Batman's a Beta

Frat Guy of the Week: Adam West

Who could forget Adam West, the man behind the mask in those old re-runs of the 1960s Batman TV series? Long before West was putting an end to the Joker's latest scheme as the Dark Knight, he was a brother of Beta Theta Pi at Whitman College.

Born William West Anderson in Walla Walla, Wash., he went on to attend Whitman College in the same city. At Whitman, West became a Beta, wrote for the campus newspaper, swam, skied, ran track and played water polo.

West majored in literature and minored in psychology before moving on to do graduate work at Stanford University. In the early 1950s, West was drafted into the U.S. Army and eventually settled in Hawaii where he would begin his acting career.

West was cast in 1966 on ABC's Batman as the caped crusader and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne. West would go on to appear in more than 40 movies and most recently had somewhat of a career revival on FOX's Family Guy as the mayor of Quahog.

Ole Miss Student Falls from Tree Outside Beta House

Funeral Set for UM Student

A freshman at the University of Mississippi fell to his death on Saturday from a tree outside of the Beta Theta Pi house.

Bradley Jameson, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas, had climbed the tree to grab a football that got stuck after a late night game of catch. He fell about 12 feet onto a concrete patio and later died from massive head trauma, police said.

University officials said they didn't believe alcohol or drugs played a part in the freshman's tragic death.

Cal State Chico Looks to Move On Without Betas

Fraternity Suffers Hazing Fallout

By Patrick W. Connelly
Co-Editor, The Frat Boy News

Students returning the California State University in Chico this fall may notice a considerable difference on campus as Beta Theta Pi fraternity won't be active this school year.

"We've lost 40 good guys," said Greg Bruce, a Sigma Pi brother and the university's IFC president. Beta Theta Pi was disbanded on the campus after a university investigation into a hazing incident cause the fraternity to lose its national chapter's recognition.

Brothers of the fraternity were said to have forced pledges to submerge in a bathtub filled with ice and water until they answered a series of questions. They were also said to have locked pledges in a closet where they threw beer and other disgusting things at them, reports said.

Beta National Headquarters Cuts Ties With Yale Chapter

Beta Chapter Loses National Affiliation

The national headquarters of Beta Theta Pi has disaffiliated itself with the fraternity's chapter at Yale University, less than a month after a stash of guns were confiscated from their campus house.

A 21-year-old brother of the fraternity was arrested in July on weapons charges stemming from an incident at their house in which a gun was fired and two illegal weapons were seized, Yale University police said.

Police said they confiscated 11 guns from the frat house, including two illegal assault rifles, chemicals and ammunition. Light has beeen temporarily suspended from the university.

The brothers were said to have been playing beer pong before the shooting.

"The fraternity will go local, it will prosper. We have a huge alumni network," its alumni director told a campus newspaper.

The chapter was founded in 1892, but went inactive in 1968. It was revived by a new brotherhood in 1990.

Another Episode of Sorority Crime Fighters

Sorority Crime Fighters, Epsiode 1

Yale Beta Charged After Shooting

A 21-year-old Yale College brother of Beta Theta Pi was arrested on weapons charges stemming from an incident at his fraternity house in which a gun was fired and two illegal weapons were seized, Yale University police said.

David Light, 21, was charged Monday with two counts of illegal possession of assault rifles, unlawful discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment, threatening and breach of peace.

Police said they confiscated 11 guns from the frat house, including two illegal assault rifles, chemicals and ammunition. Light has beeen temporarily suspended from the university.

Light and his fraternity brothers were said to have been playing beer pong before the shooting and was to have been drunk and belligerent.

California Betas Face Hazing Charges

Three Face Trial in Chico Frat Hazing

Three brothers of Beta Theta Pi's chapter at California State University in Chico face illegal hazing charges for an incident where they were said to have made pledges exercise ans crawl through mud.

According to the district attorney, the pledges were also forced to be submerged in freezing cold water, exposing them to possible hypothermia.

"The ice bath ritual caught our attention," he said. "If (pledges) didn't answer questions correctly -- and they were designed that you couldn't -- (they) were immersed in a bath of ice water for a substantial period of time."

Following the allegations, the university revoked the fraternity's charter.

3 WVU Frats Close Over Fire Code Violations

Fire Violations Close WVU Fraternities

Three fraternities at West Virginia University won't have a house when brothers return to the Morgantown campus next fall after they were shut down by the fire chief for code violations.

Since the beginning of May, Phi Sigma Kappa, Pi Kappa Phi and Phi Gamma Delta have been closed because of lack of fire alarms and exits in their houses. The houses of Delta Tau Delta and Beta Theta Pi were also shut down in the past year because of similar violations.

WVVA-TV reported that the fire chief may not be done just yet in his rampage on fun in Morgantown. He was expected to inspect other houses Wednesday, they said.

Michigan Beta Chapter Closes

Frat's National Org Dissolves Chapter

After they were said to have repeated violated campus rules, the University of Michigan's chapter of Beta Theta Pi will be forced to close its doors for good.

The national organization of Beta Theta Pi decided to close the fraternity after several violations from the past few years caught their attention. In 2005, pictures of brothers drinking extreme amounts of alcohol showed up in the hands of campus officials.

Last summer, four brothers were caught violating alcohol policies while attending a Beta leadership event, and one was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. The straw that supposedly broke the camel's back, so to speak, was when a picture of a chapter officer drinking on St. Patrick's Day were sent to the national fraternity

The shut down the frat May 2 and there is not yet any word whether the Betas will have a chance to return to Michigan anytime soon.

Cincy Betas Make Stoner Toilets

Fraternity Drops Toilets for Good Cause

The University of Cincinnati's chapter of Beta Theta Pi takes a step back to the 1960s each year for their annual philanthropy event.

Each year, the Betas paint psychedelic toilets and sell them to raise money for the Price Hill literacy center. The brother's are hoping to raise about $2,500 for the charity by painting the toilets and putting them in people's yards until enough money is donated to mover the psychedelic toilet to another location

"Once again this year we are proud to brighten the faces of Cincinnati by performing this one-of-a-kind fundraiser," said James Balough, a freshman Beta.

"We always want to do more for this incredible charity, which is why the Psychedelic Toilet Sale was created," he said.

Baylor Beta Killed

Gunshot Ends Life of Graduate-to-be

Baylor University is mourning the loss of a senior student and a brother of Beta Theta Pi who was killed in a shooting Friday morning.

Ruidoso Downs, 23, was found dead around 1:45 a.m. Friday at his residence, a report said. The Beta's alumni adviser said the shooting came after a casual barbecue Thursday night at the fraternity house.

"He was a great leader," said a Beta alum. "He was a guy everybody looked up to. He was the reason you joined the fraternity if you were a younger guy."

Wash-St.Louis Beta Chapter Can't Fill House

Frats Fill Space, Betas Face Difficulties

Many frats at Washington University in St. Louis used to have a lot of problems attracting new members to fill their houses.

That thought has gone by the wayside, while young men are pledging campus frats, with not too many rooms going unfilled - That is, except for the rooms at the Beta Theta Pi house. University rules state that each house must be filled to at least 93 percent capacity by the end of March.

"Once [Beta's] leadership became aware that they wouldn't be able to meet their occupancy requirements, they really worked with Greek Life to talk about what some of the options were," said Ronald Laue, interim director of Greek Life. "We're still having those conversations."

The Beta house is one of the biggest on the campus, with 38 spots for brothers to call home during the academic year. It is unclear what will happen yet with the house for next year.

Beta Wins "Mr. Fraternity" at Maine

Charity Event Seeks Out "Mr. Fraternity"

The University of Maine's chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi held a "Mr. Fraternity" pageant last week in a charitable effort to crown the number 1 frat guy on campus.

Brothers from seven different Maine fraternities competed in the contest that included a talent show and swimwear modeling.

Josh LaGasse, of Beta Theta Pi, was the lucky winner.

Vandals Say Betas are "Gay"

The Frat Boy News daily campus police report for Saturday:

Washington University in St. Louis (compiled by Student Life)
March 28 - 3:29 p.m.: PROPERTY DAMAGE - Coordinator for the Thurtene Carnival reported unknown person(s) wrote the word "GAY" on a PODS coordinator being used by the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and the Chi Omega Sorority for Thurtene Carnival building purposes. The property damage was done with what appeared to be a black magic marker. This occurred sometime between 10:45 p.m. on March 28 and 11:30 pm. on March 29. Disposition: Pending

March 27 - 1:43 p.m.: LARCENY-THEFT - ATHLETIC COMPLEX - An employee stated that between 12:20 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. unknown person(s) took his pants, containing his ID card as well as his keys, from his secured locker located in the lower level men's locker room of the Athletic Complex. The locker was secured with a combination lock which was missing from the scene. A search of the area for the pants met with negative results. No suspects or witnesses could be located. Total loss valued at $21. Disposition: Pending.

A Tale of Two Frat Houses

Greek House Gets a Facelift

Two Fraternity houses at Michigan State are seeing a significant changes. The two houses, formerly belonging to Delta Upsilon and Beta Theta Pi are now vacant, as the fraternities have left have left MSU for a variety of reasons.

The Delta Upsilon house, pictured left, has been sold to property developers Community Resource Management Co. for $575,000 in January. The house has 14 bedrooms, 2 study lounges, formal room, game room, kitchen, basement, and 4 bathrooms. The new owners have renovated the building, and plan on leasing it out to the MSU chapter of Lambda Phi Epsilon,who may move in as soon as May 2007.

The house that the Beta Theta Phi brothers used to call home also is in transition. While the fraternity is no longer recognized by their nationals, the house was still occupied until recently. The residents were made to vacate the building when it was condemned for health and safety reasons. When the building inspector visited the site it was found to have "garbage throughout the home, backed-up plumbing and sledgehammer marks battered into the walls."

The Beta house, shown at left, boasts a unique structure which includes an indoor basketball court, and several decks that lead directly to the banks of the Red Cedar river. James Rasor, president of Beta Tau Alumni Corp., which owns the home said the alumni have "stabilized the situation" and "If we sell it, we're obviously not going to make the repairs — the new owner will do that."

WVU Frats Trying To Clear Bad Name on Campus

WVU Fraternities Fight Through Negative Images

A few different fraternities on WVU's campus have been in judicial trouble during the past year, but some of the Greek organizations are speaking out about getting a bad reputation.

Last week a 20-year-old Morgantown woman reported that she was sexually assaulted at the Phi Kappa Psi house on Spruce Street.

Earlier this semester, the Beta Theta Pi House got into some trouble for an overcrowding violation during a party and some financial problems. The acts of just a few individuals could taint the whole organization... making it difficult for others to fight negative stereotypes. Some fraternity members say they are adamant about instilling a sense of responsibility in all of their pledges.

More than 30 social organizations on campus who rack up more than 3,000 hours of community service every year. And through the community service... building leadership skills.. and keeping alumni ties strong.. fraternities say they'll keep working to maintain their organization
Morgantown Police are still conducting their investigation for the alleged sexual assault.

The Beta Theta Pi fraternity is working closely with the university to overcome their financial problems.

Greek Numbers Down at Lehigh, Frat crackdown hurts recruitment

Fraternity Bids Down, Greek Hopes Still High

Campus administrators have tried to put a positive spin on it, but the fact stands: Numbers are down for Lehigh rush.

The Brown and White, Lehigh's student newspaper reported that 238 men accepted their bids this year versus approximately 293 last year, a nearly 19% decrease.

“Numbers are down this year, but not when you average it out among the chapters,” said Tim Wilkinson, assistant dean of students for fraternity and sorority affairs.

Wilkinson is referring to the average number of new recruits per chapter, which stands at 13.1. This same measurement came in at 13.9 per chapter last year, representing a 5.8% decrease.

Most blame the poor recruitment on the crackdown on fraternities that has resulted in Alpha Chi Rho losing their house and Kappa Sigma losing their charter. The Hill, where most of the Greek housing is located, has also seen an increase police presence.

While the FratBoyNews does not deal in conspiracy theory's, we are wary that Lehigh, under the leadership of their new President is undertaking an anti-Greek stance. These low recruitment levels will likely trigger new evictions under their Greek occupancy rule, which requires a 90% occupancy level for Greek organizations to keep a house on campus. This is how Alpha Chi Rho came to be without a house.

It's a chilling time line: August 2006 a new President takes office at Lehigh, six months later, two fraternities are gone, police now patrol fraternity hill, and recruitment is down. Is Lehigh attempting to "thin out" the Greek population?

Related:
Lehigh Crows Can't Fill House, Must Leave by Jan. 24
Lehigh Crows Taking Traditional Frat Boy Approach to Problem Solving
Kappa Sigs Gone at Lehigh

New Beta Chapter at Dayton

Beta Theta Pi Fraternity Establishes Chapter at UD

The newest chapter of Beta Theta Pi has opened at the University of Dayton. This is the first time the fraternity has opened a chapter at the University of Dayton. The Beta were established at the at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

The many of the rushees were attracted to the fraternities Men of Principal program, and scholarships offered. “They are an older organization with a new initiative called Men of Principle,” said new member Greg Calhoun, a junior political science major.

Calhoun also said "the fraternity will not hesitate to put any one of its 125 nationwide chapters on probation—or even shut one down—for not adhering to its Men of Principle initiative."

This is certainly true, as evidenced by Independents Living in Old SMU Beta House. The chapter was shutdown by the beta's nationals, for a pot smoking incident.

Congratulations and best of luck to the new brothers of Beta Theta Pi at the University of Dayton.

Can I Dance With Your Date?

Frat Guy of the Week: Sportscenter's Neil Everett

ESPN Sportscenter Neil Everett was a brother of Beta Theta Pi at the University of Oregon.

Everett grew up in Spokane, Washington, and graduated from Oregon. The current Sportscenter anchor started his carreer in radio, before spending the next 15 years as an athletic administrator at Hawaii Pacific University. Everett returned to broadcasting, working as a sports director and reporter for KGMB in Honolulu.

In 2000, after receiving a recommendation from a friend, Everett was hired by ESPN where he has worked since. Everett has added Hawaiian surfing sayings to the show's famous repertoire of catchphrases, including:

• "Can I dance with your date?" - After a player gets dunked on, usually preceded by their name, as a reference to Animal House.
• "Bartender! JACK!!" - When a baseball player hits a home run.
• "Howzit!" - A Hawaiian/South African slang for "What's up!", said at the start of each episode of Sportscenter he anchors.
• "Phi Kai Phi!" - Used to describe dunks- reference to the ritual of Beta Theta Pi.