Cover Contributions: Annie Pasquinelli
The Orange Baton is a production of Oregon State University’s Theta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity
Executive/Layout Editor: Greg Urban - Photo/Copy Editor: Danielle Aguilar
The Growing Bonds of Brotherhood
By Danielle Aguilar | Brotherhood Chair 2011-12 | Historian 2010-12 Since Theta has been re-chartered in 2009, there has been growth beyond belief in the bonds between Brothers. We, as a chapter, have worked to find a balance between music, service, and brotherhood. And I feel that we have finally found that key spot which enables Brothers in our chapter to not only work together efficiently to serve our university band programs and our community, but to love spending that time together. For the 2011-2012 school year, Theta has enacted a Brotherhood chair to promote bonding between Brothers and to serve as ritual chair. Since the development of this position, Theta has grown stronger as a chapter. In our chapter retreat last September, we actively participated in a Brotherhood discussion about what it means to be a brother in the chapter and how we can be better brothers to chapters in our district and in the nation. We held another Brotherhood discussion during the fall term in preparation for our winter term initiates. After an activity which involved listing qualities we liked in our Bigs and then privately reflecting on qualities we would have liked to see, we came up with a list of qualities we want to see in our new class of Big Brothers and why those qualities are important. We then re-visted the discussion on how we can be better Brothers to other chapters. I am proud to say that there has already been improvement in communication with our closest chapter, Mu Pi! After just one week of school we hosted dinner for the tired travelers from Theta and Gamma returning from the District Leadership Convention in Tucson, Arizona. We also invited Mu Pi to the dinner and had a blast eating, talking, playing games, and of course, singing. Looking toward the rest of this term, we will hopefully be doing some team-building activities at the OSU challenge course with our Zeta class initiates! And we will continue to have bonding activities and discussions promoting unity and love in our chapter.
Combined members from Gamma, Theta and Mu Pi chapters came together for a night of food, games and brotherhood!
A Word from the By Rachel Vanderbeek President 2011-12 So it’s 2012 and the start of Theta Chapters third year being an official chapter. This has been a busy term, but we have a lot of big events to look forward to this term. A big event which just occurred at the beginning of the term was the District Leadership Convention in Arizona. We had three Theta members drive with members from Gamma and we look forward to hearing their presentation on the various events and discussions they took part in (along with seeing the many pictures they took driving through Nevada!). This year’s Wagon States Days is at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. We’re all looking forward to spending time with our Iota Gamma Brothers who we don’t see too often because
of the 8 to 9 hour drive, and the prospective members attending (along with getting some quality time in with my own Theta family). I’m especially looking forward to talking with District Officers Rachel Goldman and Charlene Ronne who will be visiting. My goal is to get some ideas on better ways to help members of the chapter plan and carry out events. The whole chapter is looking forward to a new class of prospective members this term, which I’m particularly excited about because I will hopefully be getting my first Little! I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm with my Little, and the class as a whole, and to really connecting with them. Theta is looking to becoming more involved in the festivals that
happen for high school bands, which is exciting since the original Theta chapter from the 1920s started this high school band competition. This is going to be the most challenging task we take on, but I believe we can do it. Hopefully this helps motivate us to become more involved with other local programs. Finally, at the end of Spring break we have Western District Convention to look forward to. Since we hosted WDC in Portland last year, I’m looking forward to attending convention without the chaos, and to having our own prospective members there. And I am really hoping that after WDC there will be a renewed spirit within the chapter to do our best and strive for the highest!
By Brian McFadden Director of Service 2011-12
all. With the marching band now sitting around 250 members, we have purchased a full set of matching school instruments and 400 uniforms to make sure that each member is well fitted. Previously, we stored all the uniforms in a small room on the second and a half floor of Benton Hall, but this year, we are lucky enough to have acquired a second storage room at Reser Stadium –one for instruments, one for uniforms. With the help of a couple OSU band friends, Kappa Kappa Psi got out our tools and helped create storage shelves and clothing racks to house our plethora of uniforms and shakos. Because of these storage rooms, the marching band can nearly oper-
ate solely out of Reser stadium and the staff doesn’t have to race to and from Benton Hall between every rehearsal. Also, the room in Benton is now being transformed into an instrument storage room for our concert bands allowing for better organization and easier checkout of our instruments. We look forward to more service projects to come in the coming months!
Service Update
This fall was an exciting time for the Oregon State band program. With rapidly growing numbers, we are constantly purchasing more and more equipment. However, that also means that we are rapidly running out of space to put it
Theta members help renovate the storage room in Reser Stadium.
Holidays with Theta
Brothers get together to carve pumpkins, enjoy food and bond before Halloween.
Photo courtesy of Meghan Payne
By Meghan Payne Social Chair 2011-12 One of the many words associated with the holidays is family, so what better way to celebrate the days deemed special by tradition and calendar companies than with your very own brothers? During fall term we held our first pumpkin carving social. A night of pumpkin seeds, sweets, and “Little Shop of Horrors” ended with some frightening and creative pieces to leave out on the front porch. Thanksgiving was overshadowed by the ever-exciting Civil War football game; however the traditional service project of making snack bags for our marching band took place, and was well received by the hungry band members. The term ended on an exciting and cheerful note, with the annual Secret Santa gift exchange. Through heartfelt gifts that ranged from homemade cookies and handmade accessories to entertaining novels and Dollar store novelties, the true love of our fellow brothers was felt. There was even a true Secret Santa, as one brother received the gift of a marching band T-shirt that the chapter sold this year without anyone claiming responsibility. It shall, perhaps, ever remain a mystery. We wouldn’t dream of stopping there, though. Fundraising events are underway for the winter term. On the 13th and 14th of February we’ll be selling red carnations and music-oriented cards. My personal favorite is “I’m a fermata…. Hold me”. It’s also likely that we’ll be having a profit share for mom’s weekend, the weekend before Mother’s Day. What could be better than celebrating our mothers, and those visiting other students, by serving them a delicious meal at one of the fine establishments in Corvallis? Our chapter continues to take each holiday as a chance to come together and bond while serving our music programs. It can be assured that there is never a dull moment when Theta partakes in what have frequently become annual events, taking to heart the need to be with family on such special occasions.
Mu Pi’s Third Degree Ceremony By Annie Pasquinelli Gamma Class
Our visit was anything but planned. At the Brotherhood meeting that afternoon, none of us had really been expecting to take a trip to Eugene in a few short hours, but before long, my car was loaded up with Theta members and we were on our way down Highway 99. Despite the heavily falling rain and the poorly marked road, Brendan, Meghan, Allison, Noel and I made it down just in time to see Mu Pi’s Third Degree ceremony, which took place in the University of Oregon’s music building. Afterward, we took lots of pictures to commemorate the occasion, and then the Thetas departed. We stopped by Carl’s Junior on the way to the freeway and grabbed a bite of dinner over discussions about Kappa Kappa Psi, Mu Pi’s intriguing additions to their ceremony, and what one place we would visit if we could go anywhere in the world. It was late that night by the time we crawled into our beds at home in Corvallis, but it had been an adventure worth remembering.
Comic thanks to Bill Watterson
Blast Past! from the
A Night on the Sound with Brothers
By Noel Nelson Delta Class Out of the numerous events and memorable experiences I have had with Kappa Kappa Psi, the greatest had to be my first. It is also the one I feel most exemplifies brotherhood. It started on a trip to the University of Washington (UW) with my band, the Oregon State University Marching Band. The trip included a slight tour and detour in Portland and a boat cruise on the Puget Sound for dinner. I was tired from the day’s events and wanted a little alone time away from my section, so I sat alone near a window in an isolated corner staring down at the flowing water below. I was hoping that no one would sit with me, but I am passably social most of the time. So, when some new band members sat down at my table, I crossed my fingers as they gave an unexpected introduction. They asked if I was excited to finally be joining Kappa Kappa Psi (KKPsi). I replied with a hearty yes, and that I thought that I might never get in. After all, I had been trying to join for three years then. We enjoyed a bounteous banquet and conversations that quickly transcended the normal small talk. I was really getting to know these people, and I liked them. We spoke of philosophy, Greek mythology, video games, D&D or Dungeons and Dragons, and of course KKPsi. They told me what they could about the fraternity, and then said the rest would be divulged in due time (in the education process). All of this unfolded with a beautiful view of the city lights of Seattle, an unclouded star-filled night sky above, a dark flowing mirror below, and a slightly chilling wind that could be ignored with my warm company of brothers. The largest surprise was that I was a prospective member that had not even begun the education process and these people were there and ready to really get to know me. A bond was formed on that night, and it grew stronger with every passing day. Those two members, of course, were Andy Evens and Meghan Payne. At the time I had hoped dearly that this bond would be made with all of my brothers in Theta Chapter, and I would say that it has, each in its own way. Instances like these are what I define brotherhood as, and I call Theta my other family.
5
Fabulous
The
5 Fabulous Pictures of Theta Showcasing...
Brotherhood
Brothers enjoy themselves on the Theta retreat at Honeyman Campground in Florence, Oregon in September 2011
Photo Credit: Danielle Aguilar and Allison julander