Privacy in Corps? Or lack thereof?

[mcjordansc]

I can say the first time i showered with others was at a drum corps camp.

Wow, times have really changed.

[mchromik]

We called them "Conversation ####ers" because someone would walk in and you would just be like "Hey, what's up?"

At the Star Corps Hall (Now Madison's winter quarters), there are three 'heads' in the Men's room along with a bunch of urinals. In the early days there were no doors. The room has two doors and there used to be this game when 'bases where loaded so to speak'. You would be sitting there and guys would be walking by every few seconds; "How ya doin'?, How YOU doin? How ya doin?" But then you would notice it was the same guys over and over again as they ran out the back door and around to the front to parade past you. Ughhh. Talk about 'performance anxiety'.

[Abbevillekid26]

I read this thread and it sounds like no one ever showered with others until they joined drum corps? Do kids not shower after gym class anymore? No one goes to the YMCA anymore? No showers at the public pools these days? Are kids really this sheltered now?

My first public shower was when I went to a DCI camp and then later on over the summer with DCA. I really don't understand what you mean by "sheltered", this really has nothing to do with that. It's completely impractical to have kids take a shower in gym class when many schools (at least in Michigan) have around an hour or less, it's just a waste of time especially if you're doing weight lifting or have to go outside to a field. I go to a gym to work out but I'd rather just go home and shower than bother bringing a second pair of clothes and risk getting athlete's foot and other fungus/#### in the shower by unnecessarily showering in public.

[AlexL]

My first public shower was when I went to a DCI camp and then later on over the summer with DCA. I really don't understand what you mean by "sheltered", this really has nothing to do with that. It's completely impractical to have kids take a shower in gym class when many schools (at least in Michigan) have around an hour or less, it's just a waste of time especially if you're doing weight lifting or have to go outside to a field. I go to a gym to work out but I'd rather just go home and shower than bother bringing a second pair of clothes and risk getting athlete's foot and other fungus/#### in the shower by unnecessarily showering in public.

Exactly... a lot of times when periods are only 45-50 min, subtract 10 min to change, and youve really only got 30 min in PE... even less if you add time for everyone to shower.

[3rd_Star_Brigade]

I have a good one.

Housing site in Rome New York.

I went to take a shower. I had gotten undressed, put on some flip-flops, and grabbed my shampoo and gel.

As I started walking to the actual shower, from the locker room, I began to notice something odd. The shower itself seemed to be a long tight row, like a small hallway, with cream tiles. I thought it was weird, and so did my corps mates. Then, we heard the sound of distant running water. Deciding to investigate, we traveled down the small hallway, only to be confronted with another showerhead filled hallway. Guess what was at the end of that shower hallway? MORE HALLWAYS!!! After finding even more showerhead filled hallways, we wound our way through a twisting, turning labyrinth maze to find the center room.

Craziest ####### shower Ive ever seen. I mean, who creates a shower like that. Must have been the #### druids again!

I don't trust the Irish!

Was that at the show site, Rome Free Academy?? I was stationed at Griffiss AFB in town for a fcew years after BD....so nice to be stationed in a place with drum corps right nearby!

I think so. It was some kind of weirdass design of a school, but it was within walking distance to the show site. Over 100 degrees, playing on an astroturf field (so it was 120) in black uniforms at noon. I felt like I was hit in the head with a frying pan, and I don't even remember the show. All I can remember is... "WATER!!"

[JohnZ]

Exactly... a lot of times when periods are only 45-50 min, subtract 10 min to change, and youve really only got 30 min in PE... even less if you add time for everyone to shower.

there are many of us here on DCP that DID grow up in a different time - back when showering after phys ed was the rule, if not mandatory.

I was amazed when my son didn't have to even have to buy gym clothes.

Times have changed.

so our most recent shower discussion - in the shower - was remembering "Navy showers" or 'field showers' - using just enough water to wet down, lather up, rinse and get out, all in less than a minute or so. that was about as much blistering cold water as we could endure

[Brad T.]

I may as well bump this up a few months haha.

I am in my mid-20s, and still to this day I have never been in a situation where I would have had to take a group shower. Yes, we had the big shower room in the boy's locker room in high school for gym class, but the gym teacher told us showering was optional, and only one or two guys ever would. I have completely missed the DCI opportunity and just started with DCA last year. Of course that was because of money issues and my extreme lack of talent - I started playing ANY brass instrument halfway through my freshman year of high school. Because of the, for lack of a better term, sheltered, existence I have had, it would be a huge issue for me were I to be forced to take a group shower. I suppose it's one of those things that is no big deal if you do it young enough. But enough years of psychological conditioning in the mind set I have created would make a hugely uncomfortable situation for me were I to have to be in a group shower. To me, it's not about modesty, but rather extreme self conscious feeling about myself. So much to the point if I was given the choice of group shower or no shower, I'd sooner go wash up in the bathroom sink, or if I was told that's not an option, well... better deal with a smelly individual until I can find a reasonable solution. I personally don't see that as being an issue in my DCA corps, unless something drastic changes next season.

[drewbugler]

I give him about one month of tour before he's standing in the locker room stark naked and doing the helicopter.

Just like all the rest of us.

As soon as I saw this thread I knew Taylor would chime in.

Dude, there's nothing to worry about...you'll feel awkward at first, but soon enough you'll be clearing out the other corps sharing your housing site with your antics in there.

Edited August 15, 2010 by drewbugler

[DKW]

I hadn't taken a group shower until spring training, but after the first time, the awkwardness vanished. You won't care after 14 hours in the sun, anyway.

[HollywoodNeoCon]

PRIVACY?!?!?!? SHAME?!?!?!?!? Pish-posh...

Our corps was so cool and bad-###, we used to stay at nudist colonies and swinger motels.