Homecoming is always an exciting time where students get to show off their school spirit by dressing up for various theme days, participating in school activities, going to the Homecoming dance and attending the Homecoming football game. Most high schoolers looked forward to cheering on the LHS football team and going to the Patriot Party afterwards, but senior Alex Lorang looked forward most to getting the honor of performing his 100th Color Guard in his final Homecoming game at LHS.

Lorang is already enlisted in the Air Force and his hard work and dedication have earned him the distinguished position of Cadet Commanding Officer of the LHS Marine Corps JROTC. He gets to work closely with Major and Sergeant Major by proposing new ideas and offering his input on various issues. He has been performing Color Guards since he was a freshman, and as his 100th one is completed, he still remembers his first as well as some of his most memorable ones.

“My first Color Guard was actually gymnastics Color Guard my freshman year and it was really scary,” said Lorang. “But I think the scariest one that we have done was when we did the Dakota Dome, when we went to state football. There were so many people that I knew there and it was really scary.”

Not often does a student get to do something 100 times, so the fact that Lorang has now presented the Color Guard, which consists of the National Colors, Organizational Colors and two Riflemen, for the 100th time is an achievement that is very prestigious. Only six other cadets at LHS have accomplished this since the beginning of the JROTC program 16 years ago in 2000.

“It is a special accomplishment because a lot of people when they see a Color Guard think ‘oh those are just the kids who march around,’” said Lorang. “But to me, to present the colors and especially it being my 100th one really is significant because I get to represent my country as well as what I do here.”

Because of his tremendous accomplishment, Lorang will have his name engraved onto a plaque in the JROTC room and also will be presented with the Centurion Color Guard Award from the LHS MCJROTC.

The JROTC Drill team has an upcoming meet in April and would appreciate more support from the student body. More details to come.