Seniors Leaving Band on a High Note

Eleanor Wilds, Ethan Ruch, and Aiden Ramey pictured left to right.

Marching through the halls at 8 AM, drums and brass galore as loud as can be, letting you know that Jim Thorpe has spirit; and it will not loose.

Band is the heart of our school, and the music produced by this group has not only been influenced by Dr. Christ, but by the seniors that come and go each year, leading as an example for those below them.

Three seniors in band are almost ready to see the next step of their lives, but for one more semester, they are keeping our pep going.

Eleanor Wilds is involved in band, choir, and musical theater. She plays baritone for concert band, marching band, and jazz band. Wilds was able to participate in honors band, district chorus, county choir, and county band this year.

Ethan Ruch is also involved with band, choir, and musical theater. He plays the flute.

Aiden Ramey is involved with band and golf. He is committed to the Professional Golfers Career College's class of 2029. He typically conducts, but also plays the baritone saxophone, and the drum major for marching band.

Which band tradition will you miss the most?

Wilds: "The chants and things we do on the band bus. Specifically the ‘Cheese’ chant! We do it after every away game and win or lose it really boosts morale."

Ruch: "Honestly I really like all the band bus traditions and stuff. I mean we sometimes don’t get to do them which kind of sucks. I do really enjoy those because I feel like it sort of gives us something that’s uniquely ours in a way. I also really do like the “ain’t no band” chant mostly because I like the yelling. The chants just really give us an excuse to yell and have fun. I think it always sort of lightens the mood and it brings us together in a way that a lot of other things don’t."

Ramey: "Probably Friday night games, playing music in the stands, the field show. There’s nothing like it; it's really fun."

Favorite teacher?

Wilds: "Dr. Christ, he made me better at band, choir, and music in general."

Ruch: "Mr. Getz, because even if he wasn’t my teacher I would still get along really well with him. I mean my family does kind of know him, not well, but we are connected in some ways outside of school. I think he’s very similar to my parents in a lot of ways."

Ramey: "Something about Physics with Mr Conrad just clicked, I really enjoyed it.

Plans after high school?

Wilds: "Go to college for elementary education."

Ruch: "I’m looking at LVC right now. I’m still waiting on other decisions, so I don’t exactly know where I’m going, but I'm leaning towards LVC. Honestly my main goal is just to keep learning and meeting new people. I don’t exactly know what I’m majoring in yet because I feel like I have way too many interests in so many things that I would like to major in. I would just like to go somewhere that I feel like I can find my people at and keep learning. I know knowledge isn’t always necessarily power, but knowledge is just good. It's just good to have, and that’s my favorite part about anything school related. Just actually getting to learn new things, and I’d like to just keep doing that more than anything."

Ramey: "I’m going to a golf school in South Carolina. Then hopefully I'll get a job down there on a golf course and try to own my own someday."

What is your favorite music related moment in school?

Wilds: "Probably all the marching band trips on the bus."

Ruch: "Honestly I really enjoyed that first horrible show we did last year, hurry up and wait. It wasn’t good at all, and Dr. Christ had just started here. He didn’t know what he was doing, we didn’t know what we were doing. But I honestly really enjoyed that because it felt like it was a learning experience for everyone, where we just got to have fun. None of us knew what was going on, none of us knew what was supposed to be going on, but me enjoyed ourselves anyway. We still got on stage and we did whatever it was that we did. It wasn’t the best but I really think that was one of the most enjoyable times for our arts programs. I look back to that and I just find it really fun because I think it was great that we actually put ourselves up enough to do that."

Ramey: "Parades for all the student athletes after their sports matches."

What are you most proud of accomplishing in high school?

Wilds: "All the music related stuff I get to do. District choir, honors band, county band, county choir."

Ruch: Just how far I’ve come since freshman year. I think freshman year I was very much in my own shell, I talked to the same three people everyday and that was it. And also I think I’ve gotten pretty far with music. Because I was raised in it, I’ve always been pretty good at it. I think being under both Mr. Flowers and Dr. Christ in the same four years and getting so many opportunities. To do county band, county chorus, district chorus, LVC band, and all of these different things has given me such a variety of experience. I’m proud that I know how to do these things now and that I’ve learned throughout high school. I think I would face a lot of whiplash going into college and joining a college level band if I didn’t get to experience all these things first.

Ramey: "Probably being number 1 on the golf team for two years. Freshman year I was really bad but I was really just getting into it. Then I just grinded, worked and focused. Then my junior year I was number one, and my senior year I was number one. I was just really proud of my dedication and work making a tangible accomplishment being able to see what the work did. It was really great."

How have you handled being Involved in everything?

Wilds: "It’s a lot, I do have to juggle a lot. Having to figure out college and extracurriculars and other outside things can be a lot. I don’t necessarily have an answer for how I handle everything."

Ruch: "I probably haven’t handled it well, I'm gonna be honest. Sometimes it sucks and it’s really stressful and it takes up so much energy. I think the most important thing to remember is just that at the end of the day there’s still going to be people there and I’m still going to have friends. I think I just have handled it by making sure that I still open up to people. Making sure that I still spend time with my family and my friends."

Ramey: "I will say it’s definitely been mentally draining. I work two jobs, I’m fairly involved in school, I volunteer outside of it, I’m in national honor society, I play sports, and stuff like that. I’d say just definitely it’s focusing on the bigger picture. I’ve always thought about graduating and stuff like that. Now that I’m a senior, I know the fact that I’m gonna graduate and that everything I did was worth it. And got me here. I've had that in my mind since freshman year to focus on it. I was driven to achieve it.

It has been a long journey for the class of 2025 when it comes to the arts departments, but these seniors have paved their way in spite of the obstacles placed in front of them.

A talented group, make sure to tell them congrats for their hard work at all of the school's major events, and wish them good luck in their promising futures.

Spencer Moore, Writer