We have had a very busy year here at the University of Akron. We began the year by welcoming a new Assistant director of bands (and soon-to-be honorary member) Galen Kerriker to our school of Music. It was a big transition from Doctor Golemo, and it presented some interesting challenges of its own throughout marching band season. We certainly kept busy with our uniform dry-cleaning service, and also making lunches for the marching band.

In order to promote our group throughout the school of music, we organized monthly luncheons that were each made by a faculty member in the school of music, or by one of our own chapter members. This fundraiser went over so well it was even featured in our school newspaper. Each luncheon was “themed” to a particular food sort. A couple of these themes were a Cajun luncheon, and a Mexican meal.

Other fundraisers we did this year include flower sales, a service auction, and a joint candle sale. These have worked phenomenally for our chapter, allowing us to provide some much-needed financial help to our band department, since their budget from the university was cut back this year. Already we have bought new folders and music for our basketball band, and we are preparing to help purchase music for our marching band also. One of our long-term goals is to possibly establish a small scholarship fund to promote women joining the school of music, and also to provide “care packages” for all band members, which are to include things like reeds or valve oil, depending on the instrument.

Some of the service projects we have already completed this year include painting the speakers of our jazz bands, setting up the Ohio Band Directors Conference, and doing a full cleaning of all the practice rooms in our school of music.

Although it is often difficult to get good support from our music faculty, and numbers of prospective members seem scarce, we believe that we are pushing ahead with all our strength and truly upholding the ideals of Tau Beta Sigma. We have made a directed effort to become very organized, and it is paying off in big ways. We are using all our resources to their fullest extent to get as much as possible done for our bands. We are looking forward to great things here at the University of Akron, and truly believe that in the coming years, it will only be getting better!

Respectfully submitted by the sisters and brothers of Epsilon Iota

ITB,

Aaron Orians