Eta Zeta Chapter Report
The Eta Zeta chapter at University of Kentucky kicked off the 2000-2001 school year welcoming over 100 new marching band members. We made our usual welcome signs and placed them on each and every dorm room of the new members. As something new this year, we paired up with our brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi and spread ourselves around campus and assisted the new members moving into the dorms. The sisters also hosted a tour of the campus for the new members during band camp.
A week was set-aside during band camp for sisterhood week. We all wore letter shirts and pins. One day during the week we provided breakfast for the staff. The week ended by helping the uniform manager with the tedious task of fitting everyone into uniforms in one afternoon. The main fundraiser for our chapter is selling the Wildcat Marching band t-shirts.
As any normal Labor Day weekend in Kentucky, Saturday was filled with the annual UK-UofL football game. As luck should have it, the weather was at all extremes going from very hot to the game being postponed due to a storm complete with a near flood in the stadium. Our band managed to hold out though, like a scene from Titanic as we rode out the storm.
September brought about our CFR visit from Dolly, which unfortunately for her was a very hectic weekend for us. It was the kickoff for our university’s fundraising campaign, which was culminated in a special halftime show of a “Call for Greatness,” where the band was joined on the field with a mass choir. By October we had began working receptions for various ensembles. At football games we also sold chips as a small fundraiser.
It was then time for first degree. Our 15 new membership candidates were so excited about their first ritual. Afterwards all the sisters and a few brothers went out to eat at Rafferty’s. All I have to say about that is it was quite an adventurous night.
Halloween was enhanced when we teamed up with our sisters in SAI to host a Halloween dance for the band. On Election Day, our membership class along with several active sisters, went to the Humane Society to play with the many dogs and cats present.
The night before our road trip, we held a lock in at some sisters’ apartment, where our membership candidates then got up early to arrive and sell doughnuts to the band before loading the buses.
The holiday season came and we made food baskets for needy families in Lexington for Thanksgiving. At the beginning of December we held second degree. Afterwards most sisters went to see the Christmas lights at the Kentucky Horse Park. We made Christmas cards for the kids at the children’s hospital for a service project. The sisters and brothers had a potluck dinner for Christmas where all sisters had a secret Santa. The end of finals meant bells were ringing for two sisters as they walked down the aisle in marriage.
In February the chapter took a trip on the ice-skating rink and then to a relaxing dinner afterwards. The concert receptions continued, including one for a graduate teaching assistant. We sponsored lunches for the high school honors wind ensemble and helped with a BOA concert festival on campus.
Treat bags were our specialty this year as we treated the bands all year. It began with Flavor-Ice during band camp, continued with bags of candy for the marching band at Halloween and bags at Valentines for the Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, and ended with chips and pop for the pep band. We have also joined SAI on Thursdays to sell cokes while they sell pizza to the many music majors in the hallways.
Next week we are having a week of Sisterhood. The week will be busy for us as we dress up for meeting, go out one night for dessert, make T-shirts, and have a game night all by Thursday. On Friday, we are teaming up with SAI and Phi Mu Alpha to get all dressed up and put on our dancing shoes as we sponsor a Formal for the School of Music. Bright and early the next morning, SAI has asked us to join them as together we help with the local Special Olympics. This is not to be left alone as we will later, participate in a MS Walk.
Respectfully submitted,
Carla Cornett
Delegate Eta Zeta