NOTE: The last few semesters have been particularly challenging to college student populations. We welcome students back to campus, but ask everyone’s help to ensure their year is productive, healthy and safe.
Dear Parent(s) and Caregiver(s):
We hope that you and your family have managed to stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Triangle Fraternity considers the health, safety, and welfare of students to be our number one priority. We would like to ask your assistance as we prepare for the return of our students to campus this fall.
As you know, students have faced restrictions and limitations on social activities since the emergence of COVID-19 in early 2020. With our country and the world slowly returning to normalcy, experts predict there will be heightened pent-up desire for students to socialize with their friends and fraternity brothers. There is a concern that students may place too much emphasis on the social aspects of college life by attempting to reclaim their lost pandemic year with excessive partying and binge drinking.
Each year nearly 2,000 college students die from alcohol-related accidents. We are asking all parents to please take time to seriously talk with your student about the importance of having a balanced and responsible social life when they return to campus. Please also discuss the dangers of binge drinking, which is the major contributing factor to student injuries, deaths, sexual assaults, vehicle accidents, and hazing incidents.
Studies have shown that parents continue to have considerable positive influence on their students well past college. Please use your influence to talk openly about these issues and continue to do so each time you talk with him during the school year. Such discussions will encourage your student to make good choices and engage in responsible behavior when away from home. To help in those discussions, we would like to share a publication, “Helping your College Student Engage in a Safe and Enjoyable Fraternal Experience”, that you may download here: FavorAndCompany_ParentsGuide
We plan to promote a safe return to college campuses this fall, and Triangle will continue to educate members about the most pressing issues facing fraternities today regarding binge drinking, sexual misconduct, and hazing. Our risk management policies prohibit underage drinking at all chapter events and hard alcohol is prohibited unless served by a third-party vendor. Learn more about our policies and resources here: https://www.triangle.org/actives/thsi/
Please help us to promote a safe chapter environment for your student this fall. Your positive influence will make a huge difference. Your student’s safety, health and welfare remain our most important mission. Thank you for your assistance and support and please stay safe.
Respectfully,
John Cottage ps04, National President
Tom Pennington, Executive Director
To all Triangle Active Brothers and New Members:
We hope that you and your family have managed to stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. These past three semesters have been challenging for all students and especially for those in college. Online classes, social distancing and chapter activity/event capacity restrictions have certainly led to a different type of college and fraternity experience.
Triangle considers the health, safety, and welfare of all undergraduate members and guests to be our number one priority. As our country and the world slowly return to normalcy this fall, experts predict there will be heightened pent-up desire for some students to place an over emphasis on the social aspects of college life.
Each year nearly 2,000 college students die from alcohol related accidents. As you prepare for your return to campus, please give careful consideration that binge drinking is the major contributing factor to student injuries, deaths, sexual assaults, vehicle accidents, and hazing incidents.
As a member of Triangle, you have a special responsibility to uphold the ideals and expectations of our organization. One of the most noble duties of membership is to look out for your fellow brothers. If you see certain members, or your chapter, engage in activities that are illegal or violate fraternity policies, it is your responsibility to intervene and prevent them from occurring.
Fraternities have been in the news lately due to hazing incidents that not only resulted in the tragic deaths of students, but also brought universal condemnation and disgrace to their organizations. Many students involved in these illegal acts have been arrested and face possible prosecution. Hazing has not only been prohibited for more than 30 years by every national fraternity and campus, but it is also a crime in most states, and prosecutors are rightfully prosecuting students that engage in such activities.
Studies have shown that students that stand up against hazing, binge drinking, sexual misconduct and other illegal acts within their chapters have a positive influence on their fellow brothers. It takes courage to step-in to prevent a peer from drinking too much alcohol, or to intervene to prevent the chapter from making bad decisions that violate campus and fraternity risk-management policies.
Please make sure to take a responsible and balanced approach in your social activities and in your social interactions with others. Make sure you and your chapter follow all university, fraternity, state and local regulations, policies, and/or laws. Make it your chapter’s focus to live up to our fraternity’s ideals and never engage in any activity that can endanger yourself or other students.
We believe parents also are an important part of your support network and have created a message for parents and links to helpful resources they can use to educate themselves and support your college experience. Please email them to connect them to https://www.triangle.org/fall-2021-letter. They also may download a new publication, “Helping your College Student Engage in a Safe and Enjoyable Fraternal Experience” here: https://www.triangle.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/FavorAndCompany_ParentsGuide-Digi2021.pdf
Triangle continually strives to educate our members on ways to conduct chapter activities in a safe and responsible manner. Our risk management policies prohibit underage drinking at all chapter events and hard alcohol is prohibited unless served by a third-party vendor.
We plan to promote a safe return to college campuses this fall, and we will continue to educate members about the most pressing issues facing fraternities today regarding binge drinking, sexual misconduct and hazing. You may refer to the national website at www.triangle.org/thsi for further information on these important topics.
Please do your part to promote a safe chapter environment this fall. Your positive influence will make a huge difference! Thank you for your assistance, and best wishes for a safe and enjoyable 2021-22 school year.
In F, S & C,
John Cottage ps04, National President
Tom Pennington, Executive Director