Professor Bill Drury, Assistant Director of Bands at Northeastern University, will not be returning in the fall. He has been forced to leave this position against his will, and against the will of the students he conducts. Although he may not be a full-time instructor, Professor Drury is an amazing director. He inspires our members to play to the best of our ability. Under his leadership, both ensembles (Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra) have made great improvements, and tackled musical pieces we had not thought possible. Northeastern University values experiential education. To this end, it is crucial to have two highly experienced, professional directors. This is what we have in our current directors, Professors Allen Feinstein and Bill Drury. They have both done an excellent job, and it would be harmful to the groups to lose either one of them. The loss of Professor Drury has already begun to affect us, and would be devastating to the group\'s morale, musicianship, and membership. Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra are much more than classes, we are student organizations. As such, we have been involved in the interview and hiring process for our directors. In getting rid of Professor Drury, the Music Department has completely ignored this precedent. This is disturbing to us, and damaging to the usually great working relationship between the ensembles and the department. The very existence of the department owes much to the popularity of these ensembles. By removing Professor Drury without our knowledge or consent, the Music Department has shown us a great deal of disrespect. It has completely ignored the wishes and needs of the students it claims to serve. We, the undersigned, oppose the removal of Bill Drury as director of the Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra. We support his re-hiring at Northeastern. To lose Professor Drury would be an unthinkable loss for the school. *Please sign with your NU email, and do not check off the anonymous box-- this way, we will be able to show your NU affiliation to the decision-makers.