MICHIGAN TRIANGLE
BITS & BYTES Winter 2022 Issue
2
Newsletter
Edition 01/Feb
Alumni Spotlight Q. What made you decide to join Triangle as an undergraduate?
Dick Beaubien mich64
A. I joined Triangle as an undergraduate because I was impressed by the impact that the fraternity had on the civil engineering students in my dormitory. I observed that Lewis J. McNaughton III mich63 (Scotty) became more outgoing and confident after joining Triangle. I was a civil engineering student, so we had a lot in common.
Q. What impact has Triangle made on you professionally? A. As I progressed in my professional life as a transportation engineer, I noticed that many of the leaders in the profession were members of Triangle. One of the authors of the Highway Capacity Manual was a Triangle, and one of the thought leaders on the relationship between the infrastructure and connected/automated vehicles is a Michigan Triangle. Q. Can you share a bit about the roles you have held in Triangle, both as an active member and an alumnus? A. The roles I have held as an active and alumni member of Triangle include House Manager and Undergraduate President of the Michigan Chapter. After a brief term as Michigan Alumni President, I was a candidate for Triangle National Council. On the National Council, I had an opportunity to work with Triangle Executive Directors Herb Scobie, Jack Sargent, and Charlie Barber. I was Triangle National President in 1977-78. After serving as National President, I was appointed to the Triangle Building Loan Fund. I served as Assistant Secretary/Treasurer to the legendary Harold Kennedy and later became Secretary/Treasurer. As Secretary/Treasurer I had an opportunity for regular correspondence with Pitt Chapter Alumni Treasurer John Gargani. I was later elected Chairman of the Building Loan Fund. When the Building Loan Fund
Alumni Update transitioned to become the Triangle Building and Housing Corporation, I became Chairman of the Building and Housing Corporation. Trustee Shawn Diedtrich was instrumental in helping us recognize the value of offering a broader range of services to alumni groups. We can now make loans, manage property, or own property, depending on the needs in a particular location.
Michigan Brothers, Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season with your loved ones. 2021 was a tremendous year for the Michigan Chapter and our alumni organization. Although we hoped COVID would be far behind us, I am very proud of the active organization’s work to manage the impact of the pandemic on chapter operations and keep our men healthy. They are setting the chapter up to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever. Our alumni group has largely been focused on three main areas: ensuring the chapter is well-equipped to handle the challenges that have been thrown at them, launching a large renovation of the chapter house, and working with the Triangle Education Foundation on a capital campaign to finance the renovation.
Q. You currently serve as Chair for Triangle Building and Housing Corporation; what made you want to give back to Triangle, and why do you stay involved? A. I stay involved in Triangle as an alumnus because the organization makes young men better as husbands, fathers, and community leaders. Triangle is a leadership laboratory. Lessons on leadership are better learned in a fraternity house than in a classroom. At the Triangle Building and Housing Corporation, we have a lot of contact with the local alumni organizations. The organizations that do not have a house are looking for ways to have their members live together, preferably in a house that they own. Alumni organizations with a house recognize that, when Triangles live together, their fraternity experience is deeper and richer. I still have connections with brothers I lived with 40 to 50 years ago. I serve on the Triangle Building and Corporation with brothers from other chapters— – Purdue, Wisconsin, Rose, Minnesota, and Michigan State. We share common values and a common mission. It is a whole new opportunity to develop and nurture friendships. I have become particularly close to Jim Marshall, our TBHC Treasurer, as we try to keep the finances of the organization in order. I have his telephone number on speed dial.
It was great to have so many of you join us this fall for football Saturdays and a great homecoming event. I know many of our brothers from the 80s reunited over homecoming weekend—it was fantastic hearing many of the stories that were shared. I look forward to welcoming our brothers from the 60s during a special reunion for them at Founder’s Day in April.
Spring 2022 Pledge Class
Active Chapter Update The Fall 2021 semester was filled with fun and accomplishments—the active brothers worked and played as normally as possible, despite COVID-19. To start, 10 new brothers were initiated on December 3— this is a great class that dove right into Michigan chapter traditions. For their pledge project, they built new risers that double as stools for events. These are portable and can be used anywhere in the house. The brothers and pledges also did a walk-out to Michigan State for the UM v MSU football game and enjoyed/suffered through that game with the MSU Triangle brothers. Several brothers made up for that gridiron loss by driving to Indianapolis to watch the mighty Wolverines win the B1G championship in Lucas Oil Stadium!
Together with engineering sorority Phi Sigma Rho, the active brothers raised $900 in ticket sales from the famous haunted house—they turned the house at 1501 Washtenaw into the spookiest place on campus! Half of those funds were donated to Habitat for Humanity, and half went to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Social events were highlighted by a classy Christmas party and the traditional fall formal held at downtown Ann Arbor’s Club Above. Several brothers exemplified Triangle values with noted personal accomplishments as well—pre-med brother Vyom Grover mich21 was awarded a $10,000 scholarship by the
Language Department, while brothers Dustin Fletcher mich19 and Jacob Renard mich19 competed in the 2021 USA Collegiate powerlifting national competition. As the fall semester ended, the active brothers voted in the new executive board to lead the local chapter for the next 12 months. The leadership team will be led by President Noah Walters mich21. The brothers are very proud of also raising $620 as a Christmas gift for house chef Joyce, who has personally committed to ensuring the brothers continue to eat well! By Noah Walters mich21
Launching into 2022, we have a large year planned for the alumni organization and the chapter. Our group is currently focused on finalizing the plans and financing for the renovation, which we will be starting substantially this summer. Over 2021, we worked with a local architect to update the renovation plans based on site visits from our general contractor and updated feedback from actives and alumni. We also launched some initial work on the house’s foundation and utilities. In 2022, we will begin doing major utility work and adding in fire sprinklers to the facility. Our key goals for 2022 include: •
Supporting the active organization through mentorship and guidance
•
Securing the financing for the renovation
•
Launching the first stage of construction
•
Having a fantastic Founder’s Day event with a reunion targeted to brothers of the 1960s
•
Showing off the first summer of construction at Homecoming 2022
•
And maybe, just maybe, another Ohio State victory in November???
I would like to thank the rest of the alumni board for their dedication and efforts in 2021. A very special thank-you goes to Sam van Kleef, who has offered many years of leadership and support; he has recently stepped down from the board, and we wish him all the best. We are also looking for additional alumni who would like to become more involved. If you’re interested in working with the chapter for an hour, for a day, or as a member of the alumni board, please reach out to me. Last, I’d like to thank the brothers who have already stepped up and contributed to our capital campaign. Many of the goals of the alumni board are focused on the renovation of the chapter house to launch the next century for the chapter in a modern facility, and we cannot do that without your support. Please consider donating to the housing campaign if you are able. I wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2022. Go Blue! James Coller, mich13 Alumni Board President
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Newsletter
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UPCOMING EVENTS: Founder’s Day April 10, 2022
60’s Reunion April 9-10, 2022 Homecoming September 24, 2022
TRIANGLE
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triangle fraternity
BUILDING & HOUSING CORP.
Engineers | Architects | Scientists
Michigan Centennial Campaign Update
$10,000–$24,999
$50–$999 cont’d
Peter Wang mich78 Robert Halgren mich05
The Securing Our Second Century Campaign is gaining momentum, with more than $300,000 in commitments as of January 15, 2022. The campaign will support a major renovation of our chapter’s home at 1501 Washtenaw Avenue and position Michigan Triangle for continued success. Our goal is to raise at least $1,000,000 in commitments. As of this newsletter going to print, 27 alumni have made commitments to the campaign.
$5,000–$9,999
Ryan Lynch & Michael Stengel mich10 James Coller mich13 Samuel Friedman mich14 Ryan Skop mich17 Neil Johari mich19
$150,000+
Ken Desloover mich75 Richard Winfree mich79 Duncan Currie mich81 Russel Smith mich81 Ted Sleder mich82 Douglas McKibbon mich88 Ted Liu mich89
Anonymous
$25,000–$49,999 Richard Beaubien mich64 Elizabeth and Kurt Hagemeister mich78 Gloria and Donald Bleasdale mich79 Geoffrey Mendal mich80
Christian Hogh mich80 James Jud mich83 Kevin Cooper mich84
$1,000–$4,999 Lee Frame mich57 Gerald Voorheis mich77 James Lisi mich81 Briton Rockafellow mich83 Aaron Girson
$50–$999
We hope you will consider joining the campaign honor roll—if you make a commitment between now and April 15, 2022, an anonymous donor will match gifts up to a total of $150,000. Gifts to the Securing Our Second Century Campaign are made to the Triangle Education Foundation; there are both tax-deductible and nondeductible options. For more information on how to support the campaign, contact Triangle Education Foundation Vice President Aaron Girson, CFRE, at agirson@triangle.org or 317-203-4510 or make a secure online gift at https://tinyurl.com/fvd8rftr.