Beta Theta Pi - MIT

BACK BAY BETA Beta Upsilon Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology FALL 2020 Support from Beta Upsilon GRA, Positive Partnership with MIT Keep Chapter Afloat I t has been more than six months since the sudden shutdown of the economy and MIT in light of the coronavirus pandemic. e impact on the students has been significant. ey were rushed off campus so that they could arrive safely and not become infected, and stuck, on campus. e students had to complete their spring semester virtually. Many lost their summer internships as employers retrenched and couldn't handle virtual interns. e Chapter lost out on lucrative summer income as housing students was not allowed per MIT's guidelines. And, no students are allowed to live in the facilities this fall, even the seniors who will be on campus for the semester. But, it wasn't even as straightforward as that. Every step of the way had twists and turns as policies were figured out in real time, reacting to changes in conditions and MIT policies. ere was constant communication between MIT, the Chapter, and the House Corporation to figure out what we could and couldn't do next. We are very lucky that the Chapter has been supported by our graduate resident advisor (GRA), Julie Logan, MIT Ph.D. candidate in nuclear engineering. Julie helped the undergraduates get organized quickly to head home as soon as possible when the campus shut down. She has been invaluable in managing the Main House facility, along with our property manager, Josh Schuler. And, she has virtual Chapter events to keep up the brotherhood while the students are at home. Julie works for MIT in her GRA role, but she has been part of our family at Beta for several years. In addition, we are very lucky to have such a strong partnership with MIT. MIT has soened the blow for the undergraduates, the Chapter, and House Corporation by paying the house bills on behalf of the undergraduates for the time that the spring semester was held virtually. M ike Feinstein '82 was selected as a 2020 Fraternities, Sororities, and Independent Living Groups (FSILG) Outstanding Alumnus/ Advisor Award winner! e Outstanding Alumnus/ Advisor Awards are presented to alumni and volunteers to recognize outstanding service to chapter house corporations, advisory boards, individual FSILGs, Association of Independent Living Groups committees, or even the whole FSILG community. His name now appears on the FSILG Awards website as the winner, and he was recognized in an email to the entire FSILG community, in addition to receiving a physical award certificate via mail this summer. Again, congratulations, Mike! e FSILG Office could not think of a more deserving individual and is proud of his contributions to the FSILG community. House Corporation Welcomes New Alumni Volunteers, Opportunities Still Available is allowed the students to save their money and kept the Chapter and House Corporation finances in reasonable shape. MIT has promised additional financial support to make up for the loss of summer and fall income for the Chapter and House Corporation. From what I have heard, MIT is alone in providing this level of support for the fraternity and sorority system. And, with our strong partnership with MIT, we have been able to house three GRAs from other organizations whose facilities are not considered to be viable for them to live in. e good condition of our facilities and consistent maintenance and management has kept us in a solid position. We value this partnership with MIT, which speaks well for our long-term position on campus. Recently, we held our virtual annual meeting. I am happy to say we have a couple of new volunteers who have joined our ranks. In addition to myself as president, Herman Marshall '78 (vice president), Frank Leibly '93 (treasurer), Chris Briere '19 (secretary), and Neil Harrigan '90 (board member and alumni house manager), I want to welcome John Kerins '81 (board member) and Christian Hamer '94 (Chapter financial advisor) to the volunteer team. We can still use additional assistance with communications on our team, so please let me know at mike_feinstein@yahoo.com if you have an interest in volunteering. Overall, given the challenges of this situation, we are in great shape. We have financial challenges due to the environment, but with support from MIT and strong management from Frank, we can get through it. We have a strong Chapter, although they are challenged by remote operations and the lack of a fall rush in 2020. And, we work closely with the General Fraternity that provides us with leadership support and training for the actives, as well as best practices and a housing program to support our operations. When people ask me how I am doing these days, I say, "Pretty well, all things considered." And, I can say the same for Beta eta Pi at MIT. Yours in __kai__, Mike Feinstein '82 Beta Upsilon Association President Congratulations, Mike Feinstein '82! 2020 FSILG Outstanding Alumnus Award Winner

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