When I first met Eli Kaplan, his name rung in my ears. I knew that there was something familiar about him, and it bothered me that I just could not place him. Then it hit me like a snowball from the BU Beach in January: Eli was one of the members of the “Class of 2016” Facebook page who made friends with everyone before school started freshman year. I recalled flipping through his photos and wondering who this amicable kid was who was offering up his Skype name so easily. So, here we are, years later, and Eli has become situated on campus, extremely involved in many aspects of life at BU.
Majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Management Information Systems, Eli somehow manages to find time outside of class to be the President of an up and coming AEPi chapter, as well as the treasurer of the rising club JUMP, a pro-peace and human rights political organization (https://www.facebook.com/jumpatbu?ref=br_tf ).
He says that he joined AEPi out of his desire to become “more involved in the Jewish community.” His intentions for the fraternity are thus “to bring the Jewish community and the BU community closer as a whole and to raise money and awareness for philanthropy.”
Eli also fits altruism into his own schedule, being involved in the community service center; he has specifically helped out with their food runs and as a FYStaff this past August. His goal this semester is to, with the help of his Alpha Epsilon Phi brothers, raise $10,000 to donate to some later determined organization.
When Eli is not rushing around campus for his fraternity, clubs, or grueling classes, one can find him playing soccer with his friends on Nickerson field or wandering the Public Gardens or the Boston Common in beautiful weather.
Now Eli is no longer just a name and a face on a screen; he is a person worth getting to know.