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AEPi Hosts Conclave
Conference teaches chapter leadership (Drexel Triangle)
The Drexel chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi, an international Jewish fraternity, hosted the fraternity's Mid-Atlantic Regional
Conclave Feb. 5 - 7.
The regional conclave is a conference during which members of AEPi chapters in the region interact with one another and learn more about the fraternity
and leadership, according to Jeff Ginsburg, a senior majoring in digital media.
Ginsburg served as the conclave chairman and is the Drexel chapter's Brother at Large, a position that serves as a liaison between chapter members and the
chapter's undergraduate executive board.
The conclave did not go fully as planned due to the major snowstorm that began Feb. 5. The snowstorm prompted Drexel to close Saturday, meaning the
fraternity was not able to use University facilities to host events as they had planned. Instead, they moved events to the Sheraton Philadelphia
University City Hotel, where visiting fraternity members were staying.
The conclave also had to cancel certain events due to the snow, including the philanthropy carnival and the keynote address, which was to be given
by Deputy Consul General Raslan Abu Rukun. Both of these events were scheduled for the evening of Feb. 6 in Drexel's Behrakis Grand Hall.
In addition, many fraternity members from other schools who had planned to attend the conclave were unable to do so due to the weather.
The snow also allowed for some beneficial changes, according to Ginsburg. For one, the smaller scale of the conference brought about by the snow
allowed more time for people to meet one on one.
The smaller scale "made the event a little more intimate," Ginsburg said.
The fraternity was able to hold events in Drexel facilities Feb. 5, including a Shabbat dinner in Drexel's Van Rensselaer residence hall.
Additionally, the conclave featured events that had previously been featured only at the AEPi national conclave. Such features included information
booths run by philanthropies and a career development fair, according to Shaw Levin, a senior majoring in computer science and the master, or president,
of the Drexel chapter of AEPi.
Levin said "it was an honor" to serve as president of a chapter hosting a regional conclave.
"it was great to see all the brothers in the chapter working on one thing at the same time," he added.
Generally when AEPi hosts an event, some members will focus on organizing it, but all members helped run the conclave, Ginsburg said.
In addition, Ginsburg said he greatly enjoyed a networking event that occurred near the end of the conclave. During the event, presidents and other
members of attending chapters were very complimentary and supportive of Drexel's hosting job.
"That was probably one of the best moments," Ginsburg said.
In order to attempt to procure hosting rights for the conclave, Drexel and other schools made a presentation during the fraternity's most recent national
conference in Las Vegas. Levin said a key to the success of the Drexel chapter's presentation was their concrete information on costs, facilities, food,
vendors and other information pertinent to hosting the conference.
Drexel previously hosted the regional conclave in 2003.
The Drexel chapter also sends one of the largest contingents of any chapter to the national conference, according to Levin and Ginsburg.
The Drexel chapter sent 12 undergraduate members and five alumni members to the national conference in Las Vegas, and a greater amount of members may
attend the upcoming national conference in New Orleans.
Drexel sometimes attends other regional conferences as well.
"It's always good to interact with guys from other chapters," Ginsburg said.
Drexel is the Delta Rho Chapter of AEPi.
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