Kappa Delta Alumni

Dear Brothers, On November 14th, the chapter held Music of the Night for those chapter members graduating this winter. Music of the Night was once again in person, but this time it was held on the stage of Charles Johnson Theater. The event was moved there after talking with Alumni Brooke Dake, and she shared how when she was in the chapter, Music of the Night was held on the stage. She also expressed how she enjoyed doing something that wasn't practicing or performing on the... stage. The chapter liked this idea and decided to start this tradition again by moving the event back into the theater. By the end of the night, many songs with deep meaning were shared, many tears were shed from both laughing and crying. I'm sincerely going to miss these graduating seniors, and I hope they know that they are always welcome to come and visit anytime. AEA, Claire Chesnut

Dear Brothers, Last week, November 13th, was Senior Day. These past four years in the BMB have been a truly fantastic experience, and it was great to celebrate this day with the people I care about most. The game began with the recognition of the graduating football players, and then at halftime, we recognized the graduating members of the BMB. When it was time for my name to be called with my atrociously long degree title, I felt a surge of pride. Hearing my friends cheer fo...r me and being able to wave to my loved ones all while in uniform made it feel like these past few years of hard work made it all worth it. By the end of the game (a Bearcat win), all the seniors stood at the bottom of the bleachers while the band played the Alma Mater. It was a bittersweet feeling having this experience, but I’m so grateful for it. My senior day was spectacular in so many ways, and I’m forever grateful that I was able to experience it. My time in the BMB was such a unique and meaningful experience, and it’s something that will always stay close to my heart. All I can hope for now is to make it through the playoffs! AEA, Vanessa Purcell

Reminder: the winter flash sale ends tonight!! Be sure to place your order before it’s too late! Place your order here: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSe_LRnrzWdo12KLQ/viewform

Dear Brothers, Today we had banquet, and it was amazing. The Recognition committee and its leading co-chairs did a fantastic job putting it together and pulling it off. The theme was Stars and Planets, and many BMB members actually did dress to it. It was amazing. Senior posters were signed, and the slideshow was out-of-this-world fantastic. There were lots of fun awards given out, including Most Hype, Best Dressed, Best Attitude, and more. Of course, Dr. Strickland made an a...ppearance to give a speech and some awards, but also one of our alumni brothers, Ali Snyder, gave a wonderful and inspiring speech. The whole event was a little bit bittersweet because this was my last banquet before graduating. And as much as I don’t want to think about my last moments in the BMB, the final milestones are quickly approaching, but at least I have some peace in knowing that some excellent people are taking the journey with me. You might still catch me crying in the club anyway, though. AEA, Kaden Ballou

Dear Brothers, Homecoming was just last week, yet it feels like it happened a month ago. Personally, I feel like this semester there has been no concept of time. I haven't celebrated a true BMB homecoming since 2019, and I really missed it. Sure, the day was super long, but I love being busy. That'sThat's just me, though. I got there at 7:00 am to set up the stadium and get things rollin'. I was able to find some pink gloves that have not been worn yet for us drum majors, and... it was super fun! However, the number of jokes I got saying, "Hey, did you accidentally wash your gloves with a red sock?" was uncanny. Connor, Reba, and I got to hand out the parade awards to the high schoolers, and that was a great experience getting to see how excited they all were. The game was great, of course. We won, not a shocker. Overall, I had a great time with my band peeps. They always brighten up my mood. Luckily, I have one more season with them! AEA, Alexi Fournier

Dear Brothers, Our annual Halloween party was a fantastic success! So many brothers and BMB members arrived in a wide variety of costumes, from a chicken to an elf (I was feeling like a retired witch with my outfit). There were fun activities like cornhole and glow pong and a movie playing in the other room. The glow pong was the most incredible part, in my opinion, because it looked very cool with the lights off. We also had a costume contest with categories like the cutest ...costume, best group/couple costume, and more. It was an enjoyable and relaxing night, especially as October is such a busy month, especially in the ways of football and homecoming. I’m looking forward to next year’s party already! AEA, Kaden Ballou

Dear Brothers, On the evening of October 4th, I had the opportunity to visit with Kappa Kappa Psi over Zoom. As a member of Kappa Kappa Psi from 2003 to 2006, it was fun to share my experiences with the chapter. While time and circumstance have changed some of the policies and procedures, it was nice to know that my favorite memory of Kappa, Music of the Night, is still a tradition. To have one of my former students reach out and ask me to share my wisdom with the chapter wa...s such an honor for me. As an educator, it was the highlight of my night to see a few of my kids and realize that I have passed on my love of music and service onto them. You all have the privilege of serving your band community and making a difference in your corner of the world. Keep striving for the highest. AEA Ms. Brooke Dake

Dear Brothers, As an honorary first-year member of the BMB, our first two home games have been quite a learning curve. I originally come from a small school with a graduation class of about fifty, so coming to a marching band three times my graduation class was a shock. I got eased into the BMB last year during the pandemic, but this year has been a whole new ball game. My football game day usually starts with the early morning water cooler filling trip around campus, followe...d by early morning practice where everyone is still finding their bearings for the day. From there, I get to chow down on some gluten-free pizza before getting dressed. From there, we tune before parading up to Bearcat Zone. That is followed by pregame, which leads to the rest of the football shenanigans and halftime. At first, it was a big jump from high school to college, even with last year being what it was, but I wouldn't trade it for anything and can't see myself anywhere else. AEA, Claire Chesnut

Dear Brothers, As you may have figured out, I have a deep passion for music. It is an instrumental part of my life and has formed much of my college career. I love music so much, in fact, that last semester, I joined Sigma Alpha Iota, a women’s music fraternity. Being a double brother/sister (or Broster as I call it) has been a great experience, and I can’t wait to see how it continues to impact my experiences in both organizations. Being a Broster has been a fantastic experi...ence, I get to feel so much more in tune with music and that I am helping the Fine Arts department in so many wonderful ways. I get to connect with not only my Kappa brothers but with my sisters of SAI as well, and it’s beautiful. I love being able to plan tri-fraternal events in order to grow this bond, and also take my experiences from each organization and figure out how to apply them to the other. Being a Broster allows me to spread my passion for music in many incredible ways, and I love it. Are any of our Kappa alumni also SAI Sisters? Let us know! AEA, Vanessa Purcell

Dear Brothers, On September 25th, 2021, we were back. I haven’t been in the Bearcat Stadium with the BMB in over 600+ days, and it didn’t really settle in until game day. This is my second year as one of the drum majors for the BMB, but in all honestly, it’s still my first year. I didn’t conduct at a football game yet. I am not afraid to mess up; however, on that day, I really was. It was the first performance in such a long time. I knew that everything had to go as best as i...t could. To top everything off, it was family and alumni weekend. The stress was high. At 12:30, we headed off to Bearcat Zone, and once I started high stepping with the trumpets, I was through the roof with excitement. Eventually, we play through Bearcat Zone, run into the stadium, and play pregame. I forgot how much running was involved my body still hurts from it all. However, nothing stopped me from having a smile on my face. I was so happy to be back. As we are getting ready for halftime, our baton twirler, Jessica Alcorn, looks at me and asks, are you nervous at all? To my surprise, I wasn’t. Instead, I felt like I was back at home, secure and inviting. My biggest worry throughout the game was honestly conducting the stands. I relied on Connor McNair, our head drum major, to give out signals on what to play and when. Oh boy, was I confused. I am slowly picking things up, however. Hopefully, next game, I’ll be able to call things out faster! AEA Alexi Fournier

Dear Brothers, This summer, I got to live in New Hampshire for the first time for an internship with the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation. I spent most of my time at their Discovery Center in Hampton Beach, educating people of all ages on marine life in the Gulf of Maine. There is a touch tank, two observation tanks (horseshoe crabs and a lobster and various smaller critters), a whale exhibit, dolphin skeleton, and marine debris display. I got to work with three oth...er interns most days, but my favorite people to interact with were the little kids because they absorb everything even if you think they’re not listening. One day of the week, I also was able to be on a whale-watching boat out of Rye Harbor to help with whale research. We used a program called Mysticetus to track and record marine debris (balloons, wrappers, etc.) and animals. On my trips, I saw many dolphins and humpback whales, and I also saw some fin whales, a shark, and a sunfish. I also interacted with people, but it wasn’t as fun as the Discovery Center because they wanted to see whales, not listen to someone talk. I also got to go to beaches on my days off, which is the best thing ever. This was probably my favorite summer activity ever, and I can’t wait to do more stuff like this in the future. AEA, Kaden Ballou

Dear Brothers, Today marks an entire month since our band camp has ended. Time really does fly by. It felt like yesterday when I would have meetings with Connor McNair and Reba Bowen, my fellow drum majors, to get leadership and band camp situated. COVID-19, however, makes these tasks a little more complicated. How would we make camp fun and engaging while being socially distant? Will we be able to bond? How will we be motivational? One of my favorite things that we did in th...e past was sitting in a circle while Dr. Strickland would talk to us. It allowed us to look at each other and speak to one another, making it feel like a family. But now, we must sit far apart, masks covering our faces, while we are all facing the wall. But, as we know, the BMB still pushes on. All our concerns turned into wonderful experiences! We had fun activities for leadership to get to know one another even more. Reba brought in a ball of yarn, and our task was to throw the string to someone and tell a story about how we first met them. After throwing the yarn, you must hold on to your end. As you keep throwing, we can see how everyone is intertwined together, HOW CUTE! On our last day of leadership camp, coach McCollum gave us an excellent speech about helping lift each other up rather than dragging others down with a negative attitude. Coach McCollum then demonstrated this by asking us who woke up that morning and felt negative. This then led us to get on the back of the people who were feeling positive that morning while having them run two laps around the room. Sorry to our Brother Ashley Ball I had to ride on her back. This was a great representation of what kind of impact the leadership team will make on the rest of the BMB. I was slightly worried about band camp; I was not sure how much we were able to do and get done this year. But once it started, I was extremely excited. We were able to go outside and not play with a mask on (while being socially distant, of course), which meant we got to see each other smile and laugh once again. Getting to meet all the rookies is always a fun experience since I try to memorize all their names by the end of the first day, and to my surprise, I usually do. Of course, seeing the vets warms my heart. I love them all. Don’t miss the (new) first home game of the season! We hope to see you on September 25th! AEA, Alexi Fournier

Dear Brothers, The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are starting to change, and that means one thing it’s football season. Our first away game was two weeks ago, against Fort Hayes, which ended in a Bearcat Win. Or first home game was supposed to be this Thursday, the 9th, but unfortunately had gotten canceled due to COVID-19. As a 4th year member of the BMB, and this being my senior year, I was devastated to find out that the game had gotten cance...led. I was worried that this was going to be a repeat of last year, with no football games at all, but I am trying my absolute hardest to remain hopeful. With the cancellation of the football game, there was the question of what we were going to do with our Thursday afternoon. Well, if there’s one thing the BMB knows how to do well, it’s adapt. Dr. Strickland soon announced that we would have a BMB Bash, playing all of our favorite tunes and embracing all of our usual weirdness. That is exactly what we did. Yesterday at 5 pm, we performed fan-favorite songs (including one song from our halftime show), and the wonderful Steppers and Northwest Cheer danced along with us. On top of performing live on campus, the Northwest Audio and Visual students were able to put together a professional-grade setup for us to be live-streamed that we posted all over our socials for everyone to see. This is a remarkable feat, as they had under 72 hours to do this, and we are forever grateful for their help. I feel like this sends an amazing message as we were handed an unfortunate situation and able to turn it around into something phenomenal. All of us, the Band, Dr. Strickland and leadership, the AV Department, Steppers, Cheer, and more, were able to work together and put together a truly wonderful performance. With this in mind, I can’t wait to see how our first home game on September 25th will go. It is things such as these that make me truly happy to be a Bearcat. AEA, Vanessa Purcell

Hello Brothers! This Saturday, the 17th we will be hosting Beef Buns and Balls at 11am at Beal Park! It will be socially distanced, masks required, and we will be playing activities, having a picnic, and tie-dying shirts! If you are interested in attending, please fill out this Google Form! https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSeFKeldqjNmJNOw7/viewform... Please let me know if you have any questions! AEA, Vanessa Purcell

Dear Brothers, The pandemic has affected our lives in so many undesirable ways as we all know. The stress levels are high, and we are at the point in the semester where burnout is prevalent. Normally we would have a spring break to lower the burnout levels, but unfortunately due to COVID-19, the students of Northwest (and many other campuses) had to go without it this semester. Northwest decided to give us a three-day weekend to compensate. A few weeks after the Spring Day,... President Jasinski sent out an email saying that he was canceling a Friday of class to give us another three-day weekend for all the hard work we have been putting in during this stressful time. Although it wasn’t the break we all wanted and might have needed, it is nice to see that the people in charge are doing what they can to give us a break while also keeping the campus safe. AEA, Theo Barrera

Dear Brothers, There have been multiple events that were moved online or even cancelled due to COVID-19. But there was one thing that we were able to successfully have - Music of the Night. Our wonderful Ritual Chair, Jasmyn French was able to put together a socially distant Music of the Night to accommodate our entire chapter, and also 20 MC's. There was a Zoom option, but the majority of our brothers came in person. Though we had it during the day to accommodate how much ti...me it would take, MOTN was still as magical as ever. Music of the Night is personally one of my favorite events of the entire school year, and so being able to have it in person was a wonderful experience. I loved being able to put on my comfiest pajamas, grab my favorite snacks, set up an air mattress, and gather with my brothers. It was a great night of bonding filled with laughter, tears, and great music. I am so happy that the MCs and the graduating members were able to experience a somewhat normal MOTN. It was truly a day to remember. AEA, Vanessa Purcell

Dear Brothers, As the saying goes, when one door closes another opens: midterms have finally ended and we’re all gearing up for Midwest District Convention this weekend. It’s going to be a busy weekend, but I think the chapter is ready to go. Due to Covid, Convention is over Zoom this year, which is nice because it’s extra accessible for everyone. The schedule is packed with fun activities, workshops, and talks. Personally, I’m most interested in the award ceremony but I’m ...sure there’s way more to enjoy than only that. So much happened today and will continue into tomorrow and I’ve learned so much from the workshops and talks and about being a chapter delegate in general. I don’t think I could even include a fourth of everything that happened in just one article. I think my favorite part of the day was the Women in Music panel, where 2 awesome band directors came to talk about their experience as a musician as kids up to the present. They had a lot of good insight to give and were energetic as they answered questions. Tomorrow we finish the day by voting for our Midwest District Officers for 2021-22. I’m confident they will create an even better opportunity for Kappa to strive for the highest than it achieved this year! AEA, Kaden Ballou

Dear Brothers, Kappa Delta’s birthday is February 26, 1995, but this year we celebrated on March 19, 2021 to celebrate our golden birthday! This event was held by the brotherhood committee in the Union Ballroom from 6:30 8 pm. We welcomed both brothers and MCs to the event and wore pin attire, so we were able to take some cute pictures with our brothers. During this event, there were 2 Kahoots one all about Kappa Delta history (with some very specific facts, did you kno...w we’ve had exactly 35 honorary members thus far), and one where we learned a little bit about our MCs. After the Kahoots, there was a karaoke competition. Everyone received goody bags and there were prizes throughout the night. There was also time to mingle and get to be around each other, as we can’t have too many in-person events. This event was extremely fun and I am so grateful we were able to celebrate Kappa Delta’s 26th birthday as a chapter! I can’t wait to see what our 27th birthday looks like! Thank you, Brotherhood committee, for putting it on and letting us all join in the fun! AEA, Elizabeth Skelly

Dear Brothers, An event that a lot of music majors look forward to every year is the Annual Northwest Missouri State Concerto Aria competition. The winner or winners of this competition are awarded with a cash prize and get to perform their piece with the wind symphony. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, this year the winners will not get the opportunity to perform. We have 2 brothers competing and 3 MCs competing this year. The 3 brothers are Alexi Founier on clarinet, and ...Colton Butcher on bass trombone. Alexi will be playing the Weber Clarinet Concerto No.1 and has noted that Dr. Tomasso, our woodwinds professor here, has instilled a lot of confidence in her playing. Brother Colton Butcher will be playing the first movement of the Concerto for Tuba or Bass Trombone by Eric Ewazen. We also have 3 freshman MCs competing this year. In a competition that is normally reserved for upper classman, it is very exciting to see a few of our hopefully soon-to-be brothers putting their names in the hat. Bassoonist Gabe Roller will be playing the second and third movements of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto in Bb major. Gabe feels good overall but is somewhat intimidated about being a freshman going into this competition with this difficult of a piece. He is excited to play either way. Our other two MCs are both clarinet players. Kalynn Pitcher, who was just voted to be Alpha Upsilon class historian, is excited to also be playing the Weber Concerto No. 1 for the competition. They mentioned that they normally get the pre-performance jitters and that they are trying to compensate for that early by practicing a lot and keeping an even head. Lastly but most definitely not least is Jessica Alcorn. She was just voted to be the class secretary and is feeling good about playing the first movement of the Krommer Clarinet Concerto. She mentioned that she is not nervous about being a freshman because she feels very supported by the music program, which we love to hear. Our friends will be performing on March 15th before a panel of judges and we wish them the best of luck! AEA, Theo Barrera

Dear Brothers, Due to COVID and odd circumstances, Kappa had to think of an interesting way to reveal the Bigs to the MCs. The membership committee, led by our VPM Elizabeth Skelly, met to decide how to go about this in an exciting, but also safe way. Eventually, on February 11th, we lined up the MCs infront of a curtain, with their bigs on the other side. In a true dramatic fashion, we pulled back the curtain to reveal the Bigs on the otherside. We were able to do this in ...phases, and keep it socially distanced. It was exicting, dramatic, and filled with laughter and good times. After the inital reveal, the bigs spent time to give their littles small gifts and their binders, and then it was time for the real fun... the pictures. We spent what was close to almost 2 hours of each family taking pictures, as well as individual big and little pictures. It's crazy to think that with this MC class the chapter is essentially doubling as well. It made everything take longer than normal, but was 100% worth it. The night was filled with laughter, weird moments, and the utter chaos that can only be associated with our chapter. Despite weird circumstances, we were able to create amazing memories in the process. AEA, Vanessa Purcell

Dear Brothers, Apologies, but there will be no article tonight. AEA,... Vanessa Purcell

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Dear Brothers, I never though that ensembles were going to look so different to me. When your major relies so heavily on playing in a group and instrumental collaboration, what are you supposed to do when a pandemic comes along? During the very first lockdowns last March, I was very concerned of what my life was going to look like (as I am sure most of us were). I started to find it very hard for me to practice my instruments and I ended up in quite the rut, but after a while... I started to see a new perspective. I tried to see it as an opportunity. I realized that I would be capable of improving a whole lot because I had so much extra time to practice. I tried my best to turn an unfortunate situation into a blessing. I used it to my advantage. I started practicing for hours and hours a day and I found a new kind of love for my instrument. Ensembles and school still look very different, and they probably will for a little bit longer, but I can say that I am thankful for the opportunity to find that shift in my motivation. I have faith that things will start to look a little bit more normal again soon. AEA, Theo Barrera

Dear Brothers, The Alumni Committee consists of myself, Kaden Ballou, Theo Barrera, Kayla Belshe, and Elizabeth Skelly. Kaden Ballou is a Senior majoring in Marine Biology and Wildlife Ecology. She is a member of the dolphin family.... Theo Barrera is a Sophomore majoring in Instrumental Music Education. They are a member of the koala family. Kayla Belshe is a Junior majoring in Graphic Design. She is a member of the dolphin family. Elizabeth Skelly is a Junior majoring in Nanoscale Chemistry. She is a member of the lion family. I (Vanessa Purcell) am a Junior majoring in History. I’m a member of the fish family. We are so excited for this semester! Let’s make it a good one! AEA, Vanessa Purcell

Brothers, Welcome back! We are in the process of planning some amazing things for you all and the articles will return this Saturday!! We are in the process of welcoming our newest MC class, Alpha Upsilon (21 MCs oh my goodness)! Would any of you all be interested in writing letters to the MC members of your family? Shoot us a message to find out more!... AEA, Vanessa Purcell Corresponding Secretary and Alumni Relations Officer

Brothers of the Kappa Delta Chapter are wishing you a Happy Holidays! Shout out to our brother Kayla Belshe for an amazing Holiday Card!