Beta Theta Pi - Oklahoma State University

2 Beta Theta Pi O ur chapter of Beta Theta Pi is looking stronger than ever going into the 2023-24 academic year! It is once again a proud time to be a Gamma Lambda Beta, as the house continues to make clear its standard of excellence in all areas! The foundation of our success begins with selecting young men with the potential to become Men of Principle and carrying the torch of excellence passed down by our alumni. OUR STRONG RECRUITMENT Ending the spring semester with 166 active members and pledges and as the largest house on campus, we seek to add 54 to that number with a new fall pledge class waiting to be pledged and a spring class of six awaiting initiation. The head of recruitment, Lincoln Tapp '24, has tirelessly mined the multitude of high school graduates for those with the character and potential to one day bear the letters of Beta Theta Pi. We look forward to giving such Men of Principle a place to belong. We also express a debt of gratitude and thanks to those alumni who have referred such men and assisted in the recruitment process. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Gamma Lambda Chapter once again excelled academically this spring, as more than one out of every four members achieved a 4.0 GPA. The IFC GPAs this fall and spring were 3.28 and 3.35 respectively. Despite being the largest house on campus, our chapter surpassed the IFC averages with our members and pledges accumulating a 3.56 fall and 3.57 spring GPA. This earned us a second overall ranking both semesters to a much smaller FarmHouse by just 0.08 and 0.07. Remaining in the top tier of fraternities academically is no small feat. Yet with higher GPA standards and a more stringent Academic Assistance Plan recently devised and implemented going forward, the chapter looks to further our pursuit of academic excellence. DOMINANCE IN SHOWS When it comes to Greek Shows, however, second doesn't seem to be in the Beta show directors' vocabulary as we examine their continued streak of dominance over recent years—even amidst recent transitions. Leading up to Varsity Revue this spring with the women of Gamma Phi Beta, Beta's head directors, Max Sise '23 and Drew Wilkie '23, led the men of Beta Theta Pi to sweep awards for the past four shows. Let's review. Fall 2021 began with a sweeping victory of Freshman Follies while paired with the women of Kappa Delta by winning not only first place but also the remaining awards for Best Choreography, Best Vocals, Cheesiest Cast, and the Kid's Choice Award. The same result followed into spring 2022 with the coming of Varsity Revue, also with the ladies of Kappa Delta, as the trophy case was further filled not only with another first-place trophy but also with additional awards for Best Vocals, Best Choreography, Best Theme, Best Opener, and Most Entertaining Performance. But the brooms could not be put to rest for 2022 Spring Sing with the ladies of Chi Omega either, as the cast took home yet another first- place trophy and awards for Best Vocals, Best Choreography, Best Theme, and Best Opener. This performance was followed by another first-place victory in Freshman Follies this past fall while paired with the great ladies of Pi Beta Phi and, once again, leaving barely any awards for their competitors. The weight of this streak of excellence continued to swell and, unfortunately, could not be continued after a fifth-place finish in Varsity Revue, as a new wave of show participants and directors were ushered in. But the resilience of the men of Beta would be on full display in their return for Spring Sing with the women of Pi Beta Phi. The sons of the dragon regained their stride and returned to prominence by taking home another first-place finish along with awards for Best Opener, Best Vocals, Best Choreography, and Best Male Director. We look forward to continuing this transition of talent into Freshman Follies with the women of Zeta Tau Alpha this fall. CHAMPIONSHIPS IN INTRAMURALS Competing in academics and Greek shows and developing thriving campus activities has always been an integral part of the Beta house experience at OSU. Intramural sports are certainly no exception, and we hope to continue the BRIAC legacy. The university no longer tallies event wins to crown an overall intramural champion, but individual events are celebrated and a silent running score for who would win the overall intramural championship is still kept in our minds, nonetheless. But the lack of an overall trophy incentive did not deter the men of Beta from competing for championships this last year. This spring, the men of Beta Theta Pi experienced intramural victories in softball, volleyball, kickball, and ultimate Frisbee, and placed third overall in the IFC Greek Olympics, along with many other runner-up finishes. 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY Lastly, a crowning highlight of the semester included the celebration of the 100-year anniversary of our Gamma Lambda Chapter. The event was largely coordinated thanks to the leadership and tireless efforts of alumni Bill Snipes '75, Pat Kempf '75, Jeb Reid '78, Danny Sadler '75, Bert Belanger '79, Steve Walker '83, Larry Maguire '65, and Braxton Tempest '25. The event included exquisite food and long overdue conversations as many brothers reunited after years apart. There were also many notable speakers, including faithful alumnus and Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt '95. As the event concluded, the room circled for the largest Loving Cup ceremony in recent memory, with hundreds of active members and alumni locked hand in hand. This gathering of alumni from across the nation made quite an imprint on the active members and garnered a renewed appreciation for the return of our alumni after the COVID hiatus. THANK YOU, LOYAL ALUMNI On behalf of the active members, your presence and involvement as alumni make an impact that cannot be fully expressed or quantified. We thank you for the active role that many of you have played in recent years to propel Gamma Lambda Chapter to new heights. In keeping with the historical legacy of achievements by those before us, please rest assured that your chapter brothers are striving to follow in your footsteps by keeping Beta distinguished from all other fraternities. Yours in _ kai _, David Buskirk '23 Chapter President We truly value your recommendations and feedback as a chapter, and we also hope to assist our alumni in any way we can. Feel free to make use of the following contacts: CHAPTER PRESIDENT'S REPORT ANOTHER YEAR OF EXCELLENCE President David Buskirk '23 david.c.buskirk@gmail.com Head of Recruitment Lincoln Tapp '24 lincoln@tappcompanies.com Alumni Relations Chairman Matthew Sidener '24 matthew.sidener@gmail.com Spring Break in Florida Kneeling: Jacob Olsen '25 (left) and Ryan Evans '24. Back row: Aiden Grant '26, Jonathan Kelvington '26, Asher Link '25, Aidan Parson '26, Matthew Muller '26, Avery Walton '25, and John Michael Cipolla '24.

• Cover