Evans excelling in more ways
than one
Former
Hamilton native part of World Championship DCI squad
By Chris Vogt
Lindenwald Ledger
Senior Writer
Thursday, September 28, 2006
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Moving away
from his Hamilton roots in 1994 wasn’t of his choosing. At such
a young age, he was resilient. Regardless, Jeremy Evans wouldn’t
have wanted it any other way.
Things aren’t great for the Missouri State University freshman;
they’re nearly perfect.
“When I left Hamilton I was probably about 6 years old. I was in
kindergarten, and I really don’t remember much to be honest,”
said Evans, who attended VanBuren Elementary when he resided in
Butler County.
“But I now feel that it was a good move for me,” added Evans.
In the spring of ’94, Jeremy’s father, Jimmie, was forced to
transfer from Dayton’s Wright Patterson Air Force Base to Scott
Air Force Base, located just 20 miles from St. Louis.
“It placed me in a small town where I kept out of trouble,”
Jeremy said.
That made disciplining easy for Jimmie and Tawyna, Jeremy’s
parents who live in Mascoutah, Ill.
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Jeremy
Evans, a former Hamilton resident, is excelling as a
freshman at Missouri State University. He was part of
Drum Corps International's World Champion Cavaliers.
Submitted Photo |
“I have never had to pick Jeremy up from the police station —
he’s never been arrested,” Jimmie said. “I’ve never had to yell
at him. I’ve never had to question his attitude. He has never
had a car wreck. You get the picture.”
Like everyone else at the beginning stages of college, Jeremy
has set goals. And from the looks of it, he’s been conquering
them.
Studying military science and other courses at Missouri State,
Jeremy recently was part of the 2006 Drum Corps International
Championship team — the Cavaliers, an organization based out of
a Rosemont, Ill.
“What turned me onto the Cavaliers was the fact that they were
so successful. I was just amazed when I watched them on VHS
(before performing on the squad),” Jeremy recalled. “Also, my
high school winter guard show designers were color guard
sergeants in the 90s, which helped me move that direction.”
It also might have been the fact that the Cavaliers are a
championship-bound squad year in and year out.
“I thought it was rather enjoyable,” Jeremy said of the
Cavaliers, who won the title in mid-August. “This past year was
my second year with them, and I was very pleased with how we did
as a team. I don’t think there are words to describe how I felt
that night in Madison, (Wisconsin). But I feel that even though
it was so much work it was well worth it.”
Jeremy said he wasn’t quite sure as to how much time he devoted
to practicing and performing with the Cavaliers. He said there
was a lot more effort needed in 2006 than the year before.
“I knew everyday we had to give 110 percent on the rehearsal
fields and 100 percent on the show field,” Jeremy said. “We
rehearsed during pre-tour, which was the first 3-4 weeks about
9-12 hours a day — Monday through Sunday.
“They would occasionally give us a 3-4 hour block off,” Jeremy
added. “Then on tour we rehearsed that much on rehearsal days,
but show days we spent 4-6 hours rehearsing.”
Because of a busy schedule, Jimmie was unable to attend his
son’s championship performance. Though he envisions how it
played out.
“The Cavaliers’ performance as a whole is outstanding,” Jimmie
said. “The crowd eagerly anticipates the arrival of the
Cavaliers to the field. But finding my son among 135 men in
motion is tough, especially when you’re in the bleachers. So we
just sit back and take in the whole moving spectacular.”
After fulfilling his years at Missouri State, Jeremy hopes to be
working for the Army intelligence staff.
“The intelligence branch sounded mentally stimulating to me,”
Jeremy said. “I feel that it is a field I would strive in. One
of the few things I am really good at is strategy — which is
always applicable in the intelligence field in some way.
“Starting pay isn’t all that bad either, which is something to
consider when you’re fresh out of college,” Jeremy added. “The
benefits from the armed forces are good too.
“I’ve always pushed myself and others around me — that’s why I
think I’d fit in with the intelligence staff,” Jeremy continued.
“I’m a self-determined person, and I think my dad feels that way
too.”
Jeremy was right.
“I guess I am to blame,” Jimmie said. “We were selecting a life
course that would fill Jeremy's need to excel. He had tested
great on the Armed Services placement test.”
Recalled Jimmie, “An Army recruiter said to him, ‘So what is it
you'd like to do?’ (Jeremy) looks at me and asks, ‘What do you
call the guys who rounded up prisoners at Guantanamo?’ I said
‘military intelligence.’
“And the rest as they say is history,” the father added.
But before he takes a stab at that, Jeremy has other accolades
to accomplish.
He wants to complete his pledge into Phi Mu Alpha, make the
Pride of Missouri State Winter Guard, be accepted into the ROTC
with a scholarship and continue to make decent grades that would
allow him to graduate in four years as a double major in
Psychology and Gentology.
“My friends and family are the ones supporting me through this
all,” said Jeremy, whose future entails a minimum of six years
active duty service with the Army. “That means that I’m not
going through this by myself. It allows me to be confident in
what I’m doing.”
The one who knows that best is his father.
“His expectations are simply to succeed, and (in Jeremy’s mind)
if you’re going to do something, do it to the best of your
ability,” Jimmie said. “He doesn’t settle with second place. He
has always had that attitude — a winner’s attitude. Nothing else
will do.
“He is committed to succeeding,” Jimmie added, “and I am the
proud Dad.”
Said Jeremy, “I just believe that if you’re serious about
something, you will try as hard as you can, even if it turns out
not so well. You have to live a life without regret and never
say I wish I would have.”
He’s not having a problem with that.
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