The Winterguard team will take ot the stage, showcasing their talent and skill in a competitive performance at Freedom High School, on Saturday, March 16.

This competition will closely follow their immense success in their most recent competition, where they received the distinction of second place in their AAA division. They will be performing the same show at Saturday’s competition, and hope for similarly positive results.

“I think our team, despite having its troubles, has been able to pull together,” senior Sarah Cooke said. “After all, there has been no happier feeling than the smiles I saw after winning second. I’ll never forget that.”

The team has been practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays for three hours, working hard to perfect their show. In addition, they have had several camp dates where they practice all day, and are planning another for the day just before the competition.

All of this work comes together into the execution and coordination of the show they perform. Aptyl titles, “Let Go”, the show centers around the Semicolon project, and their message of suicide prevention.

“It’s based on the idea that we all have flaws, and that’s okay because you’re not alone,” Cooke said.

The Project Semicolon organization uses the symbol of a semicolon to represent the idea that a person should continue their life rather than end it, similar to the way a semicolon continues a sentence rather than ending it.

The March 16 competition will not be the final time that the group performs this show. In April, they will have the chance to compete at the FFCC Championship, one of the most elite competitions in the state.

“There is an on-edge feeling for awards because you don’t know what you’re going to get, or how you’re going to do,” junior Elise Stockdell-Giesler said.