Post by SSHoya on Oct 21, 2022 5:17:21 GMT -5
Rich Fiesta and I were one of the original 10 or so members of the band who started playing at Hoya games circa 1975. Rich and others, after six months of hard work with the Office of Advancement, have established an Endowed Fund in honor of Ron Lignelli who retired after 37 years in the Department of the Performing Arts. There is a link at the end of the article for those who may wish to donate.
In April of this year, more than 100 alumni, members of the athletics and performing arts departments, and band members attended a formal ceremony in Copley Formal Lounge to celebrate the band’s centennial. And in October, Richard Fiesta (C’79, L’82, G’82), a former band president, and other alumni launched the Ronald J. Lignelli Band Endowed Fund in honor of Lignelli to provide ongoing support for the band’s instrument purchase and maintenance.
The pep band has played for thousands of cheering fans at four of the men’s basketball team’s Final Fours: in 1982, 1984, 1985 and 2007. According to the 1988 Georgetown yearbook, the band was honored as “best in the Big East” for its spirited renditions during its ‘88 season. Former band member Don Polese (C’83) recalls bussing down to New Orleans’ Superdome for the 1982 game against North Carolina, where Michael Jordan hit the game-winning shot for UNC with 15 seconds left. The band performed on national TV from behind the basket, and Polese said, “The whole nation was watching, and you just felt like you were in the middle of it all.”
www.georgetown.edu/news/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-pep-bands-100-year-history/
In April of this year, more than 100 alumni, members of the athletics and performing arts departments, and band members attended a formal ceremony in Copley Formal Lounge to celebrate the band’s centennial. And in October, Richard Fiesta (C’79, L’82, G’82), a former band president, and other alumni launched the Ronald J. Lignelli Band Endowed Fund in honor of Lignelli to provide ongoing support for the band’s instrument purchase and maintenance.
The pep band has played for thousands of cheering fans at four of the men’s basketball team’s Final Fours: in 1982, 1984, 1985 and 2007. According to the 1988 Georgetown yearbook, the band was honored as “best in the Big East” for its spirited renditions during its ‘88 season. Former band member Don Polese (C’83) recalls bussing down to New Orleans’ Superdome for the 1982 game against North Carolina, where Michael Jordan hit the game-winning shot for UNC with 15 seconds left. The band performed on national TV from behind the basket, and Polese said, “The whole nation was watching, and you just felt like you were in the middle of it all.”
www.georgetown.edu/news/10-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-pep-bands-100-year-history/