Parent Packet

We recognize that it is important for parents to be knowledgeable about their son's college experience, especially when making an important decision like joining a fraternity. We have prepared additional information about Triangle including a letter from the president, information about our expectations of new members, and an explanation of the benefits Triangle provides.


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Parent Packet

Letter from President

To prospective members and their Guardians,

   First, let me welcome you to the University of Washington! Here you will embark upon a journey full of new experiences, amazing achievements, troubling failures, and, ultimately, personal growth. Second, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to look into Triangle Fraternity, and how it may help you with this monumental journey. Triangle is a non-Greek, social fraternity that is exclusive to STEM and Architecture majors. The purpose of Triangle is to develop balanced men who cultivate high moral character, foster lifelong friendships, and live their lives with integrity. We exemplify this at UW by holding our members to the highest standards as well as supporting them with their collegiate goals and aspirations.
   As we are all STEM students within Triangle, we understand the many challenges and obstacles that face STEM students through college and beyond. By becoming a part of Triangle, you gain access to upperclassmen that have experience in your desired major, fellow members who you can easily form study groups with, and an entire fraternity of men that can advise you through every obstacle you come across. With Triangle, you can excel in college with a wealth of advice and support you wouldn’t otherwise have as an undergraduate. What’s better is this support continues long after college as well. There are more than 20,000 alumni across the world in similar fields as you that can help you with pursuing your career post graduation. From interview workshops to resume reviews, our membership base is here to help you not only excel at your degree, but also ace your job applications.
   This large base stems from a long national Triangle history, is connected by chapters from Illinois to California and beyond. Triangle was founded here at UW in the fall quarter of 2016, and has been growing ever since. We established this fraternity on the principle that we could make it different than the fraternities known across the nation committing terrible acts of hazing and assault. We have built this fraternity to ensure that every member has a voice in shaping the organization. Therefore, this means the newest members also have as much of a voice as any other member, guaranteeing that new members are never mistreated. We built it on the foundations of diversity, respect, and understanding through cross-cultural discussion among our diverse membership base. We built it to abolish hazing, excessive drinking, and sexual assault in fraternities by serving as an example of how a fraternity can thrive without these terrible acts. With these principles in our hearts, we have grown steadily, admitting quality men to help us continue building this organization. The UW campus has taken notice, and it has continued to see the positive influence of fraternities can have in the lives of students.
   We continue to exemplify these principles by keeping our members’ welfare as our top priority. Even though we want all of our brothers to excel in everything they do at UW, we first want to make sure they are doing well both mentally and physically. We do not tolerate any form of degrading or harmful acts among brothers. Hazing is against everything we stand for in this fraternity, and it will never become a part of our culture. We also take action to prevent substance abuse and treat mental illness among our members, as these are some of the most serious threats to young men’s lives in college. Brothers are given workshops to teach them to understand, spot, and help brothers with signs of substance abuse and mental illness, so that every brother has the support they need to live a happy and healthy life at UW.
   There are many factors to consider before joining any organization, and many questions rightfully come to mind. I myself, along with my brothers, had many questions before joining Triangle. On that note, we encourage you to reach out to me or any of the Triangle members to learn more about Triangle and what we do.
   Please, feel free to email us at triangle@uw.edu with any questions or concerns you may have. We'd love to talk to you directly about who we are.
   Thank you so much for your interest in Triangle fraternity and for taking the time to read about what our brotherhood is truly about. I hope you have a wonderful day, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Best,

President of Triangle Fraternity – University of Washington

A few statistics about Fraternity Life

  • 85% of the Fortune 500 executives belong to a fraternity.
  • Of the nation’s 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity men.
  • 40 of 47 U.S. Supreme Court Justices since 1910 were fraternity men.
  • 76% of all Congressmen and Senators belong to a fraternity.
  • Every U.S. President and Vice President, except two in each office, born since the first social fraternity was founded in 1825 have been members of a fraternity.
  • Over 70% of all those who join a fraternity/sorority graduate, while under 50% of all non-fraternity/sorority persons graduate.
  • Less than 2% of an average college student’s expenses go toward fraternity dues.
  • Over 85% of the student leaders on some 730 campuses are involved in the Greek community.
  • 1st Female Astronaut was Greek and all of the Apollo 11 Astronauts are Greek (meaning involved in Greek Life)
  • Greek system members donate over 10 million hours of volunteer service each year
  • As Alumni, Greeks give approximately 75% of all money donated to universities

Notable Triangle Alumni

  • Michael Morhaime, president and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment
  • Ellison Onizuka, Space Shuttle Challenger astronaut
  • Jim Geringer, former governor of the U.S. state of Wyoming
  • Frank R. McCabe, gold medal winner at 1952 Olympics as member of US basketball team
  • Jay Hammond, former governor of the U.S. state of Alaska
  • Gerald Jakubowski, provost at the California Maritime Academy, former president of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
  • Steven L. Miller, former president and C.E.O. of Shell Oil Company

Our policy towards hazing

Triangle Fraternity does not haze and actively prevents potential hazing manners. Hazing has no place in a fraternity and is illegal in the State of Washington. As stated in Fraternity Regulation 3.8, Triangle defines hazing in the following manner:

  • Any action take or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule.
  • Such activities may include but are not limited to the following:
    • Use of alcohol
    • Paddling in any form
    • Creation of excessive fatigue
    • Physical or psychological shocks
    • Quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips, or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines or the chapter house
    • Wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste
    • Engaging in public stunts of buffoonery
    • Morally degrading or humiliating games and activities
    • Any other actives which are not consistent with academic achievement, fraternal law, ritual, or policy, or the regulations and policies of the educational institution Chapters found or reported have engaged in any of the above activities shall be subject to review by the National Council of Triangle.

Code of Ethics

As a member of Triangle, I recognize my obligation to:

  • Observe the precepts of the Fraternity as set forth in the Ritual;
  • Accept cheerfully my full share of any task, however menial, involved in maintaining a chapter home;
  • Preserve and promote the chosen ideals of my Fraternity;
  • Pay all personal bills promptly, and always live within my means;
  • Help create in my chapter home an environment in which enduring friendships may be formed;
  • Maintain a creditable scholastic record;
  • Promote the welfare of my profession;
  • Maintain my self-respect by proper conduct at all times;
  • Uphold faithfully the traditions and program of my Alma Mater;
  • Pay the price of success in honest effort.

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