On Saturday evening, the Gospel Gators hosted their first event of the semester in Annex 1. Fourteen members took the stage, matching in red and black, showcasing the songs they’ve been working on all semester.
The group took the stage at 7:30 p.m. and began singing as a collective, with solos following. The audience was filled with around 40 family members and friends of the ensemble. Those who were seated were encouraged to clap and dance along while the group sang, engaging the audience in the routine.
Through their weekly rehearsals leading up to their big night, students and members developed a deeper understanding of what the gospel is and the roots of gospel music.
“This group is so important to me. I love singing,” said Sherrell Teague, the organization’s president and theatre arts and public health student. “I grew up in foster care and went through a lot of stuff, and honestly believe I wouldn’t have gotten through any of it without God.”
The club operates as a one-credit class at San Francisco State University, EXCO 301.23: Singing the Gospel. The course isn’t a traditional class, as it is student taught, and meets on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m.
“Essentially, I’m a student and a teacher at the same time, so it comes with balancing this full-time load of a student,” Teague said. “It’s been challenging but in a good way. I do enjoy teaching.”
Vicky Zaragoza, a criminal justice student, sang a solo that students had to audition for despite never having sung in front of an audience before.
“When I saw their stand, I was like, ‘Sign me up!’ These people looked so welcoming and so nice,” Zaragoza recalled. “I’m a transfer student to SFSU, and I feel like the first couple of months, I was like, ‘Dang, I’m not making any friends’, and everyone seemed so intimidating. Being here, I think we share so many things in common that it’s easy for us to have a great time. We found each other.”
Marcus Cordero, an academic adviser, is one of the group’s tenors. This semester was his first to sing with the group. Cordero took center stage during the performance to sing about the faith, with background vocals supporting him.
“I came to their concert in spring and just enjoyed it so much,” Cordero said. “They just sang with such joy and conviction, I just wanted to be a part of that.”
Gospel Gators is a diverse group of individuals who are either students at SFSU or have joined to create a community with those who share a similar interest: singing. To join the Gospel Gators, you don’t need to be religious; you just need to have an interest in singing or building community, according to Teague.
Kyla Pickett, an SFSU student who is enrolled in Gospel Gators, grew up in the church but is no longer religious.
“It’s close to home, but it’s also a good way for me to develop singing techniques and learn about the gospel and where gospel music came from,” Pickett said.
Teague is proud of the sense of community, which has always been one of her main goals, that has developed from turning the organization into a class.
Different individuals have different meanings of the gospel. Certain elements are included in the meaning of the gospel; these elements are understanding who Jesus is, his significance, faith and repentance.
Kyle Wallace, the director of the Gospel Gators, started working at SFSU in 2022. He realized the Gospel Gators was no longer an organization after COVID-19 hit and felt a sense of emptiness, given his upbringing in the church and the loss of that sense of security.
Wallace found out that Teague was in the Gospel Gators before the group disbanded and wanted to bring the organization that was founded in 2004 back to SFSU in 2022.
“Me and Sherrell worked together to bring the organization back, and I’ve been the choir director ever since,” Wallace said. “Our choir is full of so many different kinds of people. At the end of the day, it’s all about fun; it’s not about trying to force religion down anyone’s throat.”
Wallace has worked with this group of Gospel Gators for a year and was excited to see the progress on the work they’ve been doing throughout the semester.
“I love gospel music and I love singing gospel music. This organization gave me a space to continue to sing and teach music,” Wallace said.
The Gospel Gators will have another show on Dec. 16 and resume classes next semester.
