Fall 2013 Best of Edition

Kappa Kappa Psi | Tau Beta Sigma

Western District Publication

The Accent: The Best of Edition

Fall 2013 Issue

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Message from the Publisher

Hello Western District!

I present to you the Fall Best of Edition 2013. This edition contains articles that have been submitted to the Accent as well as articles from the Joint Council. Re-reading these articles has been wonderful! It’s great to be informed about what other chapters have been up to as well as how being a part of KKPsi or TBSigma has changed lives.

Now that football season is over and district season is beginning, I hope that more people submit articles and photos of all the activities that their chapter has been up to. It’s a great way to get to know more members of the brotherhood and sisterhood!

You will notice something slightly different in this Best of Edition: there used to be a Chapter Update portion, but I have opted to take it out for this Fall Edition because of the publications of the “What’s Up with the West?” that I have been putting out for the past three months.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful break and New Year!

If you have any questions regarding the Fall Best of Eiditon, the Accent, or “What’s Up With the West?”, please feel free to email me!

AEA and MLITB<3 Hillary Tung Western District Publisher Iota Pi, California Polytechnic State University WDPub@kkpsi.org

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Shout Outs Iota Kappa has gone above and beyond, working hard to be an amazing Advising Chapter to the Alpha Alpha Colony. From the moment they were selected to serve, the Chapter has taken measures to meet and be in contact with several parties to get materials together for the colony, even putting aside time to hold an extra meeting during finals week to film for the colonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s viewing! Special thanks to Brother President Arthur Aguilera and Colony Liaison Eric Held for their dedication, flexibility, and leadership in terms of coordinating with myself, the colony leadership, Nationals, and the WD Council to ensure a smooth process and maximum Chapter involvement! Thank you and keep it up, IK! Charlene Ronne To Cameron Lundy, for going above and beyond as President of Psi Chapter and as Western District Webmaster! You have led this chapter to new heights and greatness, and we appreciate everything you do to make Psi great!

Michelle Monroe To Andrea Chaikovsky: for always continuing to Strive and go above and beyond for the Psi Chapter! You exemplify leading by example and dedication in the fact that you are always willing to help out, put in thay extra work, volunteer to head projects, and work hard towards achieving a better chapter!

Michelle Monroe Shout out to everyone who wrote an article for the Accent! You guys are wonderful in so many ways!

Please encourage everyone to write about their story and submit it to the accent!

Hillary Tung

The Alpha Alpha colony has been so patient and diligent starting the colonization process; their commitment to the process itself and learning about our organization has been fueling progress!

The advising team is thoroughly enjoying the colonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s willingness to work hard and put in time and effort, and we thank all the colonists and look forward to continuing on this journey!

Charlene Ronne Brother District President Erik Marrs has done a wonderful job putting in time and effort to planning fun and informative district events for the West this year! I cannot wait to see how his dedication to thoroughly planning with Brothers and Sisters in mind pays off!

Charlene Ronne To Kim Bowen: for working so extremely hard on Western District Convention planning, and for reminding us what focus and dedication can bring to our lives and chapter! Thank you for your hard work.

Michelle Monroe To Keenan Burt: for bringing the enthusiasm back to service, and for being a great friend and brother to everyone in the Psi Chapter! We are lucky to have you!

Michelle Monroe

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How to Write an Accent Article Step 1: Log onto the Western District website with your account. If you do not have an account, click on register and follow the step by step instructions and the Webmaster will accept you as a member of the Western District Website.

Step 2: Put your mouse over the button that is labeled “The Accent” Step 3: Click on “Submit to the Accent”

Step 4: 1) Make a creative title that would make people want to read your article 2) Write your article in the box below 3) You can upload your pictures, videos, music, or other media of your choosing.

4) Switch to HTML mode if you would like 5) You can format the article however you would like but I suggest that you use plain text for easy reading.

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Step 5: Click “Publish” to submit your wonderful article! Now you have to wait for me to approve it. The reason that I need to approve the article to make sure that the article is appropriate or if there are any problems that I will contact you to fix.

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Feature Articles

Join the Revolution By: Cory Ha Woon Lemke My trip to National Convention began in Tucson. I’m a Tucsonan, so this is where I will begin.

Tucson is a city with thousands of years of history. Archaeological evidence shows that ancient Native Americans used this area, the flood plain of the Santa Cruz River, to cultivate their crops for thousands of years. The Hohokam people have been here since around the time of Christ. While the Americans and British were fighting for control over the eastern seaboard, the Spaniards were fortified in the Presidio San Agustin de Tucson fighting against the Apache. After the Mexican-American War, Tucson and the rest of the Gadsden Purchase was seceded to the United States where it would eventually become part of the New Mexico Territory. During the American Civil War, Tucson served as a major post in the Confederate territory of Arizona. In fact, the western most battle of the Civil War took place just north of Tucson at Picacho Peak where a Union patrol from California skirmished with Confederates from Texas. This city is older than both the state of Arizona and the United States itself, but we never think of it that way. When we are taught American history in school, we always think eastward. We think of the Boston Massacre. We think of Paul Revere. We think of places like Charleston, Philadelphia, and Yorktown, never a place like Tucson.

How does this apply to our college and university bands?

I would argue that we think about our college and university bands in the same way. There seems to be a glorification of bands in the Midwestern and southern part of the country. We have all heard about the Ohio State University marching band and their unique tradition of ‘dotting the i’ in the Ohio script. ‘On Wisconsin’ is often used in basic instrument method books to help students learn their instrument. Texas has ‘big bertha,’ and Purdue has the ‘Purdue Big Bass Drum.’ When people think about college bands, I highly doubt the Sun Devil Marching Band or other bands at Arizona State University come to mind, but I see this as an exciting challenge rather than problem for our program. Our band program has a history just as old as any other in the country. The members of our band program stood shoulder to shoulder with Frank Kush and the football team at that time to help Arizona State College become Arizona State University, making the Sun Devil Marching Band older than the university itself. Coming into contact with programs from all over the country at National Convention helped our program realize its potential, and we are excited to part of place that is becoming, not a place that has been.

This is what our Founder’s Trophy bid motto, “forged in fire” is all about. The national organizations challenged us to ‘join the revolution’ this convention, and I now say to you that we should bring this revolution here. We must initiate change in our western bands so that we may create greater bands and strive even higher in the next biennium.

Expecting Great Things, Cory Ha Woon Lemke Kappa Kappa Psi – Beta Omicron Arizona State University 6

My National Convention Experience

By: Zachary “Bunaong Aao” Giddings

For a lot of us, we only get to go to one National Convention during our time as an active member of Tau Beta Sigma or Kappa Kappa Psi. Finding the money and the time to head out to Springfield, Massachusetts seemed to be a crazy endeavor, but I figured that it was one trip I could not pass up. I can honestly say that National Convention was worth every last penny.

That first day was incredibly overwhelming. It started with a four hour red eye flight followed by an hour of waiting for another two hour flight. Then I waited for an hour for a thirty minute train ride and then a final fifteen minute walk to the hotel seemed to last forever. The sea of people around me was daunting; before I knew it, I was sitting as a delegate for a chapter that wasn’t my own (Omicron, I love you, but for a week I got to be Theta Eta) and then it was off to a schedule that just seemed to be all over the place. I felt lost, but it was okay!

The beautiful thing about these conventions is that, no matter how lost you feel, you are surrounded by people who have the same passion for the organization that you do, and you always have someone to talk to, and before I knew it, I was going to a concert and was finally getting a grasp of how big this convention truly was.

The musical experience was phenomenal. The National Intercollegiate Band, led by Anthony Maiello, performed better than almost any other group I had heard live; an amazing feat, considering they had only rehearsed for three days together. The following day we had the chance to hear the National Coast Guard Band. I fell in love with the piccolo player (just ask Erik Marrs; the whole concert we could not stop talking about her), and she was one of an ensemble of incredibly musicians. (And yes, they did play the Stars and Stripes Forever!)

While I enjoyed the concerts, the highlight of my trip was the number of wonderful people I met. From the presenters at workshops to the new national officers and even to the delegates who sat next to me (Stephen from Theta Theta, we are the best percussionists this world has ever seen), I am truly humbled and walk away with a greater desire to grow. While I do not have the time to talk about everyone, I would love to highlight Liz Shropshire and Marvin McNeill.

Liz Shropshire is the founder of the Shropshire Music Foundation, an organization that provides free music lessons to children in refugee camps in Kosova, Northern Ireland, and Uganda. Her optimism and enthusiasm were absolutely contagious, and her compassion for helping these war-torn areas was truly inspiring. Knowing that these children learn to love through music reminds us just how powerful of an art it truly is.

Marvin McNeill is the assistant band director at University of Connecticut. His view on service is very interesting: serve not just through big projects, but how you act as a person. His big

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thing was that simply being great people- memorizing our music, having enthusiasm all of rehearsal, speaking highly of others, and reaching out to everyone in need- is the easiest way to make our bands better. Sometimes just having a smile on your face will make rehearsal go much smoother.

While these two individuals stood out to me, I could easily talk about each and every presenter. The energetic joint sessions from Dr. Tim and Dr. Mari Ann Callais, the Tau Beta Sigma Women in Music Speaker Amy Mills, and the amazing individuals who put on workshops for the convention attendees all brought their own wisdom, making the 2013 National Convention one to remember.

I truly feel inspired in many ways. I had a great time with my sisters and brothers, I met some of the most amazing people, and I have a newfound love of Dunkin Donuts. I definitely plan on going to Lexington, Kentucky for the 2015 National Convention, and I recommend the experience to everyone.

Zachary â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bunsong Asoâ&#x20AC;? Giddings Tau Beta Sigma Omicron Chapter, University of Utah

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How Kappa Kappa Psi Has Changed Us: A Collective Response from the Gamma Chapter By: Mayowa Aina

In response to this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Accent I asked each active member to sum up in a minimum of 3 words or phrases ways in which they have changed since joining Kappa Kappa Psi and instead of trying to consolidate them all into a cohesive article I created the word cloud pictured above with the most common words being the biggest. I could not be happier with the result. To me the star represents all that our chapter strives to be â&#x20AC;&#x201C; open, outgoing, service oriented, confident, accepting, willing, leaders, musical, providing opportunities for brothers, and loving. What I hope this star shows is that while our chapter tries to encompass these characteristics, the chapter as an entity does nothing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we as active members make the chapter what it is. We bring these ideals and values with us hoping to share them with each other and grow in them as brothers. Personally, I can say that I would agree with any of the words that came up. I think I can speak for the Gamma chapter when I say that we are most definitely better as a result of joining this amazing organization.

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Omega’s First Degree

By: Chris “Comrad” Vance

We are now just a couple of weeks after Omega’s First Degree, and we are once again starting the process with a brand new class of Prospective Members. This coming semester is sure to be a memorable one as we put through one of the largest classes in our chapter’s history. Omega is proud to announce that we are starting with 15 Prospective Members in the Epsilon Omega class of Fall 2013.

It all started a couple of weeks after classes began, during the Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma Recruitment Week. The overarching goal of Recruitment Week is obvious: to stimulate interest about Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma in the band communities here at the U of A. Thanks to Jade Thorpe, VPM for KKΨ, and Meg Smith, VPM for TBΣ, this year’s Recruitment Week was very successful. We kicked off the week with a joint barbeque at a local park. There was no shortage of food, games, and ultimate Frisbee, and the barbeque was a resounding success. KKΨ and TBΣ jointly put on another recruitment event every day for the rest of the week, with activities like beach volleyball, a post-band-rehearsal water balloon fight, and a famous game we like to call “Commando.” One recruitment event in particular that merited special recognition was Ben’s Bells. In order to showcase the service aspect of KKΨ and TBΣ, we decided to forgo the usual games of Recruitment Week for one afternoon and instead use our time to support the efforts of Ben’s Bells, a local Tucson charity. Brothers, Sisters, and prospective members from both organizations all turned out to help paint the “kindness beads” that Ben’s Bells hands out around Tucson, which remind our community to simply “be kind.” The long week culminated at the KKΨ Smoker, a barbeque held at the end of every Recruitment Week, giving people a final chance to meet and mingle before bids are given out. The Smoker was another resounding success and a perfect way to end our fall 2013 Recruitment Week and kick off the start of another process.

In the end, 15 Prospective Members accepted their bids and beginning their journey to become a brother of KKΨ. The First Degree Ritual was organized and lead by Matt Coyle, Omega’s Guardian of the Brotherhood (GOB). Thanks to Matt, First Degree went extremely well, with the entire event going off without a hitch. It was no easy task for Matt to organize a ritual involving so many people but everything ran smoothly from start to finish. We would like to thank the brothers from Beta Omicron who made the trip from Phoenix to attend our First Degree – your company was greatly enjoyed!

It is hard to believe that Omega is in the middle of putting through one of the biggest classes in the history of our chapter. Fifteen Prospective Members are now on their way to becoming brothers of KKΨ, and based on the past couple of weeks, it seems that everyone in Epsilon Omega is going to have a fun and successful process. Welcome Epsilon Omega, and good luck! We are looking forward to seeing great things from you all!

AEA! Chris “Comrad” Vance Kappa Kappa Psi – Omega University of Arizona 10

ASU Band Day!

By: Kristen Franquist

This past weekend was very busy for the Arizona chapters of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, as Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, and the University of Arizona all had their annual band day competitions. With 32 performing bands and all of their family and friends coming to support them, there was plenty to keep Beta Omicron busy as far as serving the bands goes at ASU Band Day! Beta Omicron brothers served through such jobs as hosting bands, field monitoring, ticket sales, bus parking, hospitality, and band check in. All of this on top of the set up and tear down of the entire event was done by brothers to ensure that every band has a positive experience.

The part of ASU Band Day that everyone in our band looks forward to is definitely at the end of the day when we get to perform for all of the high school bands in attendance. While it is a great opportunity for recruitment of future sun devils, our band day performance is one of the few times that we really connect with our audience and feed off of their energy. Playing to an audience of football fans like weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re used to is always exciting, but playing for a large group of band students who know all of the hard work and dedication that gets put into our show and having them scream and shout for us throughout the show is always something I look forward to on ASU Band Day. This year was definitely no exception. Our Styx and Stones show definitely rocked the stadium and made a lasting impression on the future of college marching bands.

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Then, Now, Forever: How Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma have effected me By: Calle Treppiedi

If you knew me in high school you would have known Calle Treppiedi: an oboe player with short hair who did color guard and was afraid of leadership because she didn’t like confrontation. If you knew me my freshman year of college you would have met the same girl who only wanted to play music and live on Greek Row. However, if you know me now you know Calle “Skipp(y) er” Treppiedi, Service Coordinator for Gamma Kappa, transfer student, and someone who is not afraid to get a job done. I own this drastic change to not only growing up, but joining Kappa Kappa Psi. When I started college in Fall 2011, at the University of New Mexico, I rushed Greek Row to join one of the major sororities on campus, like Chi Omega or Kappa Kappa Gamma.

When I didn’t get into the sorority I wanted, I was crushed. All I wanted to do was give back to my community and I felt like I had just lost that opportunity. The next day I received a bid to Kappa Kappa Psi and after learning about our purposes and what Gamma Iota did for the Band Programs, I was hooked. After rushing, I tried to ‘Strive for the Highest’ in everything I did; I taught color guard at a local high school, I went back to my middle school and helped out the beginning oboe players, all while taking 17 credits and being in Symphonic Band. I did so much but I never could find my place within the school. Yes I was in Kappa Kappa Psi and I was happy but it was the only thing keeping me sane and in school while at UNM. So I left, and transferred up to Northern Arizona University and became an active member of Gamma Kappa. Within my first year here I helped to plan a Banquet for the entire school of music with a committee that had all four Music Greeks (TBS, KKPsi, PMA, and SAI) and the Dean of the School of Music. It was its first year and we had almost 100 people at the event. Another Brother and I worked endlessly to help get the Color Guard program back here at NAU and succeed with an amazing guard of 12 girls and 1 baton twirler for the 2013 Marching Season.

That same Brother and I then went to write the work for the whole show. I personally auditioned high enough to be 2nd chair in Wind Symphony both semesters and became more and more confident in my playing abilities. I would not have been able to do any of this if it were not for the love and support of my Brothers at Gamma Iota and Gamma Kappa and my Sisters of Alpha Chi. Throughout my three years in college, they have kept me on track, focused, and pushed me to always ‘Strive for the Highest’ in all that I do. If it wasn’t for my Big Brother at Gamma Iota I would be working at a local food joint instead of pursuing my dreams of teaching music. If it wasn’t for the Brotherhood of Gamma Kappa, my transition to NAU would have been far more terrifying then it was. So, how has Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma changed me? They both have shown me that if you are truly passionate and love something enough you will never stop until it is achieved. You will never change your major even if a professor tells you that you have to, you will never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, and you will never stop ‘Striving for the Highest’ to help create a better band programs for the freshmen that walk in to the school and feel the same way you did.

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Brotherhood/Sisterhood By: Rick Flores

A couple of weeks ago I had an awesome weekend in Fullerton, CA where I was at a journalism conference at CSU Fullerton. While there, I realized Fullerton College was down the street, so what do I do? I get in touch with the Brothers of Mu Phi. It was the first time I got to hang with

brothers from their chapter since spring 2012 at District Convention in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was awesome hanging out with them for the weekend. All weekend we talked about KKY, TBS and

music. Doing things like this really improves relations between brothers and sisters and help us all bond together.

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Joint Council Connection

KKΨ Western District President

As I sit here processing the wonderful opportunities I have been exposed to over the past nine months, I can’t believe that it will all come to an end in about three months time!

At the start of my term I was given the wonderful honor to chair the National Committee on Colonization and Membership and represent the Western District by being our Delegate at National Convention 2013 in Springfield, Massachusetts. One of the major points in my platform when running for this office was to create more correspondence between the chapter presidents and the district president. We started off the year with a Google Session hangout with seven of the chapter presidents and myself! Overall, we talked about important deadlines and opportunities for growth in the district and I am hoping to have another one of these before the close of district season. I have seen fantastic growth with the chapter presidents through the implementation of the “President Challenges”. These were designed to challenge the presidents every month to evaluate their personal goals for their chapter and have covered everything from goal setting to how to effectively handle confrontation in the chapter setting. I am very happy to say that I have seen a fantastic response rate every month with these challenges and would like to thank each of the presidents for going above and beyond my initial expectations and completing these challenges! The Kappa Kappa Psi Council has been hard at work implementing a Scholarship to be used towards National Convention, and Western District Convention every year. We are happy to say we awarded two scholarships to Kerry Sloan from the Gamma chapter and Anthony Sanchez from the Psi chapter to pay for their registration cost at National Convention this past July. Keep your eyes peeled for the same opportunity for WDC 2014!

My term so far has been one of the best experiences of my life and I have so many people to thank for that, but one amazing sister I need to recognize is my counterpart, Sarah Cox. It has been such a pleasure and honor working with such a dedicated and loyal member of Tau Beta Sigma. Together, we 16

have been hard at work planning out every detail of District Leadership Conference, State(s) Days, and Western District Convention with the hopes that each of these events will have a high attendance and be beneficial in some way to our attendees. I would like to recap about all of the wonderful events happening during the 2014 District Season: January 24th-26th, Wagon State Days, Seattle, WA January 31st-February 2nd, California State Days, San Diego, CA February 14th-16th, District Leadership Conference, Seattle, WA February 21st-23rd, Utaho State Days, Salt Lake City, UT February 28th- March 2nd, Arizona State Days, Flagstaff, AZ March 28th-30th, Western District Convention, Los Angeles, CA I urge each of you to save your pennies, rearrange work schedules, and do whatever possible to take advantage of these amazing events and opportunities to grow as a brother and sister in Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. I personally was a “late bloomer” when it comes to travelling to District events. It took me to being dragged to Salt Lake City, Utah for the 2011 Utaho State Days to really find out what an amazing bond we have in this district. I regret everyday not taking the opportunity to travel my first two years of being active. Take it from someone who is currently nearing the end of my collegiate career; take the risk and travel to at least one event this year. I promise you will make lifelong memories and meet people that will end up being life long friends to you. Start keeping your eyes open for important information regarding District Leadership Conference and Western District Convention. Thank you all for always Striving for the Highest and working so incredibly hard throughout the course of this year. It truly is an honor to be selected to serve!

AEA*MLITB, Erik “Con Bravura” Marrs Kappa Kappa Psi Western District President Iota Kappa, Boise State University

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TBΣ Western District President “Far in Distance, Close in Heart” Since 2010 I have been taught to proudly express that ‘the best are in the west.’ We westside-ians do great service, have strong joint bonds, communicate across states in order to trade ideas and stories, and represent our chapters at District and National events. We consistently have multiple chapters nominated for the Chapter Leadership Award at National Convention and often have Western District Alumni on National Council. And, our Joint Challenge even ends by saying we charge other Districts to be as accountable as ours. The West is composed of 9 states, with only 8 chapters of Tau Beta Sigma. The closest two chapters are a mere 85 miles apart—a short drive. The largest distance, however, spans 1,300 miles—a long flight. Compared to other Districts we are sparse and small, even when you add in our Brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi, yet we boast our success and ability. How can that be?

We do not allow the distance between us to stop us from having beneficial relationships. Through participating in District programs and attending events, we get to know each other and find lifelong friends. These Brothers and Sisters might be people who we would never meet otherwise. Once introduced, we might not see each other in person for long periods of time, but we stay in touch through email, texting, Facebook. These casual forms of communication sustain our strong bonds, and make our next reunion even sweeter. Many times the large distance between our chapters makes it less appealing to put effort into only possibly good relationships. We can’t know if we’ll meet someone who will change our lives, but we also don’t know whose life we might change.

I have experienced this first hand at many District Events and also as a District Officer. There are multiple Sisters and Brothers who I have happened to get to know because of pen pals, State Days, DLC, WDC, and National Convention! My roommate’s good relationship with her pen pal even encouraged me to get to know the lovely Jenny McDaniel. It is not easy to foster strong relationships over such long distances, but it absolutely worth it. This is probably the biggest hurdle, and reward, for a District Officer. We are resources for actives from all over the Western United States. We are one city and must reach out to actives that could be up to 1,300 miles away.

Since I was installed in April, I have been grateful to meet Sisters and Brothers from all over the nation. They have encouraged and inspired me to do all I can for this District. I contact each chapter president at least once each month to check in, make sure chapters are doing well, and remind them of any important dates. I have also created a District-wide leadership program, “Marching through Life: 8 to 5,” which will continue in late January. In order to promote an interest and understanding of the national website, I created a three-part website hunt. With the guidance of our Tau Beta Sigma Counselor, Trevor Angood, I implemented the TBS Roundtable—a monthly meeting for nonpresidents to represent their chapter in a District discussion. I am so excited to continue my work and present an amazing District Leadership Conference and Western District Convention along-side my counterpart, Erik Marrs (who happens to live 900 miles away from me). We have been working hard 18

to put together worthwhile events for everyone in the District.

But is the West really the best? In my opinion being the best means we earnestly try, and in this regard I firmly believe the Western District has the potential to embody this unofficial motto. The accomplishments weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made on an individual, chapter, and District level are inspiring to say the least, and the continuation of our success is up to each of us. Each level must work toward higher achievement, larger goals. Recognize any failure as a lesson to learn from, rather than a disappointment. Whether or not you become a District Officer, a chapter officer, or ever attend a District or National event, you can still do your part to keep this motto true. Please know that the West and its Officers are a huge resource for you, full of social, service, and leadership opportunities. Do not be intimidated by the distance between us, but excited at the unknown possibilities that await.

Make the West the best, however you can, whenever you can.

MLITB, Sarah Cox Western District President, 2013-2014 Tau Beta Sigma, Epsilon Kappa University of California, Los Angeles

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TBΣ Western District Vice President of Special Projects The Implications of Being Active within the District and Nation I vividly remember stepping out of the Peter Pan bus in Springfield, Mass. and making the short, but seemingly long, trek to the hotel that National Convention 2013 would be held in. While walking, with luggage in tow, my excitement grew; the fact that I was going to be able to meet so many brothers and sisters from across the nation within a mere few minutes was exciting, yet terrifying. After only being active one semester at that point, I didn’t know what to expect; the only non-local events I had been to were Arizona State Days, DLC, AX’s first degree, and the Uno Tournament held at UCLA. I hadn’t planned on National Convention 2013 having as large of an impact as it had on me.

As Nick Cohen and I made our way into the registration area within the hotel for National Convention, he immediately saw people he knew from the district and began talking to them about varying topics. I, on the other hand, didn’t really know that many people. I decided to retreat to a nearby bench, after I registered, to avoid any potential awkwardness. After sitting for a few minutes, Elyssa Hartsock came over to where I was sitting and started talking to me. It was nice to see a familiar face, just seeing someone I knew warmed me up to the idea of socializing and getting to know people from across the nation: almost like a safety net or a security blanket.

As I began talking to more people I didn’t previously know, within and out of the Western District, I fell even more in love with this wonderful bond that Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma have.

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The entire week of National Convention was filled with talk of our bond and, most importantly, service.

This passion for service that I witnessed during that week has translated through my short-lived term in office as Vice-President of Special Projects. One of my main focuses during the past few months has been the Service Database for service projects done within the Western District for Tau Beta Sigma (hopefully this will become a joint effort in the future). This Service Database is meant to act as a guide and resource for TBS chapters across the district attempting to gain insight regarding service.

The PDF version of the Service Database should be available to the West Side on the website in the time frame of mid-January to the beginning of February. I’ve been working on other projects throughout my term as VPSP that will be disclosed at a later date, stay tuned!

I encourage members from both organizations to go to district events; I wouldn’t know a vast majority of the amazing people I know now if it hadn’t been for National Convention and various district events. In fact, if it hadn’t been for being involved with the Western District so much in my first active semester and my experiences at National Convention 2013, I highly doubt I would have even applied to become VPSP! I urge everyone to go to Seattle for DLC 2014! Not only are you going to learn some awesome skills that can be applied within your local chapter and/or your personal life, but you’re going to meet people and make new connections across the district! Pretty cool, huh? I love the Western District and all of the amazing brothers and sisters within it, I can’t wait to see everybody at DLC 2014!

Megan Naquin WD Vice President of Special Projects Omega Chapter - University of Arizona Tau Beta Sigma wdvpsp@tbsigma.org

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KKΨ Western District Vice President Hello Westside!

These last seven months of working with you have been absolutely fantastic! I had the chance to go to National Convention this summer and learn new and exciting things about this fraternity and our brotherhood! I have been working with many Vice Presidents around the district to brain storm ideas about recruiting and membership. These ideas will all be compiled into one “Guide to Recruitment and Brotherhood” by the end of February!

I have also spent a substantial amount of time working with Ramiro Corral, the colony president of Alpha Alpha at the University of Nevada, to guide him along the process of becoming a colony. Now that they are officially a colony I am very happy to leave the continuation of their journey in the incredibly capable hands of their adviser, Charlene Ronne, and their chapter liaison, Eric Held.

Lately a lot of my time has been focused on what will be happening at District Leadership Conference and at Western District Convention. I am working with Tau Beta Sigma’s western district Vice President of Membership, Heather Smith, to create the Student Leadership Series. The Student Leadership Series will be happening at this year’s District Leadership Conference in Seattle. We would like to encourage any and all brothers and sisters to apply for the chance to give a workshop at this conference. We are also working together on something that I think will be extremely exciting for Western District Convention, so stay tuned for more information!

District season is my favorite time of year! I love 22

traveling and meeting new brothers and sisters. Please make an effort to travel this district season and do not hesitate to introduce yourself! That is what district season is all about!

AEA and MmmmmmLiTB, Alexandra â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alethiaâ&#x20AC;? McClean Western District Vice President Iota Kappa Chapter | Kappa Kappa Psi Boise State University wdvp@kkpsi.org | (541) 408-3161

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KKΨ Western District Secretary-Treasure I am so grateful to have the opportunity to serve as a District Officer and further the purposes of our fraternity.

Meeting my other council members and becoming best friends with these brothers; going to the same school as my counterpart and hanging out often; talking to brothers and sisters all over the Western District and Nation about chapter development; and of course sharing our wonderful common interest of music.

Trisha and I have been hanging out almost every week thinking of new ideas and planning great things for the District season. Checking up on the chapters PIR’s (Professionally Improving Relationships), WDCD/Spotify, WD Snarky letters, grants, and more!

Something we have started for Gamma Kappa and Alpha Chi is to create excitement for District events by initiating the KKPsi and TBS chant before we sing the hymn after football games and other events. We recently created (with the help of Trevor) a website of the District items we have left. You can purchase anything you want through PayPal or other payments.

Here is the link: http://kkytbswdmerch.weebly.com/ Some more about what I have been up to personally, in November I took a trip to Boise, Idaho and visited Alex and Erik and Iota Kappa for their second degree and concerts. It was an amazing time, getting to know IK brothers better, accomplishing District work, and familiarizing myself with Idaho. I had three awesome little brothers go through last semester, adding onto our Freak Family. Chemistry courses are becoming more challenging but the fun is definitely increasing! Snow is coming and going in Flagstaff, Arizona, but snowboard season has kicked in!

I’d also like to give a shout out to everyone who was nominated for the IAA Award, Geoff Bishop (Theta) 24

Cameron Lundy (Psi) Keenan Burt (Psi) Anthony Manluccia (Beta Omicron) Joshua Beedle (Beta Omicron) Kristen Franquist (Beta Omicron) Marlee Walters (Beta Omicron) Alisia Magdaleno (Gamma Kappa) Calle Treppiedi (Gamma Kappa) Eric Friedrich (Gamma Kappa) Jake Weaver (Gamma Kappa) Katy Ettling (Gamma Kappa) Nick Deblasi (Gamma Kappa) Seleste Hamilton (Gamma Kappa) Vivian Jordan (Gamma Kappa) Zak Callum (Gamma Kappa) Jacob Cardona (Iota Alpha) Eric Held (Iota Kappa) Kennia Carpinteyro (Iota Kappa) Sarah Alley (Iota Kappa) John Beckmeyer (Lambda Psi) Joseph Hassell (Lambda Psi) Kelly Fabian (Lambda Psi) Nicholas Chik (Lambda Psi) The District Officers are doing our best to take our multiple experiences to create and ensure fantastic conventions for everyone to get to know our brothers and sisters better, become better leaders, share ideas among chapters, perform service, and leave each event with more friends and desire to do more for our college and university bands. Feel free to contact me at wdsec_trea@kkpsi.org to share any ideas, ask questions, or just to get another insight on chapter views. AEA and MLITB with all the love, Elyssa â&#x20AC;&#x153;Miss JoyCruushâ&#x20AC;? Hartsock

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KKΨ Western District Member-At-Large Howdy Westside!

We’re about to jump into our Winter terms across the district but that doesn’t mean we can just leave this Fall term behind! So much happened! There was football and my house put up a Christmas tree and One Direction released an album in November and I can’t even begin to recount the number of times I overslept… That doesn’t mean I won’t try though, so here we go: On December 1st, my alarm started, “7 AM, the usual morning lineup: start with the chores and sweep…” and of course I hit snooze. Then, a little while later, I remembered where was going on today! Theta and Mu Pi were having degrees and we were suppose be leaving Seattle in the dust about an hour ago. The funny thing about this time of year is that I’m sure a good number of you were all sharing a similar experience as chapters across the district instruct potential Brothers and Sisters. Those potential members were finding themselves entering various degrees of their education and I’m so glad I was able to share those moments with some of them in these two chapters. Travelling to these moments also gave me the opportunity to meet one-onone with some officers in those chapters and talk a little bit about what was going on for them.

These conversations are the ones I want all of you to remember going into Winter term—the conversations that remind how you feel about your position or chapter and how to maintain or improve those feelings.

Because this past term brought both the Kappa Kappa Psi Month of Musicianship and the Western District Week of Music, I had the privilege of spending hours corresponding with music chairs across the district. We talked about what their position does for their chapter and about how music has affected their lives. From passion and dedication to friendship and opportunity, music has brought so much into our lives and Brothers have found Kappa Kappa Psi to be a great outlet for giving back to the presence that is music.

If you want to learn more about the Month of Musicianship or the Week of Music, or any programs we strive to put on for the Western District, please check out our newly-renovated Programs tab on the Western District website! Things are still under-construction, but we’d like to be able to receive input from you on any of our programs and create a place for you to learn more about them.

Like I said earlier, One Direction released a new album in November so check that out and don’t lose sight of the amazing conversations you had about your chapter, position, or our Fraternity and Sorority this past Fall term!

Get ready for District Season! mmmlitb, Kaila Eason Western District Member-at-Large Kappa Kappa Psi | Gamma Chapter 26