Friday night lights are officially here. The student sections cheering their team on for a successful night. The crowd compressed like a can of sardines. The football players getting prepared for their next victim of the night. And the festivities that have been celebrated for decades.

This upcoming Friday (September 2nd) the Pumas will face Westwood for the homecoming game, but football is not the only action that makes up the success of the night.

The Perry band and colorguard programs have put in the hard work and dedication to make this homecoming halftime show one will not forget.

Interviews with Brandon Kiesgen (Band director), Justin Shagena (Jr Clarinet Saxophone player) and Nicolas Katz (Jr Trumpet player) revealed how much time and energy was put into making this year’s halftime show unforgettable.

Certain students that are apart of the program dedicate zero, first, and second hour to the practice of their instrument and the formation of the band.

“How has the preparation for the homecoming halftime show been different from any other halftime show?”

Katz: “Well this year because we purchased the show instead of writing our own and we got started on it a lot sooner”

“How long was the preparation”

Katz: “It started a week or two weeks prior to the beginning of school”

Katz has been apart of the program since sophomore year, and this will be his second homecoming halftime show.

In tradition, alumni from past homecoming performances have come down with the current band participates to play the school fight song. This year the alumni with play and celebrate the 10 years of Perry’s existence.

Kiesgen has been teaching band for nine years, and has been the director at Perry for five years.

“How do you feel about going and performing?”

Kiesgan: “It is fun and it is kinda nerve wracking especially when you first learn something…”

“As you know this is Perry’s 10th year being a school. How do you think the band will change in the next 10 years?”

Kiesgan: “We have been getting bigger every year, so this year we are at 115. When I first got here four years prior the band was about 80 something.”

Over the years the band has evolved substantially. During the beginning years of Perry, the band was only big enough to make the “P” in “PHS.” Now the band is big enough to create the “PHS” and have stronger instrumentals and raw talent.

With band comes friendships, relationships, and memories.

“Is their trust built between all of the students?”

Shagena: “Yeah because everybody is going through the learning process together from the very beginning, I think everybody is putting the same foot forward.”