Yay for ISUCF’V'MB . . . also known as Iowa State University Cyclone Football Varsity Marching Band, with one of the most original pregame presentations in the country!

Today I flew home to Ames!
I left at 7:20am, had an hour layover in Milwaukee [YES, I actually went through Milwaukee this time, no bad weather] and arrived in Des Moines International airport at 11:35am! I rode the escalator down to the area where family and friends can wait for arrivals and I saw Eric! I think that goes down as one my favorite memories . . . ever.

Ever since May when his parents and I drove up to Minneapolis, MN to drop him off at his new apartment and his new internship, I’ve seen him sporadically for seven months. He’d stay for a weekend every month and a half or so, but then would have to leave after three days. Today I was able to say hi, hug him, and not worry about having to say goodbye 72 hours later!!

It’s good to be home. While the weather isn’t quite 75 degrees and ‘balmy’ like it was in Richardson on Christmas Day, it still felt good to see the Ames road sign and the exit for Iowa State University. Coming home to ISU feels as comforting as anything, and I know that I’ll be sad to leave when it’s time to graduate.

College is one of the only times in a person’s life that they will be living in close proximity to their education, without the mandate of living in the real world and having a full time job, depraved of any social life or other “bummers” about being in the workforce. College is an experience, and it’s been an awesome one so far. It’s gone by so fast, I’m excited to see what happens next. ☺

So until next time I am [home and happy],
Seanna

Every year, Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi [our band Sorority and Fraternity] sponsor the Band Banquet, which is open to all those involved in university ensembles, but it is usually just marching band individuals.

This year, it was at the Holiday Inn Express down Lincoln Way, and it was amazing! The theme for this year’s banquet was “Downtown by Twilight,” so it was really nice and classy! Eric came in town today for it, so I was happy for that, and I also got back in town JUST in time to get ready!

Thanksgiving was great. I was able to see all my family, including my parents and my brother. I am adopted by my father’s parents, so I my grandparents are my parents. Confusing enough for you? Yeah, it’s okay. I get it confused, too, sometimes. Anyway, my great grandmother’s house is in Humboldt, IA, so we usually use it for family get togethers. That’s where we had Thanksgiving, and it was awesome! It snowed and I took my aunt and uncle’s German Shepherd, Baron, for walks, which is nice because I really miss warm-blooded animals!

Wow, talk about tangent . . .

Back to Band Banquet: I was able to catch up with a lot of band members I hadn’t seen over break, and of course everyone asked about my birthday. They saw pictures on facebook, so they were excited to hear about it.

The BEST part about band banquet is the fundraiser called Pie in the Face, which was a HUGE hit this year. Usually, the nominees are the three drum majors and the staff. It was a close race between myself and Anthony, one of the drum majors. I brought my makeup to banquet JUST in case I was nominated. I wasn’t thrilled about it, but it’s all in good fun.

As long as they didn’t get whipped cream in my hair, I would be a semi-happy camper.

BUT, sorry to disappoint . . . Anthony won . . . by ELEVEN CENTS. It was a close call!! Since I was the runner up, I got to pie Anthony in the face. It was the highlight of the evening. It’s okay, we’re still good friends.

All in all, it was an amazing night, and a great way to end my band career, if you would like to call it that. When Anthony made his speech, which was amazing by the way, I couldn’t look him right in the eye. It would have been the beginning of a long night of waterworks. 

I’m going to miss the ISUCF’V'MB, but it has served me well, and I’ve not only made the best of friends as result, but found someone that I am so excited to plan a future with.

So until next time,
Seanna

It was the last game of the season yesterday, Iowa State versus Missouri [Mizzou]. The kick-off was 5:30pm, which is kind of an odd time for a football game, but it was cold no matter what time of the day it was on Saturday!

We had rehearsal at 9:30am [so late compared with our usual Saturday morning rehearsals] and then had about a four hour break in between the end of packing up the UHAUL trucks with the drumline equipment and the sousaphones, and the afternoon call time. I still had to run home and take a shower, and I really had hoped to to take a little nap, too. Since Eric came into town the night before, I was tired from going out to dinner and talking for quite a while, staying up late at the restaurant. I feel like an old lady, but academics can sure become tiresome around three weeks away from finals!

After the end of morning rehearsal, about half of the staff [including drum majors] were hungry anddecided to hightail it to Jimmy Johns for some sub sandwiches so fast it made our heads spin [or so they advertise!] We ended up talking for a couple of hours, and it was nice to have some down time with them. Most of the time we are together we are working, so it was relaxing to just sit around and talk in a non-work environment. We talked about whether or not we were coming back the following year, our reasons, our academic/career goals, etc. It was nice- we rarely have a moment to catch our breath when we’re in the band scene officially.

So the game didn’t go as planned, meaning we didn’t win, but it was our last home game of the season, so it was sentimental for all the graduating seniors, and those people who were leaving, whether it be academics, time to call it quits, or time to move on- the whole band felt the heartwarming atmosphere that loomed over the game. Our halftime went well, and we [the graduating seniors and those who were "retiring" from band] performed the tradition of leaving marching shoes on the field. It was really inspiring, really. I’ve always enjoyed watching the tradition, but it is such a different experience actually participating in it. After the band marched halftime, there were four whistles, and seniors and others retiring from band were called by name, and we formed “I S U” on the field by standing in a certain formation and order. The rest of the band marched to the sideline, playing Iowa State’s Fight Song, “Fights” and while they played, the seniors untied their shoelaces and stepped out of their Dinkles [the brand of our marching shoe]. Then we had four whistles and raised our instruments to attention and played Fights, and high stepped off the field, leaving our white Dinkles where we stood as a nice symbol of our presence.

All in all, it was a nice way to end the season and my college band career. Yes, I’m a tad upset and sad over the end, but it was well worth the trip and I enjoyed every minute of it.

So until next time,
Seanna 

Mizzou Dismissal

So, last night, I said goodbye to the Iowa State University Cyclone Football Varsity Marching Band.

Well, at least until Monday afternoon.

Band Extravaganza is the culmination of all season’s music [repertoire] and is a concert given by the ISU Wind Ensemble, the Jazz I Ensemble, and Symphonic Band, followed by the ISUCF’V'MB, who x’s in [our version of high step running] and onto the stage, then plays music from our past season, and then recognizes seniors, hands out awards, and then we swing off.

The program started around 7:30pm in CY Stephens [our auditorium in the Iowa State Center] and we listened to the Wind Ensemble [ISU's top performing band] as well as the Symphonic Band and the Jazz Combo [featuring one of my best friends, Ben!] and then I headed down for the marching band portion. 

click HERE to see me conduct a piece from this year’s show called Hernando’s Hideaway! [I think you can only see it if you are my Facebook friend, but I will try to change that!]

It was a really difficult decision to not return to band next year, but I made the decision based on time, involvement, personal sanity, and a lot of other things that would be coming  . . . wait, HURLING my way next fall. I interviewed to be a Cyclone Aide for Orientation next summer, I would still be a Community Advisor, AND I would need to attend Staff Camp, all at the same time. Then throw a wedding in there somewhere, and you’d understand the two most hectic weeks of my life [possibly] so I decided that rather than return to ISUCF’V'MB, I would enjoy another aspect of college. Actually being a student in the football student section, hanging out with friends and my boyfriend, and experiencing what I have not yet. I want to be able to say that I cheered loud, wore cardinal and gold proud, and was in the student section my senior year at Iowa State University. I love ISU, and while I have been here, I have attempted to try anything and everything once [as far as involvement goes with extracurriculars, clubs, fun things, etc], so I think I’m pretty happy with what I’ve come up with. Plus, I’ll be taking a load of credits, preparing for student teaching, and planning for the real world after graduation, so I think that it’s time that I say good-bye to my dear friend, ISUCF’V'MB, and move on. Not that I won’t feel a twinge of sadness when it comes to seeing the band perform at halftime, or watching the drum majors conduct, or even sitting in on interviews for the next band staff, but I know that my time with the music department was well spent and much enjoyed, so I take great comfort in that fact and bid the ISUCF’V'MB adue.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

But I’ll see everyone next week for rehearsal, and then our last game of the season, ISU vs Missouri!

So until next time,
Seanna

Well, we didn’t win. But that’s okay. I will always be a loyal Cyclone football fan. I know I say that all the time, but it really is true. My ultimate dream is to have a Cyclone family entertainment room in my basement. Just like my aunt and uncle. Yes, the same uncle who bought the lot next to him so Hawkeyes couldn’t move in next door. Yep. There’s an empty lot next to him with a Cyclone flag stuck in the middle of the ground. I don’t know if you guys believed me when I told you my family was Cyclone, but it’s true.

You have no idea.

And the tradition continues with me!

Anyway, this game was at 6:00pm, so we had band rehearsal at a decent time yesterday morning [at 9:30am!] and then the Alumni Band [made up of past ISUCF'V'MB members] came and practiced their march [to the tune of "Sousa"]. It was pretty awesome- I felt a tad dated, since I knew a few people in the Alumni Band, but that’s okay.

Game was fun, as usual, and our halftime was an Olympic Theme, so we formed the Olympic rings on the field and played the epic theme song. It was pretty awesome if I do say so myself. Which I do.

I was exaughsted when I came back, and fell right asleep, but I was kind of sad because it was our second to last game, and then it will be the last game of the season. Which means next band season will be my last.

I am not okay with that.

I suppose everyone need to grow up at some point or another, it’s just a little intimidating to enter the real world after college. Yeah, I’m a tad nervous about it, but I could, and will, write a whole ‘nother post about that!

So, until next time, Hit it hard, every yard,
for I-S-UUUUU!

-Seanna 

P.S.- I got a few pictures of Aggie yell practice in the tailgating lots. It was pretty cool to see some familiar faces- I saw a few football players from my high school, too. Reminds me that home is not too far away.

Here at Iowa State, the week before Homecoming is a reason to celebrate!

This year we are playing Texas A&M on October 25th, and there’s so many things that happen the week before that it gets pretty crazy on campus. From Greek lawn displays to Yell-Like-Hell contests, to campus events, to tents and meals, to buttons and mass campaniling.

Starting on Sunday, participants in Yell-Like-Hell painted wooden signs to place in store windows, sportin’ the Homecoming theme of “Livin’ the Dream,” brainstormed by the Student Alumni Leadership Council [a group of seniors who plan Homecoming and other events for campus]. Also on Sunday was the painting of Victory Lane, which is the path through the parking lot and tailgating lots from Schemann and Hilton Coliseum to Jack Trice Stadium. People paint things like the Campanile, or paintings having to do with their skits for Yell-Like-Hell, or even traditions around campus. It’s fun to march over them on the way to Jack Trice on gameday. I took some pictures but accidentally deleted them, so I will try and find some to post on Flickr for anyone who’s interested. The first cuts for Yell-Like-Hell were Sunday night, too. Yell-Like-Hell is a competition composed of pep rally skits [cheering for Iowa State to cheers] and music skits, kind of like parodies. After the first cut, there are four teams cut to go to the second cuts on Wednesday night. A HUGE tradition of Yell-Like-Hell is being painted cardinal and gold, and losing your voice from yelling so loud and enthusiastically.

Monday on campus [if you bought a homecoming button for $5] you get lunch on central campus in front of Curtis Hall, with pizza and ice cream sandwiches! Also, Greekland was putting up their lawn displays on central campus. Check out my Flickr page for photos! Usually the displays either have to do with Iowa State pride OR they associate themselves with the skits that the YLH groups are putting on. They’re pretty impressive, and they have to go along with the theme of “Livin’ the Dream!”

Tuesday for lunch was walking tacos [which is one of my FAVORITE campus foods now that I've been at Iowa State] which are doritos bags cut open and taco contents added, so I suppose you could call them dorito tacos, too, but walking tacos are so much easier because they describe how you can pick one up and run to class!

On Wednesday, halfway through Homecoming Week, there was pork burgers, chips and cake on campus, and then Yell-Like-Hell second cuts on central campus. I took some pictures, so definitely, really, most definitely check out Flickr, because the pictures are pretty awesome. A few of my friends went to the Guitar Hero Competition in the Memorial Union and they won gift cards to the University Book Store.

Thursday was awesome because there were sandwiches, chips, cookies and the Battle of the Band competition that night. There were three bands that competed for the prize, and I was on duty that night so I couldn’t get pictures but my friend Candace said it was awesome, so I believe her.

Friday [which is my favorite day since I don't have class], I had lunch on campus, and then band at 4:30pm. Staff didn’t have to go to the pep rally, but there’s usually a homecoming pep rally by the campanile for any students that want to attend, and then there’s ExCYtement in the Streets, which is a Greek neighborhood thing. You can walk around and see all the lawn displays for homecoming, like in front of the Pi Kappa Alpha house there was a huge Candyland display. It was awesome- there was a working fountain, towers made of makeshift candy, and whole lot of balloons to look like pieces of chocolate in a tree, too.

Then, of course, at midnight, there’s something called Mass Campaniling, which is the affectionate term for couples that get together and kiss at midnight on Homecoming “under” the Campanile on central campus. Tradition states you’re not a true Iowa Stater until you’ve gone campaniling, and have walked around Lake LaVerne three times in silence with your significant other [then apparently, according to tradition, you're destined to be together.] Yeah, I’ve done both, so hopefully I’m set to go

So there you have it- Homecoming Week at Iowa State University.
I love it, you’d love it, so what are you waiting for?

Until next time,
Seanna

Well, we didn’t win, but that’s okay. Cyclone football is an experience in itself. . .  :)

   We had a band call time at 7:15am, which meant the color guard rehearsed at 6:15am, which means that staff were to drive the trucks to the stadium at 6:00am, which means that I woke up at 4:00am!
 

I love band. End of story. And if a 4:00am call time doesn’t prove that, then I don’t think anything does.
 

  So what is Golden Rules, you ask? Golden Rules is the weekend we play Nebraska or another school that has red as its colors at home in Jack Trice Stadium. The UBS [University Book Store] sells gold tshirts that have the words “Golden Rules” on them and anyone can wear them to the game to show support for Iowa State, not the opposing team! Last year the Athletics Department gave the whole student section and the band free Golden Rules tshirts, so the entire student section was gold, and when the band took off their uniform coats, we were gold as well! It was awesome!
 

Our halftime show for this game was John Williams, including Stars Wars Themes, Indiana Jones and E.T. and our dress up day for band [on Friday] was “Dress as Your Favorite John Williams Character!” I took a picture of the group that dressed up, and the winners were Ryan B. who dressed up as CR3B, and Taylor M. who dressed as a blue character [sorry, I've never seen Star Wars!] with tall hair. It was awesome!

I’m still keeping the faith for our football team. You can’t turn a team around in just a year and a half, but I think Chizik and the team will be awesome next year. It takes a few years under your belt with a team to really get your mojo going, so I’m excited for next season! PLUS, I’m going to be a senior, so I would LOVE to go to a Bowl Game [preferably somewhere warm!!]

Well, we didn’t win, but I still love Cyclone Football! This week was FAMILY WEEKEND, which is basically a chance for families of students to come to a game and meet up with their kids! All week prior to family weekend are events that families can participate in together, and the last event is Running with Heart, a 5K/10K Walk/Run for Heart Disease Research [see post after this one- I participated!]

Kick off was 11:30am, so we had 7:15am practice and 6:15 guard practice. For staff, this means that we areup at the crack of dawn to drive the trucks with the drumline and sousaphones and all of our equipment to Bergstrom Indoor Training Facility, where we have practice indoors, then are dismissed to go to the pep rally for the team entrance.

<– This picture is a small taste of what tailgating is like here in Cyclone Country, a.k.a. Ames, IA. Alumni come from ALL over to tailgate here in our HUGE parking lots, and students have an awesome game day experience, too! It’s a huge deal, and Iowa State is WELL known in the Big 12 for their tailgating legacy!

The band is helping with something new this year for the team’s entrance on game days- the night before a football game, the football team stays in a hotel [and I'm sure there's like a mondo pep talk or something] and the next day they drive from Des Moines to Ames on charter buses and make an entrance by Jack Trice Stadium. Once they’re off the bus, they walk through a line formed of cheer squad members, our flag line, the ISU dance team, and band members, as well as the football players’ families, straight to the locker room, and then they suit up and get Game Day started! So we play songs, stand tunes, fight song, fanfare tunes [like Go, Cyclones, Go and Waltz Fights] and then head back to the Schemann area to have lunch [usually sub sandwiches of some kind] and wait around until we march into Jack Trick for GAME TIME!

<— Our band director, Mr. Smith overlooking our warm-up traditions behind Schemann Events Center.

This Saturday, my mom and my dad flew up from Dallas, TX to visit some family, and picked up my brother in Humboldt, IA [he has cerebral palsy, so he lives in a group home with other individuals with disabilities] and they came to visit! I always love seeing my family, and even though my day as a staff member was stressful, it was just nice to see them in real life, rather than just talk with them over the phone. I get to see my family every once in a while, since they do fly up to Iowa to see all of my other family [but I'll tell you a little bit more about myself in another post, this one is about Family Weekend!]. Like I said, it was great to see them, and it was nice to see my brother too, since I rarely get to see him as well! My parents were taken by a golf cart from the Athletic Department to our family’s tailgating area [which is huge, because practically all my family shows up for Cyclone Football] and so we said goodbye at Schemann and I saw them off.

Then, Katie from ZLR came to film me for a Family Weekend video. I was pretty excited for all of my aunts and uncles and cousins, etc to get to be filmed, and my parents as well. Check it out below!

So anyway, the game didn’t go as well as we would have hoped, but we PACKED THE JACK [Jack Trice Stadium phrase] and the student section was loud and excited, the band played, and families and their kids got to spend a little quality time in Cyclone-Land.
All in all, it was a good day, and you know what they say,
“The team may lose, but the band always wins.”

Til next time,
Seanna

P.S.- Aren’t my picture editing skills sufficiently AWESOME?
I edited that Family Weekend picture with Cy raising the roof.
I’d like to think so. I just found out about this photo editing site,
and now it’s liked Hooked on Phonics addictive.

ISU Parents Weekend from lonestarcyclone on Vimeo.

Well, the Cy-Hawk Series was as competitive as ever, as strong and stubborn, and even though we did NOT win [like we did last year] it was still a great road trip band experience, and I loved working with the staff and being around the ISUCF’V'MB. The whole weekend we didn’t march [neither at Cedar Rapids nor Iowa] because of rain, but in Iowa the excuse was that Kinnick Stadium didn’t want us to mess up their field. With what, our cletes!? [We secretly have spikes in our marching shoes, just to spite competing teams and their fake turf.] ;) Oh well. I loved the trip, and I love Cyclone football. We may have lost, but I will never miss the chance to cheer my team on, especially when they are on hostile territory.

In my previous post I mentioned the early time we took off from our hotel [3:30am!!!] and picked up the rest of the band at Linn Mar High School, and we arrived at Kinnick Stadium [University of Iowa's football stadium] around 5:45am. We hung out in the trucks [the buses with the band members hadn't arrived yet because there were like seven of them in the caravan] so the drum majors and staff just decided to take a nap. 

We woke up about 45 minutes later, and hung out for a while more until it was time to get dressed and unload breakfast for the band members. It was drizzling but not too bad, so I just wore my raincoat. By theend of breakfast, around 8:30am, it was pouring, which made unloading drumline, sousa and rehearsal equipment AWESOME. My khaki pants were soaked, my blue blazer drenched, my hair and makeup grody . . . ahh, the true sign of a committed band member [all while running on one and a half hours of sleep, mind you, and 24 hours without a shower or a face wash].

There were tailgaters EVERYWHERE. Cyclones sitting with Hawks, Hawk tents next to our trucks, and a line of portable bathrooms right next to our budget truck, which was awesome . . . NOT. We had to have a staff member monitor the trucks at all times to make sure no fans [from either side] messed with our equipment, and eventually, a line formed behind the truck for the portable bathrooms. It was classy with a capitol “C,” let me tell you.

Anyway, we marched into Kinnick Stadium [which, by the way, is directly across from their Children's Hospital . . . weird] and took our place in the stadium seating. Which was pretty cramped, but funny to see when you looked around and saw everyone in yellow and black, and then there’s a crammed area of white and cardinal. We played awesome, of course, and they saying that “The Band Always Wins” rang true. I took video footage, which you should definitely check out, and also you can see the rest of the pictures I took [all 57 of them] on my Flickr page. I encourage you to check them out. I tried to capture a lot of different aspects of the game besides just the band, and yes, I even took pictures of the Iowa fans, their flags, and their bird-legged mascot [sorry, I am a Cyclone after all], Herky.

Cy and Herky actually had a showdown on the field [yes, our mascot that was named "The Most Dominant Mascot on Earth in last year's Capital Bowl], but in the end, mascots always make nice. While getting water for the band members in the locker room, however, the staff and a few band members found Herky’s head left unattended, which we seriously considered positioning in controversial pictures, such as underfoot a Cyclone fan, but used our better judgement and left him alone.

Plus, I’ve heard you can get sued for that- Herky’s not worth the trouble, believe you me.

As I said, we didn’t win, but after the game, the band marched back to the trucks and we started the long haul back to Music Hall in Ames, IA. We had our dismissal out the back of the drumline truck in the street outside Kinnick Stadium, grabbed our boxed KFC dinners [staff grabbed like ten extra . . . per person, hey the mashed potatoes are awesome!] and we hit the road. The boys kept themselves awake by making continuous references to movie quotes over our walkie talkies in the trucks and behaving, well, like boys. It wasn’t night, but we definitely saw a moon. That’s all I’m going to say. Working with all guys sure is interesting, and never a truer statement than there is never a dull moment. Jeff fell asleep with the walkie talkie talk button on, so for the longest time, the other truck thought we were making snoring noises on purpose over frequency 3. . .

We finally pulled into our parking lot at Iowa State around 7:45pm and it was home sweet home for the Iowa State University Cyclone Football Varsity Marching Band. After staff, drumline and sousaphones unloaded, it was 10:03pm when I reached my futon bed and crashed, not to wake up until 3:15pm the next afternoon.

So until next time,
Seanna

P.S.- I haven’t ever given up hope on the Cyclones, so I’m already getting ready to cheer them on in the CY-Hawk series next fall! BEAT IOWA!