83 Spring Sing took over the Benson stage every spring, covering it in glitter and forever rewriting lyrics in students’ longterm memory. A “ravenously unrestrained herd of sleep-deprived zombie-people,” as Bill Rankin described them in the ’80s, covered campus, all usually strangely dressed and either napping or compulsively running choreography as if they had forgotten to do much else. The chaos of this ritual was conceived fifty years ago in the Searcy heat, at Camp Wyldewood, in the summer of ’73. Having heard the success of Abilene Christian University’s Sing Song, a few students, including Jerry Palmer, Nancy Hatfield, Kathy McKinney and Steve Alexander, were inspired to create a similar event with the original name of Spring Sing, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Harding University and to enhance the annual youth forum, which since disappeared. Palmer and McKinney served as chairmen of 1974 Spring Sing, and Alexander was one of the first hosts, along with Kathy Curtis, Ann Ulrey and Stacy Peters. That first year of Spring Sing was crude, especially in comparison to what it is now. The programs were artistically handwritten by Palmer to cut costs, as the show only had a budget of $1000. It lasted three and a half hours, as all the songs were sung in entirety, with little or no choreography, everyone was inexperienced, there was barely a whisper of costuming (tuxedos were furnished by Sir Roberts of Little Rock until around 1982) and was reminiscent of a choir concert. Due it being the first year, no one knew what they were allowed to do, therefore issues arose with censorship, resulting in the removal of what Peters thought was their best song, “Gonna Take You Higher” due to the vague meaning, and Ju Go Ju and Galaxy rushing to remake the bloomers of their bumble bee costumes two days before the show. There were two performances in the Administration Auditorium, with an attendance of 2,500. The criteria for winning was entertainment and comedy, and that year, Sub T-16 and Ko Jo Kai became the first ever winners with the theme of “Sailing Sailing.” The next year, Jo Go Jo and Galaxy won with “Bee-Bop,” then for the next three consecutive years, King’s Men and the now-disbanded Oege won the sweepstakes. For years, “identifiable dance steps” were taboo, which resulted in a good deal of awkwardness and controversy. In the early years of the show, Dr. Jack Ryan, “Mr. Spring Sing,” suggested that while you could not please everyone, when you were unsure, simply refrain. It continued even into the ’80s, when Mike Roden compared the sheer amount of arm flailing (the then-substitute for identifiable dance steps) with landing an aircraft in a Bison article (The Bison, April 11, 1980). However, in the current era, both clubs and ensemble performed various dance numbers, often with highly recognizable dance steps – there was even a swing dancing club on campus, indicative of the changing attitude of the University towards “spontaneous choreography.” A related, and more considerable controversy was the concern over the purpose of Spring Sing: whether it was primarily for club competition, or another way to show off to University visitors, or a way to grow closer together. Palmer, co-chair of 1974 Spring Sing, stated that some of his main purposes for Spring Sing were to provide a spring function for social clubs and a new form of competition for social clubs. While in some respects, this debate still rages, most find the latter purpose of the tradition to be the truest — Spring Sing was an unique way to form bonds between clubs, sometimes, heal rifts between them, and create new friendships. Jersey Monday, which was made exclusive to those participating in Spring sing in 2011, stood as a testament to this camaraderie. While yes, the show was in large part marketing for the University, and yes, animosity arose at times between the clubs, at its heart, Spring Sing served as a way to foster deeper connection. It also provided an introduction to show business, and provided the common student a place to perform, which might not otherwise be available to them. In 2005 the decision was made to turn Spring Sing into a charitable event raising money for local non-profits. Over the years, Spring Sing has raised more than $100,000, often donating $7,000-$8,000 each year. In the fall, each club chose a charity to give to, and oftentimes would even donate their time to them. Should the club rank, the chosen charity received a cash prize from the University, which was originally set at $1,000 for the winner’s charity, ranging to $200 for the fourth runner’s up and $600 for third runner up. The club that received the Spirit Award was given $1,000. This award was voted upon by all the club directors and given to the club that best exemplified the spirit of Christ throughout the entire Spring Sing process. This award premiered in 2000, when it was first given to Shantih and Friends, and continued ever since. Both Costumes and Makeup | During the 1987 show, students preform in full costume and makeup. Participating social clubs went the extra mile to make their story and characters leave an impact on the audience. Photo Courtesy of Brackett Archives Glitz and Glam | The hosts and hostesses of the 1990 Spring Sing show pose in their performance outfits. Since then, the hosts and hostesses went through multiple costume changes throughout the show. Photo Courtesy of Brackett Archives It is difficult to find words to accurately describe that wild mix of joy and suffocation which is Spring Sing. Oh, there are some who try… with words like ‘goofy,’ ‘profound,’ ‘intellectual,’ ‘neurotic’; but all of these fall so short of the actual experience.” – Bill Rankin, “The Little-Known Facts of Harding’s Favorite Spring Ritual,” The Bison, April 17, 1987
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