During the school year, students complain of being stressed out. However, for drum majors, the stress is taken to a new level, especially during marching season.
  There are three drum majors this year, seniors Kelsey Schweer, Ellen Bentley, and junior Anne Reed–Weston.
   The process for becoming a drum major is rigid.
  “We have an essay you write, we have practices you attend, you conduct, and you have to demonstrate teaching fundamentals,” they said. “To play your instruments, you have to know the pep band tunes, and you have an interview with Mr. Jones, and you have teacher references.”
  Schweer and Bentley have both been drum majors since their junior year. Reed–Weston has been a new addition to the group this year.
  Nothing has really changed for the drum majors since they started except for the fact that they received new uniforms and a new field to work with, so everything has been a lot easier for them. The girls haven’t had to do as much with the uniforms and it’s been more convenient. The team also got a new assistant, Tom Hunt.
  It may seem as if the drum majors don’t do anything or make an impact to anyone, but they do. The drum majors have had a big success on helping the band succeed in all the drum competitions which they have won.
  The drum team has almost won to every team they played against from Kansas, except for Buhler. They lost against them last year at the KU Heart of America Marching Festival but only by a tenth of a point.
  The success, drum majors said, isn’t entirely based on the leadership.
  “It’s kind of a half a half, it’s half the director pushing the people towards excellence, that’s our goal in the end, and then it’s half the people’s motivation for themselves to musically and mentally do well,” Schweer said.