hilltopics Images Features 10A Wednesday, September 13, 2000 For comments, contact Clay McCuistion at 864-4924 or e-mail features@kansan.com
Male flag twirler sets unique path in KU Color Guard
When Galen Steber walks onto the football field, people notice.
His head is held high, and his flag waves in the wind as spectators ask: Is that a guy?
Yes, there is a male member of the color guard. And he is extremely happy to be on the field, twirling his flag.
Who is that guy?
Though male color guard members aren't unheard of, they are definitely not as common as female flag twirlers. And Stoeber, as the only male color guard member, is definitely one of a kind at the University of Kansas.
When he came to the University as a freshman last year, Stoeber, a Garden City native, thought he wanted to be a member of the Marching Jayhawks percussion line, perhaps playing the bass drum.
But he had always loved to dance and twirl flags.
Before percussion tryouts,
Stoeber mustered the courage to ask the leader of the section whether a male was allowed on the color guard. She sent him to Randy Timm, the instructor and coordinator for the color guard.
Timm accepted Stoeber on the spot.
"Really kind of different"
Though Stoeber was excited about the prospect of joining the color guard, at first he kept his involvement with the group a secret from his parents.
"I didn't really know what they would think about it," Stoeber said.
When he finally told his parents of his decision to drop band and join the color guard, they were supportive but concerned.
worried about what everyone would think," Stoeber said.
Georgia Stoeber, Galen's mother, said that she was happy that her son loved being on the color guard but was upset he was teased for his decision to be different and unique.
"We thought he would be more accepted at a big campus university, and that hasn't been the case," she said.
Stoebe said that although some people made rude comments about the fact that he was gay and that he was in the color guard, he brushed them off.
"When that happens, we just keep walking by," he said. "It's really sad that people are still harassing people for differences."
His membership in color guard would not be that unusual at other schools. Stoebe said that there were even some all-male flag and drum groups.
"It's a new thing to the University but not to the drum corps world," he said.
Color guard captain Whitney Little, Liberal senior, agreed and said that she was used to performing in color guard with men.
"It's common for guys to be in color guard," she said. "It just hasn't happened at KU since we've been."
Stoeber's first hurdle was being accepted by the women of the KU Color Guard.
"It was really kind of different because they probably had never been on a line with a guy before, and it was new to them." Stoeber said.
Now, he said that he felt like the big brother of the 16-member group. As a returning
bophomore, he was able to
teach the ropes to incoming
freshmen.
Unfortunately, this group of freshmen was — as usual — all female.
Stoeber said he put extra pressure on himself to flawlessly execute the complicated combinations of dancing and flag twirling required in performances.
"Everyone is probably going to be looking at this guy, seeing how good he is and seeing if he messes up," Stoeber said.
A natural performer
Performing comes naturally to Stoeber, also has experience in figure skating, ballet and band.
He said that his sisters who were also in color guard taught him basic flag moves when he was younger. By the time he entered high school, he would watch tapes of the band and color guard and learn flag moves by mimicking the tape.
"He kind of likes to be the center of attention." she said.
Georgia Stoeber said her son always had good balance and took quickly to both baton and flag twirling.
An awesome opportunity
By the time he got to KU,
Galen Stoeber knew how to twirl and dance — but never actually held had held a real flag.
"Usually I always had these poles with tissue paper on the them that I would make to look like the high school's flags," he said.
As an official member of the KU Color Guard, Stoeber quickly became used to having a flag in his hand. And just as quickly, he fell in love with the dancing, twirling and performing offered by the color guard.
Whitney Little said that Stoeber was always enthusiastic.
All the practice is sometimes necessary.
"He's always working hard to make sure that he knows the routine, and he's eager to learn new stuff," she said.
Stoeber and other members of the squad must not only march and twirl to the beat of the KU Band's marching music; they must avoid dropping the flag or hitting anybody else with the 6-foot flag. This year, they will have to learn about 15 different routines. This makes practicing four days a week a necessity.
But even with practice, embarrassing moments do happen.
Stoeber blushed while remembering the time he forgot the ending of a new routine. While holding silver flags, the rest of the guard went one way, and Galen went the other.
"I probably said a few words, and then I tried to correct it and fit back in," Stoeber said. "But with these big silver flags, it had to be obvious."
Embarrassing moments aside, Stoeber said he looked forward to the rest of his career in the group.
"They gave me this awesome opportunity just to do it," he said. "So I am going to do it as long as I am a student."
Whenever Stoeber talks about KU Color Guard, his eyes light up and excitement enters his voice. Stoeber said he hoped to be captain of the squad, but now it was enough to just be allowed to dance and twirl a flag.
"I love it," he said. "I am so happy that I finally can do color guard." $ ^{11} $
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