The Slippery Rock University Winter Guard is a sport of the arts that works to produce a show for several competitions throughout the winter season. Members and staff of the SRU winter guard compete to bring awards and notoriety to the university. SRU’s winter guard was initiated by the 2012 Color Guard Captain and previous Director, Bruno Zuccala.
Zuccala was director of the SRU winter guard for the past nine years, retiring before the 10-year anniversary. President of the Winter Guard Jessica Crandell spoke on Zuccala’s retirement as director of the winter guard.
“A couple students came to him and said they wanted to start this,” Crandell said. “He really helped them put it together and was the backbone of the organization until he decided to retire. It was very sad to see him go.”
Kaylee Priddy, former color guard and winter guard member, took over the position of director. Priddy was a member of the winter guard for five years before becoming director. Recently, Priddy has assisted in writing choreography and directing the SRU color guard.
The winter guard competes in multiple international and national competitions. To view the 2022 winter guard regional event calendar, click here. Slippery Rock Student Government Association (SRSGA) assists the organization with finances regarding travel expenses and preparations needed for competitions.
Auditions for the 2022 winter guard were held held Tuesday evening in the Smith Student Center (SSC) Theater. Leading up to the auditions, the organization held sectionals for those who were interested in learning more about the winter guard and wanted assistance with skills before auditions.
The winter guard preparations start early in the fall semester for participants to begin practicing choreography before winter break. Within the winter guard, sections include those who are on weapons, rifles, sabre, flag and dance. It is also common for organization members to partake in multiple sections.
“It’s one thing to spin and put on a show, but it’s another to actually perform,” Crandell said. “Kaylee is big on performance and making sure we provide another level of quality. Kaylee coming in has helped us bring it to another level.”
To stay up to date with all things SRU winter guard, follow @sruwinterguard on Instagram and Facebook. Connect with the winter guard for information on CORE.
