Senior Arman Vanyan is one of the three color guard captains at Glendale High School. Born in Yerevan, Armenia, he moved to California when he was around seven years old.
Aside from color guard, in his free time, Arman likes to read, write, and play games with his friends. He wants to spend as much time with them as possible since he wants to savor his time with his friends during his last year of high school.
What got you into color guard in the first place?
I remember in 8th grade, the Glendale [High] color guard [team] came to Wilson, and I saw them and thought that they were super cool. [So] when I was signing up for my classes for GHS, I saw it as an alternative to PE, and I was like, “I do not want to change in the locker rooms, so this is the better option.”
What is color guard anyway?
Color guard is a sport where you spin flags, rifles, [and] sabers. You do a lot of dance, typically contemporary, but also oftentimes ballet. It is done as both a hobby in high school, just to get an experience, and professionally, like outside of high school. There are a lot of groups, like groups that work with marching bands like RCC [Riverside Community College]. And there is indoor color guard, such as Diamante.
What do you do in color guard, both as a captain and as a teammate?
As a captain, in the mornings I generally start leading the morning rehearsals. With our show, we are split into a lot of different parts. So usually, since we have three captains, the three of us split up and have to monitor each different part [to make sure] that everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing.
During our after-school rehearsals, we usually work with our instructor, Ms. Kiana, to lead the guard and make sure we help out people, give corrections, and make sure everyone is on task. When the instructor is there, it’s less work for us, since she’s leading everything. In competitions, our main goal is to make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing and…making sure that we look as professional as possible.
What do you expect this season to be like?
Exciting! This season…definitely [has] a lot of surprises and things I didn’t expect, and I am really looking forward to it! And I think our show is starting to look really good, and I’m really excited to see what it looks like.
What do you like most about color guard?
Honestly, for Glendale color guard, what I like most is [that] it feels like we are like family. Like in the morning rehearsals, where we have rehearsals during 1st Period, it feels like we are having fun, and jumping around with each other, and also getting things done and helping each other. It really just feels like a family.
What do you hope to achieve and accomplish during your last year?
My last year, honestly, I want to set a precedent for how I want color guard to run. Color guard isn’t a thing where you have to be strict with people, and it’s not about making sure [that] you have perfect technique or [that] everyone is on time and perfect all the time. It’s more about seeing the people, meeting them, understanding them, and knowing where they come from.
I like to think that Glendale is one of the most diverse color guards out there, because usually when I go to competitions, I see a lot of color guards that sort of lack that diversity. And that makes me really proud about Glendale, because it truly does feel like a chosen family.
Is there any advice that you would like to give to your teammates for next year?
Have fun, and [practice] time management. I think the biggest thing is [that color] guard at times feels like a lot, because you’re dedicating a good amount of your time to color guard. Similar to drill, or any after-school sport, it’s a lot of dedication, so time management is an important thing.
Personally, I have three AP classes this year. And it’s really important to figure out how to manage my time for getting my homework [done], getting home, for family time, and [also doing color] guard.
What are you planning to do in the future?
I am not really sure what I want to do, as far as my career goes, but in the future, I would want to be a professor. But in between, I’m not really sure. I really do want to get a degree in Mathematics.
Why should other students join the color guard team?
I think that it’s a fun sport. At least [you should] join for a little to try it, and see if you enjoy it and meet the people. Because the people are what make color guard what it is, [and] color guard really does feel like a family.
If you are interested in joining the color guard team next year, please feel free to contact Ms. Rangel at [email protected]. But keep spinning those flags, Nitros!
