As children, most people got yelled at for playing with sticks. Not Melissa Gaffney-while everyone else was poking eyes out, she was twirling and tossing a baton.

Gaffney, an undeclared freshman in The College of Arts and Sciences, started practicing at age three in a small gymnastics studio in her hometown of Woburn, Mass. Since then, she has risen through the ranks to one of the most prestigious posts in the baton twirling world: Syracuse University Orange Girl.

‘I couldn’t be prouder. She’s the perfect girl for the job,’ said Keri Ann Lynch, former SU Orange Girl and 2003 graduate.

Gaffney was told of earning SU’s top twirling spot-an announcement trumpeted almost as infrequently as that of a new chancellor-after a grueling tryout with an independent five-person committee.

Her counterparts in the SU Marching Band say they couldn’t be more thrilled to have her.

‘She’s outstanding, great,’ said Peter Acosta, SU band director. ‘The band loves having her around.’

‘The Pride of the Orange’ is greatly enhanced by the Orange Girl’s performance, said Acosta. She leads the charge, often twirling several batons at once, as the 160-plus members of New York state’s largest college marching band advance across the field. To a 50,000-strong crowd, Gaffney is a conductor, gracefully arching her rod high in the air with the swoon of the saxophones, and forcefully snapping the baton side to side with the belligerent beat of the drums.

As a young girl, Gaffney had a passion for gymnastics and dance. The baton served as an intermediary from which both could flourish in her.

It’s not easy though-garnering the kind of talent Gaffney possesses is a lifelong affair. She outgrew her old gymnastics studio at age 12, and began training in New Hampshire with the world-renowned Red Star Twirlers where she met Lynch.

‘I was in absolute shock when I first saw Keri Ann perform,’ Gaffney said. ‘She was so good. It took me a while to get the courage to talk to her.’

Lynch became Gaffney’s teacher at Red Star, and the two have been intertwined in their quest for twirling excellence ever since. In 2002, the pair performed a routine at an international baton twirling competition that won them the title of best twirlers in the world.

‘You could tell (Gaffney) was going to be good from the moment she stepped on the floor,’ Lynch said. ‘She’s a real hard worker. She won’t stop until she gets what she wants.’

Gaffney took the reins from Lynch this year with authority, performing a near flawless routine at the Carrier Dome against Cincinnati on Sept. 18.

‘She had big shoes to fill after Keri Ann left,’ said Jason Yaley, director of the Sour Sitrus Society and saxophone player in the SUMB, ‘but she’s definitely doing a great job.’

Gaffney, a somewhat short girl with a smile large enough to make up for it, describes herself as a very shy person, and friends are quick to comment that she just wants to be one of the group and not outshine any of her fellow band members. But performing for a packed Dome, dressed in a sparkling orange suit that distinguishes her from the army of musical performers in imperial white, is not a job that lends itself to bashfulness or homogeneity. Gaffney thrives regardless.

‘Of course I get nervous,’ she said. ‘I can’t eat like the whole day before a game. But I love it anyways. It’s fun to be unique.’

Her rare talents have caught the attention of more than just cheering fans at the Dome. Gaffney said it’s hard to go places on campus and not be recognized by at least someone as the Orange Girl.

‘I’m not used to it,’ she said, ‘but it’s kind of cool sometimes.’

After her first show, people on her floor at Flint Hall made a giant banner proclaiming ‘Flint 2A loves the Orange Girl!’

‘They’re always asking ‘Hey, Orange Girl, will you come outside and show us some stuff you do with the baton?” Gaffney said.

Gaffney has to practice with the band three days a week, four on game weeks. And while twirling is definitely one of the most important things in her life right now, Gaffney laments not having the time she would like to have to do her homework.

‘You think I’m good with the baton,’ she said, ‘but the real test will be when I get my grades later this year.’

Lynch said that such feelings are typical of Gaffney.

‘She’s way too critical of herself,’ Lynch said. ‘She’s a perfectionist who works hard and is definitely determined.’

Ever since 1947, when the position of Orange Girl was added to SUMB-then known as ‘100 Men and Girl,’-the professionalism of the baton twirler has been upheld to the highest standards. Only the finest candidates are selected, and with that selectivity comes great reverence for the job – perhaps the reason there has never been a vacancy for an Orange Girl in the 57 years the position has existed.

If for any reason she is overly critical of herself, Gaffney said it is to maintain that high standard of excellence.

After only a few weeks on the job, band members and staff are sure she’s doing just that.

‘She’s doing a great job of it,’ Acosta said. ‘And she always does it with a smile. We haven’t lost a step since she’s joined. It’s been that much of a pleasure.’

Published on November 11, 2004 at 12:00 pm