Cat
Conaway OK Area Workshop This year’s Ok Area Workshop was hosted by the Epsilon Epsilon Chapter at SWOSU in Weatherford, OK. The Alpha Rho chapter sent 12 of our members to participate in the days activities. We all left Friday afternoon and headed off to Norman, OK to stay with one of our alumni members, Sam Snow, at the OU campus. We used it as a halfway point so we wouldn’t have to get up so early and it was really good to see Sam again! We woke up bright and early Saturday and drove the rest of the way to Weatherford. We started off by playing a few get to know you games during registration and then moved on to the guest speakers and separate sessions. It turned out to be a well hosted and well attended workshop. I know Alpha Rho had a lot of fun and our newest members got a great feel for what District Convention 2006 will be like! font> AEA,
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Stephanie
Verbos Jazz This year has been a fun year for Kappa Kappa Psi and the band programs. In the fall semester of 2005 KKY made a donation to the jazz ensembles. This donation was in the sum of $250 which included the category of “The Trane Gang.” With this donation the jazz programs will be able to bring in guest artists, to help broaden the students minds as well as make another CD. This coming year a CD will be made with saxophonist Bobby Watson. Watson is an amazing player and played the jazz ensemble Spring ’05 at the Green County Jazz Festival. We will continue to support the jazz ensemble and their freat accomplishments in the years to come. AEA, |
Amanda
Bell Concert Season Every spring semester the NSU concert band and wind ensemble perform in 2 concerts. But this semester has limited the groups to one performance. After several weeks of rehearsal and perfecting the compositions, an unexpected visitor traveled through Green Country and the NSU campus: “Mr. Winter.” Due to the unexpected winter storm covering the roads with ice and snow, the ensembles were unable to host the performances. After much consideration, the higher officials decided that it would be best to pick select songs from the concert and combine them with the concert on April 17th at 8:00pm. Hopefully, Mr. Winter will stay away so the ensembles can show off their talent, dedication and hard work. AEA,
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Theresa
Ragusa Green Country Jazz Festival On March 6th 2006, the NSU jazz band had a Jazz Festival in the NSU Center of Performing Arts. Members of Alpha Rho showed up about an hour early to help out. When we got there we were greeted by Shane Ohlson, and he gave us each a job to do to help out. Theresa Ragusa, Catherine Conaway and Breanna Phillips helped sell Cds featuring the NSU Jazz band. Brian Rowley, Michelle Murphree, and Bradley Mckone all helped take tickets at the doors. Rochelle Fousel, Charles Innis, and Artric Shelton helped out in the ticket selling office selling tickets to the guest. Amanda Bell, Sherelle Jones and Monique Shannon went around helping other members with what they could do. Stephanie Verbos performed in the concert along with the NSU jazz band. The Festival was a great success, and many of the local High school bands showed up to watch. AEA, |
Michelle
Murphree Del Rancho Fundraiser
Del Rancho, a restaurant here in Tahlequah let members of my chapter wait tables. We had six hours and made over two hundred dollars. It was one of the easiest fundraisers I think our chapter has done in a long time. We met a lot of interesting people and the staff was great helping us with whatever we needed. We made enough money so that if you worked the fundraiser it matched the fees for districts, so it worked out great for us. The chapter told me that we should work that fundraiser every semester and get as much money each time as possible. I of course agreed. AEA,
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Breanna Phillips
Spaghetti Dinner Spaghetti anyone? The bi-annual Lambda/Alpha Rho spaghetti dinner is coming up quickly. This tradition was started a few years ago to better keep in touch with our fellow brothers in Arkansas. It is held at U of A in the fall and at NSU in the spring. On April 1st (no joke) we will be coming together once again to enjoy some wonderful spaghetti! (A specific time is yet to be announces.) We met at the University of Arkansas with Lambda last semester when they hosted, and now its our turn. It will be held the same place we held it last spring, the NSU Jazz Lab. Alpha Rho will provide the spaghetti and Lambda will provide the drinks. We always look forward to hanging out with this awesome group of guys from U of A and we can’t wait to hang out with them and eat some spaghetti. Yum Yum!! AEA, |
Rochelle
Fousel Arkansas Area Workshop This year, Arkansas Area Workshop was held at Arkansas Tech in Russellville, and was hosted by the Delta Delta chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi and the Beta Nu chapter of Tau Beta Sigma. We started out with all active members going, but when the time came around we were down to 9 members, which is still a pretty good turnout considering we only have 16 actives to begin with. So of the 9 that went 8 of us met to go down there on Friday afternoon at 4:30. The other one was already in the area visiting family, so she didn’t ride with the rest of us. So we met to switch around cars, and get ready to go and were on our way around 4:50. We drove the 2 ½ hours to get there, and then stayed the evening with a few brothers down there who happened to be roommates. We hung out, and watched a movie that night and made sure to try to get some sleep for the busy day on Saturday. Saturday morning came around and we all pulled out of bed, and eventually made our way to the school, after a few times around the parking lot and we finally found the correct building. And we weren’t even that late. After check-in, and the first joint session/welcome, there were a few different sessions. There was one about fundraising, which there were a few good ideas thrown around, and there was one where brothers and sisters got together to learn a joint song that we could sing together, and there was also one about hazing. We all split up to make sure we had a presence in each, and those went pretty well. Then came the separate sessions, and the final joint session. After the workshop, a few of us went down to hang out with some brothers from Theta Phi, but there were some brothers from Alpha as well as Delta Sigma. And the rest of us went to eat with brothers and then headed back to Tahlequah. All in all, it was a fun trip and a good experience for everyone. AEA, |
Rachel
Vernon Judges Jam 2006
Coffee and Jazz: what would make a better combination? That heavenly duo was present at the 2nd annual Judges Jam on March 5, 2006. At the NSU Jazz Lab, the judges for the 39th annual Green Country Jazz Festival jammed for students and jazz enthusiasts alike. Our honorary member, Arthur White, was present playing the alto sax as well as the tenor sax. There was also Paul Scea on flute and soprano sax, Steve Haines on bass, and Thomas Taylor on the trap set. A real treat that night was pianist Mulgrew Miller, born and raised in Greenwood, Miss. Miller has also appeared with his trio, Wingspan, in Europe, Japan, Australia, the US and Canada. He has also been invited on tour with numerous big shots of Jazz piano, such as Tommy Flanagan and Ray Bryant. What could make that combo better than a steaming cup of coffee? Stephanie Verbos, Michelle Murphree, Monique Shannon, and Rachel Vernon diligently worked the Bistro, serving coffee, soda, and assorted snacks to the crowd. Life member Aaron Moore was also present, snapping photos of the judges performing. With the pleasant mixture of great jazz provided by our judges and the snacks provided by Kappa Kappa Psi, it’s safe to say everyone went home happy. AEA, |
Bryan “B” Rowley Band Service This year in Alpha Rho will be the guiding light for a long time to come. Instead of doing small projects, like in the past, we have started a more long-term plan for bigger projects. AEA, |
Bradley
McKone Fundraising at the Bistro Each and every year Kappa Kappa Psi raises money by running The Bistro. The Bistro is small nook in the Jazz Lab where people can purchase drinks and snacks during the concerts. These fundraisers not only help us raise money to put towards the band programs but it also broadens our musical intellect. Many artists come and go from the Jazz Lab. This spring semester alone Mulgrew Miller and Kevin Mahogany will be in the Lab. The Jazz Ensemble and Small Groups bring in a good crowd, but it’s amazing how far people will drive to see the Jazz Greats. So, be sure to look at the NSU Jazz Website and look for upcoming Artist and support not only the Ensemble and Small Groups, but also your fellow Brothers! AEA, |
Monique Shannon
Brotherhood and Fellowship
So due to unpredictable Oklahoma weather, our brotherhood activity was cancelled. We were supposed to meet and play hide and seek around the NSU campus. We were scheduled to meet out by the band room, instead we met inside and hung out and told random stories about meeting other brothers, and about our brothers. Well, during the process B and Stephanie tried to hit the ceiling with a marker, they thought it would be fun! But, after about 45 minutes, we decided that there wasn’t going to be any game, some of us went and had dinner and the rest of us went to shoot some pool. It was tons of fun considering what we had to work with! AEA, |
Artric Shelton, Jr.
Jazz Festival
The 39th annual Green Country Jazz Festival was held on campus at the performing arts center. The festival featured NSU Jazz Ensemble with Mulgrew Miller on piano. The jazz ensemble contains 18 of NSU’s finest jazz players, which includes Alpha Rho’s own Stephanie Verbos on alto saxophone. The ensemble played several tunes, many of them were Mulgrew Miller’s creation. The festival also hosted the 2nd annual Judges Jam, which is a fun and great way for the judges to show exactly why they were made judges. Overall, the 39th annual Green Country Jazz Festival was a show to be remembered. AEA, |