By Marisa Young | Staff Writer
Whether they are tabling on Fountain Mall or picking up trash on the side of the highway, Lambda Phi Epsilon’s members strive to serve their community while representing Asian heritage.
Lambda Phi Epsilon is the largest internationally recognized Asian-interest fraternity to date, and Baylor’s chapter was established in 1979.
According to Austin junior and Chapter President Hayden Oliveira, the organization was founded with the mission “to guide men on a lifelong discovery of authenticity and personal growth.”
Through both philanthropic and cultural events, Frisco junior Alex Borrillo said Lambda Phi Epsilon seeks to further this goal alongside other Asian organizations on campus.
“We tend to collaborate with a lot of other organizations,” Borrillo said. “During CelebrASIAN, we show out and try to support other Asian-interest organizations like the Filipino Student Association.”
Lambda Phi Epsilon partners with the National Marrow Donor Program to raise awareness and samples for bone marrow cancer. According to Oliveira, this philanthropy was established after a member passed away from the sickness.
“Every semester we have swabbing and tabling for the NMDP,” Oliveira said. “They are able to put your name in the database, and if someone is in need of bone marrow and you match with them, you can possibly be a donor to them.”
In addition to their main philanthropy, Lambda Phi Epsilon also contributes locally by taking care of Waco.
“We have adopted a highway, so everyone from the brotherhood picks up trash, and we get our sister sorority to help out too,” Oliveira said.
Besides philanthropic efforts, Oliveira said Lambda Phi Epsilon aims to live out their values of “leadership, culture heritage, authenticity, love and wisdom” in day-to-day interactions on Baylor’s campus.
“There’s not a lot of people of Asian ethnicity here at Baylor compared to other universities,” Oliveira said. “If I see them, I’ll try to reach out and connect with Asian students, not even to get them to join, but just if they need to fall back on someone.”
The virtue of brotherhood extends beyond members of Lambda Phi Epsilon and beyond just students of Asian heritage, Oliveira said.
“We also prioritize leadership and inviting everyone,” Oliveira said. “Just because you’re not Asian doesn’t mean you can’t join, as long as you have our best interest at heart and are authentic to who you are.”
