Beta Theta Pi - University of Texas

Spring 2021 INSIDE: Chapter Officers • Page 2 New Members • Page 3 Longhorn Football • Page 4 BETA CHRONICLE BETA CHRONICLE Beta Omicron Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at the University of Texas B rothers, I hope you are doing well and staying healthy! You'll be pleased to know that Beta Omicron is thriving. Even amidst COVID-19 restrictions and protocols, we recruited a total of 36 new members last year. This was an amazing feat for the Chapter, but the growth did not stop there. VP of Recruitment Matthew Donohue '23 and his committee did an incredible job this fall of recruiting 25 additional new members to round out our Chapter. We banded together to achieve this feat, and I am extremely proud of the brothers for putting in the effort to recruit these young men. We have many recruits who plan to pledge in the spring semester, so we are excited for another great class to join us in a few months. We hope to break our record of 36 new membersfrom last year for the academic year, and I believe this is entirely possible given the strong participation from all involved. We would like to thank our fantastic alumni and friends of Beta who recommend brothers for Beta Theta Pi. You provide amazing support to the Chapter when we need it most! Our education team, led by VP of Education Phil Brual '23, looks forward to kickstarting the education process for our new members this fall. Phil has designed a detailed and thorough curriculum that will not only share the history of Beta Theta Pi and the lore associated with our Fraternity, but will also mold our new members into Men of Principle. BETA OMICRON MAKES NUMEROUS SCHOLARLY ADVANCEMENTS We plan to cover topics outside of the normal curriculum such as time management, study skills, organization, and best interview practices. We anticipate great advancements in each new member's personal and professional development. Academically, Beta Omicron had yet another semester of strong performance. Our spring recruits worked tirelessly inside and outside of the classroom, achieving an overall semester GPA of 3.79—the highest GPA for any new member class in the Interfraternity Council. The overall Chapter maintained a semester GPA of 3.70, earning us the third-highest GPA for all chapters in the IFC. Pride is an understatement. Every member of Beta Omicron made strides toward their academic performance throughout the pandemic, and I look forward to this Chapter continuing to foster intellectual growth within our members. In terms of philanthropy, we have been working to set up more in-person volunteer events through organizations. One that we are particularly excited about is the Ronald McDonald House, which benefits and supports families with sick children. As some may know, we have moved our annual Casino Night event to April 2, 2022. We will send out more details as the date approaches. Another great success for the Chapter was receiving our first-ever Knox Award at the General Convention in Oxford, Ohio. This was the culmination of semesters of hard work and preparation, and we are thrilled to have finally received this honor. The Knox Award is the highest award given to a chapter of Beta Theta Pi. We also brought home a Sisson Award for the second year in a row as well as an Outstanding Recruitment Award, which recognizes chapters with recruitment programs that reflect the mission, vision, and values of Beta Theta Pi. Again, this was only possible through the dedication and support of our alumni, friends, and advisors. VP of Education Phil Brual '23 and Chapter advisor Jennifer Zamora attend the General Convention in Oxford, Ohio, where they accept the Knox Award for excellence on behalf of the Chapter. (Continued on page 2) Texas Betas enjoy a country music concert in support of charity. From left: Fox Walker '22, Matthew Donohue '23, Preston Nicol '23, Nils Collins '24, Kade Mitchell '25, George Jordan '23, Max Gauger '24, Jonah Rasor '23, Sidu Nambiar '24, and Grayson Merritt '24.

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