By the time you read this column, the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., will only be a memory.

The Webb City High School marching band will be packed back on their buses and bound for home. Hundreds of proud Cardinal parents will be preparing to greet their kids and share in the once- in-a-lifetime experience — and countless photos, stories and cheesy souvenirs they will bring home. I suspect Globe staff writer Emily Younker, who has been traveling with the band since Dec., 26, blogging and Facebooking the trip, will have a few stories of her own to share.

What an experience, both for the band members and for Emily. It’s hard for me to imagine that anyone could take issue with an extracurricular trip that inspired a couple of hundred young people to work hard, raise money, set a goal and follow a dream.

Ooops! I spoke too soon

As news of the band’s trip to represent Southwest Missouri unfolded on the Globe’s Web site, Facebook and on Emily’s blog, one regular in our comments forum decided to rain on the band’s parade. The commentor, who goes by the name “hyy,” took issue with the bands’ fundraising efforts, the need for the trip, and called the opportunity to march in the mother of all parades “a vacation.”

Vacation or not, I think hyy has issues of his/her own to resolve. I’m not sure what happened to hyy in high school, but he/she regularly expresses the same kind of disgust for women’s high school sports. From the amount of time he/she spent following the band’s trip and posting disparaging comments at joplinglobe.com, one thing is sure, hyy has plenty of time on his/her hands.

“You know, I don’t begrudge these kids this trip at all. They are talented and they do work hard. And I feel they represent us all well. To you all who are tasting sour grapes, you can add a little sugar and you’ll have grape juice. Get over it and support your fellow Missourians.”

— Dee from Joplin

‘Cheering you on’

“Maybe someone from California will bring our several hundred thousand dollars back to our economy. During this great recession, I am sure there are laid-off people who would love their jobs back, rather than send money to the west coast.”

— hyy

“Hey hyy, can you be any more bitter!”

— Perry

“Good luck gang and have fun! As for you hyy, they worked hard to raise the money for this trip so if you have a beef with WC schools don’t take it out on the students. As for the students, we will be watching and cheering you on.”

— WC Band Veteran

“Make us proud Cardinal Pride!”

— wcguy

“I think hyy needs to grow up. You seem to be a little jealous. These kids deserve to be where they are. They have worked hard. So what if they had to raise money to go on their trip. That is what Webb City is all about. To show their support and to take pride in their town. So buck up!

— anonymous

“Hyy: The president is vacationing in Hawaii, any thoughts or comments about that? No? OK, well continue to pick on hard-working, talented kids then. WC BAND: Have a great time. You deserve it!”

— WC Band Mom

Fundraising flap

“Acting like they work so HARD and deserve this ‘trip’ is an insult to all other high school kids who work just as hard at their chosen extracurricular activity and don’t get to take these kinds of vacations. You people act like the other kids do not work as hard as the band, and thus, they do not deserve a vacation. Using soccer as my example: How can any of you justify these kids get to take a vacation because they chose to blow a flute rather than kick a soccer ball?”

— Be honest (a.k.a. hyy)

“Be honest: Unless you were there at 6:30 every morning three or more days a week, at the late night practices, all day Saturday practices, summer practice and all the rest, including their ‘lazy’ fundraisers washing cars, waiting tables, etc., then I don’t think you have anything to comment. They have worked HARD. Thank you for your support!”

— WC Band Mom

“Let’s stop on the hard work thing. They did not work HARD. Practice: They worked no more than a kid who practices his sport, or the debater who researches his topic. Fundraising: They worked no harder than a kid who gets a job at McDonalds to earn money and pays for his own travels.”

— Be honest (a.k.a. hyy)

“What is wrong with you people? This is the trip and opportunity of some of these students lives so far. They worked SO hard to pay for a trip they otherwise would not have been able to afford. Why do you have to make it something ugly?”

— ???

“Hang around Emily, you might get to go with the band for a week-long cruise next year.”

— hyy



Dave Woods is new media editor for The Joplin Globe.