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October 13, 2017
Marching Saints find gold in Silver trophy
By Garth Snow gsnow@kpcmedia.com
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After two months of practice, only 53 minutes of warmup separated the Bishop Dwenger Marching Saints from their season-defining 6-minute show. The band was ready for Dwenger’s first ISSMA competition in three years. They gathered between the Dwenger bus and band trailer in a Homestead High School parking lot, ready to wind around the school and to the field. Jordan Stevens, a color guard instructor, handed out lanterns that guard members would need to present “Journey to Her Wings.” Second-year band director Don Cochran offered just a little more encouragement. Two Homestead band-parent volunteers led the staff and 48 musicians and guard members to Warmup Area A, for 14 minutes of practice without music. “No sound. No sound,” Cochran reminded the band. As the band practiced
n Concordia, Leo and Snider complete.
Pages 2-4 their steps, band volunteer George Gallacher told of his attachment to the program. “This is a new beginning,” Gallacher said. As with many band parents, Gallacher’s children outgrew the program but Gallacher did not. His youngest daughter last marched for Dwenger in 2004. But there he was, yet again, pulling instruments and driving the band trailer. “I volunteer for the love of the program,” he said. “I didn’t have much of a niche in life when I was younger. And this is my niche, as a present to the kids. I’d love to see 75 or 80 kids, just like in the old days.” Stevens guided the guard as they limbered up and then walked their patterns. The 16 guard members gathered around her. “Keep smiling. You girls are gonna do great today,” she said.
PHOTO BY GARTH SNOW
Jordan Stevens, a Bishop Dwenger High School color guard instructor, gives lanterns to the guard before a competition at Homestead High School.
“Remember the eyebrows.” Then on to another warmup area, this time with music. Parent coordinator Brian Dumford towed a generator, just in case the power connection wasn’t working. He had been happy to assist when Dwenger restored its marching band this season.
Haley student gathering caps for buddy benches By Megan Knowles mknowles@kpcmedia.com
PHOTO BY MEGAN KNOWLES
Samantha Vance stands with a poster she made for Haley Elementary School’s back-to-school night to promote the buddy benches she is trying to get for the school.
night after VBS and told me, Mom, our school needs this, and then wanted to contact the
principal and schedule a meeting,” Samantha’s mom, Heidi Vance, said. See CAPS, Page A10
3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808
INfortwayne Publications
Though only 8 years old, Samantha Vance, a student at Haley Elementary School, wanted to do something about loneliness she saw on the playground. Her solution? A buddy bench. “If somebody’s lonely they can sit on the buddy bench and somebody can come up to them and they can play together and make new friends,” she said. “I know a lot of people who are lonely and they don’t have really any friends and new people to the school they could use it and I would use it too.” Samantha got the idea during vacation Bible school at Blackhawk Ministries. “She came to me the
“When I put out the call for parent volunteers, I was very happy with the great turnout we got,” he said. The band played and marched, and Cochran gave just a little more encouragement. Dumford watched the Indiana State School Music Association timing
judge, who held up a sign showing 5 minutes left in rehearsal. Dumford gave the thumbs-up to the judge, and took the news to Cochran. The group gathered in tight formation one more time. Cochran encouraged them again. Then all was silence. The Sign of the
Cross. The Lord’s Prayer. The Sign of the Cross again. “Let’s have fun,” Cochran told his charges. They waited for the North Side band to pass them into a separate rehearsal area. Then the Dwenger band followed the Homestead volunteers past the Freshman Center and toward the field where New Haven’s band was just wrapping up its show and Chesterton’s was staging in the end zone. They lined up yet again and they waited yet again. Then more volunteers ushered them toward the end zone. Cochran gave a thumbs-up. Then he gave more encouragement. Then parents pushed instruments along the sidelines and guard members and musicians took the field. The announcer gave the charge for ISSMA Scholastic Class A performance. The show unfolded, the story of a young fairy being following the path to earn See SAINTS, Page A12