Beta Theta Pi - MIT

W e each have quotes that have stuck with us in life. These could be things you hear from people you meet, books you read, TV shows, and movies. One quote that really had an impact on me is from Steve Jobs, "The journey is the reward." In fact, the late co-founder of Apple wasn't the first to say this. It is a saying from Zen Buddhism. I spent most of my career working in high-tech startups and this quote resonated with me. Some startups were wildly successful. Others struggled for just an okay outcome. And, some weren't successful at all. But, in every case, there is so much you learn along the way. Usually, I learned more from failures than big successes. Every company had so many ups and downs that it often felt like a journey. I loved the journey, and that was my reward. Several Brothers have played a big role in Beta Upsilon's journey to reinstallation. The young men of Beta Upsilon have worked hard to grow the Chapter, demonstrating strong culture, academics, and sustainability. They deserve the accolades for Beta Upsilon receiving its restored charter. But, although each of them participated in this journey, there are several members of our Board who have been with me for the entire journey. They worked hard to help retain the prior Chapter by trying to improve what was ultimately a strongly flawed culture. They collaborated with the General Fraternity during our restart, and supported the new Chapter as it grew, matured, made some mistakes, and learned how to become sustainable. I want to recognize those men here. • Herman Marshall '78 has served as Beta Upsilon Association president in the past and is now the vice president and secretary. • Frank Leibly '93 serves as treasurer, which he has done for more than a decade, taking a couple of years off when he remained on the Board. • Neil Harrigan '90 has served as alumni house manager throughout our renovation of both houses. • Andy Levy '84 served as treasurer for the years when Frank took a break from that role. Andy recently stepped down from the Board. Others have joined us on this journey, including Chapter Counselor Emily Cunningham and more recent Board member Chris Briere '19. We also have had many volunteers help us with our capital campaign and our 100th and 105th anniversary celebrations. It's easy to focus on the success that the Chapter has achieved, and that should be celebrated. But, for me and probably the rest of us, the journey to get here has been much more rewarding. I hope you will consider volunteering to get your own reward. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Yours in __kai__, Mike Feinstein '82 mike_feinstein@yahoo.com BACK BAY BETA Beta Upsilon Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology SPRING 2020 The Journey Is the Reward Accolades All Round for Beta Upsilon Restored Charter Chapter Installation Ceremony Postponed Due to COVID-19 Concerns W hile there is an abundance of excitement surrounding Beta Upsilon following the Chapter's rechartering, the installation ceremony that was scheduled for April 25 and surrounding weekend events have been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. The ceremony will likely be rescheduled for the fall. The COVID-19 outbreak forced MIT to mandate students not to return to campus after spring break. Classes are being taught online for the remainder of the spring semester. A t the end of every civic technology class Lyel Resner '07 teaches at NYU, he and his students have a fireside chat with a guest—someone at the forefront of tech, media, social justice, and human rights. During the chat, he poses a question for them to ponder and discuss. Recently, he asked what advice they would offer to others who are also navigating their professional paths and their places in the world. For Lyel, the most important thing he came to understand before he set out in his career was just how little he needed to be happy and content. "It allowed me to take much bigger risks and a more non- traditional path with my career to do things that I found meaningful," he said. "I know that maybe the trappings that come with a higher salary in certain instances weren't the things that really brought me fulfillment." Investing in himself—"and learning how to cook"—so he could go through challenging periods and still take care of himself are also essential elements Lyel highlights as having TEACHING FOR CHANGE LYEL RESNER '07 FOCUSED ON CREATING BRIGHTER FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION (Continued on page 4)

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