Tau Beta Sigma is an honorary sorority for members of the college band. The mission statement reads, "We provide exceptional service to collegiate bands and promote equality and diversity, including empowering women in the band profession. We cultivate leadership, educational achievement, music appreciation and community development." The short version of this is, "Tau Beta Sigma for greater bands."
I was given the opportunity to join the Theta chapter of Tau Beta Sigma at UC during my freshman year. I was quite skeptical, but I decided to give it a shot. I have learned that this sorority is more than social events or wearing the letters. The sisters in this sorority work together to provide funds, service, and leadership for the UC Bearcat Bands. I am honored to be a sister that provides food, uniforms, leadership, educational supplies, music, dedication, and enthusiasm to the band. Part of what we do is fundraise throughout the year to raise the funds we need to support the many needs of a large band program. Active members of Theta work at Reds Baseball concessions, provide parking assistance at various community events, and "Shine the Shoe", which is cleaning 5/3 Arena after UC Men's Basketball games. During the year, our largest service project is maintaining the uniforms for the Bearcat Bands. The ladies of Theta ensure that all uniforms are hemmed and fitted properly. At the end of the academic year, we get all uniforms dry-cleaned to be ready for the next season. Being a part of an organization that exists to promote and serve a band as well as to provide a social experience for band members with common interests is exactly what I needed to find the support and drive to tackle my academics with vigor these past few years. I will always appreciate what my sisters and brothers have done for me. In addition to being an active member, I became committee head of membership my third year and moved to the Vice President of Membership the following semester. It was an incredible opportunity and one that taught me a great deal about my own creativity, organization, and inability to do everything! I had the privilege of training and bringing in a new class of 18 highly qualified, enthusiastic girls to the sorority. They were and still are incredibly driven, service-minded, and a lot of fun. They completed three service projects for the band and learned a great deal about the UC Bearcat Bands program, the National sorority, and our local chapter. During the candidacy period, I was in charge of all events, review, and quizzes for the candidates. This is a huge task! Thankfully, I had a dedicated committee, a forgiving chapter, and an eager set of candidates that made the job much easier. In my senior year, I was elected Theta President. This position was more difficult than I originally expected it to be. When you see the presidential position from the outside, it looks like a person that facilitates meetings and completes paperwork. However, I soon found out that being president of any organization requires far more than some Robert's Rules of Order and paperwork skills. It is a position that challenges the person to connect with each member of the organization, reach out to make all feel involved and a part of the group, while also enforcing rules, requirements, and deadlines. It is not an easy task to be "in charge" of one's peers, especially in college. However, I took the constructive criticism of my peers and used it to improve our chapter in a year of many changes, some unexpected surprises and a new class of fantastic candidates. I hope as I move on from college and the organization, my example of how to lead from the presidential position will pass on to those who come after me and Theta will continue to uphold its long-standing tradition of excellence and service to the UC Bands. |