THE HURON EMERY | ISSUE 2: NOVEMBER 4 | FEATURE
Huron’s marching band concluded their 2021 season on Oct. 1, where they played Viva La Vida, Poker Face and Daft Punk medley. SANDRA FU
One band, one voice: Marching band returns to the field ANNABELLE YE STAFF WRITER “Band Ten-Hut!” The drum major calls to the marching band. “ H o ! ” The band responds. Members assume the position of attention: heels together, stomachs in, shoulders back, chins in, heads up. Marching season has begun. Each football season, over 100 members from the symphony band and concert bands join
together to put on halftime shows consisting of popular music and unique formations at home football games. However, the tradition was halted due to the COVID -19 restrictions in place during the 2020 school year. Although a necessary precaution, the members of the band program were faced with many challenges following this discontinuation as
The drum majors for this years Marching Band are Senior Chris Stocking and Junior Catherine Li SANDRA FU
TRANSITION | FROM PAGE ONE
we’re in person, so that proven by a survey conducted also means a lot more by the Princeton Review, work due every day, so which showed that teens just staying caught up has spend an average of one third been a challenge.” of their study time feeling According to the stressed or anxious. For American Psychological Schuitman, communication Association, 83 percent of and building relationships teens reported school to is the key to combating be a significant cause of this stress. stress. Math teacher Jeremy “It’s not that school Schuitman believes that many is easy,” Schuitman said. students’ “School has desire for never been independence easy, but is another when you set contributing your goals, It feels very forced, you factor to the work increased towards those and I worry about strain on goals and students getting students. communicate, “One you’re very overwhelmed. then thing that I’m on your way, noticing is on your path Alison Eberts students are to get there. putting a lot If you’re English Teacher of pressure on struggling, themselves to talk about answer questions,” Schuitman it. If you’re doing well, let’s said. “They think they have to celebrate together.” go to YouTube or Google to Although the get math questions answered, drastic change in the school whereas they could ask me, environment has been they can ask their neighbor, demanding, according they can have a conversation to guidance counselor with another person.” Caitlin Van Cleve, it has Schuitman’s theory is further also provided the structure
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they reintegrated back into their previous marching season traditions. “The one thing I was expecting was a lot of uncertainty,” band director Robert Ash said. “You never know where the district is going to stand or what the health department is going to mandate, so you have to take everything day by day and you
have to plan knowing that your plans might have to be totally re-evaluated.” The experience gap within the marching band proved to be another challenge. About 55 percent of the band consisted of members who had never marched before. On top of having no marching experience, many of these members had not played in a band ensemble since seventh grade so transitioning to high school band was a “huge leap” according to Ash. However, the new marchers were not the only ones experiencing this “huge leap.” For junior drum major Catherine Li, her last marching season was
that many students need in their daily lives. “I definitely learned how much school is a grounding, concrete place for a lot of kids,” Van Cleve said. “Last year when students didn’t have that, it was really hard. I heard before that school is about so much more than just the academics, but that was especially true last year, when it became evident that school is also about social growth, having adults in a student’s life that they could count on, having something stable every day.” Junior Ava Kunnath agrees that routine and stability are essential to success in school. “I really missed feeling like I had somewhere to go every day,” Kunnath said. “Now that we’re back in person, just having a more solid routine keeps me a lot more grounded and motivated.” Returning to in-person
school has also been a learning experience for Kunnath. “It’s important to try to add in one thing every day that just makes you happy,” Kunnath said. “Definitely take mental health days or just breaks from school to recharge. Let yourself take the time to get used to school because it’s going
in her freshman year. Now, she is one of the leaders of the marching band. “Back then, I was marching with the trumpets,” Li said. “Going into this season as the junior drum major was a whole new arena that I did not have much experience in.” For the senior drum major, Chris Stocking, the absence of the 2020 marching season introduced an unprecedented challenge. Stocking was chosen for the position of drum major in August of 2020 — a time READ THE FULL STORY ON THEHURONEMERY.COM
be hard. It’s okay to ease back into things after so much time off and not jump head first into everything.”
The increase in workload from online to in-person school is a prevalent stressor amongst students. GRAPHIC BY ALLISON MI
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