A change is coming to the AHS color guard this winter, and it’s not just new flags. The color guard, a group of performers who incorporate props into their dances, recently welcomed two new members from Robert E. Lee High School.

The guard, which is affiliated with the AHS Marching Atoms, has decided to incorporate their new talent this season for multiple reasons.

First, Lee’s winter guard did not have enough people to have a successful program. “Our instructor, Bill Hassinger, also instructs at Lee. They have a fall program but it’s been about 10 years since they’ve had a winter program,” senior captain Edgard Santos said. “He had the idea of trying to combine both schools into one guard.”

Second, the guard is welcoming the new members to create new opportunities for the students. With the additions, the guard is made up of 23 students and is now larger than it has been in the past few years. A larger guard will give more creative opportunities to the choreographers of the routines.

As a sponsor of the color guard, Band Director Andrew Loft was thoroughly involved with the decision to incorporate the Lee students. Loft believes this will be a successful season for the winter guard. “Everything is still the same, we just changed the classification we are going into,” Loft said. “Those students are all marching band students. They are used to the high level of excellence.”

According to their Facebook group, the color guard is a member of the Atlantic Indoor Association Circuit and will compete in the Independent Regional A Class. They will perform to the song “Somebody to Love” and will most likely mash-up the Queen and Glee versions. The guard plans on incorporating many different types of equipment, including flags, rifles and sabers. “Mr. Hassigner works on the design side of things. He’s a talented professional,” Loft said.

The guard practices twice a week for three hours in the upstairs gym and the dance room. A usual practice consists of stretches, push-ups, “across the floor” dance work and practice with the flags. The students will learn choreography later in the season, but they are currently in the process of training “rookies” or new members. The AHS members feel they are becoming more acquainted with their Lee counterparts every practice.

“It’s actually been going really well and the people from Lee are really cool. We get along well,” junior Christina Romano said. “All the new players pick it up really fast and they learn quickly.”

Practices are led by Hassigner and his assistant instructor Regina Howard, as well as the student captain and leaders. “Our instructor is really good at what he does. I have complete faith in him,” Santos said. Stephanie Lewis, the director of the Orchestra department, is also a sponsor of the club.

The AHS color guard has no tentative plans to continue incorporating students from other schools. Loft believes that they will remain focused on looking for good opportunities for the guard. “It’s really a year-by-year basis,” Loft said. “We’re about creating an outstanding, expressive, creative ensemble.”