Changes

'''The Early Years'''

The University of New Mexico, home of Gamma Beta Chapter, is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a beautiful city that enjoys ever clear and bright blue skies and is bounded by mountain ranges and inert volcanoes. Below these lie fertile valleys, yielding an abundance of fruit and vegetables. Sunsets are masterpieces, and the evening skyline is unsurpassed in brilliance. Albuquerque is a blend of Spanish, Mexican and Indian traditions.

'''Highlights of the 1970’s'''

The 1970’s brought new political awareness to the University of New Mexico. Protests over the Vietnam War and the Kent State massacre led to arrests and an eventual state of emergency on campus. Students proudly watched as Mark Spitz won seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, only to be horrified at the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists days later. Earth Day was celebrated for the first time and students demonstrated their concern for the environment.

'''Housing'''

A variety of factors influenced Gamma Beta’s housing situation throughout the 1970’s. The costs associated with the new chapter house required as many of the chapter members as possible to live in the house. Over several years, new live-in policies were considered and tested. Some members chose to resign their membership rather than living in the chapter house for four years. At the same time recruitment numbers remained constant, making it difficult to build up membership numbers to allow for flexibility in the housing situation.

'''Highlights of the 1980’s'''

The 1980’s began with the election of Ronald Reagan and continued with the selection of Sandra Day O’Connor as the first woman Supreme Court justice. Sadly, the country watched as the Challenger space shuttle exploded just 74 seconds into its flight. Among the seven astronauts on board was a teacher, Christa McAuliffe. Personal computers were becoming more prevalent in businesses and schools.

'''Housing'''

Live-in policies and alcohol consumption within the house were continuing issues for the chapter and House Board. The Standards Committee worked diligently with the House Board to help solve these problems.

'''Highlights of the 1990’s'''

The 1990’s very quickly became the beginning of the electronic age. The World Wide Web was born in 1992, changing the way we communicated, spent our money, and did business. Amazon.com became the biggest trend in bookselling. The United States military became involved throughout the world, including Kuwait, Haiti, and Bosnia. On the domestic front, President Bill Clinton narrowly survived a trial to remove him from office.

'''Housing'''

One of the greatest accomplishments during this decade was the burning of the mortgage for the chapter house in 1991.

'''Highlights of 2000-2010'''

During a person’s lifetime, there are certain moments that define who they are, what they’ve done and where they’re going. Furthermore, if the certain moment affects more than just a handful of people, say the entire country, one will likely see an attitude shift and changes in the way things are done. Such was the case when the World Trade Center in New York City was attacked on September 11, 2001. Soon after the United States was involved in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Recession struck around the world. In the meantime, Google became the largest name in online search engines and one of the world’s largest corporations. Social networking became an ubiquitous part of everyday life.

'''Housing'''

The Gamma Beta House Corporation took on a major project in this decade by deciding to refurbish the bathrooms on all three floors simultaneously. They meticulously planned the timing of the work so that it could be completed in the summer while the members were away. New countertops and plumbing fixtures were installed along with beautiful tile work. The chapter was most pleased!