University of Southern California

Phi Delta Chi
AE
Omichronicle
AA
University of Southern California
2010 . 2011
A A A E
Omichronicle
Table of Contents
Letter From the Advisor -------------------------------------------- 01
Executive Board Reports ---------------------------------- 02 - 09
Incoming Executive Board --------------------------------------- 10
Summer Events ---------------------------------------------------- 11 - 13
Rush Events --------------------------------------------------------------14 - 16
Welcoming the Empire Pledge Class ------------17 - 20
Professional Events ---------------------------------------------- 21 - 26
Brotherhood Events -------------------------------------------- 27 - 29
Conferences and Global Projects ------------------ 30 - 35
Health Fairs & Community Outreach ------- 36 - 42
End-of-Year Events ------------------------------------------------ 43 - 44
Special Recognition --------------------------------------------- 45 - 49
Phi Delta Chi
Letter From tHe Advisor
It has been a pleasure and honor to serve as the Phi Delta Chi Omicron
Chapter faculty advisor for the last several years. The 2010-2011
academic year was very exciting and productive. Worthy Chief Counselor
Derrick Garcia provides more details in his report. The following briefly
outlines some of the house’s remarkable achievements that make me
proud to be an alumnus and the Omicron faculty advisor.
The year started with a very strong pledge drive that included three
rush events. In particular, the Wine and Cheese rush and event brought
together prospective pledges with actives and a broad range of Omicron
alumni to truly understand what Phi Delta Chi is within the USC School of
Pharmacy and beyond. The pledging process resulted in 53 remarkable
new initiates into the fraternity.
The year’s other activities were balanced between an outstanding array
of academics, health fairs, social activities and a strong demonstration
of leadership. The academic arm offered tutoring to pledges, actives
and others within and outside of the School of Pharmacy. The actives
also distinguished themselves through their strong representation on
Rho Chi, as officers in student organizations and through research and
professional publications. The actives also devoted considerable time to
the community through a high degree of involvement in health fairs and
other activities. This included continued expansion of fund raising efforts
for St. Jude. The year ended with the Active/Alumni Awards Banquet.
The Omicron Alumni Association continued their high level of support for
the actives. This included participation in rush events as well as providing
funds to help actives attend the Leadership Conference and other
meetings, as well as helping to support social activities. The actives and
alumni worked together in several arenas including mailing the Alumni
News Letter and tail gate parties before football games.
In closing, this was a wonderful year. It gives me great pleasure to help the
actives achieve their goals. I look forward to another great year.
Alterium Alterius Auxilio Eget
Ron Alkana, Pharm.D.
1
A A A E
Executive Board Reports
Worthy Chief Counselor:
Derek Garcia
Serving as Worthy Chief Counselor for the 2010
– 2011 school year has truly been one of the most
rewarding and valuable experiences of my life. It is a
great responsibility to continue on the traditions of such
a long and storied organization and I feel honored to
have been a part of that tradition through my service
this year. I feel nothing but pride and gratitude towards
my board and our membership for being able to come
together to organize and execute such a successful year.
Our year began with 3 great rush events, weeks of
pledging and ultimately the crossing of 53 new brothers
into our fraternity. Mentoring, educating, and crossing 53
2
new brothers was no easy task but I am truly inspired by
the level of passion that our new “Empire” pledge class
brings to our fraternity. They all have shown that they
truly understand the mission and vision of our fraternity.
Other highlights of our year include two of our brothers
who traveled to India to teach diabetes screening
techniques and education to local pharmacy students,
our 2nd annual scholarship dinner, a collegiate/alumni
BBQ tailgate at the home of alumnus brother of the year
Jim Roache, the continued expansion of our St. Jude
prescription for hope fund raisers, and our end of the
year collegiate/alumni AAAE banquet. These are just
a few of this year’s accomplishments, and throughout
this publication you will find stories of how our Omicron
brothers truly are proud to represent the Phi Delta Chi
Professional Pharmacy Fraternity.
I am very grateful for being able to represent such
a diverse and accomplished group of people over this
past year. It is truly humbling to be associated with the
caliber of men and women within our Omicron chapter.
I thank all of my brothers on board and in the general
chapter for making my year as WCC so successful and
one in which I will cherish for the rest of my life. I have
nothing but confidence in the future leadership of our
organization and in the new initiates. I know that they
will continue to take our chapter and fraternity to new
heights not imagined before. AAAE.
I can’t believe the 2010-2011 year has already
come to an end! I’ll be honest- this year was extremely
hectic but it has really paid off. My role as WVC started
out by attending the St. Jude Collegiate Leadership
Seminar which was the most rewarding part of my
duties. This once in a lifetime experience sent me to
Memphis, Tennessee to visit and tour the St. Jude’s
facilities, see the pharmacy dedicated to Phi Delta Chi,
network with a bunch of brothers from other schools
around the nation, and most importantly, learn about
the importance of fundraising for this wonderful
cause.
Once I returned from Memphis, it was already time for
school and straight into “rush mode”. While I spent a
lot of my time behind the scenes, I got to know quite
a few of our future pledges throughout the process.
After rush, came the lineups and me working even
more behind the scenes but I did get to step up a few
Phi Delta Chi
Worthy Vice Counselor: Erin Hamai
times and act like a WCC! I don’t think anyone was
happier than me when I-night finally rolled around but
that’s another story…
My biggest contribution for our spring semester
was our St. Jude Letter Writing Campaign. All my hard
work and training that I did in the summer came in
handy and I coordinated a successful event with our
St. Jude representative. I will admit most of the hard
work was done by the pledges because they had to
collect addresses and write the actual letters but I did
my share of sealing and stuffing envelopes afterwards.
So glad our event was a success [minus the part where
I jammed the local mail box- oops!].
As I look back at our year, I could not be happier with
the progress we have made with our chapter. I wish
next year’s board the best of luck in continuing our
success. AAAE!
3
A A A E
Worthy Keeper of Records and Seals:
4
JESSICA LOUIE
It has been an honor serving
as Worthy Keeper of Records & Seals
(WKRS) for the 2010-2011 school
year! After going through rush last
year and attending our chapter’s
annual winter retreat and Region
VII’s Regional Meeting last spring, I
knew how much Phi Delta Chi meant
to me and wanted to become more
intimately involved in the fraternity
and maintain the tradition created
by previous Brothers.
Believe it or not, WKRS is
more than performing mindless
secretarial work. In addition to
announcing
upcoming
events
and meetings, taking attendance,
updating the roster list, and
recording the minutes, I also helped
coordinate and facilitate rush
events, created a semester calendar
of chapter events and helped my
Serving
as
the
Worthy
Correspondent for Omicron this past
year has been a truly remarkable
experience. Although my job consisted
mostly of filling out monthly reports to
send to the national office, I was also
in charge of various other little things,
i.e. ordering the new sweatshirts for
our new Brothers-to-be and printing the
awards for Scholarship Dinner.
To all of those who are curious
about my position and what occurs
behind the scenes: yes, writing all
those monthly reports was sometimes
painful, and yes, there were difficulty at
times in collaborating with other board
members and getting them to turn in
their work on time. But despite all of
this, serving as the WC was a rewarding
fellow board members throughout
the year.
Two
of
my
greatest
accomplishments as WKRS were
creating national and chapter
fundraisers to benefit St. Jude
Prescription for Hope Foundation
and organizing a ‘Box Top for
Education’ initiative to donate to
a local underserved elementary
school. These two initiatives were
the highlights of my position and
another reason why my position
was so unique—because it was
multifaceted and allowed me to
expand the community service and
charity work in our chapter.
Overall, it was an absolute
pleasure serving as WKRS this year.
I know that my passion for Phi Delta
Chi will forever continue—Brothers
for Life!
Worthy Correspondent:
experience. I was able to work with
others who I would not normally work
with. I was able to challenge myself with
something new. And it was because of
this position that I learned more about
the fraternity and connected with PDC
on a national level.
This past year has been an
amazing year and I have grown a
lot during this experience. I have
become a better leader and a better
communicator. I am thankful for this
wonderful opportunity and very proud
of all the accomplishments we have
achieved this year (and all of those
reports that we wrote. Thank you to
everyone who contributed!) And finally,
thank you Omicron Brothers, AAAE!
Karissa Le
Phi Delta Chi
Worthy Prelate:
Aubrey Moreau
Can someone in this house
please tell me what a Worthy
Prelate is?
As a 3rd year I was fearful
about running for a position, after
being nominated I was honored
and ran with it. WCC Derek and I
started up with a Summer Board
Retreat for his and WCC Jordan’s
board turnover. The Winter Retreat
was another success in Las Vegas,
NV. We found a great deal on a
house that slept 60 brothers with
visitors from other chapters.
We came up with a great
approach of pushing are fraternity
towards the same “Winning”
direction. Some brothers may still
Worthy Keeper of Finance:
be in that house to this day?
Throughout
the
year
brothers were presented with
monthly birthdays and a reason to
celebrate. There were a few losses
this year that brothers approached
together, helping provide AAAE.
Our fraternity did not need a ton
of motivation for we are awesome
so that made my job as the
motivational member easier.
With new award nominations
and elections the chapter of
Omicron turns another page. We
will see what happens next year,
and if anyone can figure out what
the hell a WP is?
Andy Williams
This
past
year
I served as Omicron’s
Worthy Keeper of Finance.
In the summer before the
start of the school year,
the WCC and I developed
a budget to cover our
chapter’s activities for
the school year. Through
working closely with our
WCC, and the rest of our
PDC Board, I strengthened
my fraternal bonds with my
brothers. I
collected
everyone’s
dues
and
handled all reimbursements
for the year, allowing me
to come into contact with
every single brother in our
chapter.
Serving as our
WKF also gave me the
opportunity to work closely
with the treasurer of our
102nd Pledge Class, Anna
Bezman. I have served on
our chapter’s board in the
past, but this has been
an amazing experience
that I would not trade for
anything.
5
A A A E
Worthy Inner Guard:
Serving as Worthy Inner
Guard (WIG) for the 2010-2011
EMPIRE pledge class has been
the most rewarding leadership
position I have held in pharmacy
school. As WIG, I was responsible
for attending all pledge events,
having weekly pledge meetings
with the EMPIRE pledge class,
ensuring all pledges were in
abidance with Phi Delta Chi
bylaws, and served as the liaison
between the active chapter
professional projects:
6
Ashlee Klevens
and the EMPIRE pledge class.
Being constantly surrounded
and immersed by fifty-four first
and second years, as well as
collaborating with our Worthy
Board, taught me many lessons
of how to carry myself and lead
others with dignity and renewed
my commitment to not only our
future profession of pharmacy,
but also to the Omicron Phi Delta
Chi chapter.
saleema Kapadia & Grace cheng
This year, as Directors of Professional
Projects, we supervised Cholesterol
Awareness's attendance at all the health
fairs. Our brothers participated in over
20 health fairs, screened over 900
participants, and educated over 4000
people within the Los Angeles County,
Orange County, and San Bernardino
County. This year presented additional
challenges and opportunities because
Cholesterol Awareness is now part of the
region-winning APhA project known as
Operation Heart. Many Omicron brothers
have helped and supported us with
Phi Delta Chi's Professional Projects by
participating in the health fairs, manning
the screening stations, and providing
education to the participants. In addition
to the health fairs, Omicron brothers
have united to reach out to Los Angeles
County and even beyond our nation's
borders.
With constant hard work and sincere
dedication of our brothers, especially the
Health Fair Coordinator, Vlada Treynker,
and brother Parth Parikh, we were able
to plan and execute a very successful
annual Phi Delta Chi Health Fair in
collaboration with the USC Global Health
Committee. The health fair took place
during Global Health Awareness week
on April 9th, 2011 in Harbor City, CA and
was titled "Pollution Solutions" in honor
of World Health Day.
Although Cholesterol Awareness
is considered the Omicron's main
service project, our brothers actively
participated and led other professional
events throughout the past year.
Omicron chapter's enthusiasm and
passion for participating in various
professional and community events
brought the entire chapter together. Not
only do the Omicron brothers actively
participate in health fairs, they also
make it their responsibility to act as role
models for children and guide others in
the pharmacy field to do the same. The
Omicron chapter continues its reach and
service in the local communities as well
as on an international level.
Being able to represent
the active chapter and work with
the alumni board of directors
was a rewarding experience. The
alumni have always supported
the active chapter by giving
advice, attending events, or helping financially. I was proud
to be able to share the Omicron
chapter’s accomplishments and
continued development, none of
which would be possible without
alumni support. To give back to
the alumni, the active chapter
coordinates mailing out the
quarterly newsletter to all of our
alums.
The alumni board shared
their wealth of experience and
made it easier for me to organize
joint events. Some highlights
of this year were the Wine and
Cheese Rush Event and the
Annual Awards Banquet. The
Wine and Cheese Rush Event
allowed potential pledges to meet
Omicron alumni in a variety of
pharmacy fields. At banquet, the
Dean of the School of Pharmacy
was present as we recognized
alums for their achievements in
pharmacy.
Omicron brothers have
always been passionate about
USC football and this year was
no exception. I was designated
to organize and reserve a spot
for tailgates at home games.
Before each game, the alumni
and active chapter socialized
as they prepared to watch the
game. In addition, one of our
alumni hosted a barbeque in
his backyard for one of the away
games.
I would like to thank the
alumni for their support of all of
the active chapter’s events. I look
forward to the Omicron chapter’s
continued growth and hope to
support the active chapter as an
alumnus myself next year.
Worthy master-at-arms:
steven cheng
Phi Delta Chi
Worthy alumni liason:
Hovik Mekhijian
It was a great experience to be
the Worthy Master-At-Arms this year at
the Omicron chapter. My main role as
the WMA was to make sure that the
pledges understood the purpose and
history of our fraternity, as well as to
ensure that the pledge requirements
were met and exceeded. This year
we had the task of educating and
guiding fifty two pledges to cross into
our brotherhood, and the task was
easy due to the cohesiveness of our
dynamic board.
As Worthy-Master-At-Arms, I
was required to be at every fraternal
event. I also had the opportunity to
plan a few gatherings and events this
year during rush and with some of the
other fraternities on campus.
This year, I helped organize an
all-you-can-eat taco night during rush
which gave active brothers a chance to
meet the new incoming class of 2014.
I was also able to set up a Bowlathon
with the Lambda Kappa Sigma chapter
at our school. This event gave brothers
from both fraternities a chance to get to
know each other and have a great time
bowling. Serving as Omicron’s WMA
has equipped me with the tools to be a
better leader in my future endeavors.
7
A A A E
Looking back to my
first days of pharmacy school I
remember how grateful I was to all
the upperclassmen brothers. The
workload was very intense, which
made it was hard to find enough
time in the day to get everything
accomplished. While pledging
for Phi Delta Chi I realized I was
not alone. A brother was always
available to help academically,
socially, and emotionally. Our
brothers offered study tips, guides,
webmasters:
8
academic chair:
leo beygelman
and past notes to make sure no
brother was left behind. They took
time to set up reviews sessions
for the classes many were having
difficulty with. It was through these
actions that I truly learned the
meeting of our motto, Alterum
Alterius Auxilio Eget. Two years
later our bond is even stronger and
we are all there for each other.
After my experience as a
first year I knew I wanted to give
back to our fraternity. I decided to
become academic chair because I
felt that was a position I can help
the most number of brothers. I
had a good grasp of the material
we went through and I enjoy
sharing my knowledge. My stand
from the beginning was to leave
no brother behind. My goal was
to facilitate open communication
between pledge and active. I
did everything in my power to
ensure that brothers were able to
comfortably approach each other
for academic assistance. My first
duty was to meet all the pledges
and to show them I care about
their success. I was available by
e-mail, phone, and in person and
I did my best to get an answer or
provide help immediately. Initially,
I sent a comprehensive summary
of each class, how I got through
it, and what everyone should
expect. I constantly encouraged
them to stay on task and always
used words of encouragement for
motivation. I also always supported
the pledges studying together and
helping each other. I even worked
with our board to make sure
academics was always a priority
for the new brothers. In addition
to the individual focus I tried to
impart on every pledge, I set up
midterm and final reviews for the
class as a whole. This task would
have been impossible without the
help of fellow brothers. Once again
I was impressed with the strength
and capability of our brotherhood.
I was academic chair
because I wanted to support
my brothers just as they have
supported me. Hopefully, the spirit
of AAAE will only get stronger in the
coming years.
John Ko / Jay Parikh
As
webmasters,
we
were
responsible for updating and maintaining
the website which is frequently utilized by
our brothers to not only stay in touch with
each other but to also access electronic
resources made available exclusively to
brothers of the Omicron chapter.
During rush, we helped create the
media needed for the presentation to
the first year class as well as the various
flyers and rush materials used to promote
our events. We also provided technical
support for various functions throughout
the year.
We have also been promoting
the use of the new national Phi Delta
Chi social networking website which was
launched earlier this year. We hope that
the availability of all these electronic
resources will not only bring the brothers
of the Omicron chapter closer to each
other, but will also make networking with
brothers from other chapters easier as
well. We had a wonderful time serving
on this year's board and we are looking
forward to all the new and exciting things
our brothers have planned for next year!
Phi Delta Chi
historians:
emmanuel Paraiso / vickie yang
As historians, our
primary duties involved
designing flyers for rush
events, taking pictures at all
Phi Delta Chi events, creating
slideshows featuring the
brotherhood,
organizing
the composite photograph,
and putting together the
Omichronicle. The school
year kicked off and quickly
spiraled into making rush
flyers
and
slideshows
featuring the leadership
and brotherhood within the
fraternity - both in the USC
School of Pharmacy and on a
national level.
social chairs:
Our theme for the
year was "Thank Us Later" a spin-off the popular artist,
Drake's, new album at the
time. Throughout the year
we consistently took pictures
at all fraternity events and
eventually organized them
into slideshows at the end
of year banquet. Looking
back, we can honestly say
we had a lot of fun serving
as historians for Phi Delta
Chi and look forward to the
endeavors and continued
success of next year's board.
AAAE.
raymond chao / Malte napp
As social chairs, our first responsibility was
planning the three rush events to meet the potential
pledges. At these rush events, the active brothers
were able to share their thoughts and feelings about
being part of the Phi Delta Chi Brotherhood with the
incoming class.
Our first rush event was a barbeque at Hazard
Park where the active brothers provided homemade
goods as well as barbeque essentials. During the
barbeque, brothers of the fraternity were able to
meet some of the new prospective brothers and
were able to share some of their experiences. The
second rush event was the Alumni Wine and Cheese
at Almansor Court. We invited our alumni to speak
with the students about how the fraternity helped with
advancing their academic and professional careers.
This event was successful at demonstrating the lasting
influence that the fraternity has on its members even
after graduating. Our last rush event was at Barney’s
Beanery, which provided a more casual setting for
potential pledges to get to know the active brothers
on a more personal level.
Aside from the
rush events, we
also collaborated
with the other
fraternities to hold
a “Tri-Frat” clubbing
event to kick off
the school year.
This was an
excellent opportunity to socialize with the other
students on campus and to strengthen our
relationships with the other fraternities.
Our last event was the 102nd banquet that we held
at the Kyoto Grand Hotel and Garden in Los Angeles.
The banquet was a great way to end a successful year
by recognizing the distinguished alumni and members
that have contributed to our fraternity. We also
honored our graduating brothers and also initiated
the new pledges. It has been a busy year, but it has
been a truly rewarding experience to contribute to the
fraternity and we are happy we decided to undertake
this task.
9
A A A E
Congratulations
Incoming Board 2011-2012
Worthy Chief Counselor
Hovik Mekhijian
Worthy Vice Counselor
Zain Al-Shamiyeh
Worthy Keeper of Records and Seals
Nishta Patel
Worthy Correspondent
Sylvia Nguyen
Worthy Inner Guard
Diane Morgan
Worthy Master at Arms
Dan Link
Worthy Prelate
George Kohan
Worthy Keeper of Finance
Leonid Beygelman
Worthy Alumni Liason
Ty Smalling
Director of Professional Projects:
Chris Clark and Denise Mullery
Academic Chair
Mutaz Ahmad
Social Chairs
Robin Bricker-Ford & Maria Rouchanian
Historians
Arthur Librea and Jeffrey Tran
Health Fair Coordinator
Joseph Jaraba
Webmasters
Andy Williams and Henry Ho
10
Derek Garcia
Prior to the start of our academic
school year, our Omicron Board Members
gathered for a Summer Retreat in the
beautiful city of Long Beach, California.
We gathered in the morning ready to
work and had a very productive 8-hour
meeting at a local hotel meeting room.
Our round table meeting and discussion
was filled with scheduling activities,
setting goals, the pledging process &
requirements, planning our annual health
fair, and developing methods for active
participation within the chapter. The 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. We ended the night
with a dinner at a local café where we
continued to discuss future events and
have some fun. We left that night having
accomplished much and looked forward
to implementing the ideas that we came
up with in the coming year.
PS
I
Love
You
S
A
ahar
lnatour
Every year, the brothers of
Phi Delta Chi participate in an event
called "PS I Love You." The purpose
of this event is to act as mentors
for a day, to an at-risk child, while
spending a fun day at the beach.
This year, brothers Jason Lebowitz,
Chris Munoz, Derek Garcia, Aubrey
Moreau, and Sahar Alnatour,
participated in this event. The
foundation was organized "to create
positive and personal differences
in the lives of at-risk children
so they can achieve productive
lives, live with healthy habits and
maintain peaceful attitudes toward
themselves and others." Each
member was paired up with an
at-risk youth and the pair enjoyed
a day of swimming, flying kites,
and even boogie-boarding at the
beach. By mentoring the children
there, the brothers of Phi Delta Chi
demonstrated their service to the
community and their dedication to
influencing the lives of others.
Phi Delta Chi
Summer Board Retreat
11
A A A E
St Jude Leadership Conference
Erin Hamai
During the weekend of July
30th 2010, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital hosted its annual
Collegiate
Leadership
Seminar
in Memphis, Tennessee.
This
conference is designed to gather
representatives from the various
organizations including Phi Delta Chi,
Delta Delta Delta, Tau Kappa Epsilon,
and Up ‘Til Dawn, that pledge to raise
money every year for St. Jude’s cause.
Those who attended this conference
had the opportunity to tour St. Jude’s
extensive campus, meet some of the
St. Jude patients and their families,
and attend workshops to learn how
to raise more money and awareness
12
for St. Jude.
Although the majority of
the attendees were not Phi Delta
Chi brothers, there were enough
attendees to exchange ideas and
suggestions for the upcoming year
regarding fundraising and letter
writing. It was a great opportunity
to network with brothers from
various states as well as to meet
other members in the Greek system.
The conference emphasized the
importance of St. Jude’s cause and
motivated everyone for the successful
year in spreading the word of St.
Jude.
Phi Delta Chi
Alumni Tailgate
Ty Smalling
A crux of Omicron Phi Dex tradition is tailgating
USC home football games. The tailgates allow us to
emerse ourselves in school pride as well as synapse
with fellow fraternity brothers and alumni. Every
tailgate attracts alumni Phi Dex members in addition
to the actives, allowing both parties to connect with
pharmacy and Phi Dex heritage and future. The warm
Southern California sun overhead beckoned out even
our most studious members from the chasms of the
nearby campus library, and allowed them a respite
from the rigors of school life in the form of a barbequed
burger and company of friends.
Per tradition, the Omicron chapter of Phi
Delta Chi set up a tailgate for homecoming. Pledges
were placed in charge of securing a tailgate location,
providing supplies, and assisting with a special alumni
tailgate. We were most proud to see the full attendance
of Phi Dex pledges and numerous PDC alumns. The
pharmacy school dean made his presence felt by
pounding a piñata of an Oregon duck! One might say
the tailgate was a complete smash!
13
A A A E
Rush One:/ Barbeque
Malte Napp
Our first rush event took place at Hazard Park
adjacent to campus. We chose this location to make it
most convenient for the new pharmacy class. Our goal
was to attract a diverse group of students so that our
fraternity could truly get to know the new first years.
Annually, we encourage active members to show off
their cooking skills and typically end up with a wide
variety of goods. Phi Delta Chi has always emphasized
diversity within the fraternity and therefore we wanted
to make sure that there was something for everybody.
Some of this year’s treats included, homemade stuffed
habaneros, Jamaican jerked chicken, Chinese BBQ
chicken, enchiladas, in addition to the regular hot dogs
and burgers.
14
Thanks to the good attendance by both actives
and new students, most of the prospective pledges
found someone they connected with. Overall we received
very positive feedback, since most of the students
were able to form new friendships with brothers of the
fraternity. Upperclassmen shared some of their
experiences, in order to make the transition to pharmacy
school easier for the new class. Rush event #1 is always
one of the most important events, since ultimately this
event is a major contributor towards attendance for the
other rush events put on by the fraternity. We were glad
the BBQ turned out well and excited to meet the new
class.
Raymond Chao
The Alumni Wine and Cheese
event gave the rushees a chance to
meet our distinguished Alumni as well
as the active brothers of the Omicron
Chapter. This year’s Wine and Cheese
event was held at Almansor Court in
Alhambra, about 15 minutes away
from campus. Following the welcome
introduction, we had Alumni Garrett
Ow, Ravi Singh, Bonnie Hui-Callahan,
and Chi Cheng speak about their
involvement with Phi Delta Chi and
how it has shaped them professionally
and socially. Each speaker comes
from a different field in pharmacy and
their experiences demonstrated the
potential of becoming a brother.
Following the speeches, the
rushees engaged in a round table
discussion with our Alumni to learn
more about what our fraternity has to
offer. The active brothers were also
available to share their thoughts or to
answer any questions regarding our
chapter.
To finish off the night, active
brother Emmanuel Paraiso presented
a slideshow that showcased our
professional awards and achievements
from the previous year. The event
was successful in highlighting the
professional side of Phi Delta Chi and
we give special thanks to the Alumni
and active brothers that made this
event possible.
Phi Delta Chi
Rush Two:/ Wine and Cheese
15
A A A E
Rush Three:/ Barneys Beanery
Malte Napp
Our final rush event was held at Barney’s
Beanery in Pasadena. We tried to keep this event
more casual, so that the potential initiates truly felt
comfortable in mingling with all active brothers. Over
some drinks and good food interested students could
learn about our chapter’s values and activities. Many
of the attending students took full advantage of the
free billiard tables and challenged active brothers for
friendly games of 8 Ball.
For this event we had an exceptional turnout.
There were many potential pledges showing interest
in joining our fraternity. Given that this was the final
rush event, active members were encouraged to meet
with most of the attending students. In addition to
mingling, we also wanted to provide Brothers of Phi
16
Delta Chi the opportunity to assess which students
had what it takes to become a successful leader in
the fraternity. Ultimately, brothers of Phi Delta Chi
were able to successfully convey the core values and
interests of the fraternity without pressuring potential
pledges into joining. After the event was over, active
brothers met in secrecy in order to determine which
students would be given the prospect to pledge the
Omicron Chapter of Phi Delta Chi. Even if the end of
rushing was a bitter sweet moment, the brothers of
Phi Delta Chi were excited about allowing new pledges
to make everlasting memories and providing them
with a unique opportunity in enhancing their careers
as future pharmacists.
Phi Delta Chi
Welcome,
Empire Pledge Class
17
A A A E
Empire Library Happy Hour
Jay Parikh
The year was quickly underway:
before the pledges knew it, they were
knee deep in class projects and exams.
Pledges struggled to divide their time
between classes, late nights in Norris
Medical Library and the rare moments to
catch up on eating and sleeping. To help
the pledges I proposed to the board that
we have a "Library Happy Hour" to help
relieve the stress that was accumulating
from their long days and impending tests.
The board approved funding for food
and beverages and I arranged to have a
room reserved where pledges could come
hang out while they consumed a typical
Seaver Pledge Lunch
Rosemarie Cosgayon
During the pledging process,
it became a bit of a challenge
to get to know everyone in a
pledge class of approximately
sixty students. To get to know
each other better, I set up a
pledge lunch with about twenty
of my fellow pledge brothers at
the school marketplace. I asked
that everyone get to know their
pledge brothers and it was a
great experience because we
would ask each other questions
and it ended up being a great
story-telling experience. All of us
would just listen in on whoever
was speaking and we found out
some of our pledge brothers
played guitar, recently got
18
married, played various sports,
worked at different biotech
companies, and many more
interesting facts. Also, it was a
great opportunity for us to get to
know some of the pledges that
were second year pharmacy
students. Outside of pledging,
we did not really see the second
years as often and knew very
little about them. This was our
chance to get to know them and
also get some guidance from
them. Overall, having our pledge
lunch was a great way for us to
learn more about each other
and it was the start of many
friendships.
pharmacy student's essential vitamins
and nutrients in the form of pizza and
soda. Active brothers also attended to
mingle with the pledges and ease any
worries they had about their upcoming
exams. Pledges were eager to take some
time off from studying and socialize with
their fellow pledges and active brothers.
In the end, the night successfully
accomplished its goals: the pledges
were a little less stressed and their daily
nutritional requirements of pizza and soda
had been fulfilled.
Diane Morgan
The Bigs in my family were among
the first actives that I met through
rush, and the ones I grew closest to
throughout the pledging process. With
their guidance, support, and most
importantly, friendship, not only did I
successfully make it through pledging,
but I became settled into a new school,
city and completely new environment.
And so, it was my pleasure to
organize Omicron’s annual Big Bro/Little
Bro Dinner this year, to honor those Bigs
who had taken on the responsibility of
guiding their Littles through pledging
and agreed to be there to support them
with every step. The event was held at
President Thai, a Thai restaurant found
in the heart of Pico Rivera. With a wide
array of Thai dishes, ranging from the
restaurant’s signature beef dish to pad
thai and curry, even the vegetarians
amongst us had something delicious
to wolf down. The layout was perfect
to recognize the new families of Bigs
and Littles that had formed, while also
remembering that we are all still a part
of one large Omicron family.
This tradition to celebrate
the unique relationships and close
friendships that form between Bigs
and Littles, which will go beyond just
the span of pledging, is important
in acknowledging the special bonds
formed within our fraternity.
Phi Delta Chi
Big Lil Dinner
19
A A A E
Legislative Day
Henry Ho
On October 8th, 2010, the USC
School of Pharmacy held its annual
Legislative Day. The American Pharmacy
Student Alliance (APSA) and National
Community Pharmacists Association
(NCPA) helped host this event.
Several leaders and elected officials
were scheduled to attend, including
California’s State Controller John Chiang.
The pledges of the Omicron chapter of
Phi Delta Chi volunteered bright and
early to help prepare the venue for the
event. They were involved in greeting
the distinguished guests, setting up the
banquet room, and more.
Unfortunately, due to California’s
budget crisis, two of the scheduled
legislators were unable to attend.
However, Dr. Eric Gupta, the current
president of the California Pharmacists
Association, was kind enough to give
a presentation on the changing roles
of pharmacists and the profession.
We were fortunate enough to have Dr.
Steve Gray speak about the upcoming
20
changes in pharmacy legislation, and he
also discussed and answered questions
regarding health provider status for
pharmacists. Next, John Chiang spoke
about the ramifications of an unpassed
budget. Essentially, if the state doesn’t
have a budget for MediCal, the Controller
can’t issue checks. If the state can’t
issue checks, the pharmacies won’t
get paid for their work and services.
The Controller was also kind enough to
answer some questions regarding the
impact of health care reform on our
increasing budget deficit. Our very own
USC School of Pharmacy Dean R. Pete
Vanderveen spoke next on the value that
pharmacists could provide in handling
chronic diseases like diabetes. Lastly, Dr.
Neeraj Sood, a current professor at USC,
spoke on health policy and economics.
Overall, the event was a great
success, and the attendees left with a
greater understanding of the changes
and issues facing the pharmacy
profession.
Jessica Louie & Lev Protas
The 2nd Annual MockInterview Event was a day-long
event held for 80 pre-pharmacy
students from more than ten
undergraduate schools in
the California area. It was codirected by Jessica Louie and
Lev Protas, along with more
than 50 student pharmacist
volunteers.
Pre-pharmacy students
were given the opportunity to
experience a mock-interview
day before they applied or
interviewed at an actual
pharmacy school. Student
pharmacists
from
USC
conducted
mock-interviews
with the pre-pharmacy students
and gave them feedback and
advice. Pre-pharmacy students
Phi Delta Chi
Pre Pharmacy Mock Interviews
were given a mock writing
session where an essay was
completed and then edited
and reviewed by students
pharmacists.
Pre-pharmacy students
also participated in a resume
workshop
and
personal
statement workshops. Finally,
the pre-pharmacy students
attended
question
and
answer sessions to obtain
more information about the
application process and the USC
School of Pharmacy. Overall,
the event was successful
at preparing pre-pharmacy
students for the application
and interview process.
21
A A A E
Brotherhood Report
Nishta Patel
Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people
have to work at. ~ Maya Angelou
During my undergraduate years at USC, I was part of
a sisterhood where I was fortunate to build friendships
that will last a lifetime. Although there are many
similarities between a sisterhood among a sorority and
a brotherhood among a fraternity (some that many
pharmacy professionals will never dare to admit), there
is one apparent difference: a sisterhood will accept
you for who you are and accept your faults, but a
brotherhood will accept you for who you are and correct
your faults. Ultimately, Phi Delta Chi is a fraternity
that not only “promotes scholastic, professional, and
social growth in its Brothers,” but also builds leaders
who strive to improve as people and pharmacists in
the community. I thought I had a good understanding
of the Greek system until I joined the Phi Delta Chi
Fraternity. Pledging Phi Delta Chi has really helped me
to reform my definition of a brotherhood, what I hope to
gain from being part of a brotherhood, and what I hope
to contribute to a brotherhood as well.
It would be unrealistic to assume that the bonds
within a brotherhood will be handed to new actives
right upon joining the Phi Delta Chi Fraternity. I know
that “brotherhood is a condition people have to work
22
at,” but time will show that we are working to build
stronger friendships that lead to a lifelong Phi Delta
Chi experience. This brotherhood will not be handed
to us, it is something that we will most definitely have
to work at even long after we graduate. In my opinion,
the pledging process has proved to us that the support
system that we work so hard to build is something that
we can now not live without.
When I first came to the USC School of Pharmacy
and heard about the Phi Delta Chi Fraternity, a brother
told me that she didn’t know what she would do without
Phi Delta Chi and the friends and colleagues she has
made through this organization. I didn’t realize the
depth of her statement until after completing my first
semester at USC. The challenges thrown at us during
our first semester are far greater than anything I could
have expected. If it wasn’t for my pledge brothers and
the guidance of some actives, I would have had a more
difficult time succeeding in my courses, and having
the motivation to continue to pursue my passion. The
Brothers of Phi Delta Chi motivate and encourage
me to pursue my strengths not only within the four
walls of pharmacy school, but beyond the scope
of the classroom as well. This is proven through our
commitment to charity such as St. Jude’s Prescription
for Hope, our involvement in pharmacy organizations
such as APhA - ASP, and our commitment to improving
the health of our community through the Phi Delta Chi
Health Fair.
Though the Brothers of Phi Delta Chi all come
very different backgrounds, one thing we do share is a
common passion for pharmacy and a desire to improve
the health of our society. Because of this, I know that
the Brothers of Phi Delta Chi will always play a large role
in my personal life and my career. Each needs the help
of the other, and I know that this brotherhood has the
capacity to observe our creed in all aspects of life. We
are fortunate to be a part of an organization that will
help us grow as individuals, professionals, colleagues,
and friends. What I love most about the Phi Delta Chi
Fraternity is that we will all grow in these particular
aspects of life together.
erek
arcia
Movember is an international event that
takes place in the month of November. For one
month, men are encouraged to grow and maintain a
moustache with the hopes of increasing awareness
about men’s heath issues. The moustache is
intended to get attention from friends and family
giving the participant an opportunity to discuss why
they took on the Movember challenge.
Each Mo’ Bro’ has their own webpage
where people can donate to help their mo’ grow.
All the money that they raise is then donated
to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Live
Strong Foundation. In 2009, Brother Derrick Garcia
became aware of this event and started growing
Phi Delta Chi
Movember
D
G
his moustache in the middle of November. Many
Brothers joined in. Together they were able to raise
over $100 that was donated to the charities.
In 2010 we expanded our reach and
requested the entire school to participate by
creating a USC School of Pharmacy team webpage.
We had over two-dozen participants including our
own chapter advisor. Together we raised over $500
for the Movember charities. Next year we hope
to raise even more money by creating incentives
to encourage more members of the school to
participate as well as an end of the month Man of
Movember pageant.
23
A A A E
Annual Winter Retreat
Aubrey Moreau
24
Twas the Night before Retreat, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a pledge.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with tomorrows topics,
In hopes that St Azor soon would be there.
The first years were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of AAAE danced in their heads.
With little bells and yellow folders, there was so much leadership and
knowledge,
I knew in a moment it must be Banana Alkana.
Now Calvin Pomeroy Godfrey! Now, Adolph Gustave Hoffman,
On Arthur Gilliam Hopper and Prescott! On,on George Leamon!
He sprang from his sleigh with a shout of “Do not let go of your brother!”
And away they all flew like the down of a secret whistle.
But I heard him exclaim, Alterum Alterius Auxilio Eget, “Each Needs the
Help of the Other”
With the next morning we all awoke knowing for this fraternity there was
still a lot of hope.
Jessica Louie
As WKRS this past year,
I organized a national St. Jude
Prescription for Hope Fundraiser
aimed at raising more than $1000
selling Phi Delta Chi apparel to
all chapters in the US. With three
t-shirts designs and a zip-up jacket
design, the fundraiser was a huge
success with more than ten chapters
supporting our fundraising efforts.
The fundraiser profited $1500 and
our chapter’s donation of $1500 to
St. Jude Prescription for Hope will
be presented to the hospital this
summer.
Phi Delta Chi
Prescription for Hope :
Fundraiser for St Jude
25
A A A E
Box
Tops
for
Education
J
L
essica ouie
As WKRS this past year, I wanted to expand
our chapter’s community involvement and therefore,
initiated a Box Tops for Education program. Box Tops
for Education is a program designed to benefit schools
across the US. Simply clip Box Tops from participating
products or register online to electronically earn Box
Tops for a school of your choice. Each Box Top earned
transfers into $0.10 cash for the school. The program
has donated over $300 million to schools over the past
15 years.
With the help of the entire chapter, we collected
over 150 Box Tops in a few short months and then decided
to donate them to a local under-privileged elementary
school. We decided on a local elementary school,
Murchison Street Elementary School, located just one
mile from our School of Pharmacy and a participant in
the ‘USC Family of Schools.’ We donated the Box Tops in
May 2011 and pledged to continue our donation efforts
with a mission of donating >1000 Box Tops (equivalent
to $100) to Murchison Street Elementary School over the
next year.
Murchison
St
Elementary
School
J
L
26
essica
ouie
The brothers of the USC Phi Delta Chi chapter have
pledged to support the Murchison Street Elementary
School in Los Angeles. Murchison Street Elementary
School is one of the fifteen public schools in the ‘USC
Family of Schools’ and is located just one mile from
the USC School of Pharmacy. Phi Delta Chi began this
pledge as part of an initiative started by one of their
second-year members, Jessica Louie. Louie initiated a
Box Tops for Education collection within the chapter and
after collecting more than 150 Box Tops, researched
local elementary schools to donate them to. Box Tops
for Education is a program designed to benefit schools
across the US. Box Tops are found on participating
products (i.e. General Mills products) and each Box Top
earns $0.10 for the school. The program has donated
over $300 million to schools over the past fifteen years.
Louie, an outgoing board member, and Hovik
Mekhjian, the incoming Phi Delta Chi president,
presented the collection of Box Tops to the Healthy
Start Coordinator Lilian Valencia and Principal Margarita
Gutierrez at the Murchison School on April 29, 2011.
Mekhjian and Louie also officially pledged Phi Delta Chi’s
support to the school during their visit. After a discussion
with Ms. Valencia and Margarita Gutierrez, Phi Delta Chi
has decided to support three fundraising initiatives at the
schools. First, the organization will continue supporting
Box Tops for Education at Murchison, expanding their
donation efforts to an online system linked to grocerystore rewards cards and online purchases. Their mission
is to donate >1000 Box Tops (equivalent to $100) over
the next year. The organization will also support the
introduction of new technology to the school, in particular
Smart Boards for the fifth/sixth grade classes, items that
the school has a long-term goal of purchasing ($30005000/each). Finally, the organization will support the
painting of a mural on the school-grounds incorporating
a science-math-healthcare theme to increase students’
imaginations and demonstrate how science and math
can help support a career in the healthcare system. The
mural will highlight a pharmacist, physician and nurse. Mekhjian and Louie hope to encourage the
children to excel in science and math and learn about the
healthcare professions through introduction of the mural,
along with discussions with various classes throughout
the year. Overall, the brothers of Phi Delta Chi are excited
for this new initiative and look forward to earning funds
for this USC-associated elementary school.
Phi Delta Chi
Every year our current pledge has a volleyball
game against the pledge class of the other professional
pharmacy fraternity on campus, Alpha Iota Pi. Being
team captain last year I wanted to help coach the
team this year. It was amazing to see how the team
developed together to bring the true meaning of AAAE
to life as a team. Every member was very motivated in
every practice and especially the game.
This year our game was postponed from the
afternoon to the evening, but the whole chapter came
out both times with energy and passion that never
faded. Due to the confusion I also had to co-ref the
game with someone from Alpha Iota Pi. Even though I
couldn’t coach during the game our team held strong
and proud the entire time. Even though we lost the
match I was very proud how gracefully they handled
themselves. Just like last year, after the game all our
brothers swarmed the team and showed the true
power of brotherhood. I’m sure this experience will be
unforgettable for the team and myself.
Volleyball vs.AIP
Leo Beygelman
27
A A A E
Second Annual Scholarship Dinner
Ashlee Klevens
28
Our
Annual
Scholarship
Dinner
recognizes those brothers who have
dedicated their early pharmacy career to
not only achieving high academic status,
but also those who are continuously
contributing to the future of pharmacy.
This year our dinner took place at
Buca Di Beppo Italian Restaurant in
Pasadena. We celebrated many different
achievements from our brothers such as
Rho Chi, CAPSLEAD members, brothers
having a 3.5 or above, and a plethora
of different leadership awards. This
gathering allows not only brothers to
share the achievements of one another,
but also another way to promote
continuous service through Phi Delta Chi
Professional Fraternity.
Hovik Mekhjian
This year, the brothers
of Phi Delta Chi had yet another
opportunity to take part in
Kid’s Day hosted by Skull and
Mortar Community Service
Fraternity of the University of
Southern California. Kid's Day
gives students of the School of
Pharmacy a chance to connect
with and educate local public
school junior high students on
topics like eating healthy and
safe sex.
After a day full of
presentations from pharmacy
students, the kid's get to
rest, eat lunch, and watch
pharmacy students perform
for them. The 102nd pledge
class of Phi Delta Chi (Empire)
organized a skit that was a
parody on America’s Got Talent,
and called it “Pharmacy’s Got
Talent.” Sean Truong and Nina
Phi Delta Chi
SKull and Mortar Kids Day
Bolour, accompanied by Henry
Ho on guitar, performed a
duet that captured the hearts
of all who listened. Pledges
also made banners and signs
and encouraged their pledge
brothers who were performing.
The duet was followed by Carrie
Madden, a professional dancer,
who performed an Irish tap
dance that blew all the kids away.
And for our last performance,
we had Vince Capati, Chris
Clark, and Andrew Newman
perform an Irish folklore dance
in kilts, and got the whole crowd
to laugh. With Ali Zanial, Anna
Bezman, and Sebastian Garcia
as our star judges, the pledges
of the Omicron chapter were
able to engage the students in
a unique way and get some of
the kids to participate in a hulahoop competition at the end.
29
A A A E
AMCP Conference
Andrew Chia
We were proud to have represented Phi Delta Chi’s
Omicron Chapter in the national spotlight through our first
place victory in the P&T Competition at the 23rd Annual
AMCP Conference. Our team consisted of four 2nd year
Phi Delta Chi brothers: Andrew Chia, Rylan Hanks, John
Ko, and Parth R Shah. Twenty-three schools participated
in the competition this year, which was a record number.
Each pharmacy school submitted the “local” winning
team’s documents to AMCP in January, and eight schools
were selected to compete as finalists in Minneapolis on
April 28 and 29th. Each team had to give a 30 minute
PowerPoint presentation followed by a question and
answer section administered by the three judges. The
judges ranked each school based on the writing portion
as well as the presentation portion. University of Southern
California received 1st place followed by UCSF (2nd)
and University of Washington (3rd). Genentech, who
sponsored the competition, and AMCP will provide us
with a $2500 scholarship as well as a free trip to AMCP’s
2011 Educational Conference Atlanta, Georgia in October
to receive our engraved plaque.
30
In the competition, each team is provided a dossier
of a drug (Effient was selected this year), that they must
analyze to come up with a formulary recommendation
to a mock health plan. In addition, we scoured through
numerous journal articles and made critical appraisals
on the clinical and pharmacoeconomic data to guide
our decision to recommend the addition of Effient onto
formulary. The documents we had to prepare consisted
of a 16-page monograph, 18-page answers to clinical
questions, as well as a PowerPoint presentation. We
sacrificed our winter break by working tirelessly in the
Norris Medical Library, and we estimate that we spent
200 hours total reading, writing, and preparing for
the competition. We believe this has been the most
educational and rewarding experience in pharmacy
school as we were able to utilize our clinical knowledge
as well as our understanding of pharmacoeconomics to
simulate a pharmacist’s role in the managed care setting.
Other skills that we developed included communicating
with team members as well as project management.
About the Team Members [Left to Right]
Andrew Chia led the clinical evaluation of the efficacy
and safety evidence of each drug and is also a
Master’s in Regulatory Science dual degree student.
He also has an interest in pursuing a career in
managed care or industry.
Rylan Hanks appraised the manufacturer’s cost
effectiveness and budget impact modeling. His goal
is to continue to learn more about managed care and
apply pharmacy and managed care principles in a
legal career one day.
Parth R Shah led the team this year and participated
in the competition for a third year in a row. He is
currently a PharmD/MBA candidate and is about
to start the 4th year of his 5 year program. He
desires a career in managed care pharmacy or the
pharmaceutical industry.
John
Ko
focused
on
pharmacoeconomic
evaluations of the products and a critical review of
pharmacogenomic/drug interaction considerations.
He is also a dual degree student in regulatory science
and has an interest in managed care and industry.
Par th D. Shah
This past March, I had the opportunity to run
for and be elected as a 2011-2012 APhA-ASP National
Member-at-large during the APhA Annual Meeting and
Exposition in Seattle, Washington. Ever since attending
the Annual Meeting in San Antonio during my first
professional year in pharmacy school, it had been my
ambition to represent student pharmacists across the
country, championing their voice, and being a vehicle
for change within pharmacy.
When I made the announcement that I would
be running for APhA-ASP National Office, it was my Phi
Delta Chi brothers who rallied behind me to support
my candidacy. From the development of the theme to
the words on my ribbons, every step of my campaign
development and implementation had my brothers’
involvement. Additionally, the Omicron chapter at USC
went as far to even support my campaign financially,
to which I am completely indebted. What was more
astounding was the national support I gained from
Phi Delta Chi chapters from across the country, from
University of Texas at Austin to Virginia Commonwealth
University.
Finally, without a shadow of a doubt, I have my
incredible Big Brothers to thank: David Truong, Marshal
Abdullah, Bonnie Hui-Callahan, Jay Parikh, and Diana
Tran. They nurtured my aspirations and developed
Phi Delta Chi
APhA National Member-at-Large
me into the student leader I am today. I have come to
understand that Alterum Alterius Auxilio Eget is more
than some Latin phrase scrolled around our Fraternity’s
Crest. My achievements as an individual are defined
not only by my gumption, but also defined by the support
I have received from my family and friends.
31
A A A E
Midyear Regional Meeting
Rylan Hanks
The APhA Midyear
Regional Meeting for region eight
was held in Phoenix, Arizona, and
once again had strong student
representation from the Omichron
chapter of Phi Delta Chi. In addition,
there were great policy ideas up
for discussion during the three-day
conference. The volume of policies
submitted from the various schools
in attendance was tremendous. Also,
many policies stirred up some strong
debates and encouraged various
opinions on the matters proposed this
year. USC pharmacy school members
presented three key policy issues to
be considered for inclusion on the
APhA policy books. The issues brought
forward
included
standardizing
facsimile sheets for pharmacies,
making a clearer distinction between
civil and criminal penalties for
pharmacists who make medical errors,
and finally increasing transparency
for Pharmacy Benefit Management
companies with respect to auditing
practices and standards. We are
happy to report that two of the three
proposed resolutions were accepted
and passed by our colleagues and
were evaluated for presentation at the
APhA national conference in Seattle,
Washington. The two resolutions to
pass were the PBM transparency policy
as well as the resolution regarding the
distinction between civil and criminal
charges of pharmacists who make
medical errors. The latter resolution
was hotly debated but ultimately
amended and allowed to move on for
further review. Overall, the conference
was a great experience for all and the
resolutions created by APSA members
and PDC brothers prior to the MRM
conference now have a chance to help
shape the profession and contour the
position APhA takes on these issues in
the future.
Project Jamaica
Saleema Kapadia
On December 15th 2010, 10 members from
Student National Pharamceutical Association chapter
at USC embarked on the trip of a lifetime. This was our
2nd annual Project Jamaica trip. Of the 10 pharmacy
students, 6 of them were brothers of Phi Delta Chi: Toni
Codling, Nancy Arellano, Fabiola Bien-Aime, Ali Zanial,
Sara Atallah, and Noel Kim. Our mission was to develop a
global-active Pharmacy voice while teaching, volunteer &
learn about Jamaica's health infrastructure and provide
health screenings to the Montego Bay, Jamaica citizens.
Our seven point agenda included:
1.
Volunteering at SOS Village, Blossom Gardens
Orphanage and Granderville Safety Home for Girls
2.
Visiting patients at Hope Hospice and the Infirmary
3.
Collaborate with the Caribbean Poison Information
Network (CAPRIN) and the Jamaican AIDS Support for Life
foundation (JASL) in educational presentations on Poison
Prevention (Mterials from Public Health, courtesy of Dr.
Johnson) and HIV/AIDS Awareness
4.
Nutrition and Hygiene Presentations
32
5. "Santa Claus & Elves event" - Presenting
Christmas toys, clothes and shoes to the Children at
Cornwall Regional Hospital, safety homes, Assembly of
God Church, Westgreen neighborhood kids through Aunty
Patsy, and orphanages
6. Discovering the health infrastructure of
Jamaica (visit to clinicare pharmacy). Meet and Greet/
Panel discussion with CAP- Caribbean Association of
Pharmacists, the Pharmacy Council of Jamaica, and the
medical students
7.
Experiencing the rich culture of Jamaica: building
cultural competency through global exposure
Project Jamaica was an eye-opening experience
for most of us who haven’t yet encountered hardships
and disparities of an underprivileged nation. Visiting the
same facilities and orphanages for the second time gives
us hopes and desire to keep going and providing services
every year. As students at USC and brothers of Phi Delta
Chi, we are proud to live by our motto: “Each needs the
help of the other.”
Courtney Steinwachs
On May 12, 2011, 8 USC
pharmacy students and 1 licensed
pharmacist loaded a bus headed to Tijuana,
Mexico to join an organization called Healing
Hearts Across Borders (HHAB) with the goal
to be a part of a medical mission trip.
The HHAB organization was founded 14
years ago by Dr. Kevin Lake, a pulmonologist
based in Pasadena. Starting as a small group
that brought medications and supplies to
the Mexican residents from the back of a
van, HHAB has now become a staple in the
community. Every three months, a group
of about 80 volunteers from USC to San
Diego travel with approximately 8 different
physicians and provide medical attention to
800-1000 people throughout the weekend.
The first day, the group sets a clinic up at
Colonia Grupo Mexico, a community on a
hilltop in the outskirts of Tijuana. The dirtroads of this location are filled with stray
dogs running the street, and families just
trying to feed their children. While many of
the residents have chronic conditions like
diabetes and hypertension, many of them
also have horrible respiratory and
Phi Delta Chi
Healing hearts across borders
skin infections. The HHAB organization is
truly their only avenue of getting treatment
for these conditions and depends on them
to return every 3 months to get their next
supply of medicine.
The second day, a clinic is set up at
a neighborhood that was literally built on
top of an old landfill. Trash and sewage line
the streets as you walk from houses made
from Styrofoam and old garage doors. The
conditions here would seem unlivable to
you and me, but the residents still walk
around with smiles on their faces. As we
pulled into the old basketball court where
we set up the clinic, a line was already
formed from people waiting to see a doctor.
Throughout the day, Mexican residents are
examined by physicians, a dentist, and even
get their blood drawn for lab values. At the
end of their examinations they bring any
prescriptions to the “pharmacy”, which is
where we come in.
In the past, HHAB has not had much
of any participation from pharmacy students
on their quarterly trips. Last February,
the Student National Pharmaceutical
Association (SNPhA), was approached by the
USC medical students involved with HHAB,
and were asked if they were interested in
becoming the primary coordinators of the
HHAB pharmacy. Eager to help, SNPhA
sent down 3 members (who also happen
to each be a brother of Phi Delta Chi),
Nancy Arellano, Christina Yu, and Courtney
Steinwachs (myself) to join the group in
February and come back with ideas about
ways to improve the pharmacy. Since then,
the HHAB organization has agreed to
commit 10 seats on their bus to us in hopes
that the HHAB Pharmacy will continue to
have a strong presence with pharmacy
students. I truly believe that the Mexico
Clinic will not only change the lives of the
Mexican residents, but also change the way
we as pharmacy students approach health
disparities in a way that builds compassion
and kindness for those we are treating. 33
A A A E
Project India
Parth Parikh & Hovik Mekhjian
In India, pharmacists play a very limited role in the
provision of clinical care. The focus of the pharmacy
curricula in India is geared more towards drug research
and development, as opposed to clinical practice and
expertise. The purpose of Project India was to introduce
the concept of clinical pharmacy and create opportunities
for the student pharmacists in India to offer preventative
health care to the community. The purpose of Project
India was achieved by recruiting and training student
pharmacists from various schools of pharmacy in India
to screen for high blood glucose and provide education
and consultation on the management of diabetes. The
primary goal of Project India was to improve clinical
pharmacy education and practice in Gujarat, India
through the introduction of pharmacist-provided
preventative screening and education. The secondary
goal of Project India was to enable student pharmacists in
India to plan, coordinate, and execute health fairs that will
impact their surrounding community in an independent
and sustainable manner. The overall intended impact
of Project India was to expand the scope of pharmacy
practice in India to enable the new generation of clinical
pharmacists to tackle the high prevalence of Diabetes –
an emerging health crisis in India.
The planning and development of Project India began
8 months before the journey across the globe. With
the support of APSA and faculty at the USC School of
Pharmacy, Project India directors Parth Parikh and Hovik
Mekhjian began seeking approval and funding from the
government of India and various other International
34
health organizations. After overcoming many obstacles
and setbacks, Project India was finally ready for launch
with the additional support of Global Health at USC,
Project KADAM, The State Health Department of Gujarat,
the Indian Pharmaceutical Association Student Forum in
India, and the Indian Pharmacist Association of Southern
California.
Four schools of pharmacy in India were recruited to
participate in Project India, including: Ganpat University
S.K. Patel College of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research, Nirma University Institute of Pharmacy, L.M.
College of Pharmacy, and Anand College of Pharmacy.
In the span of two training sessions, fifty-two students
were educated on the fundamentals of Diabetes as a
progressive and chronic illness with serious complication.
In addition, each student received hands on training on
the proper technique and use of fingersticks and test strips
to measure blood glucose levels. Following the successful
training sessions, over the course of a week, seven health
fairs were coordinated in the local communities. Overall,
of the 1,025 participants screened, 70 were referred to
local physicians for followup screening and diagnosis.
The student pharmacists who participated in this weeklong monumental effort were invited to an appreciation
dinner and recognized for their service with a certificate of
appreciation that was signed by Dr. R. Pete Vanderveen,
Dr. Jeffrey A. Goad, and Dr. William C. Gong.
With the collaborative teamwork of 52 student
pharmacists, Project India succeeded in reaching over
10,000 individuals through public relations & media,
1,025 health fair participants through screening, and 70
physician referred individuals for whom the intervention
will make a life-long impact. The main target population of
Project India was the middle class, the majority of which
have the means to afford follow-up care in the fee-perservice health care model of India. During each of the
seven health fairs, we emphasized to the participants that
these preventative screening services were provided free
of charge by student pharmacists. The local communities
we reached out to welcomed our presence and were very
receptive of our efforts. The student pharmacists we
educated were very grateful and felt empowered by their
new-found scope of practice. [Continued]
Phi Delta Chi
Project India was the first step for the USC School of
Pharmacy to expand and develop the role of clinical
pharmacy on a global scale. More impressively,
Project India was a student-initiated idea that
demonstrated the power and influence of global
outreach and education in improving healthcare
across the world. The global impact of Project India
was published on the front page of USC’s website
and highlighted in the Global section in USC
News. During the 2011 APhA Annual Meeting in
Seattle, USC Operation Diabetes proudly received
the prestigious National Award for their stake in
Project India among the myriad of other services
provided to the communities of the Greater Los
Angeles. Parth Parikh and Hovik Mekhjian would
like to express their gratitude to the brothers of Phi
Delta Chi for their continued support to make this
endeavor a success.
35
A A A E
Phi Delta Chi Health fair
Vlada Treykner
In honor of Global Health Awareness Week, the Phi Delta
Chi Omicron chapter collaborated with the USC Global
Health Institute, the UCLA School of Public Health,
Western University of Health Sciences and the USC
Graduate and Professional Student Senate to welcome
the 3rd Annual 2011 World Health Day LA. The event
took place at the Ken Malloy Regional Park in Harbor
City, which has provided the local community with a
pleasant setting for family gatherings, barbeques, and
fun for decades. The major theme for this year’s World
Health Day LA was teaching the community how to
incorporate healthy living into their everyday lives. We
focused on fitness, nutrition, environmental awareness
along with personal health and preventative medicine.
World Health Day integrated education and
entertainment through unique events and activities
that included music, performances from the USC
Salsa Team, community testimonials and more. The
children’s activities consisted of everything from
the “Aquarium on Wheels” provided by the Aquarian
of the Pacific, to Poison Prevention education and
games organized by the Omicron Chapter and other
36
organizations.
Our brothers came together to orchestrate a health fair
for the Harbor City community as part of World Health
Day LA. Our incoming brothers volunteered to screen
and educate for the different health fair booths that
we provided with the help of other organizations within
the USC School of Pharmacy. There were countless
brothers who helped make this event successful.
Brother Zain Al-Shamiyeh, the USC-APSA Director for
Interdisciplinary Care, coordinated the attendance
of the USC physical therapy school to provide foot
checks to the community, and students from the
USC School of Dentistry to provide the public with
oral health screenings. Brother Parth Parikh, the USC
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
Representative, worked diligently to serve as liaison
between Phi Delta Chi and the other organizations
enabling us to accomplish such a large-scale event.
Other brothers including Grace Cheng and Saleema
Kapadia, who served as our chapter’s Co-Directors of
Professional Projects, assisted in organizing everything
from educational pamphlets to organizing the flow
of screening projects. Phi Delta Chi Omicron Alumni
pitched in as well serving as pharmacy preceptors for
the various health fair booths and screenings. Every
Omicron brother took part in World Health Day LA and
making a difference for the Harbor City community.
Overall, World Health Day LA was a unique,
interdisciplinary event that served the Harbor city
community. The festival helped promote healthy living
through education on improving personal health and
environmental health while providing the community
with a wonderful opportunity to have a day of fun!
Daniela Um
Poison Prevention has had a good first semester this
year. Our main event last semester was the Project
Phi Delta Chi
APSA Poison Prevention
Pumpkin Patch presentation during Halloween when
we attended Murchinson Street Elementary School to
teach first, second, and third graders about safe trickor-treating. After listening to the presentation, the kids
were able to carve pumpkins with the help of other USC
School of Pharmacy students including many Phi Delta
Chi brothers. Last semester we were also able to attend
a number of Health Fairs. Our “Candy or Medicine?”
board targets both children and parents, and makes
them realize that it is in fact very easy to mistake drugs
and candy since some can look very similar. During the
health fairs we educated close to 150 children and adults
about the different poisons that can be found at home
as well as informing them about what to do if an accident
does occur. For this coming semester, Poison Prevention
is looking forward to continue attending health fairs as
well as going to elementary schools around the area to
educate classes about poison prevention.
Empire Professional Projects
Sara Atallah All of the new active members of the
Omicron chapter participated in a four-day
professional project in which we educated
children in an afterschool YMCA program
in four topics: Poison Prevention, Hygiene,
Nutrition & Exercise. New active member
Sara Atallah coordinated the event with the
YMCA Volunteer Coordinator at the Hoover
Street Elementary School; a sister school of
the University of Southern California in an
underserved area of downtown Los Angeles.
Upon meeting the children for the first
time we asked them what they thought a
pharmacist was and what they knew about
what we do. Afterwards, we talked about
different poisons you can find inside the
house as well as outside while you’re playing.
During our second day with the kids
we told them we would be learning all about
hygiene. Our "being clean" talks ranged
from brushing your teeth and washing your
hands the right way, to clean feet and shoes
that don’t smell. The best part about this
workshop was seeing that the kids now
knew that the reason for brushing our teeth
isn’t just mom yelling “because I said so,”
but it really does make a difference for us
and our bodies.
On the third day of our professional
service project, we went over the idea of
nutrition and asked each child to share one
thing that they ate that day and asked them
if they thought that was a healthy choice
and why or why not.
On our last day with the students
we taught them about exercise. We asked
the kids why exercise is important and we
asked them what their favorite sports were.
Members of the Omicron Chapter's Empire
pledge class played "Steal the Bacon" with
the kids and reinforced the message of
being active.
These workshops were a great way to
spend time with these kids and teach them
while having fun. The kids laughed, played
and most importantly, they learned a lot.
Helping kids in an underserved community
just down the street from us at USC was a
great and valuable experience for all of us
as well; the kids taught us too, and even
surprised us with how smart they are and
how much they already knew. In the end
it was a very successful project that the
children and all of us benefited from greatly.
37
A A A E
APSA Operation Diabetes
Hovik Mekhjian & Chris Munoz
The APSA/APhA-ASP patient care project
specializing in diabetes care and education has
been actively involved in serving communities across
Southern California. As brothers of Phi Delta Chi and
leaders among our peers, one initiative of this project is
to recognize the components of the chronic care model
in order to better educate the communities we serve.
In addition to providing screening and counseling on
life-style modifications, we emphasize the knowledge
of pharmaceutical therapy in the treatment of diabetes
to ensure our students can effectively counsel on
medication. Furthermore, an important aspect of
38
treating any chronic disease is taking a collaborative,
interdisciplinary approach. One of many events we
participated in this fall included teaming up with USC’s
PharmSC clinic to provide a comprehensive health fair
offering numerous health screenings catered to the
diabetic population in honor of American Diabetes
Month (November).
Diabetic participants were
screened for high blood pressure, cholesterol, oral
cancer, and provided with a foot and eye examination.
A multitude of diabetes care information was also
made available for these participants.
Other events we participated in included showing our
support in the fight against diabetes by fundraising
and participating in the annual American Diabetes
Association’s (ADA) Step Out. Our volunteers helped us
support and advocate at this momentous event.
As members of the Diabetes Care Network, we also
attended an evening discussion with ADA pastpresident Dr. Mayer Davidson. We expressed our
stance on the role of the pharmacist in a collaborative
approach to diabetes treatment in today’s health care
climate. We are confident that our continued efforts
in the community and workplace will make an impact
on the future of our profession and on the patientcentered medical home.
Jackie Kaladjian
Healthy Living and Alternative Medicine is one
of the many patient care projects of APSA that helps to
make a difference in people’s lives. Its goal is to educate
the public about making healthy choices , maintaining
a healthy lifestyle and a happier life. This year, Healthy
Living/Alt. Medicine joined three other projects to form
Operation Heart, the newest APhA patient care project.
Healthy Living/ Alternative medicine worked
in coordination with Body Fat Analysis (run by three
Omicron brothers) at health fairs. During health fairs,
as well as all other events, our PDC brothers were very
supportive. Three out of four patient care projects
under Operation Heart were run by our PDC brothers
(Cholesterol Awareness, Body Fat Analysis, and Healthy
Living/Alternative medicine).
“Nutrition for a Healthy Brain: Food, Mood, and Cognitive
Function” was an event I hosted with Dr. Cynthia L. Lieu,
a Board Certified Nutrition Support Pharmacist. Again, I
have my brothers to thank for their help in making this
event overwhelmingly successful.
The summer long 3-series cooking class is my
biggest on-going project this year, which will be hosted
at a local community center called Blazers. This will be a
Phi Delta Chi
APSA Healthy living
free educational cooking class offered to the members
of the community center. My brothers assisted in putting
together presentations on diabetes, cholesterol and
healthy living. This program will include, presentations,
screenings followed by interactive cooking sessions.
I am greatly appreciative and thankful for
being surrounded by great people including, my Phi
Dex brothers, who have supported me throughout my
endeavors and helped me fulfill goals I had set forth.
39
APSA Cholesterol Awareness
Saleema Kapadia & Grace Cheng
Cholesterol Awareness is Omicron’s primary patient
care service project that provides many outreach
opportunities to pharmacy students at USC. This
year Cholesterol Awareness, along with three other
independent projects, joined forces and became part of
the newest APhA patient care project called Operation
Heart. By providing screenings and educational services,
our goal is to raise awareness, identify risk factors, and
prevent the progression of cardiovascular diseases.
USC Operation Heart was able to touch the lives of
over 4000 participants in the process of several events
this year collaborated with numerous organizations
and practitioners. We were able to reach the African
American, Caucasian, Chinese, Hispanic, Indian,
Korean, Persian, Vietnamese, pediatrics, adolescents,
geriatrics, homeless, underserved, affluent, and
legislator populations. Under Operation Heart, we won
the 2010 Region 8 Award at APhA.
Our chapter has been actively involved in
providing free screenings and education through out
Southern California Region. Cholesterol screenings allow
40
members of the general public to become aware of their
total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels, and
learn about risk factors and lifestyle modifications that
can prevent and lower high cholesterol. Early detection
through cholesterol screenings can help patients reduce
their risk of coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke,
and transient ischemic attack.
At health fairs, following the screening, the
participants have an individualized consultation with
a student pharmacist who educates them about
appropriate lifestyle modifications to reduce or prevent
dyslipidemia. In addition, we also encourage our student
volunteers to learn about drugs used in the treatment
and/or maintenance of dyslipidemia and counsel on
their current medications. Students are also taught
to counsel on some non-prescription drugs, such as
fish oil, as well as non-pharmacological therapies. By
participating in cholesterol screenings and patient
education, student pharmacists learn to identify highrisk patients by the use of a written questionnaire and
become competent in managing this particular disease
state and enhance their patient counseling abilities.
This semester Cholesterol Awareness has participated
in almost every health fair organized by different
organizations at USC. Being the most expensive patient
care project on campus, we are proud to have screened
over 900 participants this year. We hope to make a
difference in the community with our continued efforts
and dedication towards cholesterol awareness in the
future.
Richard Dang
The PharmSC clinic is a student-run health clinic
that services to the underserved population in Los
Angeles. The clinic utilizes USC pharmacy students
trained to screen, counsel, vaccinate, and perform
brown bag medication reviews. In addition, the clinic
provides students with the opportunity to complete their
IPPE hours and to develop crucial skills and knowledge.
The clinic is free of charge for the participants
and operates weekly out of two locations, Botica Del
Sol pharmacy and Lincoln Heights pharmacy. The clinic
provides influenza vaccinations and health screenings
for diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, osteoporosis,
and body fat. The student volunteers dedicate 15 to 30
minutes per session so that each participant receives
their full attention. Thus, students are able to listen to
the participants in their own words, on their own time.
This allows students to provide in-depth and well rounded
consultations regarding their lifestyle to improve their
health.
Phi Delta Chi
PharmSC Clinic
The clinic has made an immediate impact since
its induction. To date, the clinic has served an estimated
200 participants. Additionally this year the clinic
hosted its first interdisciplinary health fair in Alhambra
which reached over 300 participants with free health
screenings and education. During the past year, the
clinic was awarded with the Good Neighbor Pharmacy,
Pharmacy of the Year award for its services at the Botica
del Sol Pharmacy, as well as the American Association
of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Student Community
Engaged Service Award for its joint efforts with the SHARE
clinics in a coordinated project titled, USC Volunteer
Outreach Initiative & Community Education (VOICE). The
clinic was featured in an article in the Daily Trojan, the
official USC newspaper, for its innovative health fair and
was also recognized by the Alhambra City Council for its
contribution to the community.
Without the vision and dedication from our
brothers, the clinic would not be where it is today.
The clinic was founded in 2009 by two brothers, Tina
Patel and Sana Vaiyani. During the current academic
year, Patel and Vaiyani were aided by several Omicron
brothers, Richard Dang, Raymond Chao, Virginia, Yalda
Dorosti, John Ko, Diane Morgan, Ty Smalling, and
Laressa Bethishou, who served on the Executive Board
and leadership committee. During the past year, over 20
brothers have volunteered in the weekly clinic sessions.
Omicron alumni are also involved with the clinic, Dr. Jeff
Goad serves as one of the faculty advisor and Dr. Carla
Bliedan served as one of the clinic preceptors during the
fall semester.
41
A A A E
Operation Heart is a project under the American
Pharmacists Association that many of our
brothers were actively involved in this past year.
Operation Heart seeks to raise public awareness
of cardiovascular related diseases. With diseases
such as hypercholesterolemia and hypertension
being silent killers, the main focus of this project is
education. Through education, community outreach
and screenings, our brothers were able to help
patients identify and understand the risks related to
developing CVD. A new event that was coordinated this
year was Wear Red Day, which is put on annually by the
American Heart Association. This was meant to be an
interactive event that allowed for participants to not
only learn more about CVD risks and complications,
but also participate in exercise competitions and be
educated on steps to lower their risk for developing
CVD. Having screened thousands of participants in
the diverse greater Los Angeles area, this coming year
Operation Heart will serve a larger participant base
than it did last year. Brothers, Henry Ho and Grace
Cheng will be Co-Directors of Operation Heart, while
Chris Clark and Denise Mullery will be serving
42
Operation Heart
Jeffrey Tran
as Co-Directors of Cholesterol Awareness and
Jeffrey Tran will be serving as Co-Director of Project
Hypertension. Every 38 seconds, an American dies
from cardiovascular disease, and pharmacists, being
the most accessible health care professionals should
be on the forefront of the fight against CVD.
erena
It’s game day. All geared up, proudly sporting the
PDC crest on our chests, we’re ready for battle. Intense,
exhilarating, but most of all downright silly, broomball
is one of those games most people here in L.A. have
never heard about. After you explain it, you can bet
they’ll have big grins on their faces. Traditionally played
with no more than twelve, we switched things up a bit.
Imagine twenty people on ice, running around in tennis
mith
Phi Delta Chi
Broomball
vs
AIP
S
S
shoes floundering about with sticks trying to whack an
orange, melon sized ball into a 5 foot wide goal. Kind
of like hockey, but without the skates and much less
graceful. It’s a recipe bound to deliver good laughs,
nasty spills, and endless entertainment.
The annual broomball game against our rival
fraternity AIP (a.k.a “The Alphas”) did not disappoint.
It was full of excitement and friendly competition. We
fought hard through the first half, with fast breaks
to the goal and clutch saves to stave off the Alphas
aggressive offense. Still scoreless in the second half,
we put everything we had into the game to pull together
some solid shots on goal and keep the ball moving.
The rink was roaring with the cheers of our brothers on
the sideline, pushing us on. Each time we got knocked
off our feet, we pulled ourselves up and “fought on” in
true PDC Omicron fashion. But our luck ran out with 3
minutes to go when the Alphas scored the only goal of
the game. Despite our best efforts to even it up, it just
wasn’t in the cards for us that night.
A few bumps and bruises later, we left the ice
proud of our efforts - happy to have the support of our
brothers cheering us on along the way. Despite the loss,
our spirits were high, and we could think of no better
way to end the night than with our beloved Phi Dex
drinking song echoing throughout the rink.
43
A A A E
End of Year Banquet
Raymond Chao
At the end of each academic year, the Omicron
Chapter organizes an end of the year banquet that
celebrates the achievements of our fraternity and the
contributions that we have made to the field of pharmacy.
Alumni and actives were both invited to attend our
banquet that was held in Downtown Los Angeles at the
Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens.
The night started with a cocktail hour in the
beautiful Kyoto Gardens where Alumni and actives were
able to mingle and reflect back on a successful year.
Graduating students were also given the opportunity to
interact with the Alumni and gain some last minute words
44
of wisdom before starting their professional career as a
pharmacist.
Following the reception, our fraternity gathered
in the banquet hall to commemorate the fraternity’s
accomplishments and to honor the individual
achievements of our Alumni and active brothers. The
incoming pledge class was formally initiated into our
Brotherhood by the Alumni President and was issued
their challenge coins and a certificate signifying the
completion of the pledging process. The graduating
class of 2011 was recognized for their involvement
with the fraternity and the impact that they left on the
underclassmen.
There was also a very touching presentation
given in memory of one of our fallen brothers, Bahar
Yaghoubian, who was slated to graduate with the class
of 2011. A plaque was presented in her honor which
will be given out as an annual award to one member
of the graduating class that exemplifies excellence in
academics and the profession of pharmacy as set forth
by Bahar. The night was concluded with the installation
of the new Omicron Chapter Board with a speech given
by the incoming Worthy Chief Counselor.
This banquet emphasized the strength and
leadership of our brotherhood. With the newly initiated
brothers and board members, we are certain that next
year will be just as successful.
Phi Delta Chi
Most Active Pledge
Lost I was, the first month of pharmacy school
Bombarded left and right by organizations, it was almost cruel
But only one of them stood out in my mind
The professional pharmacy fraternity, Phi Delta Chi
From the very beginning, I was welcomed with open arms
All the brothers told me, “Don’t be alarmed!”
Pharmacy school may initially be a bit of a shock
But Phi Dex is here if you ever need to talk
So I decided to pledge Phi Delta Chi
And every step of the way, brothers tested my mind
From helping to welcome the California State Controller
To falling asleep in the lobby, clutching my PDC folder
Henry Ho
My pledge brothers and I went through a lot
Dressing up for Halloween, boy it was hot
We even had Dean Vanderveen come to our tailgate
He gave that Oregon Duck piñata a nasty fate
Despite all the assignments that we were given
Seeing how close the brothers were made me more driven
From jobs to lecture notes to just someone to eat with
A Phi Dex brother is always there to help, and that is such a gift
Now that I have crossed and become an active member
I’ve been asked to write an article, so now I have to try and remember
What did I do to become “Most Active Pledge?”
I sure didn’t get it by being a veg
Sure, I made a website for our Empire pledge class
At volleyball, I lost my voice yelling to kick the other team’s a**
But who really deserves the most recognition?
Every single Empire pledge, because we all have ambition
In class, we are the ones who save seats for each other
We are the ones who get extra handouts for sleeping brothers
While this may seem trivial, our friendship bonds are tight
Because in the very end, we are Phi Dex for LIFE!
45
A A A E
Congratulations Rho Chi Brothers
Omicron Leaders in Academic Excellence
Class of 2011
Timothy Bensman
Stephanie Carrillo
Joyce Choi
Anthony Lorenzana
Jasmin Patel
Toan Vo
Boratha Yeang
Class of 2012
Ashley Weissman
Sahar Alnatour
Karen Gana
Aimee Keegan
Artak Kerimian
Anna Naapetyan
Natalie Gross
Sherri Hidalgo - Tsukamoto
Class of 2013
Leonid Beygelman
Raymond Chao
Melissa Eseltine-Baas
Deana Hanna
Sharon Huang
Nhat Huynh
Lev Protas
Serena Smith
Andrew Warnock
Phi Lambda Sigma Brother
46
National Leadership Society
Jason Lebowitz
Class of 2012
Phi Delta Chi
Congratulations Class of 2011
John Alpago
Priyanka Doshi
Justin Neag
David Tran
Stella Amranyan
Hasmig Ekmekdjian
Mark Nicosia
Vy Trinh
Elina Baskina
Gina Orbach
Maryam Nowakhtar
Lindsey Tsugawa
Razan Battikha
Megan Grant
Yazmin O’Quinn
Toan Vo
Tim Bensman
Tania Houspian
Nadine Ozdemir
Michael Wong
Erin Brand-Bess
Jonathan Jazayeri
Jay Parikh
Amy Wu
Stephanie Carrillo
Robert Jones
Nazeli Paronian
Bahar Yaghoubian
Steven Cheng
Matthew Keushguerian
Jasmin Patel
Boratha Yeang
Nicole Cho
Tanaz Kohan
Katherine Riberal
Jordan Yingling
Joyce Choi
Georgina Lee
Farm Saeteurn
Lindsey Yuan
Dan Dao
Doris Lo
Laurie Sermsakdi
Jeanette Der
Anthony Lorenzana
Jack Simityan
Matthew Dinh
Jaquelyn Manougian
Chandra Smallwood
47
A A A E
Omichronicle Editors
Emmanuel Paraiso
48
Vickie Yang
Class of 2013
Special Thanks to:
Jessica Louie
Derek Garcia
Hovik Mekhjian
In Loving Memory...
The 2010 - 2011 edition of the Omichronicle is dedicated to:
Bahar Yaghoubian, PharmD. 2011
our fallen Omicron brother
with a heart of gold and a smile
that could light up a room
Dr. Lee “Buzz” Klevens
an exceptional leader in
pharmacy and amazing
inspiration to allOmicron
brothers
Dr. Lee Klevens (R) with daughter and
Omicron brother Rebecca-Ashlee Klevens
49
alterum alterius auxilio eget