Hey folks! This year’s Western District Convention is less than one month away, and the Psi/EK chapters at UCLA have been hard at work making sure it will be as fantastically fun-filled and productive as possible! Registration, convention schedule, and list of LA attractions are available on the official WDC LA website. We hope to see lots of brothers representing the Western District and beyond! Get pumped to Surf On Sound Waves!
The Psi chapter would like to extend congratulations to all of our new candidates for this year! The Beta Rho class passed through our First Degree ceremony on January 25. Afterwards, we enjoyed a classy, delicious meal at Hokkaido Seafood Buffet. We feasted on all-you-can-eat sushi, crab legs, salmon, and other wonderful dishes. To top it all off, a chocolate fondue machine added a layer of decadence to our evening (and perhaps a layer of fat to our stomachs). We appreciate all the alumni and district visitors for coming out, and we hope to see more of you on February 22 for Second Degree!
Say hi to the Beta Rho class! Our Vice President, Charlie Hall, kneels in the foreground.
Front Row: Robert Brusch, Eric Hernandez, Erick Corona, Mark Cunningham, Justin Hang, Bailee Murphy, April Johnson, Annie Cheng, Riley Scott
Back Row: Herman Lu, Zack Jones, Joseph Yi, Zach Thoennes, Caitlin Thompson, Julia Karstens, Bill Greenwald, Erik Zepeda
Not Pictured: Vinny Chou, Nick DiNiro, Jason Tom
Several KKPsi brothers diligently sand and assemble the tower’s staircase.
Photo Credit: James Simonelli
This summer, Psi completed its biggest service project in recent memory. Our previous band tower stood tall for over 25 years, until decades of rust, dirty waterlogged beams, and difficult maintenance issues made us decide it was time for a change. Once enough funds were accumulated through our persistent fundraising efforts, we contracted a metal worker to design and cut the structure of a brand-spanking new tower.
The real work began when the freshly-cut steel arrived at UCLA. The first step was to sand all the metal in preparation for painting. This was arguably one of the most labor-intensive parts of the project. Armed with nothing but a few sheets of 120 grit, brothers sanded and sanded and sanded until their arms were about to fall off, then sanded some more. Once this was completed, it was time to go over the entire surface again with fresh black paint. It was messy, and it was tiring, but at long last, the pieces of the tower were ready for assembly.
Psi members show off their collective strength as they lift the top half of the tower with ease.
Photo Credit: James Simonelli
Each wooden step of the staircase, carefully hand-crafted and precisely positioned, gives the tower ascender a wondrous feeling of symmetry and mild euphoria. The handrails, an overwhelming sense of security. Each and every weld, so utterly perfect that you can’t help but smile. Our new band tower really speaks to the determination and humble serving spirit that are characteristic of each of our brothers.
Psi members living near campus for the summer break invested countless hours to assemble a safe, structurally sound, and stunning band tower. So, next time you see one, give that brother a nice, firm handshake, look the brother square in the eye, and say, “On behalf of your band director, and college bands everywhere, I give you resounding and unending gratitude.”
After months of work, the finished product stands strong.
Photo Credit: James Simonelli
The marching season is fresh upon us, and with it comes an influx of eager, excited new band members! As freshmen and transfer students trickled in to their residence halls the day before band camp, Psi members assisted them by moving belongings and answering questions.
That same night, the KKPsi and TBS chapters at UCLA hosted a pizza party for everyone in band. The line for Hawaiian style pizza was crazy long, but oh so worth it! With bellies full of cheesy, crusty Italian cuisine, the band members were finally ready for the crazy antics that would await them at band camp!
Special shout-out to Psi’s Director of Band Activities, Nick Ambrosio, as well as Epsilon Kappa’s Director of Band Activities, Audrey Urrutia, for making this year’s move-in experience a stellar success!
New band members as well as returners all feast together before the first day of Band Camp.
Photo Credit: James Simonelli
Ryan, Mark, and Malu welcome new students to Sproul Hall.
Photo Credit: Justin Sun
Many brothers and sisters got the opportunity to travel with the UCLA men’s and women’s basketball teams to the PAC-12 championship games and the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament. They flew up to Seattle for the women’s championship and bused out to Las Vegas for the men’s championship. When both teams advanced to the NCAA 64, groups flew to Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio. Although it’s always stressful to miss school (especially since the trips were all right before or during final exams), everyone enjoyed traveling to cool locations, supporting our teams, and getting small manila envelopes full of per diem. Congratulations to the UCLA basketball teams and thanks for the trips!
Beta Pi hit another milestone in their candidate process last night by completing the ritual of the Second Degree. Congratulations to them and their new big sisters. After the ceremony, brothers and sisters had a blast at a superheroes-and-villains-themed party.
Congratulations to our newest candidate class, Beta Pi, that just completed their First Degree! Actives, candidates, and guests went out to eat at Hokkaido Seafood buffet afterward. We stuffed ourselves on a delicious buffet that everything from sushi and dumplings to fried chicken and garlic toast (which was surprisingly good). Thanks to everyone who came and we’ll see you at Second Degree on February 23!
The band fraternity (ΚΚΨ) and sorority (ΤΒΣ) will be hosting their annual Open Info Meeting after practice on Tuesday, November 27. All band members are welcome! It’s an opportunity to learn more about our organizations and talk to members and see if you’re interested. We won’t begin accepting new members until winter quarter, so this is a great opportunity to see what we’re all about!
Come join us this Sunday at Sunset Recreation for a fun day at the park! Come enjoy games, food, and learn about our organization, Kappa Kappa Psi, and specifically its presence at UCLA, the Psi Chapter. All UCLA Bruin Marching Band members are welcome!