By Susan Fandel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science<\/span><\/a> (TECS) students Kaylin Sutton, Amanda Gregory, Olivia Vanistendael and Khari Simpson have more in common than their studies — they are all members of the <\/span>NC State Marching Band<\/span><\/a>, also known as the Power Sound of the South. In addition to their classes, work and extracurricular activities, these dedicated <\/span>Wilson College of Textiles <\/span><\/a>students spend hours every week getting ready for games and firing up fans — and they wouldn\u2019t change a minute of it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gregory, who plays the clarinet, agrees.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
How did you become interested in band?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI saw a poster hanging on the lockers at my middle school and tried out in 8th grade for the high school color guard. I played the flute before that, but I was ready for something new. Eight years later and I haven\u2019t looked back. I was a captain for two years in high school, marched in the Macy\u2019s Thanksgiving Day Parade, was a captain for two years at <\/span>NC State<\/span><\/a> and had my last performance with the Power Sound of the South a few weeks ago in El Paso,\u201d said Vanistendael.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why did you choose NC State?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m from Pittsburgh, so the warm weather in North Carolina definitely played a role in my college choice. I also wanted to go somewhere where I didn\u2019t know anybody from high school. We have a great engineering program and a big marching band, so NC State was the perfect choice,\u201d said Vanistendael.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was born and bred a Wolfpack fan and in my house, learning to put up a wolfie was as serious as learning to walk. My dad is an alumnus of NC State, so growing up it was always my dream to attend here. As the time rolled around to start applying to colleges, I did look elsewhere in order to keep my options open because I knew there were a lot of great schools out there — but in the end I knew NC State was right for me…NC State is home and it really is a dream that I get to go to school here,\u201d said Gregory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I was a junior in high school, I came for a visit and just fell in love. I liked how big it was and all the opportunities that I heard the students having,\u201d said Sutton.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What drew you to textiles? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a niche group of people in this field, as well as a broad variety of paths for research and academia in <\/span>Textile Engineering <\/span><\/a>(TE),\u201d said Simpson.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI came into college thinking I wanted to be an engineer…with a combination of random circumstances, I found myself at an introductory TE workshop that was required for one of my engineering classes…I really liked the environment at the Wilson College of Textiles and what I was being presented. I had some friends in the<\/span> Polymer and Color Chemistry <\/span><\/a>(PCC) program as well…After some consideration, I changed my degree to PCC and haven\u2019t looked back since,\u201d said Gregory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is being in the marching band like?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing in band is honestly like being in a large family, which is especially true within the sections. The clarinet section was voted Most Like Family for the third year in a row. We have practice from 3:35 p.m. until 5:25 p.m. and then basically all of Saturday is taken up depending on the time the game starts. We usually meet at Price Music Center five hours before kickoff. Playing at games can be taxing sometimes — but who else gets to say that they\u2019ve been on the field at <\/span>Carter-Finley Stadium <\/span><\/a>every single game since their freshman year? What I like most about band is the people I get to meet through it. All of my closest friends have been made through band,\u201d said Sutton.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are your future plans?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI still have no specific ideas what I want to do with my degree except to get a job. I am passionate about the textile industry and how intimately it is a part of everyone\u2019s daily life — and the fact that I will one day get to play a role in that is why I love the field that I\u2019m in,\u201d said Gregory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI plan to move into industry for a few years and hope to eventually pursue an MBA,\u201d said Sutton.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to go into the workforce for a while to support myself and my medical school-bound girlfriend, then to graduate school to hopefully finally become a college professor in engineering, preferably textile or chemical engineering,\u201d said Simpson.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter graduation in May, I am road-tripping to San Francisco where I will be working on the product development team at Levi\u2019s. In the future, I may go back to school, work at a sea turtle rehab center or become a lobbyist. I\u2019m not really sure where my post-graduation adventures will take me, but whatever I do, I want to reduce human impact on the environment and leave the world a better place,\u201d said Vanistendael.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you have any spare time and if so, what do you do with it?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring the marching season, spare time is few and far between — especially this last season. We did a lot of traveling, so there were only a few free weekends. Even on those weekends, I kept myself busy hanging out with friends — and studying, of course. But generally, in my spare time I just enjoy hanging out with friends and watching Netflix like your typical college student,\u201d said Gregory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMostly, I play video games, board games, watch Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and hang out with my girlfriend and roommates. I do enjoy keeping myself up to date in the tech sphere and recently, I built my own PC,\u201d said Simpson.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the fall, I don\u2019t have much time at all with band and classes. With the time that I do have, I am the event coordinator for Greater Good Textile Group and fundraising chair for the Wolfpack Environmental Student Association. Outside of band, class and clubs, I absolutely love going to concerts, watching movies and hula hooping,\u201d said Vanistendael.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sutton and Gregory also serve as pages for Dr. Hinks, dean of the Wilson College of Textiles.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does being a page entail and how do you juggle it all?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing a page for the dean is a job I look forward to doing. The faculty, staff and students here at the Wilson College of Textiles are all so easy to talk with and make it fun to go to work. It can be a lot at times to be doing everything at once, but the reward is worth it in the end,\u201d said Sutton.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a dean\u2019s page, I serve as one of the faces of the College as people walk through the dean\u2019s suite door to either meet with the dean or various faculty throughout the College. In this position, I get a unique look at how the College is run and get to see a lot of things that many students don\u2019t even realize is going on as they attend their classes downstairs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
We answer the phone, emails, schedule conference room reservations, talk to faculty and guests and make sure everyone and everything is getting where it needs to go. There are a lot of little parts that make up this job. As far as juggling it all, along with everything else in life, it gets easier the more you do it and as you gain experience. It has taught me a lot and is a unique experience that I really enjoy. I love getting to know the staff, professors and dean on a personal level. Not many students get this opportunity and I feel very fortunate to have been awarded it,\u201d said Gregory. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
All photos by Dan Jahn<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n
Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science<\/span><\/a> (TECS) students Kaylin Sutton, Amanda Gregory, Olivia Vanistendael and Khari Simpson have more in common than their studies -- they are all members of the <\/span>NC State Marching Band<\/span><\/a>, also known as the Power Sound of the South. In addition to their classes, work and extracurricular activities, these dedicated <\/span>Wilson College of Textiles <\/span><\/a>students spend hours every week getting ready for games and firing up fans -- and they wouldn\u2019t change a minute of it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gregory, who plays the clarinet, agrees.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
How did you become interested in band?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI saw a poster hanging on the lockers at my middle school and tried out in 8th grade for the high school color guard. I played the flute before that, but I was ready for something new. Eight years later and I haven\u2019t looked back. I was a captain for two years in high school, marched in the Macy\u2019s Thanksgiving Day Parade, was a captain for two years at <\/span>NC State<\/span><\/a> and had my last performance with the Power Sound of the South a few weeks ago in El Paso,\u201d said Vanistendael.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why did you choose NC State?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m from Pittsburgh, so the warm weather in North Carolina definitely played a role in my college choice. I also wanted to go somewhere where I didn\u2019t know anybody from high school. We have a great engineering program and a big marching band, so NC State was the perfect choice,\u201d said Vanistendael.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was born and bred a Wolfpack fan and in my house, learning to put up a wolfie was as serious as learning to walk. My dad is an alumnus of NC State, so growing up it was always my dream to attend here. As the time rolled around to start applying to colleges, I did look elsewhere in order to keep my options open because I knew there were a lot of great schools out there -- but in the end I knew NC State was right for me...NC State is home and it really is a dream that I get to go to school here,\u201d said Gregory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I was a junior in high school, I came for a visit and just fell in love. I liked how big it was and all the opportunities that I heard the students having,\u201d said Sutton.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What drew you to textiles? <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a niche group of people in this field, as well as a broad variety of paths for research and academia in <\/span>Textile Engineering <\/span><\/a>(TE),\u201d said Simpson.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI came into college thinking I wanted to be an engineer...with a combination of random circumstances, I found myself at an introductory TE workshop that was required for one of my engineering classes...I really liked the environment at the Wilson College of Textiles and what I was being presented. I had some friends in the<\/span> Polymer and Color Chemistry <\/span><\/a>(PCC) program as well...After some consideration, I changed my degree to PCC and haven\u2019t looked back since,\u201d said Gregory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is being in the marching band like?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing in band is honestly like being in a large family, which is especially true within the sections. The clarinet section was voted Most Like Family for the third year in a row. We have practice from 3:35 p.m. until 5:25 p.m. and then basically all of Saturday is taken up depending on the time the game starts. We usually meet at Price Music Center five hours before kickoff. Playing at games can be taxing sometimes -- but who else gets to say that they\u2019ve been on the field at <\/span>Carter-Finley Stadium <\/span><\/a>every single game since their freshman year? What I like most about band is the people I get to meet through it. All of my closest friends have been made through band,\u201d said Sutton.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are your future plans?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI still have no specific ideas what I want to do with my degree except to get a job. I am passionate about the textile industry and how intimately it is a part of everyone\u2019s daily life -- and the fact that I will one day get to play a role in that is why I love the field that I\u2019m in,\u201d said Gregory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI plan to move into industry for a few years and hope to eventually pursue an MBA,\u201d said Sutton.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to go into the workforce for a while to support myself and my medical school-bound girlfriend, then to graduate school to hopefully finally become a college professor in engineering, preferably textile or chemical engineering,\u201d said Simpson.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter graduation in May, I am road-tripping to San Francisco where I will be working on the product development team at Levi\u2019s. In the future, I may go back to school, work at a sea turtle rehab center or become a lobbyist. I\u2019m not really sure where my post-graduation adventures will take me, but whatever I do, I want to reduce human impact on the environment and leave the world a better place,\u201d said Vanistendael.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you have any spare time and if so, what do you do with it?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring the marching season, spare time is few and far between -- especially this last season. We did a lot of traveling, so there were only a few free weekends. Even on those weekends, I kept myself busy hanging out with friends -- and studying, of course. But generally, in my spare time I just enjoy hanging out with friends and watching Netflix like your typical college student,\u201d said Gregory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMostly, I play video games, board games, watch Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and hang out with my girlfriend and roommates. I do enjoy keeping myself up to date in the tech sphere and recently, I built my own PC,\u201d said Simpson.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the fall, I don\u2019t have much time at all with band and classes. With the time that I do have, I am the event coordinator for Greater Good Textile Group and fundraising chair for the Wolfpack Environmental Student Association. Outside of band, class and clubs, I absolutely love going to concerts, watching movies and hula hooping,\u201d said Vanistendael.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sutton and Gregory also serve as pages for Dr. Hinks, dean of the Wilson College of Textiles.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does being a page entail and how do you juggle it all?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing a page for the dean is a job I look forward to doing. The faculty, staff and students here at the Wilson College of Textiles are all so easy to talk with and make it fun to go to work. It can be a lot at times to be doing everything at once, but the reward is worth it in the end,\u201d said Sutton.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a dean\u2019s page, I serve as one of the faces of the College as people walk through the dean\u2019s suite door to either meet with the dean or various faculty throughout the College. In this position, I get a unique look at how the College is run and get to see a lot of things that many students don\u2019t even realize is going on as they attend their classes downstairs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
We answer the phone, emails, schedule conference room reservations, talk to faculty and guests and make sure everyone and everything is getting where it needs to go. There are a lot of little parts that make up this job. As far as juggling it all, along with everything else in life, it gets easier the more you do it and as you gain experience. It has taught me a lot and is a unique experience that I really enjoy. I love getting to know the staff, professors and dean on a personal level. Not many students get this opportunity and I feel very fortunate to have been awarded it,\u201d said Gregory. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
All photos by Dan Jahn<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"