The JSU Marching Southerners are back in action for the Fall 2021 football season after not performing on the field during the entirety of the last academic year. This year, in addition to the JSU faculty staff, the Southerners are under the leadership of four drum majors: Chelsea Owens, Jared Stephens, Jason Carpio, and Brooklee Mason.

Chelsea Owens, a senior majoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology, hopes to earn a graduate degree in Genetic Counseling to become a certified genetic counselor. Owens began playing flute for the Marching Southerners when she joined during their Fall 2017 season, but had already seen them numerous times, coming from a family of JSU alumni. “I was awe-struck any time I saw a performance, and I just knew that’s where I belonged,” she shared. Her current favorite memory with the Marching Southerners is her first “Stars and Salvation.”

Jared Stephens is a senior majoring in Voice Music Education; he is a Tenor. Stephens hopes to be the conductor of a professional orchestra one day and looks forward to teaching at the high school level until that time comes. Stephens initially joined the Southerners so he could surround himself with talented individuals who are just as dedicated as he is to excelling, while also making friends. His favorite Southerners memory is a recent one: “Watching the Southerners scream out in joy in reaction to the last-minute win at FSU was an awe-inspiring moment. I have never seen such happy faces at 12:00 AM on an early Sunday morning knowing that we had a 6-hour bus ride ahead of us.”

Jason Carpio is a senior majoring in Instrumental Music Education who plays the French Horn. Carpio wants to teach elementary music in the future and plans to pursue higher education in music, as he hopes to write, perform, and teach music at different points in his career. Just like Owens, Carpio joined the Southerners during fall 2017. He had first seen the Marching Southerners on a JSU Band Day that his high school band attended.  “When I saw the Southerners, I was blown away. I just loved the atmosphere created by the [them],” he remembered. “After many experiences with the Southerners throughout high school, I knew it was the place I wanted to be.” 

Brooklee Mason, a senior majoring in graphic design, plays the clarinet for the Marching Southerners. Mason joined during the Fall 2017 season because she wanted to make memories while meeting new people and pursuing her passion for music. She says her favorite Southerners memory is performing at the 2019 World Peace Day Parade in Rome, Italy, on New Year’s Day.