John and Nellie Wooden Institute for Men of Principle
The "John and Nellie Wooden Institute for Men of Principle", also known as "Wooden", is an award-winning conference initiated by Betas and focuses on the ritual of Beta, while developing competent leaders. Here, brothers and Friends of Beta meet from across North America in Oxford, Ohio, the original home of Beta Theta Pi. Wooden provides a space to share ideas to help chapters improve and continue building the legacy of Beta. Furthermore, participants study the rituals of Beta, intertwined with the history of the fraternity. Through all the activities, brothers and Friends of Beta develop crucial leadership skills which will aid them both in their chapter and beyond university.
John and Nellie Wooden Institute. Brothers Jay Hardin, Brett Graflage, and Justin Camp attended this summer.
The Zeta Tau chapter sent three men this summer to Wooden for the leadership conference. Below are the testimonies of the three brothers on their experience and what they were able to take away from the sessions.
Jay Hardin
"After attending the Keystone Leadership Academy, I was not necessarily thrilled about participating in the Wooden Institute this summer. As an executive member for the Zeta Tau chapter I thought I had already learned everything I needed to help properly lead my chapter in the correct direction. However, it was not until I graduated from the Wooden Institute that I realized how much I did not know about being an effective leader. By learning different leadership skills and types and meeting numerous amounts of great leaders from other Beta Chapters, I truly believe that I became a much better leader upon completion of the Wooden Institute. Even though the five day schedule was extremely busy and the drive was six hours long, attending Wooden has been one of the most memorable events I have had since I joined Beta my freshman year. It gave me the opportunity to connect with other amazing Men of Principle from other chapters and my chapter continues to to reap the benefits of the concepts I learned while at Wooden.
Brett Graflage
"While attending the Wooden institute, the focal point of the experience was what it means to develop Men of Principle. That mission has always resonated with me throughout my experience as a member of Beta Theta Pi. While at Wooden, I was given the opportunity to learn about the great John Wooden and his legacy. I have always been inspired by Wooden’s prowess as a coach, but learning how Wooden developed his young players into men of high character helped me understand what a fully developed man of principle looks like. The Wooden Institute has instilled in me that it's not your accomplishments and reputation that make you who you are, it's your character and what you do for others. John Wooden and the Wooden Institute have built a bridge for young men like myself to have the opportunity to develop into principled men who can make a positive impact in the lives of those around them. As an executive member of the Zeta Tau Chapter of Beta Theta Pi, I hope to implement the values and experiences gained from Wooden into my leadership role in the chapter. Wooden was a life changing experience, and I encourage every active member of Beta Theta Pi to attend."
Justin Camp
"Seldom do we, as individuals, find time to reflect; to remind ourselves of our purpose and improve our lives, thus improving the lives arounds us. Luckily, I found the time. Not just a few minutes, but an entire week. Thanks to the John and Nellie Wooden Institute for Men of Principle I befriended brothers from coast to coast who helped me grow as a person. Learning of John Wooden's life and accomplishments gave flesh to many standards I strive for daily. Because of him our values are no longer an ideal to strive for, but a standard to live up to. John dedicated his life to becoming a Man of Principle. However, more important than being a good leader or a good brother, John taught what it means to be a good human being. After leaving Wooden it became clear that what we accomplish is equally important as how we accomplish it and why we accomplish it. Anything is possible, but accomplishing the impossible with character distinguishes a man of principle from everyone else."
Send more brothers to Leadership Conferences like Wooden
Last year we created the Zeta Tau Leadership Fund; this scholarship fund has been newly created with a goal helping to finance a number of our select Zeta Tau brothers to attend Beta Theta Pi’s National Conventions such as; Wooden Institute, Keystone Events, and other Beta leadership opportunities. As our chapter continues to grow in size and strength, we are desperately in need of assistance from our alumni and parent base. We need your help in assisting with these efforts. Our chapter will strengthen in our relationship with Beta General, keep our chapter abreast on all National changes, as well as create leaders within our chapter. Our goal for this academic semester is to raise $3,500 to cover costs of these leadership conferences. We hope that you can help the Zeta Tau chapter achieve our goal, so that we can continue to create new leaders for the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. If you would like to donate to the Leadership Fund please click on the 'Click to Donate" button below.
Brothers Vidul Murali and Kevin Schulte traveled to Esteli, Nicaragua to participate in a Medical Brigade. Both Kevin and Vidul provided cost-free medication to rural residents and staffed a medical clinic where they were able to shadow doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. They built latrine and septic systems for waste disposal, providing 35 families with clean water! Brother Schulte says, "[Nicaraguans] live without the comforts we live with on a daily basis, but remain happy and grateful."
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Kevin Schulte #397 Vidul Murali #412
Alex and, recent graduate, Bradley Mueller traveled to a remote mountain village in Guatemala through a service learning program (Proyecto Lingüístico Quetzaltenango), where they were able to take Spanish classes for half the day and enter into the local community to aid in any ways needed. During the weekends, the brothers traveled around Guatemala to explore the culture of the struggling country. This cultural immersion provided an unforgettable experience.
_kai_ Alex Mueller #353 Bradley Mueller #253
Summer Internships
I interned with my Congressman, John Shimkus, in Washington, D.C. this summer. Undergraduates interested in government from across the country work in their Member’s office on legislative case work, constituent services, and committee hearings. I had the opportunity to write speeches for the Congressman, attend several intern lecture series, and participate in the American Enterprise Institute Summer Honors Program. I'm a junior economics major and plan to attend law school.
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Garrett Ziegler #367
This past summer, I worked as a research intern at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. My project involved studying the effects of a Parkinson's disease-linked gene mutation on the structure of neurons in mouse brain tissue. As such, I worked long hours in a dark room looking at tissue slices under a microscope. Besides my research, my favorite part of the summer was living only a block away from Central Park and being able to explore all the neighborhoods of NYC. I also made sure to stop by the Beta house at Columbia University where I got a tour of their house and an invite to their summer social events.
_kai_ Alex Conway #377
After completing an eight-week internship in St. Louis with Ernst & Young, I was offered a full-time position in the Chicago office, starting in September. Ernst & Young offered me a spot in their three-year Business Advisor Program service line, which is dedicated to assisting clients within three different industries : Wealth Management, Asset Management, and Banking & Capital Markets. Throughout the next three years, I will serve as a consultant, advising clients as they prepare for growth, manage risk, enhance operational efficiency and navigate regulatory compliance. Being a member of Beta Theta Pi challenged me to work hard in school and seek out the best opportunities for my post-graduate life. Beta instilled the values of confidence, leadership and dedication in me, which have translated well into my school and work environments. I look forward to meeting Beta brothers in the Chicago area as I make the transition in the next few weeks.
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Andrew Perito #293
Brothers in SGA
This year, we are extremely proud to announce that two of our brothers have secured positions as Executive members in the Student Government Association. SGA is the voice and a resource for all students at St. Louis Univeristy. Additionally, Graham Vogt and Connor LoPiccolo are senators for the College of Arts and Sciences this academic year. Fantastic job brothers!
As VP of Academic Affairs, I am the student voice on all academic issues, meet regularly with upper level university administrators and draft and sponsor legislation pertaining to academics at SLU. I wouldn't be able to accomplish any of this without my brothers in Beta who have been so supportive of my time with SGA.
_kai_ Grant Mayfield #380
Being SGA's Vice President of Internal Affairs is a truly an honor because this position gives me the platform to address student concerns. Whether I am advocating for student interests by meeting with administrators or writing legislation, I plan to constantly strive to represent all SLU students to the best of my ability. As rewarding as this experience has been thus far, I know it would not have been possible without the encouragement of all my Beta Brothers.
_kai_ Jay Hardin #364
Grant Mayfield - VP of Academic Affairs Jay Hardin - VP of Internal Affairs Graham Vogt - Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences Connor LoPiccolo - Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences
Family Weekend
On the weekend of September 23-25, St. Louis University will be having a Homecoming & Family weekend. In conjunction with this weekend, Special Events chair, Mike Hilbert has planned a celebration for actives, pledges, alumni, and their families. On Saturday, Sep. 24th, Beta will be hosting the second annual Beta Invitational golf outing at Highlands Golf and Tennis Center in Forest Park. The activities for the day include a lunch and then an optional round of 9 holes of golf. During lunch, a presentation will be given about what is happening in the chapter this year, laying out our future goals. This year the names of the victors will be etched in the newest addition to the tournament, a trophy. For more details, hit the [Register] button! Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you this year.
SLU101 is a great opportunity for current students to welcome and help students transition to college. I was lucky enough to be one of the (beautiful) faces of the John Cook School of Business and help answer any questions/concerns future business students may have. Some of my many jobs included helping hundreds of students register, MCing trivia (you can hire me for your next event), cracking jokes with parents/students, and just being a new friend for every student coming into their new home. The coolest thing about this job is when Fall rolls around I have about 1000 new friends who laugh at my jokes.
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Johno McDonough #334
The Zeta Tau men always show exceptional involvement around the St. Louis University campus. As first year students moved into their residence halls, 19 Beta men worked diligently as Oriflamme leaders to welcome each one. We would also like to acknowledge Brian Dugan, VP of Scholarship, who served as an Oriflamme Coordinator; he worked tirelessly for months, and Fall Welcome was a smashing success partly due to his extensive planning. Great work men!
