By: Amanda Muccio ’18
Features Editor
The Tripod sat down with Aaron Kirshenberg ’18, Founder and President of the newly added Alpha Epsilon Pi Chapter at Trinity.
Trinity Tripod: What made you want to bring an AEPi Chapter to Trinity?
Aaron Kirshenberg: I wanted to bring an AEPi chapter to Trinity because I saw that there was no true Jewish social organization on campus. I knew there were a lot of Jewish guys around and I wanted to bring them together in a less religious aspect. That being said, AEPi is not exclusively Jewish – all of the brothers just share similar values.
TT: What was the process like in getting your fraternity approved?
AK: The process for starting a chapter, and finally getting approved by the administration was long and rigorous, but well worth it. I first contacted AEPi nationals in the spring of my freshman year. They informed me that I would need to gather an initial group of guys, to show that there was actual interest. In the fall of my sophomore year nationals conducted interviews and inducted six founding fathers into the fraternity. Working with AEPi representatives, [Title IX Coordinator] Tim Dunn, Dean DiChristina, and [Director of Campus Life] Kathryn Wojcik, we were finally recognized by the school at the start of this semester.
TT: What steps did you take to prepare AEPi for opening?
AK: We rented a house at 21 Brownell Avenue for this year. We all moved in early, painted the house and fixed up the basement.
TT: Do you work exclusively with any faculty members or administrators on campus?
AK: We don’t only work with certain faculty members. While our faculty advisor is Ronald Kiener, we’re open to working with everyone. The administration has been really helpful thus far.
TT: What are your future plans for your fraternity?
AK: We have a lot of big plans going forward. We are about to close on securing a house on Allen Street for the next school year. We also want to hold a lot more philanthropic events throughout the year and get involved on campus.
TT: What kind of events will you be holding throughout the year?
AK: In terms of events, while 21 Brownell isn’t the closest, the house is 10 bedrooms and the backyard and basement are huge, so we will be occasionally throwing parties. We are trying to secure a space on Vernon Street for social purposes but that isn’t set in stone. As I said earlier, we will try to participate in as many philanthropic events as we can as well.
TT: Is there anything else you would like to add?
AK: I’m very happy with how the fraternity has been going. I’ve met my best friends on campus and I can’t wait for everything to keep moving forward as AEPi grows.
Trinity Tripod: What made you want to bring an AEPi Chapter to Trinity?
Aaron Kirshenberg: I wanted to bring an AEPi chapter to Trinity because I saw that there was no true Jewish social organization on campus. I knew there were a lot of Jewish guys around and I wanted to bring them together in a less religious aspect. That being said, AEPi is not exclusively Jewish – all of the brothers just share similar values.
TT: What was the process like in getting your fraternity approved?
AK: The process for starting a chapter, and finally getting approved by the administration was long and rigorous, but well worth it. I first contacted AEPi nationals in the spring of my freshman year. They informed me that I would need to gather an initial group of guys, to show that there was actual interest. In the fall of my sophomore year nationals conducted interviews and inducted six founding fathers into the fraternity. Working with AEPi representatives, [Title IX Coordinator] Tim Dunn, Dean DiChristina, and [Director of Campus Life] Kathryn Wojcik, we were finally recognized by the school at the start of this semester.
TT: What steps did you take to prepare AEPi for opening?
AK: We rented a house at 21 Brownell Avenue for this year. We all moved in early, painted the house and fixed up the basement.
TT: Do you work exclusively with any faculty members or administrators on campus?
AK: We don’t only work with certain faculty members. While our faculty advisor is Ronald Kiener, we’re open to working with everyone. The administration has been really helpful thus far.
TT: What are your future plans for your fraternity?
AK: We have a lot of big plans going forward. We are about to close on securing a house on Allen Street for the next school year. We also want to hold a lot more philanthropic events throughout the year and get involved on campus.
TT: What kind of events will you be holding throughout the year?
AK: In terms of events, while 21 Brownell isn’t the closest, the house is 10 bedrooms and the backyard and basement are huge, so we will be occasionally throwing parties. We are trying to secure a space on Vernon Street for social purposes but that isn’t set in stone. As I said earlier, we will try to participate in as many philanthropic events as we can as well.
TT: Is there anything else you would like to add?
AK: I’m very happy with how the fraternity has been going. I’ve met my best friends on campus and I can’t wait for everything to keep moving forward as AEPi grows.
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