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
University of Rhode Island
Tau Beta Sigma-Eta Chi
 |
| After Our Newest Members' Second Degree |
