Saturday, September 13, 2003
First football game
The students were unusually subdued for a pep rally day. Not any trouble. The knuckle heads were absent or comitose. Things were moving along smoothly until just before the pep rally a group of kids crowded around a locker as they were called to the gym for the rally. I thought someone was being beaten up but when I came closer there was a long strand of hair sticking out of the locker door. The kids thought someone was trapped in the locker. It also smelled like it was burning. I shooed the kids away and called the custodians in to open the lock. We were about to lop off the lock when the girl assigned to the locker came down the hall. She was embarrassed to reveal a head with a full curly wig in the top of her locker as she opened it. The burning smell came from her recently blow drying the hair to style it in a class. Fun over, we herded the kids to the bleachers in the gym.
My new band director was nervous and had the sound system set up and the band in a corner. The cheerleaders were running the show and called coaches up to introduce their athletes. It took longer than expected, so when the band director was going to be interviewed, it had to be scrapped. They sounded good, though. Even the vocal teacher helped by pulling out a trombone.
The game was at night, an unusual event in New Jersey since most schools don't have lights. It was an away game and I was nervous about the other school and the kid's behavior with ours. There was nothing to fear. They kept to themselves. Our team ran up the score to 42-6 by the half, so our parents and bystanders began to relax a bit. All except for the band director. This was his first half-time show. I brought my cornet to play in the stands with the band for support. There was a board members doing the same with a trombone. I played that instrument in my high school marching band and in the TCU marching band. It made me wonder about the cycles of life.
But there was not time for philosophy as the second quarter ticked into history because the band director came up to me and asked if I would announce the band. Wow! I began scribbling down the names and all and he began to apologize for forgetting the script. I said that was OK and made my way across to the home team's press box. The small sized band proudly marched across the field once the football people left and waited for my introduction. I had to make some of it up, but I'm used to faking it, so it went all right. They played well and made the most of their sound. The color guard filled out the scene with big flags waving around. I never had that sort of thing when I marched, but it worked.
After the half time show, which we provided instead of the home band, because their uniforms hadn't arrived in time, we all came back to our side and the new teachers all crowded around as we congratulated the band guy. They all had that look on their face like "this the in-group and I'm a part of it!".
A board member came up to me and said he saw some kids fighting and that I should take care of it. This is the alarmist attitude that I dread. I recognized the boys that by then were separated and talked to them. I put my hand on their shoulders and said I hoped everyone would be safe and nothing else would happen. There were no police available.
That broke up, I returned to assure everyone that we were were OK. A parent stopped me and reminded me that we needed to meet to the Student of the Month award soon and I said I wouldn't forget. Since I live so far away from the school, people think I am going to get a job elsewhere. I feel needed. That hasn't happened everywhere I worked, so they don't know that I really love my job and I love the kids.
Even a boy that graduated last year and was a royal pain for me came up and shook my hand and was happy to see me. I now have a history with the school. It's great. As long as God wants me there, I'm His man.
My new band director was nervous and had the sound system set up and the band in a corner. The cheerleaders were running the show and called coaches up to introduce their athletes. It took longer than expected, so when the band director was going to be interviewed, it had to be scrapped. They sounded good, though. Even the vocal teacher helped by pulling out a trombone.
The game was at night, an unusual event in New Jersey since most schools don't have lights. It was an away game and I was nervous about the other school and the kid's behavior with ours. There was nothing to fear. They kept to themselves. Our team ran up the score to 42-6 by the half, so our parents and bystanders began to relax a bit. All except for the band director. This was his first half-time show. I brought my cornet to play in the stands with the band for support. There was a board members doing the same with a trombone. I played that instrument in my high school marching band and in the TCU marching band. It made me wonder about the cycles of life.
But there was not time for philosophy as the second quarter ticked into history because the band director came up to me and asked if I would announce the band. Wow! I began scribbling down the names and all and he began to apologize for forgetting the script. I said that was OK and made my way across to the home team's press box. The small sized band proudly marched across the field once the football people left and waited for my introduction. I had to make some of it up, but I'm used to faking it, so it went all right. They played well and made the most of their sound. The color guard filled out the scene with big flags waving around. I never had that sort of thing when I marched, but it worked.
After the half time show, which we provided instead of the home band, because their uniforms hadn't arrived in time, we all came back to our side and the new teachers all crowded around as we congratulated the band guy. They all had that look on their face like "this the in-group and I'm a part of it!".
A board member came up to me and said he saw some kids fighting and that I should take care of it. This is the alarmist attitude that I dread. I recognized the boys that by then were separated and talked to them. I put my hand on their shoulders and said I hoped everyone would be safe and nothing else would happen. There were no police available.
That broke up, I returned to assure everyone that we were were OK. A parent stopped me and reminded me that we needed to meet to the Student of the Month award soon and I said I wouldn't forget. Since I live so far away from the school, people think I am going to get a job elsewhere. I feel needed. That hasn't happened everywhere I worked, so they don't know that I really love my job and I love the kids.
Even a boy that graduated last year and was a royal pain for me came up and shook my hand and was happy to see me. I now have a history with the school. It's great. As long as God wants me there, I'm His man.
