As candy and drinks are passed out, the band room is full of musicians trying to figure out who is their secret Santa.

Senior Jocelyn Means brought up the idea to band directors James Hollingsworth and Todd Hollis. 

“Someone else mentioned it, and they didn’t go through with it, so I helped it along,” Means said. 

While Means helped the idea go through, junior Sawyer Jones and sophomore Hunter Smith  think it brought the band members closer together. 

“It’s a good idea; it might help bring the band together, make it feel more like a family then being at each other’s neck the whole time,” Jones said. 

While Jones thinks it is a good idea, freshman Eli King was concerned about the time.  

“It’s a good thing to do,” King said. “I just don’t have time for it, and it’s a good way to get into the Christmas spirit.” 

While King says it is a good idea, senior Ellison Whitlow participated  to support her fellow band members. 

“I am doing it because I believe in supporting people who you are in organizations with so when the student started it and Hollis and Hollingsworth started it I said, ‘yeah I will be involved,’” Whitlow said. 

Throught out the beginning of the process the number of band students who would participate was unknown.

 “The main problem would be the number of people who participated,” Means said. “At least 50 slips were turned in.”

Jones participated in the secret Santa gift exchange for something exciting to do. 

“I am doing it because it is going to be fun,” Jones said. ‘If you don’t have fun in your classes, your classes are going to get boring.” 

Whitlow appreciates it because it  is nice to do it since it is voluntary and put together by a fellow band member. 

“I think it is a fun idea,” Whitlow said. “My favorite part of band is the community it creates. It’s an idea that is nice and that it’s an idea by a band member and that it’s voluntary is really fun as people want to be involved.”