Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 130, Number 43, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 25 October 2007 — Page 3

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTO/MANDY MCFARLAND Chelsea Lengacher (left) and Amber Davidhizar (right) carry a handmade banner as they lead the entire student body in singing North Wood High School’s fight song. The school held an impromptu pep rally for the Red Regiment marching band, which later competed in the state marching band championship Saturday, Oct. 20, winning sixth place.

North Wood’s Red Regiment places sixth in state

School shows suport through impromptu pep rally By Mandy McFarland Editor NAPPANEE While sixth place may seem like an average score, for the North Wood High School Red Regiment marching band, it was a historical moment. The band competed in the Indiana State School Music Association marching band competition last Saturday, Oct. 20. "I think we deserved it," senior drum major Drew Miller said. "We had a really good show. It was the best performance all year. That’s what we’d hoped for." This was the second time the band has made it to state finals. The firs ttime was in 2003, when they placed eighth. Since then, they have improved on that. "We did real good," junior drum major Hannah Kurtz said. "It was good to get down to the dome and know that our hard work paid off." Even last Thursday's tornado did not stop the band from doing their best. "Some people in the bnd had a close call, but we pulled together and didn't make that a distraction," Kurtz said. Drum major Ben Leavitt was also pleased with the band's performance. "I think we did a real good job, considering the circumstances," he said. Last Wednesday, Oct. 17, the entire student body gathered in the parking lot outside the school to cheer the Regiment on as they pre-

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTOS/DEAN KORSMO Left: (Left to right) Heather Rensberger, Ben Leavitt, Drew Miller, Hannah Kurtz, Amanda Korsmo and Samantha Carney pause for a moment after comint in sixth in the state competition. The team competed in the clas C competition. Right: Senior Alicia Ford smiles as she performs with the color gaurd in the RCA Dome.

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pared to compete in the state championship. The masterminds behind the covert operation were none other than North Wood High School principal David Maugel, athletic director Norm Sellers, office staff and various teachers throughout the school. In order to keep their sneaky plot a secret, teachers refrained from telling their students about it until the Regiment had gone out to practice. While the students knew the band had made it to state, they had no idea about the pep rally. At approximately 2:45, an announcement came over the PA that everyone was to meet just outside the main doors of the building. Once everyone was outside, Maugel gave instructions, and the pep rally began. In typical pep rally fashion, the cheerleaders led the students in singing the school fight song. Across the parking lot, band members began to suspect something was amiss when they saw the crowd headed their way, singing and cheering. When the rally drew closer, practice came to a temporary halt. While the rally lasted only a few minutes, it was enough to convey the message that the community was behind the marching band and would cheer them on as they competed. "I thought it was really cool," Leavitt said. "It's nice to know that the other students care and they are willing to support us." Throughout the days leading up to the competition, banners hung in the hallways of North Wood. Wednesday morning, office personnel donned band uniforms from several years ago, which they had found in storage.

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTO/MANDY MCFARLAND Office personnel showed their support by wearing old Red Regiment uniforms all day Wednesday. Picture dare (front, left to right) Deb Julian, Lynette Edmiston, Cindy Clayton, Nancy Lentz, (center, left to right) Sue Freymiller, Pam Peffley, Angie Clark, Karen Renner, Terri Kirkdorffer, Erin Wiegand and (back) Mike Elsey.

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTOS/DEAN KORSMC The North Wood High School Red Regiment competed in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis Saturday, Oct. 20 at the ISSMZ* state marching contest. The band came in sixth out of 10. Above: (Left to right) Clarinet players Alisha Metzler, Amanda Korsmo and Joey Nolan played their best during the state competition.

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