School involvement is personified in Meri Terpstra. Whether it be at the Wesley, on the football field with the drumline, interviewing Horned Frogs for Humans of TCU, on the field with a Frisbee in hand, or serving through Tau Beta Sigma, both at the TCU chapter and at the district level, Meri can always be found around campus with a smile on her face.
Name: Meri Terpstra
Year: Junior
Major: Strategic Communication and Studio Art
Hometown: Chillicothe, Illinois
Q: What is the Wesley and what made you decide to get involved?
A: “The Wesley is an on-campus, Methodist, college ministry. They would show up to band rehearsal with popsicles, so I asked them who they were. Meagan, the pastor at the time, explained that they were from the Wesley and the this was one of their ministry outreaches. She offered to give me a ride up so that I could join them for dinner and worship, so I got in her car and left. When I got there, everyone was super friendly and welcoming and it felt like I had found a home.”
Q: What are your favorite qualities that Tau Beta Sigma promotes?
A: “Teamwork, sisterhood, and music are the best qualities my sorority and my sisters embody on a daily basis. There is so much more to TBS than just being ‘the band sorority,’ like all of the fun we have and the service we do together. My life is better because I’m a part of this organization.”
Q: Why did you decide to apply for TBS Southwest District Council and what do you do?
A: “I have met so many wonderful people through TBS and the opportunities it has afforded me that I wanted to find a way to give back and serve at a higher capacity then just in my chapter. In December when the Vice President of Special Projects position suddenly needed to be filled, I took a chance and applied. It keeps me very busy, but I have never looked back. I help chapters in the Southwest district in any way I can. I also deal with everything regarding sisterhood, service, special projects, district initiatives, national programs, and I do all the social media for the district. My favorite part is getting to meet new people and giving presentations at area workshops.
Q: What sparked the idea of bringing the concept of Humans of New York to TCU through Humans of TCU?
A: “My strategic writing professor saw Humans of New York on Facebook and thought that it was a really cool idea and thought ‘Why don’t we have something like that at TCU?’ so she turned it into a class project. The goal is for it to be sustainable during the summer and then her next class in the fall can continue the project.”
Q: Of all the sports at TCU, why Frisbee?
A: “I have played many different sports while at TCU and I always see them practicing and having fun. I have a lot of friends on the team so this year I decided to give it a try. The Frisbee girls are some of the nicest, most accepting people I know. They understand that I’m busy and I come when I can, and are always willing to help me. Everyone is so positive and uplifting and I can’t imagine being a part of a better team. Also we kick butt, so that’s fun too.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go and why?
A: “Germany. I love Germany. It’s where I plan to live for 3-5 years after I graduate. I love the people and the culture and the bread and the language is in there somewhere too.”
Q: If you could go out to dinner with someone famous, who would you choose and why?
A: “Ellen DeGeneres because she is my spirit animal and she is just a beautiful human being in general. She’s nice and funny and actually cares about people, and she was the voice of Dory.”
Q: Describe what it was like being in the band during the Alamo Bowl.
A: “The whole experience was really cool. For drumline I got to be a part of a pep rally that was on the river boats and I got to play at another pep rally right before the game. During the game I was three rows up from the end-zone and I could see everything that happened. I’ve never really cared about sports, but I was so into the game that I lost my voice from all of the yelling that I did. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous about and invested in an outcome for a game before. I was really happy we won, especially since my sister was applying to Oregon.”