As the week draws to a close, each of the divisions are wrapping up their lessons and getting ready for their final performances, and the guard division is no exception. As they set up their equipment, I could feel a sense of the end of the week sluggishness in combination with the rainy weather from outside. The mood however quickly lifted after a few minutes of good warm ups and getting into practicing their final routines.

In a sea of blue flags and rifle tosses, these students managed to keep their energy up even though they were just practicing. Practice though is one of the most important steps in being able to deliver a high-quality performance, and how you rehearse can tell a lot about how you will perform. As the students went about their rehearsal, one of the most common critiques was for them all to be more open, be more expressive, be more strong with all that they were doing.

The color guard’s not the only division preparing for their final performance as Friday comes to a close. Almost every student here is preparing to show off just how much they’ve learned in these past five days. It’s amazing to think that these students are so talented and have such a high standard of excellence for themselves as they continue to push themselves every day to be better than the day before.