Board of Trustees receives Demolition Permit

December 22nd, 2011

The BOT has received a permit to take down the old apartment house/dormitory. The structure will not be so much “demolished” as “dis-assembled” in an orderly manner.  The undergrads have already “bugged out” and dis-assembly will begin soon.

Doing something interesting?  Submit the information and a photograph to http://betapitke.org/submit-news.
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Cody Parham Earns the PE

December 22nd, 2011
Cody Parham, Beta-Pi #1241

Cody Parham, Beta-Pi #1241

Frater Cody Parham (BSCE 2007), Beta-Pi #1241, recently passed the Principles of Practice and Engineering exam and has earned the Professional Engineer license in the state of Florida.

He is in his fourth year with Kimley-Horn and Associates doing aviation-civil design and construction management.

While he was an undergrad, Cody co-oped with Willmer Engineering where he did testing on materials and laboratory soils as well as spent time on construction projects as a technician performing batch-mixed concrete tests, standard penetration tests, fill material compaction tests, and rebar inspections.

Cody also interned with the Georgia Department of Transportation in the Traffic Control Section of District 4 where he performed traffic speed studies, analyzed existing intersection signage conditions and made recommendations for future signage needs.

Besides his involvement with TKE as an undergraduate, Cody was a Greek Alcohol Peer Educator and a member of the ASCE.

Doing something interesting?  Submit the information and a photograph to http://betapitke.org/submit-news.
Subscribe to this feed:  http://betapitke.org/feed. Follow the collegiates on twitter:  @BetaPiTKE.

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Protecting Nature. Preserving Life.

December 16th, 2011

Eric Hunter at Larrison Rock, Oregon (Photo by Eric Hunter)

When most people think of business, they think “for profit”. But that term means only that the business takes its profits in money. Non-profit or not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) face the same general organizational challenges as their for-profit cousins only they take their profits differently–as diseases cured, adults taught to read, or children immunized, for example.  As for profit businesses are accountable to stockholders who could invest in other companies, NPOs are accountable to grantors who have other organizations clamoring for their money.

Since 2005, Frater Eric Hunter has been working in Portland, Oregon for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), America’s largest environmental non-profit, to ensure that they are making good use of the resources entrusted to them. As a grants specialist, Eric works with spreadsheets to track the organization’s expenses on publicly funded conservation and restoration projects while mastering the arcane, cryptic and confusing rules and regulations that go along with the funds.

For over six years, Eric has been supporting The Nature Conservancy’s work in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon, Alaska and, most recently, in Hawai’i and the Palmyra Atoll. Among the roughly 50 active grants that he currently manages are projects including:
  • removal of invasive algae and restoration of a bay on Oahu
  • working with native Hawaiians to preserve their way of life as it relates to the sea and land
  • restoring the Hawaiian Islands’ watersheds and protecting them from invasive species
  • the return of native salmon to an estuary in Alaska
  • the restoration and return to proper mangement of a large scale forest in southern Oregon

Eric is also managing the single largest ARRA-funded grant awarded to TNC in the amount of $6.6 million for its work with the City of Ashland and Lomakatsi Restoration Project.

Eric remarks, “While it might not sound like the most exciting job out there, when I get out in the field and see the projects that I support, it makes it all worthwhile. Especially when I have to visit Hawaii in the middle of the Oregon winter.”

Eric Hunter got out of Tech in 1997 with the BS in Biology and again in 2002 with the Masters in Public Policy. When he’s not working to protect nature, he’s out there enjoying it as an avid participant in Cylco-cross.

Doing something interesting?  Submit the information and a photograph to http://betapitke.org/submit-news.
Subscribe to this feed:  http://betapitke.org/feed. Follow the collegiates on twitter:  @BetaPiTKE.

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TKE Beta-Pi Initiates Twenty-Six

December 2nd, 2011

Last Wednesday, the collegiate members initiated twenty-six candidates into the fraternity. This is one of the largest initiations of the last few decades and indicates recent success in the program to build up membership in to support our programming ambitions and the facilities-to-come.

Since the early 1960s, being a large fraternity and a residential experience have been essential and non-negotiable elements of the Teke experience at Georgia Tech. They are part of what sets us apart from other fraternities at Tech. These elements have been confirmed several times over the decades, most recently in the decision of the trustees to embark on the major dormitory revision. These fellows are certainly going to see a lot of changes in the next few years!

Let’s wish these guys the best as they initiate their journeys as Tekes – the choice to belong, the challenge to become.

TKE Beta-Pi December 2011 Initiates

 

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Do You Know the Provenance of this Object?

November 27th, 2011

"TKE" Bible

A Bible found its way into a brother’s hands while he lived at the TKE House. Though he did not know its significance, he has kept it safe ever since.

Can you explain how it came to be at 159 5th Street?

It’s the size of a modern paperback book. The cover is white. A small metal TKE crest has been affixed to the middle of the front cover. Some of the pages are flecked with red candle wax.  The first page implies that it was produced to give to newly married couples but, of course, this particular copy was not.

It is a copy of the original King James Version of 1611.  An examination of several verses shows that it is not the New American Standard Version.

Since the days of house mother Lomie Jetton, the chapter has used a large, beautifully bound and illustrated bible.

Could this copy be from an earlier day–the chapter’s original, perhaps?

If you recognize this object, please respond via the submit news page.

 

 

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The Beta-Pi Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity has operated for over 60 consecutive years at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Enjoy news of what the alumni are up to and what's in store for the collegiate members. Let us know what you're doing. Learn about our organization and find out how you can help in our good work.
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