The Game Day Experience from the Band in the Stands

By: Joesph Grah

Hi CU! My name’s Joseph and I’m one of the dots on the field for the halftime show, aka a Phoenix Band member. I wanted to give a rundown of it’s like to be a band member at a football game, and at the same time, give a few tips of how to get the most out of your spectating experience.

Before every home game, we meet at the Quad on campus and march all the way from the quad to the field. The march is open to any and everyone who is attending the game. The energy and excitement can be felt between each and every member as we get ready to parade down the street.

Bringing me to my first tip: have a group. Find someone or get a group of people all planning to go to the game and go together! The more, the merrier! Having people to chat with can really aide in keeping the energy going the entire time. 

While our big moment is during the halftime show, we also react to what’s happening in the game. Every touchdown and first down are accompanied by the CU Fight song, as well as the classic tagline, “That’s good for another Phoenix First down.” In the same way, any spectator can have tons of fun by learning cheers and jeers that CU uses to help the energy on the field. 

For the majority of each game, we are in the sun and heat in our band gear which can get really steamy. So, my last tip, and it’s a big one, is to drink lots of water! Some of the games have been in the heat index of over 100 this year, and no one wants to faint in the stands. 

Every Phoenix football game is electric and the team really shows their expertise and passion for the sport at each game. 

Everyone is welcome to join both the games and the march from campus. If you have any interest in the band, feel free to contact Mr. Ray, the band director, and be sure to come check out the halftime show at least one game this year! Pandora has opened, and the Phoenix is ready to take the field!

The next game the band will be at is the night game on October 19th. I hope to see everyone there!

 

PA Talk is a blog created by Cumberland University’s Presidential Ambassadors covering topics and giving advice that is relevant to the CU student experience. For topic suggestions, email Mattie Jennings at mjennings@cumberland.edu.