Thursday may have marked just the first game of the 2018 season for the University of Connecticut football team, but the school’s marching band had what will likely be its most emotional night of the year.
During halftime of the Huskies’ game against UCF, UConn’s marching band performed a specific song and spelled out “ALEX” on the field. The tribute was dedicated to Alex Schachter, a 14-year-old who lost his life in the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., earlier this year.
#UConn band spells out “ALEX”. For Parkland school shooting victim Alex Schachter, who dreamed of joining the band. pic.twitter.com/JGVzlojMnH
— Patrick Eaton-Robb (@peatonrobb) August 31, 2018
The song, Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4,” was Schachter’s favorite.
The @UConnBand honors Alex Schachter during halftime playing his favorite song by @chicagotheband, 25 or 6 to 4. Alex was killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland, FL. Alex dreamed of marching at @UConn. His father was here to see it. #BandFamily pic.twitter.com/KWydNyp3S4
— CollegeMarching.com (@CollegeMarching) August 31, 2018
Alex’s father, Max Schachter, shared some of his family’s story with Kelli Stacy of the Hartford Courant. Alex lived in Florida, but his dream was to attend UConn and join the marching band. His mother, who died when Alex was 4 years old, and uncle were both UConn alumni.
“It just was incredible and it made me have faith in society,” Max said of the tribute to his late son. “[Faith] that there are good people in the world and that they cared about Alex. And even though we were so far away this really meant a lot to them.”
UConn admitted Alex to the university posthumously a week after the Parkland tragedy. Max said the gesture “lit up my life and proved to me that there is good in this world.” The Huskies wound up losing 56-17 to UCF, but the final score seems insignificant compared to some of the other events that took place throughout the night.
