UC Merced gets an alma mater

Decade-old UC Merced officially has an alma mater, a school anthem that now can be heard on YouTube.

The song, entitled “My Merced,” was written and composed by Jimmy Dunne, who said he attempted to capture the essence of a sense of pride and belonging, according to a news release.

“You can’t walk UC Merced’s campus without being overwhelmed by the passion and will in the eyes of the extraordinary students,” Dunne said in the news release.

About a year ago, the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees put developing an alma mater high on its list of priorities, according to the release. Originated in 18th-century England, an alma mater is a song or hymn that lyrically expresses loyalty to a school.

Dunne is an accomplished songwriter and music producer in Los Angeles. His compositions have been recorded by artists including Whitney Houston, Kenny Rogers and Janet Jackson, according to his website. He has composed songs and scores for television shows and dozens of feature films, including “Pretty Woman” and “The Princess Diaries 2.”

After being commissioned by university leaders, Dunne toured the campus in April and met with students, including members of the Bobcat Band, alumni, and faculty and staff members to get a sense of the school.

“I sat in the grass near the ‘Beginnings’ statue and looked up at this poetic piece of art – telling the story of what is possible from the beginnings of a seed,” he said.

The song’s first lines are:

“In the soil a dream was planted/ In the rich earth, just a seed/ The ground was toiled so tenderly/ To cultivate – the best in me.”

An audio file can also be downloaded at soundcloud.com.

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 4:28 PM with the headline "UC Merced gets an alma mater."