May 18, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Get to know SJO Senior Marching Band member Mallory Wagner

The competitions, going and spending the evening with my band family and meeting and befriending other bands is just such a rich experience

My favorite memory is spending the evening at a competition with my close friends and my girlfriend(who are also in band) and cheering together when we got awarded for our performance.

Honestly, all three shows I’ve done have been very unique and exciting in different ways. Although I think my favorite would have to be Turbo, our show this year, because I have such a built up skill and understanding that I really have the chance to just have fun with it.

My favorite costume has to be my freshman show, Decomposers, we wore powdered whigs(which we called ‘rats’ because of how messy they were at by end of the season) and red tailcoats. I definitely felt silly in the get up but being able to laugh at ourselves and each other made it just that much more enjoyable.

I think the biggest misconception would have to be that it doesn’t take much work. When I tell you marching band is the hardest thing I’ve done, I mean it(and I’ve done a lot of hard things) the physical and mental focus it takes to learn and perform the show as perfect as you can, is nearly impossible. Especially when you factor in the extremely hot and cold weather experienced throughout the season. But in the end, you always feel so proud and accomplished.

in Life, People
Banner
Related Posts

Michael looking to the future with coaching job

August 23, 2019

August 23, 2019

Nate Michael spent his youth playing basketball in every form.  After graduating this spring from McKendree University, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound...

10 things you don’t know about me…the SJO girls basketball team

February 22, 2019

February 22, 2019

After this weekend, Maclayne Taylor will have 12 state medals and has been apart of five team state trophies.  ...

10 Things You Don’t Know About Me… Kaitlyn Hess

February 13, 2019

February 13, 2019

Every week we ask a community member to share 10 facts about themselves. This week we spoke to St. Joseph-Ogden...

10 Things You Don’t Know about me Nikki Setterdahl

December 8, 2020

December 8, 2020

For years, Nikki Setterdahl and her daughter Whitney have been bringing joy to teens at Barnes-Jewish Hospital through their project...

Spartan Spotlight… Lindsey Aden

April 8, 2020

April 8, 2020

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Lindsey Aden has big plans for her future. Aden, who lives outside of Royal, will be attending...

Get to know Holly Clingan

March 25, 2025

March 25, 2025

Can you please provide some biographical information? I am Holly Clingan, and I’ve been a homeowner in St. Joseph for...

We the People holding one final fundraiser

April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019

There is one final chance to help the St. Joseph-Ogden We the People Civics Team fund their trip to Nationals...

‘I’m so excited for this journey’ Schlueter to open restaurant in former Scratch location

October 10, 2022

October 10, 2022

40 Eighty-Eight is coming to St. Joseph. Owner Christian Schlueter said he chose the name for his new restaurant because...

10 things you don’t know about me.. Angi Landis

January 24, 2019

January 24, 2019

Every Wednesday we ask a person who lives or works in an area town to tell us 10 interesting things...

St. Joseph PTC sponsoring school supply drive

July 9, 2019

July 9, 2019

Katie May doesn’t want any child in St. Joseph to start the school year without the supplies they need. The...

10 things you don’t know about me… Alex Neubauer

June 27, 2019

June 27, 2019

Every week we ask residents to tell us 10 interesting facts about themselves. This week we talked to Alex Neubauer...

Get to know senior SJO Marching Band member Jo Schmitz

October 21, 2022

October 21, 2022

My favorite thing about marching band is the community. I made my best friends through the program. My favorite memory...

How do I help my kids try new foods?

October 19, 2021

October 19, 2021

By: Dr. Jeanelle Murphy, DO Thanks to Christie Clinic for sponsoring this content. Encouraging young kids to try new foods...

Upcoming SJO graduate Lewis ‘excited’ to take next step at University of Kentucky

May 16, 2019

May 16, 2019

Hannah Lewis always wanted to go to college out of state. She traveled to Alabama and Florida trying to find...

Kids Say…

August 1, 2019

August 1, 2019

Students from PVO South tell us if they would like to be a farmer. This post is sponsored by Longview...

Comments
Leave a Reply