Introduction
Hello, this is Vivian '25, the current historian of LMF. I can't believe that the school year has gone by so quickly, and that LMF is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! As always, lots of interesting things happen in LMF, so I thought it was important to document them in this blog.
Broccoli Menu
Teo was the head chef for the broccoli menu, and they made many posters to make us excited for the event. Unlike last year, there was no broccoli war (posters from the opposition party). The entire kitchen was filled with festive decorations, including green balloons, green tablecloths, and green streamers.
LMF/La Casa Social
In March, LMF and La Casa had an interhouse social, which was very fun! LMF residents went to the La Casa kitchen to have wine and cheese. The charcuterie board was wonderful, and there was a lot of food. Before food was served, there was a competition in which one representative from La Casa and another from LMF had to close their eyes and guess the type of cheese based on the taste. I participated, and I had no idea what type of cheese I had. I don't remember if there was a clear winner, but the competition was fun. Overall, the event was wonderful because we got to talk to La Casa residents and have conversations on all sorts of things.
Solar Eclipse
A group of 7 LMF residents drove for many hours to see the solar eclipse in Vermont. The trip involved first taking the commuter rail to Newburyport, then picking up the rental car from Newburyport to go to the path of totality. The commute time was very long, but people had a memorable time. Another cool thing is that they ended up crossing the Canadian border!
Meme Posters
As usual, a 2026 made some interesting posters of some residents. Some of them had to do with elections, others were inside jokes from a spring break trip, and the rest were just plain tomfoolery. While poster-making last year was primarily you-know-who's behavior, this year we had contributions from other residents, including Alfonso '24. Will this semester's pattern of making meme posters become a tradition as ingrained as jotting down quotes or making charts? The answer isn't certain, but there's definitely a chance, depending on what LMF looks like in the next 5 or 10 years.
Senior Menus
What makes the 2023-2024 academic year interesting for French House is the large graduating class consisting of 13 seniors. As a result, LMF had lots of nice dinners this semester. Unlike previous years, some LMF residents made nice posters for their menus and printed them. It was wonderful to eat a diverse range of foods, from Dien's Vietnamese menu to Melissa's Mediterranean menu.
Another thing I appreciated about the menus was how much effort the seniors put into preparing their menus and how creative they were with designing the menus. For instance, Ivy and Alfonso used the grills in the New House courtyard. Another interesting meal was Melissa's because instead of serving ourselves by lining up for food, we sat at the table for a three-course meal. Last but not least, it was cool that Melbourne invited music lecturer Dr. Teresa Neff for dinner, something we haven't done in a very long time. Bringing faculty and instructional staff to French House dinners is something we should consider doing in the future!
Senior Brunch
As stated before, there are 13 2024s in LMF, which means that senior brunch had a record number of toasts. The toasts were touching and heartfelt, as some moved people to tears. After senior brunch, Alfonso '24 and Kimi '24 had their fake wedding in the courtyard. Unfortunately, Eileen '26, an ordained minister, was not there to ordain the marriage, but it was great to see Alfonso 'propose' to Kimi. After the group pictures, LMF residents decided to run cross the busy Memorial Drive (not advised) to enjoy the Charles River. We will miss our seniors and wish them the best for the future!
Archives in the Lounge
As a good historian, I decided to rummage through the quiet lounge after finals ended because a couple of LMF residents found an old scrapbook in the middle of the semester. Besides uncovering the 1986-1988 scrapbook that had over 200 photos, I found the following documents in some binders and folders:
- Meeting minutes from the 1995-1996 academic year
- Email threads about the early days of LMF, as told by Dan Halbert '78
- A thick binder of printed GRT applications in the late 90s
- Old constitutions of New House and French House
- Postcards from the 1990s to the 2000s
- Photo album with pictures from mid 2010s and late 2000s
- LMF meeting quizzes in French, with responses in French
50th Anniversary Reunions
One main highlight of this semester was the LMF 50th anniversary reunion. There was a Zoom reunion on 5/30 Thursday, and an in-person reunion on 5/31 Friday. The combined attendance of these two events was over 60 people, and it was great to meet people across all the decades, from the earliest residents to recent grads.
The Zoom reunion consisted of lots of storytelling, as well as a virtual house tour. The in-person event had lots of food, wonderful conversations, and a house tour. Dan Halbert '78 brought a selection of LMF documents from his days, and some alums like Kevin Wilson '99 wore their iconic Lambda Mu Phi shirts!
Conclusion
Overall, the 2023-2024 spring semester for LMF was great! We not only made lots of great memories packed in a single semester, but also got to hear former residents recall past memories of LMF. Although LMF has changed a lot ever since 1974, one thing that has remained the same is how LMF is a tight-knit, friendly community.
