Last week, budgeting challenges threatened to cut short the Grinnell Singers tour planned for the first week of spring break. However, thanks to the students’ initiative and collaboration with the administration, the tour will now go ahead as initially planned.
John Rommereim, Singers director and professor of music, said that the tour has been going on for 35 years. This year, though, the tour was a bit more ambitious — the group, which has now grown in size, was planning on an additional two days of touring. Syd Weller `26, student tour manager for the Singers, said that the itinerary was ready by November and that the group planned to go to Chicago, Ill., Grand Rapids, Mich., Ann Arbor, Mich., Pittsburgh, Penn. and Washington D.C.
In addition to the growth of both the group and the tour, Rommereim said that due to inflation, things like buses and hotel rooms were much more expensive than in the past.
He said that the tour is partially funded by the music department operating budget — which even in the past has never covered the entire cost — and was supplemented with gifts. However, over the past few years, the gifts were gradually depleted, Rommereim said. In the past, the tourhad cost about $30,000, but this year, the total came to about $50,000 and there was not enough money to cover it, said Rommereim.
“I thought it would be quite irresponsible of me to do that level of deficit,” Rommereim said. Therefore, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, he announced to students that the latter part of the tour would be canceled.
Two people got back to us. One of them said, ‘this is not my problem, this is not in my jurisdiction, and it seems to have been settled.’ And the other one was President [Anne] Harris, and she was very supportive.
— Syd Weller `26, student tour manager for Grinnell Singers
Not only were the students disappointed, but some had made plans to leave from D.C., including those with nonrefundable plane tickets, Weller said. Turning this setback into motivation, Weller and fellow Singers member Zoe Knoernschild `24 decided to find an alternative way to fund the tour. Weller said that they emailed multiple people in the administration, including financial services and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. “Two people got back to us. One of them said, ‘this is not my problem, this is not in my jurisdiction, and it seems to have been settled.’ And the other one was President [Anne] Harris, and she was very supportive,” Weller said.
She said that after that, she did not receive any communication on the subject until Rommereim told her that he was in conversation with President Harris. “I just wish they had kept us in the loop and told us what was going on and who was dealing with what,” Weller said.
Weller said she wanted a back-up plan. She said that the parents of Jack Broadmoore `27 — both alumni — posted an infographic to a Facebook group to raise funds from alumni on Sunday, Feb. 25. Donations started coming in, but that evening, Rommereim told Weller that she had to take the post down. Rommereim said that donations needed to be coordinated through the College for tax reasons. “That needed to be handled at a higher level to be effective, but it was hugely appreciated and really helped the campaign,” he said.
Planning with President Harris would eventually work out. President Harris said that she raised the funds through philanthropy, an area she is passionate about as Grinnell shifts from relying solely on its endowment. “Speaking broadly, the endowment will help us grow, philanthropy will keep us thriving,” she said.
President Harris drew the money from the President’s discretionary fund – a gift from Ron Gault `62. This money was previously used to facilitate community dialogues in the Fall `22 semester following racist incidents on campus. President Harris said she believes that using the gift to fund the tour would honor the intentions of Gault because the tour ends in D.C.
Speaking broadly, the endowment will help us grow, philanthropy will keep us thriving.
— President Anne Harris
She mentioned that Renfrow Hall, a College residence hall currently being constructed, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. were both designed by the same architectural firm, a striking shared connection between Grinnell, D.C. and the history of Black Grinnellians. In July of 2023, the College announced it was separating business ties with the firm, Adjaye Associates, as its founder, David Adjaye, faces sexual assault allegations.
The Grinnell Singers tour, now having secured its necessary funding, will commence on Saturday, March 16 and end on Friday, March 22.
