Hey Olds!
As I prepare to join you in the mysterious beyond of post-graduate life, I am honored to have been asked to write this note to keep you updated on my little corner of the Big Red Bands. My name is Wins—“Jacob,” if you insist—and I’ve played trumpet here for four years. Although I knew I wanted to play in the Pep Band from the get-go, it took me a few years to properly join Marching. I only wish they had zipped me into that uniform and shoved me on the field earlier! I’m happy to report that the irreplaceable Band community is still going strong. As I write this, I am surrounded by some of my favorite people in this world, all of whom I met through Band. Even as we near graduation, I know they will remain in my life—and that makes the memories we share even more special. As I wrote in my journal after my first First Night, “I think these are my people.”
Being a senior so close to graduation is… a lot. I’ve been thinking about the future near-constantly. I don’t know what will come of my grad school applications* or professional aspirations—but I do know who’s in my corner. I know who will be there to celebrate or mourn—who will always be there for me. You know, I somehow didn’t cry at Non-Sec this year. I am now.
To quote the speech I gave then: “We’re moving on, but part of the beauty of this thing is that it will outlive all of us. We’re a part of its history now. And not only will the connection remain through Homecoming, and calls to olds on First Night, and friendships that continue; and not only through the memories we’ve made; but especially, for me, through the knowledge that the Band lives on—that hundreds of kids like us will continue to have adventures, and meet new friends, and play the songs we all played, and cry at Non-Sec as they tell everyone in this room how important they are, and how much they love them all.”
I can only hope that your experience in Band was as impactful as mine. And even more strongly, I hope that current and future Bandies feel the same magic I did—and do—and that they build up that magic, forge those connections, and keep the Band special, safe, and sacred. I have a lot of trust in our new leadership, and am especially excited to watch our underclassmen grow into the next generation of leaders. Rest assured, the Band is in a good place.
Yours,
Wins Weinstein ‘26
*Two days after writing this, I learned I had been accepted to a PhD program at Penn (say the line…) and will be attending in the fall!