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If you’ve ever watched a halftime show at either a high school or college football game, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen the people who are holding flags and dancing rather than playing an instrument and marching. Those people are members of the color guard.
The color guard at Lake Shore is a very young program. The current color guard instructor, Mia Chasser, came in and rebuilt the program from the bottom up after the old instructor left post covid. Chasser graduated with the class of 2021 from Anchor Bay High School and came into the Lake Shore program the following year.
Sophomore, Alaina Handy, has been on the color guard for 2 years. Recalling the first day of color guard, she said, “We had auditions in the old gym. None of us knew how to work a flag, and we started out at zero. Now, we’re pretty good!”
Color guard is more dangerous than it seems. Handy said, “If you aren’t paying attention, you could get hit in the head with a six foot metal pole. We had one girl last year do just that, and she got a concussion.”
Color guard isn’t easy by any means. If you get a spot after tryouts, there’s a lot of work that goes into it behind the scenes. She said “We have two practices a week that last two to three hours.”
Just like other sports, the color guard is a tight knit group that are all really close. Handy expressed, “It’s like having a second family. Some of my closest friendships are with other members of the color guard.”
There are no requirements to get a spot on the color guard but handy said, “If you have any preforming arts experience like dance, cheer, or theater.” learning how to use a flag and all the movements will be a lot easier.
Overall color guard adds a nice visual effect to the marching band. Without them, the band would be a lot more dull and less exciting to watch. They really do “paint the field.”
