Theta Theta Hosts SEDC 2019 By Atia Aroonsakulwongse, Universit of Alabama Birmingham, Theta Teta If you were to tell me that Theta Theta (University of Alabama at Birmingham) would be hosting the Southeast District Convention (SEDC) 2019 two years ago, I would have laughed and not believed you. Prior to hosting SEDC, we were never really involved on the district level. We attended district events and had some contact with other chapters in our district. Other than that, that’s all we did. At SEDC 2018 in Charleston, SC, Birmingham, AL was selected as the host site for SEDC 2019, the brothers of Theta Theta who attended SEDC with me looked at each other in shock. We were extremely timid to host this convention. We avoided having this conversation until the following school year. As chapter president, one of my goals was to encourage the chapter to participate in more district activities. We started the school year participating in district programs and began reaching out to more chapters around our state. When the SEDC host chapter applications were released, we sat down in a classroom and talked about it. We
wanted to do it because our university was really close to the convention site. However, the biggest concern we had was that we might not have enough brothers and sisters to help. Then we thought about our membership candidate class from both organizations and that thought helped ease that concern. After serious consideration, the chapter decided to vote on submitting an application to host SEDC. I talked to our Tau Beta Sigma chapter, Eta Lambda, and they agreed to submit an application as well. I was taking an exam when an email was sent to me that the Theta Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi and the Eta Lambda chapter of Tau Beta Sigma were selected as host chapters for SEDC 2019. We were all excited and a little scared but mostly excited. If anyone tells you that hosting a convention where roughly 700 brothers and sisters will be attending is easy, don’t believe them. Hosting this convention was no walk in the park, but it wasn’t as bad as our chapter anticipated. There were days where we were
The Theta Theta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi
Snapshots of the SED!
The Zeta Beta Chapter est. October 30th, 1976
stressed out of our minds, but it was completing those stressful tasks that brought our chapter closer to each other. The time we spent together preparing for the convention bought the brothers of our chapter closer to each other. The conflicts we had were resolved quickly because of how efficiently the brothers and sisters worked. The event strengthened our bond with our Tau Beta Sigma chapter as well, which has been something both chapters have been working on for years. This experience has taught Theta Theta many lessons. Some of the lessons include staying organized, always planning ahead, communication is key and anything is possible with a little hard work and passion. Hosting SEDC 2019 was a rewarding experience for everyone. In the past, we would have to explain where we are from. Now, everyone in the Southeast District of Kappa Kappa Psi knows Theta Theta and Eta Lambda, and that’s what makes hosting SEDC worth every second.
The Eta Lambda Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma
The Gamma Epsilon chapter worked along side Sigma Alpha Iota and Phi Mu Alpha to put on a Bahamas Relief Concert to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Dorian. 2
Thank you, Zachary Stoddard By Brittany Woodruff, Auburn Universuty, Pi I know that most of you never met Zachary Stoddard from the Nu Alpha Chapter at Georgia State University. As much as I could go on talking about him, I want to tell you about what he represented. It is my hope that you take something from this even if it’s just an appreciation of a wonderful human being. To put it simply, Zach was the best. He was kind, funny, and most of all, loving. He truly embodied what it meant to be a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi. He strove for the highest in everything he did. He never half-did anything from service to musicianship or just friendship. He never missed a birthday. He always jumped at the opportunity to help you. He never met a stranger. He almost never missed a Southeast District Convention or a National Convention. He cared more than anyone I’ve ever met. He was never afraid to tell you that he loved you and that he was thinking about you. He was your brother, and he did not take that responsibility lightly. In April 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina, the Southeast District of Kappa Kappa Psi established the Zachary T. Stoddard Exemplary Brother Award. This award recognizes an amazing active, associate, or conditional member who most embodies the ideals of our purposes and creed. The brothers will have a history of commitment to our values through the pursuit of excellence in their musicianship, leadership, service, and brotherhood. The recipient of this award is someone who truly “Strives for the Highest” in everything they do. All of this because Zach truly embodied what it means to be a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi. I won this award at the 2019 Southeast District Convention in Birmingham, Alabama. As the brothers who were at my table could tell you, I just sat there and cried. I honestly didn’t believe I was worthy of this award, and I still don’t. I could never compare myself to Zach or even remotely consider myself on the same level as him. But after the banquet, he gave me a giant hug and told me that he couldn’t think of anyone better to be the first recipient of the award named after him. His telling me that I was a good brother meant more than any award possibly could. Zach passed away unexpectedly on January 4th. If you look at his Facebook page, you’ll see an incredible 3
outpouring of love from brothers all across the country. He touched hundreds of lives in a way I can only dream of. Many brothers attended his funeral in South Carolina on January 11th from far and wide. Some brothers were already in South Carolina. Others came from as far away as Delaware. Because Zach meant that much to us. We had the opportunity to circle up around his parents and sisters and sing the hymn as we all tried, to varying degrees of success, not to cry. We’ve all sang the hymn many times, but this time, it meant something different. I do not know how long ‘twil be or what the future holds for me. But this I know, if I must die, I am a brother of KKPsi. The next time you sing the hymn, really think about the words you’re saying. Think about what it means to be a brother. Some of you may think that it’s not that deep. It’s just a college band fraternity. And if that’s what you want to get out of Kappa Kappa Psi, that’s fine. But this fraternity means a lot more to so many people. It meant more to Zach. Our creed states: We, the brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi, believe that service to the college or university band program fosters responsibility, loyalty, and leadership; that a spirit of brotherhood is enhanced by the participation in a band program; that music is a universal language and truly the greatest of the arts; and that through fraternal
participation, each member will strive for the highest. Never forget what this organization stands for, what it means to be a brother, but most of all, to love each other. If we could be half the brother Zach was, if we could care even half as much as he did, the world would be a much kinder and more loving place. Encourage each other to always be the best you can be. Love each other, check in on each other, support each other. In the words of Zach, Love you lots. Always have, always will.
NATIONAL CONVENTION
NATIONAL
CONVENTION
Tau Beta Sigma Epsilon Xi
Epsilon Xi Takes on NatCon! by
Jill Hurst
This past summer, six active sisters and one life member from Epsilon Xi made the thirteen-hour drive from Troy, Alabama to Stillwater, Oklahoma to attend the 2019 National Convention. From serving as delegates to seeing the Melodica Men in concert, we enjoyed every moment spending the weekend where it all began! NATIONAL CONVENTION |
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Delegates and Committees
Out of the seven sisters who attended National Convention, three had the opportunity to be seated as delegates. Emma Fell, who was seated as Epsilon Xi’s delegate, was placed on the Membership Committee. Haven Graham, who was seated as a proxy delegate for the Zeta Beta chapter at Tuskegee University, served on the Special Projects Committee. Samantha Fell, who was seated as a proxy delegate for the Gamma Omicron chapter at Southern Arkansas University, served on the Ritual Committee. Throughout the weekend, these committees met and discussed business that was later brought to the delegation in the form of reports to be voted on!
Special Performances
NatCon was so much more than just committee meetings and sessions. Over the few days spent in Stillwater, we had the
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brought to the delegation in the form of reports to be voted on!
Special Performances
NATIONAL CONVENTION |
NatCon was so much more than just committee meetings and sessions. Over the few days spent in Stillwater, we had the incredible experience of listening to and learning from the featured speakers and performers! At convention, Tau Beta Sigma brought in 2 women to speak/perform on behalf of the Women in Music speaker series. To begin, Jocelyn Hagen gave a powerful and moving message dealing with women in the composing profession, speaking on the struggles and hardships that she as an individual had to face to be where she is today. She presented the sisterhood with a few of her commissions and explained the stories that followed them. Later that week, Valerie Naranjo introduced so many of us to West African percussion music through an interactive show that kept the audience on their feet! Not only did we learn about the traditional West African music, but we even 3 learned the dances that go with it!
To top off the outstanding Women in Music speakers, the Melodica Men put on an interactive show that swept the audience off of their feet. In addition to their performance, the Melodica Men explained the origins of their musical duo and how they became internationally acclaimed!
Other Things! During the course of the week we were at convention, we attended different sets of workshops that would teach us tips and tricks to better our chapter as a whole. For example, I attended a minute taking workshop where chapters from around the country shared creative ideas on how to utilize minutes in the most efficient way! We learned so much that we were able to bring back to our own chapter in Troy and implement for smoother sailing. During the Special Projects Committee meeting, one of the main topics was the “For Greater Practice” initiative. Because Epsilon Xi was one of the pilot chapters for this project, Haven, our chapter President, was able to give tons of information that would assist in the initiative’s overall productivity in the future. The committee loved hearing about the project from a chapter who had direct experience with it! We explored Stillwater, visited Headquarters, and joined in celebration of the centennial mark of our brothers. National Convention 2019 was an absolute blast, and we are just as excited to celebrate 75 years of sisterhood in Grand Rapids in 2021!
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Social Hour w ith Iota By James McGregor, Goergia Tech, Iota
One of the most rewarding things I’ve done in Kappa Kappa Psi is serve my chapter, Iota, as a social committee chair. As I go into my third semester in this role, I find myself reflecting on the ways I’ve been able to serve my band directly in a position I originally thought would necessarily be more focused on serving affiliates. As fun as it is putting on events for my brothers and our sister chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, Epsilon Theta, organizing events for our full band reminds me of how much I love our program and the kinds of things that made me want to accept my bid in the first place, so I thought I’d share a bit about how my role in my chapter helps me give back to our greater program. Social events are one of the best ways to promote brotherhood within your chapter, and some of my favorite moments with my brothers come from social events including movie night, intramural sports, and bigger events like a Super Smash Brothers tournament. When these events have gone so well for the chapter, the next logical step was to open up some events to the full band. Although they require more work, they are a great opportunity to work towards our fifth purpose: “To provide a pleasant and helpful social experience for all engaged in college band work and to cooperate with other musical organizations in any manner consistent with the
purposes of the institution at which chapters are located.” We use this as an opportunity both to build our relationship with your band and with our sister chapter more specifically. The first challenge is that a full band event takes a lot more time and energy to get done. It may seem obvious that coordinating a larger group than your chapter takes a greater commitment, but without that explicit awareness, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the planning and logistics for an event you just thought was going to be a good time with your band buds. Another thing we learned is that bandmembers, in general, are less likely to go to an event you host than our brothers. Through this, we learned the value of marketing. If you’re trying to plan a full-band event, but fear you’ll have low attendance, use your brothers to share the event with their sections, and work with your director to make a full-band announcement as well. Sometimes it can be as simple as asking your friends if they’re going, too. If this is your first full-band social, I suggest starting with something logistically simple. A movie or game night allows for people to come in and out and requires little setup. Providing food is always a good idea at social events. If your chapter doesn’t have the funds for that, ask your other brothers to buy chips for it or bake
cookies together for it. Explaining to your chapter how important the event is to you individually and to serving your band can help a lot in incentivizing your brothers to help you get it off the ground. Finally, be sure to understand the support network you have within your band system. If your band is like mine, you will have a sister chapter and a band club to help out. Make sure to bring both of these groups in when you plan your event. If you haven’t worked much with the other organization within your band, this is a great place to start. If you don’t have these groups to help you make an event happen, just work within the system your band’s student leadership. Maybe invite a section leader or other leadership to help plan with the event. A well planned and easy social event is a great way to get to know people and start a dialogue about working on other projects. A social event is a great way to reconnect and strengthen the bonds of friendship. If you know how to plan fun events for your brotherhood, it can be intimidating to expand those events to larger audiences. You can use the skills you’ve learned and the network you’ve to help the rest of the band feel a similar connection as you do to your brothers, so I hope you give it a chance!
Snapshots of the SED!
The Gamma Epsilon chapter of Tau Beta Sigma visted a nearby nursing home to perform for the residents there.
Alpha Eta prepares to carry water coolers back to the band van after the 3rd quarter of a football game.
The sisters of Eta Lambda and the brothers of Theta Theta enjoying our annual christmas party. 6