Upon the retirement of Mr. McNeely in 1967, Mr. Bert Roth took charge of band activities. In the fall of 1968, he gave a work scholarship to every qualified member of the Rice Owl Band in recognition of their participation. The Rice Owl Band broke with tradition in 1970 and began to introduce timely and sometimes controversial topics into their halftime activities. With their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks, the band parodied politics, life at Rice, and other members of the Southwest Conference. During this period the band also gradually stopped marching and began the "scattering" techniques for which it is now known. This type of entertainment proved popular with band members, since the rehearsal time necessary to learn a show was greatly reduced, thus becoming more manageable in conjunction with a full academic course load. These shows also become popular with Rice's proudly irreverent student body.