Beta Theta Pi - University of Minnesota

Undergraduates Celebrate Growing Membership, Claim Top GPA in U of M Greek Community PAge 3 betA thetA Pi I am truly honored and excited to serve the chapter in the upcoming year as president. With a newly renovated chapter house and strong alumni support, we are dedicated to building on the strong momentum from past semesters and developing a culture of excellence in all areas. Some of our recent successes include reclaiming the top GPA of any Greek organization for the fall 2016 semester with an impressive 3.43, which stands well above the all-men's (3.13) and all-campus (3.21) averages. Our chapter size is the largest it has been in years and we became the chapter with the most Wooden Institute graduates in the nation—121 to be exact! We look forward to another record-breaking year as we strive to excel in all areas and develop ourselves as Men of Principle. Brothers Set the Bar High in Philanthropic Success Our chapter is excited to start our second year being partnered with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for both philanthropic and community service opportunities. Last fall, we raised over $1,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at our annual Light the Row event. Our members also volunteered at the CFF's Breath of Life Gala, helping them fundraise over $100,000 in one night, as well as participated in their IDS Tower Run. Chapter Boasts Growing Membership The chapter is proud to share our current undergraduate membership is the largest it has been in years at 66 active members. The spring recruitment charge was led by VP Recruitment Eric Swenson '19. With a strong chapter effort, the spring pledge class was closed with 10 new members, bringing our total chapter size to 76 undergraduates. Undergraduates Connect with the Greek Community Beta Pi held a yoga exchange in February with Gamma Phi Beta, led by Jay Alexander '19. We also held a karaoke exchange with Phi Mu in February, and a wedding exchange last November at Blarney's Pub and Grill with Alpha Omicron Pi that included wedding toasts and a mock ceremony for Chris Page '17 and AOII Chandler Gardiner, with Charlie Burton '17 serving as the officiant and Jake Woll '17 as best man. In addition, the executive team attended the Keystone Leadership Conference in Chicago in February to discuss and implement ways to better improve the chapter and leaders within the chapter. Members Recognized for Outstanding Achievements Anthony Tabet '17 received the Churchill Scholars Award and will be conducting cancer research at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, later attending MIT for graduate school. Jackson Ridl '18 is president of the TEDX club on campus, which coordinates production of TED talks on campus. Jordan Sell '17 will attend medical school at the University of Northwestern in Chicago on a full ride scholarship in the fall. Jay Alexander '19 is a certified yoga instructor who teaches yoga classes at the UM Rec Center. David Bock '19, Jack Bernick '20, Matt Boehne '19, Ben Russel '18, and Daniel Waddell '19 are all involved in the Volunteer Tax Assistance Program, which is designed to help people file their taxes. Beta Pi Appreciative of Alumni Leadership The alumni Pig Roast was held on October 1, 2016, and was one of largest alumni gatherings in years at the Beta Pi Chapter house to celebrate the new house renovations, which we as a chapter greatly appreciate. Cian Chase '07 and Bill Madden '86, along with the rest of the housing committee, led the charge on the renovations, which included complete renovations of almost every room in the house, new bathrooms, couches, and rugs. We cannot emphasize enough how appreciative we are. In December, Beta Pi held its annual holiday alumni dinner at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul, featuring lawyer Rick Morgan '80 as a guest speaker. Alumni Attend I-Week Festivities Last fall, we welcomed an incredible group of young men to Beta Pi as members of our fall 2016 pledge program, and in January, 16 new brothers joined our ranks with their initiation. Several alumni attended the I-Week fireside chats, but I would especially like to say thank you to Jake Helms '07, Casey Kuenn '15, Brad Beauchene '15, and Wesley Sandholm '16 for their willingness to lend a hand in facilitating the I-Week rituals. We look forward to what our 2017 spring pledge class has in store for the future. Join Us for Our Upcoming Events We apologize for not organizing an alumni spring banquet this year. Due to some changes to the alumni relations committee and additional complicating factors, it did not come together. We seek to hold it again in 2018. Additional alumni events are planned this year, including the annual golf outing in July, a Homecoming/ Pig Roast event in October, and a holiday event in early December. Look for more information by mail in the months to come. In _kai_, Evan Jobin '18 Chapter President betapi1880@gmail.com (651) 592-8394 Colin Emerson '18 Alumni Relations Chairman betapi1908@gmail.com (612) 867-4884 Our executive team attended the annual Keystone Leadership Conference in Chicago. Beta Pi received the Outstanding Chapter Support Program and Outstanding Community Service Program awards at the UMN Greek Awards.

• Cover