 "Photo: Alix Drawec | Daily Trojan")
"We're looking for leaders," said Josh Fairchild, leadership consultant for the new USC chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. "We want men who are going to be open-minded in sharing ideas and confident in what they stand for."
Beta Theta Pi is returning to USC in full force this semester after three years of absence.
Recruitment for the reinstated Beta colony started Monday.
There are already more than 120 men interested in becoming founding fathers of the chapter, Fairchild said.
The Men of Principle initiative, launched in 1997 by the international Beta Theta Pi organization, is an effort to bring the fraternity back to its roots.
"It's meant to get us to focus back on why we're a fraternity - for the leadership, philanthropy, scholarship and academics," said Vince Mikolay, chapter counselor for Beta at USC. "And it gets us away from the 'Animal House' mentality."
The international fraternity and the university disbanded Beta in 2003 after repeated violations of university policies.
Beta was also suspended by the university in 1996 after a student was struck on the head with a keg thrown from the second story of the house.
Beta had previously failed to maintain GPA requisites and follow Conduct sanctions.
Some members of the disbanded Beta chapter and others not affiliated with Beta formed Stumpos Raiders, an organization with a reputation for partying.
"Stumpos Raiders was an underground group not connected to Beta or the university," Fairchild said. "After about a year and a half, and with collaboration between us and the university, they were much less of an organized presence."
While most students affiliated with the organization have graduated or are no longer present on campus, Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards and Denzil Suite, executive director of residential and Greek life, keep a list of those in Stumpos Raiders. The new Beta chapter will not accept any of the people on the list into the fraternity.
"We now have the opportunity to come back to campus, start fresh and rebuild the fraternity," Mikolay said.
As Beta celebrates its 60th anniversary at USC, it is using all possible means to gather interest in the organization.
There will be a tent set up on Trousdale Parkway through Oct. 20 with Beta representatives and brochures for those curious about the revamped fraternity. Also, Beta consultants from across the country will host an informational meeting Oct. 11. Throughout the next three weeks of recruitment, the organization will have casual events, such as Wednesday's pizza party and ultimate Frisbee game on McCarthy Quad.
Representatives from the international Beta organization, all of whom are Beta alumni, will stay at USC for the next few months to help with recruitment. Their expertise will be supplemented by a board of 16 alumni and eight advisers, composed of USC Beta alumni, Betas from across the country and nonfraternity members.
The consultants agree that a good fraternity starts with the members.
"Our bidding process is all done through conversations and getting to know guys," Mikolay said. "Do they believe in what we're trying to create? If their values match our values, and it's a fit, then we'll bid them."
Three days into the recruitment process, the consultants are already handing out bids.
So far, Sagar Patel, Interfraternity Council vice president of rush, said he's been impressed by Beta's presentation.
"If they do everything they've been told, and they do everything they say they will in terms of recruiting leaders and making leaders, they will be a successful organization within their first semester at USC," Patel said.
University policy requires returning fraternities to begin rush after IFC rush ends. Patel said the Beta representatives were fully informed of the dry rush regulations that would be strictly enforced.
IFC voted Beta back into the council last spring, with full benefits and full-membership status.
"They're really coming in with a great plan," said Andrew Skotzko, IFC vice president of public relations. "Once we saw their presentation, they really know what they're doing - they'll bring something else to The Row."
Beta will return to their former house right off The Row on Portland Street next fall after renovations on the structure are complete.
"The house will be alcohol-free," because of international Beta rules," Fairchild said. "There will be parties, just no alcohol in the house or on the premises."
Rush ends Oct. 26 with a formal induction ceremony for the founding-father class. The education aspect of pledging will begin shortly thereafter and continue until Nov. 30, when the class will be formally initiated.
Consultants and advisers will aid the new members constantly throughout this year and next semester, and Beta will rush with the rest of IFC beginning this spring.
"We want to help change the fraternity stereotype by being different - we want to partner with non-Greek students, the university and reach out a bit further than in the past," Fairchild said. "We will show that you can stand apart and be different and yet be acceptable and have a lot of fun."
