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Art Student from Mississippi Finds Home in Jaguar Marching Band

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Posted on October 3, 2022

Thomas Becnel

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#FreshmanFocus is a series of stories on incoming students at the University of South Alabama.

Trinity LaBorde, a freshman from Long Beach, Mississippi, followed family members and music teachers to the 麻豆相关报道.

鈥淢y aunt went to South and she came with me on my college tour, so she showed me all the places she knew on campus, her old dorm and sorority house, and the nature trails she used to walk on,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y trombone teacher, he was in the Jaguar Marching Band and the Honors College, and he said I should join, because it鈥檚 so much fun and you make new friends.鈥�

LaBorde, 19, plays several instruments 鈥� flute, piccolo and marimba 鈥� and thought about becoming a music educator. She volunteered with a youth band and realized that path was not for her.

Art was another option.

鈥淚n sixth grade, I was in the Newspaper Club, and I did comics for the paper,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n high school, I drew the cover for the football program. They had a contest and I won. The cover showed the football team and the band and the cheerleaders. In the background, there was the stadium and a beautiful Long Beach sunset.

鈥淚 love making up my own characters and drawing them. I would draw this character, Rosie, that was based on me, but she did all the things I couldn鈥檛 do growing up. She went on a bunch of trips. She would go on adventures with her cat named Nigel.鈥�

What鈥檚 the biggest trip that you have taken?

鈥淢y grandma is from Guatemala and I went there during my sophomore year of high school. I鈥檇 never really seen mountains before. We went to Tikal, where there are a bunch of ancient ruins. I didn鈥檛 expect them to be so tall. You could look out over all the trees.

鈥淲e saw monkeys in the trees. They told us look out for jaguars. Maybe that was a sign that I鈥檇 come to South.鈥�

How are your art classes?

鈥淚n two-dimensional drawing class, we have a new project. We have to listen to a song and draw what we hear, but in an abstract way. So I did a song called 鈥楽omewhere Only We Know鈥� by Keane, and my drawing kind of looks like 鈥楽tarry Night鈥� and towers.

鈥淪outh is a little different. In Long Beach, everybody knows everybody 鈥� at Long Beach High School, I was a third-generation student. Here, I wanted a new start, I wanted to meet new people, I wanted to be the person I couldn鈥檛 be in high school.鈥�

What do you miss in Mississippi?

鈥淚 miss my family. I miss my dad. Before I left for college, we watched all of the 鈥楽tar Wars鈥� movies in chronological order. I miss my cat. When I FaceTime my brother, I鈥檒l say, 鈥楽how me Jasper,鈥� but he鈥檒l be out chasing raccoons, and I鈥檓 like, 鈥極f course he is.鈥欌��

鈥淚 miss homemade tortillas and my grandma鈥檚 chicken noodle soup. I miss my grandpa鈥檚 fried shrimp and his crawfish etouffee.鈥�

What have you seen of South Alabama?

鈥淲e just went to downtown Mobile for the first time. It reminds me of a mini-New Orleans. We took pictures. For Labor Day weekend, my friends and I went to Dauphin Island. We thought it would be packed at Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, so we went to Dauphin Island. We just sat on the beach and hung around in the water.

鈥淲e live in the Epsilon I residence hall. My roommate is from Columbiana, Alabama. We have a really good friend who鈥檚 always hanging out in our room. We call her our extra roommate.鈥�

Do you have any favorite spots on campus?

鈥淢y favorite thing is to go under Moulton Tower at night and look up at the murals. It鈥檚 like my little happy place on campus.鈥�

What鈥檚 the biggest difference between high school and college marching band?

鈥淲e do a lot more marching. We have a pregame and a halftime show. More people stay to watch the show. My dad came for our first game. He saw us make a hand, for a song called 鈥榃aving Through a Window,鈥� and he said it was so cool.

鈥淚n high school, I was like a band mom. I鈥檇 have Band-Aids, Pedialyte packets and peanut butter crackers. I wanted to set a good example, to do the little things to help the bigger things. I still carry Pedialyte and crackers. You never know.鈥�

What鈥檚 the difference between a Mississippi accent and an Alabama one?

鈥淚 feel like an Alabama accent is a little deeper, with a longer drawl. A Mississippi accent is a little lighter. My brother says I sound different, and I鈥檝e only been here two months.鈥�

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