Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum

Most Harvard students up early on the morning of The Game were probably pounding shots of tequila in the warm cocoon of their dorm rooms. For one set of drowsy yet dedicated undergrads, however, the morning played out quite differently: by seven a.m. the Harvard University Band was already outside braving the sub-zero temperatures at Harvard Stadium, without a mimosa in sight.

By this point, the rest of the prep work had been taken care of: they’d arranged the music, written the storyline, and constructed the props. One crucial detail remained—the drill routine. The only person who knew it by Saturday morning was Max S. Mishkin ’09, the Band’s drill master. It was up to him to make sure that by the end of rehearsal, everyone would be ready for the show. This routine would be Mishkin’s last for the Band. In fact, by the end of the halftime show, an entirely new senior staff would be ready to lead the Band through the second half of The Game, and into the next year.

For the members of the Band, The Game is not only the highlight of the season, but the changing of the guards. While the (victorious!) event ushered seniors out in style, it was just the beginning for the juniors who are now running the show.