Hi! I'm the new Tau the Turtle for Tau Beta Sigma's Iota chapter!  Right now I'm safe in Keller, TX but I can't wait to meet the rest of the sisterhood when the fall semester starts up!

Here is Kelsey's fish and I just hanging out and socializing! 

The Keeper and I would love to congratulate Sara in becoming Mrs. Bitting with Mr. Zach Bitting! We both wish you the best of luck in such an amazing relationship! 

I love all of the Iota sisterhood and can't wait to see them again soon!  Sic'Em Bears!

Love,

Tau the Turtle  

What was your MC class name? The Six Merry Murderesses
What was your MC name? Lipschitz
When did you cross? Spring 2004

Who are your bigs? My bigs are Mandie (Rhodes) McKenzie and Matt Ring

Who are your littles? Little sisters are Lee Ann Kincaid and Lacy (Engel) Williams and my little brothers are L.J. Mendez and Andy Dietz!  I love them :)

Where did you grow up? Born and raised in Benbrook, TX.  I didn’t move…ever! Well I take that back, I did move bedrooms twice.

Where did you graduate high school? I graduated from Western Hills High School in Fort Worth (it was built during the cold war so there are no windows and half of the school is underground!)

Why did you choose Baylor? I think Baylor chose me. My mom went there, aunt, uncle, cousins. But I think the biggest thing was that every road trip we took when I was a kid always included a stop to see the bears. I couldn’t wait to be a part of such a wonderful tradition.  

While at Baylor, where did you live? Freshman year was North Russell, one of the best experiences in my life.  Sophmore year I was in the newly opened North Village in Heritage.  Junior year I lived in Rivercrest with my little Lee Ann. And Senior year I lived by myself in Bear Grounds. 

What was your most difficult class? There were the classes that were doomed from the beginning like literature (I still have never read an entire book for class in my life, and yes I have a master’s degree) and history (it’s over, let’s move on) but the class that has left the largest imprint on my mind is Intro Neuroscience. It was my very first class at Baylor. I remember sitting in that huge classroom in Hankamer (Yes it we before the beautiful science building so we had to use the auditorium in the basement of the business building) and thinking about how unworthy I was to be sitting there, amongst all the history. I knew my admission MUST have been a mistake. There was no way I deserved this, my dream coming true.  Luckily the professors, 4 of them in all…for one class, came in and snapped me out of my inner monologue and changed my attitude. I totally deserved this and I was gonna rock it!

What is your favorite place and tradition on the Baylor campus?  One thing that is really awesome about not marrying a Baylor boy (No ring by Spring?! WHAAA) is getting to experience all the greatness that is Baylor all over again! I have loved bringing Donovan into the Baylor Bubble and showing him everything. My favorite BUGWB tradition has GOT to be Night of the Bear and Up Slime! I cried like a baby every time!  And it’s so special to have something that is only BUGWB! My favorite TBS tradition has got to be Formal Interviews. They are fun! My favorite Baylor tradition is probably Homecoming or Sing. I can’t decide. I’ll go with Homecoming since it’s so great to see everyone!  And WATCH the parade!

What did you play in BUGWB? I play Clarinet! 

Did you hold any leadership positions in Band Council, within your section, or TBS? As with many of us, this is a long list:  Clarinet Section Leader (2 years), Band Council something (I honestly don’t remember what I did, I just remember working on the BUGWB’R, planning Band Banquet, and sitting in meetings :D), Social Chair, Historian, Joint Rep, Sergeant-At-Arms, and Vice President of Membership (back when there were two).

Why did you decide to join Tau Beta Sigma? Probably because the girls I admired the most at Baylor were in Tau Beta Sigma.  When I was a freshman I was searching to find people I wanted to be like and I found them in Tau Beta!  It also didn’t hurt that half of my mincon (welcome week group) was joining and our leader was the best Tau Beta rusher of all time... home girl rushed her own MIT (currently called MC) class.  I am also very proud to say that she is my very best friend in the whole world, I LOVE YOU TARA! FYI 5 of the 6 Merry Murderesses were in Tara’s group. 

What was your favorite Tau Beta event?  Hm… well that would require me to remember them all.  I have to say it’s all the Tau Beta weddings I’ve been to.  I would have to say singing with all of my sisters, after we’re “done” with Tau Beta Sigma but still celebrating a wonderful time in our sister’s life.  It is a bond that sticks with you forever.  It looks different, but it’s still there! 

I also always love activities night.  It’s just so much fun! Rosy D’s for LIFE!

With what degree did you graduate? BA in Psychology


What did you do with your degree? What does anyone do with a BA in Psychology?  GRAD SCHOOL! Because of everything I experience while at Baylor, both inside and mostly outside the classroom, I decided I wanted to use my talents to help students succeed in higher education. I know firsthand out important participation is to student success and couldn’t image working anywhere other than a university. I graduated with a M.Ed. in Higher Education, Student Affairs, from UNT in 2007.

What are you doing now/what do you want to continue doing? Right now I am a Coordinator of Academic Services at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth for the School of Public Health. Basically I do everything from ice cream socials to coordinating internships to dissertation defenses. I love it! I will continue doing this unless the Lord blesses Donovan and I in a way that will allow me to stay home and raise our future babies. (*Insert Webmaster's "AWWWW"* :3)

Tell us a funny/awesome Tau Beta story? Now this is a trick question, because anyone who knows me knows how much I love to tell stories. How does one narrow down all the Courtside trips, meetings, formals, and game day stories down to one?  Well I can eliminate the ones that might get people fired…Eliminate the ones that involve sorority secrets or activities night…that still leaves me with far too many. I’ll go with a story of Service. One of our service projects was knitting for cancer patients. I remember having the sisterhood over at my apartment as I taught them how to knit, and watch Gilmore Girls! We then donated the scarves and hats we made to the patients at the cancer treatment center where my father was treated. Some were better than others, and some were a lost cause!  In fact today many of us still knit! Tara and I get together for a knit and complain when one of us needs it. :)  If you want to help a sister out, you can go visit Nicole’s shop here: http://nikkisknitting.storenvy.com/. If you want to know more stories, just let me know. We’ll hit up Common Grounds and talk for HOURS.  

Draw a picture of a turtle :3

Let’s start easy.  What’s your favorite color?
Baylor Gold :)
 
What was YOUR favorite rush event to attend before you were a member?
(Joint) Kickball/Cook Out
 
If you could do your Tau Beta experience all over again would you (MEP and all c:)?  And Why?
Yes- Tau Betas helped me so much my first semester at Baylor/in BUGWB. Getting to know each member during the MEP, forming friendships, and learning about what they accomplish together for the band, school, and community was an experience I’ll always cherish. Now that I’m a sister, I can’t wait to impact others with these amazing girls!

Show us a picture of you and your bigs! 

My bigs, Sara and Sergio- I thank God for blessing me with them!  

Leanna, Christina, and I dressed up as Ninja Turtles for the Halloween rush event.. Presenting our costumes to everyone was so much fun! 

What has been your favorite “non-TBS” TBS moment? 
Right before finals, I rounded up the Sole Sisters in my car and we went to eat honey butter chicken biscuits at Whataburger (it’s a tradition of ours)! I almost went the wrong way down a one-way street and freaked them out when I told them about Steve (the huge spider that lives in my backseat), but overall it was a great night! We’d come a long way from the awkward, shy girls we were when we met. I love my Sole Sisters :) 

Draw a picture of a turtle:
Tau Beta hungry!

How do you feel about the Beta Alpha/Iota relations?
Beta Alpha and Iota accomplish a lot together, and we care for each other.

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an entire orchestra to play it.” -Henry Ford

What’s the best TBS or Iota thing you own and who gave it to you? 
My paddle that my bigs gave me!          

Hello, readers! My name is Taylor and I am a senior Language and Linguistics student. I've been on the drum line for three years (1st year on cymbals, 2nd and 3rd years on bass drum) and this year I'm trying saxophone so I can do court side players. I'm living with my best friend, Heather McGowan, this year and couldn't be more excited about it! (ONE UH-LEVEEEEENNNN!!!!!) 

Me and my drumline bros! 

I crossed in 2010 with the lovely ladies of Serendipity (I'm the tall one in the gold dress making the creepy face) and will graduate from Baylor in August 2013. I would say the most notable thing about me is that I'm very indecisive. Any active member knows what I'm talking about considering the times I have switched my major.

Since enrolling at Baylor, I have had a total of 5 majors, changing my major 7 times. It went from nutrition science, music composition, neuroscience, linguistics, neuroscience, architecture, environmental science, then back to linguistics, which is what I am currently. Crazy, right? And what's crazier is that I'm still graduating in a normal amount of time. I won't have to stay for a fifth year! Only thing is that I can't really afford to change it again so this one will have to stick. :P

Some of the cool things I'll be studying for the rest of my life. 

My future plans will hopefully include graduate school in historical linguistics, with a focus on Indo-european languages. I found a professor that I really like at Ohio State who does research on just that. I have my eye on some other programs but so far that one is the best. I'm stoked.

I have no idea what to write here but you get the picture. 

Even though there has been a lot of changes in my life since starting my undergraduate studies, one thing that has always been constant has been my love for marching band and my sisters. It's nice to know that even though life has its twists and turns, ups and downs, your sister will be there to help you find your way… and laugh at all the major-change reports you have in meeting… and sulk when I'm still graduating before them. 

Sic'em Bears & ITB,
Taylor "Cookie freakin' Monster" MacKay

What was your MC class name? Six in the City
What was your MC name? London
When did you cross? Spring 2006

Where did you grow up?
I grew up all over the US and France due to my dad’s job. I was born in San Antonio, then moved to Houston, then Paris, France, then Maryland, Virginia, back to Houston, a brief stint in Los Angeles California and finally ended up in Fort Worth Texas! I still consider myself a Texas girl!

Where did you graduate high school?
Birdville High School in North Richland Hills Texas, just north of Fort Worth.

Why did you choose Baylor?
Before my freshman year in high school my future band director called me 2 days before the Baylor Band Camp to offer me a full scholarship to go to the camp because they were short of trumpet players. My director really wanted my trumpet prodigy best friend to go and I was just meant to keep her company. She ended up backing out the day before camp started and I ended up making first chair in the 2nd band (boy did the older guys hate that!). During my week at Baylor I was challenged more than I had ever been and I even got food poisoning! But I also developed a deep love for everything Baylor and I knew I would go there one day. Even when my family was relocated to California, I was going to come back to Baylor and be a part of the Baylor Band. My senior year I only applied to one school and was accepted with enough scholarships that my dream came true! I was a Baylor Bear!

While at Baylor, where did you live?
I spent my freshman year in Memorial, my sophomore year in an apartment off campus and my junior and seniors years in the new Brooks Hall.

What was your most difficult class?
Mathematics for Economists. I took it my last semester and it was taught at a graduate level. There were only 3 of us brave enough to take it and despite my extensive math background it kicked my butt. It did help prepare me for my short stint in graduate school though!

What is your favorite place and tradition on the Baylor campus?
My favorite place on the Baylor Campus was in one of the swings in front of Pat Neff. I loved walking around campus and enjoying the beauty that is Baylor. Since I lived on campus for 3 years I spent a lot of time just wandering and thinking!

My favorite tradition was singing with the sisterhood after games. It was always such a special time and still is when we get together to celebrate things like weddings!

What did you play in BUGWB?
Trumpet!

Did you hold any leadership positions in Band Council, within your section, or TBS?
I was trumpet squad leader for a year, then trumpet section leader the next year. I was also the Uniform Nazi ahem I mean manager J for a year! (following in my big sisters footsteps!) In TBS I was Concessions Manager, Treasurer, BUGWB’er Rep, Chaplain, and I few more I can’t remember!

Why did you decide to join Tau Beta Sigma?
I moved so much when I was in high school, that I came to Baylor in search of friendships that would last a lifetime. When I discovered TBS my freshman year in BUGWB, I felt like I found a group that could give me that and more! I also loved serving the band and being a part of the inner workings of BUGWB!

What was your favorite Tau Beta event?
The membership candidacy period! The wonderful ladies of Six in the City (Sarah Marzano, Kim (Carter) Iles, Emily Upton and Heather (Sony) Schuster) and I had such an amazing time and it was truly one of my favorite periods of my entire college career. I was exhausted but I had so much fun!

With what degree did you graduate?
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with minors in Mathematics and Political Science and I was in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core.

What did you do with your degree?
At first I went to the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh Scotland to study for my Masters in Economics that didn’t work out so I came home. Eventually I will get my masters and PhD in International Political Economy. But that will have to wait until my children are a little older!

What are you doing now/what do you want to continue doing?
I got married to my amazing husband on July 3rd, 2010 and shortly after I found out I was pregnant! I worked that year as a math teacher in a at-risk charter school in Dallas. My amazing son, William Richard Darrouzet, was born on April 15th, 2011 and he and my husband are my world! My job right now is to be his mommy and to raise him into a future Baylor Bear :) My husband and I hope to expand our family soon since we want a big family! I love being a stay at home mom! I don’t use my degree but it is incredibly rewarding!

Tell us a funny/awesome Tau Beta story? 
My awesome TBS story is actually from post graduation! Every month the sisters of the DFW area get together for dinner and laughter! I have grown closer to my sisters and had more fun with them during these dinners then I had the opportunity to at Baylor! It really proves that the friendships you make in TBS last a lifetime!

My Wedding Day! 

The day my son, William, was born!

My family! My son is 14 months old now! Picture taken by McGowan Images. 

Draw a picture of a turtle! :)