Beta Theta Pi plans return to campus
By Brian Janosch (from
www.idsnews.com)
The Beta Theta Pi fraternity has officially kicked off its return efforts after the chapter was closed down in September 2001.
A recolonization team has been brought to IU to begin the recruitment process for a set of "founding fathers" for the fraternity, and eventually form the fraternity into an even stronger member of the greek community.
The team put together an interactive informational meeting Monday night where interested students were able to gather information about the returning chapter.
"The national organization is in town for recruiting purposes (to) kind of get the organization back on its feet and make sure they are recruiting the best men possible," said senior Evan Waldman, president of the Interfraternity Council. "From there on, it's history."
The new Beta Theta Pi fraternity will operate for roughly 18 months without a house, holding meetings in the Indiana Memorial Union and having social functions through third party vendors, Director of Expansion Ethan Braden said.
Beta Theta Pi had previously existed at IU-Bloomington, but was put under review by the national organization in 2001. This led to the eventual closing of the Beta house due to accounts of hazing incidents.
"We typically give it two to three years for those negative feelings to dissipate -- for the reputation to go away -- and it gives us the opportunity to come back two or three years later with a fresh start and to recruit with nothing more than the value of the organization," Braden said.
Starting over gives students a rare opportunity to act as a founding father to a fraternity. As opposed to stepping into an already established and structured chapter, the students who are looking to join Beta Theta Pi have the chance to establish their own fraternity from the start with the assistance of the recolonization team.
"The big thing is having the opportunity to do something on your own," said sophomore Mike Wade, who is one of 15 students already to receive a bid. "With a lot of fraternities they say, it's about values and it is about friendship and all that stuff, but a lot of them miss the mark. With this one we have the opportunity to make it the way we want it to be, and we won't have to deal with a lot of those guys that kind of lost their focus."
The preliminary plans for the new colony are to expand upon the current list of 15 extended bids and get numbers up to 40 by Nov. 20. The students will work under Casey Gomes, from the recolonization team, and the advisory board until they begin to function on their own.
Braden described the whole process as quite an easy one.
"We come on campus. We become very visible. We take our message to all the sororities and student groups, and then we are just having value based discussions with good men as we meet them, as they are recommended, as they come by the table," Braden said.
The existing Beta property will most likely be sold to the University by the alumni, Braden said. The proceeds from that sale, along with an alumni driven capital campaign, will then be used to build a brand new, state-of-the-art chapter home.
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