Oregon State University - Beaver Yearbook (Corvallis, OR)

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op. Activities keep us busy. People keep us going and we move from one day to the next, wondering what will be for sale in the Quad ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON A salesperson knows that students may harp about never having any money and they're always on the lookout for a bargain, so the sale of these fine wool sweaters in the MU Quad was a bargain not passed up by many. today and who is going to make a speech at lunchtime. These daily events are what makes a student’s life clearly classic.

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 I % A V . SNA . W vJ■■1 r l ' Ha. uilAL: a; CLEARED ooooooooo LAS SIC TUD Every life is, of course, individual and special. No one enjoys the exact same pleasures or dilemmas as another, no participants in activities in the identical way as any other person. Though the world is made up of thousands and thousands of these int ricate and complex lives, there can be none so intriguing as the life of a student. Many wonder how it can be called a life. A student sustains him or herself with a continually filled container of Diet Pepsi. A quick burger for 29C and a Snickers for 45C to keep you going constitutes a There was a time when the conservatism of Oregon State was tucked away somewhere, probably deep in Milam or Kidder Halls. There wasn't such a concern of image of how one's actions would reflect upon the surroundings. If there was a chance for campuswide recognition, there was no question that the activity would constitute a big day in the life of a student. Homecoming in 1954 was a clear example of the optimism you could almost reach out and touch on the OSU campus. OSl' ARCIIIVKM'I meal. Many wonder how it can be called a life. A student can hardly go a day without pointing to lint-filled pockets and complaining about a lack of money. A student will go for days, even weeks, without spending a precious quarter to do laundry and people in long-distance relationships hang in suspense while the phone doesn’t ring as each person saves money. How can it be called a life? It can because we live it every day and despite the decline in some areas, other facets of our lives are just starting to grow and devel-

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assembSed PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT FOR BAND MEMBERS AS THEY PROMOTE SCHOOL SPIRIT T j HE OSU MARCHING band is one of the most exciting, the most vital, JLthe most active, and the most challenging organizations on campus said a newsletter mailed to students asking them to become a part of the band program. It has been acclaimed by critics across the land as one of the finest marching bands in the nation. It was something each member was proud to belong to. Each had his or her own instrument which made each an instrumental part of the group. Nobody took anyone for granted because they all needed each other to make the whole. If one part was out of synch the entire thing could be thrown off balance. The marching band’s annual trip in 1987 was to Seattle to perform the halftime show at the OSU-Washington game and the Seattle Seahawks-Minnesota Vikings game. Thousands of people, wished they had been able to get tickets to see this game. The band went in for free, got to perform their music and the rest of the time they were allowed to watch the game and enjoy it with the rest of the ticket holders. If such dedication to something reaped rewards as bountiful as this, anyone of the members would tell you it was all worth it. “It was really exciting to play in the Kingdome.” noted Lisa Sanders, freshman in Pre-Medicine. With all of the exposure they received, friends and family in the audience and at home in the living-room watching them on television, the members of the band could proudly boast of their claim to fame or “brush with greatness. “The trip was a blast. exclaimed Jennifer Pearson, freshman in French. I can’t wait until next year to go on another trip. If these were the kind of trips they could expect it was a pleasure to spend the countless hours practicing the same music over and over again. Besides going out of town, the Marching Band did some pretty special things right there in Corvallis. Despite the score on the scoreboard, band members could start a positive audience reaction every time they marched out onto the playing field. The marching band performed at all home games. The group performed at halftime and also tried to keep students’ spirits up during games by playing “The Fight Song. or “Tequila.” “The marching band is a tight family situation. explained Mary Wood, one of the student directors and drum majors. “It really doesn’t matter what the team does because we have fun anyway.” With a group as large as they, one would think it would be difficult to perceive it in a family sort of situation, but members agreed that it was almost exactly that kind of atmosphere in which they worked and played together. The band practiced five hours a week. One hour was held in the classroom, but the rest was done in Parker Stadium, marching on the field. The practices were held in the evenings to avoid conflicting with classes and dinner. Sometimes it seemed as if one would rather just stay home for the evening, finish that paper that was due Monday morning for class or call up a friend and do something fun for a few hours, but practice had to be maintained. Having the closeness of the group inspired members to come to those practices and made them want to be there. Mr. Douglass does a good job keeping us on task and keeping rehearsals short.” said Sanders. If participants did what was required of them and remembered what they had learned from previous practices, they could cut short the hours that they were asked to stay. It all depended on how- much work they wanted to put into it before they could see what quality of performance they would get out of it. Their dedication to perfection showed every-time they entered into a practice situation. In October at the Akron game, the marching band hosted Northwest High School Band Day. Approximately 40 bands from Washington, Oregon and Idaho were represented. A large parade of the high school bands was held in the morning and then at halftime of the game a mass band performance was held, including the OSU marching band. To conclude the season, the band held a banquet and dance at the former officers’ club at Adair Village. The band and OSU President. John Byrne, honored Band Director Jim Douglass for his 20 years of service and self-sacrifice at OSU. Douglass was the man who had really made the difference in whether or not the band was going to get the recognition it deserved, and he knew that to gain that recognition he had to pull through with a powerful and professional sounding group. If they didn’t sound good, people would not want to hear them. If they didn’t want to sound good, they wouldn’t practice and the progression would continue until the Marching Band became just a figment of everyone’s memories. He must have proved to his classes that to be good required their time and effort. Many instructors would love to be able to possess the talent to motivate a student to do his or her utmost in the class. Douglass also encouraged doing the best they could while away from school and from band. OSU really has a good band program with a lot of opportunities. remarked Sanders. Those who had chosen to take advantage of the opportunities were very glad they had. It gave them the chance not only to broaden their cultural horizons but also taught them a little something about the way things should be done if it was to exemplify the very best. “Band is a lot of fun, really exciting and a good way to get involved,. concluded Pearson. I’m really glad 1 did it.” □ by Kami Smith 1 0 • MARCHING BAND