What was intended to be an internal issue erupted into the public eye last week after reports floated to the surface about the University of Wisconsin Marching Band receiving a stern reprimand from Chancellor Wiley Oct. 3.

The UW community was left in the dark about what actually happened to elicit the chancellor's reaction, but details continued to unfold last week. The Associated Press went as far as filing an open records request, only to reveal a three-page letter marked "Personal and Confidential" from Mr. Wiley to band director Michael Leckrone putting the band on probation and threatening "virtual extinction" should further incidents arise. The letter even outlined specific rules for the band to follow, hinting at what the band did to warrant the administration's attention.

But the university didn't clear things up until Thursday, when Mr. Leckrone and Mr. Wiley's executive assistant Casey Nagy detailed reports of the band's lewd behavior and "sexualized hazing," which took place primarily on busses to away games. The press conference was held a full week after media outlets had a chance to start drawing their own conclusions about the band's supposed misconduct.

We commend the administration's efforts to set the record straight but can't help wondering what might have happened — or not happened — had the situation been made public initially: The mystery surrounding the band last week served only as a catalyst to make a non-issue into national headline news.

Induction traditions abound all over campus, from Langdon Street to the UW Field House, and what the band has been doing wouldn't cause most students to look up from a reading assignment, much less garner national attention, had the university been candid from the start.

We by no means condone the band's actions — especially those taking place on university-sponsored trips. But an extremely hardworking, talented and decorated group of students doesn't deserve the negative attention generated by the administration's mistake.