May 31, 2000
WSH students definition of friendship
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
In the ongoing saga of Mike and Brian's Excellent Adventure, the two pals recently went to their prom, each squiring his beautiful girlfriend. Upcoming scenes have them preparing for graduation and rehearsing for an upcoming choir trip to Wales and Europe.
Then in July it's induction time - into the United States Navy, that is. Same boot camp, too, since no self-respecting storyline would separate its stars.
Now for the unexpected plot twist: this is no formula buddy flick, but the real-life story of two childhood best friends determined to remain close as they segue into adulthood.
"Our friendship is the best thing that has ever happened to both of us," said Mike Nyland, a senior at Traverse City West High School and the serious side of the dynamic duo. "It's been the best road of my life and I couldn't ask for anyone better for a bud."
Nyland and Brian Eustice, the comedian of the pair, have their roles down to a science after nearly a decade of friendship.
"He tries to keep me in line and I try to loosen him up," Eustice noted. "It's been a great time, we've grown up together."
Eustice and Nyland met in the third-grade at Norris Elementary and were best friends by the time they started singing duos in the sixth-grade. Common interests (music, singing and choir), a shared sense of humor (zany) and similar academic pursuits (in the tenth-grade they had all the same classes) cemented their friendship over the years.
"Humor keeps us going, our jokes just play off each other," Nyland said. "We don't hold grudges against each other; if we spat it's only for 20 minutes or so and once a joke is said, we're good."
It didn't hurt that they lived just four miles from each other, a short bike ride on the Leelanau Trail or, more recently, a quick drive. Or that their families were close, each having an open door policy to the other friend. Or that they both love to sing and did just about everything musical that this town has to offer kids - and did it together.
Over the years, they have sung together in the Northwestern Michigan College Children's Choir and in West High School's Madrigals, Symphonic Choir, Men of Note, Chorale and Choral-Aires. Plus they have traveled together on numerous choir trips.
"We're not competitive with each other," Nyland said. "The summer we went to Europe with the choir in the Michigan Ambassadors of Music program was the best ever."
So back to the Navy thing: how they did both get signed up? And why?
Joining the armed forces was the farthest thing from either of their minds as the Christmas holidays approached last year. Both had been accepted to Western Michigan University and they were planning to room together in the fall.
Then Eustice got a call one night from a Navy recruiter who interested him in their naval aviation programs and the promise of money for college after completing his hitch. Eustice, who planned to study aviation at college, asked his best friend to come along to the appointment for support.
Nyland was skeptical of the whole idea. He had no interest in the Navy but went with Eustice because that's what buds are for. Then the recruiter hooked him by explaining the Navy's diving program and telling him that from there he would have the chance to study marine mammals, his main career interest. When the recruiter called Nyland during the Christmas break with the news that just one slot was left for a Michigan resident in the diving program, Nyland joined up.
Then he had to tell Eustice when he returned from a family vacation in Alaska the news, in a, "You're going to be mad at me, but_" scenario. Eustice took the news in stride and soon signed on the dotted line himself, after first making sure they could both go to the same boot camp. Then, in a fitting finale, their advanced training assignments are both at bases in Florida, just an hour apart.
"Our parents were not too comfortable with this idea at first," Eustice said. "But they got used to it."
Added Nyland: "The key is that we are going to go together."
Which just about sums it up.