Students stand in a staggered formation, gazing at their reflections in the mirror splayed across the wall. Clad in black while twirling eggshell white flags, Color Guard practice illustrates a team determined to master their techniques. While the picture of practice lacks the bursts of color that pervade their weekly performances with band at football games, it boasts the same energy and drive as any formal show. Seniors Mable Fan and Brianna Aragon are Co-Captains of the Guard, leading the small group in their endeavors to bring visual effects to the Marching Band.

“You see the marchers doing all the marching and foot work and then you see pops of color,” Fan said. “That’s when the Color Guard comes in to add more visuals so the audience doesn’t get bored.”

Fan found her incentive to join Color Guard after a boy came to visit her seventh grade band.

“He started talking about flags and rifles but I zoned him out until he picked up a rifle and started spinning it and talking,” Fan said. “That’s when I decided I wanted to do that. I knew I wanted to spin a rifle.”

However, Color Guard is not just spinning rifles and twirling flags. The team actually invites a choreographer from Studio 3, affectionately known as “Miss Sally” to teach them as well. Senior Sunnila Amin was able to pick up more lyrical and contemporary choreography to compliment her jazz and ballroom background.

“We add dance and choreography to our work so it’s not too boring for us either,” Amin said. “We add themes to our silks and our poles and our flags. We have to smile, dance, act, perform and make sure that we don’t trip over our own costumes.”

Because they now have two directors rather than three, some Color Guard members were concerned about how their first performance would appear to the audience. Their worries were unfounded.

“Usually the first game doesn’t really look that good,” Aragon said. “But looking back on the video, for the most part, we are in time with each other and our flags are moving the same way so that was really nice. It brings a good feeling to know all your hard work is finally paying off in the end.”

While money may pose a limitation for the group, Amin does not let that prevent them from enjoying their time together, as a family.

“Sometimes I put that aside and buy pizza for the Guard,” Amin said. “I don’t care how much money I spend as long as we’re all together and we’re all having fun.”

Amin cherishes the bond that the Color Guard has built and knows that while learning the material is important, maintaining that relationship trumps the show itself.

“We really love each other,” Amin said. “You might mess up on the field. You might lose a count. You might not do the work right, but as long as you have fun together and smile at the crowd, there’s nothing better than that.”