A while back Heidi Herdholdt tried to teach me and some friends how to do a rifle toss. Maybe it’s my own poor coordination, but I wasn’t very good at it. Watching the Color Guard perform at football games is one of my favorite parts, and if I’m a tad biased because of Heidi, so be it.
During Marching Band season the Color Guard performs with the band to add a visual effect to the musical performances, with the inclusion of brightly colored flags, rifles (fake ones!), sabres and all kinds of props.
All those in Colorguard work hard to make sure their performances are fluid and flow with the music. I talked to four of the color guard members, Marie Palmer, Savannah Stephens, Linda Rivera, and Ky Looney. Talking to all of them brought an insight into color guard I hadn’t realized before.
Heidi Herdholdt
Heidi Herholdt joined Color Guard because she had nothing to do after school and had friends who had pushed her to join. She has done 3 seasons of Colorguard here at Edmond North. And to anyone wanting to join, she says, “You have to want it and you have to work for it.”.
Marie Palmer and Savannah Stephens
After getting bored of sports such as softball Marie Palmer was convinced by some friends to join colorguard. The way she spoke about Color Guard and Winterguard, I could tell she truly cared. Marie is a Sophomore and has been a part of Colorguard for 3 seasons
Savannah Stephens is a freshman and has had an interest in Color Guard since she was young. Savannah had gone to all of the football games last year because of her original interest in being a part of the drumline, and while football can be interesting, Color Guard is what she watched. This year she decided to join Colorguard herself.
Linda Rivera and Ky Looney
This is her first year of Colorguard after doing various sports before guard. Linda started Colorguard because of her grandparents and a little push from Marie. These influences led to her joining the Color Guard during her sophomore year.
Ky Looney is a Freshman. Ky has been following Colorguard and Colorguard adjacent acts since she was 5 years old. Ky was doing Orchestra and once she had the chance to join the colorguard she did.
About Color Guard
Among all the Color Guard members the main aspect of Colorguard is they promote the togetherness of it all. Outside of Guard, the team has frequent get-togethers and hangouts. Marie told me “At the end of it [Colorguard meets and football games] we have movie nights, pool parties, and small celebrations” which promotes the team’s overall well-being. Communication is key in Colorguard and having these team-building moments helps with that.
Something people might not know is that being in Colorguard is great for people who are competitive and enjoy traveling for competitions. So if you are looking for a way to meet new people and be a part of something, Color Guard might be the right fit for you.
Outside of marching band season is Winterguard. These performances are inside and without the band. One constant in all guard-related things is the friendships you make, “We have met so many people from different schools.”.
Thinking about joining Colorguard? For information about joining the Color Guard or to learn more about them visit their Instagram @enhs.guard! Go Guard!
