The Erie Times-News reports that “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the “Black national anthem,” now follows the “Star-Spangled Banner” prior to every home athletic event at Gannon College (Feb. 7th online).
At Syracuse University, it’s a bit more complicated.
A proposal to adopt the “Gannon Approach” at Syracuse was met with opposition when agreement could not be reached on which song should be played first. After a week of deliberation, the Syracuse administration decided to alternate the order of the anthems from one game to the next.
However, the night before this decision was to be announced, a rogue student choir, Jagged Edge, stormed the campus library and demanded that “America the Beautiful” be added to the roster of pregame songs.
Syracuse President Kent Syverud immediately turned the matter over to the Faculty Senate for resolution. On March 3rd the Senate offered its recommendation, which the President accepted:
Employing a trio of Yamaha S215V Speakers, all three songs should broadcast simultaneously at the beginning of every sporting event at the University.
“The overall sound will be awesome,” according to Syverud. “Sure, it might be difficult to discern the precise lyrics of your preferred anthem amidst the cacophony, but our nation is a melting pot, right? Well, at 200 decibels, you can bet we’re gonna melt this mutha DOWN!”
Syracuse Faculty Senate, take a bow.