As a member of the Jacksonville community and a fan of JSU Gamecock sports, I have been a spectator at football, basketball, baseball, softball, etc., events for many years. I made the trip to Starkville, Miss., for the JSU-MSU football game. While it was exciting to see the Gamecocks in a big SEC stadium, nothing compares to the astonishment and deep pride I felt when the Marching Southerners took the field for their halftime exhibition.First of all, let me say that I was surrounded by MSU fans, alumni, and students. It was also, in fact, MSU’s “Band Day,” which meant they had hundreds of high school band students AND the MSU Alumni band in attendance at the game, and performing en masse during halftime.
I was expecting the reception to our band, following the MSU bands, to be lukewarm at best. Boy, was I way off base. The crowd was eagerly anticipating our band; whether the Southerners’ reputation preceded them, or whether it was their sheer size and “stage presence,” this crowed was obviously willing to give them a chance.
What followed was one of the most memorable and exciting performances I have ever witnessed anytime, anywhere.
The Southerners have done great productions in their 40-odd years, to be sure, but what they have achieved this year, this early in the “season,” is remarkable. The Starkville crowd not only sat up and listened, they cheered! The capper came when the Southerners received a shockingly long-standing ovation that erupted before they even ended their program, and lasted well after they had left the field. The Ballerinas have endured controversy in recent years for a departure from the “traditional” style. Let the nay-sayers be silenced: They are truly beautiful, graceful, “Spanish ladies” this year, and so much a part of the whole thing.
At the first home game at JSU this fall, it was announced that the Southerners have been invited to perform in exhibition at the Bands of America Grand Nationals competition in Indianapolis. The Southerners must raise at least $40,000 to make the trip, and have managed to raise a small amount holding local car washes, etc. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the community would help make this possible?
The recent trend toward proration in the State education budget makes these kinds of special trips difficult, to be sure. What better representatives are there to send out into the world? The Marching Southerners are something special, a local treasure, that make me proud to be from sweet home Alabama.
Jim McDaniel
Anniston
Incinerator
If people in this area would like to make an “informed” decision about the potential safety of operating the incinerator then maybe they should check out the Web site of the Chemical Weapons Working Group at www.cwwg.org. If you scroll down at this site to “What’s wrong with Incineration” you will see information about the shutdowns at the Tooele incinerator in Utah and what caused them.
This information is not reassuring that the surrounding area will remain safe from the proposed incineration at the Anniston Army Depot. And if you research the other links available it is difficult to understand how this was ever deemed acceptable for our area. I believe everyone should be made aware of the “reality” of incineration operation and not just fed statements beginning with “in the UNLIKELY event” of an incident...
G. Anderson
Alexandria
Pink Zone Resident
