Statement from the Student Executive Board
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Winter 2020 | Volume XLIV No. 1 Statement from the Student Executive Board Dear UMMGC Community, The time for action and education towards anti-racism is now. As a starting point, we The University of Michigan Men’s Glee invite you to watch –or rewatch– Joel Club Executive Board stands united with Thompson’s Seven Last Words of the our Black brothers and sisters in song and Unarmed. Then, utilize the resources the Black community across the country. available at https://sevenlastwords. We are heartbroken and disgusted by org/educational-resources/ to begin the blatant acts of violence and hatred formulating dialogues in your immediate committed against George Floyd, Ahmaud community. And most importantly, Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. Racism and continue to educate yourself, advocate, Statements from the UMMGC Student bigotry are antithetical to our values and and donate to organizations making a Executive Board and A-Net Board Pages 1-2 will never be tolerated in the Men’s Glee difference. This is a lifelong journey that Joint Statement from Outgoing Club. It is our duty and joy to celebrate we all must take together. President Jacob Emery and Incoming President Jack Riley and amplify the diverse voices in our Every person deserves respect. Every Page 3 community. person deserves to have a voice. Article from Professor Mark Stover We must realize that these recent Page 4 Every person deserves a life free from tragedies are not standalone events. discrimination and injustice. Article from Assistant Operations Manager Patrick Lovelace Racial injustice has existed for centuries, Page 5 often perpetuated, and therefore tacitly No one, regardless of the circumstances, An Introduction to Service and Engagement Chair Jeremy VandenHout condoned, by the silence and inaction of deserves to have their life ended before Page 6 large organizations. As an organization their time. Articles from Zion Jackson, Owen founded in 1859, the UMMGC recognizes Nakatani, and Michael Klettner Page 7 its own complicity in the perpetuation of Black Lives Matter. Articles from Ryan Montgomery and systemic injustice and racism. Tommy Wong Page 8 Today, the Executive Board reaffirms our Jack Riley, President Articles from Spencer Orlando, Jacob commitment to action against injustice. Professor Mark Stover, Music Director Lusk, and Nick Kolenda Page 9 We believe that the Men’s Glee Club, as Professor Daniel Washington, Faculty an organization comprised predominantly Articles from Graham Sell, Ajilan Advisor Potter, Socrates Papageorgiou, and Josh of White members, must stand in Ben DeVries Nichols Page 10 solidarity with the Black community, Britton Michmerhuizen Articles from Mark Lynch, Dan Walden, condemn white supremacy, and use our David Yang and Jeff Walker Page 11-12 platform to address and combat injustice Donovan Jewell Financial Repercussions of COVID-19 wherever we can. We encourage all of our Doug McClure Page 13 members, alumni, and friends of the Glee Jonathan Lin Thank You to Our Donors! Club to join us in supporting the Black Matt Lichtinger Page 14 Lives Matter movement in any way that Patrick Lovelace you can. Zachary English Laudes: Volume XLIV, No. 1 Print news from the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club since 1972 1 Statement from the A-Net Board health with the ground-breaking “You Are “Our lives begin to end the day we become Enough” program at the last Hill concert. silent about things that matter.” - Dr. Martin As alumni of the University of Michigan Luther King Jr. Men’s Glee Club, we must continue to do what we learned during our time in the Club The murders of George Floyd, Breonna -- we must lead. We must tackle Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others uncomfortable issues and be a champion for make clear that racism remains a systemic just causes; we must hold ourselves to high and pervasive disease in American society. standards as ambassadors for the Countless Black lives have been lost, many University’s mission of developing leaders more have been unjustly diminished by and citizens who will challenge the present racism, and in certain places “Black Lives and enrich the future. Lastly, we must not Matter” is seen as a political statement rather lose heart, or fear that the battle is lost. than a statement of basic human rights. We, as the UMMGC Alumni Network So, let us say it here, simply: Black Lives (A-Net), write this message to renew our Matter. We stand with Black U-M students, commitment to lift our voices in support of Black Glee Club alumni, and all Black things that matter. We will not be silent in members of the greater U-M alumni saying “Black Lives Matter,” and we community and beyond. encourage you to join us. Moving forward, Injustice affects us all, and therefore we must we are educating ourselves, we are all act. We are encouraged by the words of listening, and we want to learn. We welcome President Schlissel and SMTD Dean David your input into how the A-Net can support Gier, which reinforce the importance of this conversation. cultural and educational institutions in In Tradition, Camaraderie, and Musical building a more just community and nation. Excellence, In particular, we believe that musical organizations have an important role to play Scott Roffman, A-Net 2019-20 President in making us better citizens, by awakening Michael Ferrante, A-Net 2020-21 President our empathy and reminding us that shared Anthony Alcantara, A-Net 2018-19 President musical experiences unite all and transcend Michael Foley, A-Net Board our individual experience. Scott Venman, A-Net Board The University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club Ben Rizzo, A-Net Board has led the way throughout its history: it was Ben Saukas, A-Net Board the first college glee club to tour the Craig Brennan, A-Net Board country and then the world, and, in recent Matt Hill, A-Net Board years, tackled the unjust killing of Black Sky Lance, A-Net Board people through the powerful work “Seven Steve Ramsey, A-Net Board Last Words of the Unarmed.” Most recently, Steven Fisher, A-Net Board the Club addressed the stigma of mental 2 Laudes: Volume XLIV, No. 1 Joint Statement from Outgoing President Jacob Emery and Incoming President Jack Riley Amid these unprecedented circumstances, we can’t sing in the same room together. It But our why isn’t just the people sing- both of us felt it necessary to come also exemplifies that this organization goes ing; it also encompassses our audience together to write an article that discusses beyond music-making. It’s proof of the and the voices of those we lift through all the various topics that are on our genuine nature of the community we’ve our song. Through our song we have minds as we continue to feel the effects of fostered over our 161 years. the power to change people’s hearts and COVID-19 echoing through our lives and, minds. This idea has guided our music- specifically, through the lens of our Club. As we look towards this upcoming Fall making in recent years, from our mental semester and beyond, there is undoubt- health suite this past Fall to The Seven As many of you know, our plans to tour edly a lot of uncertainty. Many may have Last Words of the Unarmed in 2015. South America in May and our 160th seen the articles discussing the dangers Through these ground-breaking pieces, Spring Hill Concert were unfortunately of spreading COVID-19 through singing. both of our lives, as well as the lives of cancelled due to uncertainties and dangers We don’t yet know the fate of our Fall Hill, countless others, were changed. But we relating to COVID-19. These losses were Winter Tour, Spring Hill, or even 2021 cannot stop there. With the ongoing devastating for our Club, both collectively Spring Tour. Rest assured that the Execu- pandemic, continued systemic oppres- and individually. Looking forward to Hill tive Board and Alumni Network are hard sion of Black people and other people of and annual tours carries us through our at work planning for the various scenarios color, and the upcoming 2020 Presiden- college years, and to have them disappear we may face. We will need to be flexible, tial Election, it is critically important that along with commencement activities, diligent, and most importantly responsible our Club is celebrating the voices in our end-of-year banquet, and so many other as we move forward; we have no doubt community and using our music to cre- events is dreadful to say the least. that our student leadership is up to the ate lasting change. We believe that music task. has the power to heal, and this is a time A light amidst these unfortunate events when our world needs healing. has been our resilience as a community, Until we know more information, the both felt and showcased virtually. While best we can do is focus on why we put on Finally, we ask that you think about why all these virtual meetings and videos our tux shoes, tie our bowties, and stand you joined the Men’s Glee Club. What are are no substitute for the real thing, they on the Hill Auditorium stage in front of some ways that the Glee Club changed remind us that we’re in it together even 3,000 of our closest friends. There are your life? In what ways can the Glee Club though we’re apart. Of particular note many reasons why we love being a part continue to change lives? These questions was our dear alumni’s self-organized of the Men’s Glee Club--touring across must guide us as we explore what the virtual choir and mini-documentary, the country, learning from world-class Men’s Glee Club looks like during, and featuring over 200 alumni as well as conductors, and eating our weight in free after, a global pandemic.