Beta Theta Pi - Miami University

Fall 2015 Newsletter

Alpha Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at Miami University

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Alpha Slants of BETA THETA PI A L U M N I N E W S L E T T E R F A L L 2 0 1 5 T he work to bring Beta Theta Pi home to Miami in the fall of 2016 is accelerating briskly on schedule to meet a demanding list of important milestones (see page 2 for the upcoming schedule). The importance of getting this right guides all of our efforts as we work deliberately and diligently to rebuild the Alpha Chapter into a vibrant and sustainable brotherhood for the future. While we have made great progress, we are only beginning, but the wind is at our back! CULTURE Tom Cleverdon '67, JB Scherpelz '05 The culture team continues to work on developing a solid platform for change to address what went wrong since the last recolonization and build on the successful aspects of the Men of Principle initiative. We have listened closely to constructive input from across campus and the fraternity to define the problems the chapter faced and identify potential pitfalls going forward. With this information, the team has begun to devise an innovative plan to cultivate elements from recruitment to ritual and everything in between to make the chapter strong for many years to come. One major focus area will be to make these measures preventative in nature and as simple as possible. We plan to restore timeless elements that have proven successful in the past, as well as integrate new programming to keep pace with a changing world. We look forward to sharing the points of this plan with all Alpha alumni in the coming months, and we truly look forward to hearing your feedback. We see this recolonization as a fresh start with the opportunity to engage much more Beta alumni involvement from day one of the pledge process. PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS Randy Kirschner '74 The steering committee has begun the process of considering long-term housing options that address the needs of a modern fraternity in an age of amazing living facilities both on and off campus. From the outset, we have envisioned a facility that is both timeless and worthy of the Alpha Chapter of Beta Theta Pi. The physical building needs significant repair and renovation to comply with codes and ADA standards. We need a facility that is a place that supports and focuses our renewed Alpha culture, and at I n the past year, you have most likely read stories regarding the negative aspects of Greek life, and maybe even encountered speculation as to whether fraternities are still beneficial to young men. These notions travel quickly through newspapers and online media outlets, and in today's social media-driven society, the stakes are even higher. It can happen in an instant: the click of a camera, the push of a button, or the stroke of a keyboard; suddenly everything is public knowledge and debated on every channel. This portrayal of Greek life is not entirely accurate; we know from our own personal experiences that these stories do not represent the values of the Greek community. What doesn't make the headlines is all the good these organizations can do. Check out a few reasons why young men today should still GO BETA. Marching Along to Recolonize the Alpha Chapter A Message from Steering Committee Co-Chairman Bill Haywood '74 Why Go Beta? (Continued on page 4)

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