Greek life at Iowa State is not solely represented through the philanthropies and the visible chapter facilities on campus.

March 8-10, the members of Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi attended the Midwest District Convention at University of Kansas.

“The convention is a chance and time for everybody within the district to go to a central location, meet new people and go to workshops. And learn more information about the sorority and fraternity, about promoting music, more service, and the things that we stand for,” said Shalyn Guthery, senior in bioinformatics and computational biology and president of Tau Beta Sigma.

ISU students won individual awards along with the chapter of Tau Beta Sigma.

Sam Johnson, junior in music and member of Tau Beta Sigma, won the American Beauty Red Rose award. This award is presented to one member who is a attending the convention for the first time and another who is attending it for the final time.

Curtis Ullerich, senior in computer engineering and member of Tau Beta Sigma, won the Wendy McCann scholarship. The scholarship is based on academic achievement but also based on what you are doing within the sorority and to promote the sorority’s ideals.

Guthery won an award highlighting her excellence as a leader.

“I was awarded the Baton award. It is presented by the national council given to outstanding students in leadership,” Guthery said.

Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma are a nonfacility fraternity and sorority made up of members from the music department.

“You can be involved as long as you are involved in an instrumental ensemble from the university,” said Tyler Mootz, senior in music and secretary of Kappa Kappa Psi fraternity.

The fraternity and sorority work as one unit that has a focus toward service to the music department and bands at Iowa State.

Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi have a wide array of people involved according to Mootz. Only five out of the 54 members of Kappa Kappa Psi are music majors. Mootz started to look at demographics for the fraternity to see the diversity.

“It’s a way to advertise our nondiscrimination policy,” Mootz said. “I did it over race, gender, sexual orientation, and then things like what colleges or majors are involved.” 

The diversity in Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma started with the members themselves. Both the fraternity and sorority are co-ed. Men in the sorority are considered sisters of Tau Beta Sigma and women in the fraternity are considered brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi.

“We call them mister sisters,” said Josh Straquadine, senior in electrical engineering and vice president of Kappa Kappa Psi.

The organization as a whole participates in activities to help improve the multiple bands and the music department on campus. Their next project is called brass baths.

“We are doing brass baths. We are taking all of the janky gross instruments upstairs and cleaning them inside and out, giving them a bath,” Mootz said.

Kappa Kappa Psi has a long-term savings account that they call LTSA, which is what they are currently working with.

“Over the course of five years we have raised 7,000 dollars through fundraising, all of the money goes back to the band,” said Sara Dobbin, graduate student in accounting and the treasurer for Kappa Kappa Psi.

According to Straquadine, the biggest value of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma is service to the band. He said that service to the band is why they exist.