Triumph in Dayton

I assume the other spectators at the University of Dayton Arena must have thought we were nuts. The score was announced -- in second place, with a score of 94.675, nine four point six seven five, Irondale High School. As our substantial group of parents -- over 50 of us, along with some grandparents and siblings, too -- heard the announcement go up, we started cheering madly.

We hadn't won. We finished second. The first place school, Plainfield High School of Plainfield, Indiana, was victorious. Not Irondale. But it didn't matter to us. Finishing second was a tremendous accomplishment.

In plain sight

Anyone who has spent any time involved in the marching arts knows how much time and dedication is needed to win competitions. Irondale's drumline program has now won three state championships in a row and has placed 8th, 9th, and now 2nd in the country in its class. This year's show, titled "When It Ends," is based in part on the song "Waiting for the End" by the band Linkin Park. The record will show it is the most successful show in the history of this activity, both at Irondale and in the history of the Minnesota Percussion Association, the body that oversees indoor percussion programs in the region. We're not sure what comes next -- Fearless Maria is graduating, but there is little question that she has been part of something special. And as parents, Mrs. D and I were fortunate to be part of it.