The real fun began on Saturday morning, when the band members went to the Six Flags over Georgia amusement park, home to numerous roller coasters and other rides, games, and shops. One of the favorite roller coasters of the group was the Goliath, which had just opened and featured numerous steep drops and turns. That afternoon, the pep band and chorus performed at the park for about half an hour. After leaving the park, the group headed to Philips Arena to perform on the court before an Atlanta Hawks game. The game itself, a 99-93 Hawks victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, was a close and exciting one throughout, featuring several lead changes and even a couple of slam dunks. The group stayed to watch most of the game before heading to The Varsity, a traditional Atlanta fast food restaurant, for dinner.

The pep band performs on the court for the Atlanta Hawks pregame show, while the chorus members who are not in band serve as (reluctant) cheerleaders. (Photo by Margaret Buenneke)

Sunday began with a tour of the CNN Studio, where the students learned about the world’s largest cable news network. They then headed to the World of Coca-Cola, where they learned about the world’s most well-known soft drink and even had the opportunity to taste samples of Coca-Cola beverages from around the world. Their next stop was the Georgia Aquarium, which houses numerous types of sea creatures including beluga whales, two types of sea otters, penguins, sea turtles, and even two whale sharks. After the aquarium, the group took some time to relax at Centennial Olympic Park before heading to the Hard Rock Café for dinner. After dinner, the group returned to the hotel to relax before the long bus trip home the next day.

“Congratulations to the 129 students and chaperones who traveled to Atlanta this past weekend and performed at Six Flags and for the Atlanta Hawks,” band director Mary Jo Webster said in an email to all of the band members. “I was very proud of the students who were on time, had a terrific attitude, and were a fabulous group of students that were both musically professional and personally responsible. You represented George Mason High School well.”