Thunder_1M1

Say what you will, but the team ended the regular season ranked 1st in the FCS! EWU also beat the University of Montana (big division rival, had something like 16 consecutive years in the playoffs, which ended this year) in the first game on the turf! That was kind of a big deal, since EWU hasn't beaten Montana at home since the 90's. Who knows if it's actually the turf, but as long as they keep winning (knock on wood!!), I'm happy! Go EAGS!!

Thunder Drum & Bugle Corps has been approved for Open Class Competition: http://www.spokanethunder.org/

Unfortunately, half of our staff cannot make it out this weekend, so our camp for this weekend has been cancelled. We will hopefully remake this camp up at a later date! For now, our next scheduled camp is March 12-14 in Ritzville (additional details to come at a later date). Figures snow affects us when it's thousands of miles away!!

--- BDsop86: I guess I wasn't clear enough. No, there was no illegal activity that I know of (if there was, then why would there still be a money problem as you assumed). There just seemed to be other things that could've been handled differently in order to allow Thunder to march on it's own. It doesn't matter now, though, as what should've been done didn't happen and what had to be done has been done. There's nothing more to it than that. I don't believe there was a serious money issue (Thunder broke even after last summer, as I have been told). Joining the NYMA was a good idea if it was to help with any further or current money problems. I just have an issue with the merger and how it could effect my "alma mater" in the future. Oh, and we only really starved for about half a year, and that was the second year. We ate well every other year I was there (btw, 5 years = "however many" years). --- Magic of Mobile D&BC: Truly classy for a corps that wants to be. Goldingna never did anything but question the very, very ambitious goals of your brand new corps. He was a big part of our run to Finals in '08, and had big plans for this summer. This whole situation was defiantly not because of him. And Thunder hasn't folded yet (though if it can return to me is uncertain). --- Lance: Thank you for the kind words! You summed it up perfectly. --- goldingna: You're awesome! Miss you up here... in all the snow and cold... --- I should also state that I retract my previous insinuation that this is a Cascade "takeover." I gained new information that has told me differently. However, I'm still unsure how Thunder will recover. I'd hate to wait another 30 years for drum corps to take hold in Spokane. Again, the main reason for the difficulty in the Northwest to hold a corps is because the talent migrates south (and sometimes east) to other "Elite corps." As soon as there is a reason for people to stay (ie consistent competitiveness), that's when NW corps can thrive. I've mentioned elsewhere that I will do all I can to help Thunder return in 2010. Hopefully The Merger proves successful. (Aside: I think instead of Cascades or Thunder, they should just go by "The Northwest Corps Project!")

Thunder '05, "Perthshire Majesty" by Samuel R. Hazo. I'm biased as well, but I haven't heard many Open Class shows. This one holds a special place in my heart.

I stand by my previous statements. It makes little sense that a corps on the upswing with no evident financial trouble has reason to merge with anyone. I've come across further information that I will not repeat out of respect for the organization and in hopes that it can hopefully regroup next year. All I have left to say is the merger could have been avoided, and the ball was dropped. As for the lack of Drum corps in the Northwest, it is because there is a lack of competitive corps. The Northwest has to retain its talent in order to compete, but all the talent runs other places to play for a finalist corps. Why would someone from California come up north to play if they have several choices in their backyard to play for, including several World Class and Open Class finalists/winners. Until the NW corps aren't just a spring board to get into a finalist corps or get recruitment outside the area, I don't see anything changing. The best way to do that is with hype and a competitive corps. Thunder had both going for it, with hopes for competing for the Open Class title this year. This is a serious blow to the momentum it had. Again, I hope both corps will come out strong after this and prove me dead wrong, but I'm truly fearful of the outcome

Being an alum of Thunder, I don't like this one bit. Thunder has worked so hard over the years to become it's own entity, have it's own history, and own traditions. I was part of it when we rode the bus for a week, had Subway sandwiches three meals a day, and played 6 shows in exhibition, and I was there when Thunder made it to Open Class finals last year. I'd love to see the day Thunder makes the leap to World Class, and heck, even make a run at the big prize one day. Obviously that's a long way down the road, but Thunder is on the upswing, and this definitely seems like a step in the wrong direction. I've heard many rumors over the years that Cascades wanted to have Thunder as it's feeder corps, but every time Thunder rejected. Now (as it appears to me) a Cascades take over? I see one of two things happening: 1) Cascades does well in competition and gets slightly bigger due to local interest and they are "the World Class corps." 2) Cascades does average or so in competition and gets no additional recruitment due to some members and several DC prospects wanting to join an upper tier corps. I personally think the first option for the Cascades will be what happens to them. They have a stellar staff. But there won't be enough "leftovers" that will march for Thunder, meaning: 1) Thunder's past competitiveness in Open Class and hopes for one day possibly ever being a World Class corps takes a big hit, and/or 2) Thunder folds. Not trying to be a negative Nancy, but something is fishy in the water. The only group I see benefiting from this is Cascades in the long run. I see this as their attempt to refuel their reserves with much of the talent in the Northwest. Obviously there are more details that have yet to be known and I hope against all hope that I am wrong and Thunder will emerge stronger than ever, but I fear for the future of Thunder.

Go Thunder!! Do me proud!

It's the bugs in the bug juice.

You'd have to hit the saxophone with a metal hammer to get the best sound... THEN it can be a percussion insturment.

I would try my hardest to try and go to both audition camps. That way you can make a better educated decision by actually knowing in person kind of how the staff is like, what the members in the corps are like, what the estimated costs are going to be (really important if money is an issue), etc. Also, it seems that your director has a love affair with Spirit or something (not that that's bad). Just don't let him convince you that anything other that marching Spirit is "the wrong choice."

'05 was a good year. During our stay at an Oregon school, our first Director was in charge of cooking. He was quite a chef: Side-wash Steak (aka half a hamburger bun with gravy over it. That was it) Ramen Surprise (A spoon of Ramen noodles with a bag of frozen vegetables mixed in) Sandwiches (with one slice of deli meat) Our Visual Tech took us into the grove of nut trees behind the school, and the following conversation took place: "So, how do you like the food?" "Um, it's good..." "Seriously..." "No, we're starving!" "Ok, though so. We'll fix that tonight." We got to go to Wal-Mart that night. Everyone was over at McDonald's stuffing their faces. It was awesome. Honorable mention goes to last year ('07). We were in California, when one of the parents got a good deal on corn from a local farmer. Turned out the corn was actually maize (aka hard corn meant for animal feed). The rest of the meal was fine.

We were at an Elementary School that had one locker room with 2 shower heads with only boiling-hot-lava water (I think it was brought directly from the pit of fire in heck) for 52 members, plus staff and chaperons. We dealt with it, though. The hose showers were actually nice in the sun!

No... They would have had to place in the top three in the former Divison III or get one of the next top 6 highest scores (regardless of division). They would have missed finals either way.

I remember that. Not to be offensive, but some of you guys were quite... peculiar. We shared a place with like 4 other corps in 2006. It was in LaCrosse, WI, at the U of W in LaCrosse (fancy that). We all stayed in the field house and it worked out pretty well (aside from the fact that the people at the University wouldn't let us paint a field on their precious practice football fields). Besides that, there were a couple places where we shared with a corps or two. Last year for finals we were put up in a Hotel. It kinda sucked because there wasn't anywhere nearby where we were allowed to set up a practice field. We ended up having hopping on the bus and driving 10-15 minutes down the freeway (the opposite way of Pasadena) to a rest stop/recreational park area. My favorite boarding place probably was when we had to stay in the Taco Bell arena at Boise State because the school we were supposed to stay at had a problem with Mercury in the water. (SCV was staying there, too, I believe.)