Hello, and thanks for visiting the Purdue Flag Corps webpage!  I've been getting so many emails with questions, I've decided to add this page to hopefully provide more information for all of you.

    This is organized in the steps you need to take to become a member of the Purdue Flag Corp, assuming you are currently a high school senior:

    First, you need to apply to Purdue and get accepted. :)  In your acceptance information, there should be a packet inclosed about the Marching band.  In the back is a little white card you need to cut out and fill out with your info, then mail back to Purdue.

    If you did not get any information about the Marching Band, please call (765) 494-3952 or send email to: mjowens@bands.purdue.edu.

    Next you should get a decent amount of material about our band with several sheets for you to fill out about band camp.  Once you send those in, you will be registered for our Band Workshop week, which is basically a band camp.  You'll probably hear from the flag captains sometime over the summer via the mail or a phone call.  (They just want to make sure you're still interested, and that their attendence lists are correct.)

    While registering for classes, make sure to sign up for Band 110.  You can always drop it later, but it can sometimes be difficult to schedule around, so the sooner you sign up the better.  And one last thing about registering- for some reason, a few acidemic advisors in the past have told freshman that Band is too much for freshman to handle when making the switch from high school to college.  Please don't let this discourage you...take it from someone who's been there.  It made my transition easier, because it gives you a full week to learn your way around campus before everyone else arrives.  Plus you have 400 instant friends!

    As a freshman, you should be contacted by a program called Boiler Gold Rush. This is a week long program designed to orient freshman to the different aspects of Purdue. Click here for more information. It is important to note that this program runs at the same time as band camp, so you unfortunately have to choose one or the other.

    Okay, so the week of band camp is finally here, and you move in to your new place.  Monday night is the freshman meeting with our director, Dr. David Leppla.  (We call him "Doc")  He usually goes over what the week is going to be like, and then introduces the Student Leaders.  After Doc is done, all potential flag members will meet with the captains and they'll answer any questions you might have.

    Tuesday morning band camp really gets going.  We supply the equipment and then we head down to the drill field to begin learning basics.  For most people, this is the hardest part- we march "chair" step, not roll step (also called glide step).  This is a Big Ten marching style...like a high mark-time, but we don't tuck our feet in.

        Here's one way to get a feel for it:
            Stand up and lift your leg up till your thigh is parallel to the ground.  Let your lower
            leg just hang naturally.  Point your toe, and you got it.  Kinda funny feeling, I know.

   After tackling basics, you'll learn two routines; a two minute standstill and a one minute marching routine.  You have until Thursday afternoon to master these routines, which is when the directors conduct tryouts.  Everyone auditions in groups of four wearing a number pinned to their shirt.  After auditions, the directors call off the numbers of the people who have made the auxillaries for the year.

    The flag corps has no set number of members it must have- we'll take as many people we can who can perform to our standard.  Doc has expressed to me that he really want us to have a bigger flag corps in future years and I would love to see our numbers grow.  We also don't have any restrictions on weight or hieght, despite what an acedemic advisor might tell you. :)

General information

    Once school begins we practice everyday from 3:30 to 5:30 pm with occasional late practice on Tuesdays until 6:30.  Unfortunately, Purdue does not offer scholarships to flag members. (I wish, out of state tuition sucks!)  Also, the Purdue Flag Corps does not compete or twirl any weapons during the marching band season.  (We do sometimes use weapons in the spring when there's interest)

Hope this was of some help to everybody!