national anthem
September 7, 2011
Anthem debate resolved, finally
The time for talk is over. Now it's time to sing. In response to the discussion about whether to play the national anthem, the Board of Directors and President James E. Brenneman chose the alternative of "America the Beautiful." According to their joint letter on the decision, that song “fits with sports tradition, honors the country and that resonates with Goshen College’s core values and respects the views of diverse constituencies.” For the last year and a half, the Goshen College community has been having a conversation that attracted national attention. It began at the request of students asking to...
February 24, 2011
Conversation events to promote anthem dialogue
The ongoing discussion regarding the playing of the National Anthem, known as "Listen and Learn," will shift from a "surveying" phrase to a "sharing" phase over the next several months. While a survey sent over Christmas break collected a range of people’s opinions, the months of February, March and April will hold opportunities for people to share these opinions collectively. Opportunities for sharing will come in scheduled events on and off campus for all interested students, faculty and alumni. The conversation events will be hosted by the Listen and Learn Steering Committee, which was formed to collect responses concerning the anthem’s Listen and Learn process....
January 20, 2011
Online survey gathers anthem perspectives
As a continued step of action in regards to Goshen College’s decision to play the national anthem, an online survey was sent to students, faculty and alumni over Christmas break. The e-survey was constructed by Goshen’s Listen and Learn Steering Committee in an attempt to gather opinions from a wide range of groups concerning the anthem issue. The Board of Directors intends to use the final results during a review of the anthem decision in June 2011. Consisting of six pages and eleven sections, the survey asked questions such as, “What is most important to Goshen College’s identity in the...
September 30, 2010
Brenneman, Claiborne process anthem decision in published blog
Goshen College President Jim Brenneman and Shane Claiborne, author and Christian activist, have been emailing for the past six months, discussing and processing last spring's decision to play the national anthem before select sporting events at the college. On Tuesday night, their emails were published on the Sojourner's God's Politics blog so the public could take part in the conversation as well. Sojourners is the largest network of progressive Christians in the United States and through a website and magazine, works to articulate the biblical call to social justice. "(Claiborne) has a generous spirit that permeates his deep convictions,"...
September 15, 2010
President releases statement on anthem proceedings
Goshen College President Jim Brenneman released a statement to students, faculty and administration Wednesday morning outlining the national anthem discernment process instigated by the Goshen College Board of Directors. The board met several times over the summer to discuss how to proceed with last spring's decision to play "The Star Spangled Banner" at select indoor and outdoor sporting events at Goshen College. In his statement, Brenneman highlighted the "Listen & Learn" process initiated by the board as part of the decision review set for June 2011. The review will result in letting the decision stand, making modifications or reversing the...
September 15, 2010
Anthem review update – A letter to students from President Jim Brenneman
September 14, 2010 Dear Students, As we enter the new school year, I am again thankful for the energy and excitement created by new and returning students to the campus and I am grateful for the support of faculty, staff and alumni. This year promises to be full of new learning opportunities for each and every one of us, whether in the classroom, lab, clinic, service assignment, work place, sporting event, chapel or just hanging out. One learning opportunity will be to continue our conversation about the decision made last year to begin playing the national anthem at select sporting events on...
May 27, 2010
GC community offers public critique
A month ago, Goshen College announced their decision to play the national anthem before sporting events. In President Brenneman’s letter to the students, he stated that playing the anthem “will open possibilities for GC community members to publicly offer critique.” President Brenneman was right. Members of the public such as major theologians, priests, conference ministers and college professors are offering critique from places as far away as Sweden and Brazil. Since the President’s Council’s unanimous decision was made, more than 790 members have joined a Facebook group titled “Against Goshen Playing the National Anthem” that was started by John Zimmerman...
April 8, 2010
Jesus Radicals replace flags, present petition
Around twenty people marched to Goshen College last Monday to present a petition against the decision to play the anthem to President Brenneman and to replace the college’s U.S. and United Nations flags with “more inclusive symbols.” Initially, 12 people met at Rogers Park in Goshen as a part of the Jesus is Lord! Post Easter Pilgrimage and Celebration, organized by the Jesus Radicals, and began the walk to the college, gaining others as they traveled. In front, the group held a white flag with a light blue outline of the Angus Dei—Latin for “Lamb of God,” often pictured as...
March 25, 2010
Anthem premieres with peace and passion
Goshen College made history on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 12:58 p.m. as the national anthem was played for the first time since 1957 when intercollegiate athletics began. The anthem was played for the baseball game against Siena Heights University as well as the softball game against St. Joseph’s College. More than 100 spectators stood shoulder to shoulder on bleachers while the anthem played and continued standing for the peace prayer of St. Francis. Both were followed with clapping, cheering and even some whistling. Three Goshen College students, Sean Doering, Nate West and Taylor Tenharmsel, donned American flags painted on...
March 18, 2010
Discussion continues as anthem premiere approaches
The national anthem will premiere on Tuesday, March 23 before the baseball and softball games. The baseball team will host Siena Heights College at 1 p.m. and the softball team will host St. Joseph’s College at 3 p.m. Peter Breiner’s version of the anthem will be played before each game. He’s the same musician who “composed all of the world anthems for the Athens Olympics years ago,” said Bev Lapp, Goshen College music professor. In the future, a Goshen College string quartet may have the opportunity to record a version composed by one of its own alumni. Details are not...
March 18, 2010
Patriotic rituals spark college identity crisis
From quiet musings to fiery debates, anyone connected with Goshen College knows that patriotic rituals have caused quite the stir on campus recently, and their place in the college identity is still being debated. Rituals, such as the flying the flag, pledging allegiance, and the national anthem, are used to create unity between otherwise diverse peoples, particularly helpful in building support around a common cause. Martin Luther King Jr. was noted for his use of American flags during civil rights marches while still calling the country to change. Michael Eric Dyson, a professor of theology and African American studies at...
March 11, 2010
Post-Anthem Prayer
Goshen College President Jim Brenneman led campus-wide discussions on Wednesday about the prayer that is to follow the instrumental version of the national anthem played during sporting events. It was recently announced that the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi will be the prayer of choice to follow the anthem. Other details that have been decided are that a U.S. flag will be present, but not permanent, during the event and a statement is to be included in all sporting programs. The statement will address each of Goshen College’s core values in relation to the Anabaptist’s pacifistic beliefs and...
March 5, 2010
Anthem decision in national media
Many students traveled across the U.S. during Goshen College’s Spring Break, but students weren’t the only thing to go national during that week. The Associated Press out of Indianapolis released their story “Ind. college lifts 116-year ban on national anthem.” According to Goshen’s Public Relations office, by 8 p.m. March 1, 273 Web sites had published the story. While not all of those were news sites, many leading national news sites did publish the article online. However, the Public Relations department at Goshen doesn’t know how many, if any, actually printed the story in their newspaper or magazine, though a...
February 18, 2010
GC community offers public critique
A month ago, Goshen College announced their decision to play the national anthem before sporting events. In President Brenneman’s letter to the students, he stated that playing the anthem “will open possibilities for GC community members to publicly offer critique.” President Brenneman was right. Members of the public such as major theologians, priests, conference ministers and college professors are offering critique from places as far away as Sweden and Brazil. Since the President’s Council’s unanimous decision was made, more than 790 members have joined a Facebook group titled “Against Goshen Playing the National Anthem” that was started by John Zimmerman...
February 18, 2010
President’s Council announces review for anthem
After their first weekend meeting of the year, the Goshen College Board of Directors announced a time of "thoughtful and prayerful discernment," with a review of the decision to play the anthem before select sports events in June 2011. President Jim Brenneman, who speaks on behalf of the board when not formally assembled, sent out an e-mail announcing the decision late Wednesday afternoon. Along with the date for a review, Brenneman also named a few ways they intend to continue that dialogue, including "a symposium to discuss the anthem in the larger context of Mennonite identity, peacemaking and civic engagement."...