Tau Beta Pi

This past week Wednesday I had my first Tau Beta Pi meeting! It was an introductory one, that you show up to in order to learn more about TBP and what the organization does.

It's an engineering honor society, the only one that is nationally recognized. There are 220 chapters, one being at UWM. The only other recognized and accredited ones in the WI area are UWM, Madison, Marquette, Mich Tech, and UW-Platteville.

However, UWM has 17 new members to initiate this year, one being myself, thus making us the largest new class of TBP members in I think 20 years; at least that is what the president told us.

W00t w00t for UWM! (Is that how you type the 'woot' thing, for all that computer slang??)

Apparently our organization at UWM is on the mend, because last year's officers left us in a puddle of debt. With our one-time membership fees, I think us new 17 members can pay in and finally clear that debt! So then we'll be able to have pizza and food at our meetings, or just have casual get-togethers.

It sounds like TBP members do a lot of community service stuff, the organization is a big advocate of developing thrifty, chivlarous, well-rounded engineers out of their intelligent members. Therefore, TBP at UWM is in charge of heading up the Engineering Tutoring Center in EMS E371, where I practically live, since I'm always up there doing homework. The TBP members volunteer to stand in as tutors, and students can come on a walk-in basis to ask help on any subject of homework.

It actually sounds like a shit-job, because any lazy kid can come in there and whip out a question to a course that you barely remember, didn't like, or worse: never even took. Good thing that within TBP it is not mandatory for us to volunteer there, because my time is spread thin as it is. :(

I just remembered that I get officially initiated on Saturday, November 11th, which means I can't go home on that weekend after all! I get initiated the day after I have to "shine the bent," which is basically where I have to sit down and polish this big gold pennant that is Tau Beta Pi's icon. They call it the Bent, and it is just in the shape of a Greek letter...which one, I'm not sure; my roommate can probably point it out for me, what with her studying Greek and classics and all. After I finish polishing/shining it, I get to keep it, and display it as a token of my dedication to good sportsmanship, the code of ethics for engineers, and Good Samaritanism.

If this all sounds similar to a fraternity, I wouldn't know...but I am sorry if it is!

I plan on joining, because this sounds like one of the more legit honor societies, that actually stands for something besides a name on a resume. Once you're in, you're a member for life, no matter what. And you don't have to pay all those damn renewal fees each year, so there's no gimmick there. Besides, the facts printed for me on their info brochures say that a lot of the big-time engineers, that made history with their efforts, were Tau Beta Pi members. And many employers nowadays will be so much more personable with you, because they are members themselves, and know so much more about your work ethic when they see what you've gotten into. Scholarships, financial aid, and other connections abound with membership in this organization, too.

Seems all good to me! I am not sure how steep the membership fees are, but I'll find out on that Saturday when I have to go to Marquette's campus to get initiated, which consists of me sitting there and listening to a current member speak on the history of Tau Beta Pi. (Which is also cool, instead of doing something bizarre like being blindfolded and commanded to dance on spilled Doritos, causing you to think they are baby chicks or something gruesome.)

Time to go check on laundry! I'll tell you how shining the bent goes. :)