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Winter guard looks to build on strong first year |
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Wednesday, 04 November 2009 |
 Above, in its first year of existence, Statement Independent Winter Guard participated in six competitions and took home top honors in the state championships. Auditions for the 2010 edition of Statement will be held Saturday at the Sanderson Center. By HOLLY MACCARINO
BB Staff Writer
Are there people out there interested in performing for a crowd who is completely focused on what’s happening in front of them?
How about bringing home a gold medal because the passion displayed in performance beats everyone else?
Who would enjoy dancing and music and sunbathing on a mat in the parking lot in mid-March?
Look no further than the members of Statement Independent Winter Guard.
Statement was formed by members of the Mississippi State Famous Maroon Band color guard in the summer of 2008.
With their love for guard and dance, these girls and guys wanted to continue to perform into the winter and early spring, and an independent winter guard was born.
Winter guard, unlike traditional marching band color guard, is performed indoors and during the winter season.
Another big difference between the two is the presence, or rather lack of a marching band. Winter guard routines are performed to any types of music desired and are usually 3 to 7 minutes long.
The primary purpose of Statement, President Jessie Stribling says, is to raise awareness of winter guard at Mississippi State University and to further members’ knowledge of the four elements of color guard: dance, flag, rifle, and sabre.
Based in Starkville, Statement Independent Winter Guard is open to any high school or college-age individual, male or female, under the age of 22.
Because the group is an independent winter guard, Statement does not affiliate with Mississippi State or the Famous Maroon Band.
As a result, members are not limited to students of the university or members of the band, says Stribling. Membership is open to anyone with a love and passion for dance and movement.
During its 2009 season, Statement competed in six competitions around Mississippi.
The show consisted of a battle put to dance and included flag work, sabres, and rifles. The show was performed to the Coldplay hit “Viva la Vida.”
At the end of tits charter year, Statement walked away with the title of Mississippi Indoor Association Independent A champions for the 2009 season, taking home a gold medal.
“It was exciting for us to get gold medals from Championships,” said Vice President Katie Harper. “Since it was our first year, we basically started from nothing, and to see how far we came over a few short months was very exciting and encouraging.”
MSU students that participated in Statement’s debut season included Stribling, Harper, Audra Tunnell (secretary), Leigh Ann Ross (treasurer), Charleigh Alford, Megan Bradberry, Jace McMullin, Sarah O’ Brien, Kelsey Norris, Emily Ford and Emily Pitts.
The guard practices every weekend from January to the end of March, Saturday and Sunday. It may sound like a lot, but it paid off when the group brought home gold medals.
Statement is beginning to prepare for its second season, competing at the Mississippi Indoor Association level.
Auditions for the 2010 season are scheduled for this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Sanderson Center. For more information, email Jessie Stribling at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, or visit the group page, Statement Independent Winter Guard, on Facebook.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 November 2009 )
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