Drum Major of Success
(Editor’s Note: Valdosta State University English Professor Pat Miller assigned her students to write a long-form feature story on fellow VSU students. The best four articles were selected to be published in The Valdosta Daily Times. This is the second story to be published. It is by Allison Gay. It features Monticelloan James Sampson. It is reprinted with permission from the Valdosta newspaper.)
Success drives people. Success is what people long for. It pushes people, motivates them, impels them. And most believe that college is the place where people begin their journey to success.
James Sampson, a Valdosta State University junior business major, wants to succeed. He wants to be “a high-end real estate agent and then … move to Australia.”
But first there’s college.
To succeed, Sampson must prove that he can handle the busy schedule of a college student.
His responsibilities rotate between his five classes, being the drum major of VSU’s Blazin’ Brigade marching band and being a resident assistant in the Hopper Hall dormitory.
Of all the responsibilities that Sampson must manage, the Blazin’ Brigade takes up most of his time. Sampson has practice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Practice on Monday and Wednesday is between 3 and 5 p.m. and on Friday between noon and 2 p.m. The Blazin’ Brigade must prepare for VSU football games, pep rallies, minor performances throughout the year and exhibitions at high school marching band competitions.
Even though practice comes to an end and football games will stop, Sampson’s responsibilities as a drum major do not.
“A lot of behind-the-scenes prepping goes into the marching band performances,” he said. “The drum major and band director will meet to see what show styles we want to do to see what music we want to score together … (as well as) focusing on culture and family building within the brigade.”
Sampson must take extra time to meet with the band director and graduate assistants before the school year begins as well as after the season is finished to prepare for what is to come.
His passion for marching band started in high school and spilled over into his life at VSU. Even though Sampson had a passion for marching band in high school, the road to being a member on the Blazin’ Brigade was not easy.
“I actually dropped marching band,” he said. “I emailed the band director like I’m too scared, I don’t think I can do this.”
Even though he was successful during his time in his high school marching band, the chance of failing on a college level lingered in his mind, like it does in all college students.
The Blazin’ Brigade requires him to stand in the South Georgia heat several days a week, spend almost every Saturday of the fall semester supporting the VSU football team and countless hours memorizing music, but Sampson still chooses to participate.
“I can still follow my passion in college and become that drum major but at a university level,” Sampson said. “I have no clue what I would be doing now if I would’ve continued on the path of not doing the university marching band.”
There was a chance that Sampson would not be able to handle the weight of a college-level marching band, but soon discovered band pushed him to do more and be more because of what is expected out of the members and the different environments band members are placed in.
When asked about how his demeanor changes during a performance, he said, “It’ll be more of a hyped-up James Sampson more of an extroverted version of me being the performer in front of 10,000 people.”
The Blazin’ Brigade is directed by Tonya P. Mitchell, and she expects nothing but the best from the drum major.
The drum major must be “energetic, positive, (one who) knows how to get the best out of people, who the band respects and admires enough to want to work hard even on a Monday when they’re exhausted and they’ve pulled all-nighters writing essays and they had tests and quizzes and they’re just over everything,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell expects her drum major to be one who will light a fire under the entire band.
Sampson can do that, light a fire, due to his attitude during Blazin’ Brigade practices and events, she said.
“He is definitely the kind of person you want running a group like (the Blazin’ Brigade) because sometimes it rains outside and sometimes it’s stressful and sometimes it’s hectic, but he’s always got a pretty consistent, positive, exuberant demeanor which rubs off on everyone around him,” Mitchell said.
The band that Sampson directs is as emotionally and psychologically challenging as it is physically demanding because of what the leaders expect and the constant need for him to be positive and uplifting. He must be willing to show up to events and participate – even if tests and online assignments are lingering in the back of his mind.
Sampson is also expected to excel in his classes.
“Business majors are very competitive and (they’re) all trying to get to that top spot in the corporate world,” he said.
His choice to pursue a business degree required a lot of thought. He changed his major from mass media to business because of his drive to succeed and reach that top spot. Majoring in mass media wouldn’t give him the experience required to excel and succeed in the next chapter of his life.
One teacher who expects Sampson to put forth the extra effort is Dr. Timothy Reisenwitz, a professor of marketing. Sampson’s management and organization behavior class adds to the weight of success due to the expectations of Reisenwitz.
Reisenwitz constantly reminds his students they must participate in class discussion at least 10 times throughout the semester or receive an F for their participation grade. He also expects them to recall the vast amount of information from previous discussions. Students — not Reisenwitz — must provide a detailed summary of the previous session to begin each class, and the class will not begin until a student does so.
With classes, comes homework and Sampson’s schedule does not lack homework. The majority of the work required of him is to study for tests and complete online assignments.
For Sampson to complete his homework, he must isolate himself in his room on the fourth floor of Hopper Hall. Because he’s so social, friends distract him.
Even though he has homework to complete, he can’t ignore the final role that is threaded into his week. He must remember that he has separate duties as a resident assistant that do not line up with his roles as a student and drum major.
To be a resident assistant, a student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average. RAs are responsible for a handful of students and are expected to attend meetings and create programs that students can attend throughout the semester. The programs could be something simple such as a few hours of board games or a unique program specifically geared towards certain groups of students.
“In Hopper, we have to make sure that the safety is the number one protocol and make sure residents have somewhat of an enjoyable time in the halls … (as well as) trying to keep a very home feel in and out residence halls while still being students,” Sampson said.
As an RA, he must work several shifts at the front desk in the lobby of Hopper Hall.
The most difficult task of fulfilling the job of working at the front desk is his weekly schedule. Most of the RAs are not part of an extracurricular activity that has set meeting times multiple times a week or events that require participation. Sampson’s fellow RAs also don’t have classes that start at 9:30 a.m. and run until the evening hours four days a week.
“As the school year and the season goes on more and more, I have to remember to rest but still get things accomplished and remember that I still have many jobs to do and just make sure that I get them done,” Sampson said.
He works the graveyard shifts because that is what his schedule allows. During his time at the front desk, he checks in students who are not residents, answers questions and interacts with students who stop and talk to the RAs working.
The shift he works is not as busy as the day shifts, but he still has the responsibilities that will fill the next day lingering in his mind. Sampson said he understands with the late shifts he works, he must still make the time to do all the work that is required of him. He must remember to take advantage of his free time to successfully reach the goals he has set for himself.
Yet, he is still able to conquer his week by taking each day one step at a time.
“It’s the same routine Monday to Thursday just following that and waiting for the next week to see what happens,” Sampson said. “I have to remember to balance having a life, relationships and not truly just focusing on the extracurriculars or the academics enjoying the journey of the college experience and enjoying the Valdosta State experience.”
