Winter Guard has been a part of St. Charles High School’s extracurricular activities for years, providing students with a creative and competitive outlet, however this winter there will be no Winter Guard. Junior Noodle Lami, a former member, shared their perspective of their time in Winter Guard, explaining the teamwork and joy it brought to participants.

“Winter Guard was a really fun experience,” Lami said. “We got to perform, travel, and bond as a team, it was definitely something that took time, but it was fun.”

However, managing the team wasn’t always easy, as the director faced challenges balancing leadership responsibilities. Senior Bri Gettis, another team member, noted that while the director was a great person, juggling the logistics of running the group often became a hurdle.

“Our director was such a fun and encouraging person, but I could tell it was tough for them to keep everything organized sometimes,” Gettis explained. “They had a lot on their plate, especially when resources and schedules overlapped with Color Guard.”

One of the significant obstacles this year was the difficulty of coordinating two teams, Color Guard and Winter Guard, without overextending resources or time. The possibility of merging with St. Charles West was explored, but ultimately rejected, with West’s coach deciding to keep their program independent. Junior Izzy Lathan, another student, commented on the outcome.

“West’s coach was pretty clear about staying independent,” Lathan said. “I think it would’ve been cool to combine teams, but I also get why they want to stick to their own identity,” Lathan said.