Earlier this week, the brotherhood of Lambda Phi Epsilon’s Alpha Zeta Chapter at the University of Washington went on their annual JA retreat in Leavenworth, Washington. This was the first time the Alpha Zeta Chapter had a retreat off site from the University District and it proved to be an invaluable experience for all attendees.
Training for the Future
The JA retreat was designed for the JAs, the junior actives (also known as “neos”)—newly activated Lambdas who recently crossed. JA training is the next step of their road to becoming fully active members. Training consisted of four leadership development sessions led by the Chapter President Bryan Dosono. They dissected Alpha Zeta Chapter’s Constitution, thoroughly went over the national non-hazing policy, learned about inter/intra fraternity governance, and received updates from the most recent national midyear meeting. Meanwhile, the rest of the executive board discussed strategic goal setting and expansion tactics for the upcoming biennium (expect a Northwest region to develop in the near future). The combined experience and ingenuity of the older members proved vital in making sure the JAs were ready to take on their roles as rising leaders within the Greek community.
Fun and Recreation
The retreat was not all work. The brothers all participated in playing games, cook offs, and other happenings during their stay at Leavenworth. Gary Ho and Gavin Liu underwent the first ever “JA vs. Alum” snow angel contest where both men laid in their swim gear in the snow until one rose—it was a tie. Roger Chao learned to play chess for the first time. Ryuji Maung fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a Shaman King and Andrew Yeh dueled as a cowboy. While Josh Chen was fine-tuning his barking skills, Mikey Mazique relaxed carelessly in the outdoor hot tub. Even brothers Thuc Nguyen and Carsen Chu put their cooking skills to the test, manning the kitchen throughout the entire span of the retreat and making dishes such as Lambda rice, Lambda wraps, Lambda bread, and even Lambda chicken. (Recipe: secret. Copyright Alpha Zeta Chapter.) Eating together, playing together, sleeping together, and talking together all contributed towards the greater goal of building brotherhood.
Overcoming Obstacles
Upon departure, the brothers discovered that the inclined hill leading out of the cabin grounds were too icy for motor vehicles. They only had two solutions: wait until spring time to melt the ice and three feet of snow or to abandon their vehicles in the face of starvation and retreat to town to procure nourishment. Instead of submitting to fate and going with option one or two, they chose to slap destiny in the face and took adversity into their own hands. With over twenty leaders among men at the ready, brothers carried the five cars up the hill and into the de-iced street, thus saving each other from pending bear attacks.
This #LambdaRetreat is but one of many stories the brothers of Lambda Phi Epsilon share. The retreat lasted only three days, but it was a weekend of unforgettable discovery. Stay tuned for more tales from of our chapter.
Jonathan “The Rock” Bui
Lambda Phi Epsilon, Alpha Zeta Chapter
University of Washington, Department of English