Hey Wahoos!
Another year has begun, and we have a lot to be thankful for already. This is the perfect time to reflect on some of our successes, look forward to future endeavors, and reconnect with our friends in the band.
Looking Back – In 2017 we continued many of our favorites: basketball watch parties, the NCAA tournament bracket challenge, and UVA Reunions. We were able to celebrate with two classes (2007 and 2012 in the house!) last summer – it’s so amazing to see the how quickly our band grew over the years. Pretty soon we’ll have thousands of CMB alumni and more than one or two classes at Reunions. Such a fun extended family to be a part of!
But of course, our main event was yet another successful Alumni Band with 70 participants performing “Big Noise” and “I Want It That Way”. Despite the early call time and sweltering heat, everyone was excited to be back at Carr’s Hill and Scott Stadium. It was a feeling like no other being back on the field conducting you all alongside the huge CMB, so thank you for making it all possible! Check out this video of the halftime show.
Looking Forward – In addition to the 2018 Reunions (Classes of 2008 and 2013, welcome back to Grounds!) and bracket challenge, we have another event on the horizon! More specifics below, but we are kicking off the year’s calendar with a watch party for the UVA vs. Duke Men’s Basketball game! It promises to be an exciting game, and I know you all listen for the stand tunes while watching.
Other Hoos News – We are continuing to function as an Alumni Interest Group (AIG) with UVA, which means we can continue to communicate with all of our alumni easily. Our next big step is putting together a website hosted and branded by the University. You can see the start of it here but the content is coming shortly!
The Board has a lot of new faces this year, ranging from Class of 2008 to Class of 2015 graduates. I’m excited about the team we’ve put together to keep our traditions going, bring some new ideas, and truly provide a great experience for all of our alumni. More about these wonderful people here. 🙂
Shameless plug: The CMBAA could always use your support in a variety of ways – if you want to host an event, get involved with our social media presence, contribute to a newsletter, or can donate monetarily, please do so! If everyone in the band’s alumni association donated $1 each year, we would be covered for our dues to UVA and be able to provide even better events moving forward. And we love seeing what you all are doing online!!
I am so honored to serve as your Chair, and I really hope this organization can bring you the same feelings that your band family did during undergrad. If you have any comments or suggestions on how to help make the CMBAA better serve you, please don’t hesitate to contact us on social media or email me directly at chair@uvacmbaa.org.
As always, GO HOOS!
Kyle Ruempler (Trumpet, ’14)
Chair, CMBAA