Theta Xi - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

N ow is a good time to be a brother of the Alpha Chapter of eta Xi. e active chapter is now composed of 47 brothers and eight associate members, which is five greater than the chapter size last fall. e chapter has continued to grow, not just in membership, but in academics, commu- nity, campus involvement, and overall campus stature. Our goal for 2018 is to sustain this trend of excellence that has characterized our chapter. Executive Director Visits, Presents Prestigious Award In September, eta Xi Fraternity Executive Director Tanner Marcantel, LSU '97 (AA1675), visited Alpha Chapter to award us our second consecu- tive President's Cup. e President's Cup is awarded to the top five eta Xi chapters, and two consecutive wins is no small feat. is remarkable achievement demonstrates that the men of Alpha Chapter are working hard to uphold our tradition of excellence. While Tanner was here, Dean of Stu- dents Travis Apgar and Greek Dean Meredith Bielaska visited the chapter house for a special dinner while we were presented with the award. e excellence of Alpha Chapter has been noted by both the RPI administration and by the National Fraternity. Theta Xi Member Elected to Lead IFC e men of the Alpha Chapter are involved in many different organiza- tions and teams on campus, and many have taken leadership roles in these organizations. Brother Benjamin Lanning '19 (A1719) was recently elect- ed president of the RPI Interfraternity Council. e IFC has increased its campus presence in recent years, and it will no doubt continue this trend under Ben's leadership. In addition, our brothers are involved in Formula SAE, Engineering Ambassadors, Varsity Track & Field, Club Hockey, Club Lacrosse, and many other organizations. e Alpha Chapter has certainly increased its campus visibility and stature through its members' involve- ment in campus organizations. Chapter Beats Out 27 Fraternities for Second Place in Academics e Alpha Chapter places a high premium on academic success, and our academic performance this past year demonstrated this. e actives achieved a GPA of 3.34 during the spring 2017 semester, which placed us second among all 29 fraternities on campus. For comparison, the spring 2017 all-fraternity GPA was 3.08, and the all-campus GPA was 3.21. e chapter will continue this academic success in future semesters by empha- sizing our academic values to our new associate members. Brothers Give Back Across Campus, Community e Alpha Chapter has also continued our philanthropic efforts. is fall, our brothers volunteered at the Vanderheyden Hall for underprivileged youths and helped run activities for their Annual Fall Festival. e brothers also traveled to Oakwood Cemetery in Troy to honor and visit the grave of Alpha 8, Nathaniel Henry Starbuck. In the spring, we will host our extreme- ly successful Dog Days of Finals event in which we bring therapy dogs to e active chapter and Faculty Advisor Charles "Dr. B" Boylen (A1593) aer Alpha Chapter won its second consecutive President's Cup. www.alpha6294.com 150 YEARS OF THETA XI: Chapter Earns Second Consecutive President's Cup from National Fraternity Membership and Programming Are Thriving at Theta Xi

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