marie jensen wins sousa award
by aidan eno
On May 16th, during the school year’s final band concert, Marie Jensen (12) received Craig’s John Philip Sousa Award.
Each year, students from the entire CHS band program vote on one senior that has both taken on some sort of leadership position in the band and given back in some way.
“It’s a really great way to sort of gauge the temperature of the whole program and to see who stands out for a lot of the underclassmen,” explained Craig Band Director Jake Wiele. “And I think it’s really cool that it’s totally democratic.”
All the band students, in every class, cast their vote for who they think deserves the award, and in the final band concert, the recipient conducts the band for their last song.
“It works both ways,” Wiele noted, “in that it gives the upperclassmen something to work towards and inspires them to do their best to help the program, and the underclassmen look at the senior class and think ‘I want to be like them.’ ”
The John Philip Sousa Award has been presented to a Craig Band student since 19, so its significance on the band program and its members is not lost.
Each year, students from the entire CHS band program vote on one senior that has both taken on some sort of leadership position in the band and given back in some way.
“It’s a really great way to sort of gauge the temperature of the whole program and to see who stands out for a lot of the underclassmen,” explained Craig Band Director Jake Wiele. “And I think it’s really cool that it’s totally democratic.”
All the band students, in every class, cast their vote for who they think deserves the award, and in the final band concert, the recipient conducts the band for their last song.
“It works both ways,” Wiele noted, “in that it gives the upperclassmen something to work towards and inspires them to do their best to help the program, and the underclassmen look at the senior class and think ‘I want to be like them.’ ”
The John Philip Sousa Award has been presented to a Craig Band student since 19, so its significance on the band program and its members is not lost.