Item: Eastern silences Eagles marching band/Jody Lawrence-Turner, SR

More Info: When the Eagles fight song rings out at EWU football games this fall, it’ll come from loudspeakers or maybe hired musicians – not the student marching band. The Eastern Washington University band, made up of 100-plus students, is a casualty of the poor economy. "This was an agonizing decision on our part,” said Patrick Winters, music department chairman. “A school like ours, in Division 1 sports, should have a marching band. It’s part of the atmosphere.” The university will save about $30,000, officials said.

Question: Did EWU make the right decision to save $30K by axing the marching band? (BTW, did you ever play in the school band? Which instrument?