SAUL HANKIN

2018 Spirit of pops award nominee

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I played in the Pops Orchestra for all four years of undergrad, but I never went to a single social event (not even post-concert B-Dubs). I made friends, of course, but I was really just there to play the music, and seeing people at rehearsals was enough for me. In this second stint with Pops, I only started going to social events because Pops Pals and Pops Cup made them practically mandatory. I was annoyed by this at first, but now I'm totally won over. I still see my Pops Pals from last year for things like Lizzie McGuire Movie nights; I've sung karaoke with Popsicles; I've hosted Popsicles at my apartment for game nights; I've gone to concerts with Popsicles; I've even tracked down Grace Cravens in New York to play Harry Potter bar trivia with me. It's not a profound or inspiring story that I have to tell. It was as simple as actually hanging out with Popsicles outside of rehearsals this time around, liking them very much, and continuing to seek them out outside of rehearsals. The Pops friends I made the last couple years are the best friends I made while back at UM.