Beta Theta Pi - University of Kansas

A L P H A N U C H A P T E R O F B E TA T H E TA P I • L AW R E N C E , K A N S A S • S P R I N G 2 0 2 5 Alpha Nu's Letter I n my time as the advisor to new member education, "soundness of body and mind" was the last of the seven values that was officially codified. Everyone believes in it, to be sure, and certainly success in athletics is a longstanding tradition at the Hutt; calisthenics was a formal part of the old school pledge program imparted to the house from brothers returning from WWII, which gave a "boot camp" type vibe to the ensuing decades of the freshman experience. Yet, every year this has been the weakest link in every evaluation of our program for freshmen. The post-WWII program was revised to a values-driven program in the 2000s through the tireless work of many Alpha Nu Betas. For the 2024-25 year, soundness of body and mind is a point of emphasis. It is ironic that we have struggled to implement this value as much as the others since the other six values depend on it. It goes without saying: if the body is unwell or the mind is disordered, can we really cultivate the intellect? Can we fully engage in respecting the Hutt? Be fully accountable? Can we execute the other six values to the best of our abilities? No. Whether you are nonreligious and refer to Abraham Maslow's "pyramid of needs" or consider the Christian recommendation of building one's house on rock rather than sand, the principle remains the same. Staying up playing video games and watching YouTube to late hours at the cost of sleep was not a problem for 20th-century Betas, nor was the sedentary lifestyle engendered by these types of activities. Social anxiety from social media is a new pressure of the 21st century, leading the U.S. Surgeon General to recently recommend warning labels on forms of social media just like we have on cigarettes. It has also raised the alarm of loneliness (especially among men) as a public health crisis, recommending we "build more connected lives." Few places I know of in society do a better job of "building connected lives" than the freshman experience at Alpha Nu: the value we call "Pledge Class Bond." Listen to a freshman initiation speech or senior dinner, go to an Alpha Nu wedding or reunion—it is deep and enduring. If you are an Alpha Nu or parent or friend of one, you can celebrate how robustly our program meets the challenges of loneliness and disconnection, particularly for young men, in our society. Few things provide a sturdier "soundness of mind" than this. Jack Ritter '27 recalls the following: "Personally, a sound mind was of the utmost importance when I pledged. Strong will and determination helped me brush aside the stresses of a challenging pledgeship. When a few of my pledge brothers and I formed a Bible study, this was one value we knew we were applying in everyday life. Without a sound mind, college, pledgeship, and life become exponentially more difficult." Our program is challenging and demands a certain resiliency that often needs support. We are not immune to the epidemic of anxiety and depression in young people, so we have recently added an executive-level upperclassman to support mental health in the house and developed a more robust pledge father/grandfather/great- grandfather experience within the Hutt for each freshman. Still, we know this is not enough. Exercise: This has been a tricky subject for fraternities since demanding push-ups is long gone and rightly considered a form of hazing. In the coming year, we are creating more opportunities led by new members to organize and implement their own small group activities like lifting, pick-up basketball, running, yoga, or whatever fits their interests in promoting their physical well-being. The charge will be for the freshmen class to be accountable to one another; as Owen Richmond '27 recalls the mantra from his first year in the Hutt, "You get what you put in." Sleep: Like many young adults, we know our new members do not get enough sleep, as surveys have shown. House cleaning has always been a moral activity that engenders love and respect for the Hutt; however, in recent years, with the larger footprint and recent upgrades to the house, cleaning has become too time-consuming, especially during the school week. This has led us to hire more help from the outside to help with cleaning the Hutt in hopes that sleep during the day is not only not forbidden but encouraged. 21st-century medical science has shown beyond doubt that adequate sleep not only leads to soundness of body and mind but also optimizes performance levels in the many other areas we value as a fraternity. Encouraging adequate rest for our new (and present) members as well as implementing organized activities for physical health are two points of emphasis in the coming year. These changes are not easy and will need buy-in from new and current members, but advancing the soundness of body and mind is our seventh value that undergirds the others. It is well worth our efforts. Yours in _kai_, Tom Medlock '89 The Importance of a Sound Body and Mind Rock Not Sand Cultivation of the Intellect Creating a Strong Pledge Class Bond Becoming Gentlemen Time Management Skills Respect for the Hutt Accountability Soundness of Body and Mind Our Seven Values

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