The PHS Marching Band won first place in their division, Five Open, in the State Competition on Oct. 22.
By Daisy Gonzalez
Newcomers who arrive from different cities/towns come to Passaic, they hear the reputation the town has built for itself, continuing the negative aspect brought upon the name Passaic. Passaic High School Band Director Christopher Rusca was determined to change that reputation, as well as inspire students to create a difference with just a touch of music.
Mr. Rusca first began teaching at Passaic High School fresh out of college at the age of 22. When he first arrived to this urban school, the band ranged from 15-20 students.
As time continued, Mr Rusca had gathered enough students with the same passion and formed the Passaic High School Marching Band. Over the years, the marching band has increased enormously in numbers with over 100 students joining.
In the summer of 2016, approximately 25-30 students joined the marching band in hopes of becoming a better player, marcher, and person. From the very first band meeting in the band room at the end of June, to the beginning of November, little did the members know the state championship was within reach.
The motto of “Early is on time, on time is late, and late is late” was reinforced to every member of the band. This helped the band use every minute down to the second wisely.
Throughout the summer, individual members had mixed feelings about whether to give up or quit the following year because this was becoming challenging for them. With the help of senior Bryan Quintanilla, everyone in the band continued to fight until the end. With the motivation in mind and hard work throughout the summer, the Passaic High Marching Band took home a 5 Open State Championship.
After a couple days, the members had time to let it sink in and moved on to something much bigger… Nationals.
Over the next two weeks the band spent over 30-plus hours cleaning and perfecting their show titled the “House of Cards.”
On Nov. 12, Passaic High School took third place nationally in the Division Group 5 Open. To many, it is normal for the marching band to take home a trophy, but for the members of the band, this goes down in history. Thank you to all the Seniors for pushing the band to success and an advantage in next year’s season.
A commonly used phrase in the show is “The House Always Wins.” It is safe to say the Passaic High School Marching Band won regardless of the placement and score given.
