AEPi Toronto: “the largest party-throwing group on campus”

[hoosier]

Frat boys more than just party animals


By SHERI SHEFA
Staff Reporter

Fraternities often conjure an image of beer-guzzling, womanizing college-age boys who want nothing more to worry about but where the next kegger is going to be.

But Kobi Gulersen, a fourth-year biology student at the University of Toronto who is the vice-president of its Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, has worked hard to change that image.

Although AEPi is known as “the largest party-throwing group on campus,” getting drunk and meeting girls is low on the priority list for Toronto’s 80 members.

Each year, AEPi International chooses a charity to which each chapter has to make an effort to contribute, Gulersen said. One year they raised money for the Ethiopian Jews in Israel and another year for Magen David Adom.

Some chapters, he added, like U of T’s Tau Omega, go above and beyond the minimum and choose to raise money for local charities as well.

In the past, Tau Omega raised money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Sick Kids Foundation and the Canadian Red Cross.

“I would argue our frat has changed the image of fraternities across campus. We are unofficially known as the ‘Jewish frat that throws good parties,’ but besides that we raise a lot of money for charities and we have a great time putting on the parties,” he said.

He added that because the university doesn’t recognize fraternities on campus, all of the funding comes from internal sources and sponsors such as Juicy Couture, Virgin Music and Capitol Records.

It costs nearly $5,000 to throw a party, he said. Every penny they profit goes to a charity of their choice.

Last year, they were able to raise $7,000 for the Diabetes Hope Foundation and create a scholarship for students struggling with the financial burden of treating diabetes.

Gulersen said the Diabetes Hope Foundation is meant to assist students who must pay about $2,000 a year for the proper equipment needed to treat the disease.

Last year, the Alpha Epsilon Pi 2005 scholarship, which ranges between $2,500 and $3,500, was awarded to Kale Boehmer, who was one of 31 recipients.

Gulersen hopes that with some of the proceeds left over from last year’s fundraiser, coupled with what he hopes to raise this year, AEPi will be able to create more Diabetes Hope Foundation scholarships.

Gulersen said that aside from it being a great cause, the people at the foundation are great to work with.

“We chose to support the Diabetes Hope Foundation because they have the lowest administrative costs at 20 per cent. Many charities take about 40 or 50 per cent.”

Gulersen hopes the event, “Legacy,” which will be held at Level Nightclub in downtown Toronto on Sept. 22, will draw a capacity crowd of about 1,500 people from York University, Ryerson University and, of course, U of T.

“This is the first event of the year. The kickoff event. Because no one has a lot of work to do yet, we expect a lot of people to come out,” he said.

“It’s a fun way to usher in the new year and it’s for a great charity.”

“I do this all because I love to do it. I love the idea of throwing these large- scale events that have never been done. The corporations are happy because they get huge exposure, the clubs are happy because they are making money, the charities are happy because we are contributing to their cause and everyone that comes out is happy because they get to attend an amazing party.”