Yet another university has been added to the ever-growing list of schools being investigated due to alleged student violations.
On Wednesday, The Juilliard School joined Miami University, Ohio State University and many, many other schools as the latest school under investigation for violating NCAA rules. It has been reported that eight students, including first-chair oboe performer Ryan Chang, accepted money from vendors in the New York City area, a clear violation of Rule 124a of the Statutes on Musical Scholarships: “Thou shalt not accept money from vendors in the New York City area if thou playest a musical instrument and/or thou hast been to band camp at some point in thy life, unless thou playest the guitar, which is badass. If thou playest the guitar, thou may open thine guitar case in the subways in order to peddle passersby.”
It’s a very straightforward rule.
While several athletic programs have led to investigations by the NCAA, Juilliard is the first school to be investigated that does not even contain an athletic program. Unless you count marching band. Which no one does, except for the NCAA.
The eight students who allegedly violated Rule 124a were ratted out by Ahmed Shabazz, a pizza vendor at Joe’s Pizza on Bleecker Street. Shabazz claims that Chang and his “cronies” accepted more than $4.32 from Joe’s Pizza.
Said Chang in his defense, “I paid $5.68 for a calzone. That money was my change!”
The NCAA is calling for a 5-concert suspension for Chang and the rest of the Super 8 (as they’ve been called), and is scheduled to question Maestro Jan Berkowitz on Friday as to how he could allow such an egregious lapse in judgment by one of his players.
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