Baton Twirler Spins Into The Spotlight

By Karina Martinez-Carter The Daily Northwestern

Twenty-five years after her twirling coach graduated from Northwestern, WCAS freshman Lauren Maginity enrolled at NU and stepped out on the football field with baton in hand, just as her coach had done many autumns before.

Ever since Maginity's coach graduated, the NU marching band has performed without a twirler. Maginity petitioned NUMB band director, Dan Farris, in February of last year with a letter and DVD in hopes of reviving the position.

"As soon as I heard that I had gotten in, Mr. Farris told me to come up and I did a routine for him by the arts circle," Maginity said. "It was so cool to be on the Evanston campus with Lake Michigan and Chicago and the background and be performing, and he actually took me right on the spot."

Maginity said it is rare for a large Midwest school, especially one in an area like the Chicago suburbs that has a stronghold of twirlers to lack a twirler.

"A lot of Big Ten schools have twirlers - I actually know most of them," she said. "Baton twirling is popular around here, about as popular as it gets. My city had a team, as well as my high school, and most of the Illinois teams are from the Chicago suburbs."

While she said that her original goal for twirling at NU was continue a sport she loves, Maginity hopes that her presence in NUMB inspires other twirlers to join and renew the NUMB tradition.

"That was my main point in the letter I wrote to Mr. Farris - reviving the tradition. It is up to him whether or not he wants to start a line with more twirlers or just have one, but I would really love for at least one girl to keep going," the economics major said. "I'm hoping everyone enjoys this enough and likes the fact that there's a twirler again so that the spot can be established."

Farris said although he is not recruiting twirlers, Lauren's routine enhances the band's performances.

"I've always enjoyed a good feature twirler in a marching band, and I thought her energy and style would be a great addition," he said. "She's done a fantastic job."

Maginity, who choreographs her routines for NUMB, soon realized filling a position that had been vacant for so long would require some adjustment for band members and directors.

"We instituted a new rule that says, 'Lauren finds an open spot on the field and doesn't move unless someone is coming toward her.' " Maginity said. "The band has a specific drill, and I don't move for the most part, but it can still create conflicts; in one routine I have to go through the trombones a few times which is a little challenging. 

"It's definitely been a new experience for everyone in the band because they never had to deal with this before, but we're taking it as it comes, and it's definitely getting easier."

Before donning a purple and white costume for Northwestern, Maginity twirled at regional and national competitions multiple times and also competed at the Junior Olympics.

Her most recent titles include dance twirl, baton solo, strut and modeling at the regional competition last year.

"I have been twirling since I was six when I started in community classes," Maginity said. "When I was 13, I switched to a more competitive team and with that team won Nationals all five years. My team went to Worlds in Amsterdam last year, but I was actually unable to go because it conflicted with AP testing."

Maginity said one of the best opportunities she has had through twirling was competing at the Junior Olympics, a competition from which baton twirling had previously been excluded.

"A lot of people don't consider twirling a sport, and when my friends in high school would start debating this with me, I always used the argument that if you can get the same injury as a football player, then it's a sport," she said.

"I had a stinger, which is a pinched neck nerve, in fourth grade and had to wear a neck brace for two months. Every twirler has numerous injury stories. You always see girls at competitions with ankle and knee braces. I wear an ankle brace when I twirl, and recently one of the security guards at Ryan Field actually told me that it looks like I'm limping better. It's a contact sport between you and your baton."

Reach Katrina Martinez-Carter at k-martinez-carter@northwestern.edu.