My
dad was a TEKE at another school, Do you honor legacies?
I'm
worried about my grades. What can your chapter do to help me in
school?
Do
you get a lot of support from alumni?
What
are your membership standards?
Why should I join a Fraternity?
Belonging to a fraternity offers
many advantages. Your first purpose for coming to college is to
obtain an education. We realize, however, that a college education
encompasses more than academics. The ability to deal and live with
people is a demand that will be made on you for the rest of your
life. As a well-rounded man, you must merge a solid academic
background with intellectual and social maturity, and build
confidence in yourself to deal with the problems that will face you
in later years. TKE is a very unique fraternity because we provide
an environment that will encourage you to strive for academic
excellence, while at the same time discovering new social horizons
in a variety of campus settings. Our fraternity is involved in
enhancing scholastic achievement, hosting social events, developing
men into tomorrows leaders, participating in sporting events, and
much more.
Oftentimes, students can feel lost
or become just another number in a large university such as
UW-Madison. The Greek system helps make our large University seem a
little bit smaller and more manageable. A fraternity gets you
involved, which helps you to develop different skills. It also
allows you to develop contacts with many other students, and a
variety of alumni involved in all areas of the business world.
People join organizations for
different reasons. Most of our members joined Tau Kappa Epsilon
because they enjoyed the events, liked the people they met, and felt
that our chapter had the best to offer them at this important time
in their life. You will also become part of the largest fraternity
network of over 300 TKE chapters and 200,000 members across North
America.
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What makes TKE different from other
Fraternities?
Since our founding in 1899, Tau
Kappa Epsilon has always seen itself as different from other social
fraternities.. This perception has led TKE to become the world's
largest international fraternity. Our founders felt that
fraternities had degenerated from institutions of scholarly
attainment to mere social clubs. Our founders started an
organization "whose avowed purpose was to aid college men in
mental, moral, and social development," and that is a mission
we have not strayed away from. Our mission is no different than it
was in 1899 and the challenge is no less intimidating. Building
better men is what TKE is all about. For 100 years, Tau Kappa
Epsilon has been building better men. Taking young men and building
them into young leaders. Leaders whoa re prepare to face the world
complete with a set of values and beliefs that add a distinct
advantage to a man's efforts throughout his life. We have always
based our membership "not for wealth, rank, or honor, but for
personal worth and character."
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How long will I be a pledge?
Every fraternity will claim that
they do not haze, but TKE was the first fraternity to implement a
new member education program to replace senseless tasks with
educational and inspiring programming, The Apollo Program is the
name of Tau Kappa Epsilon's new member system. It is a six week
program which teaches new members about the history of the Greek
system, the history of TKE, the history of their own chapter, and
how they fit into this system. It allows young man to become young
leaders through motivational and instructional programs and
activities.
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Do you guys party all the time?
Because Tau Kappa Epsilon is a
"social" fraternity many people have taken that to mean
simply "partying." Part of becoming a socially mature
adult involves interaction with those around you, and TKE holds
several social events throughout the course of the school year to
aid in that development. You don't have to belong to a fraternity to
party, but the risk you take by mixing people in unfamiliar and
uncontrolled environments can be costly.
The rumors that you have heard or
clips from Animal House simply do not exist within our
chapter. We follow specific Risk Management guidelines which are
designed to allow everyone to have fun, but without any unfortunate
side effects. TKE has created a social fraternity that define
"social" not simply as parties and celebrations, but
rather one in which celebrations and parties are the rewards for our
successes. We hold several dances and formal events which have taken
Teke's and their dates from elegant dinner dining to roaring bonfires.
Each social event we hold optimizes enjoyment and reduces risk.
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What do you do for community service? Do I
have to do it?
Philanthropy is one activity that
TKE has always been involved in. Our national philanthropic
organization is the Special Olympics and last year alone TKE
contributed more than $75,000 and hundreds of volunteer hours to the
organization. We believe that each member should contribute some
hours to philanthropic service each semester, but most members do
much more than that. Raising money and donating hours often involves
supporting events, working with the general public, and
often with other fraternities and sororities. Philanthropy events
are a great way to meet people, have fun, and provides needed
support within the community.
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What kind of leadership positions are available to freshmen?
Because new members in Tau Kappa
Epsilon do nt spend most of their freshmen year as pledges, who are
unable to get involved directly within the chapter, they are able to
get a head start on leadership experience. Each year TKE holds
Regional Leadership Conferences and the TKE Leadership Academy which
are both designed to teach more effective leadership methods. From
the very beginning, TKE teaches its members to be leaders not
followers. Typically freshmen choose committee chairs to begin their
leadership role in the chapter. Because members are always
considered on an equal level with all other fraters they are able to
jump right into a position that they feel they can succeed the most
at. There will also be officer positions that will be open up to you
as a freshmen before your first semester is over. TKE is actively
involved in the Interfraternity Council and you will have the chance
to obtain a directorship that would begin during your second
semester. Why wait a year to begin on your road to success when you
can begin today in Tau Kappa Epsilon? College offers you a clean
slate in life, so why not get a jump on the competition while
they're still scrubbing floors!
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Will the fraternity take up a lot of my time?
Time management means something
different when you get to college than it did in high school. You
now have so much available time on your hands that you can either
use it or waste it. TKE's new member program not only teaches you
how to manage that time, but also how to get the most out of every
day. As with any organization you will get out of it what you put
into it, and the rewards will vary depending on the drive that you
have. Our goal is to make you a better man. The time you spend
perfecting that goal will not be taking up time, but will instead be
the most important time you've ever spent.
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Do you have a test file?
In addition to a large collection
of old exams, TKE works through tutoring programs on campus, sets up
studying sessions, sets minimum grade standards, and our Big Brother
Program helps new members to adjust to the academic environment.
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My parents don't want me to join a fraternity.
What if I just didn't tell them?
Sometimes parents believe that
fraternity life revolves only around beer, women, and hazing, and
unfortunately some fraternities cannot offer much more than that to
you. TKE takes a lot of time to keep parents informed about what
things will be like in the chapter and how they can make the TKE
Experience more rewarding. Some students find this a strange idea at
first, but you should talk with your parents about which
fraternities you are interested, what kinds of opportunities they
have to offer, and what kinds of questions you need to ask each
fraternity. This will show how seriously and responsibly you are
making this decision process.
Our chapter officers are more than
happy to speak to your parents and address any concerns. In
addition, our chapter hosts a Parent's Weekend each fall for all
parents to meet each other, meet the members, and tour the house.
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How much does it cost to join?
In addition to having comparatively
low membership dues of any fraternity on campus, TKE also has a very
low fee for joining the fraternity. To become an associate
member it is $150.00 for the first semester, and $425.00 active member
dues per year after. All initial costs go to TKE
International Headquarters which provides Apollo Program materials,
membership card and certificate, and the Teke Guide (which is
the fraternity's membership manual containing the history,
organization, ideals, and a detailed explanation of programs and
traditions of our fraternity). This fee also provides you with
membership fees, liability insurance, a
subscription to TKE Today (the official publication of the
Fraternity), and of course the highly prized gold/pearl/diamond membership badge.
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What intramural sports do you do?
TKE is actively involved in every
aspect of intramural sports from basketball to dart leagues. We
allow every member to play on whatever team whenever they want to
without having to wait until there is room for them. Playing sports
is a great way to relieve stress and to keep in shape. Being
physically fits is a key component to becoming a Apollo Man.
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Do you pair with sororities?
Tau Kappa Epsilon is greatly
involved with interacting with sororities on campus. The new member
program holds awareness seminars with sororities on campus, and
that's a great way to get to know people. TKE also pairs for several
social functions during each semester. Part of being a member of a
"social" fraternity means that you have the ability to
build those social interaction and "people" skills you
will need the rest of your life.
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What is your brotherhood like?
TKE is unique among fraternities in
many respects and one such difference is the importance we place on
building brotherhood within the chapter. We have been able to avoid
rifts and cliques that often develop between pledge classes because
our new member program treats every member on an equal basis right
from the start. The elimination of hazing within TKE strengthens our
brotherhood because resentment and the sense of inferiority is never
present.
TKE believes that there is no point
in a man's life more important than his college years. Growth in a
non-hazing and no pledge ships environment will allow him to overcome
the challenges he faces with the support from those around him. TKE
believes that brotherhood is a journey, not a destination.
Brotherhood involves more than just parties -- TKE holds monthly
brotherhood events like indoor and outdoor sports, retreats, social
events, brotherhood nights, and much, much more. Each member has
their own definition of brotherhood, but each revolves around the
three guiding principles of our fraternity.
"We believe that the
essential elements of true brotherhood are love, charity, esteem;
love that binds our hearts with the sturdy chords of fraternal
affection; charity, that is impulsive to see virtues in a brother
and slow to reprove his faults; esteem, that is respectful to the
honest convictions of others and that refrains from treading upon
that which is sacred to spirit and conscience; these are the triple
obligations of every brother in the bond"
Our challenge as brothers is to
live up to these guiding principles and our strong belief in them
has created a strong sense of brotherhood that over 200,000 men just
like you have shared since 1899. College is only temporary, but
Brotherhood is forever.
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How active are you on campus?
Tau Kappa Epsilon is very active on
campus throughout the year. We have had members in top leadership
positions on campus, as well as within the Greek system itself. TKE
builds leaders by giving them the opportunity to get involved and
the skills make them successful. If you've got the desire for
success why not join an organization that wrote the book on it.
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My dad was a Teke at another school. Do you
honor legacies?
TKE is the Fraternity for Life and
we take great care when legacies come to our attention. The values
and ideals that are passed to every member of TKE insures us that
they understand that their sons should be considered "not for
wealth, rank, or honor, but for personal worth and character"
just the same as every other potential new member. To this measure
we consider anyone who wants "the choice to belong" to Tau
Kappa Epsilon to be an unbiased process. Legacies will still
"rush" the fraternity before a bid to join Tau Kappa
Epsilon will be extended. Legacies interested in the chapter should
contact us to set up an interview. Alumni members will understand
the policy based on our belief that "We maintain that
exclusiveness is the direct antithesis of a true fraternity"
and we must include any man who wishes to accept "the challenge
to become."
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I'm worried about my grades. What can your
chapter do to help me in school?
The academic success you make in
your first few semesters in college will largely limit or expand
your future options. It's always easier to maintain a GPA than to
raise one. TKE provides academic support from the very start with
the Apollo Program, your Big Brother, Chapter and Academic Advisors,
Scholarship Chairmen, Chapter Educator, tutoring services, and much
more. Along with all the adjustments you'll be making during your
first few months at college the last thing you want to worry about
is poor academic performance.
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Do you get a lot of support from alumni?
Part of belonging to the Fraternity
for Life means continued support even after your undergraduate years
are over. We publish an alumni newsletter, hold alumni events, and
use alumni contacts to help graduating fraters obtain job
interviews. To be honest, we don't get millions of
dollars willed to us for renovations, we don't spend contributions
on parties, and we're not looking for alumni to spend our obstacles
away. We have always valued the effort that alumni provide more than
the money they give. TKE teaches its members that the only price
Brotherhood has is dedication. Alumni offer everyone from our newest
member to our graduating seniors support in every area from finding
a job to recounting how they made the most out of their
undergraduate years in TKE. The support that our alumni give every
year is immeasurable.
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What are your membership standards?
If you are selected to receive an
invitation (bid) to join our great Fraternity, you can do so knowing
that our chapter members have applied an extensive set of criteria
to your selection, and you'll know that they believe that you have
what it takes to live up to our standard. We base certain membership
criteria on your past experiences and how you have already turned
opportunity into success. If you accept the "challenge to
become" a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon you will be expected to
maintain a certain GPA, be involved on campus and within the
chapter, perform a few hours per semester of community service, to
meet financial obligations, and to live up to the ideals of Tau
Kappa Epsilon. Our biggest standard is the standard of success that
over 200,000 men since 1899, have lived up to. It is our goal to
provide you with the opportunity, assistance, and support that will
see you through the most important years of your life.
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