By Paula Zepeda
Phi Beta Kappa extends far beyond college campuses, with about 50 alumni associations across the United States and abroad. The Phi Beta Kappa Association of Boston is one such organization, actively hosting events throughout the year to keep local ΦBK members engaged and connected. This association has modeled its monthly member program after one described by Puget Sound Association President Dennis Yamashita at Phi Beta Kappa’s last Triennial Council meeting. Its most recent “Monthly Mingle,” held in mid-November, featured an educational discussion on quantum cosmology and nondualism at The Foundry in Cambridge, Massachusetts, followed by a short trip for ice cream at local favorite Toscanini’s. Thomas Laage (ΦBK, Harvard College), the Association’s current Treasurer, led the discussion, explaining how the universe is reflected in both Eastern and Western philosophical traditions of nondualism.
Reflecting on the choice of topic, Laage said, “I participate in a second non-profit, the Advaita Meditation Center in Waltham MA, where we study and practice the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, the non-dual tradition of the Vedas and Upanishads of India.” He added, “I read a review of a book on quantum cosmology and nondualism by a German professor of quantum physics and proposed this for the ΦBK book club. I ended up buying a copy, reading it, and being inspired to put together a PowerPoint presentation on the topic, first for my other non-profit and then as the ‘activity’ for our November 2025 event.”
Laage is a long-time member of the ΦBK Boston Association and has held leadership roles since 2009, beginning as Vice-President for Activities and later serving as President, Secretary, and now Treasurer. Discussing his current responsibilities, he shared, “From experience, I tend to arrange activities that have a minimal cost, do not involve expensive reservations or tickets, are flexible for the numbers attending (since this is unpredictable, even when people sign up in advance, as the ‘no-show’ rate is often 50% or more) and contain an aspect of networking and socialization with refreshments at a local purveyor of food and drink—ice cream is a popular theme for this latter part of the activity.” He continued, “Once we decide on an activity, I generally draft an announcement for our local mailing list and for notifications to our website activity tab and for our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.”
The ΦBK Boston Association also publicizes it’s “Monthly Mingle” event and manages the attendee list through ΦBK’s Eventbrite page, which Laage explained is a “very helpful for event logistics and a great resource for all of ΦBK’s associations.”
Join an inspiring meet-up with the Phi Beta Kappa Boston Association to explore new ideas, connect with fellow members, and spark your curiosity! For future opportunities, visit pbkboston.org/events.
Paula Zepeda is a recent graduate of University of California, Los Angeles who majored in Political Science with a minor in Latin American Studies. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in spring 2024. UCLA is home to the Eta of California chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.