search articles:     from the issue of June 12, 2008         Alumni association suspends 'Screamers'  BY TROY FEDDERSON, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS The Scarlet and Cream Singers struck a chord within David Bagby.     FIRST SEASON - The Scarlet and Cream Singers perform during the Nebraska Alumni Association group's first season in 1973. Courtesy photo. He remembers being dazzled by the Nebraska Alumni Association show choir during a performance in spring 1977. By the end of the show, Bagby - then a junior in Blair High School - had made his college choice. "I knew I was coming to UNL to try out for the Scarlet and Cream Singers," said Bagby, technology coordinator for Fine and Performing Arts. "I had scholarship offers that helped pay for my college here. But, I came to UNL because I really wanted to be a part of the Scarlet and Cream." Created in 1972 by alumni center director Jack Miller, the Scarlet and Cream Singers - or "Screamers" as they are called by those close to the program - performed as an outreach component of the Alumni Association for 35 years. Budget shortfalls caused the Nebraska Alumni Association to suspend the program in May. "This was truly a dollars and cents decision," said Jim O'Hanlon, interim director of the alumni association. "Our goal is to fund it through an endowment, if possible." O'Hanlon and Jon Ranard, director of the Scarlet and Cream program, said a number of fund raising avenues are being explored. Ranard has been drawn to the program twice. Like Bagby, Ranard remembers being inspired by seeing his first Screamer performance. "I was there as a member of an all-state performance group," said Ranard. "I remember seeing the Scarlet and Cream and thinking, 'wow, wouldn't that be great to be a part of.'" Ranard performed with the group from 1983 to 1987. Then, when the director post opened in 2002, Ranard came back to guide the program. "When I saw the position had opened up, I thought it was time I gave something back," Ranard said. "My years with the Scarlet and Cream were amazing. And, I wanted to be able to help extend that experience to the next generation of Screamers." Ray Miller - no relation to Jack Miller - was the group's first director, leading the program for 22 years, from 1972 to 1995. "The group performed for alumni groups all over the country, and even went to Japan in 1983," Ray Miller said. "Scarlet and Cream became a tradition very quickly." The first performance was in Minneapolis, Minn., the night before the Husker football game with the University of Minnesota. Miller handpicked that original group, drawing 12 School of Music singers with dance prowess. When Bagby was involved, the Scarlet and Cream Singers performed around 70 shows a year. In recent years, the group performed about 50 times each season. While the performances were an area of focus, Miller said the group also performed an important outreach function for the alumni association.   GAME TIME - Scarlet and Cream members sing prior to the start of the Sept. 20, 2001 Husker/Rice Owls football game.   "When we went out to perform, the kids were often put up in the homes of alumni and community members for overnight stays," Miller said. "That was a really good thing because the kids were able to answer questions about the university, keep alumni informed about what was happening on campus. "They were really good ambassadors for the university." Miller remains close with a number of the Screamers. He said many of the former members have gone on to other careers, with some staying in the entertainment industry. When the alumni association announced the suspension of the Scarlet and Cream, many former members reached out to Miller. "I was really surprised to hear the announcement," Miller said. "I was in Philadelphia when it happened. I still had kids calling my house from all over the country." As the announcement was being made, Ranard - who was among eight alumni employees to be laid off because of budget shortfalls, his last day is June 30 - canceled performances and broke the news to the singers. He said the announcement hit he group hard, however (after a bit of crying) the Screamers started asking if they could help save the program. Ranard said the program needs to create an endowment of $1 million to $1.5 million to keep the program running. Interest from the endowment would cover the majority of annual expenses. In 2006, the alumni association launched the Ray Miller Scarlet and Cream Singers endowment. The fund will be used for donations toward the program. "We could operate for a season or two with a smaller goal, but we want to do this the right way," Ranard said. "We want to be sure we can operate in the long term. It just wouldn't be fair to the alumni, university or Nebraska to patch things together for a few years." For more information about Scarlet and Cream fund-raising, contact the Nebraska Alumni Association at 472-2841. GO TO: ISSUE OF JUNE 12 NEWS HEADLINES FOR JUNE 12 Born to Chase - Storms provide research inspiration for Dewey, Bower Chang-Barnes guides Lied into new season Hallam destruction provides baseline for Bower's thesis J.D. Edwards name change proposed Alumni association suspends 'Screamers' Chancellor announces Alumni Association restructuring Climate change event draws 150 Museum breaks ground on Hubbard Rhino Barn Nebraskans headline summer writers conference Study eyes predicting tenderness of steaks 733205S38267X