On October 18th, the Rompin’ Stompin’ Big Blue Band went to the Memorial High School Stadium and went on to perform for the UIL Region 7 North Zone marching contest. The competition consisted of many bands with a total of 24 bands ranging from AA to 4A. UIL marching competitions are ranked by a 5-1 scale with 5 being a poor execution and then 1 being a superior performance. That Saturday there were three judges. The RSB3 received from two of the judges a 2 (excellent) and then the last judge gave the band a 1 (superior), making the overall ranking a 2.
This year’s seniors had many mixed feelings about their last performance of high school. We went around the school asking the seniors what they had thought about the performance and this is what we got. Mia Hunter says, “I want to say that on the last one everyone did try their best run, even though we didn’t advance we all grew as a group.” We also interviewed Fatima Gutierrez who stated, “I feel like we’ve had better shows, everyone was bummed because this is the first time we haven’t advanced past the region in 10 years, and I would hate to see the next group not advance as well.” Along with that we asked Jack Paige what he thought he had this to say, “It was disappointing but surprising. Everyone was confident, and everyone thought it was good. I think it was one of our best shows.”
Overall, the Rompin’ Stompin’ Big Blue Band’s performance at the UIL marching contest was a mix of pride and bittersweet reflection. Though they did not advance, the band demonstrated dedication and growth throughout the season. For the seniors, it marked the end of an era filled with lots of hard work and very memorable performances and memories, leaving behind a legacy of commitment and passion for future members to carry forward.
