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Orange Girl alumna endows twirling scholarship for SUMB

When Janet Dean was searching for the perfect college more than 50 years ago, she had a specific requirement: a school where she could twirl.

Dean began baton twirling at age 10 and had competed nationally for years. She wasn’t ready to give it up when she moved on to college. So when Dean discovered that she could become the Orange Girl – a halftime favorite among SU football and basketball fans – Syracuse University moved up to the top of her list.

But without the scholarships Dean had, which were unrelated to twirling, coming to SU and performing as the Orange Girl from 1957–61 wouldn’t have been possible.

In an effort to give more twirlers the same opportunity she had, Dean is working to create a scholarship specifically for the Orange Girl.

Dean, ’61, and her husband John Dean ’59 (State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry), donated a lead gift of $25,000 to create the Janet K. Smith Feature Twirler Scholarship.



“When you’re a recipient of a scholarship and so much, you appreciate and remember it,” said Dean, an alumna of the College of Visual and Performing Arts ¬who was also part of the Hendricks Chapel choir.

Twirling has been a part of Dean’s life for years. Her mom signed her up for twirling classes when she was pregnant with Dean’s younger brother. As a high school freshman, she was recruited to join a college group that performed overseas for servicemen and refugees.

Dean said she hopes the scholarship will help SU recruit top-of-the-line twirlers, regardless of financial restraints.

This is the first endowed scholarship that benefits the Syracuse University Marching Band, which does not offer scholarships to its musicians.

The Deans have donated half of the necessary $50,000 to fund a full scholarship. Director of Gift Planning Christina Walker said the department will fundraise the rest of the money through marketing and publicity toward alumni and friends of the university.

Walker said she expects the remaining money to be raised in one to two years. Once the full amount is raised, the scholarship will be implemented.

The Gift Planning department is in the process of creating a publicity video that will feature Dean and her husband announcing the scholarship. The Deans also took promotional photographs with current Orange Girl Meghan Sinisi.

The video and photographs will be sent to alumni, with an emphasis on former marching band members and music majors, as part of the fundraising effort. But Walker said the Orange Girl has a universal appeal and she expects donations from alumni of all kinds.

“Anyone can be an Orange Girl,” Walker said. “It doesn’t matter which school or college she’s in.”

SUMB director Justin Mertz said he was humbled by the Deans’ generous scholarship for the Orange Girl and is extremely grateful for the donation.

“I’m a little in awe that there are people that are that generous,” he said.

While Mertz said he appreciates all donations given to the school, this scholarship is particularly special to him as it affects the marching band directly.

Mertz said he hopes the scholarship will encourage more competition among prospective twirlers when the spot opens up again. In the past, he said, some twirlers have opted not to try out to become the Orange Girl because tuition at SU is so expensive.

The role of the twirler is a marching band tradition that goes back decades, Mertz added. Her job during halftime performances is to act as a symbol for the band.

“She adds energy, dynamism, kineticism and a great visual aspect to our band,” Mertz said.

The Orange Girl connects with crowds of all ages, Mertz said, because everyone can appreciate the immense talent and skill she displays with each performance. Mertz has always enjoyed working with the twirlers.

Said Mertz: “They’re fantastic performers and even better people.”





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