Dawn breaks over the practice field next to the WVU Coliseum. Nearly 400 students assemble in a block formation.

At first, their day starts slowly, with calisthenics and other physical warm-ups - even back rubs.

As the morning progresses and the fog clears, these students are given their orders from various instructors, striving for an almost surgical precision in every step they take and knowing that even perfection might not be good enough.

If these actions, which take place the week before the fall semester begins, sound like a military training regimen, the truth isn't far off. These students are actually taking part in the grueling ritual of band camp.

For an entire week, the students who make up West Virginia University's marching band start their day with practice at 8:30 a.m., next to the Coliseum, music rehearsals in the Creative Arts Center during the afternoon and more marching after dinner, usually lasting until 10 p.m.

Working for over 12 hours a day at a time - when most students are frantically getting in one last week of partying before the reality of the fall semester crashes over them, marks band members with a sense of dedication and pride in their school, which differs from students who simply go to football games.

The dedication required of band members is so great that they must report five hours before kickoff on game days in order to rehearse, denying them the collegiate birthright of tailgating. Band members must also devote eight hours to rehearsal during most weeks.

Often referred to as "The Pride of West Virginia," the marching band carries with it a rich history filled with tradition and pride, and fourth year director Jay Drury is well-versed in the band's history and what the band means to the university as a whole.

"I would hope the band is seen as a source of pride. We like folks to have a high-quality band to represent and support our teams and fans, both at home and when we travel," Drury said.

Over the years, travelling is one activity that the band has done plenty of, performing thousands of times in cities such as New York City, Atlanta, Glendale, Houston and Pittsburgh.

The band has also been present at some of the most memorable football games in WVU's history, including the defeat of the University of Miami at home in 1993 and the upset of Virginia Tech in 2003, a game that ended in plenty of mace, some of which sprayed the band.

"Since becoming director, our performances at the big wins over Georgia at the Sugar Bowl and Oklahoma at the Fiesta Bowl are some of my top memories," Drury said.

The band isn't strictly limited to playing college football games, and during its history, the band has performed at National Football League games and even some presidential inaugurations.

As diverse as the band's performances have been over the years, the members of the band are just as diverse, representing about 100 majors throughout the University and claiming members from 16 different states.

The diversity of its members is also one of the reasons the band can be so interesting to watch during performances.

"It's an exciting group of people who work hard and always try to put on the best show possible," Drury said. "We always do our best to try and represent our teams, state and University in the best possible light."

John Hendricks, former band director and WVU's current Director of Bands, likes to attribute the marching band's popularity and success to its rich history.

"I think the band is consistently good because every year the veterans instill our traditions and pride in the freshmen, and everyone realizes that the band is a symbol, and they want to do the best job they can," Hendricks said.

Many of the current band traditions have been in existence for decades, including the football pregame show.

"People really enjoy seeing the famous pregame formations," Drury said.

Indeed, many students who watch the band can easily recognize formations such as the "flying WV" during the fight song "Fight Mountaineers," the state outline of West Virginia during "Country Roads" and the ever-popular expanding circles during the "Circle Song," otherwise known as "Simple Gifts."

"One of my best memories was from the 1994 Sugar Bowl in the Superdome and hearing the fans go crazy when we expanded the ‘Simple Gifts' circles," Drury said.

Every home game, marching band fans get to the stadium a bit early to witness one of the country's premiere college marching bands in action after the countless hours of labor that go into its show.

For more information on the band or to find out when its 18 to 20 performances are this fall, check out its Web site at www.wvuband.org.

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