Beta Theta Pi pledges focus on 'principle,' not streaking

Rather than streaking nude across the Quadrangle as part of their Greek organization's initiation process, the Beta Theta Pi fraternity pledges bonded recently on a strictly non-hazing scavenger hunt. That's because the fraternity, along with two other Beta chapters in the nation, has been selected by its Ohio-based national office to participate in the Men of Principle program, an initiative aimed at shifting the focus of fraternity life away from alcohol and more towards brotherhood and scholarship, according to Martin Cobb, the national fraternity's director of education. The initiative will convert what most fraternities refer to as "hell week" -- the time-consuming final phase of initiation which has in the past involved reported incidents of hazing among several fraternities -- into a more docile "initiation week," according to Penn's Beta President Jeremie Dufault, a College junior. "When I was a freshman, there was definitely a lot of hazing going on," Dufault said. Dufault said the fraternity's 30 brothers and five pledges have been working "for each other instead of against each other" in the two months since new member education began. The focus has shifted from "drinking and partying and getting girls," Dufault noted. The University's policy handbook defines hazing as any activity which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student. Hazing also includes any act that willfully destroys or removes public or private property as part of initiation into an organization, the policy states. The University expressly prohibits hazing, outlining harsh measures to respond when violations are discovered. College freshman Stefan Ellis, who attended three Men of Principle meetings prior to signing his bid for Beta Theta Pi, said new Beta members "have a good time" but would not run around naked like the drunk members of another fraternity his pledge class witnessed during one of their own events. "[We do] wacky stuff, but nothing degrading," Ellis said. Cobb said he chose Penn, the University of Georgia and the University of Nebraska a year ago to develop the Men of Principle initiative aimed at guiding the 160-year-old fraternity back to its founding principles -- including service, academics and confidence. "In looking at our 140 chapters, these three chapters offered a good cross-section of our chapters across North America," Cobb noted. He added that with a 2.5 grade point average, the Beta Theta Pi organization holds the highest academic standing "in the fraternal world," with Penn's chapter averaging a 3.0 last semester. Beta Theta Pi national headquarters drafted the Men of Principle initiative two years ago in hopes that within 10 years, most of the Beta chapters across the country will be the exemplary standard for fraternities, according to both Dufault and Cobb. Through weekly monitoring by the local Beta advisory board and general fraternity officers, the national office has been tracking the progress of the initiative. The chapter itself will present its results at a convention this August. Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski said he has already seen the effects of Beta's initiative on the campus Greek system. "The program has really challenged [Penn's Beta chapter] to identify and improve the norms and expectations for all brothers and perspectives," Reikofski said.

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