My Trojan Family

So I attended USC as an undergraduate--it's what brought me to LA. USC really deserves a post of it's own, but just to give you a taste:

I was initially a student of the music school, and I found that the music students were a socially mixed bag. Some were cool (jazz/handful of classical musicians), some were nerdy (classical musicians), and then there was just...a whole other specie of strange (marching band members). USC marching band ("The Spirit of Troy") is like boot camp; seniors are section leaders, and they invoke their bitter wrath on the youngins by making them do various physically exerting tasks that is often unknown to the pudgy musician. Marching band members (MBMs) were the people that talked the most in class, and often spoke of how the movie "Drumline" changed their lives. Spats would break out between members of different sections, which consisted of MBMs trying to out-"my-section-leader-is-meaner" each other. They come two weeks before schools starts to practice by their own free will. The first months of school you hear the ringing voice of the marching band leader through a microphone, which quickly becomes a hoarse, horrifying squawk within two weeks. That coupled with perfect marching of about 350 people is pretty traumatizing to witness. I know an incredibly intense photo of this guy screaming through a bullhorn exists, but I couldn't find it. I think this about sums up the overall insanity of the group, however (at Disney Land?):

The reason I bring this up is that, despite being out of USC for about two years I was forced to behold another freakish marching band moment. I was driving down Sunset, on the way home from work, when I see them--the hats, the uniforms. They must have all gone to dinner (in full regalia), as I was about 8 miles away from USC. They were walking, nay, frolicking down the sidewalk. Many playing their instruments, others dancing along. A little red wagon was involved and (most notably) a member who had stolen a table cloth and was wearing it as a cape, jumping around so the "cape" would joyfully follow.

They were having the time of their lives. Normally I would think "Good for them!" but in this case, I knew better.