First day back!

I must say I wish spring break had been a bit longer, but rehearsal today was fantastic! We sounded AMAZING! The vibe was great! Everyone just seemed to be in good spirits. I must say, I was super disappointed though, my camera died JUST before things got really crazy! And it won't let me upload the videos I took! I'll try and make it work a little later. Here's some of what I DID get a chance to capture today...

E-Board making announcements

Nate directing the Sopranos and the Tenors in a new song
for Mount Mary Jamboree coming up in April

Midterm Week

Ohh midterm week. It is SO stressful, but Gospel Choir has a way of cheering me up and motivating me! Although I have to admit that today wasn't the best rehearsal we've ever had. I think we all were a little drained as this time of year is super hectic.

Nate seemed to be especially silly though, so all the laughs kept us going, and definitely inspired me to keep my head up! We got to hear a soloist today! Actually, it was the soloist for my favorite song, "There Is No Way"(the clip below! Sorry about the picture!), and she sounds fantastic! I can't wait to hear her at the concert! It'll be sad not having rehearsal next week because of spring break! Can't wait to get back!! 

Altos "grooving" as Nate likes to say

Nate and Katie, an alto

Nate and the sopranos

Diversity

        I was filling out an application for something Marquette related the other day, and there was a question concerning "diversity" here. As much as I hate to admit it, that question seriously stumped me. I didn't know where to even begin to tackle it. That difficulty stemmed from my overall understanding of diversity. It's not a topic that I've really spent all that much time thinking about, so my internal understanding of diversity is much like everyone else's; I thought it was a physical difference. I always assumed that to be "diverse" meant to look different; to be of different religions, races, ethnicity etc. With that understanding, I had no way of answering my diversity question for my application.
        Now, I'm also a creative person; I like to write and think outside the box. With all of this being said, I was determined to really answer this question. I thought about everything I'm involved in on campus, my classes, my dorm, my friends. My thoughts began to linger on Gospel Choir and I couldn't quite figure out why. On the surface, how can MUGC be all that diverse? We're all there because we like to sing and/or use our voices to praise God. But then I went a little deeper, I thought about WHO was involved in MUGC, and what everyone contributes. That is where I found my true meaning of diversity.
        Diversity isn't about who's black, white, brown, or yellow. It's not about who's Catholic, Baptist, Jewish, or Muslim. It's not about where you're from. Diversity is about what you bring to the table. It's about your social location, your background. Your thoughts, passions, fears, strengths and weaknesses. With that definition, MUGC is most definitely diverse.
        We are a group of people who come together on a weekly basis to lift our voices together. We each bring our own "diversity" to the table. Not one of us is the same, yet we bond on a deep level through our common ground. We share our differences and use them to strengthen each other; lessen weaknesses; and become united as one VOICE.
        We are united through our diversity.