The grayish concrete walls encompassed every corner of the ever-echoing tunnel. Darkness almost enveloped the entire area besides that small bright light towards the end of the walkway. As we got closer and closer to the entrance of the stadium, that visible light became so bright that it started to burn my eyes. Despite this, I kept moving forward because the sight beyond that dark tunnel had already managed to already take my breath away. I had never stepped foot in Doak Campbell stadium prior to when Marching Chief veterans Katie and Angel gave me a tour that day, and it was stunning in every way.
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the Stadium was obviously the field. It’s bermuda green grass stuck out like a fish out of water, despite its minimal inclusion of the school’s primary colors of Garnet and Gold. The edges of the field were painted in garnet red, with one side reading “Florida State,” while other end of the field read “Seminoles.” Each side of field was towered by a giant yellow field goal that resembled a student stuck holding the Y pose of the YMCA song. Smack dab in the center of the football field was the most noticeable figure drawn onto the field: the Seminole mascot itself. Angel and Katie showed me where the Marching chiefs sit in the stands. I could picture it, standing there in the heavy white and garnet uniform, cheering our team on while performing the War Chant. I could also picture the crowd, the endless rows of people encircling the field cheering at an ear-splitting volume that could be heard from miles away. I can see the student section of the crowd flooded with thousands of spirit-filled students wearing Garnet and Gold shirts along with the Garnet and Gold Glitter Guys shining brighter than the North Star.
Katie and Angel made sure to also enlighten me on the traditions that are held at these weekend games. As they described them, I tried to recreate the image in my mind. I could see the crowd growing more and more silent in anticipation of Chief Osceola’s arrival. I turned around, looking back at the tunnel we had come through. The image began to take shape, and I could see Chief Osceola riding on Renegade, making his way to the center of the field as the crowd (even the opposing team’s supporters) grows louder and louder. I could see Osceola holding the flaming spear, the fire burning just as bright as the torch Paul Revere took the night he proclaimed that “the British are coming!” Osceola continued down his treacherous course with his horse Renegade, until he reached mid-field. It was here that he stabbed the torch into ground. Despite the crowd’s immense screams of joy, the sound of the spear puncturing the field created a sonic boom. The sound was much like that of a NASA shuttle when it goes faster than speed of sound and breaks through the Earth’s atmosphere to achieve its space mission. With that, the game commenced.
I began to picture the second quarter coming to a close, I watch as future me got ready along with the rest of the Marching Chiefs to lineup for our half time show. I could remember the feeling of the grass crunching underneath my feet as I marched onto the fields at my previous band games and competitions. I tried to picture myself walking onto the field with a drum harnessed against my torso, getting into the set position, and looking at my fellow Chiefs as we give each other a nod of understanding before we begin to perform our masterpiece. Even though I wasn’t there, I could still feel the anticipation as my heartbeat sped up. Then I remembered the feeling of my nerves slipping away as I performed the show. At that moment I knew, that while college and high school marching bands are strikingly different, that this was how they synced up in the end result.
Katie and Angel continued on to tell me that after the Band performed that there were also half-time shows that were performed on a stage right in front of where we would be sitting. We walked down to the front row of the Chief’s set section of the stands. From there I could imagine the half-time performance stage set up right in front of the Marching Chief’s stands, giving us a front row view to whatever amazing and mind-blowing performance would be coming our way. The overall experience of visualizing the Florida State football game experience was shell-shocking. I haven’t even actually become and official member of the Marching Chiefs, and I’m pumped for the next game this fall. I’m excited for my future of making great lifelong memories on the Doak Campbell football field.