Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: A New Association, New Tensions

(1979 - 1991)

The Money Crunch

During the 1970's the California economy was the worst it had been in forty years. By 1975 unemployment hit its highest point since the Great Depression. Inflation was outracing many wage earner's income. At the same time taxes, particularly state and local taxes, were rising faster than the rate of inflation and faster than most taxpayer's income. In June 1978, angered by increasing taxes and the perception of a "fat" state government, Proposition 13 was approved by the voters. Proposition 13 was a state constitutional amendment that limited property tax to just 1% of the property's assessed value. Property could be reassessed only if it were sold or improved and that reassessment was limited to 2% per year. Property assessment was rolled back to its 1975 value. Property taxes could only be raised by the voters and by a two thirds vote.

The passage of Proposition 13 resulted in budget cuts by many branches of the State of California, including the University of California. In his 1979-80 state budget, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. proposed a $23.1 million cut in the UC budget. UC Davis' share of that cut was $2.8 million. To accommodate that cut, the UCD Administration announced in early 1979 that all campus services, including the ASUCD, were to be charged for the administrative services that the University had previously supplied for free. Campus wide, these "administrative recharges" amounted to just under $300,000. The ASUCD's share was over $100,000. The UCD Administration also considered the possibility of charging the ASUCD rent for its use of the Memorial Union facilities.

The ASUCD was plagued by problems of its own. Internal politics of the ASUCD resulted in the restructuring of the ASUCD business office and the elimination of a number of associate manager positions within the ASUCD. A number of the ASUCD supported activities, such as the Bike Barn, the Coffee House, and Zapple Records, the ASUCD run used-record store, were in financial trouble. Early in 1979 the UCD Administration had taken control of Survival, a publication for incoming students which included tips to adjusting to campus life, away from the ASUCD citing mismanagement. In September 1979, the ASUCD Business Manager reported that the ASUCD had a budget deficit of $98,000. It was suggested that in order to eliminate this deficit and make the ASUCD financially healthy, membership fees in the ASUCD be increased and that ASUCD activity budget be substantially cut.

On April 17, 1980, the president of the ASUCD, John Statton, announced that as a result of poor management and budgetary practices, the ASUCD budget deficit for the next year was $105,000. This was the highest budget deficit in ASUCD history. He announced that nine ASUCD funded activities were to be eliminated entirely, including the Rally Committee. All other activities were to be cut across the board by ten per cent. Speaking for the UCD Administration, Vice- Chancellor Thomas Dutton praised the ASUCD for its response to its fiscal crises. He also made it clear that the Chancellor "has the authority to dictate what their budget will be," and that "the Chancellor is accountable [...] for the fiscal soundness of the student government." Dutton was making it quite clear that the Administration would take over if the ASUCD did not take action to put its financial house in order.

Internal politics hindered attempts to restore ASUCD fiscal soundness. Since the announcement of budget cuts, special interest groups began lobbying the ASUCD Senate to restore funds to the cut programs or to restore cut funding to surviving programs. Most notable of these was the Ballet Folkorico. In early May 1980, five student supporters of Ballet Folkorico seized the production offices of the California Aggie to protest the elimination of that program from the ASUCD budget. The Third World Coalition also lobbied heavily for the restoration of funds to the Third World Forum, which although not cut entirely, did sustain heavy funding cuts. After three weeks of hearings, input, and lobbying, most of the cuts suggested by ASUCD President Statton were approved by the ASUCD Senate.

A Voluntary Choice?

Bandsmen were informed on April 18, 1980 by Dr. Lawrence Anderson, the Cal Aggie Band Faculty Director, that the UCD Administration was willing and ready to fund the Band if the Band so desired. Dr. Anderson assured the Bandsmen in his letter that the Administration had no interest in taking over the day to day operations of the Band, that the Band would be a high priority within the University, and that the Band would have autonomy in the budgetary decision making process, something the Band did not have under the ASUCD. The Administration was more willing to fund the Band now, more than ever, because it saw the Band as fulfilling a role originally articulated by J. Price Gittinger: using the Band to promote the Davis campus as recognizable and respected institution of learning. The Band was emerging as the campus' premier public relations vehicle. Administrative funding was seen as a means of preserving this role.

It was argued that not accepting the offer would mean an end to the Band as the ASUCD could no longer afford to properly fund the Band. The 1977-78 ASUCD budget for the Band was nearly $16,000 for a Band of 80 members. The 1979-80 budget was $17,700, also for a band of 80 members. But plans were being made in early 1980 for an increase in Band membership to 100 to comply with the terms of Warren Mooney's "Challenge gift." It was estimated that the 1980-81 budget would need to be at least $22,000. A ten per cent budget cut in 1980 would have meant a reduction in the Band's budget to the 1977-78 level of $16,000. The question was could the Band continue to operate as it had in the past with a $6,000 shortfall. To many Bandsmen the answer was No.

Other Bandsmen were concerned that an acceptance of Administration funds would mean the end to the student run status of the Band. They felt that by accepting University money, the Band would be forced to give up its character to fit the University mold and that the Band could no longer be as free spirited as it was before. It was argued that the 1978 Learn-Moreno Agreement was sufficient to guarantee funding. In that agreement, signed by Executive Vice Chancellor Elmer Learn and ASUCD President Richard Moreno, the University Administration agreed to provide financial assistance to the ASUCD in return for the ASUCD's agreement to maintain the Cal Aggie Band and other programs such as the California Aggie, Unitrans, and Picnic Day. But this agreement only required the ASUCD to maintain funding at the 1977-78 level.

In 1980, the Administration was making it quite clear to the ASUCD that it would step in and take over the ASUCD budgetary process if necessary. The ASUCD was in severe financial crises in 1980. It would be advantageous to the ASUCD to be relieved of funding the Cal Aggie Band. Discussions between the ASUCD, the Administration and the Band officers concerning the Administration funding the Band were underway as early as February 1980. ASUCD President Statton did not address the issue of Band funding in his April 17, 1980 announcement, despite the fact that the Band was one of the more visible ASUCD funded activities. The Band did not decide to accept Administration funding until April 21, 1980. It is clear that even before the vote by the Band, Administrative funding of the Cal Aggie Band was an inevitable and foregone conclusion, held by all except the members of the Cal Aggie Band, and just a part of the financial dealings between the UCD Administration and the ASUCD. Regardless of the outcome of the April 21, 1980 vote by the Band, it would be the UCD Administration, and not the ASUCD, that would fund the Band. In the end, the Bandsmen did vote to accept the Administration's offer with the understanding that the Band's constitution and its governing boards would be accepted by the Administration. After fifty-one years, the Cal Aggie Band severed its ties to the ASUCD. Since July 1, 1980, the Cal Aggie Marching Band has been funded by the University of California.

Building a Working Relationship

With the UCD Administration taking over the role of the ASUCD in terms of funding, a working relationship still had to be worked out between the Band and the Administration. Quite naturally tension developed between the Administration and the Band as goals and policies quickly came into conflict. New demands and expectations were placed on the Band by the UCD Administration.

For example, in January 1981 the women's basketball coach, Pam Gill, requested that the Cal Aggie Band attend women's basketball games as well as the men's basketball games. Prior to this the Band had not made it a practice to attend women's basketball games. Instead, the Band would march in at the end of the women's game, sometimes inadvertently marching in before the game was over which would disrupt the game. The Band officers explained that they did not regularly support the women's team because the time commitment was too much for many Bandsmen, the lack of a crowd at women's games, and the Band's busy schedule forced them to be selective about performances. After a few years of negotiations, the Band did begin to attend women's basketball games. At first, only freshmen Bandsmen were required to go to home women's games. But as each new class got into the habit of going, within a few years the whole Band was going to the games and even showing up for the start of away women's games.

Much of the tension that developed was as a result of the Band needing to learn how the Administration wanted things done and the Administration needing to learn what the Band wanted to do. With the transfer of the Band under the Administrative umbrella, there was an imposition of administrative procedures that at first ran contrary to the Band's long standing practices of student governance. Communications, including performance requests, directed to the Band were now being routed through the Student Activities Office rather than through the Band officers. The Student Activities Office became the primary information source for the Band. Tension between the Band and SAO frequently flared when SAO would purport to speak for the Band when communicating with others inside and outside of the university community.

Conflict and tension with the Administration were not the only characteristics of the 1980's. There were also spectacular highlights.

NCAA Division II Football Championship: McAllen, Texas, December 1982

The 1982 football season remains one of the best seasons for the California Aggies. It was that year that the Aggies advanced during the post-season Division II playoffs to play in the Championship Game at McAllen, Texas. Of course, the Cal Aggie Band accompanied the team all the way there.

European Tour of 1985

In June 1985 the Cal Aggie Band traveled to Romania and Austria. Following a six hour flight from San Francisco to New York City, the trip began June 17 with a 13 hour flight from New York City to Bucharest, Romania. While in Romania the Band played a concert in Bucharest's Athenaeum Hall, marched shows throughout Romania, and rallied the Black Sea Coast, a popular tourist sight in Eastern Europe. While in Romania, Bandsmen visited Bran Castle in Transylvania, made famous by author Bram Stoker as "Dracula's Castle."

On June 26, the Band flew to Vienna, then transferred to bus for a six hour ride to Innsbruck. The Band performed several times in Innsbruck during the next 4 days. Many Bandsmen took the opportunity to take a day trip to Bavaria to visit the castle Neuschwanstein. Much of the time in Innsbruck was spent recuperating from travels trough Romania which left many Bandsmen ill from the food and traveling. The Band stayed outside of Innsbruck in the little village of Birgitz. Better food and good beer (much to the consternation of university officials traveling with the Band) quickly revived the Bandsmen to their enthusiastic selves. On July 1, the Band traveled back to Vienna. But due to the inclement weather, the Band was forced to cancel its one performance in Vienna. The Band spent its one day in Vienna touring and sightseeing. The Band flew back to New York City on July 3, 1985, ending one of the most memorable trips that the Cal Aggie Band has ever taken.

Like the Seattle World's Fair Trip of 1962, the University Administration provided no funding for the Band's Europe trip. Bandsmen paid $1500 each to go on the trip. Fundraising included two Spring Shows, one before the trip and one after, a raffle, and solicitation for donations from Band Alumni and other friends of the Aggie Band. After the concert in Bucharest, Warren Mooney, who was traveling with the Band, telephoned Chancellor James Meyer and made it clear to Meyer on no uncertain terms that the Administration had "blown it" by not supporting the Band and that the Band had represented the University proudly.

A Student-Run Band

The transition to Administrative funding represented a commitment on the part of the University to maintain the Cal Aggie Band as a public relations instrument of the Davis campus. J. Price Gittinger's vision had finally been accepted. But this transition did not occur without some friction. After fifty years of self-governance, the Band did not easily fit into the Administration's definition of "student-run." To the Administration, "student-run" meant that students would continue to occupy administrative positions and carry out administrative duties, but the actual policy decisions would be made by professional administrative personnel in the Student Activities Office, the Faculty Director, and the Administratively chosen Band Manager. To the Band, "student-run" meant that the Band would make its own policy decisions through its elected governing board, the Band Officer Council. This conflict in governing philosophies created tension, and at times hostility, between the Band and the Administration.

Growing pains also created problems for the Band. One of the terms of Warren Mooney's Challenge gift was that the Band must have at least 100 members by January 1, 1983. In response, the Band began a recruiting drive to increase membership in order to meet this condition. The increase in membership started at the same time that the ASUCD began to experience financial troubles that severely limited its ability to fund even a smaller band. The Administration made an offer to step in and fund the Band. That offer was accepted by the ASUCD and eventually by the Cal Aggie Band. It was clear to all, the ASUCD, the Administration, and prominent UCD Alumni, that the Cal Aggie Band was worth maintaining.

It was during this time that public support of the Cal Aggie Band rose to its highest point thus far. Private gifts, particularly from Warren Mooney, enabled the Band to purchase new uniforms, new instruments, and to go on trips. New friends of the Band, such as Brian Thompson, brought new contacts to the Band which resulted in the production of a record album in 1983, profitable performances at the Niemann Marcus opening and the 1983 State Farm Insurance conference in San Francisco, the opening of the California State Train Museum in Sacramento, and the inaugural day of the California State Lottery. While the UCD Administration was content to limit its funding involvement to just day-to-day operations, others sharing J. Price Gittinger's vision found ways to help the Band promote the University.

To many, the Cal Aggie Band was becoming a band to rival the other great college bands in the country. But to old friends of the Band and the Bandsmen themselves, the Cal Aggie Band was finally being recognized as one of the great college bands in the country.

The future seemed bright and smooth for the Band. The Band seemed to be well on the way towards working out its differences with the Administration. Membership was going steadily each year with more and more incoming freshmen wanting to join the Band. The Band's public image was as healthy as it had ever been. Just as in the past, the Cal Aggie Band would be soon buffeted by the winds of social consciousness and change.