There are people and groups on this campus who are important parts of the Cornell community, but they don’t necessarily step into the spotlight. Their faces and identities are hidden, but their activities are legendary on campus.
The Cornell chimesmasters and Underground are two such organizations.
In the case of the chimesmasters, their activities are heard several times a day in the form of the sweet sounds coming from McGraw Tower.
It’s on the 161 Things to Do list to climb to the top of the tower, but I hadn’t done it until this past summer. Experiencing the concerts in person is one of the highlights of the Cornell experience, in my opinion. It is easy to hear the music as you’re walking to class and smile a little at the song selection, but being there as the chimesmasters do their work brings your appreciation of their skill to a new level.
You experience the same feeling, as I understand, when you attend a Cornell Underground event.
There are whispers and rumors of what the Underground does, but not many people know for sure unless they have actively sought out the group to attend one of their secretive, elaborately planned events.
Assistant Daze Editor Cara Sprunk’s foray into the Underground, for example, was at least a semester and a half in the making — after attending one of their events, Sprunk was amazed at the skill and effort that went into its planning.
This week’s issue of Daze is an opportunity to get to know these people who serve a vital — yet little understood — role on campus. Look beneath the surface of activity to discover the “little guys” making waves with music, food or some other field that we at Daze haven’t discovered ourselves … yet.
Send questions, comments and suggestions about these organizations or any other aspect of Red Letter Daze to daze-editor@cornellsun.com, and don’t forget to follow Red Letter Daze on Facebook and Twitter!
Sincerely,
Allie Perez
Original Author: Allie Perez