Page 92 - Westlake Football Program: Week 4

2025 WESTLAKE FOOTBALL PROGRAM
WE are... WE are...westlake westlake
Those unfamiliar with
marching band don’t
understand why we
put ourselves through
it. Hundreds of hours
sweating in the hun-
dred-degree heat,
watching the sun rise
and set in the same day,
holding our searingly
cold instruments during
winter morning rehears-
al. But that’s only what they see: the hard work, the effort,
the exhaustion.
What they don’t see is the intimacy of section circles, the
band seniors facing their chosen family, offering their words
of wisdom to the freshmen who are about to experience
the adrenaline rush of performance for the first time. The
bus rides where we clutch our phones, waiting for contest
results, and erupt in joy when we make finals, reaching for
our uniform bags to get ready for the next round.
The Chap Band has a storied 56-year history: marching in
the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on three occa-
sions, being selected as the Texas Honor Band three times,
and receiving the Sudler Shield and Sudler Flag awards, one
of only 14 bands worldwide to achieve this honor.
Our success comes from every individual’s commitment to
community and artistry. It comes from counting loud and
sharp even on our toughest days, and always striving to be
better on the next rep. It comes from taking the turmoil
of our individual lives and leaving it on the field, sweating
out our hardships, and releasing all of our inhibitions in
that final hit. It also comes from the community’s dedica-
tion to us: the Westlake Band Parents ensuring we are fed
and transported safely, the expertise of our directors and
clinicians who travel to us to help us be the best we can be,
and the support of every Chap cheering for us in the stands
during halftime.
The Westlake Chaparral Marching Band is an organization
unlike one you will find anywhere else. This program takes
the shyest and most timid of students and turns them into
92
BAND PRESIDENT
a powerhouse of confidence, leadership, and integrity. It
offers every single member, no matter their background,
personality, or circumstances, a chance to show the world
what they are capable of. Four years of constant encourage-
ment to better oneself, forge connections, make mistakes,
and grow from them. Every one of us came to the program
as a middle school instrument player, and came out some-
one ready to enter the world, take charge, and make a differ-
ence wherever we go.
I entered the Chap Band as a terrified freshman,
hesitant to raise my hand straight or count louder than a
whisper. I will exit as Band President and a two-time flute
section leader. That’s the magic of marching band. Only, it
isn’t magic: it’s us and the daily choice we make to make it
special.
We believe.
We perform.
We are...Westlake.
Jenna Williams
Chap Band Student President ‘25-26