Sabers, rifles, flags and cadence showcase color guard

On any given weekend, excited fans fill the Galesburg High School gymnasium to cheer for the Silver Streaks. But, take a little dance, throw in some theater, add a bit of gymnastics, and a lot of hand-eye coordination needed to spin a flag, toss a rifle and swing a saber and you will find a far different event on Galesburg High School's basketball court. This event is part sport and part pageant ? it's winterguard.

Knox College senior Natasha Pamenter remembers being in the color guard while attending Plymouth High School in Plymouth, Wisconsin. "When I got to Knox College, I thought, I need to do this [color guard] again. I got the itch," Pamenter says.

Pamenter called the high school and offered her assistance with the squad. At the time, the high school's color guard coach abruptly quit. "They needed someone right then," Pamenter says. Ben Bredemeier [GHS band director] did not skip a beat in offering her the position.

According to Pamenter, she initially turned down the offer. "I said, 'I'm not capable, and not at the right level.'" But, after some thought, and quick tempo persuasion from Bredemeier, Pamenter said yes. She was on the school district's payroll by April 2005.

More than pageantry ? Color guard is a sport as well
The color guard team averages 16 members. Spectators who watch halftime shows at football games generally recognize color guards as the groups performing with flags and other props alongside marching bands. After football season ends, the squad reorganizes to practice winterguard routines, accompanied by recorded music of their own choosing rather than tagging along to the beat of the live marching band.

While winterguard routines include essential elements, the shows thrive on creativity. "It is up close and personal. It exudes emotion. The audience can actually see their facial expressions," Pamenter says.

Winterguard has gained in popularity over the past couple of years, and guard programs spin and evolve throughout the season. Judges scrutinize staging, body movements, equipment, musicality, originality and entertainment quality. "Winterguard is an intense experience," Pamenter says.

Just before the school year begins, the color guard squad practices six to eight hours a day ? every day, and during the school year the team has one practice per week with Pamenter and rifles through two practices with the marching band after school. Throughout the winterguard season, the squad spends two evenings a week rehearsing, learning and polishing performances. "I push them really hard," Pamenter says.

During her first year with the squad, Pamenter says she concentrated on the squad honing their skills, while the second year was more competitive. This last year was the first time in GHS's history that the colorguard squad won an award taking third place in the parade division at the University of Illinois Marching Band Festival. "We all worked very hard. The parents have been very supportive. I really appreciate the community."

A modern language and educational studies major with a concentration in German, Pamenter supposes that she will be able to market herself as a color guard coach as well. "I have spent two years working with these kids, and I see what motivates them. I really love it."

In addition to working at GHS, Pamenter is a teacher's assistant for GED classes at Carl Sandburg College and is involved in Interfaith club ? a group that fosters an understanding between different religions.

This is the last GHS color guard season for Pamenter. After graduation, she plans on marrying and moving back to Wisconsin. "In five years, I hope I am teaching German at Plymouth High School and coaching the color guard squad."