By Courtney Briscoe ’16
Friday night, Sept. 26, Catawba College students, faculty and staff helped kick off Family Weekend and the 2014 football season by gathering for a pep rally in Shuford Stadium. There, they were able to get a sneak peak at the Catawba Pride Marching Band’s halftime show, recognize and cheer on the football team before the first home game, and enjoy complimentary popcorn provided by Wigwam Productions.
First up was the Catawba PRIDE marching band performing their Cirque du Soleil routine. As the music sounded, the members of this year’s color guard did much more than twirl flags. They used large colorful panels and parachutes as props, and some members danced, juggled, and did flips and cartwheels to reinforce the theme. There were even miniature platforms set on the field for certain members of the band to use, including Zach Veitenheimer who had a tuba solo, and Summer Eubanks, a member of the color guard who wowed the audience with her belly dancing.
After being applauded for their performance, the PRIDE stepped to the left side of the field, forming a tunnel, and the football players came running onto the field to the roar of the crowd. Head Coach Curtis Walker, microphone in hand, began announcing which players would be active in Saturday’s first home game of the season. As Walker spoke, each player ran forward to throw a Catawba Indians t-shirt into the crowd, most likely toward his significant other. In one heart-warming moment, senior and defensive lineman Stephen “Yogi” Davis did not throw his t-shirt; he instead handed it directly to his girlfriend, Katelyn Braswell, which delighted the crowd.
The pep rally itself passed by quickly, but its impact on those in attendance was something that will last much longer. Throughout the event, crowd members were calling out in support to their friends who were part of the band, on the football team, and on the cheerleading squad. A sense of togetherness and accomplishment could be felt between the Catawba College students, faculty, staff and family members who made the event happen, whether they were on the field or in the stands.
