SXSW: Not a band trip

There are a lot of differences between the trip to SXSW with GrooveU and any typical Marching Band trip that I've been on.

Independence - Except for the occasional panel we are required to attend and the morning and evening check-ins, each student is essentially on their own at SXSW for the entirety of the trip. Marching Band trips always have minute-to-minute itineraries, hard report times, and room checks during curfew.

Work - The things GrooveU students have to do (or rather should do) is mostly networking, which is an ethereal subject that I find a little difficult, espically with my inexperience in the fields I want to work in. You also have to make sure you're at the appropriate events for your field and ones that have the best chances of connecting with someone, taking risks on one event over another. Marching Band is much more cut and dry. You simply have what you need to do (which is almost always rehearsal or some kind of performance) and the time you will do it in. That's it.

Freedom - On marching band trips we are required to adhere to a strict code of conduct. Alcohol is not permitted ever, even for those over 21, and getting caught with it is grounds for expulsion from band. We also have a whole host of other trivial and complicated rules, such as the restriction of not allowing anyone of any gender to be in any hotel room other than their own. The justification for these rules is to ensure that the OSUMB and the school are well-represented. This is a fair goal. The severity of the rules probably results from the band being such a high-profile organization. We have to act the way the public (and the university) expect us to act. GrooveU has similar desire to protect its reputation, but it leaves the discretion of what is right and wrong up to the students.

I really don't drink. But after doing several trips where even being around alcohol was a cause for concern, I find it jarring on this trip to be frequently offered beers by my friends and getting tickets for free drinks at the doors of events.

However, there was one noticeable similarity between these two types of trips; omnipresent exhaustion.