As exciting as Homecoming is at Illinois State University, this year it was especially so for one Redbird couple.
Stephen Rudolf ’14 and Monica Stark ’15 met during Big Red Marching Machine (BRMM) band camp in 2011. It was love at first sight for the trombonists, and they began dating just one week later.
“One week of band camp is equivalent to a month in real time,” Stephen said.
Though they had different academic pursuits (biology for Stephen and theater studies for Monica), playing trombone as members of the BRMM was a shared passion. They dated through college before moving to Lake Bluff after graduation. Since they fell in love at Illinois State, the University holds a special place in their hearts. That’s why Stephen knew that proposing during Homecoming, at the place where it all began, would be meaningful to them both.
“I had a feeling he was going to do something during Homecoming because he made a huge deal about making sure our schedules were cleared, but I had no idea what he was going to do.”
And naturally, he wanted to involve the BRMM in his plan. Stephen knew that the band’s tailgate route before the football game would provide the perfect opportunity. Gavin Smith, BRMM director, arranged for the band to play “Hey! Baby” while Stephen enlisted the help of the trombone section for the proposal.
Spoiler alert: Monica said yes. And, yes, she was very surprised.
“Oh yeah, I was surprised,” Monica said. “I had a feeling he was going to do something during Homecoming because he made a huge deal about making sure our schedules were cleared, but I had no idea what he was going to do.
“The BRMM is very special to us, and I’m glad Stephen found a way to work them into that special moment.”
Stephen was grateful for all the help he had in pulling off such a big surprise.
“I’d like to thank everyone who was involved in the proposal, Gavin Smith, trombonist Sarah Abel, my buddies in the tuba section—Kevin, Ryan, and Brody—and everyone in the trombone and saxophone sections,” Stephen wrote in an email. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”
