Home is Where Your Brothers Are

One of the most exciting parts of being a District Officer, and coincidentally the aspect I was most terrified about, was traveling.  I’m not always a very social person, and being an officer would keep me fairly separated from the brothers of my chapter; the brothers I know best.  I was really worried about meeting new people and being comfortable.  And then I remembered; we all have one very important thing in common.  Our love of music and passion for serving bands brings us all together, and everywhere I went this year became home.

I started off the semester with a trip up to Amherst for Winter Council Meeting.  I was very excited to return to UMass because it already felt like home to me; I attended NED Convention there when I was a Membership Candidate in Spring 2009.  It was also the first time I had seen my fellow council members in person since March, but it felt like we had all just seen each other yesterday.

A month later, I found myself in my actual home in Pittsburgh for Central Precinct Meeting.  I was very excited to show brothers from my chapter as well as the Brother Council around my hometown.  And being a brother of the Central Precinct, I was thrilled to start my travel season with the brothers I have been with for five years.

The beginning of the semester reaffirmed Kappa Gamma’s relationship with the Mu Xi chapter at Muhlenberg College, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump down route 22 from Lehigh.  We attended each other’s rituals and events, hung out at Precinct Meetings and Districts, and started setting the foundation for a stronger relationship between our chapters in the future.

In March, I headed south for the Precinct Meeting at UVA.  Having a council member as a brother of the host chapter instantly made everything more familiar, even though I had never been there before.  Knowing how to get around campus (I mean, Grounds), knowing where to go for food or anything we needed, and having somewhere to stay made the whole weekend simple and fun.

The end of my travel season as an officer brought me back to UMass, at which point the NED had become my home and family.  The whole weekend was one of the high points of my college career, and during the weekend, I had the realization that while my time as an active brother was nearly over, I didn’t want to leave the bonds of brotherhood upon my graduation.

After my official travel season was over, I made a trip to California (Pennsylvania) to visit the brothers of the Theta Gamma chapter.  I was really glad to meet with them and hear about all they have been doing, and to visit good old Cal U, where I attended band camp for four years in high school (fun fact: the music building is the only thing that hasn’t changed in the past six years).  From Cal, I headed back south to spend the weekend with Beta Chi. I attended their ritual, alumni day, and a chapter meeting (which was eerily similar to Kappa Gamma’s chapter meetings).  I had a fantastic weekend with all my brothers and felt so welcome everywhere I went.

And of course, Kappa Gamma is always my home.  I’m very proud of the progress my chapter has made this past year and over the five years I’ve been a member, and I’m excited to see what the next years hold for them.

Regardless of whether I’ve known the area for a few years, my whole life, or just a day, Kappa Kappa Psi has broadened my friendships across the Northeast District. I hope that I will also be able to call the Iota Pi chapter at California Polytechnic State University home in the same way I have been able to call the NED home. For some perspective, this is the closest chapter to my new home, and it’s 100 miles away. The NED is so tightly packed with chapters and new colonies that there is no excuse for you to not visit your brothers.  I know from experience that they will welcome you with open arms, and you will make some incredible memories.

Liz Zeffiro

Kappa Kappa Psi, Kappa Gamma

Go BU!

Making ribbons!

                Saturday, March 9th was our last regular season pep band game for our seniors here at Boston University. At the game, both the hockey players and the seniors of the BU Pep Band are honored. The men’s ice hockey team played against Northeastern and beat them 5-0, a great end to the season. In order to honor our seniors, Eta Gamma decided to take a new approach. In previous years we have given the seniors flowers to pin to their uniforms for their last game.

The finished product!

               This year, however, the sisters of Eta Gamma decided to make new Boston University colored ribbons. We used a thicker strip of red ribbon that was cut in half and glued a thinner white strip on top of the red ribbon to have BU’s colors of scarlet and white. The ribbon was then folded and would be pinned to the senior’s uniform. Our service chair braved Winter Storm Saturn to get the supplies and all the ribbons were put together in time for Saturday’s game. Amanda Ranttila held on to the finished ribbons and handed out the ribbons to the seniors right before the puck dropped. The ribbons pleasantly surprised the seniors, especially the surprise of receiving them over spring break. The BU Band got to experience an exciting win on Sunday when the women’s ice hockey team won hockey east, giving the seniors another fantastic memory to bring with them after graduation. The seniors of the BU Band will be greatly missed, including Eva Gach, Laura Brown, Erin McLean, Emily Anstey, Emily Walsh, and Emily Laughren of Eta Gamma.

 Emily McCorry

Eta Gamma - Boston University

Tau Beta Sigma

With my Sisters, I am Best.

               When I was first considering colleges, back in high school, the one thing I always told myself was “I am never going to join a sorority”. I had seen movies, and, well, you know how it is. It wasn’t until Spring Break of my senior year, when I went to visit a friend on campus that I even found out that there were different types of sororities and fraternities. My best friend (my Big Sister now) was rushing Tau Beta Sigma. I was instantly interested. Unfortunately, I was never a band kid. I grew up participating in choruses. I never learned to read music and the only instrument I had ever touched was a recorder, which is nothing special.

              When I got to college, I was nervous. Everything was so overwhelming. I was in a major I didn’t really want to be in, I was trying to find my place in things, and I was trying to learn an instrument. I became really stressed, gained a ton of weight, and dropped my major. Things were not going as smoothly as I had hoped. But then I was introduced to Winter Guard. I had never heard of “flags” before. My school never even had a marching band. So I joined winter guard and instantly fell in love. I met so many great people, sisters and brothers, who helped me learn and who also helped me get my footing with the whole college experience.
               With the promise that I would join the Color Guard, I was able to rush Tau Beta Sigma. Even though college was (and still is) the most stressful experience of my life, I would have never been able to make it this far without the sisterhood and their support. Every day, I wake up feeling useless and like a failure, but my sisters and my brothers are always cheering me on. If it weren’t for all of my sisters in Eta Chi, I would have dropped out of college, and who knows where I would be today. Because of them I have made so many new friends at Precincts and District conventions that I will forever cherish and hold dear.

               If there is one motto I could use for the rest of my life, it would be “With my sisters, I am Best”. I believe that my whole college experience thus far can be wrapped up in that one sentence. My sisters make me stronger. I don’t think my chapter realizes it, but they are the reason I try so hard. Without them, I don’t think I could truly accomplish all that I have. Eta Chi has brought me out of my shell, given me so many opportunities to help others and to grow. I have met many sisters from other chapters and they too have taught me that just by being myself, I can make strong connections. My Big has taught me to stand up for myself, no matter what. These empowering woman have helped me choose a major I love and have given me so many memories to cherish. Tau Beta Sigma has made such an impact on my life and I hope to do my best each and every day to show how grateful I am and how much I love my sisters. 

Ashley DiMeo

“Nymphadora”

TBΣ – HX – AM

 

 

 

Eta Chi sisters and MC class, Alpha Nu with crest 

Sisters and MCs at 2013 Precincts!

URI Color Guard

 
 

Eta Gamma Getting Down to Business: Lock-In Style

This year, Eta Gamma wanted to make a splash and go beyond just regular band service. So, Eta Gamma of TBS and Theta Beta of KKPsi decided to have a joint lock-in. This meant that both chapters committed a Friday afternoon just for bonding and conjuring up new ideas and goals for this year and the future. We even invited Marc Krcatovich II, a KKPsi life member and Alumni Advisory Committee vice-chair, to come speak with us about how to improve our chapter with real, measurable goals.

Sisters and Brothers wrote down specific things that they wanted their chapter to achieve on sticky notes and put them on large sheets of paper that depicted broader ideas of promoting band, fundraising, increasing involvement, and so on. Afterwards, a group of Sister and Brothers were assigned to a large sheet and were asked to organize the sticky note ideas by impact and ease of completion. This exercise really helped us to see which goals were easy to do and which needed a more combined effort. At the end, we came back as a group and discussed the feasibility of the final goals. After this experience, I really believe that our joint chapter relations improved and we can walk away with a better sense of what we want to accomplish!

The road is looking bright for Eta Gamma and Theta Beta. We hope to grow and learn from each other more and wish other chapters the very best on their own goals!

LITB as always,

Sister Icy “Popsical” Li

Boston University

Tau Beta Sigma - Eta Gamma

Eta Gamma and Theta Beta take pictures and are productive!

Great Things are Sometimes Small

We all remember our first day of band camp, standing there as a freshman in the sun with a hundred thoughts rushing through our heads. “Where do I go? What do I do? Will they like me? Will I make the cut? Who are all of these people staring at me?” The list goes on and on. But you power through the nerves and give absolutely everything you have for five days while making friendships in between eating, sleeping, and practicing. At the end of the week, everyone comes together and stands at the base of our Director’s podium while he tells us how proud he is and how well everything went. This is also the chance for returning members to make announcements. A very bubbly red head climbed atop the podium and began talking about the wonderful organization that is Tau Beta Sigma. Little did I know almost a year from that day would she become my Grand-Big.

            I joined the small chapter of Eta Chi, in the smallest state, with the absolute biggest hearts. Over the years our chapter as a whole has gone through ups and downs. Currently we have eighteen Sisters and five MC’s. When I went through my process, reaching this number seemed almost impossible, especially when our school’s Kappa Kappa Psi chapter has almost twice as many members. Even though sometimes we were overlooked because of our size, we never gave up on what we stood for most, giving back to the bands. Each Sister gladly does twice the amount of work with a smile on their face to make sure that our band members had enough water, band aids, and anything else that they may need throughout the band season. Our sponsor knows that he can count on us to be there on short notice for a concert staff that may need extra help. No matter how early, or late, a Sister from Eta Chi will be there.

            This year I was elected as Recording and Correspondence Secretary for Eta Chi, and from this position I was given the opportunity to watch the Sisters before and after me grow into beautiful men and women. I watched as everyone came together to make sure parents were at ease when their child was competing on stage, I watched as Sisters simultaneously handled difficult situations while troubleshooting other problems that may occur later on that day, and I watched people shed sweat and tears over something they loved so dearly. In the end it wasn’t the size of our chapter that mattered, it was the work that we had done together that mattered, and in my eyes that makes our chapter giant.

Brittany Costello
University of Rhode Island
Tau Beta Sigma-Eta Chi

After Our Newest Members' Second Degree

Thank you, Wava.

               I recently went to Southern Precincts at University of Virginia and had one of the best times with my sisters and brothers. However, there was one activity we did that made me realize how much Wava and Tau Beta Sigma means to me. I came in through the Spring of 2012 and within that time I have taken a Kappa Kappa Psi little, a Tau Beta Sigma little, and became social chair. I always tell people that TBS is the best thing that has ever happened to me and that I am a better person because of it. The activity at Southerns was having everyone write a letter to Wava with three parts/prompts. The prompts were something along the lines: I have learned, I have changed, and I am thankful because. I want to share my letter to Wava on here because I want to honor her and share my love for sisterhood to everyone.

Dear Wava,

                I have learned a tremendous amount about not only about Tau Beta Sigma as an organization but also about myself. I have gone through a lot of hardships in high school and trying to find a good group of friends where I feel safe and content. To me, TBS is the entire package. I am with the most amazing people I have ever met and were doing service and working on our musicality…what more could I possibly want? I have learned, with the help of my big, that it is okay not to be perfect and that I have so much passion for the sisterhood. I don’t think I would have grown so much if it hasn’t been for my big. I owe her a thousand thank yous for the guidance and love that she has given me. During my process and still today, she has been my rock and has helped me realized the potential that I never saw in myself.

                I have changed so much within the past year. I am no longer insecure or unsure of myself. TBS has given me confidence in such way that I couldn’t even fathom. I can do much more for the sisterhood because it has shaped me into the kind of person I want to be. Through tough and trying times, I am a strong sister and I am eternally grateful for everything that TBS has given me.

                I am thankful because without TBS, I would still be lost and self-doubting. I wish I could do more than write a letter to say how appreciative I am of Tau Beta Sigma. I try to live my life by the 8 and 5 and through it; I look at life so differently. It is difficult to express exactly how I feel through words how much I am grateful for Wava and all of my sisters. I think it is something that we all can’t exactly say but we can certainly feel it. Nobody can understand the love we have for each other, which is why it so special and meaningful.

Thank you Wava, I hope you know that you have helped and changed so many people. I am so grateful for everything.

   

MLITB,

Barbara Carl
Tau Beta Sigma - Zeta Upsilon
West Chester University

Big and Little!

Beta Delta's First Degree!

Musical Miracles

“Miss Debwuh, can we play with the instwuments today?”, says Kellan, a three year old boy in my after care program at the YMCA. Kellan may not know how to pronounce his R’s, but he sure knows when it’s music time in Miss Debra’s class. I am a student at Howard University, but I’m also a part time after care teacher at the YMCA at KIPP DC. Every day, I interact with 30 three year olds who have taught me more than they are aware of. As after care teachers, we are expected to make lesson plans with specific themes and activities for the day. I took it upon myself to incorporate music into the after care program, every day. Whether it be playing musical chairs or clapping to a drum beat, my students are being exposed to some type of music every day. Some days we march around the room while the children bang on drums and shake tambourines. We become our own marching band. Although I am 21 years old, I allow myself to have the imagination of a toddler, drifting away into a world where possibilities are endless.  Often times a parent may walk in and ask how I can tolerate that much noise. I kindly explain that it isn’t noise, it’s music.

Working with children at that age is most certainly a test of patience. I could spend hours creating a lesson plan for the day and some activities may never come to fruition because these little adults have their own agenda. A perfect example was this past Valentine’s Day, February 14^th, 2013. My children came into class at approximately 3:25pm. They were running around, screaming, laughing, crawling under tables, and coloring on the tables and eachother. Why? They had been eating cupcakes and candy all day. I only had a few seconds to figure out how I would calm down 30 three year olds, 22 of them being boys. I decided to play some music, Bob Marley in particular. This was different from the usual twinkle twinkle little star, but I said, “hey…it’s black history month, why not?”. Miraculously, the children became calm and serene until their parents came at 6pm. I was amazed, but not surprised. I understand the power of music. Kellan looked up at me and said, “Miss Debwuh, I don’t know who’s singin but I like it.” 

Debra Samuel

Howard University

Tau Beta Sigma-Eta Delta Chapter

“Big/Little Bonding”

This is my first semester as an active Sister. Last semester when I was an MC, my Big, Kelly, and I got very close at all of the functions and in our one-on-one time, preparing me for different parts of the process. One of her concerns was that after I became a Sister I wouldn’t hang out with her as much due to time constraints. However, I wanted to prove her wrong. We have spent practically every day of the semester hanging out, watching TV, doing homework, and cooking food.
Kelly was assigned a project where she had to maintain a blog on the internet. She decided to write about all the different recipes and food experiments we have been making. (http://kellysfoodexperiments.blogspot.com) We have made everything from tacos for Taco Tuesday to skillet lasagna. We even made a huge vegetable chicken alfredo pasta primavera when one of our alumni came to visit before she moved away to California.
My Big and I constantly spend time together, making a lot of midnight bacon. To make up for it, however, we went running together...once. Other than making food, we bond over what kind of pet we could own someday. Kelly and I decided that we could get a hedgehog and name her Kiwi. Much of our free time, lately, has been spent researching what is involved in owning and caring for a hedgehog. The biggest problem we’ve run into so far is that we would have to drive over two hours to buy a hedgehog since they’re illegal to sell in Pennsylvania.
Even though I am only in my second semester at WCU, I feel like I have already made a dozen life-long friends. Tau Beta Sigma gave me a lot of these relationships and through the bonds of sisterhood, especially between Big and Little, I have not only made connections with great people, but also a best friend.

Joshua Wallowitch
West Chester University
Tau Beta Sigma-Zeta Upsilon 

Well, I don’t want to brag, but …

The Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band was in the 2013 Inaugural parade!  It was a great opportunity and a memorable experience.  The weeks leading up to it perhaps were some of the most stressful times: we didn’t know if our new uniforms were going to come in time, and making sure that everyone completed their security clearance was a communication nightmare.   Thankfully, all that got done.

When we were practicing the music for the parade, we learned about the long itinerary that was going to be our day.  Our Director of Bands, Dr. Sparks, said that, “We will be compliant or we will be shot.  Or worse, we will be compliant or will not be allowed to participate.  We either do it right … or we get shot.  Because we will run into a military man or woman who is armed because we wandered off.”   As crazy and silly as that sounds, Dr. Sparks made his point about us being on our A-game.  And oh baby, we were.

The day of the parade, we got up and left early from College Park.  We were provided food, and we rode the nice new Terp buses to Washington DC.  While there, there was a lot of waiting.  We were warned of this by our fabulous arranger, Tom Holtz, who had performed in the inaugural parade five times before with the Marine Corps band.  He was not kidding - we waited and waited and waited.  It was a good thing we were with friends who we all know and love, because otherwise, it might have been a boring day.  Well, it was mostly boring.  Parade staff lost our sousaphones for thirty minutes, and we met Frederick Douglass.  

The weather was beautiful, and when we finally stepped off at 3:30pm … we waited some more.   We counted more than thirty snipers, and took several of pictures.  Someone even claimed they saw Batman.  When we finally started marching, we weren’t allowed to truck, but we certainly added some Maryland Pride into our performance!  We played ‘Talking Out the Side of Your Neck’, ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’, and a drum cadence to which we danced to! :)

Marching the parade went by fast - it only took thirty minutes.  The Color Guard’s choreography happened to align to make it look like that they were waving as they passed Obama in the stands.  Everyone else was playing the ‘Washington Post March,’ but there were several of rubber-neckers because Obama, Biden, and their families were right there less than 20 feet from them.  

This was an amazing experience, and I am glad that the seniors were able to wear the new uniforms at least once before they graduate.  I had a lot of fun personally, and enjoyed being with the people I care about most doing what I love the most.  I definitely suggest that your bands do something like this because it was a great experience and something worth always remembering.  

NED District Treasurer, Jess Post on the left and NED District 

Secretary, Zara Simpson ... Check out our new uniforms!

Beta Eta sisters, Ivania Morales on the left 

and Ann Michelle Bolabo on the right

From left to right ... KKPsi Prospect, Ben Ames, Michael Gregory, 

BH Sister Patricia DaSilva, and BH Sister Ivania Morales

 Ivania Morales

University of Maryland, College Park

Tau Beta Sigma-Beta Eta