Seniors on color guard reminisce on last season performing together

Photo courtesy of Anish Aradhey

Seniors Shyanna Davis, Wren Amaya, Anish Aradhey, Erin Newman, Samantha Syharath and Belicia Castro were the six seniors on the color guard team. “Color guard is definitely more than just a team. It’s more of a family and something that makes it so special is the simple fact that you are able to bond with everyone, first years or seniors,” Davis said.

Kasey Thompson, Yearbook Editor in Chief
December 7, 2022

Junior Kristi Duong made the seniors a poster including their names, a note and they each added their hand prints. “I’ve always been close with the seniors ever since my freshman year. Over the past two years, not only have they taught me everything I need to know about color guard, but they’ve become some of my closest friends. I made the poster to honor their memory since they’ve helped me through so much. I wanted them to know that our color guard is thankful for them and their impact on us,” Duong said. (Photo courtesy of Anish Aradhey)

Seniors Shyanna Davis, Anish Aradhey, Erin Newman and Samantha Syharath have been a part of color guard together since their freshman year. Seniors Belicia Castro and Wren Amaya joined later, but quickly found a community with the others in their grade. 

For Davis, going through her last color guard season alongside her senior teammates has been a rewarding experience. 

“Performing with others I have been on the team with for all four years is so rewarding. Getting to see myself and the other seniors grow drastically and push through the COVID year definitely made my senior year a lot better. I love watching them and myself grow and continue to love the sport,” Davis said. 

Syharath views their bond with each other as essential to be good leaders to the rest of the team.

The theme of the team’s show impacted what they wore for games. “Our show was about the different ways to create a masterpiece. We wore artist’s outfits and complimentary colored makeup,” senior Samantha Syharath said. (Photo courtesy of Anish Aradhey)

 

“Having close knit seniors helps us be strong mentors and examples for the rest of the guard. Also, it is nice to have more years of experience to reminisce on with others,” Syharath said. 

Amaya started color guard their freshman year and only skipped their junior year, but felt right at home when the season started every year. 

“It was easy to ask [the seniors] for help. They were always so kind with everything,” Amaya said. 

Castro joined the team late and wishes she found this community earlier. 

“This is my first year of color guard and I regret not joining earlier. It has impacted me tremendously and it has helped me get out of my shell and grow to be a better version of myself,” Castro said. 

Freshman Susana Syharath, and seniors Samantha Syharath, Shyanna Davis, Anish Aradhey and Belicia Castro decorate Halloween cookies during a marching band senior potluck before their Parade of Champions performance October 29. “Our team bond is pretty tight. We like to try our best to be positive and encourage each other. We make a lot of friendships in guard. Though we have our small groups, we perform and train as one,” Samantha Syharath said. (Photo courtesy of Anish Aradhey)

Newman believes that the upperclassmen’s bond is truly what makes new teammates stick with it.

“All the seniors get along with each other really well. I think that how close returning members are makes a welcoming environment to people just starting,” Newman said.

For Aradhey, the end of his fourth color guard season was filled with emotion.

“It’s been really cool and a little bit emotional to reflect on how much we’ve all grown over the past four years. I know there are some things about my fellow seniors that haven’t changed at all, like the way Shy tosses her rifle and the way Erin always remembers all of our choreography when no one else does. Still, I think we’ve all become more mature and learned to help out less-experienced color guard members,” Aradhey said. “Having a lot of seniors also made it more emotional during performances because someone would always mention that it was our last ever performance at a particular competition and it would make all of us seniors a little bit sad, but also just more determined to make that performance a great one.