File - Kappa Kappa Psi

OMICRON ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
KAPPA KAPPA PSI
It’s That Time Again!
Hello! My name is Ali Denelsbeck, and I am
the current Alumni Relations Officer. I hope
your summer was a good one and your fall is
so-far-so-good!
performed a joint show with The Mighty
Sound of Maryland in the celebration of the
200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner.
We have a lot going on in the Omicron Chapter this year. We started out with a successful Kappa week before band camp, which
consisted of everything from readying for
the arrival of The Pride to team building activities at the local Boy Scout camp.
Instead of the traditional extended rush period, the chapter is set to have TWO rushes,
and one rush is already in progress. We are
also hosting Central Precincts this year, and
we hope you will consider attending!
So far the year has shown to be a good one,
The Pride has been busy, too! We started off and we will continue our year strong and
the marching season by heading to Atlanta, strive for the highest!
Georgia, for the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. On the
AEA,
way to the game, we made stops in McDowAllison “Ali” Denelsbeck
ell County and Princeton, WV, where we
Alumni Relations Officer 2014
performed full demo shows. We also made
a trip to College Park, Maryland, where we
In This Issue!
Greetings from our President……..2
Music in the Fraternity……………2
Wine and Jazz 2014……………….3
Fundraising: 2014 Edition………...3
Scholarships 2014………………...4
Our Long and Rich History…….4
Social Activities………………..5
Dates of Interest………………..5
Our District Council Officers….6
Greetings From Our President!
Greetings from Omicron! We are excited to be reaching out to
much more. I hope you all are enjoying your fall and that you
you all again from WVU. The brothers of the Omicron Chapter of continue to Strive for the Highest.
Kappa Kappa Psi have been busy this semester participating in
several band activities. So far we have
AEA,
run Kappa week prior to band camp this
Grant Rumble
semester. During band camp we ran
President 2014-15
themed days, as well as the band picnic,
where we received support from the
Alumni Band, Phi Mu Alpha, and Sigma
Alpha Iota. The chapter also helped
when the President’s Own Marine Band
visited the University and we travelled
to Atlanta and Maryland. Recently, the
chapter helped the band host the Oklahoma Band, met with several brothers
from the Delta Chapter and provided
snacks and water for the band. Just Recently, we helped run the
annual Wine and Jazz event at Camp Muffly to support the local
jazz bands and raise some money for the chapter as well.
We will continue to stay busy and serve the bands. In the
coming months, we will help with the annual marching band
banquet, blood drives, concert band appreciation week, and
Music in the Fraternity
As the new Musicianship Chair, I am excited to work
with my committee to help cultivate greater appreciation of
WVU’s music program and more participation within various
aspects of it, as well as improving our chapter’s overall level of
musicianship.
I would like to plan group “trips” to various ensemble
concerts throughout the semester, and to attend a different
style of ensemble each time to hear a variety of what our School
of Music has to offer besides our concert bands (such as one of
our World Music ensembles, or our Wind Symphony). We have a
high level of musicianship both in our chapter and at our school,
but we can continue to grow as musicians through exposure to
unique genres of music while also meeting our concert attendance requirement. In addition, I would like to have a few singing
workshops throughout the semester and go above and beyond
the one required per semester. I’d like to host workshops on
different aspects of singing, like breath management, tone,
pitch, ensemble work, and a refresher workshop on our fraternal
songs.
I am happy to have the opportunity to be Kappa Kappa
Psi Omicron’s Musicianship Chair this year, and I am looking forward to creating fun events for our chapter! In addition, I am
open to any suggestions for events this semester or in the future.
Thank you and AEA!
Taylor Meyers
Musicianship Chair 2014-15
Membership News!
Omicron is changing how our future enters this fraternity! This
year, the chapter has decided to do two rush processes (one in
the fall and one in the spring) instead of the mid-year, singular
class per tradition. Our goal is to inspire more returning members to join in the fall and to give apprehensive freshmen some
time to think about a choice that could change their lives forever.
Currently, we have two membership education participants
(MEPs) for the fall semester. They are learning more and more
each day and are eager to strive for the highest! However, we
had eleven freshmen show interest in our fraternity this fall that
were not eligible until the spring. To sustain their curiosity and
help foster their desire to join the brotherhood, we have come
up with a “pre-MEP” process and call them potential new members (PNMs). We will soon be having a ceremony written specifically for them and will continue to have “closed” rush events
throughout the semester leading into spring rush.
Our fall degrees are as follows: Second Degree October 19 in
Falbo Theater of the Creative Arts Center at 1 p.m. and Third
Degree November 30 in Falbo Theater of the Creative Arts Center at 1 p.m. Please feel free to contact me regarding membership inquiries!
AEA,
Shelby Chapman
Vice President of Membership
The Omicron Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi
West Virginia University
Wine and Jazz 2014
This year's Wine & Jazz Festival has just concluded. It was held
September 27-28 at Camp Muffly, just outside of Morgantown.
Many brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi, actives and alumni alike,
came both to help out and to enjoy some good times and great
music. WVU's own jazz band even came out to entertain! Brothers sold tickets for customers to purchase food items
provided by local restaurants and bakeries, all while
listening to some incredible jazz music. Overall, everyone had a great time at the festival, and we're already
looking forward to next year!
Kasey Bolyard
Vice President of Service
Fundraising: 2014 Edition
Welcome to the 2014 season with Kappa Kappa Psi - Omicron!
This year kicked off with two summer car washes and continued
with the non-stop influx of band warehouse orders! In an effort
to try something new this year, along with the
Alumni raffle, the Omicron Chapter decided to
raffle off a t-shirt quilt, consisting of old warehouse designs, all put together by Jeremy Adams, an active brother. Due to its popularity, we
will be doing another raffle for the last night of
the KeyNotes concerts, along with the traditional raffle baskets. Other fundraisers for this year
are currently in the works, but keep an eye out
for announcements!
In Band Warehouse, old favorites, such as the
Gold Official t-shirt and the “Step into the Tunnel” t-shirt are still here, along with a couple
new designs, including the widely popular 2014
Tour t-shirt, and the white “1, 2, Ready, Go” tshirt was brought back to the order form. If you would like to
see any of the merchandise, head over to kkpsiomicron.com
under the Band Warehouse tab!
If you have questions about purchasing merchandise, payments,
or delivery options, or if you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
AEA,
Katie Williams
Vice President of Fundraising 2014-2015
Scholarships 2014
Kappa Kappa Psi is proud to offer several scholarships to the
members of the different WVU bands. We offer two in the fall:
The Andrea Smith Memorial Scholarship
was created in honor of a band member
who passed away in the early 1990s. This
scholarship is awarded every year to an
outstanding freshman marching band
member.
The deserving recipient is chosen on the
basis of many of the outstanding characteristics that Andrea herself possessed. These
characteristics are leadership, dedication,
and pride. This award is worth $500. The other marching band
award is the Frank “Doc” Stevens Memorial Scholarship. It is
presented to an outstanding four-year senior. Doc was a longtime friend and announcer of the Pride of West Virginia. He exemplified the excellence and pride that is found in the winners
of this award. The value of this scholarship is $1000.
Any Omicron alumni or friends of the band who are interested in
supporting these scholarships can do so by making checks payable to “Kappa Kappa Psi – Omicron” and
writing “Scholarship Fund” in the memo.
Checks can be mailed to:
Kappa Kappa Psi Omicron
Attn: Haley Moore
P.O. Box 6111
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 26506
Omicron deeply appreciates your support in
helping us recognize the outstanding members within the WVU bands!
AEA,
Haley R. Moore
2014-2015 Awards Chair
Our Long and Rich History
The Omicron Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi has a very long and
rich history. This year, the History Committee and I have been
sorting, cleaning, and organizing the storage unit, and I have
learned so much about our wonderful fraternity and chapter.
Pictures may be able to say a thousand words, but first-hand
stories can say so much more, and this is
where our alumni come in. Many of you
have experienced so many things in this
chapter and in the Pride of West Virginia.
If you have a story that you would like to
share with the active brothers, I encourage you to post it on the All Brothers
page on Facebook or send it to my email
([email protected]) to
be read at a meeting. One way to make
our future better is to look to our past,
and I think that allowing the active brothers to see our history
through the eyes of our alumni is one way of doing this.
This year the History Committee and I have been working very
hard to make the hardcopy history of our chapter more accessible to the chapter. While doing this, we have come across many
photos that have no description or date. I would greatly appreciate your help in identifying this. As I come across these photos, I
may post them on the All Brothers page. If you know the story
behind the picture, please share with all of us. As we have been
cleaning and organizing, we have also found that most of our
organizational equipment is in disrepair and we are in need of
new or good condition organizational supplies. We are in need
of storage tubs, page covers, bubble wrap, and binders. If you
could donate any of these items please contact me through my
email ([email protected]). All donations will
be appreciated by the chapter.
AEA,
Rebecca Leach
Kappa Kappa Psi – Omicron
Historian 2014-2015
Social Activities
As you all may know, we host the annual band camp picnic at
a great time. I am currently toying with many different ideas for
Krepps Park, but due to weather, we had
socials, and I know that we're all going
to make other arrangements. We are
to have so much fun! As far as the banfortunate enough to have a great relaquet goes, I've already been brainstormtionship with the Gold Team Cheerleading aesthetic ideas, and I really want to
ers here at WVU, and they were kind
incorporate bow ties into the centerpiecenough to let us move our picnic in the
es this year. All other details, such as
shell building while they practiced. The
menu, will be figured out shortly. The
team and coach were offered food to
brothers and I will be striving for the
show our gratitude, and a thank you
highest when planning the banquet this
card will be sent to them very soon.
year!
Other than that little hiccup, the picnic went off with- © Marissa Guffy 2014
AEA!
out a hitch! Thank you to all the alumni who helped make it all
Kyllie Evans
possible. We really do appreciate everything you do for us!
Kappa Kappa Psi- Omicron
We will be having a social coming up on October 11
Vice President of Social Affairs
during fall break, at our brother Becca Leach's apartment. It'll be
a Kappa Kappa Sleepover! We are planning to have some PIE
activities mixed in with some brother bonding, and it should be
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Jazz Ensembles Concert: October 20th
Second Degree: October 19h
WVU Symphonic Band Concert: November 11th
WVU Wind Symphony Concert: November 17th
WVU Symphony Orchestra Concert: November 19th
Third Degree: November 30th
WVU Marching Band Keynotes Concert: December 1st & 2nd
PRECINCTS! Hosted by Omicron chapter of KKPsi at WVU: January 31st
Serving on the NED Council
Greetings from the Northeast District Council! We have the honor of serving on the Northeast District Council as the Member at
Large and Vice President this year. The district is focusing on
getting back to its roots by enhancing chapter-to-chapter communication, giving chapters tools for success, and serving the
Northeast District in any way possible. We are also emphasizing
our core values: musicianship, service, leadership, and brotherhood.
Matthew Karlinski: To get brothers and sisters to meet and mingle, the district is promoting Precinct Days. These days can be
any event that enables other chapters to come and participate,
hosted by individual chapters. They range from reading bands to
picnics, theme parks, and more. The main point is to try to get
brothers and sisters to meet new people, being new ideas back
to their home chapters, and to make new friends. If you are interested in attending a Precinct Day event, events will be listed
on the Northeast District KKPsi Website.
Benjamin Friedman: We are also trying some new workshop
techniques. At Precinct Meetings and District Convention, we
plan to utilize resources from each of the host locations. Professors, both music and non-music, we will be able to create a wider reach and strike up new conversations that we all may not
have started before. We are also reaching out to our alumni in
hopes that they might be interested in teaching a workshop as
well. If you are interested, you should contact either Ian Walton,
our Precinct meeting chair, or myself. His email is [email protected] and mine is [email protected] .We hope we
see you many of you at our Precinct Meeting on January 31!
So far, serving on the Northeast District Council has been a
pleasure. We are very excited about what the year will bring to
the brotherhood in the Northeast District.
AEA,
Matthew Karlinski
Member-at-Large
&
Benjamin Friedman
Vice President
Northeast District Council