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FCHS band flies
south to Australian Olympics
By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com
After a series of stops and starts, transcontinental negotiations and
countless hours of practice, 162 members of the Fayette County High School
marching band will wing their way to Australia and the 2000 Summer Olympic
Games Thursday.
FCHS band director Kenny Beard said the flight, which is estimated to
take 22 hours barring delays, would provide some much needed snooze time.
His students may find it difficult to sleep, however, as they anticipate
performing with 2,000 musicians from around the world and Australia, not
to mention spending a little over two weeks exploring the world down under.
“I’m excited,” said Jessica King, a junior. “The Olympics
in Atlanta were a dream.
Going to Australia is way beyond anything imaginable.” Sophomore
Alex Crawford, junior Oliver Gilmore, junior Stephanie Carey and sophomore
Matt Fornito all said they are curious about the food, Aussie accents
and the exchange of money.
“I want to try eating alligator meat while I’m there,”
added Sarah Bloomfield, junior.
Thursday’s departure from Hartsfield International Airport via Delta
will be preceeded by a grand send-off today at 6 p.m. in the school gymnasium.
FCHS’s plans to participate in the Games’ opening ceremonies
hit a rough spot about a year ago when Australian officials rescinded
their invitation, saying there were too many “foreign nationals”
in the Olympic band, and too few Australians. Another metro Atlanta high
school and several schools in California decided to pull out of the games.
FCHS didn’t give up as easily. After several weeks of negotiations
among Olympic organizers, Australian officials, the trip’s stateside
organizers and Beard himself, Fayette County was re-invited and remains
the only band from Georgia participating.
The band has the special privilege of playing in Canberra as the torch
passes through town, representing the U.S. as the site of the last Summer
Olympics.
For the next week and a half, the students will live at Charles Sturt
University in Bathhurst, which is about three hours from Sydney.
In addition to preparing for the opening ceremonies, a performance that
requires the band to memorize 22 different pieces of music, including
a number of national anthems, the students will be hitting the books.
Five Fayette County High School teachers will accompany the group to insure
that they keep up with their studies.
The teachers’ trip is being funded through money raised by the parent-run
band booster club. Extensive fund-raising netted more than $150,000. The
final cost of the trip is about $3,000 per student.
The band will be accompanied by FCHS Principal Gary Phillips and approximately
17 parent chaperones. Band members plan to keep their friends and families
up to date on their adventures via e-mail.
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