| October 11th, 2016
Battle of the Bands: Clash of Titans
By: journeymagazine
Words By: Garrett Foster
Florida A&M Rattlers watched as their very own Marching 100 battled South Carolina State University Marching 101 Sept. 23 in Gaither Gymnasium.
FAMU hosted its annual Family and Friends Weekend each year, centered on the first home game. The Battle of the Bands was a pep rally to get FAMU fans hyped for the game on Sept. 24.
Kendria Thurman, a 2008 graduate and former Queen of Orange and Green, thinks that the band is an integral part of the university, and does a spectacular job of promoting school spirit.
“I got to see the freshman band perform, and then I got to see the entire band perform tonight, so it makes me really excited about the game tomorrow,” Thurman said.
The Marching 100 connected with the audience, playing artists ranging from Earth, Wind, and Fire to Kanye West.
Ki-Jana Garmon, a senior psychology student, said that the band really moved students and brought life to the crowd.
“Any time the Marching 100 came out and played, you [could] see the life coming to the student body, you see everybody come up out their seats.”
Not only did the pep rally promote school spirit—it also serves as a fundraising event. The money from admission to the event went to the music program.
Alyssa Thomas, a Marching 100 member, feels as though the money is needed, given that marching band members often have to support themselves or forgo performances due to lack of funds.
“That way we just have our own money so that whenever we need for emergency purposes or anything of that nature, we have our own cushion and have that to fall on,” Thomas said.
Pep rallies are meant to help boost morale of the school by getting everyone excited, and with the help of The Marching 100, that goal was accomplished.
As Thurman puts it:
“I think that the drum beat really connects with the heartbeat of individuals and it really makes you connect to the university a whole lot better. You might not know much about it, but when you hear that sound, when you hear that band, you know automatically; you’re a Rattler fan.”
