laundryday

synchronized push ups don't seem that hard to do at all, when you have to march synchronized. ....it's not about difficulty, but the best use of it. I just haven't favored a lot of the whole rolling around on the ground thing that H.S. kids love. I'm sure they practice a lot of push ups and jumping over people in a lot of dance/body movement classes.

When doesn't hazing happen in drum corps? Luckily the experiences I had while in corps, there was a rookie talent night (with some pretty graphic "talents")...but all those who participated chose to, and those who didn't want to simply didn't, there was no forcing them too so it wasn't technically hazing. From the rumors I've heard, things have calmed down some...well let me rephrase that, it's still pretty wild but as far as "hazing" or forcing somebody to participate it something has gone down. In recent years I have still heard of different hazing rituals, but not sure if they're still carried out.

Thanks, I've been here for a long time. New handle, got rid of my old one (didn't want a screen name attached to a corps)

black pants are easier to clean. Not just literally in the washer but on the field as well. I see nothing wrong with keeping the bottom black, not only would it help them with expenses but also help keep consistency in design. There's nothing wrong with that since a lot of people up top do it. It would be nice to see tweaks here and there every year and some red. It would be hard to add red to the current design without it clashing or it looking like the 07 uniforms...and nobody wants that. What if the drum majors and members switched designs? But have the members wear regular cloth and not satin...no sash either I imagine that would get in the way of things.

In recent year Crown's "Puck" section in 2010 takes the cake, and probably is the most memorable. Real intricate artistic movement, and they're not just doing push ups or jumping over somebody.

I wasn't sure what board to post this is. I heard this news this morning, this is terrible. I am copying and pasting the story from this link, which has a video: http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-willard-hs-band-may-lose-more-than-500000-to-travel-company-20120426,0,6603660.story WIILLARD, Mo. -- It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime for hundreds of Willard High School Band students, their families, and sponsors. Now the money they've paid toward their trip is missing, and the FBI is investigating."It's something that, as a senior, I've looked forward to all four years of high school," said Stephanie Lingenfelter. Willard band students said they have worked hard practicing, attending competitions, and raising money for a Hawaii trip planned for this summer. Many of their families have been saving for years. Now the more than $500,000 they have raised is missing. "We don't have a lot of news. That's the problem," said Willard School District Superintendent Kent Medlin. Medlin said school leaders have been unable to reach Performing Hawaii Tours, the Hawaii-based travel agency planning their trip. Parents got the news on Wednesday night when their band director issued a letter saying the FBI and police are now investigating the company. "I was in shock," said Kristie Vincent, a parent of two Willard band students. Vincent said her entire family had paid in advance for the chance to travel with the band and watch them perform. "I know a lot of parents made sacrifices so they could have their kids go on this great trip," Vincent said. The contact number listed on the Performing Hawaii Tours website is disconnected. The Willard superintendent said the school used this same company in the past, and he said nothing like this has ever happened before. "There's a harsh reality here that this trip is not going to occur like we had planned and therefore we're going to haveg to look at other plans," Medlin said. Students and parents are banding together to try to find a solution. "I'm trusting our band directors and our school administration to take care of it," Lingenfelter said. Another school, Southside High School in Fort Smith, Ark., also planned a trip with Performing Hawaii Tours. School leaders there said they are also unable to reach the travel company, and the FBI is investigating their case as well. Copyright © 2012, KY3-TV

I had no idea what this referred to until I googled it.

Good question (not sarcastic). I actually did attend a number of events last summer and have been involved with the activity for awhile. Before I answer your questions I might suggest that my feelings and opinions might also be cause by my age (I'm not that old but I'm aging just like everybody so my taste changes naturally) or the shift in the activity. I'm just not as wowed as I once was before watching as a fan "back in the day" or my rookie year marching with a corps. (I watched every show possible my rookie year) -For Crown's show concept - Show concept isn't the only thing that matters but it does have a lot to do with it. I went and watched their show a few times with an open mind but it just really didn't do anything for me. It's like when someone see's a movie trailer (or maybe it's just me) and thinks it's horrible (not saying Crown's show was horrible just using this as an example), I won't bother to watch it or followup, I become disinterested.(unless the reviews are really good) While yes the level of performance they had was very high visually and musically and I appreciated that greatly I can only imagine how great it would be if it weren't applied to an overdone concept and to something fresh and brand new. When asking people if they've seen a show, the first thing I ask them is "what was it about?" instead of whether it was good or not. Sometimes I am heavily invested in the show concept (I don't care if it has a story line or not), and look forward to show/poster announcements. This show just came off as too cheezy. The activity (DCI) is doing its best to move into a more mainstream entertainment outlet and I feel this show helped with that with it's very recognizable songs especially for people who had never been to a show while still appealing to alumni and those that follow the activity with it's high level of performance. This show just wasn't for me. -I'll continue with the Blue Stars & Boston comment since it has to do with show concept as well. To answer both easily and honestly and I hate for this to sound so harsh but: you can perform the show at a high level but if the show and concept are boring and slow: nothing is going to change that. Yes I do appreciate talent, hard work and recognize that in both corps. (I've been there, I've sweat, bled, done it all for a corps....even when I thought our show design didn't make any sense.) In short, I want to be entertained by a combination of talent, concept, and energy. It's very hard to mold that combination together with all the right elements every night. Maybe I am or was just "drum corpsed out" -On to the SCV question. I re-watched a video of their show online just to make sure I wasn't referring to anything that was in their Bartok show. I was only able to see them once last summer and the show I saw them at was bad. I'm not being over picky, they were just having a really off night that could have been due to a rain delay and it was very windy at that show. After re-watching, I do appreciate the moments they did have but with a name like The Devil's Staircase, as I am unfamiliar with the source music, I was an expecting a "run and gun" type of show, and not just random running. To sum it up I was expecting an "epic" show, not saying I wanted to describe the show as epic but that be the style of show I was expecting was an epic. That being said I do appreciate their ability to play and perform what they did, I just wanted something different from them. EDIT: P.S. Some of these opinions also have to do with the concept of slotting and my disdain for it. I'm excited for this year because of some of the concepts that have already been announced and the new sheets which will hopefully shake things up.

I'm in the same boat as soccer guy. While I am a smaller framed guy I still haven't had the best of luck with air mattresses. For me the combination of an inflatable sleeping pad and nice full sleeping bag did the trick. It also helps when everyone is trying to find an outlet or batteries for the air mattresses at 2 or 3 in the morning and you just have to roll out your pad, let it self inflate, and may blow in it a couple of times. Most of the time I would sleep on the sleeping pad and bag and just cover myself with a light blanket that I would zip up into my sleeping bag.

Most forgetful year - 2011 Don't mean to be a negative Nancy but 2011 just didn't do anything for me at all. I was extremely disappointed by the following: Crown - Every university ever had done almost the same show. SCV - I was expecting something a lot more intense. I haven't watched it in awhile but I always confuse it with the Bartok show (I might be confusing and combing the two again.) Boston & Blue Stars - no comment. On the upside: Most Memorable Opening - Bluecoats - get any modern song and arrange and visually design it like that - it'll be a hit. Most memorable Ending - (even thought the camera angle is wrong) - Phantom. (by camera angle I mean when they captured it they got a shot facing the crowd so "juliet" is just sliding the sword behind her so it just looks silly.) Most Groove or Flow (at least when I watched them) - The Crossmen - I can't give this to Madison because the whole running around with audio was too long and too much, the Crossmen's show flowed nicely from start to finish and didn't make me wonder how long it had been since they had started. Excited to see them again. I know everybody worked hard on everything, yadda yadda, this is just my opinion. I can have those, right?