Page 1 - Sigma Chi - MIT Fall 2018

The Beaver Sig

Alpha Theta Chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS SIGMACHI.MIT.EDU FALL 2018

Brothers Find Success Across Campus and Beyond
100 YEARS AT 532

BEACON STREET By Connor Bradley ’20 | Consul campus organizations continually speaks to
the ambitious purposes of our brotherhood.
Salutations! After a long
“Bat” Thresher’s and eventful summer, Alpha Additionally, you would be hard-pressed to
find an athletic outing not featuring one of
Thetas are back in the house,
firsthand account of life back in school, and back in our very own. Currently, Alpha Thetas repre-
sent members of the football, basketball, soc-
at Alpha Theta in 1919 action. This summer, we saw cer, squash, volleyball, hockey, lacrosse, golf,
our brothers go on to do some
incredible things. The recently and Ultimate Frisbee teams. Of these athletes,
On January 1, 1919, Alpha Theta began graduated class of 2018 has taken its first steps six serve as captains on their respective teams.
leasing 532 Beacon Street from the heirs of into post-graduate life, with some electing to Arriving back on campus has also meant
Francis W. Kittredge, a prominent Boston pursue careers in industry across the country opportunities for growth in the house. This
lawyer and politician who died in 1912. Five and others continuing their academic pursuits summer, we had five members of the execu-
years later, in 1924, the trustees of Alpha at world renowned graduate programs. For tive leadership team attend the last Balfour
Theta, led by John B. McPherson and with those returning for more memories at the Leadership Training Workshop in Bowling
fundraising led by T. Coleman DuPont institute, many spent the summer exploring Green, Ohio, where attending members
1885, purchased the property for $40,000 potential career paths in the form of intern- were able to network with and learn from
(approximately $570,000 in 2018 dollars). ships at companies both big and small. From undergraduate and alumni Sigs from around
The teens were a tumultuous time in groundbreaking startups in autonomous vehi- the country for the betterment of our house.
history at scales large and small. The First cle development to Fortune 500 companies Attending was myself (consul), Francis
World War devastated Europe and scarred like Google, our brothers had amazing oppor- McCann ’20 (pro consul), Brennan Rosales
an entire generation. When the U.S. entered tunities to peek into their potential futures as ’20 (quaestor), Quinn Magendanz ’19 (magis-
the war in 1917, students at MIT were well as drive change. ter), and Rob Williamson ’21 (risk manager).
drafted and sent back to school in uniform. As the attention and focus shifts to classes As a chapter, we were recognized with
Just a year earlier, in 1916, MIT relocated and happenings around Cambridge and (continued on page two)
from its original location in Copley Square Boston, Sigma Chi’s presence on campus is
to its current location across the river in arguably stronger than ever before. Brother
Cambridge. The institute’s numerous fra- involvement and leadership in the likes of
ternities and living groups, many of which the Sloan Business Club, Asian American
were in Brookline along the subway lines Association, Dance Troupe, EMS, ROTC,
that were convenient for commuting to UROPs, the Gordon Engineering Leadership
Copley, were faced with existential decisions: Program, UPOP, MIT Mex, and many other
Keep their existing locations? Relocate to
Cambridge? Relocate in Boston closer to
Cambridge? Would there be any need for
fraternities at all if MIT built enough dormi-
tory space to house its students?
It was into this world of uncertainty
that B. Alden “Bat” Thresher 1918 came to
MIT and to Sigma Chi. He pledged at 1067
Beacon Street and attended his first classes
at the Copley campus. He was then drafted
into the Army for two years, and upon his
discharge, as consul he helped scout out new
locations for the chapter, ultimately settling From left to right: Quinn Magendanz, Brennan
Rosales, Robert Williamson, Connor Bradley, Brothers find success sometimes comes with
(continued on page four) and Francis McCann. a trophy.