Cadets Color Guard Captions Nomination Letter

April 12, 2019

Dear Cadets Hall of Fame Committee,

We write today on behalf of the hundreds of Cadets color guard performers who had the privilege of being taught by Michelle Owens between 2003 and 2008. It is with great pleasure that we nominate Michelle posthumously for the 2019 Cadets Hall of Fame class for the many reasons enclosed. Though Michelle herself was never a marching member of the Cadets, she proudly embodied the passion, dedication, commitment to excellence, and values of tradition and comradery of a true Cadet. In her 6 seasons as an instructor, she passed these values down to each of us as she undoubtedly shaped the Cadets that we were, inspired the teachers that we would all become, and helped to build the foundation, character, and integrity of the adults we all are today. When we fondly think back to our time at the Cadets, our memories would be incomplete without Michelle’s presence.

Michelle wasn’t just our technician. Over the years she filled many unofficial roles amongst the Cadets guard members –Confidant, motivator, therapist, life coach, shoulder to cry on, advocate, entertainer, number 1 fan, source of light, and yes, even savior. Marching drum corps is admittedly hard, and marching in the Cadets can be even harder, but with Michelle’s attitude we all knew that nothing was impossible with the right outlook. Michelle was the glue of the Cadets color guard all of the years she was involved. Any time we found out she was coming back on the road, celebration ensued, even before her arrival. Knowing she would be with us in a day, or in a week, would bring an instant sigh of relief as we knew we would be cared for and developed in the most nurturing of ways. Just having Michelle nearby made the day better, even if she wasn’t working directly with our sections. On the days when Michelle did work with our sections, it felt as though we had hit the jackpot. She was a ray of sunshine, consistency, and comfort during the long, hot summer days. Her enthusiastic attitude set the tone for rehearsal and she had the ability to make a four-hour sectional fly by. Her spirit and energy spread like brush fire and no matter how tired we may be, we never minded finding the strength to work hard for Michelle when she was in front of us. She brought smiles, hope, and laughter no matter the weather, our current ranking, or how many days we had already been on the road. There was never a time when you didn’t feel great after a block run by Michelle. A big believer in the mantra of “work hard, play hard,” she instilled in the members the true meaning of work ethic and responsibility without ever losing her love of sport. While she had the sweetest of dispositions, Michelle also had a no-nonsense, tough love approach to getting the job done. When Michelle raised her voice it was rare, and being something we seldom heard, she carefully and strategically chose those moments knowing they held more gravity and power, and we listened. Still, Michelle never belittled or degraded. If Michelle’s tone ever sounded at all forceful in its delivery, it simply came from a place of true passion and always ended with words of motivation. Though our drum corps is known for its intensity and precision, Michelle also made the Cadets fun. Teaching us water break cheers to lighten the mood and make the staff laugh, trying not to giggle when she would see us goofing off mid-practice (secretly winking as she yelled at us to “knock it off”) and constantly reminding us to enjoy ourselves, she could sometimes be the sole reason we got through a grueling day. While so many of Michelle’s silly antics may not have seemed like a big deal at the time, the impression they left all these years later is staggering. Make the best of any situation and smile while doing it — it makes any task enjoyable and any other approach is just a waste of good energy. Our time at the Cadets was more enjoyable because of Michelle.

Michelle gave of herself without ego. No matter the obstacle, we would dig in, work as a team, and get better together. She was always available, staying on the field through many lunch breaks, seeking out those who may have been struggling after shows, and regularly checking in on the rookies and alternates, rather than overlooking them. She was on time each day and she was quite often the last staff member to be found in the gym before ‘lights out’ just in case someone working on their own needed assistance. We can all remember late night sectionals with our lines or with the whole guard after a long marathon day of learning show choreography at Spring Training, well after sleep deprivation had set in and it felt like there was no end in sight. Just when everyone was ready to crack, Michelle would politely walk in and quietly stand back to observe. She was so great at being present but not intrusive. She was respectful of this being “our time” off the clock, and the last thing she wanted was to take over, so she would wait until someone asked for her help before chiming in. She just wanted us to know she was there for us. Michelle always showed up for us. Knowing her value, we would call her right over and she would stay as late as we needed her to, giving up her own down time when no one would have blamed her for wanting to get some rest. We will never forget her loyalty to us and to the quality of product we all wanted to put on the field.

Though Michelle’s character and unique personality alone make her a worthy nominee, it is important to note Michelle’s ability as a skilled and talented technician. Michelle placed a high importance on technique which helped to foster a look and a signature brand in the spinning style of the Cadets of that era. As a sabre tech, she could often be found painstakingly repping finger twirl exercises long after the other sections had moved on to cleaning show work, because she put stock in perfecting the basics. It is also to be noted that Michelle was tasked with cleaning the work of brilliant choreographers like

Greg Lagola and Travis Estler whose books are known for their complicated intricacy and stylistic nuance. She did so by engrossing herself in the process, hopping in the block alongside the members, and learning from our perspective. She never cleaned a skill which she herself could not do - even if it was brand new to her. While many staff members may be concerned with letting their students see them unable to achieve something, Michelle used this to her advantage. She would be delighted by the prospect of increasing her own vocabulary - relentlessly trying new approaches, asking educated questions of the writers, and even partnering with us to figure out best practices until she got it right. In this way, she taught us persistence and showed us that even our staff wasn’t perfect, so it was okay if it took us a moment to get there too. She showed us how to problem solve, and indirectly, she taught us how to be observant learners who don’t back down from a challenge. We knew that if she could get it, we could get it too, no excuses. Michelle was a master at breaking down the counts while never losing the integrity of the work, with the result being some of the cleanest color guard phrases in the modern day Cadets history.

Her wholehearted approach and unwavering ambition for excellence was second to none and she made each of us technically better at our craft while helping us reach our full potential as artists and performers.

As a color guard captain for the Cadets there are many expectations and moving parts you are responsible for to help make the color guard as successful as possible, on and off the field. Simply put, it can be a stressful and sometimes thankless job. Often times it could feel like a constant balance between collaborating with our staff and feeling like some days, it was us against them as we worked to stay out of trouble and hide the mistakes of individual members. Michelle, however, always felt like she was part of our team. The true definition of “good cop,” she was an ally that we could lean on if we knew we had no other options. She was asked by each one of us, at one point or another in our respective seasons, to turn a blind eye when she knew we were up to something. As if we were asking her to cross enemy lines, she would give us a quick look of suspicion before inevitably covering for us with the rest of the staff. Secretly, she was honored that we were able to rely on her and she never shared those secrets or betrayed our trust even years later. To this day, so many hilarious and infamous stories of Cadets guards “getting away with murder” included Michelle as our “mole” with which we never could have pulled off such stealthy missions. No matter how much we may have dropped the ball, she helped us without judgement and gave us credit for our creativity. She was a guard captain’s life line and an absolutely Godsend.

Off the field, Michelle offered more than just sound instruction. While still professional as always, Michelle was also a friend. She could be found most mornings eating breakfast sitting amongst the color guard on a curb by the food truck. She’d grab lunch with different members, being sure to bond and chat with everyone equally. You never knew who Michelle’s favorites were because she treated every one of us like her favorite - like we were all special to her. In the evenings, she could be found playing pranks with the rest of the guard staff or color guard members late into the night. Her infectious laughter making all these memories of our silly after-hours antics that much more memorable. She had a knack for knowing who needed extra attention, checking in with those who may be homesick or battling personal bad days, or sensing when someone could use some light hearted small talk without prying. We can all recalls those days when we may have been overwhelmed, or had a rough run, and just having Michelle there if we needed to talk gave us the peace of mind to push through. Michelle started each day with a fresh outlook and clarity of mind and that made it easy for each of us to leave our personal troubles behind as we tackled another long day at the Cadets with our optimistic mentor setting the example for how to stay positive. She took the time to make quality connections with us all and this endeared her to the membership. Beyond our relationships with Michelle, she helped to build our relationships with each other in the family environment that she brought to the guard and helped to cultivate each day. At her core she cared about everyone’s wellbeing and was there to offer empathy, guidance, and affection. She made sure we all knew we had someone in our corner. None of this was in her job description. She went above and beyond to be fully engaged in our complete Cadets experience, not because she had to, but because she loved us.

After we aged out, Michelle always touched base at any marching arts event and was truly interested to get an update on our lives and experiences. She didn’t stop caring about you as a person when they left the organization. Once you were one of Michelle’s “kids” you were her kid for life. Seeing Michelle alongside the corps, always with her beautiful smile, she would go out of her way to make us feel so great, knowing how genuinely excited she was to see us. Even if these reconnections could only be brief, she never lost the ability to make us feel included and appreciated. The master at forming relationships, what was even more impressive was how inept she was in keeping them. It was obvious that she had a deep respect for the activity and the traditions surrounding the Cadets and she embraced anyone who had ties to that family which she now cherished too. As we all moved on in the activity, she continued to cheer us on, build us up with compliments and praise, and she would always be the first to grab a great big hug. She helped to make the Cadets our home, and she made it extra special to come back to that home no matter how much time had passed.

Since then, each and every one of us has continued on as educators in the marching arts. As many of us went on specifically in the medium of drum corps, we quickly and intimately realized how the monotony of the process, the incredibly longs days, and the competitive nature of this activity can really effect you as an instructor. We now can acknowledge how impressive it was that we never saw that impact Michelle in the quality and authenticity of her approach as she took on each day’s new challenge of keeping her students engaged and interested. Michelle’s time at the Cadets not only made us proficient marchingmembers, but more importantly, the lessons we learned from her in that time helped to shape and develop our own teaching styles. In this way, Michelle’s influence translates to and tickles down through our students even today. Looking forward, we are confident that her reach will continue to multiply infinitely through a ripple effect of teachers and performers which will last for decades to come. Some of us were even so fortunate to have the opportunity to eventually teach beside her and know her as a colleague. The Cadets were so lucky to have her as an instructor, and probably at the time didn’t realize the long term impacts she would have on the members she encountered. We now thrive as teachers because we know that great instructors don’t just clean counts, they ignite fires within their students. That passion isn’t learned, but is reflected off those who stand before us and you can’t motivate unless you yourself are inspired. Through Michelle, we have seen the best examples of how to be present, approachable, accessible, accountable, constructive, encouraging, sympathetic, patient, and generously open with our hearts. Through Michelle we have learned to give all members the same level of warmth and attention. We learned to show up, ready to work every day. We learned to give the gift of time to our students as Michelle never said no when being asked for help. Michelle is with us when our kids need someone to talk to, or if we teach a silly cheer to perk up a tired group. She showed us just how effective the “good cop” can be and how much they can get done with an even tone and a shared mutual respect. Michelle taught us that as teachers, instead of, “That was bad” we should say, “You are better than that.” She showed us how much more you can get out of a student by telling them you believe in them, rather than sharing your disappointment in them. Her unstoppable love of color guard was infectious and that love lives on in all of us, every time we step in front of our kids. It was obvious that she cared about each individual performer, and would do whatever possible to make sure they succeeded. We were more to Michelle than dots on a drill page, and her time at the Cadets was more than just a job. She taught us how important it is to not just punch in and instruct, but to teach, nurture, and invest in our students. She taught us that instructors should be more than talented, they should also be kind. She taught us how impactful it is for students to know that we have their backs and that we are their biggest fans. Michelle showed us that the staff and members can, and should, all be on the same team. That taking the extra time to promote an atmosphere in which a team loves each other, and enjoys working together, will result in a team who desires to achieve greatness together. These are qualities we hope to emulate as supportive adults in our kids’ lives and we pray we can make a fraction of the impression on this activity that she has. For many of us, she still continues to be one of the greatest role models we will ever have.

Michelle Owens’ long career involved in performing and teaching drum corps should speak for itself. The 6 years she spent at the Cadets was invaluable for us as members, and for our corps and its rich history, as she forever made her imprint on the culture and reputation of the Cadets Color Guard. It is frankly impossible for us to reflect on our time in maroon and gold without Michelle instantly coming to mind. She is someone we will tell great Cadets stories about for years to come. Her powerful and profound legacy is one of exuberance, compassion, and strength and she would be a tremendous addition to the long list of those legendary Cadets Hall-of-Famers who have come before her. In some way, she has made us all better people through whatever twists of fate allowed us to cross paths with her at just the right time, thanks to the Cadets. She holds such a special and significant place in the hearts of all who were fortunate to be changed by her lasting example. Though we could never adequately express the gratitude we have for Michelle, someone we hold in such esteem, we hope that nominating her for this honor may in some way repay her for the wisdom and kindness she selflessly imparted on us.

On behalf of so many touched by her spirit in the Cadets color guard family, please accept this nomination to accept Michelle Owens into the 2019 Cadets Hall of Fame.

Signed,

Cadets Color Guard Captains of the 2000’s

Kelsey Gleason – Cadets Color Guard Member 1998-2003, Guard Captain 2001-2003 Philip Traini - Cadets Color Guard Member 2000-2004, Guard Captain 2004 Jim Zulick - Cadets Color Guard Member 2001-2004, Guard Captain 2004, Drum Major 2005 Kim Bolduc - Cadets Color Guard Member 2003-2005, Guard Captain 2005 Erika Johnsson Coy - Cadets Color Guard Member 2003-2005, Guard Captain 2005 Eric Babula - Cadets Color Guard Member 2002-2007, Guard Captain 2006-2007 Caitlin Bell- Cadets Color Guard Member 2003-2007, Guard Captain 2006-2007 Alison Hunyady Blankenship - Cadets Color Guard Member 2005-2008, Guard Captain 2008 Katie Hopkins - Cadets Color Guard Member 2006-2009, Guard Captain 2008-2009 Abigail Malloy MacLeay - Cadets Color Guard Member 2007-2010, Guard Captain 2010 Ashley Pittman Swengler - Cadets Color Guard Member 2005-2012, Guard Captain 2009-2012 Mallory Yohannan - Cadets Color Guard Member 2007-2012, Guard Captain 2011-2012

For Holy Name Shall Always Be