Playing with Pride

Members of the K-State pep band play with the Charger pep band at Friday’s Winter Royalty game against Riley County. “I thought it was a lot of fun. It was nice to have people who knew cheers and would cheer for a team. That big of a band changes things, it was a lot louder,” senior Brendan Dugger said. Photos by Eleanor Badeker.

K-State pep band members join WHS for Winter Royalty

At Friday’s home basketball game, 43 members of the K-State Catband joined the WHS pep band in cheering on the Chargers.

The band was originally set to attend a home football game in 2017 but, due to unforeseen issues, it had to cancel.

Through more communication and scheduling, Booster Club member Angie Barber helped ensure that the band would have the opportunity to play at Wabaunsee.

“It was a lot of group effort,” Barber said. “A lot of logistics involved the high school administration. The grade school allowed us to use their building to serve the meal. The meat was smoked and prepared by Jeff and Jennifer Frank. Several booster club members were all dynamic in making it happen – Jennifer Frank, Jenny Yocum, and LeAnn Adams. Several booster club member volunteers that helped set up, clean up and serve – Wendy and Steve Reves, Traci Havenstein and my mom, Alice Wagner. It is never one person – a lot of things have to happen and everyone deserves the kudos.”

WHS band director Jaime Rogers thought the event was beneficial for WHS students.

“Our students enjoyed having the college band,” Rogers said. “I think some were a bit star struck and some just jumped right in and interacted with them.”

This was not the first time the K-State band has travelled and played at a high school game. Two years ago the Catband played at Riley County High School. Dr. Alex Wimmer, the director of the band, believes that being involved in the community creates an aspect of family, which is important.

“Band families exist everywhere,” Wimmer said. “In every single school they have a tight community: that play in band, sing in choir, that are on a football team or a basketball team, and those relationships stay with you for a lifetime. The same thing happens in college, and so we can share that experience and cheer on the basketball team and play some music together, have some fun, I mean that’s a win-win for us. We want to be able to give back and music is a powerful tool that can bring people together and whenever we can be able to share that with people, we like to do that.”

“The benefits of K-State coming here are our students seeing and hearing the “next level” sound of young musicians,” Rogers said. “Any of our students can continue to be in the shoes of the K-State players if they so choose.”

Also in attendance at the game was former NFL star and Super Bowl Champion Jordy Nelson. Nelson graduated from Riley County High School and attended Kansas State University where he played football.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Nelson said of the K-State band. “I didn’t know they did things like that. I have heard they have gone to area schools, so it’s fun to see them in the community and supporting the local high schools. It raises the atmosphere as well.”

— Hannah Mumpower, @Hlmump01