Theta Xi - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

www.alpha6294.com Theta xi 5 alpha Chapter Brotherhood Grows with 17 assoCiate memBers Academics and Philanthropic Efforts Propel Chapter Forward T he Alpha Chapter has been far from idle this fall semester, a regular trend for one of the most distinguished fraternities on RPI's campus. The goals set out for this semester were to continue our philanthropic service, improve our chapter's GPA, and to improve the visual and communal appearances of our house so it may complement the quality of people who grow from it. CHAPTER ACADEMICS ON THE RISE We pride ourselves on our academic success here at the Alpha Chapter, and last semester we were able to continue that impressive trend of success. During the spring 2015 semester, the chapter earned a semester GPA of 3.21 and a cumulative GPA of 3.24, which placed us at fourth among all fraternities. This is no small feat, and the chapter will look to continue this success in the coming years by emphasizing our academic values to our new associate members. GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Throughout the fall semester, the Alpha Chapter held a number of events planned by Community Relations Chairman Tevin Smith '16 (A1689). He has coordinated brother involvement with a fundraising initiative for the MS Foundation through the dunk tank for MS event; volunteering at multiple rest stops for Bike MS, held by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; and organized a clean-up of the gravesite of Alpha Eight at Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, N.Y. These events allowed the brothers of the Alpha Chapter to not only provide service and raise funds for the fraternity's national philanthropic partner, but also foster positive relations with the local community for the greater good. CHAPTER WELCOMES 17 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS With a house of now 40 active brothers, we have been able to make sure that, while having a significant number of members, we still are small enough to preserve true brotherly bonds with each individual. Additionally, with 17 associate members this semester, the brotherhood could reach up to 55 members in the spring, a sizeable but healthy increase. I must emphasize that each man we accept as a brother is entrusted with the future of the house just as we were when we were first initiated, and as such this large potential number is not a source of concern. FULL FALL SCHEDULE Soon after this summer's work week, we had two mixing events with two different sororities on campus. The first was an exhilarating game of manhunt, where we and Alpha Gamma Delta split into two teams to play this childhood favorite. The second was a relaxing bonfire with Alpha Phi where the sisters came by to our house and roasted marshmallows and s'mores with us at our fire pit. Other mixers are still in the process of being scheduled thanks to the efforts of Sean Rudowsky '16 (A1673), activities chairman, and Austin Egri '18 (A1696), social chairman. ALUMNI WEEKEND A SUCCESS On the weekend of October 3, the actives of Theta Xi welcomed back brothers for Alumni Weekend. On that Friday, we held a wine and cheese event prior to the induction of the latest pledge class, where RPI faculty and Theta Xi alumni alike came to enjoy the event and refreshments. The following Saturday, the actives hosted a barbecue where the alumni relaxed on the front lawn with burgers grilled to order, alongside assorted lawn games. THANK YOU, BROTHERS! With so much success revolving around our chapter as of late, whether it be scholastically, socially, or philanthropically, one can only say it is a proud time to be an Alpha of Theta Xi. This doesn't only include the active members, who have all done their utmost to maintain our trend of greatness, but also the alumni, who have poured so much time and energy to ensure we have the best environment to succeed as possible. I would particularly like to thank the alumni who have donated toward the renovations of the house. We saw the basement and first floor transform into works of art over this past summer thanks to you and the alumni board, who made the plans to make it happen. With that, we encourage all of you to come by and visit any time. Yours in the Bonds, Trevor Langley '16 (A1674), Chapter President (781) 361-3344 | langlt@rpi.edu Wyatt Kroemer '18 (A1691), Alex Pentland '15 (A1661), and Sean Rudowsky '16 (A1673) man one of the rest stops for the Bike MS Philanthropy event. Alexander Pawlak '17 (A1679) hard at work building a new bench during work week, where numerous projects were completed to better the house's appearance and functionality. One of the largest projects during work week was constructing a concrete mailbox to discourage its destruction. Key contributors included Carson Hotard '16 (A1665) and James Wang '16 (A1668). A work week project was to demolish and rebuild the fire pit. Heading up this sizeable task was Tevin Smith '16 (A1689).

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