The Daily Pennsylvanian is a student-run nonprofit.

Please support us by disabling your ad blocker on our site.

Patrick Cleary was looking for something different. So was Chad Harding. Disenchanted with the current fraternity scene, these Penn men, along with 38 others, decided to become founding fathers of Beta Theta Pi. The fraternity, which only had about 15 members last year, is currently undergoing a revitalization process to combat the negative stereotypes they claim plague the Greek system. "Beta Theta Pi offered a more unique opportunity," said Cleary, a College freshman "It was more than just drinking and getting wasted on a weekend." The Betas are working to overhaul the beer-guzzling Animal House image associated with many fraternities. Beta Theta Pi Education Consultant David Rae recruited Beta's founding fathers here at Penn. "Our goal is to become the model fraternity on campus," he said. Being number one means leading the way in academics and community service, as well as gaining the respect of the University, parents and families, Rae said. "The guys we have are socially well-rounded guys," he said. "They know how to have fun. But they're going to do it responsibly." And Cleary, echoing Rae, promised that the fraternity would still find ways to have fun. "That doesn't mean that we're not going to go out and party," Cleary said. "We'll do that like any other fraternity. We just strive to represent what a true fraternity should be -- scholars, athletes and friends." The fraternity's revitalization is based on the Men of Principle Initiative, developed by Beta Theta Pi national in 1997 when the organization realized it was time for a change. "Our fraternity put a mirror up to our organization and said it's time for a change," Rae said. The principle is a "calling back" to the ideals that the organization was founded on almost 200 years ago, Rae said. These ideals include "becoming universally known as friends, gentlemen and scholars" and gaining the respect of the community, among other goals. And as a result, the 3900 Spruce Street Beta house will have a different feel. Although the house is not officially a dry facility, it will promote the characteristics of such an environment, Rae said. And the pledges agree. "There won't be the typical Animal House keg parties," Cleary said. Additionally, the house will look different physically -- it will be kept clean. "I've walked into too many houses and they're just disgusting," Rae said. "There's no room for that at Beta Theta Pi." And with recent membership numbers low, Beta needed a change to stay afloat. Last year, Beta's membership was virtually down to nothing, according to Rae. Apathy, along with drugs and alcohol, caused the fraternity to stray "from the fraternal values we should be striving for," he said. "It just crumbled," he added. Previous Betas had "graduated" -- or asked to leave -- from the fraternity in order to allow it to start anew. InterFraternity Council President Mark Zimring, a College junior, said that Beta's current efforts are "tremendous." "It's a great asset for the Greek system," the Delta Kappa Epsilon brother said, adding that the IFC as a whole is working towards these same ends. The IFC is working to update its 21st Century plan -- a system that emphasizes fraternities' traditional aspects of academics, community service and brotherhood, Zimring said. While it may seem that Beta's efforts are novel and unique, some assert that this simply is not so. Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Associate Director for Programming Debra Bonaminio asserts that many fraternities and sororities are loyal to their founding principles, but Beta is simply doing a better job of vocalizing and marketing this idea. "With Beta, that's been their big selling point this year," she said. "That they want to be an old-fashioned fraternity." But, "I don't want people to think Beta is doing this wonderful thing that other groups aren't doing," she added. For Bonaminio, it's time that more fraternities and sororities start vocalizing their positive attributes in order to combat negative press attention. "I think that fraternities and sororities have been getting a lot of bad and negative publicity as of late," she said. "A lot of critics have been questioning the purpose of fraternities and sororities if all they do is drink." Bonaminio asserts that such generalizations just aren't fair. "I think if students at Penn thought that fraternities and sororities... were these dens of debauchery, nobody would join them," she said, noting that fraternity membership was up more than three percent this year. "In the Greek world that's a major, major percentage," she added. And though Beta does stress a new form of Greek life, its pledges do not want to put down existing fraternities. "I don't want to get on a soap box and preach," Cleary said. As part of the Betas' attempt to be campus leaders, the group plans to reinstitute a classic Beta tradition -- something worlds apart from popular keg parties. That tradition is serenading. And the Beta pledges are diligently sharpening their voices, learning new tunes. "Beta Theta Pi is known for singing as a whole," Beta Chapter President and College junior Harding said. On March 4, the pledges will dress in suits, red roses in hand, to sing to sororities. And while not all fraternities can boast great voices, Rae suggested that more fraternities follow in Beta's footsteps in other regards -- if for no other reason than their own survival. "If fraternities are going to survive in the next 50 years... they can't be places you just join to get a keg and a party -- they've got to be more than that," he said. "And Beta Theta Pi is going to lead the way."

Comments powered by Disqus

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.