Kilgore College - Ranger Yearbook (Kilgore, TX)

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Band readies for busier-than-average year Ranger Band members always have a busy year, but the 1984-85 season demanded even more from the musical, marching performers. This year was climaxed by a trip to San Francisco to perform in the East-West Shrine Bowl in addition to the traditional local parades and shows and Cotton Bowl performance in Dallas. Band Director Jerry Hale and new assistant director Mike Turpin began putting the group through their paces during late summer. Returning sophomore musicians had to learn new marching skills and refresh old ones. The freshmen or fish began from scratch in these drills and learned also what it takes to be totally accepted through freshmen band initiation. Already with one year under their belts, the sophomores required freshmen to wear paper fish around their necks, sing the KC Fight Song upon hearing a ‘‘roll off”, admonished them not to turn their backs when seeing a sophomore and ordered them to dress in outlandish, but colorful costumes while performing in pep rallies. Incoming freshmen also had to learn how to coordinate their music with the exacting routines of the Killgore College Rangerettes. Many of the new “rettes” rehearsed with the well-known band and dance and drill team for the first time on the hot August field. =2 •? 18