road, Jack" played.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the band also formed an "N" with the accompanying announcement "'N' stands for knowledge if you are educated in Waco."
An angry Baylor fan reportedly approached the band after the performance and Rice officials issued a statement on the band's performance, not confirming their intent with these particular formations but apologizing for how they may have been construed:
The Marching Owl Band, or MOB, has a tradition of satirizing the Rice Owls’ football opponents. In this case, the band’s calling attention to the situation at Baylor was subject to many different interpretations. Although the band’s halftime shows are entirely the members’ projects with no prior review by the university administration, we regret any offense, particularly if Baylor fans may have felt unwelcome in our stadium. While we know that the MOB did not intend in any way to make light of the serious issue of sexual assault, we are concerned that some people may have interpreted the halftime performance in that vein. Sexual assault is a matter of serious concern on campuses across the nation, and all of us have an obligation to address the matter with all the tools at our disposal. The MOB sought to highlight the events at Baylor by satirizing the actions or inactions of the Baylor administration, but it is apparent from the comments of many spectators and Baylor fans that the MOB's effort may have went too far.
Baylor won the game 38–10.
Follow Tess on Twitter.
Tess Koman covers breaking (food) news, opinion pieces, and features on larger happenings in the food world. She oversees editorial content on Delish. Her work has appeared on Cosmopolitan.com, Elle.com, and Esquire.com.
