By Chris Wiza "Good Morning Oregon Crusaders -- you have five minutes to get out of bed and be ready for your morning run!"

Chris Wiza
I miss those words at 7 a.m. from my all-days camp before our tour. I marched in the Oregon Crusaders (Division III) this past season. I originally joined to march in the color guard, but instead I wound up playing the euphonium in a horn line of 17 players.
I met the best group of people to perform with and the best staff to learn from.
Our season was only a five-competition tour, but we all made the best of it, every day jumping up a few points, ending with a score of 60.15 in Boise, Idaho, and being the first Division III drum corps in that season to reach 60 points. It was just what our staff was looking for. Now we are making major plans for next season, getting new uniforms, going to DCI and a bunch of other competitions. The Crusaders have come a LONG way in past years. I feel like getting the word out to people that think Division I is the only way to go. I thought that too, coming from a high school with at least 130 marching members. I was used to a big band. But I believe you feel more love and compassion for your fellow marchers in a small corps. You know that everyone in there WANTS to be the best they can, and you all strive to reach that goal of excellence as a small group. So please -- if you live near a Division III or Division II corps, don't hesitate to just jump right in and work hard. You will be surprised by the results.