07 Jul Convention 2021: Rooted in LFE
Lambda Phi Epsilon members recently convened to honor a monumental milestone for the International Fraternity’s 40th anniversary. Over 120 brothers and guests attended LFE Convention 2021 in person at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, adhering to COVID-19 guidelines shared by the county, state, and the CDC. An additional 175 brothers tuned in virtually through a livestream on Zoom. To honor four decades of legacy, this year’s central Convention theme of “Rooted in LFE” connected shared fraternal experiences rooted in service, leadership, adventure, excellence, and belonging.
“Convention provided a vast opportunity for young men with similar interests to band together, unify, and become more immersed in the idea of being a Lambda,” said Cim Lee of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Associate Chapter. “It was a fun experience to network, especially for a neo.”
Rooted in Service
To honor the fraternity’s historical philanthropic partnership with Be The Match, the International Board Programming Team kicked off the event with a hybrid bone marrow registration drive in collaboration with event sponsors from Theta Chapter at Stanford University, the Asian American Donor Program, the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, and the #Roar4Ray campaign on Friday evening. International Board Alumni Coordinator, Cao Pham, shared his experience as a bone marrow donor and International Board Education Administrator, Zhi Hu, facilitated an in-person registration drive for attendees. Both in-person and virtual attendees competed in a friendly Kahoot trivia game to cement their learnings from the educational program.
Join us this Friday, May 28th at 7pm pst /9pm cst /10pm est for a special event with @AADP & @BeTheMatch.
Asians and Pacific Islanders have only a 41% likelihood of finding a matching donor. If you match, you could save a life! pic.twitter.com/WpFjw292yG— Lambda Phi Epsilon (@LFEfraternity) May 27, 2021
“I continue to learn something new about my culture as an Asian American and continue to want to leave an impact in my local communities,” said Mitchell Ly of Alpha Zeta Chapter at the University of Washington. “This fraternity continues to positively impact my college career and life. I’m proud to be a Lambda.”
Rooted in Leadership
Our Saturday speaker lineup highlighted a range of LFE alumni who related their fraternal experiences with advice for development beyond college. International President Dr. Bryan Dosono delivered the annual State of the Fraternity address and shared updated reforms in governance, expansion, and education.
“My favorite part was hearing from our president about where he wants to take us, and I will always remember meeting Principal Founder Craig Ishigo and asking about his inspiration for founding us,” said Benjamin Mohlke of the University of Wisconsin Madison Associate Chapter. “Moving forward, this Convention will serve as a landmark for changing the course of our fraternity to become more progressive, inclusive, and stability-oriented.”
Workshops ranged from a wide array of topics, including:
• “Sheep in Society Syndrome: From Frat Star to Serial Entrepreneur” by LFE alumnus Ryan Morimoto of Iota Chapter at the University of California, San Diego
• “Starting a Business With Your Bros During A Pandemic” by LFE alumni John Zhang and Will Zeng of Psi Chapter at the University of Chicago
• “Preparing for LiFE During and After College” by LFE alumnus Winston Lee of the University at Albany Associate Chapter
• “Real Estate 101” by International Board Internal Vice President David Kim of Zeta Chapter at the University of Texas at Austin
• “The Path Unexpected: Alpha Chapter, Tech Industry, Hard Money” by LFE alumnus Sean Pan of Alpha Chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles
• “Leaders Among Men Bussin’ Down a Stage: L.A.M.B.D.A.S.” by International Board Governors Matthew Wright and Paolo De Guzman and Education Administrator Andy Nguyen
• “Unstoppable Authenticity” by LFE alumnus Frederick Gonzalez of Phi Chapter at the California Polytechnic State University
“The programs were very insightful,” said Austyn Vong of Florida State University Associate Chapter. “Convention was a great way to learn new perspectives that these other chapters have in their region and learn more skills that can be utilized in life about taking control and being your own person.”
Rooted in Adventure
On Sunday morning, associate chapters in attendance were provided with a framework for advancing through active status promotion protocols, which was followed up by an open forum with the LFE Board of Directors. The House of Delegates conducted elections for the Internal Vice President and Treasurer roles on the Board of Directors. Incumbent nominees David Kim and Ferris Elestwani were re-elected to renew their two-year terms by acclamation.
“I learned more about the initiatives that are promoted on an international level,” said Justin Nguyen of the Oklahoma State University Associate Chapter. “I felt that seeing all the events thrown by our other chapters really gives me a sense of scale in how our chapter could elevate our operations to affect more than just those in our region.”
External guest speaker David Zhao shared his entrepreneurial journey as a founding partner at The X Pot, founding partner at Chubby Cattle, managing partner at Meet Fresh, and managing partner at NXT Group. Attendees learned about Zhao’s process for identifying opportunities and building a personal brand as an online influencer.
“I have gained tips on how to take charge of my life and figure out what I really want to do,” said Eric Liu of Pi Chapter at the University of Houston. “I want to take these lessons that I have learned back to my chapter, so we can grow as people and as a chapter.”
In-person attendees then embarked on an Amazing Lambda Race journey that took them across numerous checkpoints on the Las Vegas strip. Virtual attendees chose their own adventure through several types of activities coordinated on Discord.
“My favorite part of Convention was doing the Amazing Lambda Race because it allowed us to bond and get closer,” said Laajlim Khang of the University of Minnesota Associate Chapter. “Convention 2021 provided valuable resources and speakers that helped motivate me to become an agent of change.”
Rooted in Excellence
On Sunday evening, the International Fraternity applauded the success of its inspirational scholarship recipients, as well as recognized newly established, re-chartered, and award-winning chapters.
Individual Award Recipients
• Man of the Year Award: George Oginni of Alpha Omicron Chapter at the University of Texas at Dallas
• Rising Leaders Among Men Scholarship: Daniel Patton of Florida State University Associate Chapter
• Academic Excellence Scholarship: Josh Nguyen of DePaul University Associate Chapter
• Lambda of the Year Scholarship: Jonathan Liao of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Associate Chapter
Outstanding Chapter Award Recipients
• Outstanding Scholastic Programming: Theta Chapter at Stanford University
• Outstanding Asian Advocacy Programming: Alpha Gamma Chapter at Baylor University
• Outstanding Communications and Public Relations: Alpha Gamma Chapter at Baylor University
• Outstanding Philanthropic Programming: Alpha Tau Chapter at the University of Virginia
• Chapter of the Year: Alpha Gamma Chapter at Baylor University
Over the past 12 months, the International Board of 37 officers logged in over 10,925 hours of service for advancing the fraternity, and officers were recognized with Presidential Volunteer Service Awards (PVSA) via AmeriCorps and Points of Light. This Convention marked the first set of distinguished service awards conferred by the International Fraternity as a certifying organization of the PVSA Program for honoring its exceptional volunteers.
Over $3,000 were fundraised from the International Fraternity’s inaugural “1981 Leaders” campaign launched during LFE Founders Week 2021. Donors contributed to the advancement of scholarships and philanthropic initiatives. Bronze donors included Borareth Cheng, James Gaffney, Isaac Hammer, Zadrian Huang, Zhide Jin, Andrew Kim, Pheng Lee, Alex Owens, Kazi Rahman, Benny Tan, Chloe Yeh, and SiWah Zou. Silver donors included Thomas Do, Victor Em, David Duong, Benjamin Miller, and Daniil Vasin, with gifts from Cocoon Worldwide, Lavish Floral Events, and the T-Shirt Center.
Rooted in Belonging
Throughout Convention 2021, active and alumni members reflected on the impact the organization made on their personal and professional lives.
“I met and developed relationships with bros from different chapters. It’s crazy to see how we all can connect through the fraternity without having to actually meet in person,” said Jake Seo of Chi Chapter. “I really admired how we got the opportunity to listen and get advice from older bros that not only cover the importance of our commitment in Greek life, but also in the real world.”
“My favorite part of Convention 2021 was hearing the stories and experiences that older brothers had when it came to starting up businesses or that lives after graduating,” said Kody Lam of Chi Chapter at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “The stories that were told were not only interesting but taught us life lessons to take forward in the future.”
“Even though I attended virtually, I still felt a sense of connection with each speaker. I really valued what each speaker offered in their presentation,” said International Board Communications Coordinator Sebastien Khoutxaysana. “Insights rooted in legacy will help propel brothers toward taking control of their future.”
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About Lambda Phi Epsilon
Founded in 1981 at Los Angeles, California, Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, Inc. has grown to become the world’s largest Asian-interest fraternity. Lambda Phi Epsilon (ΛΦΕ, also known as LFE) aims to guide men on a lifelong discovery of authenticity and personal growth. To learn more, visit https://lambdaphiepsilon.com.
Lambda Phi Epsilon Contact
Zac Antonius, Executive Director
Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, Inc.
zac.antonius@lphie.org
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