The Finale

It's over. All that is left of my time with BYU colorguard is a long, uncomfortable bus ride to Provo. Then my holiday begins.

The game was really great. We killed the UTEP Miners 52-24. Although I had a blast, the game itself wasn't too spectacular. It was clear from the start that BYU would win the game. So there was no suspense, very unlike the BYU vs U of U game.

After having a quick run-through this morning, the Cougar Marching Band marched over to the tailgate party by the entrance of the stadium. As the guard marched by, we got a couple snide remarks from UTEP fans, but nothing that would really bother us. When we arrived at the tailgate party, the band was blessed with a Mexican breakfast. Oh my word. That was the best breakfast I have had in a long time. I had pork with red chile sauce, bacon, potatoes, and refried beans all wrapped up in a soft, decadent tortilla. It was heaven. And it made me miss Mexico. So to all my pals, if you want to go to Mexico in April, let me know.

Which the guard had finished our plates, we performed for the devoted Cougar fans, then gathered our things and headed for the stadium. Pre-game went well, besides the fact that we reversed the direction we face during the game. It totally threw me off, I had no clue where I was supposed to stand. But once the show started, I got my bearings pretty fast. During the second part of the pre-game, I made it onto the jumbo-tron-- doing a toss. AGH! But I caught it, thank goodness!

Half-time went just as well. I didn't make any major mistakes, but I wasn't filled with the fire I felt at the BYU vs U of U game. But that's okay. Performing before that much energy is a rare occurrence.

After grooving in the stands, spilling cups of water, and performing on the field one last time, the game was over.

So here I am. On a dark bus, on my way back to Provo. Not exactly sure what I want to do. I mean, I had decided earlier in the season that this would be my final year of colorguard. But now that this season is over. I realize, once again, how amazing colorguard is and how beneficial it is to me. I learn so much from band. I make so many wonderful friends. And in moments like the U of U game, guard makes me feel alive. So for some crazy reason, I am considering a second season. But I won't be hasty to make any serious decision for now. I will let time give its two cents.

Albuquerque Nights

I know I have said this before: Pep rallies are highly overrated.

I mean, I had a good time. But it was pretty sad. No BYU fans showed up so we were performing for a hostile UTEP crowd. And we also lost the mascot competition. Even worse, it was in the 30s and I was in a thin uniform. So I stood there for half an hour freezing and shivering in the cold. It was brutal. But soon it was over and the guard had front row seats to the fireworks from the warmth and comfort of the bus.

When the band got back to the hotel, we had a final fireside. It was really nice. The focus was about the blessings that come through hard work and trial, a subject very relevant to Marching Band. It made me think about all the lessons I have learned during my year of Cougar Marching Band. I learned about sacrifice. I learned about perseverance. I learned about obedience and exactness. Colorguard taught me valuable lessons that will stay with me for life. One of the things Brother Mac said that I really liked was about the expansion of the church. He said, "I honestly believe that either your generation or your children's will see a boom in the spread of the Gospel." It strengthened my own resolve to be better, to share the gospel more often, to become the most qualified person to teach my future children in the ways of righteousness and guide them to greatness. I am going to miss band.

After we finished the fireside, some of the guardlings went to Macaroni Grill. I am going to miss my guard sisters. We had a blast. The line at Macaroni Grill was long and ridiculous, but with some haggling                                                                                            by Rosa (my guard big sister), we got a table for 8 in only half an hour. Not bad. Rosa and I then shared some calamari and some pasta Milano. It was delicious! But what I really loved was all the conversation we had, the laughs we shared, the pictures we colored. It was a fun experience.

At 11:15, all the guardlings (all 17 of us) crammed onto Ashlee's king sized bed. Then we preceded with the guard's last devotional. But before all that spiritual stuff, we laughed and laughed. In fact, we got complaints. Still don't know why, the guard had only been in the room for 5 minutes. Weird. Maybe we got punk'd. Anyway, Ashlee's gift to us was a magnet with a picture of the guard on it. I love it. Definitely going on my fridge at home.

Well, we just arrived at the facility where we are going to practice our show. But I think I gave a basic look at the fun and amazingness of a band trip and a Albuquerque night.

Talk to you later!!!

Rehearsal

Just spent the last 3 and a half hours at a high school field.

It was SO cold!!! Yet, the band warmed-up and began practicing pre-game and half-time. It felt so strange holding a flag again since I haven't done any guard for a week and a half. But it only took 2 seconds before I felt totally back in my game. But since the whole band had such a long break, both shows needed some work. So we went back and forth, going over trouble spots until we got it back in our systems. Finally, at the end of practice, the sun crept out from behind the clouds and graced us.

Lunch was cheeseburgers; therefore, I didn't eat. Don't know why they would only get cheeseburgers. What about lactose-intolerant people? But there were Famous Amos cookies which made everything better.

Well, now the buses are on their way to the first Pep Rally. I'll let you know all about it later.

ABQ

Right now, I am sitting on a bus on my way to a BYU luncheon at Hard Rock Cafe, relishing the free internet on the bus since it costs 5 bucks for internet at the hotel. And I'm a cheap college student.

The Bowl Game is here. The last bang to my short but meaningful career in colorguard. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about being here. For one, I could be home right now, snuggling with my siblings and bothering my old high school teachers. But I am here, in the snow and rain. I'm here, staying in a hotel room with strangers...

But it isn't as bad as I thought. The 11 hour bus ride yesterday didn't feel like forever and I watched Star Trek and The Italian Job for the first time. I went shopping and had my first Panda Express in months. I started my morning with a venti peppermint hot chocolate with pumpkin bread. So it's not terrible.

2 days and 55 minutes until I am back in the state I love.

Freezing Football Frenzy

Winter arrived. And thanks to the BYU Band motto "Practice rain, or snow, or shine", the colorguard is outside practicing in the biting wind and the swirling snowflakes. 

Then game day comes around. I layer up in my apartment: uniform, leggings, warm-ups, sweatshirt, headband, two layers of socks, and, to top it off, a scarf. Then, sheepishly, I leave the warmth of Fugal Hall and make the twenty minute walk to Lavell Edwards Stadium. I arrive at the guard room, my cheeks numb because of the cold, and grab my equipment, then head back outside for practice. Practice isn't quite so bad, I'm moving around which keeps me warm. But finally, the time comes for me to take off my protective bubble and perform Pre-game. I take off my warm-ups. Still feeling okay. But then I peel off my sweatshirt and headband. An icy gust of air hits me right on. My eyes go wide. My hairs on my arms stick straight up.  Luckily, every other guard member is feeling the same thing. Thus, we bundled together, right there in the middle of the stadium. Some interesting band members came over and joined our bundle and we huddled together until it was time to go. The guard-girls walked down the portal onto the field, trying not to show how darn cold we are. We stand on the side-line shivering. Then the whistles blow and everything melts away. It's showtime. The cold is shoved to the back of my mind as more important things enter my mind, such as choreography. Finally, the pre-game show is over and I'm running off the field to the guard room. I quickly throw-on my warm clothes again. Ahh. Warmth. Then, I walk over to the stands, prepared to start the process all over again for half-time. 

What I Found at the Library

Gotta love the Harold B. Lee Library

IACURH 2010

Last weekend, I went to Montana for the IACURH conference. Now what's IACURH? Intermountain Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls. In English, IACURH is the regional body of all RHAs in the Mountain region: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. So the IACURH conference was a weekend where RHAs shared ideas with each other, therefore creating stronger residential communities.


One of the things we do at IACURH is attend programs where we learn about activities and skills we can take back to our campuses. Some of the programs were really fun. For example, one program I went to was about an activity that ASU-polytechnic put on called Humans vs. Zombies. Basically, the game starts out as everyone is a human except for a mysterious person. That person begins to turn people into zombies by tagging them. Then it basically becomes a huge game of tag. Even better, to fight the zombies, the humans can shoot them with nerf guns. It is totally epic. I totally want to do it at BYU. I also went to a program about having an air guitar competition. There was also one about first impressions. Supposedly, I look very liberal and I also look like a vegetarian. But I was not judged as a virgin, a prude, or close-minded. And I even had a BYU shirt on. Maybe BYU’s stereotype isn’t that bad as I thought.

It was three days of staying up late, playing Walmart games, and meeting awesome people. Finally, Sunday arrived and it was time to go home. Who knew that returning home would be one of the best parts? We stopped in Idaho Falls for church. As we filed into the chapel, we discovered, with much glee, that today was the primary program. It was a fantastic treat. The kids were so darn cute! My friends and I were mouthing the primary songs with them, reminiscing our childhoods. Yet, at the same time, we were awed by the simple, yet profound doctrines expressed through these primary songs. It was definitely the best sacrament meeting I've had this semester, probably this year. 

After that, the whole crew went to Olive Garden for lunch. I ate SOO much!! I think I had the biggest food baby of the whole group. But it was so good, especially the breadsticks. Full and content, everyone went back to the vehicles and headed home. 

To finish my post, I want to quote one of the RAs who also went to IACURH, McKinley. 

“It’s so beautiful” does not have to be a mere description of what we may see out of a van window. It’s not just snow capped trees, or sandy beaches. It represents what this trip was for all of us. An interaction of a group of people with little in common aside from a desire to make someone’s life better. We were allowed to gain an insight into what God’s children are like in very different situations. That same group of God’s children will never again be at that same place. Nor will this same group be in the same van. The beauty is in the fact that it happened the perfect amount of times, once. Anything that we consider beautiful is rare. The number of times that the names McKinley, Chelsea, McKay, Brittnay, Aubree, Kelsey, Jason, Ben, Tyler, Kevin, Kara, Skyler, Sara, MaKena, Sarah, and Charly will be combined with the letters I, A, C, U, R, H is once. Luckily for us, lessons that are rare and beautiful don’t sink or fade but form our most vivid recollections, and so this trip will remain in memory for each of us lucky enough to experience it. 

Well said, Mckinley. Well said.

Halloween at Hogwarts

Most people celebrate Halloween by trick-or-treating or going to parties. My roomies and I celebrated Halloween by going to Hogwarts. Yes, we went to Hogwarts. Funny thing is, Hogwarts wasn't very far away, just an hour and a half ride to Ogden. After we traveled up a mountain, followed a twisty road, and navigated through the forest of vehicles, we found Hogwarts.

As we entered, we were greeted by the Weasley twins who warned us about the mean old hag in the painting. Shortly after, we met her. It was not a pleasant experience. Then, Snape approached us quizzing us about potions. We passed and were finally able to enjoy the festivities at Hogwarts. My roomies and I played some quittich (it was actually a zip-line with people throwing foam balls at us). Then we sampled some butter beer. Professor Lupin (who actually was Chrissy's brother) taught us how to fight a Bogart.

Then we waited in a long line to get our fortunes told. I had my palm read. My fortune was interesting. But as we left the hippie bus, we were dragged into the Forbidden Forest where we came face to face with Voldemort.

Voldemort scared us so much, my roomies and I decided we needed to head out of Hogwarts as quick as possible. We hurried back to my car and drove into the night, ending our Hogwarts Halloween.

Halloween!

For Halloween, RHA put on a Halloween Carnival with henna, popcorn, carnival games, and a magician. Here are some pictures from the event.

I was a nerd for Halloween this year. Pretty
smashing I have to say. Like how my glasses
match my step-up shoes?

Some of my roomies, Karli, and I

Darth Pink Glasses, my galactic alter-ego

Beware my wrath!!!

La Premiere Neige

It happened.

At 2:20 Tuesday afternoon, the event that I had been dreading finally happened.

It snowed.




Tiny flakes of frozen water fell from the sky. In a flurry of excitement, my roommates (who are all from Texas, Arizona, and Virginia) and I ran to our balcony to bask in the wintry sunlight. We hooped and hollered while we danced around our balcony. "It's snowing!!" we shouted at the top of our lungs. Then we did what any snow-deprived college student would do: we stuck our tongues out.

But the frivolity was not to last. The snow was over in ten minutes. Hesitantly, we headed back inside, but we all knew we would forever remember this moment: our first snow.



Welcome to Utah.

Group Pictures

Here are some pictures from the guard picture shoot last Thursday. When I get the professional pictures in I will post those too. But for now, I can only show you what my little camera can offer. Enjoy!

Rosa peeking around the cougar,
spying on the other guard girls

Big Sister, Little Sister pair:
Sarah Bethany and Elicia 

Elicia Merwin

Liz, my fellow redhead

My big sister Rosa and I

What are you doing to me?

Guard, GuArD, GUARD!!!

So last Saturday was the Homecoming Game!! The band performed our new show, the hits of Frank Sinatra. It went well, except for the Lucky Lady section which we had learned the day before.

Then Tuesday night was the Rocky Mountain Invitational. High school bands from Utah and Idaho came to show off their stuff. And as a treat for these hardworking adolescents, the Cougar Marching Band performed!!

Now we have the rest of the week off. That means six hours of free time. My guard pal Allison and I decided that we are going to cure cancer with all of our free time. Wish us luck!

Band Field Trip



Caitlin, Rosa, Rachel, Jenny, and Sarah

Usually, when I tell people I am on BYU's Colorguard they ask if I get to travel to away games. Sadly, no, except for two. The first was the Utah State vs BYU game in Logan, UT. So what does that mean? Field Trip!!!

So on Friday afternoon, all the guardgirls loaded onto a charter bus and headed to Logan, a two and a half hour drive. So what do guardgirls do when we are stuck on a bus? Talk about boys. And watch awesome movies. And enjoy the orange and red covered trees as we pass by them.  At last, we made it to Logan.

Since we were the visiting team, the band did not have to do pregame which was nice. Instead we watched the Aggie Band do their thing from the very top of the stadium. Then, the really bad football began. I don't know what is up with BYU... Well, I do. It's their freshman quarterback. But Cougar football is just doing terribly this year. I don't think we will make it to a bowl game, which is fine with me. That means I can go home for Christmas!!!



Allison and I after the game



So after an hour of embarrassing football, the Cougar Band made our way down to the field to show that the Y can produce amazing things. While we were down there, one of the drunk guys in the crowd started shouting to the colorguard, telling us to transfer to Utah State. He kept on saying that we were the hottest colorguard he'd ever seen. The guard was cracking up. But finally he was quieted when the show began. Our show was short for that game, only 90 seconds long. But it went well. Then, the guard hustled around the field and unrolled the American Flag.

The bad football continued after half-time, but the girls didn't care. We were having too much fun in the stands. We sang songs, talked, and ate apples from the Aggie Band. Finally, the game was over so we loaded back onto the bus and headed back to Provo.


Yay for colorguard!!!



Conference- LIVE

Living in Utah has it's benefits.

One such benefit is that I actually got to go the conference center in Salt Lake City to see the Saturday Afternoon Session of the 180th General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Yeah, I was there! My dad and brother got tickets back at home and were going to come to Utah, but they postponed the trip for a week, meaning those tickets went to me. So I grabbed my cousin, Janet, and went.

Luckily, the traffic wasn't too bad. It was a little scary at times though. Especially as we approached the parking garage. Sometimes we just had to vent out our frustration, as you can see in this picture. But we eventually found a spot and made the mad dash to the conference center so Janet and I could be there by 1:30.

Conference was amazing!!! I really enjoyed the talks that were given at that session. Robert D Hales's talk was interesting since he had given a similar talk three weeks before at BYU. I was bummed that Bednar did not speak at that conference. He is my favorite apostle. But Neil L. Anderson did, and he is my second favorite apostle.

Afterwards, Janet and I roamed around Temple Square and the Church Office Building taking pictures with my camera. It was a great afternoon.

RHA

Residential Hall Association-- the student council of on-campus housing.

The Heritage RHA council had our first program last night. Our theme was "You Are What You Eat". The program had dietetic students teach about nutrition followed by free healthy food and cookbooks. The council was worried. We wanted our first program to go well, but there was a definite sliver of fear that no one would show up. So I told myself, "If there are thirty people here, I will be happy." There was no need to fear. 180 people showed up to the event! We had to back up the food table so we could fit more chairs into the Heritage Halls Central Building. It was a success!!! If anyone wants to look at the recipes we gathered from the event, look at the RHA website at http://housing.byu.edu/rha/.

Thanks to everyone who came and also to our dietetic students who took time out of their busy lives to teach us about nutrition. Thank you!!!

The Daily Universe

Before today, I had never picked up a copy of The Daily Universe, the student newspaper at BYU.

I feel guilty. That's mostly because of my Mom.

We were having one of our late night talks, when my mother asked if I read the Daily Universe. I replied that I hadn't. Then I heard her gasp.

"You don't read The Daily Universe?" my mother asked incredulously. "Sarah, think of all those Journalism students slaving away to make this paper and you don't even read it!"

Something in my heart twisted. I never thought about all the work those kids put into creating one issue of The Daily Universe. I mean, getting a newspaper ready to print is a tough, stressful process. I would know. Rory Gilmore was a journalist for the Yale paper. Therefore, I saw the craziness of the newsroom everyday from my television set as I eagerly watched Gilmore Girls. The idea of all their hard work going to naught because of me was angrily poking me in the back.

So today, I picked up a copy. Thanks Mom.

The Harold B. Lee Library

There are several really awesome places at BYU. There are the gardens behind the Museum of Art with statues and pools and fountains, a place of serenity. Then there is the old Maeser Building, a building with character. But my favorite place at Brigham Young University (with the BYU Creamery running a close second) is the Harold B. Lee Library. I am such a nerd.

Honestly, I could live here. I have everything I need-- loads of books, desks with power plugs, free internet, and comfy couches. What else do you need? 

I remember the first time I walked into the library. It was my first day of school, everything was new and big. But the library was definitely the newest and the biggest. I stepped in and immediately was overwhelmed. Floods of people rushed by me on their way to who knows where. I didn't even know where to go. So I just joined myself with the crowd and let the current take me wherever. I ended up on the fourth floor in the Juvenile section. Luckily, I needed to check a book out from that section for my English class. So I grabbed a book and found a table where I could process all the new information I had received. I looked at my syllabi. Wait! I need to take a library tour? At least that's what it said on my English syllabus. I looked closer. Yep, I needed to take a tour. So I followed the paper's directions to the LRC and picked up a MP3 library tour and started my adventure. I was so surprised at how massive the library is. There are four floors but the two underground floors stretch under the campus.

The tour was just a peek at the vast world known as the Harold B. Lee Library. A world I needed to discover. So I made a goal to occasionally find a new place in the library to study. I've studied in the "no shhh" zone, the Asian Collections, the periodicals. Today I am studying in the Humanities section. I am surrounded by upperclassmen, freshmen don't usually wander from the more popular locations like the periodicals. In fact, a RM is study across the table from me. I am in the big leagues. But wherever I am, I  have a place where I can either study and be productive, or enjoy myself and people-watch. 

I'm reminded of an old Arthur song. You remember Arthur, right? The aardvark on Channel 8? In one of his songs, he sings, "Having fun isn't hard, when you've got a library card," True that, Arthur. True that.

Lucky Old Tramp on A String

For our second half-time show, the band is playing "Old Man River"/ "I've Got the World on A String"/ "The Lady is a Tramp" (hence the name). So to get in character for our show, the guard had a little field trip to the Provo River to go canoeing. Here are some pictures:

All the Guardlings who came (and a few husbands too)

Smile for the camera!!!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat!

About to launch

Game Day!!!

Yesterday was the first BYU football game of the year, and as colorguard, we were, of course, in attendance. Game Day started as I left my apartment wearing my uniform drove to Walgreens to get some fake eyelashes. I think everyone at Walgreens was secretly snickering behind my back at how silly I looked wearing skin-tight pants and full show make-up. But luckily the whole Walgreens event lasted less than five minutes and I was on my way to Lavell Ed

wards Stadium.

When I got to the stadium, I had to park all the way at the Marriott Center's parking lot and walk down University Parkway to the stadium. I was surprised at how many people were already at Lavell Edwards. There were Huskies fans lounging on the grass that surrounds the stadium, there were police officers directing traffic, and there were students rushing across the streets. I eventually arrived at the guard room, just in time to get my bangs french-braided by Amy. Then it was socializing time. Also at this time, we could take pictures, so I put a couple of them up so you can see our costumes and the wonderful girls that I hang out with in colorguard.

Amy fixing Jenny's eye-makeup. Hair and make-up are essential components to the BYU colorguard look.

At 3:00, the colorguard and the band went to Helaman Field's for a last run-through of pre-game and the half-time show. It was brutally hot. And the BYU flags we were given were extremely heavy. But even with all that, we had a good run-through. So we sipped the rest of our now warm water and prepared to officially start Game Day!!

On Game Day, the band gives several performances. In fact, before we even return to the stadium, we have two performances. So we marched in grandiose marching style down University Parkway, shouting BYU chants and always smiling. Then we stopped in front of the Cougar statue and performed pre-game and the fight song. Then we began to march again and heel-stepped our way to the tailgate party, where we performed "Hey Baby" and the fight song. Then, at last, the marching band made its way into the stadium.

Pre-game. To say it simply, I did not do well. It was like perpetual brain farts. I would confuse the choreography from another part of the show, I marched too fast, and then to add the cherry to the top, I dropped my toss. :( And the sad thing is that everyone who knew that I was in colorguard watched me drop that toss. And mentioned it to me later. Ugh! Really, I could just go on and on about the terrible things that happened during pre-game, but there were some pretty awesome stuff too. First off, I was on a field performing in front of 64000 people. That, in its self, is just way cool. Then, I was an arm length distance from Jim McMahon. If I wasn't on colorguard and had to wave my flag around, I would have received a high five from him. That's how close he was. Then in a flurry, the football team burst from the tunnel and the crowd went wild and the band played the fight song. As the beat from the drums rang out, the chaos began as the band rushed to get off the field.

Now I need to make a note. I am only focusing on Game Day from a colorguard perspective. Not football. So all I will say for the first half of the game is that the Cougar defense was lacking and that it was turning out to be a boring game. And the heat wasn't making it any better.

At nine minutes before half-time, the colorguard left the stands and began to practice for the show. Practice was going okay, although I had to watch out for a cute little girl who would sometimes get very close to where I was. But it was while we were practicing "Anyway You Want It" that I almost lost it. We were doing a section where we toss our flag, catch it and tuck it, then unwind at the 45. I don't what happened, but I missed grabbing the end of the pole at the flag slammed me in the mouth. I immediately stopped and held my mouth. Ashlee, the coach, asked if I was only. I couldn't speak, afraid my voice would betray me and I'd start to cry, so I gave a thumbs up and gestured that I needed a minute. So I stood there and suffered through the worst of the pain. Then, I picked up my flag and continued to practice. But my injury unnerved me and half-time got a lot more stressful. A few moments later, the band joined us and we made our way to the field.

When we got to the field we lined up along the wall behind the Washington football team and watched the last 30 seconds of the first half. As I stood there, my lip throbbed. I nervously tried to visualize the choreography of the show in my head. Finally, I said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to help me keep my cool and do a good job performing the show. The siren blasted, ending the second quarter and the football players ran off the field to be replaced by some spectacular people. I, Sarah Toller, was ten to twenty feet away from such greats as Steve Young, President Samuelson, Lavell Edwards himself, and Jeffrey R. Holland of the Twelve Apostles. It was SOOOO sweet! Definitely one of the best perks of being on guard. Finally, they exited the field and the show began. It went really well. I felt calm and collected, therefore, I was confident as I did my flagwork. I could concentrate easier. And I was proud at my performance. But it was all thanks to Heavenly Father, who calmed me. I ran off the field feeling marvelous.

When we got back to the stands, the section reps passed out granola bars and water. It was like manna from heaven. I'd not eaten since noon and it was now around 6:30. Then we danced to the stand tunes and watched the rest of the game. And the football did get better and in the end, BYU won 23-17. Go Cougars!!!

Following the game, the band had still one more concert outside the west gate to the stadium. The guard improvised routines to the tunes. Then, the concert was over and the guard headed back to the guard room to grab our belongings and I headed home, ending my first BYU game day.

Pep Rally

Pep Rally.

When I hear those words, my mind goes back to the football field at Stapley Junior High. Hundreds of students crammed tightly together on the uncomfortable bleachers under the hot Arizonan sun watching cheerleaders prance around the field and basking in the ego of the football players. Pep rallies were a trial, but anything was better than sitting in a frigid classroom. So we went. And sometimes we even had fun. I remember one pep rally I went to where they invited a basketball team of 8-10 year olds to show off their stuff. They were SOOO funny! There was this one chubby kid who'd lift his shirt off and rub his fat around. It was hysterical. And when he spoke, his voice was high and pitchy, making him 10 times more funny. Oh the crowd got a kick out of him!

Tonight was my first college pep rally. And in a lot of ways, it was like the ones in junior high. Cheerleaders bouncing to the beat. Football players having a glory fest. But what was cool about this pep rally was that I was on the field with them. Yes, I, Sarah Toller, had a spotlight on me as I stood on the soft grass. It's just one of the many benefits of color guard. And although no one was watching me, it was cool just to be there, looking into a crowd of two thousand. It was cool just to watch the fireworks exploding over my head. It was cool just to be able to perform in front of an audience.

In two days, the Cougars play Washington. Instead of performing in front of two thousand, I will perform for sixty-four thousand. Crazy! But I'm ready; always ready to perform. So bring it on.

Blonde Moment

So I accidentally posted my First Day of School post on my family blog so if you want to read it, please go to the Toller Crew. Thanks!

And It Begins

I made this blog not only to give updates on how my life is going but also to give you a look into the life of a guardling (colorguard member). Therefore, I express my apologies for it being the third day of band camp and I am only now writing about it. You deserve a day to day analysis. It would give you a better look into the world of colorguard. Nonetheless, I will try to make it up to you.

As an overview, BYU band is WAY different than high school band. First of all, we have prayers at the beginning of every practice. Then, we have devotionals every night. Then, the way BYU does marching and basics is different. I am having a tough time making changes to my guard habits. The spirit days are more fun at BYU band camp. Today was Old People Day. It is a lot of hard work and the learning is fast paced, but I think I will have a great time.

So for the first day of band camp was not band camp; it was a special practice for colorguard. I met the other girls. They are really nice and cool. Then we split up into big sister/little sister. I really like this feature. I would use it in my guard (my future guard). The bigger sister watches over the little sister and helps her with flagwork. My sister is Rosa from Texas. She's helped a lot in cleaning my fight song and pre-game. After we met each other, we learned the fight song and a bit of choreography. It was SO hot outside! Sweat just poured down my face. It was disgusting. When we broke for lunch, I went with a bunch of girls to In-n-out. Many of them had never tried In-n-out before. Then we let out for dinner at 5 which was when my room was open for check-in. So I got my key and started moving into my apartment. Crazy, huh? I now live on my own. Whoa.

When dinner was over, Ashlee, the coach, told us that we were going to an exotic location for practice, but we didn't need our flags. So we all loaded into cars and drove off, not knowing where we were going. We ended up at the base of a mountain. We were going to hike up to the Y! The ultimate BYU tradition! I was very excited, but soon that went away as we started hiking. That hike was tough! Especially because I'm out of shape. It is all uphill. We took breaks at every turn in the switchbacks but it didn't help with the sweat fest I was having. Finally, we made it to the Y, where Ashlee gave a devotional. She introduced our theme "Becoming like Christ". This theme has an interesting twist. It is about goal management and taking steps to achieving our goals and becoming like Christ. The view from the Y is incredible, especially with the sunset. You can see the whole Utah Valley.

Well, I need to go to bed so I'll continue to write more about BYU band later.

8 things I learned at ADC

For the last two months, I have been working at Assessments.com, a start-up software company that markets state and county probation departments. It was a great experience, the things I learned in the past two months will help me throughout my life. Here is a list of the top 10 things I learned while working for Assessments.com.

8. How to use a fax machine

7. How to deposit checks and manage a bank account

6. Don't order Mexican food if the restaurant isn't Mexican

5. How to accomplish a task with an impossible deadline (by that deadline)

4.How to travel the world on a budget (Thank you Frugal Traveler)

3. Pandora is necessary for those without an ipod

2. Basic Accounting

1. Snuggies and space heaters are essential weapons when fighting a vicious air vent

Thank you to all who have made my time at ADC so great. And special thanks to Sean Hosman for giving me this opportunity.

Summerfest

Bountiful is a small town. Everyone knows each other, it takes five minutes to drive from one side of town to the other, and it doesn't have a Walmart. But Bountiful does have Summerfest- an international dance festival with ethnic food and local artists. For four days, dance troupes from France, Nepal, Czech Republic, Paraguay, Spain, South Korea, and China perform their traditional dance and music for the entertainment and pleasure of Bountifulites. It was spectacular. Definitely one of the highlights of my summer in Bountiful. And why wouldn't it? It had all the things I love- music, dance, culture, and food!

First, the Food. They had a variety of international food ranging from USA Barbecue to Chilean Empanadas. For dinner, I had a Navajo Taco, which is basically fry bread covered with beans, meat, cheese, salsa, and jalapenos. Then for dessert, I had multiple treats: baklava, fried bananas, and peach nectar. The baklava was just okay; I've had better back at home at Cafe Mix. The fried bananas were a surprise. I was expecting South American styled fried bananas with is a banana covered with sugar and cinnamon and fried so the banana is covered with a carmelized coating. Instead, my fried banana looked like an egg roll. But it was still delicious, but I was sorely missing the cinnamon. So overall, the food was just okay. I'd still rather be with my dad in Santa Clara eating baklava icecream at a Mediterranean restaurant.

But lucky for me, the dancing and music far outshined the food. My favorite dance troupe would have to be the one from Mongolia. They are internationally acclaimed and it's easy to see why. First, the costumes were spectacular. The ladies wore cerulean (blue) deels that had gold and silver lining and sheer veils that flowed down their backs. The men had fur armor and fur hats on and looked as if they were warriors right off the steppes. Second, the music was astounding. For the first part of the performance, they had Mongolian opera singers sing some laments. It was so beautiful and yet so haunting. I loved it so much that I think I am going to buy some Chinese opera music on Itunes next week. Also, a man played an instrument that looked like it was a cello you placed on your hip. It was also beautiful. Third, the dancing was both graceful and modern. When the ladies entered the stage they didn't walk, but rather floated across the floor, similar to pointe ballerinas. Their movements were in sync and the women just glowed under the lights, almost ethereal. The men's dance, on the other hand, was very similar to hip hop. I was surprised, but delighted. I think I will put some of their moves in a guard routine someday. I was so grateful that these steppe children from Mongolia would grace us with their beautiful art.

Although the Mongolians were my favorite, there were several other noteworthy groups. One such group was a bunch of troubadours from Spain. They were very charismatic, and also very handsome (not to mention they were very talented). They performed songs from Italy, Mexico, Portugal, and, of course, Spain. They were such nice people, they were one of the few performers that would actually talk to you after the show. Another awesome group was from South Korea. This group consisted of 8-12 years old who played a percussion piece. It was intense. It was amazing to see these young kids be so precise and enthusiastic as they beat their drums. They were a crowd pleaser.

Overall, this was an amazing experience. So in conclusion, if you are in Salt Lake City around the beginning of August, take the five minute ride to Bountiful and enjoy the culture and beauty of Summerfest.

Music and the Spoken Word

If you are ever in Salt Lake City in the summer, you definitely should go see the Music and the Spoken Word by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It is a treat. Every Sunday morning at 9:30, MoTab performs a 30 minute concert for TV and radio called Music and the Spoken Word and they invite the public to watch. I've been going to the Spoken Word since about 5 years ago. It is the Dan Toller tradition to go when we are in Utah. Although it was sometimes hard to get myself out of bed, the Spoken Word has never been disappointing.



This summer, I have been lucky to have been able to go to the Spoken Word twice. The first time was for the Toller family reunion. All the Toller cousins except for Scott's were there along with second cousins and grandparents distant relatives. That performance was extra special because it was the Fourth of July, so all the music was patriotic. I remember feeling that that performance was the most patriotic thing I could have done to celebrate the founding of my country. The Spirit of our nation was so strong inside that conference center.


Yesterday, I made another trip to the Spoken Word, this time to meet my guard buddy, Maddie Clarkson. Unfortunately, her phone had died so I couldn't contact so we could find each other. So I had another lesson in being alone. Luckily, I found an aisle seat right in the middle of the conference center, giving me a great view of the choir. But what I really enjoyed was the Spoken Word. Here it is:

"In 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released what is now considered one of the best musicals ever made, Singing in the Rain. This great love story is also a story of adapting to change- it depicts the transition in the 1920s from silent movies to "talkies". Imagine what a change that must have been!

Indeed the adage is true: nothing is more constant than change. Just in the past 100 years or so, we've gone from horse and buggy to trains, automobiles, and airplanes; from paper and ink to typewriters, computers, and who know what the future will bring? Countries, cultures, and economies, and people are continually changing. We've all had to make changes...

Like an unexpected rainstorm, change can be unsettling at first. But it can also be refreshing and invigorating and enriching if we are willing to trust that good can come from change. Life in the coming decades will inevitable change for all of us. Rather than trying to avoid change, we can continue to learn, be open to new opportunities, and do our best to be prepared so we can be a positive part of change.

The future is coming, filled with wonderful opportunities and inevitable challenges. When difficulties come and dark clouds gather, they may no be easy to face, but we can make adjustments, accept changes, and maybe even find a reason to sing in the rain."

What a wonderful message, especially to all my fellow classmates out there who are making the transition to college. I know that it struck me and I hope that I'll will be able to keep a positive outlook as my life continues to change. I hope I can learn to sing in the rain.

P.S: I found Maddie and we had a marvelous day together. Here is a picture of us outside the temple.

Farmer's Market

Some of my earliest memories is of going to the Farmer's Market in Milpitas, CA with my mom. I remember looking at the fresh vegetables for sale and Mom buying me a treat or two. But that was eleven years ago.

Fast forward to today. All week I've been planning on going to the Farmer's Market in Salt Lake City. I was so excited! I'd not been to a Farmer's Market since I had moved to Arizona 11 years ago. It was like going back to the simple pleasures of life. Back to my childhood.

But I almost missed it. Luckily, my grandma meekly woke me up and reminded me about the farmer's market. I groggily got out of bed and made a 10 minute attempt at looking good (sort of failed) and headed out the door.

The Farmer's Market was amazing! Little stands were everywhere in Pioneer Park selling fresh vegetables, spices, and jewelry. There were people walking their little- and big- dogs through the pathways. But the best part was the FOOD! It was so spectacular!!!! I have finally found the food Mecca of Salt Lake City. There was so many different styles of food: Argentine, Middle Eastern, Sudanese, Thai, Crepes, Italian, and so much more!!! One delicious find was the freshly made Mint Limeade. The people working the stand were actually squeezing the limes that would be in your limeade as you stood in line. You saw everything. And the limeade itself... pure heaven. You could taste the little sugar granules that hadn't dissolved yet and the pieces of lime floating about.

Here is a list of all the things I bought today at the Farmer's market: (caution: you may get jealous)
- Argentine Beef Empanadas
- Peach and Strawberry Gelato
- Italian sausage on a bun covered in Italian peppers
- a bunch of carrots
-a pound of red potatoes
-Cilantro
- Honeycomb
All for less than 30 bucks.

The best was the honeycomb. It was a nostalgic purchase. You see, back in California we had some friends who kept bees. Sometimes they would bring fresh honeycomb from the hive. It was divine. Until last year, it was the only kind of honey I would eat. The honeycomb I bought today was also delicious. So worth the nine bucks I paid for it.

And for the music lovers out there, I found a mommy and son violin duo at the market. The boy just barely turned 6. How cool is that!

DCI and Funny T-shirts

There is some light in Utah. While checking out the DCI website last week, I stumbled upon a link to Corps Encore, a DCI competition in Ogden, UT. And even better, it was happening Wednesday night! So I bought tickets for my mother, my sister and I for a night of guard indulgence.

Now if you don't know what DCI is DCI stands for Drum Corp International. Basically, it's like marching band to the extreme. It is similar to a marching band, the obvious difference is that they do not have a winds section, only horns and drums. There are about 40 corps across the United States and each corp travels around the country during the summer performing their show, finally ending in Indianapolis for the DCI World Finals. Corps Encore was an event where popular West Coast Corps like the Blue Devils, Santa Clara Vanguard, and the Blue Knights performed the shows they have been working on since Memorial Day.

After the show, we headed over to the booths where they were selling t-shirts, here are a couple of shirts that I think every guardgirl would appreciate. I bought the top one and am absolutely excited to wear it at guard practices.

Asians, Nail Polish, and Soccer

I just have to say, I love the World Cup. It has become the no fail conversation topic. Whether I'm chatting with my brother, my co-workers, or the Frenchie, I can bring up the World Cup and suddenly the conversation takes a new level. For example, yesterday my cousin Rachael and I decided to go get our nails done so we went to this nail salon called #1 Nails. It was your typical Asian-staffed nail salon- the walls were covered with posters with Asian characters and exotic places, plastic hands with airbrushed nails were everywhere, and staff had little knowledge of English. But this pedicure experience was going to be different. Why? Because on the television screen in the back of the salon was the US vs. Ghana soccer game. Of course, I sat down and immediately started watching the game, as did the girl who was doing my nails. Pretty much, every employee in the joint and I were steadfastly watching the game. It was during this time that Ghana scored its second goal which would eventually lead to the US's elimination out of the Cup. The whole salon erupted with rage. A flurry of some South Asian dialect flittered among the nail specialists. I threw in a couple English words of disappointment to add to the atmosphere. At that moment, I entered into the inside circle of soccer commentary. The girl who was doing my nails started to use her limited English to show her opinion of the game. For example, she would say "Hurry, hurry USA!!" And so we had a link together. Though we may not have had the same social status, language, and race, we had soccer. And that was enough. It reminds me of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. I was there, you know. The trend at the Games was trading pins. People who would have never even glanced at one another were now talking amiably about pins, especially the infamous green jello pin. Chinese and Canadians, Frenchies and South Africans, New Yorkers and Utahns, were all brought together in unity over trading pins. The World Cup, and the Team USA's participation in it, is the same way. It has brought friends and strangers together for a bliss moment of "sports talk". I only hope that even with USA's elimination from the World Cup, mankind can retain the bonds created by a little fierce kicking of a soccer ball.

Road Trip- June 18-19

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move- Robert Louis Stevenson

Shortly after I finished my last post I loaded up my belongings into my purple '94 Honda Civic. Between Mom and I, we had 5 bags, plus a tote full of entertainment stuff we set in the back seat. We kept making runs into the house for items we almost forgot (ex. phone and camera charger, blow-dryer). I said my last goodbyes to my still half-asleep sister Brooke, grabbed the big bag of Jolly Ranchers Tay and Anna got me, and was finally ready to head out. Mom pulled out of the driveway and the garage door slowly closed shut. It was goodbye to my gray brick house until December. My birthday breakfast was none other than Starbucks. Mom ordered 2 venti peppermint hot chocolates. It was divinely delicious, so much that I could only drink about half before I was full.

Our first stop on my birthday road trip was the Outlets at Anthem. It was fashion bliss!!!! They had a Tommy Hilfiger outlet. So of course I went in and tried on almost their entire selection of clothes. In the end I bought a short-sleeved argyle sweater and some jeans, but nothing could compare to my happiness at being in a Tommy Hilfigir store. Afterwards, we went to Clavin Klein and bought some jeweled-color button-down shirts (Debbie Forrest would approve). Then, we checked out Ann Taylor where we found a darling coral cardigan on clearance. Overall, Anthem was a success and I was on a fashion high after buying such cute clothes.

Our next stop was Flagstaff where we had lunch at Fratelli's pizza. I always try to go to Fratelli's because it is the first place where I tried pesto pizza. So Mom and I got the slice special of a slice of pesto pizza, a salad, and a drink. We then sat down in the dark, bar-like dining area and watch the World Cup on the flat screens. The pizza was delish but not as good as the pesto pizza my family makes at home. Maybe we should start a pizza joint... nah.

At 6pm, we arrived in Kanab, Utah. We decided to stay at the Four Seasons Motel, which turned out to be a mistake. The word that comes to mind when thinking of the hotel is seedy. To make it worse, there was a bus-full of college age kids staying there too. And dinner at Escobar's was just okay. But me and Mom laughed off the mediocreness of our situation and enjoyed the small town novelty of Kanab. Here are a few pictures I took with my amazing new camera:

After an okay sleep, we rose, showered and was on the road again by 7am. We admired the quaintness of the small towns along the 89 but as cute as they were, I was asleep within the hour. I slept all the way to Beaver, Utah! But after I woke up, Mom and I talked and listened to talks on tape. There was one talk by Joni Morrison that was SO funny! I was afraid we were going to drive off the road because we were crying so hard!!! I know I couldn't see anything. Finally we made it to Provo and the nerves began to set in...