Student petition against music department emails

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Student petition against music department emails
Howard Music Hall Chandler Lasch | Collegian
Howard Music Hall Chandler Lasch | Collegian

When sophomore Haley Hauprich received five emails in one morning from Howard Music Department, she decided to make a change — a change.org petition, that is.

“5 emails in one morning???” the petition says. “They have abused their power for far too long.”

After receiving emails about studio recitals, a solo competition, and performances, Hauprich said she created the petition and shared it on social media as a joke Nov. 17, though it has collected 50 signatures.

It was like eight in the morning on a Thursday,” Hauprich said. “I was laying in bed, and I kept seeing emails from the music department on my phone. So I thought, you know would would be funny? Starting a petition with really hyperbolic language.”

The petition also allows people to comment on it. Of the 14 individuals that did, five cited that they are located in Hillsdale presently.

“It’s time to end the inbox tyranny of Howard [Musical Hall] elites,” Christopher McCaffrey ’16 said in a comment.

In reality, Hauprich said instead of a total ban on emails, the department should perhaps consider creating a newsletter for announcements.

Music department chairman James Holleman, who said he was relieved to hear the petition was a joke, explained that the Howard Music Department has made changes in the past to improve its emails.

For example, the music department now has an email of its own to sent out announcements instead of using Holleman’s personal address. That makes it easier for students and faculty to distinguish between campus-wide and personal emails, he said. In addition, multiple studio recitals may be advertised in one email.

“I get these comments from faculty and students,” Holleman said. “We try to decrease the amount of emails. But we’re proud of the hard work students do, and we want to advertise. We also have over 100 performances a year. Which would we not advertise?”

Shortly after Hauprich created the petition, a survey appeared in the student activities newsletter for Hillsdale’s Student Federation. It inquired about students’ preferred format of communication on campus with the goal of limiting the number of campus-wide emails that are sent, Assistant Director of Student Activities Ashlyn Landherr said in an email.

For now, Holleman offered some advice for disgruntled students.

“I get more emails than I want to see,” Holleman said. “I use the delete button.”