The Orange Baton: Spring Term 2013

volume 3, issue 3

spring term 2013

eta class service project

The work crew learns how to apparate in the Chamber of Secrets

by Stephen Marshall Zeta Class Ethan Schwanz demonstrates proper box flattening technique

Sarah Massey sweeps cheerfully

As an employee in the Oregon State Band Office and an active member of Theta Chapter, I am so thankful for the work that Kappa Kappa Psi does for college and university band programs. On April 13th, our new active Eta class spearheaded a project to reorganize and prepare our band uniforms and equipment at Reser Stadium, our home football field. We cleaned the floors, organized our shakos, put our freshly laundered marching band uniforms back into size order, returned all inventory and equipment to their correct storage places, cleaned out our water jugs, and had a freaking awesome time all in the span of just about 4 hours. The project was efficient and the company was awesome. Because of this project, the marching band will be ready to show off our awesome facilities to candidates interviewing in May 2013 to become our new director, and the band is well on its way to being prepared for marching band camp 2013-2014!

by Danielle Aguilar Gamma Class This year has been a great one. We’ve had so many wonderful events take place…working with Mu Pi at States days to help a local music program, performing pep tunes downtown in Halloween costumes to fundraise, ushering concert band performances, bringing in a new class of Brothers and much more, all under the direction of our fabulous officers.

And this year we were really able to step it up a notch in many positions that were not fully developed yet, such as our Music Chair, Publishing Chair, and Brotherhood Chair positions.

With the current school year coming to a close, elections on the horizon, and excitement for a new year, we decided to hold a SWOT analysis night. This is a “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats” discussion where we analyzed our current year and set goals for the future.

With the ideas from that night in mind, we settled in for a long election night. Many of our wonderful active members are graduating, leaving spots for our remaining actives and newest Eta class to fill. With oreos, gummy bears, smooth-

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the final result!

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Election Results—continued from page 1 ies, chips and more, we began elections with high hopes. After hearing multiple qualified candidates for all positions, we had decided on our 2013-2014 Theta Chapter Officers. I am so excited to see many new faces in officer positions; old faces taking new roles, and many new Eta members taking up some responsibilities too! Already we have officers delving into their roles to get plans for the upcoming summer and new school year underway! Theta chapter is striving for the highest and as a new alumni, I can’t wait to read about what comes next.

Each officer’s bio includes their elected position, class, main instrument, and major.

President

Vice President

Director of Service

Stephen Marshall

Geoff Bishop

Don Jahne

Zeta Class Trumpet Music Education

Eta Class Trumpet Music Education

Eta Class Trumpet Mechanical Engineering

Treasurer

Secretary

Nicole Watson

Allison Julander

Zeta Class Tenor Saxophone Accounting

Gamma Class Clarinet Digital Communication Arts

Alumni Secretary

Historian

Parliamentarian

Brett Moffatt

Alex Bird

Ethan Schwanz

Eta Class Alto Saxophone Mechanical Engineering

Eta Class Baritone Civil Engineering

Eta Class Alto Saxophone Music Education

to Boise decided to stop in Hermiston to say hi to the director of bands for Hermiston High School. I found out that his name was Paul Dunsmoor, and that he is an My family and I had the privilege of hosting all of the alumni member of the Theta Chapter. Paul introduced members from Theta Chapter for the 2013 Western Disus to his friend, Sarah Butler who is the band director at trict Convention in Boise, ID. The group I traveled with Umatilla High School. She informed us that there was a Ford test driving fundraiser going on at her school. We all participated which granted each of us the opportunity to earn $20 to the school program of our choosing. So within fifteen minutes, we earned the Umatilla High School Band Program roughly $200! Sarah decided to take us out to Thai food afterward which was amazing.

Finally we continued our adventure towards Boise, and arrived at my dad’s house roughly at 2:00am.

by Alex Bird Eta Class

Front: Stephen Nguyen, Paul Dunsmoor, and Jamie Gregory. Back: Alex Bird, Allison Julander, Danny Mitchell, Ethan Schwanz, and Sarah Massey.

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Classic Oregon State Marching Band Traditions

by Bob Schapper Theta Chapter Alumnus Some of the band traditions that still survive today go back decades. The band did not start out wearing orange and black.

That tradition more than likely started in the early 1950s. Wearing hats backwards after winning a game probably goes back to the mid 1950s. Back in the days when wearing spats as part of the uniform, Dee Andros was the football coach and Ted Mesang the director of bands, the band added the B-E-A-VE-R-S yell to the fight song. Horn swings have been part of the band tradition for a long while. The trombone suicide drill goes back to 1980.

Basketball related traditions go back to the 1960s. Namely, what was called the Two-minute Drill and the Disappearing Band.

The Beaver Spellout, created by Jim Douglass, has been a tradition since 1969.

The convention itself was truly an uplifting experience for me. I could look around and easily notice all of the compassionate musicians who are all so dedicated to music. Throughout the day, there were several workshops and conferences we could attend. I attended a workshop about the Five Purposes and another about how to use social media to represent our fraternity. Each of the presentations were well organized and very informative. A while later, people started getting ready to play in the Reading Band. We sight read a couple of pieces, and followed different directors as they rotated with each song. Later in the evening, we had a formal dinner filled with exquisite food and beverages.

After dinner, various awards were presented and people were recognized for their contributions to Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. When all of the awards were presented, everyone from TBS formed a small circle in the middle and everyone from KKP formed a larger outside circle. The room was silent. Then we all solemnly

sang our fraternity’s hymn. It was such an aesthetic experience hearing so many voices at once. We concluded the hymn, and all of a sudden everyone starts yelling out and chanting. I was so bewildered and confused on what was going on. They were spelling out the Greek letters and yelling K-A-P-PA K-A-P-P-A P-S-I, KAPPA KAPPA PSI!!! It was probably the coolest chant I have ever heard.

I am looking forward to attending future conventions throughout my years in college, and I am so thankful I could be part of this wonderful experience.

Thetas at WDC in Boise, Idaho

Sarah Massey, Stephen Nguyen, and Alex Bird

Western District Convention—continued from page 2

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OSAA with the help of the parent volunteer coordinator Steve Simon, are able to keep the competition running Each year, all the high school bands in the state of Ore- smoothly and professionally. This year, Steve sought the gon work to qualify for the OSAA State Band Competi- help of the Theta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi to assist with the enormous workload the Crescent Valley Voltion. An invitation to the event is one of the highest compliments a music program can receive, and the col- unteers were faced with.

Members of Theta assisted every day of the fourlaberative performances at the competition make for the day competition, and at some point worked every job! highest quality program of high school performances The Theta members who could attend had a great time Oregon has to offer. and walked away with a strong sense of pride and reAn event of such magnitude does not happen ward with the contribution they were able to make. The without considerable behind the scenes efforts to proOSAA, Crescent Valley High School, and Steve Simon vide the judges, instrument storage, ushers, stage manwere all extremely grateful for the “quality and conagers, performance guides, and recording specialists. sistent assistance” provided by Theta and hope to call Each year Crescent Valley High School (under the guidupon us again in the future to continue to keep the event ance of honorary Theta member Kristine Janes) along at its finest quality.

by Stephen Marshall Zeta Class

Von Wilsons in Florence, OR

by Greg Urban Delta Class Serving as President for the 2012-13 year was an experience. It came with its ups and downs, both inherent and external, but overall, the role, and my brothers, had a profound effect on who I am today. Stepping into an officer role in charge of the chapter goals and long-term outcomes while keeping meetings and committees running smoothly was a challenge. It was a challenge that I sometimes doubted myself to do efficiently or democratically. As an extrovert and someone who loves being liked, playing the Task Master during meetings was a challenge for me. However, seeing the The Von Wilson family after Eta Class’ third degree genuine care and brotherly love in our chapter grow through the efforts of our Brotherhood Chair and seeing the active brothers welcome and celebrate the new members of Eta class was a true joy. As a Communication major and as a Facilitator of team building at the OSU Challenge Course, seeing our chapter go through some of the stages of group development and begin to perform as a whole made the entire year worth it. Thank you to all of you for an incredible year, and for all those brothers at other schools that supported me and showed that you cared in various ways. I will never forget the experience of KKPsi, nor the love of my brothers.

AEA: All day | Everyday | Always.

Greg Urban with his Big, Danielle Aguilar, after leading his final chapter meeting

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photos { a look at theta’s spring term in

Including contributions from Christy Raz, Greg Urban, Danielle Aguilar, and Allison Julander

}

Camping with Gamma and Mu Pi in Florence, Oregon

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challenge course brotherhood activity

alumni banquet It’s been a wonderful privilege to serve as your Publishing Chair this year. Thanks to all who wrote, took pictures for, and read the Orange Baton this year. I cannot wait to see what this newsletter will grow to be in the future!

Lots of love and AEA —Allison Julander, Publications Chair 2012-2013

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