Hello, friends!

Long time, no e-mail! How have you all been? The Tri-Historians have
been just great, thanks.

To begin this message to you, let's play a guessing game. I'll give
you a question, you give what you think the answer is!

What is the purpose of this e-mail?
A) To discuss controversial freak-dancing and card-playing rules.
B) To complain about gas prices.
C) To state that we think Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld should step
down and be replaced with either Arnold Scwarzenagger or that crazy
guy who shouts a lot on the Oxi-Clean commercials.
D) To tell you to turn in pictures for the Spring Band Banquet Slide Show

If you guessed C, you were correct! Just kidding. The answer's D.

So let's get to it: WE NEED YOU TO TURN IN PICTURES!

As you may or may not know, there is another slide show in the spring,
at the spring band banquet. Well, you heard it from us in the fall,
but it's still true: The tri-historians put the slideshow together,
but it is you band members who make the slideshow. Without you
turning in fabulous band pictures, there will be no slideshow. So, to
adapt a slogan from a shoe company that pays basketball players way
too much money in endorsement deals: Just do it. Turn in Band Pictures.

You: "Hahaha. Tri-Historians, your obnoxious advertising techniques
worked on me during marching band, but they won't this time. Spring
slideshows are never as good as the marching band ones. I mean,
nothing both band-related and picture-worthy happens during the school
year!"

Well, we hear what you're saying. We understand you might not have
taken as many pictures of band things since the end of the marching
season. But we know that some of you have taken some. Even if you
haven't taken any, there's still plenty of time to take some. So dust
off those digital cameras and get to work.

It's perfectly understandable that you'd think there's not as much
band stuff to take pictures of during the school year. Everything's
seems so drawn out and uneventful. Well, to get you thinking, here's
a list of ideas for kinds of pictures you could turn in:
-pictures from concerts and performances
-pictures from District Band (or SRO, or All State, etc.)
-pictures from Winter Guard or Wnter Drumline (practices,
performances, trip)
-pictures from Solo and Ensemble
-pictures from all other band events
-pictures of band people participating in non-band things, such as
sports (no, band does not qualify as a sport)
-pictures of band people looking funny or doing funny things
-pictures of band people in general
-baby pictures of seniors

And while we think Frangelina and BobKat or whatever you call those
celebrity couples are cute, we'd prefer that the pictures you turn in
be at least somewhat band related.

You: "Okay, fine. So let's say I come across a few band pictures I
took. How do I turn them in?"

This is one area where we're trying to make your job easier. First,
we have a BRAND NEW e-mail address designed solely for the purpose of
receiving your pictures. E-mail us pictures, links to sites with
pictures, etc. at trihistorians@.... Isn't that easier to
remember than billyjoelwhosiewhats or whatever it was? Next, you can
use the greatest innovation in tri-history. THE NINJA FOLDER!

You: "The... what?"

THE NINJA FOLDER! It's in the band room, on the blackboard, and has a
big picture of a ninja on it. You can't miss it. Put any CD's,
photos, etc. in there. We'll take any format.

You: "Wait, why ninjas?"

Well, first of all, we like to have fun with this stuff. But also,
everybody knows ninjas are awesome at pretty much everything. As it
turns out, their skills include not only beating up pirates and
throwing ninja stars, but turning in lots of band pictures. The
tri-historians hoped by naming the folder for everyone to put pictures
in after ninjas, that the spirit and expertise of turning in band
pictures would rub off onto everyone. Every time you pass THE NINJA
FOLDER, think to yourself: "I must act like a ninja would. I must
turn in band pictures."

You: "You tri-historians weird me out more and more every day."

This may or may not be true. But we no longer have to use vague
statements like "Uhh, turn it into that folder in the band room, you
know that one, with the brown on it, and the masking tape..." etc.
Now we can just say "PUT IT IN THE NINJA FOLDER" and you will know
exactly what we'd be talking about.

But enough about THE NINJA FOLDER (yes, it will be capitalized every
time). It's supposed to remain somewhat of an enigma. Onto the stuff
you really want to talk about. Rewards for you for turning in lots of
pictures!

You: "Hahaha. That's the second time you've made me laugh this
e-mail. In the fall, you promised us free food and we never got it."

This time we won't make the same mistake (...and if you really are
still bitter about that, come find Dan on Friday, May 5. He'll have
candy for anyone who turned in at least 10 pictures in the fall.) So
here's the new and improved rewards system for the spring:

If you turn in...
-at least 3 pictures you get 1 letter point
-at least 25 pictures you get a signed certificate from the Tri-Historians
-at least 100 pictures you get the DVD with both the TJMC and spring
slideshow on it for free, which will otherwise cost money because
blank DVD's are much more expensive than blank CD's.

Well, I hope we've answered a lot of your questions. If you have any
more questions, or any comments, concerns, suggestions, requests,
etc., don't hesitate to contact us:

trihistorians@...

[or just reply to this e-mail]
[or just find us in person and ask us--we'd love to talk to you]

Well, good luck with the AP studying and whatnot! And get to work on
turning in those pictures.

Lots of love,
The Tri-Historians

Jordan Hurley
Dan Stalcup
Tyler Stukenbroeker
aka JDT