As we celebrate Elizabethtown College’s 125th anniversary, we’re sharing the favorite stories of our alumni, students, staff, and faculty during their time at Etown. Whether it’s a funny anecdote from your dorm days, a moment of mentorship from a class or professor, or a standout experience from a campus event, these stories submitted by members of the Blue Jay community not only commemorate the rich history of our institution but also serve as a reminder of the lasting impact that Elizabethtown College has had on the lives of so many individuals.
Your Stories: Derek Shanely ’10 – Accounting
I had the privilege and opportunity to be an original member of Vocalign, Elizabethtown College’s co-ed a cappella group from 2007 to 2010. Anytime a new campus club is started members need to dedicate a great amount of time for it to have an impact on the community and have any chance of immediate success. This group had the opportunity to represent Elizabethtown College by singing at events such as a Hershey Bears game, being on WRVV The River 97.3FM, and recording our first album, “Half Past Two.”
As a former officer in this group, to get things done in the short timeframe that we had, countless hours of recording and editing were done to meet our project deadlines. That meant learning recording software on the fly, something I didn’t know too much about at the time, while also sacrificing my limited free time during the evenings and weekends for the benefit of the group.
Was it worth it? Absolutely! Vocalign and this recording project are what motivated me to become a studio musician under my Night Water Project artist name outside of my full-time work in the IT and healthcare industry. In a way, it was the foundation and building blocks into the music world for me. Etown’s Educate for Service motto prepared me for what I got to experience in the work force, where short timelines were pretty normalized in such fast paced world. I’m very thankful I had the opportunity to receive my education at Etown and to have represented the College through my tenure as an officer of Vocalign.
Since my graduation, one of the ways I gave back to the Elizabethtown College community was through various a cappella arrangements so the group didn’t have to hire an arranger for a musical arrangement. Keep dreaming big and turn those dreams into a reality through hard work, dedication and passion!
Be a part of the celebration of 125 years of excellence at Etown by sharing your Etown story.