Sydney Goggans, Staff Writer

As classes are starting to get harder and the study sessions start to pile up, there is something that the AUC community can look forward to during this time of year: Homecoming.

SpelHouse is approaching and many events for the students will be full of fun, laughter and joy. Throughout the week, many organizations will prepare to have their own special events or performances to deliver to the students. The Morehouse College House of Funk Marching Band will deliver a special performance during the Morehouse and Fort Valley halftime show to the student body that they feel will be a crowd-pleaser.

Tyler Houston, a Morehouse senior and the head drum major of the band, created the drill this year. He is excited for the creative piece that the audience is going to see even though pulling it all together is going to be a difficult process.

“We are getting new pieces and working on some new drills to give a representative environment for the homecoming game, fun for all classes,” Houston said. “We have a different target audience and homecoming week is very chaotic and hectic. Planning and keeping things orderly and productive can get difficult. Additionally we have to prepare for so many events time is of the essences.

Leading up to homecoming, the Morehouse College House of Funk Marching Band is preparing for the show by practicing every day in order to make it a spectacular performance for the audience. The dancers of Mahogany-N-Motion are also expecting their section of the performance to be wonderful for people coming to see them perform. Gabby Slaughter, a junior at Spelman College and co-captain of Mahogany-N-Motion, is encouraging the team to work hard as they approach their performance during the halftime show.

“We simply want it to be perfect for our alumna,” said Slaughter. “I’m excited most about doing the ‘back-up’ with the alum. It’s always very interesting to see all the women of different years dancing together.  We also know that there will be lots of people at the game so we want to put on a good show,” Slaughter said.

Houston is not allowed to spoil the surprise for what the band is planning for the show but he knows that it will be a success. As the head drum major, he is proud of the band’s hard work they are putting into their performances and their teamwork.

“The band has really showed out this year and I see the eagerness of the younger generation to be better and to take on all challenges,” Houston said. “I believe musically this year we have been much more sound than other years. Arrangements are better and more complete and instrumental sound is developing along with the band’s balance and confidence.”

Houston’s measure of success goes beyond that of the actual product the band puts out on the field. It’s about much more.

“The most rewarding experiences are those of progress,” he continues. “Seeing the new faces coming back and wanting to do more, seeing the program progress and definitely seeing people find their niche within the program and simply having fun with those around them.”