MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Abstract

Rak Shalom is a Co-ed, Jewish A Capella group at the University of Maryland, and the group is about to enter a period of transition. Seven seniors, including past and present leaders of the group, will graduate between now and the end of this year. As the outgoing president of Rak Shalom who has served for two years, I am uniquely qualified to write a document designed to ease the transition into next semester and beyond. After writing a brief reminder of the overall goals of Rak Shalom and what we are trying to accomplish, I will create five documents with information the next generation will need. These documents will be a guide on how to arrange music, a document on achieving the right group dynamic, a document on the finances of the group, a document on the process of recording and producing a studio album, and a document of miscellaneous information. I will then close with a brief word on how the group should use my advice as needed, but that it is their group to lead into the future the best way they see fit.
WC=188



Reader’s Response:

Reader’s Profile: The reader is an underclassman in Rak Shalom who has been skeptical of some of my leadership strategies up to this point.

Reader’s Response: While I respect where the group is now and how it operates, there are many ways in which I think the group could be improved. I appreciate that what we have done in the past has worked reasonably well, sometimes I fail to see the reasoning in all of our methods. I think Rak Shalom falls victim to the idea that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” even though something can be improved upon even if it is not broken. I hope to find information about the reasoning behind the procedures of the group so I can critically analyze them and decide for myself if I think they are the most effective way to lead this group.

A, good profile of a difficult-to-reach reader. Let's hope that your clear documentation of group history will make innovation and creativity possible. That is your goal, I think, so that the nuts and bolts of infrastructure stay in place.

:)