A letter from the president: speech will outlast this pandemic

Above: The MSCI Board of Directors. Back row: Chris Kuhlman, Doug Bevier, John Rutherford, Charlie Rinehart. Front row: Adam Blaylock, Kirstin Carolin, Heather McKaig, Ruth Kay. Photo: Michael Samsky.

Dear valued members of MSCI,

For many of you this May comes with some sense of disappointment. The loss of the 2020 MSCI Spring Conference due to the coronavirus and its effects weigh heavy on us all. This has been an unfair time for all our students but maybe most of all, for our seniors. But, our seniors, like all of us, are resilient and this horrible epidemic will not last forever. Speech activities in the state of Michigan will outlast and continue beyond the current public health pandemic.

Saying this, MSCI continues to be a professional organization dedicated to supporting speech activities in the state of Michigan through a myriad of factions. This yearly copy of the MSCI Year in Review will highlight some of what we continue to do.

I believe in the transformative power of this activity and am lit up inside when I think of all of you and your dedication to this art. The opportunities that this community provides in our collective search for truth can and will leave lasting impressions on all of us. I am continuously encouraged by the empathy, sincerity and authenticity that Michigan Speech has to offer and I thank you for that.

As members of this professional organization, we share an ethos regarding the importance of speech activities and understand MSCI’s service to our community. During this time of great uncertainty, you may trust that we will continue to strive to honor the mission, vision and expectation that has always been promoted by the Michigan Speech Coaches.

Thank you all for the trust you have placed in us. I hope you stay safe and healthy through it all.

Sincerely,
Charlie Rinehart
MSCI President

Originally published in the MSCI Year in Review, May 2020.