Seniors Ellen Lee and Jack Nicol can be seen standing on a platform and conducting marching band during the halftime show at football games.

These Seahawks competed for their spots as drum major in front of a panel of judges, which includes local band teachers and previous drum majors. In order to compete, Lee and Nicol had to fulfill several requirements.

“The audition process involves conducting the star spangled banner, conducting a one minute song of choice, marching and yelling commands, an interview, and writing an essay on leadership,” Lee said.

Lee wanted to become a drum major because she felt that it was a natural progression of leadership from her junior year, when she was section leader.

This title bears enormous responsibility for Lee and Nicol.

“During rehearsals we are in charge of warm ups and the section leaders who, if there is something wrong, they come talk to us,” Lee said. “We delegate duties for each section to take out, work as a buffer between the band and the director, and need to provide a steady tempo. We also have motivational duties, which usually involve a lot of yelling, and are the first ones there and the last ones to leave.”

Nicol expressed pride about doing well during their band competition.

“This year there was a lot of pressure on Ellen and I because we had gone last year to a competition for the second time and our goal was to do better and we didn’t,” Nicol said. “This year there was a lot of pressure to do better, and we did which was good, especially in some areas we did a lot better than we were expecting.”

During the competition, marching band placed seventh for finals. The previous two years, they placed ninth.

“We amped up the visuals this year,” Lee said. “We have a balcony and a tarp and things like that help our placement.”

Being the leader for a group of students can be a difficult task.

“The hardest thing you can do is teach your peers, so that whole social awkwardness when you’re trying to talk to them is weird because we’re still students,” Lee said. “It’s weird talking to them like we’re in charge of them. It’s a balance between not being a jerk and getting the job done.”