Jessica Anderson believes that being in the ISU Marching Band requires a certain type of dedication.

“You put in probably about 20 hours a week on game weeks, and it is only for one credit, so everybody who’s out there really wants to be out there,” said Anderson, who was a member of the marching band in the fall.

Some people might believe that an engineering student’s rigorous course load would not mesh well with the demanding schedule of a marching band participant, but that is apparently not the case.

Anderson is a sophomore in chemical engineering, and Martin Province, director of the ISU Marching Band, said that last fall 30 percent of the marching band was made up of undergraduate engineering students.

Pam Reinig, manager for Engineering Publication and Communication Services, said it’s surprising that so many engineers find time to take part in the marching band.

“Engineering is a pretty rigorous course of study. It amazes me that a lot of the students do get involved in extracurricular activities,” Reinig said.

Province agreed with Anderson’s assessment of the time commitment involved in being a marching-band member.

“Those students went out there five days a week for an hour and 20 minutes at a time, plus Saturday, plus they got to school early [in the fall],” Province said.

He also said the engineering department recognizes the heavy demands of being both a student and a band member, and it is cooperative with those students who choose to be both.

“The engineering department really works with us a lot,” Province said. “They are very willing to let the students participate in things such as away trips that cause them to miss an occasional class.”

Province said he sees the marching band as a kind of social outlet for students.

“It gives them a chance to do something else and have fun, too,” he said.

As for Anderson, she said she does it because she loves playing music.

“It provides a break from your schedule,” she said. She described the band as being a group in which “300 of your best friends are marching with you.”