April 01, 2024
From M-I-Z to I-R-E, Mizzou Engineers were among members of Marching Mizzou who traveled to Ireland last month to perform in the St. Patrick’s Festival Parade in Dublin, where they were awarded best overall band.
“The parade was an amazing experience,” said Jackson Sallee, a senior saxophone player who studies computer science. “It was a lot of fun. My favorite part was seeing the people and their reactions to what we do. The energy that the crowd had lining both sides of the street was incredible.”
In addition to performing in Dublin, the band also made a stop in Tipperary, Ireland, the town from where the Mizzou Fight Song tune originates.
“You could see faces in the crowd light up when we played ‘Every True Son,’” said Chris Wang, a junior study computer science and a mellophone player in the band. “The original tune is ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary,’ and while the streets were a lot narrower than in Columbia, Missouri, there was still a feeling of familiarity from home with their support.”
Engineering students especially were excited about the Ireland trip because of Mizzou Engineering’s deep connection to St. Patrick’s and the annual celebration of Engineers’ Week. In 1903 engineering students “discovered” St. Patrick was an engineer and have made memories honoring the tradition for 121 years.
Marching Mizzou has a history of creating once-in-a-lifetime memories for students. In the last few years, engineers have joined the band on trips to a Kansas City Chiefs game to perform during halftime and to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2022. And under the leadership of Amy Knopps, a recent Kemper Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching recipient, they are sure to find themselves on more adventures in the future.
Whether the band is across the world or in Mizzou’s backyard, engineering students are having a blast making memories with friends that they’ll never forget.
“I joined Marching Mizzou because I was in band in high school and I really wanted to continue that into college,” Sallee said. “I never imagined what great experiences I would have.”
Scroll to see photos from the trip.
Unless otherwise noted, photos provided by Chris Wang and Jackson Sallee.
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