Ciara Benham
Staff writer
cbenham@murraystate.edu
Mallory Hlava
Staff writer
mhlava@murraystate.edu
All Campus Sing has been a beloved tradition at Murray State for 61 years.
ACS isn’t only about the music, the occasion also serves as SAI’s biggest philanthropy event.
Keena Creason, SAI’s philanthropy chair and junior from Mayfield, Kentucky, said the event was created to promote music and give back to the community.
“In 1958, All Campus Sing was started by the Iota Beta chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota as a way to get music into the community,” Creason said. “We are a music fraternity and what better way to raise money for our philanthropy than through music.”
All the money collected through the event goes to SAI’s philanthropy, People to People. People to People helps music education programs in developing countries that either need funding to get started or need help with funding to continue.
“This project provides material assistance to schools, music organizations and musicians in many parts of the world,” Creason said. “Also, any instruments that we collect are donated to local schools in the area and are given to students who cannot afford to buy one.”
Winnie Smee, SAI’s president, said ACS allows them to help other chapters of their fraternity.
“We try to do other small fundraisers here and there to raise money for our chapter itself, but donating these proceeds to our national philanthropy is our way of making sure we do our part on the national level to account for those smaller chapters that may not be able to give as much,” Smee said.
Donna Herndon, Sigma Sigma Sigma alumna, said while the overall concept of ACS has not changed much, the style of the event has transformed significantly over the years.
“Back then, we didn’t have other organizations involved,” Herndon said. “It’s grown by leaps and bounds. It’s much more entertaining and interesting to have such diverse groups participate. The more people who participate, the more fun it is for everybody. They didn’t give any recognition to costumes, either. It was strictly performance-based.”
Hannah Grenda, member of Alpha Sigma Alpha from Mayfield, Kentucky, said ACS is a memorable experience for both the performers and the audience.
“Whenever you’re placed in a spot where you are on the steps, you get to interact with people you don’t normally interact with,” Grenda said. “So, it’s more about other people.”
Since ACS was relatively new in the 1960s and Murray State did not have other competitions, Herndon said she remembers how excited she and her sisters were to perform.
Creason said ACS is special to Sigma Alpha Iota because it embodies exactly what they stand for.
“We had a number of Sigma sisters who were also in SAI,” Herndon said. “That was special because we were supportive of them as SAI members, and that gave us a little more enthusiasm.”
ACS is a highly acclaimed tradition at Murray State, and there are few who love it more than the sisters of SAI themselves.
“Honestly, my favorite part of ACS personally is just taking a moment and looking around,” Smee said. “Looking around to see all the smiling faces, all the organizations that worked so hard to put on a good show, the enormous amount of diversity in the crowd and on the steps, and all the people that help make it possible behind the scenes, like SAI sisters, the tech crew, sound crew and so many others.”
Emma Whitt, SAI member and senior from Knoxville, Tennessee, said SAI begins preparing for this event in the fall semester and works hard from then on to execute ACS.
“In January, we began learning the music for our show, and the entire chapter has helped to pitch in all semester to make the event a success,” Whitt said. “From coaching groups to helping count the change from change wars, it really is a team effort.”
Whitt said ACS is her favorite day of the year.
“My favorite part of ACS is getting to see the fruits of everyone’s labor,” Whitt said. “So many organizations on campus spend hours upon hours preparing for All Campus Sing, and you can really feel the joy and excitement in the air on the day of.”
For community members, ACS has been a source of free, wholesome entertainment.
“Our advisers committee come to watch, and they all bring their kids,” Sarah Armstrong, member of Alpha Omicron Pi from Lyon County, Kentucky, said. “We have a lot of alumni come. I think that shows that AOPi had a lot of impact on them in college.”
Creason said the competition is what brings students back because it is a fun, creative outlet for them to let loose and have fun with music.
For alumni, Herndon said the traditional aspect is what fuels the event.
“Having it on the quad is a super fun place to be,” Herndon said. “With all the social media coverage and things, plus the involvement of so many organizations and residential colleges, it makes it a happening thing and everyone wants to be there. Everyone wants to support their own and cheer for their friends and bring their puppies.”
This year, 22 organizations including sororities, fraternities and residential colleges performed their musical sets.
“We are all from different backgrounds and walks of life,” Creason said. “But we can all connect through music.”