Pride of the Mountains

Now for a rather large rememory about me choosing a college.

When it was time for me to choose a college, I knew that I wanted a university in North Carolina. I knew what I wanted and I knew what I didn't want. I knew that I did not want to spend a plethora of money on application fees to different universities when I could only attend one. I had a preference to stay close to home.

Fate had other plans. During the time in which it becomes more important to choose different universities, I was introduced to a couple of people that went to Western Carolina. These people were band people geeks just like me. They were former students of my band director and they helped us out quite often with our music & drill.

Our band was on it's way to one of the biggest competitions of our high school career and it was going to be our first time marching on turf instead of grass. Mr. Bob Buckner and the Western Carolina Marching Band invited us to come and practice on their field. As soon as our buses arrived onto campus, I fell in love. It was the time of year that mountains are covered with colorful leaves. I marched on that field and knew in a moment that I had to go there.

photo taken Nov. 1, 2008 taken from home side looking at visitor's side. The purple & gold seats were not there when I attended WCU. The band took up about 1/7 of the stands in the front section you see. Now I want to say they take up about 3/7 of the stands in the front section you see.


Shortly thereafter, I was recruited to the band program by Mr. Buckner and his wife. She wanted me in her guard program. I knew I wanted to be in this blossoming band. I knew that if I didn't participate I would regret it the rest of my life. I knew that this band program was going to balloon into something quite spectacular.

Photo of Bob Buckner, the man responsible for getting me to Western Carolina. :) I even spent the night at his house one cold snowy evening.




Between the gorgeousness of the university, friendliness of the students and the up and coming band program, I knew that Western Carolina University was the place I had to be. Now the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band is the only collegiate marching band to give me down right chill bumps. In fact, it has become extremely difficult to impress me after seeing this program grow into the Sudler Trophy Program.

The Sudler Trophy is an award bestowed on one university marching band each year. The award does not represent the winner of any championship, but rather a band surrounded by great tradition that has become respected nationally. No school may be honored with the award twice.

Western Carolina Pride of the Mountains Marching Band is the most recent recipient of this award. The past few years I have gone to WCU to see them and this year I went to a local band competition to watch them perform their 2009 show. It is spectacular. If you're interested in seeing anything by them, check out youtube. Put in the search button Pride Of the Mountains and many videos will come up. This year, WCU has 350 to 400 marching members and in the last 10 years alone the band has grown by 120 members. I marched in the Fall semester of 1995. Here is part of what I saw at our local band day on October 31, 2009.






While, I didn't choose a college "close" to home ... Western Carolina is home in many ways. I love to go "home" once a year to see the growth of the university. Even at my sickest, I went for the healing properties of the mountain air.

Go CATS. :o)