Dozens of Marching Salukis, from current band to generations of alumni, gathered in Sam Rinella field on Friday, Oct. 10 to celebrate the memory of former Band Director Mike Hanes by dedicating the band tower in his name as the Mike Hanes Marching Salukis Tower. The field, in between Grinnell Hall and the Student Recreation Center, will serve as the new practice grounds for the band.

The Hanes Tower and Sam Rinella field will be the new home and rehearsal space of the Marching Salukis, which were previously relegated to lot 56 behind the Banterra Center. 

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“Lot 56 holds a special place in a lot of people’s hearts,but there were some things about it that were a real challenge,” SIU Alumni Band Group President Brian Munoz said. “When it was really hot outside, the asphalt would start getting hot, there were a lot of wasps floating around sometimes, and the old, wooden tower. This new rehearsal space really sets up the band for future success as it grows over the years.”

The event opened with a band performance, including school songs as well as popular music like “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa. Many people spoke at the dedication, including Hanes’ daughter Lisa Breithaupt.

“[Marching Salukis] are a huge family,” Breithaupt said. “ And once [Mike Hanes] passed, they all really took me under their wings, and helped me get through some of the grief. They’re just great.” 

Hanes was the Marching Salukis director of bands from 1965 to 2005, and remained involved with the program until his death in 2022. According to the memorial sign on the Mike Hanes tower, he “shaped the lives of countless Salukis over the years.” One such Saluki is George Brozak, current SIU director of athletic bands.

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“The Mike Hanes I knew was long since retired, and when I got here in 2009, they still talked about him. There was a band director before me, but I got here and they still talked about him like he was the band director,” Brozak said. “If you talk to any of his students, any of the alumni, they revere him.”

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Staff Reporter Morrigan Carey can be reached at [email protected]. To stay up to date with all your southern Illinois news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.

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