High Point University introduces new men’s social fraternity
By Chelsie Gastright
What does it mean to be Men of Principle? It is more than just a phrase or a motto, but a lifestyle. Men of Principle carry the responsibility between themselves, the community and their brothers to positively change how they approach life. It is more than just actions, but giving meaning to those actions. That is what it means to be a Beta Theta Pi, the Men of Principle.
This fall High Point University will be introducing Beta Theta Pi, commonly referred to as Beta, to its existing 16 fraternities and sororities. Beta, a social fraternity, was first founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and is the sixth oldest social fraternity still in existence.
“Fraternity and sorority life can be one of the most unique experiences that any person can have because of the type of community you are able to create,” said Michael McPhee, the Assistant Director of Colony Development and Recruitment for Beta Theta Pi.
McPhee went on to explain that just as all other fraternal organizations, Beta also works hard to make the community they live in better through development of service, philanthropy, scholarship and leadership.
Along with the value of the development of themselves through active community service, Beta members also have five core values that they can put into action and use to strengthen the Men of Principle lifestyle. Mutual assistance, intellectual growth, trust, responsible conduct, and integrity are the foundations for Beta members, both young and old.
“What’s so great about these ideals is that they can be put into action by our members,” says McPhee. “While it’s exciting to have a philosophical conversation about what it means to live out mutual assistance, it’s even more exciting to create a community around it.”
To become a member and founding father of the HPU Beta chapter, several steps will have to be taken. First, HPU requires that all students who wish to rush have completed at least one semester of college and have a minimum cumulative 2.500 GPA. While some fraternities and sororities will require a higher GPA, the 2.500 is a minimum for all Greek organizations.
From here, potential new members must attend several informal sessions with either Michael McPhee or another staff member. During these sessions, the student will have the chance to show the staff member who they are, ask any questions regarding the chapter, to see a clear picture of what Beta will look like in the HPU setting, and how as a founding father you will make and shape the fraternity.
Once the informal interview-like sessions hve concluded, if both the potential member and the staff member conducting the sessions feel that the membership process should continue, an application will be given to the student. This application will allow them to “internally reflect” on why they wish to be involved in Beta.
After completing the application, the final step for hopeful Beta’s is a check of the applicant’s grades. From there, the staff members involved will decide whether to extend the invitation to join Beta and become a founding father.
“Beta believes that our strength is in our diversity and ability of bringing likeminded individuals from different experiences together,” said McPhee. “We seek students that want to be involved, contentious, and servant minded leaders.
Maya Angelou once said, “The ache for home is in all of us, the safe place we can go as we are and not be questioned.” McPhee is hoping that the founding fathers of Beta make this fraternity a place where all are welcomed and no one is judged for any reason. He also hopes that through the colonization here at HPU, members will be pushed to their greatest capacity and become the men they should be: Men of Principle.
For more information on Beta Theta Pi you can visit their website at http://www.betathetapi.org/ or contact Michael McPhee (Michael.McPhee@betathetapi.org ). For more information on greek life, contact Teri Cugliari (tcugliar@highpoint.edu).