TKE - Truman State University

"Why TKE," a message from a former Rush Chair:

Why TKE? This question may sound simple to some people, but to the brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon, this question has a deeper meaning to it. Each brother has his very own special story about why he rushed TKE. So if you ask me “Why TKE?” this is the answer you will always get.

When I came to Truman in 2014, I was perfectly fine with who I was. I had no intention to rush a fraternity. I already had a lot of friends in my dorm, I had a girlfriend, and I didn’t want to be a part of that “frat” life. The biggest factor keeping me away from rushing was the hazing. I was picked on a lot in junior high. People would call me names, I would feel left out. It was something emotionally I didn’t want to go through again. As the semester went on I became friends with a couple of Tekes (“Teke” being the singular person form of “TKE”) who lived on my floor. What was very interesting about them was they weren’t those typical “frat” guys that you see in the movies. They were nice and caring people that didn’t give off that kind of persona. This made me start to think about rushing, but I still had doubts in my mind. I asked my friends in my dorm which fraternity I would fit best in if I were to rush. All of them recommended TKE to me, and mentioned I should talk to the Tekes on our floor more about TKE itself. Two days before IFC rush started, I asked one of my friends in TKE about the fraternity. In a three-hour conversation, he explained to me that TKE does no hazing whatsoever, the brotherhood is strong, the fraternity is great socially, but it makes sure its guests and brothers are safe, and it wants its members to become better men for a better world. After our conversation, I finally made my decision. I went onto my laptop, and signed up to rush.

When rush started I was genuinely excited. I couldn’t wait for the first event to start, so I showed up to the TKE house about fifteen minutes early. Instead of being told to leave and wait until the event started, I was greeted by the brothers, and they let me in the house. They were eager to get to know me and how I heard about TKE, and they wanted to make sure I had a good time. They obviously did something right because I came back to every event during rush, sometimes once again being the first rushee at the event. When I got my bid from TKE, I was so excited! After I signed my bid, that’s where my journey for TKE began.

During the first couple of weeks of pledge season I had so much fun. I really got to know my pledge brothers, the active chapter, and even some alumni. The brotherhood was amazing.

What really showed me the true amount of brotherhood and love in this chapter was one of the hardest days of my life. My girlfriend and I broke up around the time of Homecoming. I was devastated. As soon as my brothers heard about it, I was well taken care of. People that had met me just mere weeks before were caring for me and doing their very best to keep my spirits up. I probably received about 100 hugs that day. The support didn’t just last for that day, but for the rest of the semester. These guys actually cared about me, and wanted to make sure I was okay. Looking back on it now, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of brothers.

If it weren’t for TKE, I don’t think I would be at Truman today. TKE values love, charity, and esteem. And if you rush TKE, you can see that we honor those values, and it helps us become better men for a better world. TKE has helped me academically, socially, and to grow as a man. We may not be the typical frat, but TKE is my fraternity, and the quality of men here is outstanding. Let us show what we can do for you.

Ty Clinkenbeard

Spring 2016 Rush Chair