Never have so many conflicting emotions been forced out of me in such a short ten hour period. After waking up at 5 a.m. on game day, I am exhausted both emotionally and physically. While the Wildcats may be disappointed by the results at the end of what was a grueling cat fight, those of us in the marching band could not be prouder, but perhaps a little drier.
We groggily started off our game day morning, reluctantly rolling out of bed after our brief New Year’s celebrations the night before. While most of us could not partake in our usual New Year traditions, I consider myself spoiled because the football players, in Cinderella-fashion, had to be in bed before the clock struck midnight. At least I got to kiss my best friends on the cheek when the new decade began.
As soon as we arrived at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the sun decided it would be a great idea to hide and let the rain come out to play for a bit. While a little heavy dew is appreciated, it is rather hard to stay spirited at tailgate performances when you are wearing a wool uniform that is slowly weighing you down with each drop it absorbs.
Luckily the athletic department bestowed upon us beautiful Northwestern raincoats to relieve some of the misery. It all became worth it, however, when we reached the alumni tailgate and had hundreds of fellow Wildcats screaming the fight song along with us and swaying back and forth to the alma mater. It is really the fans who give me the energy to make it through when I am grumpy, tired, and soaked to the bone. At least it was not freezing cold, so I have that to be thankful for.
Even before the game began, I was already feeling overwhelmed by the opposition. Auburn was well-represented by its orange-clad fans and its overpowering marching band, which was two-times larger than ours. What we lacked in size we made up for in spirit and class. The rule in NUMB is that we never hiss at the other team while we are in uniform. The Auburn band, however, felt it was completely appropriate to hiss and make comments about our football team while we were standing right next to them. While we may not have won the game, we at least represented our school respectfully and proudly.
As Auburn began to score touchdown after touchdown and the ‘Cats slowly tried to keep up, the band, cheerleaders, and Ladycats became more important than ever. Admittedly, I found it difficult to concentrate on the game as it belonged more and more to Auburn; it hurt my heart to see the ‘Cats come this far and get stepped on by such a overconfident team. Sure, we may have been the underdogs, but many people, including our own fans, never thought we would get past Iowa or Wisconsin, and we did.
Just when all were losing hope, the Cardiac ‘Cats decided to make the 4th quarter the most thrilling fifteen minutes of football I have ever sat through. When the tying touchdown was scored I had never been so excited to play the fight song in my entire life. The entire band was screaming and cheering their lungs out, adding to the purple frenzy that erupted all around the stadium. When Demos missed the field goal, however, a flashback of last year’s Alamo Bowl game came back to me with a wave of fear: overtime with the Tigers.
Those two possessions of overtime were the longest minutes of my life. Even though Auburn scored a field goal during their possession, it seemed like everything was going our way with the referee determining Kafka’s elbow was down and throwing a flag on Auburn after Demos’s final attempt at a field goal. The tears were welling up in my eyes as I prepared for what seemed to be an inevitable Wildcat comeback and victory. But then, all too soon, the game was over; fourth down and we could not make the last few yards. Auburn 38, Northwestern 35. ‘Cats lose.
A wave of sadness went over the purple side of the stadium, including the band, as the Auburn team rushed the field. This was no time for NUMB to stand in silence, however. We needed to help ease the pain of what was a tough loss. Breaking into the fight song is never easy after a game like that, but it does help show the team that we will always stand by them despite having to wait another year for a bowl win. As those of us from Chicago are used to saying: there’s always next year.
The game was most definitely a rollercoaster, with both the weather and the points on the scoreboard. After performing at every home game and traveling to cheer the team on at Illinois and Michigan State, the band is as emotionally attached to the game as Coach Fitzgerald himself. True, it is hard to lose, but it was only one loss in what proved to be an amazing season.
We bleed purple and sing “Go U” no matter what the score is at the end of the game because being a Wildcat is about much more than winning a football game; it is about representing our school with class and respect. I am still incredibly proud to call myself a Wildcat and cannot wait to see which warm place we travel to next season.