Transit Club News -
2024 Annual Alumni Board Meeting Results
The Annual Alumni Board meeting was held on September 28, 2024, during Homecoming weekend on the Purdue campus. One of the primary functions of this meeting is to elect a Board of Directors for the 2025 term. Recall that last year we split the legal structure and Board management of Purdue Triangle into two groups: the “Housing Corporation” and the “Purdue Chapter of Triangle, Inc ” (includes the Alumni Association) See below for the 2025 elected Board:
Purdue Triangle Alumni Association Board Executive Officers
President - Oak Stevens, Vice President - Nate Kerr, Secretary - Joe Searle, Treasurer - Jarrod DeBoy Committee Chairs: Alan Shirley, Jarred Thayer, Mark Cheesman, Stefan Rust, Mike Silver, and Darrell Samuels
Additional members: Dave Beering, Henry Breyne, Mel Chiogioji, Steve Cobb, Sean Conway, Jack Cunningham, Henry Cushing, Steve Dodd, Dan Enlow, Michael Klug, Randall Hubbell, Gordon Hunt, Steve Kobza, Randy Krampe, Don Kruggel, Steve Murrill, Jeff Ott, Tim Payton, Steve Powell, Rob Reynolds, Jason Rosing, Rob Searle, Scott Steele, Robert Strickler, Dave Tuomenoksa, and Bryan Weber.
Purdue Triangle Housing Corporation Board Executive Officers:
President - Brian Jarman, Vice President - Don Knebel, Secretary - Craig Slinker, Treasurer - Michael Hogan
Additional members: Allen Benson, Mike Emerson, Jim Janz, Pat McCarthy, Joel Spellar, and Mike Zeller.
Stay Informed About Alumni Board Plans
The Alumni Board is aware that some Triangle Alumni have expressed a desire for the Board to provide more communication as it relates to Board activities, goals, and plans. Be assured that all Board members are fully committed to complete transparency. However, communicating via a brief email or newsletter can make it challenging to convey the full context for some sensitive issues It is not always possible or prudent to convey some details through written channels that lack the option of Q&A sessions to further expand nuanced details or limitations. To help improve communications, the Board offers three suggestions for Alums to stay informed.
First, join the Board! There is always room for additional Board members; this is the most effective way to obtain details on Chapter issues Second, you may contact any of the Board members directly With more than 30 Board members, you probably know several members. This is a great way to gather more understanding. One-on-one conversations enable a simple but effective way to impart the depth, context, and sensitivity surrounding many issues. The full list of Board members is included in this newsletter. Third, Alums may “monitor” a Board meeting. To keep meetings efficient, please contact one of the Executive Officers for details on joining a meeting or to bring a specific topic to the Board’s attention
Lastly, the Board is open to any other ideas you have as it relates to improving communications. With more than 1,700 Chapter Alumni, there are certainly many options regarding how to best keep our Brothers informed about Chapter news and issues. Let us know!
Alumni Board President’s Letter
Welcome to my first “President’s Letter” after the Board elections - I am truly honored to serve as your President for the Alumni Association!
The second most pressing issue is house occupancy. The goal set for 2024 was to recruit 24 new members to live in House next year. Currently, we have a pledge class of 9 men. Increasing housing shortages at Purdue (huge freshman class) provide positive pressure for freshman to We continue to be experiencing interesting times for Triangle at Purdue. I want to expand on the challenges and successes the Active Chapter is facing that we briefly covered during the Homecoming meeting and elaborate on how the Alumni Association is organizing to help. The new Board has more than 30 of our Brothers, graduates from 1950 to 2021, committed to helping the Actives have the same great Purdue Triangle experience that we enjoyed: achieving top academic grades, building lifelong friendships, breakeven point of 43 men. developing character and leadership values, and being better men than had we not joined Triangle!
We have multiple committees focused on Alumni Engagement, Communications, Actives Coaching, Mentoring/Networking, Technology (websites), and – most important – Recruiting. If there is an area where you would like to help without having to join the Board, please contact me or one of the Committee Chairmen to discuss how to best match your expertise with our needs
So, what are the most pressing issues faced by the current Actives? Certainly, at the top of the list is the academic improvement plan – an area in which Purdue Triangle has historically excelled. For the Spring 2024 semester, Triangle ranked dead last of all Fraternities at Purdue. Immediately after the results were published, the Alumni Board called an “emergency” meeting with the Active Leadership team to begin formulating an improvement plan Following the advice from Dean Brandon Cutler (Associate Dean of Fraternity Life) “to put our money where our mouth is," we are starting a $500 scholarship credit to the House bill for any Active who makes the Dean’s List. Additionally, the Board and Active Leadership team are meeting regularly to review progress on the academic improvement plan.
reconsider fraternities for housing in the 2024-25 school year and beyond. Our Active recruiting team is diligently working with about 20 Spring candidates for whom we gave Pledge “bids” but who deferred on joining any fraternity. With this effort, plus a renewed interest in Triangle Seniors living in the House next year (we did offer a financial incentive), we are projecting a House occupancy greater than our
The third key objective is to increase pride in the physical Chapter House, as demonstrated by cleanliness. During the September fire inspection, the Fire Marshall told our new maintenance group, “This is the cleanest Fraternity I have visited.” So – good news – the Actives really have started showing more pride in the House.
I am working on a thesis for the new generation of men we need to recruit at Purdue Triangle My working title is called “Searching for Gen-Z+ Triangles " The theme stems, in part, from the positive characteristics I see in many of our Actives. As my thesis develops, I will keep you updated in future newsletters and emails. If you have ideas regarding the characteristics we should target and the tactics to better
engage with the Gen-Z+ young men (18- to 22-year-olds) that we need to continue to attract as Triangle Brothers, please contact me and let’s discuss.
Thank you for staying connected to Purdue Triangle!
In F, S, & C,
Oak Stevens President, Purdue Triangle Alumni Board Email: oakstevens@gmail.com Mobile: 847-489-5548
Morgan Brickley from Triangle National has agreed to team up with our own Darrell Samuels to conduct a 1-hour Zoom presentation titled “Beyond the Stereotypes: How to Connect with Gen-Z Students ” The session will start at 1:00 PM, Eastern Time, on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 All Purdue Triangle Alumni are welcome - we hope to have more than 100 Brothers on the call!
Scan the QR code below to register for the event:
Working with the National Triangle Education Foundation, we have established new taxdeductible donations for Purdue Triangle. The Alumni website has been updated to list these new options. Oak Stevens comments, “For you old guys, this could be a great use of Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA.”
See the Alumni website for options and give today to help invest in our future: https://purduetriangle.com
Chapter Voluntary Alumni Dues: https://givebutter com/TpL4bO
Alumni are helping improve educational experiences at the Purdue Triangle Chapter House During the Fall semester, the Actives adopted the Triangle National standard eight-week Candidate Education Training Program (formerly Pledge training). Darrell Samuels (CE78) helped add Purdue Triangle content to the National materials by scouring through Debris yearbooks and Purdue digital archives for stories and photos from our 115-year history We now have enough historical content to publish a book! Mike Silver (CS81) has led a new Professional Development Series during the past two semesters. Guest Alumni enjoy Sunday dinner with the Active Brothers, then share career and life experiences, tips for success, and relevancy of the Triangle Code of Ethics. Also, our faculty advisor, Professor Gerhart Klimeck, facilitated a fivesession resume and internship preparation course. All of these programs have been well-received by the Actives
Next, we plan to develop better networking and mentoring opportunities for Actives based on degree or career aspirations. Current plans include an online database for pairing Actives with Alumni volunteers. Alumni interested in participating as speakers, mentoring, or providing historical documentation should contact Darrell Samuels at dsamuels55@aol com or Mike Silver at msilver@solutionmgt.com to learn more.
Update on Recruiting and Pledge Classes
During the Fall semester, we initiated nine new Brothers into the Purdue Chapter of Triangle Fraternity! The class is composed of six freshmen, two sophomores and one junior, coming to Purdue from Indiana, Illinois, California, Florida, Kansas, and India! Their majors range from Aerospace Engineering to Construction Management Technology, and some shared interests include gaming and programming, traveling, outdoor activities, and sports Recruitment events included outdoor cookout parties, poker nights, house tours, and our Alumni Car Show. The New Member Education Program was led by Active Brothers Luke Kidd and Quinn Yocum in partnership with Alumni Board Member Darrell Samuels. The eight-week program educates new members on not only the history of Purdue Triangle, but also the skills that will enhance their college experience and beyond, including academic resources at Purdue and networking opportunities with Triangle Brothers worldwide. Please email any potential candidates to Ryan O’Donnell, 2025 Active Recruitment Director, at recruitment@purduetriangle org
https://bit.ly/3OHfLe1
Grand Prix 2025 – Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Save the Date!
The 68th Purdue Grand Prix Race will be held Saturday, April 26, 2025. Seniors Andrew Morin and Randall Hubbell II have been busy, competing in several races this year to sharpen their driving skills
With their dedication and team commitment, Triangle Racing is a top contender this season! Our dual kart team will be working over the winter to bring an even faster racing package for this season! We'll see you at the race this spring.
Please contact Randall at randall928@gmail.com for details on how to support the team or donate directly to the “Purdue- Grand Prix Charitable Fund” in the “Chapter Restricted Funds” pulldown menu on the Triangle Education Fund website.