The Chapter Today

by Gabe Blanchet '13, Magister

Every single day at 532 Beacon Street, our 42 active brothers attempt to continue the tradition of excellence so obviously embedded in our heritage as a chapter -- I think we're doing a good job. The cohesiveness of our chapter is exemplified nightly at sit-down dinners where brothers exchange stories and share in laughter. We are able to maintain a fun social atmosphere with a schedule full of mixers, parties, and brothers-only events while still excelling academically and in other facets of MIT undergraduate life.

Our 13 newest brothers embody the spirit of youth we so cherish, while exemplifying the good character and high ideals for which our fraternity stands. Under the leadership of our consul, Patrick Vatterott '13, Alpha Theta Sigma Chi continues its strong traditions of leadership, stewardship, and entrepreneurship, in every sense of the words.

As a house, we honor the traditions and customs that serve as our foundation. Every November, brothers enjoy our formal Sweetheart Ball immensely, jumping at the chance to dress formally and impress our dates with our (sometimes) amazing ice-skating skills. Brothers rally around our weeklong Derby Days charity event in the spring, raising thousands of dollars for the Children's Miracle Network and the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.

Every spring, we are excited for rush retreat -- a chance for our entire chapter to depart Cambridge for a weekend and bond while discussing tactics and strategy for rushing the next generation of gentlemen that we will be so excited to call our brothers in the future. Other traditions, including Christmas dinner and the pledge walkout trip, are still highly anticipated every year.

ALPHA THETA TODAY:

• Alpha Theta Sigma Chi had the highest average GPA out of all MIT fraternities this past spring (2011) with a 4.47 (IFC average: 4.27)
• Over half (25 of 42) of our brothers participate in varsity athletics at MIT. Football, lacrosse, swimming, tennis, volleyball, sailing, and crew are all represented.
• Strong intramural sport involvement: We compete with other fraternities, living groups, and clubs in ice hockey, football, dodgeball, softball, volleyball, and basketball. Local alumni frequently contribute to our team!
• We still lead the international fraternity in number of Peterson Significant Chapter awards with 35. Out of the past five years, we have earned four Petersons.
• Our chapter hosts an incredibly successful rush every year. This fall, 13 out of the 16 bids we extended were accepted.

AS INDIVIDUALS, BROTHERS EXCEL IN SO MANY DIVERSE AND TRULY IMPRESSIVE WAYS. A FEW ARE HIGHLIGHTED HERE:

Andrew Pierson '12, David Thomas '12, Bryan Beller '12, and Eamon Glackin '12 captain the swimming, volleyball, lacrosse, and sailing squads, respectively.

Eamon was named to the 2011 ICSA (Intercollegiate Sailing Association -- sailing's version of NCAA) and All-Academic Second Team (similar to the Academic All-American team).

Brothers are deeply committed to MIT's club rugby and club ice hockey teams.

Gabriel Blanchet '13 was supported by the chapter in his decision, this past spring, to thru-hike the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail. Gabe raised more than $11,000 for juvenile diabetes research and kept a blog about his journey at gabehikestheat.tumblr.com.

Scott Sundvor '12 is head student leader of the Gordon Engineering Leadership (GEL) program. GEL is a university-wide leadership development program for engineers.

Max Ramundo '14 and Andrew Pierson '12 are involved with ROTC. Andrew was recently awarded a position with Air Force Special Ops next year -- a very significant achievement.

David Thomas '12 and Joao Batalha '13 are deeply involved with the MIT Entrepreneurship Center and are hard at work developing "Minglit" -- a startup company that promises to revolutionize human social experiences.

Joey Perricone '14 is a musical force, and performed his self-written "Birds in the Sky" at a late-night talent show in Kresge last fall.

Michael Gibson '13 was recently named the "Outstanding Sophomore of the Year" for MIT's number one nationally ranked Department of Materials Science and Engineering. In Mike's words: "Alpha Theta Sigma Chi is the foundation of my MIT experience and the reason for my social, academic, and athletic success and my development into the man I hope to be upon graduation."

INTERVIEWS WITH THE ACTIVES!

Turn the page to watch short video interviews with the active brothers....