OmiChronicle - Phi Delta Chi

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OmiChronicle
USC School of Pharmacy
Phi Delta Chi
1909-2009
100 Years in the Making
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Table of Content
Letter From the Faculty
Executive Board Reflections
2009-2010 Executive Board Members
2008-2009 Pledge Class– Centurions
Summer Board Retreat
2008 Fall Rushes
Barney’s Beanery
Alumni Wine and Cheese
BBQ
Legislative Day
Halloween
Founder’s Day
PDC-AIP Volleyball Game
pHarmony
Poison Prevention
St Judes Fundraiser
PDC-AIP Broomball Game
PDC Luau
Conferences
CPhA Outlook
APhA MRM
APhA Annual
PDC Achievements
2008-2009 Awards
2009-2010 Officer Positions
2009 Omicron Graduating Class
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Letter From the Faculty Advisor
Dr. Ronald Alkana
The academic year from Fall 2008 through
Spring 2009 was an incredible year for Phi Delta Chi
actives and alumni at USC. The actives started the
year with a very successful rush that included a Wine
and Cheese event that was attended by a large number
of alumni as well as potential pledges. The room was
over flowing with people and conversations. Rush
ended with over 30 new initiates. The year's activities
included participation by actives in so many Health
Fairs, Conferences and presentations that there are too many to list. Actives also received
numerous awards. These included, the APhA Diabetes Award, the APhA National Chapter
Project Proposal Award, the APhA-ASP student leadership Award, selection of Bonnie Hui
as APhA National Member-at-large, the CPhA Outlook Award for project HTN, and the
CPhA Pharmacy Foundation of California's Film Festival Award for "Best Parody of a TV
Commercial." The actives also helped the Alumni to host a CE Law Update 2009 by
Alumni Board President, Bob Kazebee. The Alumni Association Board of Directors spent
considerable energy investigating methods to invest its funds safely and wisely in these difficult times, and to promote donations from the alumni in order to enable the Board to continue providing financial support to help the actives achieve their professional and social
goals. The year culminated with a gala celebration of the Omicron Chapter's 100 year Anniversary. I am really sorry that I was not able to attend due to a School of Pharmacy commitment that took me out of the country. However, I have heard that the event was attended
by big crowds of actives and alumni and also drew representation from the national office.
Overall, this was a fantastic year that made me very proud to be your chapter advisor.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
2008 – 2009
WORTHY CHIEF COUNSELOR:
JESSICA DE GIACOMO
My year officially started with attendance to the Leadership
and Development Seminar (LDS). I left Texas with new leadership tools to take back and implement in my chapter, as well as a
new found sense of pride in being a part of such an amazing and
deservingly recognized chapter. Though I tried to mentally prepare myself for the magnitude of stress that comes along with running any organization, it was through the hard work of my board
members, active chapter brothers, and eagerness of our pledges
that truly made this year memorable and successful. My main
goal for the year was to incorporate our chapter history within the
pledging process, bring new and creative ideas for both our rush
events and pledging, as well as during our fundraising period, and to overall make our 100 th year
unforgettable. From our Phi Delta Chi pride hats, one of a kind (Mathew Dinh original) Tshirts, Taco-Man fundraiser, Broomball game, Phi Delta chi annual health fair, annual retreat, to
an unforgettable Banquet; this year just confirmed that Phi Delta Chi brothers do it all, do it
well, and more importantly do it in our own sense of style.
Though the journey was filled with bumps and unexpected turns, I truly tried to maintain
the integrity of our chapter and the best interest for our fraternity in mind. I cannot take credit
for all the success and outstanding events held this past year, I am just honored to be a part of
the decision making and planning of the events. The high light of my year was at our annual
banquet; to be recognized with the past WCC’s and to have national board members in attendance was an honor. I know the future of this fraternity is in great hands. The creativity and
ideas of the active members never fails to amaze me, and I look forward to witnessing another
successful and extraordinary year.
WORTHY VICE COUNSELOR
LISA MARIE SERRANO
As the Worthy Vice Counselor (WVC), it was imperative to assist the
Worthy Chief Counselor in any way possible to allow us to accomplish our goals we set for our chapter. The previous year I held the
position as the Worthy Inner Guard which gave me a unique perspective on the logistics behind our fraternity. This experience made my
new position as WVC easy as I was able to assist with planning activities, helping with the pledge process & requirements, and any
other issues that arose. Also as WVC, it was my duty to plan the annual Volleyball and Broomball game against another USC School of
Pharmacy Fraternity, Alpha Iota Pi. Most important, as WVC I made
it my goal to be a role model for other Omicron Brothers to become
active participants in our Fraternity.
WORTHY PRELATE
PARGOL KHORSANDI
This past year I had the pleasure of serving as Worthy Prelate. It was a joy to
plan both the summer and spring retreats in Santa Barbara and Las Vegas.
Attending both retreats I was able to witness the origin of many great ideas
that advanced our fraternity. Furthermore, I watched as another successful
pledge class bonded and integrated into the PDC family in Las Vegas. It was
truly an amazing year and I was blessed to work with such a wonderful
board. I am confident that next year will be just as outstanding.
WORTHY KEEPER OF FINANCE
STEVEN CHENG
This past year marked the first time that the Omicron
chapter had to budget for such a large group of brothers due
to the success of recruitment the year before. To accommodate everyone, costs went up across the board and properly
managing funds was even more imperative. Further complicating the matter was the fact that 2009 marked our centennial year and we desired to make celebrations even more special.
Each organization on campus has an extremely limited
amount of fundraising time, but we were very successful due
to the effort of all brothers. We fundraised over one thousand five hundred dollars by having events, such as a bake
sale. However, the highlight of our fundraising period was
the first-ever ―Taco Man‖ on campus. Five hundred freshly made tacos were sold in about an
hour. Even though rain slowed sales, our pledge class was also able to raise over eight hundred dollars selling raffle tickets at the USC Pharmacy Homecoming booth in order to fund the
annual school-wide Luau.
The Omicron Alumni Association supported the active chapter throughout the year.
They shared the same goal of making our centennial banquet even more special and provided
the financial resources to do so. Over sixty alumni and national guests attended, some traveling hundreds of miles. The alumni support also enabled us to host an elegant Wine and Cheese
rush event and send students to the Leadership Development Seminar in Austin, TX.
It was my pleasure serving as WKF this past year as a financial decision maker as well
as a representative of our fraternity. I would like to thank all my brothers for trusting my financial decisions. I made all of my decisions, extremely conscious of the future, and I look
forward to bigger and better things to come next year. AAAE.
WORTHY INNER GUARD
CARLOS DAVILA
As the Worthy Inner Guard during the 2008-2009 academic year my experience was one I will never forget. From helping with planning for our
rush events over the summer, to the production of our rush video, to the
actual rush events, I truly enjoyed working with my brothers. The rush
process allowed me to get closer to my brothers, the pledge process allowed me to get closer to my future brothers. I was able to get to meet and
get to know some great people and guide them through the process of becoming Phi Delta Chi brothers, and although there were some tough times,
we pulled together and persevered. It felt good knowing that the pledges
looked up to me and trusted in me to lead them to their ultimate goal:
Brotherhood. I knew this was not going to be an easy task when I first
took the position, but I welcomed the challenge and at the end of it all I
felt it was well worth the hard work, time and dedication invested in this
position. For what its worth, if I had to do it all over again, I would do so
in a heartbeat.
WORTHY KEEPER OF RECORDS AND SEALS
VY TRINH
As WKRS this year, I had the opportunity of serving on the
board of Phi Delta Chi. Being a second year, this allowed me to see the
fraternity from not only an active perspective but a board perspective.
With this position, I attended the meetings and maintained records of
meeting minutes, and any housekeeping issues that came up. In addition I was able to help fellow board members put on the events that we
hosted throughout the year. Finally, like as the other board members, I
helped the president keep the fraternity as orderly and organized as
possible throughout the year. This position not only allowed me to see
how being in a fraternity is not just about brotherhood, but also the importance of working together to keep brotherhood together and alive.
WORTHY CORRESPONDENT
MEGAN GRANT
Serving as a member of the Phi Delta Chi board this year was
both a great honor and a great experience. As the Worthy Correspondent
I learned so much about the Omicron chapter and the National Office.
Although it was hard work, I loved having the chance to become so involved in the fraternity. I was surprised to learn how many chapters
complete the AAP and how widespread the fraternity is. The experience
has left me feeling even more connected to Phi Delta Chi and proud to
be a brother.
WORTHY ALUMNI LIAISON
CHANDRA SMALLWOOD
My experience as Worthy Alumni Liaison was amazing to say the
least. The notion of organizing tailgate events for home football games is
what first drew me into the position, yet as the year progressed the true
meaning of brotherhood and interaction with the alumni truly made my year
unforgettable. Through my time spent with the alumni, it became apparent
how passionate they are for the well being and continual growth of our
chapter. This was evident through their countless hours of dedication and
concern about every aspect of the active chapter.
Though I had the task of organizing the tailgate events, alumni
monthly meetings, as well as contributed to the Alumni wine and Cheese
event, the true success of these events was primarily contributed by the participation of the active members and continual support from the alumni. From waking up early to help me claim our usual prime
tailgate spot, to spending countless hours helping me assemble and mail out invitations to all of our
alumni, the true meaning of brotherhood became apparent with every challenge that I was able to successfully complete.
WORTHY MASTER OF ARMS
JORDAN YINGLING
This year it was my pleasure to serve as the Worthy Master at Arms for the Omicron chapter during the 2008-2009 school year. I was thrilled about the opportunity to help educate our 100th pledge class in the traditions and values Phi Delta
Chi was founded on. We had over 30 pledges cross over this year and I am confident they will flourish into some of the most active contributors to our chapter.
Serving as the WMA helped me work on the development of leadership and communication skills and allowed me to see firsthand how strong of a chapter we are.
This past year’s Worthy Inner Guard, Carlos Davila, took a strong leadership role
in helping develop this year’s pledge class as well. Working with him was another example of what can be accomplished when brothers are helping each other out. It was also an
amazing experience working with this year’s WCC, Jessica De Giacomo as well as the rest of this
year’s board in making our centennial something we will always remember. I’m looking forward to
making our 101st year just as memorable.
ACADEMIC CHAIR
The Omicron Chapter strives to maintain an exemplary academic
standing as a brotherhood of actives, while ensuring the academic success of
its 1st year pledges. Helping them through their 1st year courses allows them
to adapt to the demands of being a student, leader, and professional. The Omicron Board strongly considers the exam schedule for the 1st year students
when planning Phi Delta Chi events. The academic chair organizes lecture
style review sessions, one-on-one tutoring, as well as studying sessions to answer any questions. For example, second-year Brothers Joyce Choi and I led a
review group for the first Biochemistry midterm where 30 students attended.
Third-year Brother, Andrew Messali and I organized a lecture style review
session for the Health Care Delivery exam open to the entire 1st year class
where more than 150 students attended. In addition I held a 5 hour review session to answer questions
from 1st year pledges preparing for their Pharmaceutics I exam. These are a few examples of Omicron
Chapter’s efforts to improve the academic performance and image of Phi Delta Chi.
PROFESSIONAL PROJECTS
HASMIG EKMEKDIJIAN AND TANIA HOUSPIAN
This year was a very successful and exciting
year for professional project directors, Hasmig
Ekmekdjian and Tania Houspian. One of our
biggest projects was our involvement in community health fairs. This year, we were able to
be part of ten health fairs and screened hundreds
of local community members. In these health
fairs, cholesterol screenings were done in addition to patient counseling and referrals to local
physicians and pharmacists. In addition to our involvement in health fairs, Phi Delta Chi
brothers joined the organization, P.S. I love you, and spent the day at the beach mentoring
children. Each brother was coupled up with an at-risk child from different shelters between the ages of two and thirteen. The duo participated in various activities for most of
the day at the beach. We were also organizers for poison prevention and health awareness
during Kid's Day at the USC
campus. We reminded elementary school children the
importance of not ingesting
different types of poisons and
encouraged them to have the
proper diet and exercise. We
both felt very fulfilled in being able to reach various types
of communities and make a
difference in our society.
SOCIAL CHAIRS
RAZAN BATTIKHA AND JASMIN PATEL
To kick off the fall semester we planned
three rush events where the active brothers could
meet the new incoming class. These events gave
the incoming class an opportunity to get to know
the fraternity and what brotherhood is about. One
of the three events was an outdoor BBQ prepared
by our active chapter. Our brothers helped in cooking and purchasing food. We served different ethnic
foods such as chicken, meat kabobs and hummus.
The second rush event was a social mixer at
Barneys Beanery, were the actives got to grab a
drink or two and mingle with the incoming pharmacy class. The third rush event was a Wine and Cheese event with our alumni chapter. To add
our own touch to our annual Wine and Cheese event, we brought in a chocolate fondue fountain.
With a variety of chocolate dippers, the alumni, actives and potential pledges enjoyed the chocolate while mingling. Throughout the year, we tried to put on social events to celebrate birthdays
and after examination hang outs. Although it was challenging to motivate all of the brothers to
come out, we have always had a good number of people show up.
The highlight of this year was our Centennial banquet that took place at the Westin
Bonaventure in Downtown, Los Angeles, on April 25th, 2009. We worked arduously since the
summer 2008 to ensure a memorable night for everyone; and indeed it was. More than 200
guests attended including Alumni from the 1950’s and on. At this event, we honored the graduating members, the past presidents of our chapter and presented active chapter awards. We are
proud to say that our hard work this year and our love for the fraternity made this year a very
successful one!
WEBMASTERS
JAY PARIKH AND LAURIE SERMSAKDI
This year presented many challenging and interesting goals for the Webmasters of Omicron Chapter. As Omicron’s webmasters, we designed a new website
that integrated a user-friendly experience with an up-to-date interface that used the
most current flash-based animations and user-interactivity to create a visually stunning experience for all that visited our home page. We hoped to create a site both
past and present brothers of the Omicron Chapter could
come to catch up on our most current events and reach out to
other brothers. For the first time ever, brothers were able to
access an interactive animated online photo album, a bulletin
board of our current activities, an electronic copy of the Omichronicle, and contact information for active and alumni brothers in our chapter.
The duties of webmaster extended well beyond that of being a curator for the
website; we also acted as a communications hub for the chapter. Anytime brothers
wished to convey a message to the rest of the chapter, we facilitated the process through
our many approaches of communication such as the PDC email list-serve, Facebook
group or other methods. The Omicron chapter looks to integrate many new avenues of
hi-tech communication methods in the future. Our Webmasters-elect, along with the help of several other techsavvy brothers, have already taken steps to implement a new, more sophisticated approach to E-communications
within the chapter such as message boards, twitter updates, and file sharing capabilities into Omicron’s arsenal
of web-based communication methods.
HISTORIANS
JEANETTE DER AND AMY WU
It has been a pleasure for us to be the historians this year for the Omicron chapter. We were able to meet and build relationships with all the new
initiates as well as maintaining a strong relationship with the active brothers in
the chapter. We started the summer off compiling an electronic scrap book of
all the major events that occurred the previous year. We put together a display
board to show to the incoming pharmacy students what Phi Delta Chi is all
about. In addition, we worked along with the other board members to put together a successful rush video and event! During the school year, we updated
our display case by showing pictures of various events that Phi Delta Chi had been a part of. To end the school
year off, we put together a slide show for our 100th year celebration banquet at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown, Los Angeles. It has been a great experience for the both of us to serve as the historians this year!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
2009 – 2010 BOARD MEMBERS
WCC – Jordan Yingling
WVC – Megan Grant
WKRS – My Duong
WKF – John Alpago
WAL – Kalsang Dorji
WIG – Mira Bakas
WMA – Toni Codling
WP – Andrew Williams
Professional Projects - Janeane Moura and Susan Shakib
Social Chairs – Sarah Moy and Parth D. Shah
Historians – Matthew Dinh and Robert Jones
Academic Chair – Minh Truong
Webmasters – Aubrey Moreau and Alifiya Hyderi
WELCOME PDC CENTURIONS
PLEDGE CLASS 2008 – 2009
What is Brotherhood?
Andrew Williams, Pledge President
This past year truly was a learning experience — I learned so
much about myself, the field of pharmacy, and the rich history of an
honored professional fraternity. However, more importantly to me, I
also learned a little something about the 100 or so Phi Delta Chi actives and 38 Phi Delta Chi pledges that I had been introduced to in
the beginning of my first semester. It was this particular learning experience that made pharmacy school bearable. Throughout this past
pledging process, I feel that I have learned what it means to be part of
a brotherhood. Who would have known that in approximately 8
weeks I would have gained a whole other family here at school? My
pledge brothers specifically have become my life crutch. Without
them—I am not sure that I would have been able to make it through
my first year of pharmacy school. They have been there with me
every step of the way: supporting and motivating me. They are my
closest friends here at pharmacy school. I have a PDC paddle in my
room, with a picture of my pledge class next to it, and every morning
it is the first thing I see. Whenever I glance at it, I thank God that I
took the initial step and pledged Phi Delta Chi. PDC is brotherhood,
and frankly I would be lost without it!
Aubrey Moreau
My favorite meal back home was Memaw’s gumbo. It is a dish where
you can basically throw any ingredient in and it will all come out just fine.
What I enjoy about our brotherhood is how everyone is so different. We have
a variety of people who may focus on grades, getting together after class,
those who are active in other organizations USC offers or those who just enjoy to come out every now and then. From an outside perspective people may
question how close could we really be? I believe these differences are what
gives us a spiciness fusion and make this demanding program so much more
exciting and enjoyable. This is what brotherhood means to me.
What was your most memorable
moment of pledging?
Minh Truong
The rush event that connected with me the most was the Alumni
Wine and Cheese. The actives and alumni were very genuine and extremely passionate about Phi Delta Chi. They shared with me how
PDC Brothers support each other in and out of school, and those
friendships they forged in PDC runs long and deep.
Mira T. Bakas
My favorite moment of rush was the wine and cheese night. I felt
that I got to see PDC from a different perspective. I really liked how
close the previous pledge class seemed to be. That was probably the moment I decided to join PDC. As a first year, the first few weeks and
probably even the first couple of months of school are quite overwhelming. I honestly felt like I would be miserable for the next three or four
years but I felt a little more relieved after having gone through rush. I
liked that PDC was more than just another organization to join. I really
saw the brotherhood in every aspect of pharmacy school life from their
rush video. I knew it would make my four years in pharmacy school a
better and more rewarding experience.
What was your favorite memory
from PDC?
My Duong
My favorite PDC moment would have to be our annual PDC retreat during winter break. We rented a big house, more like a mansion, for 30 of us who
were able to make it to the retreat which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. It
was a good experience because we spent almost every waking hour together.
The average hours of sleep that each of us had was probably 4 to 5 hours per
night because we stayed up all night talking, playing games, swimming in the
unheated pool, dancing, and simply enjoying each other’s company. I am very
fond of this particular Phi Delta Chi memory because it reminds me of what
brotherhood is all about.
What advice would you give to
your younger PDC brothers?
Amy Ta
Enjoy your experiences as a pledge because that is the time you
will bond most with your pledge class. And hopefully, during the pledging process, it will shape a foundation in which your pledge class will
continue to build upon long after you have crossed. Also, I highly encourage you to reach out and take advantage of what PDC has to offer.
As a national professional fraternity, you not only have the USC PDC
alumni at your fingertips, you also have all of the PDC alumni across
the nation who are also your brothers. We are all here to help each other
get through tough times and enjoy the good times.
SUMMER BOARD RETREAT
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
Lisa Marie
Serrano
Prior to the start of
our academic
school year, our
Omicron Board
Members gathered
for a Summer Retreat in the beautiful city of Santa
Barbara, California. We gathered
on an early afternoon and took time to explore the surrounding community. The night ended
with us enjoying dinner together at Santa Barbara Brewing Company. The following day was
consumed by our round table meeting and discussion about the upcoming year. Our agenda
was filled with scheduling activities, setting goals, the pledging process & requirements, planning our annual health fair, and developing methods for active participation by our Omicron
Brothers. This day allowed our Board to discuss ways to improve our chapter and alter any issues from the previous year to avoid the same conflicts. More importantly, this retreat served
as a time for our Board to explore the past, present and future of our Omicron Chapter.
Fall Rushes
RUSH EVENT # 1 – BARNEY’S BEANERY
Razan Battikha
Our first rush event took place
at Barney’s beanery in Pasadena.
We wanted to get to know the incoming class under a non school,
stress free environment. We had
more than 90 rushees attend this
event. Many of the active brothers
came to hang out and catch up with
other brothers and to mingle with
the new incoming class. As an ice
breaker, the social chairs prepared a game where they provided the rushees with clues
about some actives, and the rushees had to go around and identify these actives by obtaining their signatures. Afterwards, some actives played pool
with the first years while others
talked to them about pharmacy
school and gave them advice on
how to adapt to the new environment. It was a very nice gathering
to start off the school year after a
long summer vacation.
RUSH EVENT # 2 – ALUMNI WINE AND CHEESE
Razan Battikha
Some may think that
once pharmacy school is
over, people go their
separate ways and forget about the school and
their memories in it because they have started
a new chapter in their
lives. However, that is
untrue of our Phi Delta
Chi Alumni. Every year for our Wine and Cheese rush event,
our alumni come to talk and share their experiences as an alumni and their memories of being
a Phi Delta Chi active. They expand on how Phi Delta Chi has helped them in their careers and
kept them connected to the school and their fraternity brothers. During this year’s Wine and
Cheese, more than 20 alumni came out to talk to more than 80 rushees. Also, a lot of the active
brothers came out to show their support and love for the fraternity. We served wine, cheese,
and the infamous chocolate fondue fountain and dippers that
was everyone’s favorite. After couple of alumni speeches, we
had a round table style of the rushees getting to know the
alumni. They
were able to
talk and network with 4 to
5 alumni during this session.
This rush event
was a major success and it was a definitely a
deciding factor for the rushees to pledge Phi
Delta Chi.
RUSH EVENT #3– BBQ
Razan Battikha
Many words can describe the brotherhood of the Omicron chapter of Phi Delta Chi, but
what really makes us stand out from the other organization on campus is our diversity. Our third
rush event was a BBQ that exemplified our diversity. Many brothers cooked and bought foods
that represents their culture. We had many different ethnic food that included variety of salads,
hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and beef kabobs, hummus, corn, smores. We had more than 50
rushees and a lot of actives that saved the day to come and hang out. Some people socialized
while others played sports like flag football, softball and kickball. Our social chairs and many of
active brothers put a lot of effort into this rush event to make it a great get together for both the
rushees and the actives.
Legislative Day
Anna Naapetyan, Elizabeth Ibrahim
The Annual Legislative Breakfast and Health Fair was held on October 17, 2008. A conference arranged by USC pharmacy students launched this eventful day, in which a delicious
breakfast was served and speeches regarding important issues affecting pharmacists today and in
the future were heard from prominent speakers. These speakers were pharmacists who hold legislative office and/or have an influential impact on the field. We, along with other Phi Delta Chi
pledges, were put in charge of assisting other students in setting up for this event and making
sure all the guests were treated with respect and hospitality. The speakers' passion and determination to improve pharmacy enabled us to realize that we too can make an impact. If we want to
see changes that will better our profession we have to take the initiative and lobby for certain
laws and regulations to be passed.
Following the conference was a health fair that was also organized by the USC pharmacy
students and took place on USC's main campus. There were various health booths such as one
for diabetes, cholesterol, and hypertension in which a majority of the patients were students and
faculty. This event exposed students to the diverse roles of pharmacists and demonstrated how
we as students can improve the health and well-being of our community.
Halloween
Laura Van Wechel
Things we learned from Halloween 2008:
1. We got an in-house demo of how Aubrey spends his spare nickels, dimes, and quarters. Or was that how
Carlos spends his spare change?
2. Toni is the only one we know who can wear garbage bags and still look awesome.
3. Grow men need baby powder to avoid diaper rash, just ask Andy.
4. Just when we thought Michelle couldn’t get any more adorable, she did when she dressed up as a fairy.
5. Tina is a good girl who gets lots of presents from Santa.
6. Susan is a naughty girl who gets lots of presents from people other than Santa.
7. Parth D has a talent for delivering presents in a box.
8. For those of us who couldn’t tell Artak and Jack apart during the first semester, their matching priest costumes did not help the situation.
9. Any disputes of the evening could have been resolved by Officer Delkhah or Referee Gana.
10. Special thanks to Janeane for controlling her feline instincts. I can’t imagine what we would have done if
she ate Aileen, her murine counterpart.
Founder’s Day
Binal Shah and Michelle Doan
Phi Delta Chi was founded on November
2, 1883 at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor by eleven male students. Although they have
since passed away, Phi Delta Chi still continues
to celebrate and honor this important day. The
eleven founding fathers are Charles Edward
Bond, Franklin Herbert Frazee, Llewellyn Hall
Gardner, Calvin Pomeroy Godfrey, Adolph Gustave Hoffman, Arthur Gilliam Hopper, Charles
F. Hueber, George Pawling Lemon, Arthur Sidney Rogers, Azor Thurston and Albert Tenney Waggoner. During this time period, our founders believed
something should be organized exclusively for the College of Pharmacy. The records indicated "Both students
and faculty recognized that such an organization would bring students of pharmacy together for the discussion
of scientific questions pertaining to pharmacy and its sister sciences." The tradition holds to this day and
strives through its demonstration of leadership and excellence. Although the founders were all male, females
soon became a part of this fraternity in the years to follow. This year marks the 125th anniversary of Phi Delta
Chi.
To commemorate Founders’ Day 2008, we brought red carnations on November 4th to give to each
active and honorary member. Key members at the University of Southern California included Dr. Wincor, Dr.
Alkana, Dr. Goad, Dr. Mirzaian, and Dr. Weissman, our Associate Dean. For these honorary members, we
went to their offices individually to hand them the red carnations and take pictures to capture the special moment. We also went into the third year classroom before class and during break to hand the active Brothers the
carnations. We also scouted Norris Library to look for second year actives studying for their exams. Memorable moments include Dr. Wincor asking us ―What are we finding?‖ , after which we told him that we are celebrating Founders’ Day. When we stormed Dr. Weissman’s office with the carnation, he jokingly said ―So I am
founded.‖
All and all, we, as pledges, felt extremely honored to participate in this event and hope the tradition
continues on for hundreds of years. The experience gave us a wonderful opportunity to bond with the active
Brothers and key alumni of Phi Delta Chi, as well as amongst ourselves. After 125 years, Founders’ Day still
has its power of bringing students of pharmacy together to advance the science of pharmacy.
Annual PDC-AIP Volleyball Game
Jack Simityan
Every year around the time of Thanksgiving, the pledges from both Phi Delta Chi and
Alpha Iota Pi prepare for the traditional Volleyball game. Although the game mentally instills
rivalry between the two fraternities; however,
both fraternities have mutual respect, understanding and professionalism within the greater advancement of pharmacy. Before starting pharmacy school, I had the privilege of being an undergraduate researcher at the school of pharmacy
and for many years I witnessed the traditional volleyball game. I was very enthusiastic of being the captain of the Phi Delta
Chi team since I had a background of playing and excelling in many different sports. I took this opportunity to use my skills
and with the best of my ability, to train and practice with my fellow pledge brothers. From the first practice, I had an overwhelming support from my pledge brothers in wanting to play and represent their fraternity. I could not have been any
prouder as a captain where I had so many of my fellow pledge brothers in showing their support. Even though the final outcome of the game was a loosing effort, I feel that I managed to create an internal bond between my fellow pledge brothers.
Derrick Garcia
When I found out that there was a volleyball game to be played against our colleagues of Alpha Iota Pi as part of the
pledging process I became pretty excited. I love to compete and I love to play sports. I did not have much experience with
volleyball, and neither did my fellow pledge brothers, so I was unsure of how we would perform on the court. With our small
amount of experience, and pledge brother Jack Simityan leading the way, we worked hard and practiced to try to get ready to
win on game day. On the day of the game the excitement was palpable. Those pledge brothers that did not play on the court
made their presence known in the crowd with the great spirit, cheers, and posters they brought with them. It felt awesome to
hear from what sounded like hundreds of people cheering for us on the court and is a memory I will not soon forget. Together we fought hard and everyone that played made significant contributions. The first game of the match was pretty one
sided with AIP winning by about ten points. In true Phi Dex fashion we did not let that first game get us down and pulled
together for the next game and made a better showing. With great defense by pledge brothers Erin Hamai and Artak
Kerimian and several points scored by pledge brother Jack Simityan we kept the game close until the bitter end. Unfortunately we did not win the game or the match but I think we succeeded at something that is more important than a mere game.
We succeeded at becoming a team. We worked together to discover each others strengths and weaknesses, both on
and off the court, and made a plan together that we thought would be the best way to achieve success. Those that did not play
in the game took the time and effort to come up with posters and cheers to show those of us on the court that we had them on
our side. each pledge brother contributed in some way and so as a result we had to rely on each other and become closer as a
group. Though the game did not turn out how we planned, the event was one of the many events during our pledge process
that helped make my pledge brothers and I brothers for life.
pHarmony
Laura Van Wechel
USC we’re here to
take over your school! The
USC School of Pharmacy
could not have been happier
to have Manny Guevara, of
the On-Air with Ryan Seacrest Morning Show, join
us in his Roach Coach to
take over USC to kick off
the pHarmony celebration.
pHarmony was a
new event put on by USC’s
APSA. It was held during
October, national pharmacist month, and was designed to be a fun and educational interaction with all health
care disciplines at USC. It was a chance to educate future health care workers on the role of the pharmacist in
a health care team. It was organized by APSA co-president and PDC member, Bonnie Hui. PDC was there
early in the morning to support Bonnie and the other brothers, pHarmony, and the profession of pharmacy.
Our very own Diana Tran was featured on the radio with Manny to promote pHarmony and the pharmacy.
Following Diana’s radio debut was a raffle with prizes from Manny. Tina Patel, Derrick Garcia, and Jason
Lebowitz all won shirts. The Roach Coach then left The Quad, the sun came up, and the campus came alive
with the spirit of pharmacy.
The pHarmony celebration was a time when many of the PDC pledges and members bonded. Jason
Lebowitz was amazed by how eager PDC was to soak him in the dunk tank, but relieved by our softballthrowing skills... or lack thereof. Jason’s dry spell eventually came to end at the arm of a first year student.
Ashley Weissman and Derrick Garcia represented PDC as part of the hospitality team, and were responsible
for checking attendees in and keeping their stomachs full by serving food. The day was also very educational.
With Marshall Abdullah snatching folders left and right, many pledges were reminded on the importance of
keeping one’s folder safe. We also all had the opportunity to get to know each other a bit more, interact with
the other health professionals, and to represent PDC.
POISON PREVENTION
Nancy Arellano
On April 17th, 2009 PDC Centurions
went on a mission to teach children in the
community what not to eat, how to properly
wash their hands, and what to do in case of a
poison-related emergency. As a group we
provided poison prevention education to 4th
grade level students through presentations,
group discussions and fun activities. Although this activity was scheduled during
midterm exams and a few weeks before finals, PDC Centurions were able to come together and work as a team to make this event
a success. The students were very enthusiastic about our visit and were actively participating in the activities. I
was very proud of the diversity within PDC Centurions as the students seemed to appreciate having someone to relate to. This was
definitely a rewarding experience. I enjoyed being able to make a difference by educating students and I also enjoyed being able to bond
with my fellow pledge class through this experience.
St. Judes Fundraiser
Megan Grant
Serving as the Omicron chapters St. Jude’s representative this year has been an honor. Throughout the
year I had several meetings with our St. Jude’s representative, Mariana, in preparation for our fundraiser in February. We showed a video at one meeting to help brothers learn more about St. Jude’s and what it is and what
they do. Our fundraiser was held after a meeting and numerous brothers participated in the letter writing campaign to their friends and family. Phi Delta Chi has chosen a truly great cause to support. The more I learn about
St. Jude’s the more I want to become involved. As of April, the letter writing campaign had already raised $500
dollars, with many more letters still to be sent out!
Annual PDC-AIP Broomball
Jack Simityan
Every year, our fraternity competes in an annual broomball game that
draws excitement, teamwork and commitment
amongst our fraternity to
beat our rivals Alpha Iota
Pi. Like every other past
year, our fraternity had a
long tradition of winning
the broomball game. This
tradition of winning
comes from the teamwork
and pride each player displays before the game. Whether it be prior to the match as the team
practices and motivates each other for the sole purpose of winning or amongst the cheers which
serve to exhilarate and create momentum for
the players as they hear each active member
screaming as they are part of the team. Besides
the ultimate goal of winning the game, the
broomball game serves to bring together all
the active members of the fraternity for at least
one night as they show their colors and pride
of their teammates when they give their best to
win the game. The broomball game becomes a
rich tradition amongst our chapter as we compete and bond as active members in our rich
fraternity.
Annual Luau
Parth D. Shah
The Phi Delta Chi Annual Luau
started its tradition when the fraternity
was still located at the fraternity house at
University Park Campus. The festivities
were for the pledges, actives members,
and alumni to enjoy the day barbecuing
and socializing. Since then, Phi Delta Chi
has evolved the Luau into a school-wide
social event in which all USC students,
not just fraternity members are welcomed. This past year, Sarah Moy and I
were put in charge of the event. We
placed phone calls to many different
clubs and lounges in the LA area, as well
as delegated some of the work with individuals in the fraternity who had past experience with some of these venues, either by attending events there or actually working with promoters to put
on events. Sarah and I eventually were able to get in contact with the manager at Elevate in downtown LA. We
were able to negotiate an event in which USC students would be able to go to the lounge without paying an entrance fee and the actives would receive drinks that
were paid for by the pledge class. These free
drinks were purchased through buying drink tickets, which the entire pledge class contributed
money to obtain. The Luau turned out to be a complete success. About eighty actives attended the
event, with a total of around 170 students in attendance. The experience has taught Sarah and I a
great deal about event planning and coordinating
among several people to pull together an enjoyable
event. It also demonstrated how well we both work
together, leading us to becoming the Fraternity CoSocial Chairs.
CPhA - Anaheim California
Diana Tran
This was my first time attending CPhA
Outlook and what made it exciting and
memorable was that it was in Anaheim, California. Myself, along with 3 other brothers
had the honor of being delegates representing
the University of Southern California to the
House of Delegates. We had the opportunity
to voice personal opinions & vote on policies
that affects the pharmacy profession, as well as, review & discuss proposed policies with all
California schools of pharmacy before they were presented to the House of Delegates.
I'm proud to say that many of our active brothers
shined at conference by winning many prestiges
awards. Brother Bonnie Hui received the honor of winning one of three Robert C. Johnson Scholarships that
is offered in the state. Brothers Nicole Cho and Joyce
Choi received an award for Project Hypertension, making that two years in a row for our school. Myself
along with five other active brothers made a short
film regarding the importance of safe medication use
and won the Pharmacy Foundation of California's
APhA
Midyear Regional Meeting
Jason Lebowitz
My trip up to San Francisco this past weekend for the American Pharmacists AssociationAssociation of Student Pharmacists’ Midyear Regional Meeting was a very rewarding one. Over
three active, policy-filled days I had the opportunity to attend seminars and discuss topics ranging from personal avenues in pharmacy leadership to patient counseling. There were also seminars given on the pharmacy residency process, political advocacy, and the patient care workshops which included discussion on Operation Diabetes, Operation Immunization, Heartburn
Awareness Challenge, and Project Chance. Although these seminars gave us the opportunity to
listen for a majority of the time, an open dialogue was always encouraged. I observed that as
pharmacists we must be comfortable enough to communicate with others. When we have something to say, we must not be too timid to open our mouths and communicate it. At the end of the
day, however, one thing was for sure. We students of the University of Southern California
School Of Pharmacy were able to represent themselves both as professional and highly educated
in the eyes of our peers. Pharmacy has faced difficult challenges in the past, faces challenges today, and will continue to face the challenges that come tomorrow. Our profession is changing
and if there was one point I am glad that I got out of this weekend it would be about staying involved politically and serving in my profession as an advocate for change.
As President-Elect Barack Obama said, ―Change doesn't come from Washington. Change
comes to Washington.‖ In an ever-changing profession you have to choose to stand and represent yourself. Take that stand and get into politics, or get out of pharmacy. The people who decide your tomorrow are the ones who get involved today. This weekend we learned how to and
put into action the ways we can bring change to Washington. Counting pills is a thing of the
past. Get involved today, join me, and be at the forefront of our changing profession.
APhA Annual Conference
Matthew Dinh
APhA Annual is one of the biggest celebrations of the year for pharmacists across the country.
In addition to attending policy hearings, educational
sessions, and networking socials, Annual (held in
San Antonio, TX this year) is where pharmacists and
student pharmacists are recognized for the accomplishments and impacts they have made within the
profession during the past year. Though the awards
and recognition were significant for students and
associated faculty at the USC School of Pharmacy, it
was especially meaningful for members of Phi Delta
Chi-Omicron Chapter.
This year, many of our chapter’s members
were nationally recognized for the leadership, service, and dedication they demonstrated for the school, community, and profession. Elina Baskina and Gina Gornov, two second-year students took home the National Award for Operation Diabetes, an award USC has been
gunning for the past few years. Dr. Scott Evans, a PDC-Omicron Alum was presented with the Albert B. Prescott/GlaxoSmithKline Leadership Award for his constant efforts of maintaining quality assurance at University
Hospital, right here at USC. Dr. Jeff Goad, also a PDC-Omicron Alum and well-known professor on campus
received the APhA Community Pharmacy Residency Excellence in Precepting Award.
Our proudest accomplishment as PDC-Omicron came from Bonnie Hui, a third-year student who not
only received the APhA-ASP Student Leadership Award, but was also announced to serve APhA on a national
level as APhA-ASP Member-At-Large, a co-position
that she campaigned for throughout the entire conference. Bonnie’s Omicron brothers all agreed that helping her campaign heightened the conference experience by inspiring them to continue actively participating in the changes pharmacists and student pharmacists can make in health care. In doing so, APhA Annual 2009 proved to be an accomplished, successful,
and enjoyable weekend away for the brothers of Phi
Delta Chi.
CONGRATUALATIONS PDC
ON ALL OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS !!!
Bonnie Hui: - APhA-ASP National Member-At-Large
- APhA-ASP Student Leadership Award
Kalsang Dorji - NCPA SEC National President Elect
Margie Patel - Rho Chi National Chapter Project Proposal Award
Elina Baskina & Gina Gornov - Operation Diabetes National Winners
Dr. Scott Evans - Albert B. Prescott Leadership Award
Dr. Jeff Goad - APhA Community Pharmacy Residency Excellence in Precepting
Award
ASSP:
Jackie Manougian – President
Steven Cheng - Chair of Finance
Emily Delkhah – Executive Secretary
Amy Ta - QSAD Representative
Susan Shakib - HSC Liaison
Tania Houspian - Director of Community Health
APSA:
Joyce Choi - CPhA Board of Trustees Representative
Derrick Garcia - Director of Financial Affairs
Jason Lebowitz - Director of Membership
Steven Cheng - Director of Professional Affairs
Karen Gana - IPSF Representative
Minh Truong - Director of Cancer Awareness
Tina Patel - Director of Heartburn Awareness
Sana Vaiyani - Director of Interdisciplinary Care
Amy Wu - Director of Local Associations-CPhA
Aubrey Moreau - Director of Operation Diabetes
Laura Van Wechel & Ashley Weismann - Director of Poison Prevention/AWARE
Rho Chi:
Stella Amranyan
Tim Bensman
Stephanie Carrillo
Joyce Choi
Tania Houspian
Anthony Lorenzana
Maryam Nowakhtar
Nadine Ozdemir
Jasminben Patel
Toan Vo
Boratha Yeang
Phi Lambda Sigma:
Bonnie Hui – President
Kalsang Dorji
Yousef Rahyab
CAPSLEAD:
Derek Garcia
Jason Lebowitz
Yazmin O'Quinn
Tina Patel
Sana Vaiyani
Laura Van Wechel
VAPSA:
My Duong & Amy Ta – Director of Social Affairs
NCPA:
Matthew Keushguerian and Nazeli Paronian : Co-Presidents
Hasmig Ekmekdjian: Vice President
Stella Amranyan: Director of Records
Artak Kerimian: Director of Finance
Maryam Nowakhtar: Director of External Affairs
Tanaz Kohan: Director of Legislative Affairs
Jaquelyn Manougian: Director of Compounding
Emily Delkhah and Susan Shakib: Directors of Membership
Bahar Yaghoubian: Director of Communication
Anna Naapetyan, Sarah Moy, and Roya Rahmanian:
Directors of Professional Projects
4th Year Class Board
Pargol Khorsandi – Vice President
Lisa Marie Serrano-Eftychiou– Secretary
Jessica De Giacomo – CC Rep
3rd Year Class Board
Hasmig Ekmekdjian – CC Rep
2nd Year Class Board
Aileen Chu – CC Rep
APhA-ASP MEMBER-AT-LARGE
BONNIE HUI
Established in 1983, the APhA Student Leadership Awards recognize outstanding academic achievement and leadership ability in APhA-ASP at the local,
regional, and national levels of students who are currently in their next to the last year of pharmacy school.
The awards are endowed by Procter & Gamble Health
Care.
"Bonnie Hui, Pharm.D. Candidate, University of
Southern California has been described contagious – in
a good way- through her energy and positive attitude.
Bonnie’s involvement and leadership in APhA-ASP
has no bounds as she has served at the local, regional,
and national levels. Bonnie has been an active member of her state pharmacy association and
also had the opportunity to travel to Ghana for IPSF activities and used her blog to keep the
entire school updated with life in Ghana and how the experience altered her life."
In addition, a panel of judges chose Bonnie Hui as the 2008 Wal-Mart RESPy Award
winner for her demonstration of ―commendable conduct and potential as a community pharmacist.‖
What has your experience been like receiving these awards?
- It was definitely an honor receiving both of these awards. I've learned that true leadership
comes from passion and service to a cause greater than oneself.
What advice do you have for your brothers?
- Once you find where your deepest joys meets the world's greatest needs, you've found the
fuel for ultimate leadership.
APhA National Award for Operation Diabetes
ELINA BASKINA AND GINA GORNOV
APhA (American Pharmacist Association) Annual
Meeting 2009 held in San Antonio, TX was an exciting time
for the USC School of Pharmacy students. Among many
awards we took home was the
National Award for Operation
Diabetes. The Academy of
Student Pharmacists commended us on "thinking outside the box" by recognizing
that diabetes is a disease state
that involves the care of many
professionals. Although we
have participated in numerous
health fairs, educational presentations, and community outreach events over the past year, ASP focused on our Diabetes Awareness Month Health Fair, that was held in conjunction with the Latino
Diabetes Association. At the Health Fair, visitors received diabetes, hypertension, dental and body
fat analysis screenings. ASP lauded our efforts to collaborate with our fellow health care professionals by involving the medical and dental students from the USC Health Sciences Campus in
this unique event. In addition to screening our community for existing cases of diabetes, we focused heavily on prevention, targeting all age groups from elementary school children, to high
school students, to adults with innovative presentations tools tailored to each group's needs. All of
this and more has been a part of our campaign to continue the legacy of this project and hopefully
take some steps towards stopping this complex and debilitating disease.
NCPA STUDENT EXECUTIVE COUNCIL PRESIDENT
KALSANG DORJI
In the past year, I have been given the great
opportunity to serve as NCPA Student Executive
Council National President-Elect. Starting in May
2009, I began my term as National Student President.
I work directly with 15 other students coming from
NCPA chapters across the country. Our Executive
Council serves as oversight for each of the 98 NCPA
Student Chapters, providing them with essential information about NCPA initiatives and programs.
Further, our board assists each chapter with building
membership, community outreach, legislative awareness, and educational programming. Each executive
council member makes 2 visits to NCPA student chapters each year and provides an up to date
presentation of the NCPA student initiatives. Finally, we are responsible for the NCPA Annual
Convention student programming with goals to allow students to learn all the key steps towards
ownership and make invaluable connections with pharmacy owners.
Our USC NCPA Chapter has won the National Chapter of the Year Award for 4 straight
years and placed in the top 10 in the highly competitive Pruitte Schute Business Plan Competition.
Our key programming is our educational module series—―The Recipe to Owning Your Own Pharmacy‖. This module series provides a new speaker each month that provides expertise in a different aspect to owning a pharmacy. Our speakers have covered many topics, including: ―How to
write a business plan‖, ―How to Develop a Junior Partnership‖, ―Working with a Wholesaler‖, and
―Pharmacists Lobbying Bootcamp 101‖. We have achieved a great deal as a student chapter, but
we could not be so successful without the support of the independent pharmacists in the Los Angeles area who come to support and speak at many of our events.
Omicron Graduating Class
Carla Blieden
Mona Cervantes
Jennifer Do
Kristin Khalaf
Kimberly Lau
Kristi Manley
Lorig Matosian
Phuong Nguyen
James Pope
Dema Sabha
Steven Sage
Lusine Sargsyan
Diti Shah
Estella Wu
What are their future plans?
Kristin Khalaf
What are your plans for next year?
I will be doing a two year fellowship and MS program with Allergan and the University
of Arizona specializing in Pharmaceutical Economics, Policy, and Outcomes Research.
What was your favorite memory from PDC?
Watching our friendships develop and strengthen over time - a true testament to PDC
brotherhood.
What advice would you give to your younger PDC brothers?
Explore ALL possible career options and keep an open mind. A PharmD is one of the
most versatile degrees out there, so make sure you do your research and find your own
niche where you know you will have professional satisfaction!
Kristi Manley
What are your plans for next year: I plan on working for CVS, but I am applying to work
in the prison system.
What was your favorite memory from PDC: I think the scavenger hunt was so much fun
and it was a great chance to get to know the rest of the pledges. Also, football games are
probably the best memories I have of USC.
What advice would you give to your younger PDC brothers: Make sure you study hard
but have fun in the process. This is your last chance to enjoy school!
Sheena Patel
What are your plans for next year: I’m going to be doing my Pharmacy Practice Residency at the VA inWest LA.
What was your favorite memory from PDC: Egg fight!
What advice would you give to your younger PDC brothers: Don't sweat the small
stuff, because it really doesn't matter. Don't burn bridges, and if you have, go fix them.
Trust the system - if all the Brothers before you made it through, so can you.