Just said it's our song and we are singing it. Pretty straight forward with zero hesitation. I'm impressed.
I fully expected him to tip toe around it but he just went full Kool-aid Man and busted right through it.
Love his response. He followed it with comments about the need to have some hard conversations so it's clear he's got the huevos to tackle things (pun intended).
Inspire the players to own the song. Like many of us have said, the whole damn university's history is tied to segregation and racism. All of it. But times have changed. It's not what it was 55, 65, 75 years ago. Own the traditions and whatever connotation there might have been will fade into memory.
His management of the issue was extraordinary, yet very simple: “That’s our song and we’re fired up to sing it!” Issue eliminated. What a difference. That’s called leadership.
Well I certainly have never equated racism and the nazis. My point is the school song represents the university, so these players can own the song and show what it means today, regardless of what connotation it may have had way back when.
I'll be the one to say it. Pathetic that saying the alma mater is our song makes us all so giddy because of the previous regime. Love this guy so far. Wait, not love. Really like. No kissing or anything.
I forgot about the band. Does anyone know what is going on with the band and their refusal to play the EOT? I have not seen anything about how that situation is being handled.
The drum majors head exploded after Sark made his comment. Literally. Brains everywhere. Dr. Scott Hanna is a reasonable if cautious and diplomatic man. I hope he can get the band to understand the full history of LHB, not just 1903 to 1965. Everything that happened after integration is just as important and The Eyes has been a big part of LHB and the university for the last 50+ years inclusive of all races and ethnicities. Let's not imagine that not to be the case.