Lift the Chorus: Voices from Cornell Alumni

Kim Rice

Kimberly (Rice) Smith ’06, an Anthropology and Archaeology major, reflects on her time as an Alto II in the Chorus. She served as Assistant Concert Manager during the production of the Ave CD, later as Vice President, and as Tour Manager for the “TONE” Tour of New England—where she brought the Chorus back to her hometown church in Connecticut. Now a nurse educator in Manhattan, she shares how Chorus friendships, traditions, and leadership experiences shaped her path long after Cornell.

Becky Van Tassel

Becky Van Tassel ’08, a Plant Biology graduate from Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, served as grants coordinator, vice president, president, and tour manager for the 2008 joint international tour to China. Through a PCCW grant, she helped update and expand the Chorus alumni database, strengthening outreach for fundraising and engagement. Now a teacher, she credits Chorus leadership with shaping her collaborative and organizational skills.

Meredith Benneth Smith

Meredith Benneth Smith ’10, an English major in the College of Arts and Sciences, sang in the Chorus and After Eight, serving as publicity manager. She toured with the group to Canada, China, and the U.S. South, performing both masterworks and American spirituals, and took part in school workshops abroad. A journalist and former Cornell Daily Sun staffer, she credits Chorus with shaping her Cornell experience, building lifelong friendships, and teaching lessons in community and collaboration.

Sheila Morrell

Sheila Morrell, a 1983 Human Service Studies graduate from Cornell’s College of Human Ecology, joined Chorus after her sister and sang under Professor Thomas Sokol. She helped design the group’s first standardized concert dress and built lasting friendships through music. Since graduating, Sheila has led church choirs, sung in community ensembles, performed in nursing homes, and volunteered at a children’s jazz camp—continuing to share the power of music across generations.

Sophie Arzumanov

Sophie Arzumanov ’21, an Operations Research and Information Engineering graduate from Cornell’s College of Engineering, served the Chorus as Concert Manager and later General Manager. As GM, she oversaw finances, tours, and Centennial planning during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also represented the Chorus at the Glee Club’s sesquicentennial AB meeting, advocating for financial equity between the sibling groups while working closely with the Chorus Advisory Council to strengthen the organization’s future.