Let's hear a round of applause for this year's marching band and color guard! Their season has already started and they have been working very hard. During the summer, all of the band and guard students practiced their music, flag work, and drill. They already have all of this year's show memorized. During the summer, eight students went to Illinois to be a part of a leadership program called Bands of America Symposium (also called BOA). At BOA, the students attended concerts, had bonding time, and played leadership games. During the first week of August, all band and guard members attended Band Camp, which was a rigorous and draining five days of learning how to march, spin a flag (for color guard members), and work together. Toward the end of the week, all the members went to see the Drum Core International (DCI) Quarterfinals. This was basically a competition that included the top marching bands and color guards of the world. On September 16 and 17, the band and color guard went to Gonzales to learn the rest of their show. This time was all about completing the show and fixing the problems. The meal times included great food and bonding time with each other. Even though marching band and color guard is very time consuming, most people really enjoy it. Sophomore Larissa Fong said that her favorite part of color guard is "performing and all of the people there make it fun." She also enjoys hanging out with her friends. This year's drum major is Senior Julianne Kelly. This is her fourth year of marching band and she really enjoys it. "I love all the people in it, . . . the competition, and meeting new people."

Mrs. Maribeth Wiens is in charge of coordinating all band events. Her favorite part of the season is "seeing how the competitive field show grows and how it gets better. Just when it seems great it turns out to be better." She also likes to see how the band and guard grow as a team and how they are disciplined. She also enjoys the adrenaline rush. Also, Mr. Jeff Wilson, a band director, enjoys seeing how the students grow as the year progresses and that they "[mature] . . . as they figure out the whole activity." This year, the marching band and color guard will be competing in six different places: Gilroy, Fresno State, Live Oak, Logan (Union City), and championships will be held in Fresno. However, if you want to see a more local performance, they will be performing on October 7 at the Homecoming football game during half time. Their eight-minute show is called Luminaries. The show is about the sun, the moon, stars, and constellations. As you see this year's show, look for these shapes: a moon, a star, a sun, and even the Big Dipper and Little Dipper. The band and guard members on the field form these shapes. During Winter Break, some of the band and color guard students will be going on a trip called Go! Asia where they will be traveling to places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand to be a part of a performance tour. They will also be participating in an Aids foundation in an orphanage. The other reason for going to Asia is for the students to understand all of the cultures and religions of the places that they will be visiting. The marching band and color guard are looking forward to a busy and rewarding year.

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