Bishop Noll High School - Marquette Yearbook (Hammond, IN)

Page 19 text:

On a Friday night in October, the fieldhouse began to fill with people. Curiously, they were here not to see a basket¬ ball game, as the season had not begun yet. There was no pep rally, the football season was over. The reason the crowds thronged to BNI was to see the Battle of the Bands. Traditionally, an event such as this would be held in the school cafeteria, but this was by far no traditional event. The event was sponsored by National Honor Society, who outfit¬ ted the gym floor with risers to accomodate the bands and refreshments to accomodate the spectators. Soon the fieldhouse was packed with enthusiastic stu¬ dents who turned out to support their favorite bands, whose members must include one Bishop Noll student. The air was vibrant with the fiery music and excited applause. The floor was alive with people swaying, bobbing, and moving around in ways generally associated with dancing. After each band had its turn exhibiting their talent, the mass of spectators was allowed to vote for their favorite. When the ballots were totalled, Monarch featuring Noll’s own Brian Westfall, was found to be the winner of the $150.00 first prize. It was an extremely close race among Monarch, Fury, Pearl, and Cyanide. The crowds went away satisfied with what they had heard and disappointed that it was over so soon. The bands, them¬ selves, were amateur but the sounds provided were profes¬ sional. The fieldhouse now stood silent; awaiting for another day to congregate the student body for another event, that would unite us both physically and socially. Opting for less hard rock’n roll tunes, Ben Likens of Pearl sings his version of Genesis’ hit “Paper Late.” As lead singer for Monarch, Brian Westfall pauses shortly before con¬ tinuing with a string of songs. With fans crowded around the ris¬ er, Todd Drury of Fury, jams on the drums to entertain everyone present. BATTLE OF THE BANDS ... 15 j