By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
Glory by John Legend and Common - Performed by Immaculata-La Salle
MIAMI | To celebrate the end of Black History Month, students and faculty at Immaculata-La Salle High School created their own version of the riveting Oscar-night performance of “Glory” by John Legend and Common. The Oscar-winning song is featured in the Academy Award-nominated film “Selma,” about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Seniors Terrill Hanks and Alejandro Muñoz spearheaded the celebration of Black History Month at the high school by bringing many great ideas to the administration: from showing student-made videos about Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and others to serving soul food items in the cafeteria on select days.
As the month neared its end, Terrill watched the Oscars and was touched by the Legend-Common performance of “Glory.” He and Alejandro wanted to create an Immaculata-La Salle version of the song in hopes of inspiring the school. With the approval of Salesian Sister Kim Keriatis, principal, they approached Fredy Padovan, executive director of Advancement and Technology, to see if he would help them turn the song idea into a reality.
Forty-eight hours later, with the assistance of the Immaculata-La Salle choir, music teacher Manny Schvartzman, and film production teacher Eric Taggart, the song was recorded, edited, and shared with the school community.
"Tears... All I can say is tears,” was the reaction of Milagros Beltran, chair of the Theology Department. “Nothing makes me happier than knowing that our students have a home and that we can aid them in making their dreams come true. My heart is swollen. I'm so proud.”
The performers are:
- Presenters: Terrill Hanks (left) and Alejandro Muñoz (right)
- Choir members, from left: Candy Cabrera, Juliann Muñiz, Shayna Welsh, Izabella Orelle and Karina Tremolos (joined in vocals but was not available for the filming)
- Vocalists: Fredy Padovan and Terrill Hanks.
