By Matthew Monks
Long Island City High’s junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps had nearly everything it needed last year to take honors in the country’s biggest national drill and ceremony competition — guts, skill, determination.
But its members learned that it takes more than heart to compete against the country’s best junior ROTC squads at the annual contest in Daytona, Fla. It takes cash, lots of it — something the program lacked.
“We’re the only school that made it to the nationals in their first year,” said senior Robinson Saurez, who along with some fellow cadets last week recalled his disappointment.
Ramon Zorrilla, a junior, said the team could not go because it lacked the money.
“It felt bad because we couldn’t show off our skills,” Saurez said.
But this year things are different. The school’s nearly 350 cadets, with a little help from state Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), have raised nearly $20,000 to send their 45-member drill team to the National High School Drill Team Championship April 30 to May 2. The money will cover entry fees, travel expenses and accommodations for the entire group.
Army junior ROTC, which is taught in just two Queens schools and was brought to Long Island City last year, is an elective that instructs students in military structure, history and discipline, giving them a taste of what it means to be a soldier, said instructor 1st Sgt. Luis Phillip Gonzalez.
For instance, each class begins with a roll call; the students are assigned rank and salute each other; on Wednesdays they wear their dress greens to school; and on Fridays they gather for grueling workouts of push-ups and sit-ups.
Students on the drill team said the program has focused them and boosted their confidence.
“I wanted to join (ROTC) for one reason: to make myself a better person,” said junior Simon Volker. “I was kind of shy back then — now I’m not shy. Everybody knows that.”
Volker, one of the program’s most gung-ho members, serves on all five drill team squads: inspection, exhibition, color guard, platoon and squad.
The teams practice every day after school and on Saturdays. Marching, mastering rifle maneuvers and getting their uniforms squared away takes about 15 hours each week, members said.
Most say it is time well-spent.
“When you’re competing, you forget about everything that happens on the outside,” junior Karla Bajana said. “It’s exciting when you win. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment.”
At the nationals, 145 teams will compete in six different armed and unarmed events including unit inspections, color guard presentations and squad or platoon exhibitions. In each event, cadets are judged on their appearance, military knowledge and precision when executing complex marching or rifle-handling maneuvers.
Teams are awarded either plaques or trophies, depending on where they place.
With all of the time they have spent practicing, Long Island City’s team is confident it will have a strong showing.
“We’re gonna do damn good, I know that,” Volker said.
“I feel excited — it’s an adrenaline rush for me,” added Derrick Petersen, a junior. “Because this is where all of our hard work pays off.”
That work included selling items such as candy, dog tags and juice to raise money for the trip. Students sought out community sponsorships and held a schoolwide penny harvest, where classmates were encouraged to donate loose change. Their fund-raising efforts caught the eye of Gianaris, a Long Island City High alum, who kicked in $6,000 for the campaign.
The speed and success of the student-organized fund-raiser shocked school officials, Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez, who recently retired from active duty after 22 years, said he had modest expectations when he began instructing the drill team in the fall of 2002. He figured the first year would be a learning year. He was taken back by the team’s drive and stunned when it began placing in competitions.
“Oh, they’re awesome, please,” Gonzalez said. “They teach themselves. I’m like a cheerleader: I keep them motivated. I show them the basics and they run with it.”
Reach reporter Matthew Monks by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
