Beta Theta Pi - MIT

BACK BAY BETA Beta Upsilon Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Fall 2021 Pushing Ahead to (Better Than) Normal Beta Upsilon Is Off to a Fantastic Start A s I write this, summer is winding down and the school year will be starting soon. e ups and downs in our daily life continue, with ever-changing rules and restrictions for the pandemic. e change and uncertainty can be unnerving. I try to focus on what I can control and spend my time with friends and family. I've also tried to take advantage of places opening back up, like comedy shows and concerts. I hope they last. MIT has worked hard to make this fall a "normal" school year. Although periodic testing will be required, and it is likely masks will need to be worn in some situations, hopefully the year can begin without significant restrictions on the students' lives. Many thanks to our advisors and Association Board for supporting the students through their spring and summer housing pilot as they dealt with the dynamic environment and their own personal challenges. e Chapter has come out of this period in good shape. Although the unusual spring recruitment didn't deliver the numbers that the Chapter deserved for their level of preparedness and effort, the Chapter did come back from Convention with a suitcase full of awards, including our first-ever Knox Award, emblematic of being among Beta's finest Chapters across a range of criteria from grades to community service to singing. More details on the Convention and the Chapter's awards can be found on page 3. e Convention also marked the election of Ken Bryan '88 to Beta's Board of Trustees, the second Beta from our Chapter to ever serve at that level. Like me, Ken has also served on the Beta Foundation Board of Directors and was a significant volunteer and donor in our Chapter's capital campaign as well as an organizer of our recent 105th reunion. Learn more about Ken in his alumni profile to the le. We plan to finally conclude the Chapter's installation, following the return of our Charter in 2019, with a formal ceremony in the spring of 2022. I hope you can join us on April 30, 2022, in Boston for this celebration. e young men in our Chapter are worthy of your support and of a celebration! anks to all of you who have chosen to support the Chapter over the years with your time and financial support. If you are interested in getting more involved, even remotely, please let me know at mike_feinstein@ yahoo.com. Yours in _kai_, Mike Feinstein '82 Beta Upsilon Association President Following the Fun Ken Bryan '88 Supports Beta Brothers Nationwide W hen Ken Bryan '88 joined the Beta eta Pi Foundation seven years ago, he hadn't had any contact with the general fraternity since attending the annual convention as an undergraduate in 1985. "I was interested in helping other men have as great a Beta experience as I've had, but I really didn't know what I was getting into," he said. "What surprised me most when I joined the Beta Foundation board was the warm, genuine welcome I received from Beta volunteers and staff from many different chapters. ey taught me the ropes of volunteering with Beta, and many of them have become good friends." As a board member and treasurer, Ken has helped raise money to support chapters, protect the fraternity's endowment, and build strong relationships with Brothers, donors, and supporters. "e general fraternity has changed a lot from the mid-1980s when I was an undergraduate—when, frankly, we viewed them as some kind of anti-fun police," Ken said. "Today, Beta delivers world-class leadership training for undergraduates, provides financial support via scholarships and chapter grants, and helps chapters reorganize or get back on their feet aer challenges." He is proud to support Beta and make a difference for chapters nationwide. "While most Betas, including me, have primary allegiance to their local chapter, there is also a larger Beta organization that adds real value to our shared experiences," Ken explained. "I have been proud to support it for the last seven years." Ken is grateful to the Beta Upsilon Brothers who invited him to join the Chapter, helping him learn about himself, mature, and become a better person. ey created many memories together along the way, with recruitment parties, rooming meetings, good-natured pranks, and the original Euchre Tournament in 1985—plus warm summer evenings sitting on the stoop back when life was simpler. "I learned from a lot of mistakes in my four years, had a lot of laughs, and made lifelong friends. Oh, and I got a couple of engineering degrees, too." (Continued on page 4)

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