Dedicated to Marching Band

What does it take to be part of the half time shows for fall football season?

For most kids, summer is all about relaxing, sleeping in, and hanging out with friends. But for members of the marching bands in schools around the nation, it's about a lot more. For me, it means memorizing, working out, and carrying 45-lbs on my shoulder!

I spent two weeks at hardcore marching band camp this summer! All in preparation for the fall football season.

I’ve been playing the tuba since 6th grade and really enjoy it. Now that I’m in high school, I can take it to the next level by playing sousaphone in the marching band!

What’s a sousaphone? You’ve probably seen one before. They have a giant circle that’s right next to the musician’s head and the rest of the instrument wraps around the body. They’re usually gold or silver. And in case you were wondering, they are heavy: 45 pounds!

To prepare for the upcoming season of marching band, I spent two weeks with more than 100 other high school students memorizing music, learning to march, stretching, building muscle, and practicing the drill (that’s the movement you see in a marching show) for 7 hours a day, 6 days a week.It was hard at first, but it got easier as the days went by.

A marching band show is about eight minutes long. Therefore, I had to remember eight minutes worth of music AND drill patterns and steps.We take it a little bit at a time.

As a sousaphone player, I see things a bit different than other people in the band. I have a harder time with sideways and backwards moves. Sometimes people don’t get why I don’t have a move down as well as others. They don’t realize I have to take much larger steps than it seems, or that there’s a bar poking me when I turn sideways, or that there’s a giant instrument weighing me down. That’s life for a sousaphone player, though.

I’m really glad I joined marching band. Music is a passion of mine. I really appreciate my band directors even more; it takes a lot to put this all on. For many (including my editor!) half time shows by the marching bands are the best part of football season!

—Topanga McBride

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Topanga McBride hard at work learning her drills for the fall football season. (Photo Courtesy Topanga McBride)

Buck vs Bennet in Colorado Debate

U.S. Senate candidates debate on Friday

Ken Buck, a Republican supported by Tea Party members, will debate Michael Bennett, the Democrat incumbent, this Friday, October 15. The two are Colorado candidates for the U.S. Senate.

This debate, which is sponsored by the ABC news affiliate in Denver, is to help people choose which candidate they will vote for on Election Day November 2.

The election between Buck and Bennett is an important one, with influence beyond Colorado’s borders. If Buck, the Republican, is elected, he could help Republicans take over the Senate.

Currently Democrats hold 59 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, including the two officials from the Independent Party. Projections by experts say the 2010 elections could split the Senate 48 Democrats to 47 Republicans, leaving Independents in the position of swing votes.

If Bennett is elected, the Democrats have a better chance of holding onto power (majority votes) in the Senate. Bennett is the incumbent Senator, but he was not elected to the position. He was appointed when U.S. Senator Ken Salazar left the seat vacant after President Obama named him Secretary of the Interior.

This election is a crucial one for Colorado. Either candidate could change which party has power in the nation.

Check back soon to find out the results of the debate. And you can find out who wins by following this blog on Election Night. I’ll be reporting results as they come in!

—Topanga McBride

PHOTOS: Senatorial candidates Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, left, and Republican Ken Buck, right, debate at the King Academic and Performing Arts Center on the Auraria Campus hosted by 9NEWS in Denver, Monday, Oct. 11, 2010. (Credit: Barry Gutierrez/AP Images)

Summer Read: What's in a Title?

The title's long and a bit weird, but the story keeps you reading!

Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083

Author: Andrea White

Publisher/Date: Scholastic ©2005

Number of Pages: 318

Recommended Reading Age: Young Adult (Grades 6 to 10)

Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083. Doesn’t the title alone make you curious? As soon as I picked up the book, the questions started. Who has to survive Antarctica? What does 2083 mean? What about reality TV? What better way to find out the answers than to read the book?

The story takes place in the year 2083. America has changed a bit since 2010. The government is cruel. If you want to go to high school and college, you have to win a game of chance called “Toss” or pay for your education. Alaska is a nuclear waste dump. Most people eat chips flavored as meals unless they can afford real food. Public school doesn’t exist anymore; kids are now taught through TV programs.

The program that teaches history is a reality TV show called "Historical Survivor." For one month, five 14-year-old kids appear on the show and simulate Robert F. Scott’s fatal journey to the south pole in Antarctica in 1914.

Every contestant gets $10,000 for participating. The kid who viewers vote as The Most Valuable Player wins a total of $100,000. That is, if they survive.

I don’t want to give away too much, so you’ll have to read the book to find out the details of what actually happens.

I can tell you that this book isn’t like any other book you’ll read. Instead of one person telling the story, you see events unfold through each of the six main characters’ points of view. This approach helped me understand the characters better and see the story in a different way.

I connected easily with the book and each of the kids, especially because I’m their age. Also, it has something for everyone! Future, fantasy, animals, action, emotion, history, suspense—it has it all.

Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083 is definitely one of my favorite reads. Author Andrea White does an astounding job at keeping you on the edge of your seat. It won’t be long until Surviving Antarctica Reality TV 2083 has become one of your favorite reads, too!

—Topanga McBride

PHOTO: (TOP) Book Cover Courtesy Scholastic. (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Topanga McBride likes to cuddle up in bed with a good book.

Make Earth Day a Tradition

What is your family, classroom, school doing to help the Earth? Let us know!

When you’re in a brand new school, you get a chance to make traditions that continue for decades to come. That’s exactly what kids at Severance Middle School (SMS) in Coloardo are doing, building Earth Day traditions for future students.

Kids at SMS are doing something simple, yet amazing. They are celebrating Earth Day by forming a gardening and a recycling group. Both groups are only two meetings into their new projects, but they are already working hard to achieve their goals.

“We just had an announcement on the intercom about recycling,” Austin Ferrell, 14, told me.

Daniel Vargas, 13, explained how they built recycling bins for the school from discarded cardboard.

“We had to get cardboard out of the dumpster," he said.

When I went to talk to the gardening group, I was amazed to see the number of students involved. They met in the gym in multiple groups. Then we all went outside into the freezing wind to scout out places to plant gardens and trees.

I asked Connor Lowndes, 13, if he knew what they were planting yet.

“I know we’re planting trees that will grow well with not a lot of water," he said.  "They need to grow over the summer when we’re not here.”

I also talked to Principal Jay Tapia about his opinion of Earth Day.

“It’s an opportunity to teach people about the importance of the environment,” he said. “It’s just a great time to celebrate all of the natural resources that we have and the beauty of the Earth.” 

What is your family, class, or school doing for Earth Day? Use the comment section below to send us your Earth Day stories or tips!

—Topanga McBride

PHOTO: From left, Noah Landis, Tucker Wright, Tiger Browder, and Daniel Kraus show off their recycling signs for a school project. (Photo Courtesy Topanga McBride)

Here's What's Great About 4-H!

4-H is more than just raising cattle. It's about responsibility, patience, caring, and respect.

Getting to write an article about 4-H was extremely exciting for me, especially because I’m a 4-Her myself! This is my 6th year in the program and every single year I’ve been showing dairy cattle.

I'm a member of the Colorado 4-H. A lot of work goes into raising animals. Taking care of a cow is not as easy as caring for a household pet. And I don’t have just one cow. I have SEVEN cows to take care of! Five of them are my own!

Cows need water and food like any living creature. My cattle have hay and water available to them 24/7, especially this time of year. My cows also get walked often to tame them and prepare them for show.

Dairy cows have different personalities, making it a different experience for each animal I work with. Some are sweet. Some are bossy and mean (I’ve been kicked in the face and run over).

My cattle are also washed every day at the fair to cool them down and make sure they don't have manure and dirt spots all over them. They are also clipped before fair. Clipping is pretty much a “buzz cut” the animal, except for their back, which is made into a “Mohawk.”

Cows also have to get veterinarian checks, hoof trims, vaccines, and be dehorned (if they have horns), just to name a few more of the things I have to keep track of!

This takes a lot of commitment—you have to have the time to love and care for your animal every day. It’s a huge responsibility.

4-H has given me the learning experience that comes with raising an animal. I’ve learned responsibility, patience, caring, and respect just by raising cows. I’ve also made some amazing friends along the way that I would never have met.

4-H means a whole lot to me and I suggest that you try it if it's available in your school. You don't have to have room to raise cows in your backyard to get involved. There are many other projects you can do. It’s a truly amazing experience.

—Topanga McBride

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Topanga McBride shows off her Holstein heifer Celcie at the 2009 Colorado State Fair. (Photo Courtesy of Topanga McBride)