For those who have ever had marching band in their lives, one of the biggest goals we strive for is a cohesive ensemble. We rely on each other to march and play in time, hit our dots, know exactly how fast or slow to move, avoid flying color guard equipment, among many more responsibilities off the field. In marching band (some schools refer to it as a “regiment”, “unit”, “brigade”), the band is only as strong as your weakest member. You work together. You work to keep each other up.
The chapter operates as a unit, similar to a marching band. You move in tandem with each other. You have the same level of expectation for one another. The strength of a chapter is only as strong as the people that are in it. Therefore, in our striving for greater bands, it should be natural for us to reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters with help and support.
Think about some of the simplest greetings in the English language.
“How are you?” “Are you alright?” “How’s it going?”
We learned at an early age that learning from and empathizing with another person is a natural human process. Asking someone how they are, shows that you take a vested interest in their well-being. As Brothers and Sisters, it is our duty to be concerned with others ITB. By joining our organizations, you proved that you have a caring nature and enjoy helping others succeed. However, as the stresses of classwork, jobs, band, chapter, family, and drama pile on, we start to lose that compassionate and empathetic outlook that we all joined with. I have seen people lost to simple things like not feeling welcome in a social setting or not feeling supported. On the other side, I’ve seen people wonder “Why isn’t brother X doing ABC?” or “Why is sister Y so anti-social?” This is the seed of unbrotherly and unsisterly behavior. We begin to alienate people because we don’t understand what is going on in their lives and because of our own stresses and personal issues we never choose to learn.
So what can we do to stop this epidemic?
Be caring. Be kind. Be compassionate. Be non-judgemental. Be a brother. Be a sister.
Check-in on your fellow brothers and sisters once in a while. Talk to those who you wouldn’t normally talk to. Find out what is new in their lives, what classes they are taking, interesting things that have happened, or things they need help with. That simple, “how are you?” can make a bad day into a potentially good one. Knowing that someone wants to help can mean getting over the mental hurdles that prevent us from achieving.
As straight-forward and elementary as this may seem, connecting with one another is a goal for any fraternity and sorority. It is what makes us more than a school club or gaggle of people. If we can gain a greater level of support in our chapters, we can become a high-functioning unit, a marching band that steps in time, and stronger brothers and sisters individually in the process.
I hope that in the coming year, we can build the brotherhood and sisterhood in the NED and show the nation that we know what it means to be a brother/sister.
MLITB,
Dennis Yu
Kappa Kappa Psi
Theta Beta Chapter at Boston University
NED Secretary/Treasurer 2012-2013
