“Music Our Common Tie”

Music: a common denominator between us all as members of Tau Beta Sigma or Kappa Kappa Psi, yet as a sister in school, music is not an area of study for me. How does a sister or brother grow in an organization dedicated to music while having different career goals?

I will be the first to say music is a passion of mine and has played a large role in my life. My senior year of high school I got a tattoo to commemorate not only the dedication I gave to music in high school, but also as a promise to continue music in my life and in the future. As a Microbiology and Immunology major and Chemistry minor, I seemed like the last candidate for an organization built around music. Despite the doubt of being a science major in a music organization, I became a sister. Now, every week I go to chapter and share my passion for music with my wonderful sisters. TBS has given me the chance to grow and learn about myself by becoming a sister and the experiences I have had are priceless. I go to my science classes during the school day and I do my labs and experiments, but this becomes monotonous. Through TBS I have found an outlet filled with love, support, and music. It makes me happy to share sisterhood, music, and service with other like-minded people.

Exchanging ideas and thoughts about these topics with other people with different backgrounds and perspectives is an enlightening experience that I think is important in becoming a diverse and open-minded person, as well as learning how to solve chapter issues as a team and working to come up with solutions to these issues. As you may have noticed, these things are not music exclusive but are experiences of life. We become sisters not because of our area of study or expertise, but because we come together through our shared love of music, sisterhood, and service. TBS and KKY are organizations where men and women from all different backgrounds can come together under uniting principals and grow not only as a team, but as individuals in life. The people I have met through my short time in TBS have taught me more than I think they know, and though I am a science major there are some things that simply cannot be taught in a classroom.

Written by:

Alyson Essex
Band Captain for the Frost Band of the Hour
Tau Beta Sigma – Gamma Epsilon Fall 2013
Eighth Note Committee Member

Becoming a Brother – Iota Zeta Edition

Brothers of Iota Zeta posing

“From outside of the bond to being in the bond, an expose on becoming a “good bruh” Iota Zeta Edition”

When I first decided to attend North Carolina A&T University, it was a last minute decision. The only research I did prior to orientation was to acquaint myself with the engineering program. I knew nothing about the Blue and Gold Marching Machine, let alone the organization Kappa Kappa Psi. Although band was pretty new to me, (having learned my instrument late in high school) I decided to become a collegiate marching band member in the fall. My only relation to band in college was my cousin who was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi and said he could put me in touch with some of his brothers in Greensboro. I knew absolutely no one when I matriculated into NCA&T.

The first time I met the brothers was in band camp. They were helping the freshman move into their dorms. I mentioned who my cousin was to them and they instantly took me under their wing. They referred to him as “the good bruhs”. I had no idea what it meant, but it must have been a highly esteemed compliment. From then on, brothers looked out for me and helped me with even the most trivial of matters without hesitation. Whether it was financially, academically, musically, or even just advice in general, nothing was out of reach.

My first impression was that being a brother (or associated with the brotherhood) created a familiar relationship between people who seemed to have no previously shared background. I was not even a brother yet, but the kinship of the brotherhood was still extended towards me. Growing up as the only son in a single parent home left me without an older brother or father figure for the majority of my life. My mother did an exceptional job playing both roles, but still in some instances, could not fill the void that existed in my journey to manhood. My cousins were the closest thing I had to brothers, but our time together was only spent through occasional circumstances. As a result when I came to college I naturally gravitated towards this feeling of family that radiated easily from the brother of Kappa Kappa Psi.

Going through my first fall semester, I began to notice even more things about the brothers. Not only were they exceptional musicians and great leaders in the band, they were the “who’s-who” or very important figures throughout campus. All with different majors, and hailing from different climbs of life, they were referred to as the top of their class. They were known and spoken well of throughout the community, always exceling in their field of endeavor. Through witnessing the example the brothers set, the term “good bruhs” was no longer a mysterious concept to me.

When I first decided to seek membership for Kappa Kappa Psi, my big brother told me to do my research to see if it was something I really wanted to be a part of. Reading through the guide to membership, I ran across the Fraternal Code of Conduct. Reading it helped me truly understand why the brothers acted the way they did towards me.

“Brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi are looked to as role models and leaders by other members in the band and on campus. We can never know who is watching our actions or who will be affected by our
deeds. It is therefore essential that we present positive qualities at all times. Being a Brother is not a part time commitment.”

Many may be wondering why I told this personal story. I told this to help to help fully illustrate the lesson those brothers taught me. They taught me that being a brother is not just an action or actions that you do because the guide says so but it is a lifestyle you live because you genuinely strive to become a better brother every day. I learned that the characteristics and traits that are instilled as a result of being a part of the fraternity is something that exceeds band and flows over into our daily life. It is shown through the people you meet. And that is what drew me in and gave me that family presence that I was longing for, it was their genuine desire as brothers to be loyal, dependable, and to have integrity to treat me as an equal even though they had no idea who I was.

And through that relationship I had as a freshman I can now look back on it as on old brother now and fully understand why they took me in. It is because they were not just doing the actions, it’s because they were living the actions set in the guide to membership and fraternal code of conduct and setting that standard of excellence around our peers to create a legacy for other to follow.

So I leave you with this question. What type of brother are you? Are you one who just does the bare minimum to get by or are you one who strives every day to make the guidelines set in the guide to membership a life style you live by? May I suggest that it is only once you begin to make it a lifestyle can you can truly experience brotherhood and share it with others as it was done for me.

Joseph Carey-Oduniyi
Kappa Kappa Psi SED Vice-President 2013-2014
Iota Zeta Chapter Spring ‘10
North Carolina A&T State University

Grasping Technology in the Chapter

Grasping Technology in the Chapter

As we are well into an era of growing technologies that lead to much efficiency, we must take the time to embrace the innovations that are available to us. For so many years, we have utilized the tangible and confident pen and paper to record our documents, our budgets, our programs, our communication and our history. And while many of those items should be preserved for historical sake, they are obsolete in the functions of today’s chapter.
Tools such as Microsoft’s Excel and Word, Google’s Docs and Sheets, Outlook, Gmail, Powerpoint, online banking, etc. are all examples of some of the technologies that we can use to make our chapter and district communication and functions more efficient, effective, and productive. The power that Google, in particular, has given us to share ideas, documents, and presentations allows chapters to communicate all of these things instantly. Google sheets, in particular, allows for an instant excel format that can be shared with multiple people. It also creates a database for forms that can communicate interest and execution in service events, fundraising, social activities, etc. Fortunately, Google’s interface is very user friendly that allows people across all fields of expertise to use this technology.
The beauty of communication across multiple mediums, particularly email, has created a method of quick and effective communication not only between individuals in the chapter, but those outside the chapter, other chapters and the district as a whole. Google groups allow forums for particular groups. Expanding beyond email to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Groupme, etc. combines functional communication with our daily lives and with an increasing number of people with smartphones, those methods are that much closer to our hands.
The issue that arises is that some of the district embraces this collection of innovation, while others do not and it creates a great disconnect for communication. Every chapter should at least participate in the communications that the district uses even if the functions within the chapter may be vastly different. Many chapters are enthusiastic to provide helpful advice on how to utilize these technologies on small or large scales.
Technology is only going to continue to move forward and the Southeast District will continue as well. Seek advice and embrace what is before us. Learn from your Brothers and hop on this technological train.

Dustin Ingram
2013-2014 Southeast District Secretary/Treasurer

National Convention Revisited

            Six months ago, as of this writing, National Convention was just kicking off in Springfield, Massachusetts. For the first time, I had the opportunity to attend this wonderful event and even had the privilege of representing my own chapter. It was, without a doubt, an experience I will never forget.

            National Convention has something for everyone. It provides informational resources in a broad range of topics relevant to the organizations, college, and life in general, in presentations hosted by sisters and brothers of renown from across the country. This information has undoubtedly proven useful for many chapters, and will continue to do so for many years to come.

National Convention also allowed sisters and brothers to directly shape the future of the sorority and fraternity. Members in attendance had the opportunity to sit as delegates and, this past summer, almost every Active sister of the SED had the chance to serve as a delegate.

These aspects of National Convention are incredibly important, and I certainly cherish them, but the part for which I have the fondest memories is the sense of community and the bonding between sisters and brothers from across the district and the country.

The number of representatives from each chapter in the district allowed the SED at National Convention to interact and operate much like a chapter at District Convention. As a result, I was able to spend time with sisters from across the SED and make friends with sisters from practically every state in the district, from Alabama to North Carolina; Florida to Tennessee.

Thanks to the structuring of committees, caucuses, and the convention as a whole, as well as the friendliness of the sisters and brothers in attendance, it was also quite easy to meet sisters and brothers from across the country. On the night of the 22^nd, an alumna of my chapter and I went on a nighttime search for food with a sister from Theta Delta. On the first night of convention, I ate dinner with a number of sisters from the Midwest District, including several from Theta Mu. Over the course of the convention, I also had the opportunity to befriend sisters from Omega and Eta Sigma, to name just a few of the many chapters with whom I interacted, as well as several brothers from different chapters. The fact that I still regularly speak to several sisters and brothers from across the country is truly a testament to the bond between members of our organizations.

The biennial National Convention will be in Lexington, Kentucky, from July 28^th to August 2^nd, 2015, and I strongly encourage anyone who can to attend. You’ll be glad you did.

MLITB,

Will Smith

President, Gamma Epsilon

University of Miami

Notes from the Treasurer’s Chest

Staying sisterly when money is involved

As a treasurer, I can give you some helpful hints on conducting yourself in a sisterly manner. I know a lot of frustration can come up in this position; many people may get frustrated about paying, but the treasurer is also susceptible to becoming very frustrated. However, this is one position where it is crucial to remember “Tolerance, tempered with kindness and the consideration for the needs of others”.

The known operative of every treasurer is to collect dues, fees, and fines. Sometimes, that pegs the treasurer as a “bad person”.  However, as sisters, we have to remember our 8 to 5, and realize that the treasurer is upholding their Oath of Office they took when they stepped into that position. As a college student, money is a big deal. However, instead of whining, complaining, and getting on your chapter’s nerves, you could easily spend that time and energy in a positive manner. Try talking to your chapter treasurer, maybe even with the president and/or sponsor, to figure out ways to make payment easier. Sometimes it is as easy as coming to an agreement, like a payment plan. That way, all sisters involved get what they need, and are in good standing with the Sorority.

Sometimes a treasurer is easily frazzled by all that is going on within their chapter. Perhaps a lot of sisters are being stubborn with paying money owed. I understand how easy it is to get angry, and rage all over the situation. However, this is a prime opportunity to build skills that you can easily use in the future if you wish to progress your leadership in Tau Beta Sigma. If you are professional and understanding on the situation, approach the sister in question, and offer them help with payment. If need be, ask an unbiased sister to sit in on the conversation as a witness, so no fingers can be pointed in the future. This will easily help you achieve your constitutional goal as treasurer, but also save you from being seen as an enemy.

Always remember that in Sisterhood, we join together “For Greater Bands”. If we set aside differences, and work together, we can overcome both the easy and hard obstacles, and promote ourselves, our school, and our band in a positive light.

Burning a hole in your pocket 

There are plenty of instances where chapters feel like they have excess funds that are just sitting stagnant. Just because the money is there, doesn’t mean you need to use it; it is not going to burn a hole in your pockets. However, it is smart to think of reasons how to use this money, but the issue is, are you using the money for the right reasons?

Whenever the phrase “what can the band use?” is being uttered, your chapter is on the right track. It is very easy to get greedy with the money that builds up in the chapter bank account. However, Tau Beta Sigma is an organization for our institutions’ band programs. A lot of schools have used that money to help commission a piece of work, bring in a guest clinician, or even sponsor a scholarship that their School of Music may award out annually. I mention these specifically because it is very easy for us to get caught up in only wanting to help out the Marching Band, but we are more than a marching band sorority; we are The Band Sorority. This mean indoor bands too, and that will mean even more to your School of Music’s administration and your Director of Bands.

Now, this doesn’t mean that a chapter cannot use its own funds for the Sisterhood, but that moderation is the key. Perhaps, match it 50/50: a donation to the Music Department, a holiday party for TBS. It’s really easy to make sure everyone wins from our hard work, especially those we strive to support.

MLITB,

Salvatore Parillo

Tau Beta Sigma – Zeta Psi

University of Central Florida

2012-2014 SED Treasurer

Sister’s Retreat: Corn Mazes and Waffles and Bunnies Oh My!

Photo Courtesy of Alli Grubbs (Alpha Omega)

Written By Brittany Lyons, Alpha Omega Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma (Florida State University)

It’s that time of the semester where everyone is trying to keep afloat in the barrage of class work, recitals, performances, football games, meetings, and so on. I feel like we’re all holding our breath for Thanksgiving break, when we’ll be able to take a day to reflect on what makes us thankful, eat a slice of homemade pie, and then plunge right back in to finish the last stretch of the semester. But Thanksgiving shouldn’t be the only time that we think about all of the amazing people and moments in our lives, and it also shouldn’t be the only break we have either.

Here at Florida State, our chapter’s MEP committee gave us just that last week when we had our Fall 2013 Sister’s Retreat at Aunt Louise’s Farm in Waukeenah, Florida. In case you’re wondering, Aunt Louise’s Farm is this cute little place with a corn maze and lots of animals to feed and pet. We took a day trip over there last Saturday and got to cuddle with baby rabbits, play around in a corn pit, and eat delicious corn waffles (think of a healthier, non-fried version of a funnel cake).

Like many college kids, quite a few sisters are pet-deprived for the time being so the bunnies were perfect stress-busters. The trip there was the perfect way to recharge, and it felt so nice to just relax with sisters and enjoy the day. Our MEP committee did such a fantastic job of planning the whole event, and it made me realize that we need to take those moments to pause and appreciate the sisterhood we have. We found each other because we love music and service, but we could all still do those things on our own. The bond we’ve created, though, is unique and can only be achieved from making memories together.

The day-to-day stresses fade away when you have an opportunity to spend an afternoon with your brothers or sisters, and the experiences that you share reinvigorate you so that you can get back to work. So here’s what the trip helped me realize: I’m thankful for a chance to celebrate the beauty of the world around us—a gorgeous fall sun dipping below tall rows of corn, the soft fluff of a bunny resting in your hands, and your closest friends around you.

By the end of the trip I’m pretty sure some of us wanted to adopt the bunny as our unofficial chapter mascot! All kidding aside, though, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of activities, classes, and work that we all do during the fall, and spending a few hours together without working on a project is a fantastic way to remind us all how much we have in common.

There’s so much to be thankful for, including each and every one of my 29 sisters. This month I’m going to try to keep that in mind. No matter how crazy or stressful school gets, we have each other.

Unity Week: Strengthening the Bond

Written By Lilio Camere, Gamma Nu Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi (Florida State University)

Every semester, there’s a very special time that rolls around for ΚΚΨ and ΤΒΣ at The Florida State University: Unity Week. While Gamma Nu and Alpha Omega work together year-round, it’s often difficult to find time to get together as Brothers and Sisters. We try and devote this week to more social events, strengthening our bond outside of serving the bands.

From left: Jennifer Gaudreau, Catherine Hertz, Lilio Camere, and Adam Quintanilla celebrate Unity Week

One of the many highlights of Unity Week is the fact that we host two different Family Nights, one for each organization. Since those in the bond here have both a Big Brother and a Big Sister, these events allow people to spend time with both of their families. Each event is as unique as the family hosting it, but most involve food and conversation, just like any family gathering. This is also one of the first opportunities that Candidates get to see Brothers and Sisters socializing as a family and get to see the individual spark that make each group special. These Family Night events also roll right into Big/Little Day. It’s always nice to be reminded that people care about you and want to see you succeed. Whether it’s giving your Big a gift as thanks for all their support, or bringing your Little a treat as a reward for the work they’ve done, Big/Little Day is all about your personal relationship and how you decide to show your appreciation for each other.

Unity Week wouldn’t be complete without a barbecue of some kind. While in the Spring the Candidates from both organizations help jointly organize an Alumni Picnic, in the Fall the Brothers and Sisters organize an event. This semester a pumpkin carving barbecue was held and allowed us to relax outdoors and work together on something outside the spectrum of band. This barbecue ends up being a lot like our closing event, Sunday’s bonfire, where Brothers, Sisters, and Candidates get to get some fresh air and socialize once more before the week is done.

Finally, there’s Candidate Class Night, a nighttime event where the joint candidate classes from both organizations get to hang out once again and go out for a nice dinner. During your Candidacy semester it’s a great time to get to know your Candidate Brothers and Sisters better, and in the semesters following, it’s a great trip down memory lane with those people who were beside you on your journey. These events help to remind us that we are not only two parallel organizations working towards greater bands, but also people in our right. Unity is not only relating to the opposite organization and working alongside them, unity is when you can relate to others as people in the bond and remember why you first wanted to join these organizations.

-We’d love to hear from the rest of SED–how do you stay united with your brothers and sisters? What kind of events do you create for spending time together?

Find Your April

By: Kristle Marie Lawrence, Epsilon Xi Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, Troy University

April Jackson (left) with her big sister Kristle Lawrence (right) celebrating her birthday.

When I was asked to compose this article, the first thoughts that entered my mind were not encouraging in the least. While it is my privilege to have been asked to honor my little sister through this article, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.  I know that if I possessed the most eloquent writing skills in the world, I would never, in years of drafts and revisions, be able to completely convey the beautiful woman I had the honor of calling my little sister and friend. No matter how many descriptive words I chose or how many immaculately constructed phrases I managed to string together, I knew I would fall short by such an immeasurable distance that I would feel as if I had failed her.  After nights of struggling to even begin trying to show who April Denise Jackson was, I arrived at a conclusion. No matter how hard I worked, readers would never be able to grasp just who she was and how much she meant to the people around her. So I have no intention of trying.

Instead, I want you to feel who she was. If through this article you can search through the people in your life and find your April, I will have succeeded in honoring her memory. That accomplishment would thrill me beyond imagining.

April was beautiful in a very unique way.  She commanded glances of admiration any time she entered a room. In a very unknowing way, she could gain the attention of those around her by flashing a sincerely mesmerizing smile and people could not help but be drawn to her dark eyes and elegant figure. But the most concentrated aspect of her beauty resonated from far deeper within.

April was truly living life as a vibrant woman who brought people together. She was the girl who could erupt in wild and unchecked laughter without looking around to see who was watching and would have all around her gasping for air only moments later.  She was the girl who enjoyed being surrounded by unforgettable friends and seizing the moments in life that cannot last forever. My mind goes back to late nights of heartbreak treated with good friends and doughnuts and to inside jokes, pranks, and stories that had to be told over and over again.  Personally, the song Kerosene by Miranda Lambert conjures images of the two of us (equally horrible singers) belting out the lyrics at a Tau Beta Sigma Karaoke fundraiser during her Membership Candidacy. Not one inclined to vocal performances, it was one of the few times I can recall truly having the time of my life and giving no consideration to anything else. Belting out the lyrics, we brought down the house.  We bonded that night. She showed me how to enjoy not taking myself so seriously. To this day, I hear the strains of that up-beat song and can’t help but laugh to think of getting to know my little sister while literally dancing and singing as if no one was watching.

April was the person who worked in order to obtain what she wanted out of life. Working up to three jobs at any given time in addition to serving as a member of the National Guard, she knew all too well the cost of earning a living and never letting the negative events in life dictate her destination. Prompt and punctual, she was always on time and gave forth more effort than was ever asked of her. She would work one shift, only to clock out and head to the next. One after the other, she clocked in her hours out of the determination to be self-sufficient.  She could be trusted with any and every task and would go through whatever it took to be true to her word once it had been given.  A woman of honor, she thrived in honesty and broadcasted herself as an independent and intelligent woman who would attain her heart’s desires.  I could not help but be challenged by her. She inspired me to work harder and be better in academics, work, Tau Beta Sigma, and life itself.

Perhaps the most intense and wonderful aspect of April was her ability to love. Not merely her ability to love, but the way in which she loved the people around her. April enjoyed writing and so did I. It was truly something we shared and it was a way we both utilized to show the work the depth of our feelings.  In one of the last pieces she wrote, she described the love that she desired.

An Irreplaceable Craving
By: April Denise Jackson
I crave a love that’s unexplainable…
unchangeable…
never strange…
but on the verge of dangerous
To know that when you…
and I….
collide…
hmmm….
time will stop….
People will talk…..
and the envious?
They’ll gawk..
A bond so strong we’ll be…
Cupids perfect pair…with two hearts that share…
ONE beat…
hand in hand…
cheek to cheek…
with no fear…
conquering whatever we meet
Together…..
as one…
hmmm…
I just crave a love that can’t be undone

Little could she have known how it is that, “love that can’t be undone” so many of us are searching for in this life. However, I don’t believe she was ever fully aware of how her love for those around her was truly the unbreakable and self-less love for which she was searching. To her family, friends, sisters, and brothers, she was fiercely loyal. No matter the injuries committed, she found a way to forgive and to go on loving. Giving all of herself away, she invested in those around her without reservation. She was more than willing to suspend her needs to lend to a friend. Again, I would find myself in awe of how far she was willing to go for the people in her life. I was often at a loss to comprehend why she was able to give so much so freely. Now I see. It was because she knew how to love.

Look around you at the people God has chosen to place in your life. Find your April. Find the person who makes you look at your own life with critical eyes. Seek out the person who exemplifies things that challenge you to go beyond your comfort zone. Identify the people in your life who, through their own dedication and sacrifice, show you the person you want to become. Search the faces of family, friends, and your brothers and sisters in the bond. April is there. She is the college student who picks up those extra shifts so that he or she can one day succeed. She is in the family member who can forgive any wrong out of sheer love for another. She is in the friend who will never let you go through the terrible throes of life alone. That person is your April. Only you can truly understand what that person means to you just as only I can tell you what April means to me.

The night she passed away, I lost more than my little sister. I lost an inspiring woman, a beautiful young lady, and the presence of the friend who made such an impact on who I am.  There is nothing I can say to adequately depict the feelings of loss experienced by myself, and those who knew and loved her. I have my April and always will. No matter the passage of time, her memory will be a precious reminder of how beautiful life can be to those who choose to live every second of it. She will continue to inspire me to go above and beyond, and that my dreams are only as far away as I allow them to be. Most of all, she will inspire me to live life investing in the lives of others by loving without reservation. I want to be able to love like April.

Find your April. When you do, please remember these words. Only then can you appreciate the memory of the beautiful sister, woman, friend, and little sister who changed my life forever.

April Denise Jackson
Tau Beta Sigma
Epsilon Xi
Smooth TAU-lker #5
SPR 2K9
Uniques Divercia SexlinaTAUs
September 11, 1989-June 22, 2012