On Friday, May 10th, students of the Carolina Band who serve as resident assistants in the University of South Carolina dorms received an email instructing them to choose between their job as a resident assistant or being a member of the Carolina Band. The University of South Carolina gave these students until May 14th, exactly four days, to make this decision. 

The job of an RA provides students with stable, low cost housing, and being in the Carolina Band provides students with a scholarship. For out-of-state students, this scholarship allows them to pay what is close to the in-state tuition rate at the University of South Carolina. Students in both organizations are now being forced to choose between housing stability or a scholarship that keeps them in school– a choice that some don't have the luxury of making. For many of these RAs, this choice even threatens their ability to enroll in school this upcoming year. What caused this decision to be presented to students is a very specific schedule conflict with a part of RA training and band camp. This schedule conflict centers around a couple of specific time periods that have never been a problem to work around with Carolina Band RAs in the previous years. 

Students were told to make this choice in just four days, with less than three months before the start of the school year. Student apartment rates are ever increasing as the fall semester grows near, and with Columbia's housing market growing, there is a limited amount of affordable rental inventory available to low-income students. Carolina Band RA's who may already be facing financial instability at home are being forced to possibly forgo attending school next year to save for next year's housing, or face being homeless.

The university's decision to make Carolina Band students choose between their job and the scholarships associated with being in the band will effect students in the residence halls as well. The University is removing its on-campus students of competent role models, who learn the skills of time-management, fortitude, and leadership in the Carolina Band, skills that benefit not only their residents but their staff teams as well. Carolina Band RA's hail from the Honors College, Capstone Scholars, as well as a wide breadth of major programs. This variety of experiences and perspectives make Carolina Band RAs integral to the residence life community. This decision even impacts an entire major– music education students are required to take two semesters of marching band to get their degree, making an entire degree program practically ineligible for the RA role.  

This decision also causes Carolina Band RAs to face the possibility of not being able to represent their university at the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This event has been in the works for years, and students have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the Carolina Band to earn their spot at the parade. It is an event that many band students dream to participate in their whole lives. 

Forcing students to make such a drastic decision so quickly at the expense of their financial stability is inconsiderate to the needs of students and lacks consideration for their wellbeing. The university has showed a complete disregard for students housing stability, and at this time provided no alternatives such as guaranteed on-campus housing or housing stipends for the students affected. 

We implore you to show your support for students put in this unjust situation by signing this petition. What we need is compromise, from both University of South Carolina Residence Life and the Carolina Band Staff, in order for us to keep our jobs. Music should never stop you from being able to afford college. 

Thank you for all your support!