Did you enjoy the marching bands that accompanied Prince during the purple rocker’s performance at the Super Bowl? Well, even if you didn’t catch the big halftime show in Miami, now’s your chance to get green and participate in the biggest show in Rolla. 

The St. Pat’s Board at the University of Missouri-Rolla is organizing a marching band, The St. Pat’s Lucky Shamrock Marching Band, and you’re invited to join. The rag-tag band (which will hopefully prove to be a fairly polished group with some practice) will provide musical support for the March 14 arrival of St. Pat’s Court in downtown Rolla and then march in the March 17 parade.         

Any students or members of the community with any experience, young and old, may sign up. The first informational meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19, in Room 137 of Castleman Hall on the UMR campus.          

Practice will begin later this month during the early evening hours. During practice, band members will march across campus to raise St. Pat’s spirit, says the band’s student director, Angie Adams, a senior in civil engineering from St. Louis.                              

The arrival of St. Pat and his court in Rolla has been an annual event since 1908. This year, the group, accompanied by the St. Pat’s Lucky Shamrock Marching Band, will arrive at the bandshell in downtown Rolla at approximately noon on Wednesday, March 14, to officially usher in the start of the “Best Ever” St. Pat’s Celebration 2007.         

“We plan to have a repertoire of several appropriate marching tunes by court arrival day,” says Adams.        

The St. Pat’s Lucky Shamrock Marching Band is sponsored by the St. Pat’s Board, the UMR chancellor’s office and the UMR Band.         

Community members are also encouraged to participate in the parade. This year’s theme is “Super Heroes and Villains.” Dr. Lance Haynes, advisor to the St. Pat’s Board, hopes people and businesses will embrace the theme this year. “We want the floats to be clearly associated with St. Pat’s and super heroes and super villains,” says Haynes, a professor of arts, languages and philosophy at UMR.         

This is the 99th St. Pat’s Celebration in Rolla. For more information about the new St. Pat’s Lucky Shamrock Marching Band, contact Adams at asahw6@mst.edu . For additional information about the band or the parade, contact Haynes at 341-4803 or lance@mst.edu .