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Miami University's President David Hodge loves a practical joke. He sure got one April 1-April Fools' Day-courtesy of Collegiate Chorale.
Collegiate Chorale teamed up with President Hodge's wife, Valerie, a university ambassador, who was more than happy to help coordinate a plan.
"The president loves practical jokes," Valerie Hodge said. "We've done them for years. I expect that he will really enjoy it."
In an attempt to raise money for an upcoming trip to Washington, D.C., Collegiate Chorale organized a fundraiser that would both entertain and support their cause. As an April Fools' prank, pink plastic flamingos were available for $5 to be placed both inside and on the lawn of President Hodge's Lewis Place house as well as in his Roudebush Hall office.
The idea first came about when Charlotte Loflin, tour manager and trip coordinator for Collegiate Chorale, gathered with officers to brainstorm fundraising ideas. Initially, the prank was meant to be campus-wide.
Loflin said it was quickly decided it would be best to focus the practical joke on President Hodge and centralize the flamingos to a few select places. The next step was selecting a date to execute the plan.
Senior Michael Bednarczuk, president of Collegiate Chorale, helped coordinate the date.
"With April Fools' Day just around the corner, choosing a date to carry out the joke was a no-brainer," Bednarczuk said.
According to Bednarczuk, Collegiate Chorale members devised a plan to divide into three groups to "flamingo" as much territory as possible. The first batch of flamingos was distributed on the lawn of Hodge's residence between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. April 1. Another group placed the remaining flamingos throughout his house and inside his office later in the day.
The pranksters worked closely with Valerie Hodge to ensure a fool-proof plan. The president was out of town on business April 1, which helped make the hoax easy to conceal.
After witnessing his flamingo-ed home and office, President Hodge said he had no suspicions of a prank coming his way until he woke up.
"I enjoy practical jokes anyway and to have it be for a good cause makes it all the better," President Hodge said. "This was a great experience. I really enjoyed the spirit of the students. And now I love flamingos as well."
According to Ethan Sperry, director of Collegiate Chorale, the final count of pink flamingos totaled around 160. Sperry said donations came from students, parents and Collegiate Chorale alumni.
Sperry said he was excited about the success of the prank.
"It is amazing what you can accomplish in a week when you put your mind to it," Sperry said.
Loflin said Collegiate Chorale is a select mixed-choir of around 90 singers, performing a repertoire ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach to Igor Stravinsky to a wide assortment of multicultural music.
Sperry said with the help from the money raised from the prank, Collegiate Chorale will stop at Ohio University, located in Athens, for a joint concert before continuing to Washington, D.C.
While in Washington, Sperry said members will visit high schools to promote awareness and recruit prospective students to Miami. Collegiate Chorale will also put on a program at select inner-city schools to encourage students to stay in school and emphasize the importance of education. Sperry said there are also tentative plans to sing the national anthem at a Washington Nationals baseball game.
The choir is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. April 24 and 25 in Kumler Chapel for its annual spring concert.
