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
