Collegiate Division Updates

The Collegiate Division has had a successful spring semester. The ALcNAfME board members, Emma Tosney (President), Mariah Martin (Vice-President), John Niiler (Treasurer), and Hannah Creel (Secretary), had the opportunity to participate in NAfME’s 2021 Hill Day. In this event, we advocated for music education with several state legislators alongside AMEA Governing Board members Dr. Rob Lyda, Dr. Meghan Merciers (ALcNAfME State Advisor), Dr. Greg Gumina, Dr. Becky Halliday, and Mr. David Raney. The collegiate members offered a unique perspective on the importance of music education that proved effective in the meetings and helped to bring to light some of the challenges that we have faced in the classroom due to the pandemic.

The executive board began planning the 2021 Alabama Collegiate Summit, which will take place on October 24 at the University of Alabama. We are excited to have the opportunity to meet in person at this event and expect to see many universities represented from across the state. Because of the effects of COVID-19, the theme for this year’s Summit is “Connect.” We hope to offer an opportunity for students to reconnect with one another and hear how connection is vital in the classroom. We are also planning on reaching out to initiative collegiate chapters throughout the summer to engage less active chapters and increase numbers in membership.

The ALcNAfME newsletter is still underway and helping to streamline communication between the various chapters throughout the state. In the newsletter, we post updates for collegiates and have a collegiate chapter and student spotlight; it has been a successful way for the various chapters to stay connected throughout the busy semester.