EDITOR ’S N O T E
BY ELLEN RITSCH ER SACKET T, P H I TAU, D E N TO N A LU M N I, I N TE R N ATI O N A L E D I TO R , T H E TR IANGL E ED I TO R @ MU P H I E P S I LO N .O R G
Illustration: Benjamin Toth
Our Common Connection
ife as we know it took a detour just about the time I was starting to organize the contents for this issue of The Triangle. Like many of you, I have been glued to the news, watching helplessly as COVID-19 spreads across the globe, closer and closer, day by day. Not allowing myself to be derailed by the pandemic has been — well, you know. We’re all trying to figure out this bewildering new, albeit temporary, normal. So how is our Mu Phi family coping? To find out, I reached out via social media and sent out some emails. Your response was immediate, with selfies that made me smile and stories of how you are adjusting to sheltering in place. Thank you for answering my call. Many of your contributions, so positive and resourceful, became the basis for this issue’s cover story, what caught on as #TheSelfieProject — an awesome title for a story! It begins on page 18. With fewer face-to-face interactions, our written communications are more important than ever, so I hope you will consider the suggestions made by Julia Scherer in her article regarding the art of the email on Page 11. Now might be a good time to explore the Mu Phi Epsilon Music Library & Archives in our update to a previously published Triangle article with helpful tips from music librarian Wendy Sistrunk on page 12. And although 4
MuPhiEpsilon.org
travel from the U.S. is on hold for the moment, it can’t hurt to dream about that European vacation and consider ways to incorporate some music-themed ideas into your future plans, courtesy of The Triangle Travelers of Mu Phi Epsilon on page 14. Isn’t it ironic how the more sequestered we are, the more we feel the need to connect? Even in this reflective state of isolation, I find myself reaching out more, so this alone time is not a lonely one for me or for the people I care about. And I’ve been turning more and more to music for sustenance, inspired by the videos of people all over the world making and sharing music from their porches, backyards, and living rooms. We all know music has the undeniable power to lift us up. It was our original connection to Mu Phi Epsilon that brought us all together. We are so fortunate that we can share our love of music with each other — and with everyone! Through music, we have an amazing gift — the ability to transcend situations that are largely beyond our control. All it takes, as Isabel Del La Cerda so aptly wrote for #TheSelfieProject, is “When you are feeling sad, just sing!” Stay safe. Be well. Keep in touch.
