JULIE BENNETT "Ever since I can remember, the only thing I have ever wanted to do was twirl a baton," said Julie Bennett, who has been a featured twirler with the LCHS Red Devil Pride Marching Band for the past five years. "When I pick up a baton and twirl, I am in my own world. I spend hours outside my house twirling, while listening to music.

"For me twirling a baton is entertainment. I get so much joy and peace from feeling the baton move in my hands. Although I have not had as much experience with the flag, I do love it. I get the same feeling from spinning a flag as I do twirling a baton."

Julie will have the opportunity to do plenty of flag spinning this fall as a member of the University of Georgia Redcoat Band's flag line.

The dream was born in 1999, when the 10-year-old Julie attended band practice at UGA.

Kim Nystrom, who was the band director at LCHS at the time and a former member of the UGA Redcoat Band, had arranged for her students to watch the famous band at work. Ivy Bennett, Julie's mother, was a chaperone for the trip, so the future Redcoat just tagged along.

"From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be a member of the University of Georgia Redcoat Band," said Julie.

Up until that time, she had taken baton lessons from Debbie Crook of Lincolnton for only two years - as a three year old and again when she was eight.

After her visit to UGA, Julie threw herself headlong into making her dream come true. For eight years, she attended the UGA Summer Marching Band Camp, where she twirled a baton for seven years and spun a flag for one year. She likewise participated in the Southeast Camp of Champions for five years, twirling the baton each year.

Then, in December of last year, Julie began traveling to Elberton once a week to work with a private instructor to brush up on the requirements for the baton twirling auditions at UGA. Her teacher was Leann Layne, a former captain of the majorette line at Georgia.

"I had to prepare a two-minute routine for the audition as well as master certain tricks, which included illusions, turns under tosses, finger twirls, and rolls. I also had a private lesson with Kari Stark, a flag line member at UGA, so I could learn some of the required flag tosses and spins. My plan was to try out for both the majorette line and the flag line in hopes of making one."

Check-in for the UGA Auxiliary auditions was set at 7 a.m. at Stegeman Coliseum, with flag line tryouts beginning at 7:30 a.m.

"There were 40 girls trying out - the girls were prospective new members as well as previous flag line members, who are required to audition every year," Julie said.

"As part of the audition, the captains, who had already been selected, taught us a two-minute routine. We had one hour to learn the routine before performing it for the judges in groups of four. The list of those who made the line wasn't posted until 5 p.m."

At 2 p.m., the majorette auditions got underway, with 12 girls aspiring to make the line.

As was the case with the flag line tryouts, the girls, both hopeful novices and veterans, were taught a twominute routine by the majorette captains. Next, they had to perform the routine as well as the required tricks for the judges in groups of three.

"After this came the first cuts," Julie explained. "If you were not cut, you had to perform the two-minute routine you had prepared at home for the judges. I didn't make this cut, so I knew then that I wasn't on the majorette line."

She was, however, still waiting to hear the results of the flag line auditions, and she was not disappointed. Julie's name was on the list of 26 girls, who would make up the flag line for 2008- 2009 - only four were new members.

At the conclusion of what had been a long, intense, and most wonderful day, Julie and the other girls attended a meeting where they were measured for uniforms and apprised of their financial responsibilities as members of the squad.

All members have to purchase special T-shirts, pants, sweatshirts, jackets, bags, shoes, etc. The girls also have to pay for their official uniform. In essence, the "start-up cost" for a new flag line member is approximately $650.

After the meeting, Julie was in for another treat. "The auxiliary coordinator came up to my mom and told her that the main reason I didn't make the majorette line was I didn't have a walkover. She said if I work hard and get my walkover, I have a very good chance of making the line next year."

In a walkover, the majorette throws the baton high into the air, does what amounts to a front hand-spring, and then catches the baton.

In other comments, the auxiliary coordinator told Mrs. Bennett that she was quite impressed with Julie's flagtwirling skills and believed she would be very happy on the flag line.

Julie thinks so, too, saying she can hardly wait to report to band camp in August. "I can't believe I'll be on the field at Sanford Stadium this fall, twirling a flag in front of over 92,000 people. This really is a dream come true."

The 300-member UGA Redcoat Band typically performs three or four different shows throughout the season. The group takes the field at all home games and some away games as well.

According to Julie, "During the football season, the band practices every day from 5 until 7 p.m. Band practice is actually considered a class at UGA, so you get a little bit of credit toward your degree."

When she is not practicing or performing with the Redcoat Band, the LCHS honor graduate will be pursuing a degree in criminal justice, with hopes of one day becoming a crime scene investigator.