The student section at games chants for the tune to return, but yet no song is played. Yells get louder, drowning out the noise of instruments. The students and the band don’t sway in unison, but instead clash during football games.

Years on end the band has played the “Tuba Song,” but last year the beloved song was booted from the playlist. This year’s song list has fun additions, such as the contemporary song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams and the theme song from the HBO series “Game of Thrones,” but these new songs, although appreciated, don’t sit as well with students.

The absence of old favorites has made it difficult for most of the student body to notice positive changes in the band, like the arrangement of the national anthem. While their Friday night performances are a result of the band’s hard work and long practices, it’s their time playing in the stands and at pep rallies that connect them to the student body. We like the changes but not at the expense of the classics that have become embedded in our school’s tradition.

Another crowd favorite, “Hey, Baby,” has also seen its demise.  These crowd favorites had a way of boosting the spirit of Tiger fans and getting us pumped for games and pep rallies. We shouldn’t have to drop all the old favorites, especially when we have a student body chanting for their return.

Bring back the tuba song, please, and let the student body and band dance and sing in harmony again.