September 5, 2009 - EVANSTON, ILL. - The Wildcats' Growl silenced the Tigers' roar as Northwestern's football team flattened Towson by a score of 47-17.  Northwestern's score was its best in a season opener since 1944.

Current and alumni members of the Northwestern University "Wildcat" Marching Band played from the Ryan Field stands, and the NUMB Drumline performed on the field.  NUMBALUM Brittany Petersen (J09), a recent member of the band's SpiriTeam, discussed the early-season appearances of NUMB on the Lake the Posts football blog.

"As the team begins practices in Evanston," says Petersen, "the marching band is also preparing for the upcoming season. Band staff is hard at work, and packets were sent out at the beginning of August to newcomers and formers alike with music and information on this year's band camp, which will take place September 7-11."

Petersen, seen here at last year's Alamo Bowl, explains the timing of the band camp in the blog, and also discusses the transformative experience.  "By the end of band camp, every member -- including freshman who have yet to even take a class at Northwestern -- knows the words to the fight songs (Go U and Push On) and, more importantly, the alma mater."

While fans will have to wait until next week's matchup against Eastern Michigan to be wowed by NUMB's trademark pre-game show, Petersen says about this week's performance, "The pep band allows both former members and alumni (such as myself) a chance to play through some tunes and support the team. It also serves as a way to ease in new members who might be a bit intimidated by the intensity of band camp and NUMB in general."

Petersen, a 2009 graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern, will be writing regularly for the Lake the Posts blog.  Click here to check out the remainder of her first installment.

Photo by Tom McGrath.  Used by permission.