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March 13, 2010

Marching with style

DHS Band to get new uniforms

Derrick Miller

Every marching band has a look, and Duncan High School’s is getting a new one.

The Duncan Board of Education approved the purchase of 125 new band uniforms for the Duncan High School Band during the regular board meeting Tuesday. The uniforms will be purchased with about $45,000 Quality Zone Academy Bonds, which are federal funds, and should be ready for the fall marching season.

Jeremy Smith, assistant band director, said the other band directors and he looked at several uniform designs. They took into consideration how the uniforms were made and the warranty.

Smith said it’s been about 10 years since the last uniform purchase was made. Usually, uniforms have about a 10 year life expectancy.

“They will serve our students well,” Smith said.

An eighth-grade student attended the school board meeting to model the design of the uniform. The uniform includes several differences from the current uniforms. For instance, the plume on the hat is taller. Smith said the goal of many bands is to make band members appear taller, which includes larger plumes. The breast flap is in the shape of a “D” to symbolize Duncan.

The band has 103 uniforms, but chose to buy 125 this time around. Smith and assistant director Dawn Haas said there is a need for more uniforms because class sizes are getting larger and because it makes it easier to find uniforms that fit each student properly.

“Each year, we get a new set of kids,” Smith said. “The more uniforms you have, the easier it is to fit them.”

He said that if the band didn’t have that many uniforms, some freshmen could possibly end up with a uniform that’s either too big or too small.

“There’s nothing more uncomfortable than a uniform that’s too tight,” Haas said.

While the number of uniforms should help ensure everyone is comfortable, Haas said the fabric of the uniforms should also help.

“They’re considerably lighter than what we have now,” Haas said. “It breathes a lot better.”

Smith and Haas said a lot of research went into finding the right uniforms. While there will be a few style changes, which includes the addition of the name Duncan on the uniform collars, both said they were happy with the design.

They said their research paid off well.

“We did a lot of communication with other directors,” Haas said.



— Derrick Miller is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 160, or via e-mail at derrick.miller@duncanbanner.com.

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