Beta Theta Pi
| Beta Theta Pi | |
| ΒΘΠ | |
| Abbreviation: | Beta |
| Org Founded: | 1839 at Miami University (Ohio) |
| CU Chapter: | Alpha Alpha |
| Chapter Established: | 1881 |
| Motto: | "Firman Consensus Facit" Cooperation Makes Strength |
| Symbol(s): | Dragon, Star, Diamond |
| House: | 550 W. 114th |
| Recognition: | IFC |
| Contact: | bjr2121@columbia.edu |
Beta Theta Pi, which arrived at Columbia in 1881, is a fraternity on 114th Street. Beta was removed from the Columbia Greek system in 2000 for charges of drug abuse, among other things. Members of the Class of 2006 resurrected the troubled wrestling frat in 2002, as an organization primarily composed of students involved with student government. Members are now required to do community service and maintain a GPA above 3.2.
For the last three years Beta has had the highest Greek Life GPA. In the Spring Semester of 2009 the overall GPA was a 3.8 according to the Center for Greek Life.
Recently, Beta has become a hub of Math, Physics, and Political Science Majors, as well as active musicians (given recent additions to their common spaces), hosting numerous music events and providing a practice space for several campus music groups. Beta is also one of the only fraternity houses to have its own pool table, cat, and dog.
House
The Beta brownstone on 114th Street was for a long time the only fraternity brownstone not owned by Columbia, the Fiji house just down the block having been heisted by the Big Blue Loan Shark some years ago. In 2009, the alumni of ADP purchased their house from the University, as well. The Beta house received a major renovation and is now pretty teched out.
The exterior of the building is painted red, white, and blue. Until 2012, a quote from Dante was painted above the doorway: "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'entrate" (Abandon all hope, ye who enter here). In 2013, that quotation was repainted. The Italian is taken from the Bantam Classics paperback.
| Greek life at Columbia |
| IFC Fraternities: Alpha Delta Phi • Alpha Epsilon Pi • Beta Theta Pi • Delta Sigma Phi • Kappa Delta Rho • Phi Gamma Delta • Pi Kappa Alpha • Psi Upsilon • Sigma Chi • Sigma Nu • Sigma Phi Epsilon • Zeta Beta Tau |
| Panhel Sororities: Alpha Chi Omega • Alpha Omicron Pi • Delta Gamma • Gamma Phi Beta • Kappa Alpha Theta • Sigma Delta Tau |
| Multicultural Greek Fraternities: Phi Iota Alpha • Alpha Phi Alpha • Kappa Alpha Psi • Omega Psi Phi • Pi Delta Psi • Lambda Phi Epsilon • Sigma Lambda Beta |
| Multicultural Greek Sororities: Lambda Pi Chi • Sigma Iota Alpha • Delta Sigma Theta • Kappa Phi Lambda • Sigma Lambda Gamma |
| Inactive (de-recognized): Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon |
