135th Anniversary Reunion
May 5-7, 2017
Weather Forecast
The first week of May is often one of the most beautiful times of year in Boston, but it is still subject to springtime rains. As of Sunday, April 30th, the forecast calls for rain on Friday into Saturday of the reunion weekend with highs in the 50s and 60s and lows in the upper 40s. Get up-to-date weather from the NWS Boston.
Saturday's picnic is at the MIT Sailing Pavilion, which will have both indoor and outdoor space. If it's raining, we can huddle into the indoor area. The Duck Boats are covered, so you should be able to stay dry. Sunday's cookout could move indoors at the house.
Schedule of Events
| Friday, May 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Open House | 532 Beacon St | 4pm-11pm |
| Era Dinners | Various Locations | Various Times |
| After Party | 532 Beacon St | 11pm-1am |
| Saturday, May 6 | ||
| Ritual Exemplification
for brothers only |
MIT Lecture Hall, 6-120 | 9am-11am |
| Duck Boat Tour
for families and guests |
Start: Hotel Commonwealth End: Ames and Amherst, MIT |
9:50am-11:20am |
| Family Picnic | MIT Sailing Pavilion | 11:30am-1:30pm |
| Alpha Theta Academy | MIT Lecture Hall, 6-120 | 1:45pm-4pm |
| Banquet | Fenway Ballroom Hotel Commonwealth |
6pm-12am |
| After Party | 532 Beacon St | 11pm-1am |
| Sunday, May 7 | ||
| Open House and Cookout | 532 Beacon St | 10am-2pm |
The rear entrance to 532 Beacon Street is handicap-accessible and the building is equipped with an elevator. Parking behind the house will be quite limited, but if you need accesible parking there, please contact the reunion committee.
For accessibility to events on campus, see the MIT Campus Accessibility Map. There are handicap street parking spots on Memorial Drive in front of Walker Memorial Hall, immediately across from the Sailing Pavilion.
The Hotel Commonwealth sits right on the Kenmore Green Line stop. Street parking in Kenmore will be difficult, but you might get lucky. The hotel does offer valet parking.
It's Not Too Late
Reunion is approaching fast, but you can still register at http://alumic.mit.edu/sigmachi135. If you want to attend the Saturday night Banquet, you need to register absolutely no later than Thursday, April 27th.
Era Dinner Organizers
Here is the current list of Era Dinner organizers as we understand it (with the caveat that, with all things Alpha Theta, there may be changes). If you need help contacting any of them, please let the reunion organizers know. If you're on our mailing list, we sent this same list with the email addresses of all the orgainzers in it.
- 1964 and earlier: no one yet-feel free to volunteer
- 1966-1969 John Adger & Tom Jones
- 1972-1978 Ken Howard
- 1979-1982 Tom Faust
- 1983-1989 John Piotti
- 1990-1994 Charlie Choi
- 1995-2000 Ken Dinovo & Adam D'Amico
- 2001-2003 Chris Johnson & Nick Cohen
- 2005-2008 Aaron Doody & Will Stockwell
- 2011-2016 Tom Altmann
Alpha Theta Academy Presenters
We're thrilled to announce this year's excellent lineup of speakers for this year's Alpha Theta Academy.
- Jon '80 and Jennifer Glaudemans on Sailing Around the World
- Gene Lee '89 on Digital Animation at Disney
- Nick Cohen '02 on Why Healthcare is So Hard
- Henry Merrow '17 on Six Months at Porsche Motorsports
Registration is Open 
Register for the 135th at http://alumic.mit.edu/sigmachi135.
Reserve a room by March 6th at Hotel Commonwealth for only $299/night online or by phone at (866) 784-4000. Rooms are in the name of “MIT Alpha Theta Reunion.”
Look at the Attendee List to see who has already registered. If there are brothers you would like to see, ask them to come!
Get Ready for the 135th
It’s time to get together
The hallmark of Alpha Theta has always been the amazing friendships we forged during our years at MIT. Enduring friendships.
Some of us are lucky enough to live near a few chapter mates. Others never miss any camping trip or ski trip that a brother organizes. Still others keep up by email or social media.
But there is nothing better than when we can be together again where it all began, at 532 Beacon Street.
Our Reunions are always fun. Yet they are far more than that. There is something almost magical about reconnecting at the chapter house with the best friends you’ve ever had. And there is something both energizing and uplifting to gather together with so many Alpha Thetas from other eras.
Beyond all that, our sweethearts and children always have a wonderful time. It’s a great family weekend.
So don’t let this opportunity pass by!
The perfect time to be in Boston — and at a great Hotel
This is the first reunion we’ve ever held in May, which may be the best time of year to be in the city. It will be warm enough to enjoy the outdoors, but not hot. And after a long winter, Boston will be alive and vibrant.
We’ve secured rooms at the Hotel Commonwealth, a beautiful new facility in Kenmore Square, just a stone’s throw from the chapter house. If you haven’t been to Kenmore in a few years, you’ll be amazed by the transformation.
Boston hotels are notoriously expensive. But we’ve secured the bargain of the decade—a deluxe room for only $259/night. NOTE: To secure this special low rate, you will need to make reservations by February 6.
You can reserve a room at the Hotel Commonwealth by phone at (866) 784-4000 or online. The special low rate of $259 per night is only available if you reserve by February 6. Rooms are in the name of “MIT Alpha Theta Reunion.”
A beautifully-renovated Chapter House
If you haven’t seen 532 Beacon Street since the award-winning 2014 renovation was completed, that alone is worth the trip to reunion.
The $6 million renovation did everything it needed to do (replacing all the old systems, bringing everything up to code, and adding a fifth floor to increase space). But the work was done in a way that retained and restored all of the classic architectural features of the house. So that the music room and library and dining room have never looked better. And the central staircase has been extended to the new fifth floor in a way that looks like it’s been there for 100 years.
The chapter house has never been as beautiful, as comfortable, or as safe as it is today.
A full weekend
We’ve worked hard to balance organized events with plenty of time to just sit back and enjoy the company of old friends. Many of the proven features of past reunions are being repeated, but we’ve also added some new twists.
Here’s the overall schedule:
Friday Evening, May 5th
- Open House at 532 Beacon Street
- Class and Era Events and Dinners around the Boston Area
Saturday, May 6th
- Ritual Exemplification - Sigma Chi brothers only
- Duck Boat Tour of Boston for Familes and Friends
- Family Picnic at MIT
- Alpha Theta Academy
- Reception and Banquet at Hotel Commonwealth — Black–tie optional
- Afterparty at the house
Sunday, May 7th
- Open House at 532 Beacon
If you are bringing children, there may be an opportunity to secure a sitter during the Reception & Banquet. If you are looking for this kind of service, please contact John Piotti as soon as possible.
Costs
Each attending brother will be charged $75 himself and $25 for each adult guest. (There is no registration fee for children 18 and under). If you register after March 1, there will be a $50 surcharge.
Tickets to the Family Picnic are $20 per person. (Children 5 and under are free.)
Tickets to the Reception & Banquet are $155 per person. (This includes champagne, hors d’oeuvres, a three-course dinner and wine.)
NOTES:
- The cost of Friday night class dinners are not included. That’s between you and your host.
- Duck boat tickets are not included. They will need to be purchased at the time of the tour.
We’ve worked hard to keep costs as low as possible, to encourage higher attendance. In fact, the cost of tickets will not cover all costs. For that reason, we are encouraging brothers who are able to do so to contribute beyond the ticket costs.
Travel Plans
Please try to arrive in Boston by no later than 4 PM on Friday, May 5, if possible. Many class gatherings will begin by no later than 6 PM.
We’d suggest you not leave Boston until at least mid-afternoon on Sunday, May 7, if possible, as there will be activity at the chapter house through early afternoon.
Registration
A link to the registration page will be posted here shortly.Your Role
We want more from you than just attending reunion. We also need your help encouraging others to attend. We know from having coordinated past reunions that everyone who attends these great events loves them, but that many of our brothers still do not attend. No amount of cajoling from us will have the impact that you will have by contacting those people who you want to see at reunion and making sure that they plan to attend. And by doing so, you will help ensure that your time at reunion will be that much more fun and more memorable. So start making calls and sending emails!
If you need contact information for any brothers, feel free to contact Dan Craig.
Feedback/Questions/Comments
Please feel free to contact any of us for any reason:
- Tom Altmann ’15, Alumni Reunion Coordinator
- Dan Craig ‘03, House Corporation President
- John Piotti ’83, Reunion Committee Chair
In Hoc,
John Piotti
Alpha Theta Sigma Chi '83
Reunion Committee Chair
Save the Date!
Dear Brothers,
Join us as we celebrate Alpha Theta's 135th anniversary from:
Friday, May 5th, 2017 through Sunday, May 7th, 2017
If you've attended any of the recent reunions (over 300 brothers and guests attended the 130th!), then you know well the amount of fun and brotherhood that can be packed into one weekend. There is no better time to reconnect with your brothers and friends. If you haven't visited the house since 2014, this is a great opportunity to see the results of the award-winning renovation of 532 Beacon Street.
Brothers, Sweethearts, and Friends of the House are all invited, as are spouses, children, and guests. Child care will be available.
The overall schedule is still being finalized, but the general outline will be:
Friday Evening, May 5th
- Open House at 532 Beacon Street
- Class and Era Events and Dinners around the Boston Area
Saturday, May 6th
- Ritual Exemplification
- Alpha Theta Academy
- Reception, Banquet, and Ball
Sunday, May 7th
- Brunch or Cookout
- More activities TBA
While the details of the reunion are still in the works, we will be updating this site regularly to provide an overview of the Reunion, a detailed schedule of events, and more Reunion details, such as registration info and hotel accommodations.
In the meantime, check out photos and coverage of the 130th Anniversary Reunion, held in April 2012 or take a virtual tour of the beautifully renovated 532 Beacon Street.
Finally, if you have a chance, maybe try to update your info, or even leave us a note about what you're up to. We always appreciate to hear what our alumni are doing.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Reunion coordinators.
We hope to see you in May!
In Hoc,
Dan Craig
Alpha Theta Sigma Chi '03
Corporate Board President