Mysteries flutter like batons through the frosty air as the winter guard practices the new show.

“I can’t say anything about what the show is or the specifics about when our first show will be, but we will be performing for the first time on February third,” junior Eddie Cuatlati said.

Cuatlati revealed the winter guard’s current practicing schedule.

“We started practices the week before Thanksgiving Break. We started with just learning the basics with the beginners. Then each day, we would learn a little more until we got them ready to learn the choreography for the show. We practice two days a week from 4-7 pm, so about six hours a week. Sometimes, we practice on Saturdays from 9-3 to go more detailed in what we are doing,” Cuatlati said.

Cuatlati did not start off on guard. He first started on the field, making the musical notes on paper come to life.

“I have been in guard four for about 4 ½ years. I started in my 8th grade year. I was in the band. Then, I became a prop helper, which basically means I helped to props on and off the field. Then I saw the color guard, and I didn’t know what it was at the moment. But I started to observe them and become interested, so I joined,” Cuatlati said.

Winter guard is a sport that requires man hours practicing precise movements. Cuatlati expressed some challenges he faces in the sport.

“One of the biggest challenges I experience is how time-consuming it is. With guard, you have so much to remember. You must remember your choreography, which comes with practicing, even at home. So it takes a lot of time away from schoolwork or other activities you would want to do,” Cuatlati said.

In this season’s winter guard, there is also junior Kayla Rice. She was not always set on the path of the color guard.

“ Originally, I hadn’t planned on joining guard, but after talking to one of the coaches after school one day and going to auditions just to see what it was about, I learned it was a fun and challenging environment that I wanted to be a part of,” Rice said.

Rice revealed how long she has been in guard and what keeps her there through all of its challenges.

“This upcoming winter season will be my third season. A couple of things have kept me here for the past three years, one of them being to see how the show fully develops and the other being a part of this story that the team gets to share with the audience. There always something new to learn, and it’s always exciting to perform a new show each year,” Rice said.

The winter guard team is putting in so much work for this year’s show, and they hope to impress all of the people who come to watch it. Rice is sure to play her part in making this show great.

“I am excited for this season’s show because the varsity group this year has a lot of potential, and the show has a lot of deep meaning that I am confident I will perform well,” Rice said.