Lawmakers join FHS Advanced Mixed Choir to sing anthem; NJROTC presents Colors
There were 38 choir students, four NJROTC students, Mitchell Moore, director of FHS’s choral program, Gunnery Sgt. Craig Cooper and five parents who made the trip to state capital.
“The whole experience was incredible,” Moore said. “When we arrived, we were given a tour of the capital grounds and then had the chance to meet with Rep. (Jason) Zachary (R-District 14, which includes Farragut), Sen. (Becky Duncan) Massey (R-District 6), Sen. (Richard) Briggs (R-District 7, which includes Farragut), Lt. Gov. (Randy) McNally and Gov. (Bill) Lee.
“At the beginning of the session, the choir and NJROTC presented the Colors and sang ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and we were able to stay and watch the remainder of the session,” the choral director said. “Afterward, we took a quick lunch break at Opry Mills Mall then headed back to school.”
Moore said the students got the opportunity because “our students are incredible students.
“This started with a quick e-mail to Sen. Richard Briggs’ secretary about the possibility of singing on the capital grounds,” he said. “I was expecting nothing more than somewhere in the lobby out of the way, but she really took to the idea and ran with it.
“Because he knows the quality of work we do at FHS, Sen. Briggs ended up having us as guests for the opening session of the Tennessee Senate, where we were able to sing and present the colors,” Moore added.
“Every student said they enjoyed the trip. My favorite comment was about how the students were surprised at how positive the session was.”
Although Moore said the students were expecting a tense atmosphere, “the senators were making jokes and laughing with one another,” he said.
“I think most of the students’ favorite part was when Lt. Gov. McNally invited the students to take a picture at the front of the chamber and allowed them to bang the gavel he uses during session,” Moore added.
“I was personally impressed by the amount of people who either spoke with me, Gunnery Sgt. Cooper or the students about how impressed they were. We had legislators from every part of the state telling us how honored they were to host the students and how they rarely get to see/hear anything to the level of what the students presented.”
As for possibly making an impact, “One legislator even commented on how moved he was by their performance and how they have positively influenced his opinion on the importance of the fine arts and electives at schools,” Moore said.
“Rep. Zachary spoke about his own path to the State House and his experience as a Farragut High alumnus,” the choral director added. “Sen. Briggs and Sen. Massey both encouraged the students to stay active in politics ....”
With the FHS students also meeting Lee, the governor “spoke about how they should continue to play a part in politics for their entire lives,” Moore said.
Overall, “I think the students feel more connected to the legislative process — that it feels real now and isn’t just some group of people hovelled away in a building on a hill,” the choral director added.
