Omichronicle [2009-2010].

Letter From Advisor…………………….…….2
Executive Board………………………………3
Fall Events………………...…………….……11
Spring Events………………………..….……32
Professional Meetings……………….………38
Patient Care Projects………………………...44
Special Recognition……………………..…...52
PAGE 2
Letter From Our Advisor
Dr. Ronald Alkana
The active Brothers of the Omicron Chapter never
cease to do great things each year, and the 2009-2010
school year was no different. Starting with the education
of 54 new future pharmacists in the ways of Phi Delta Chi
fall semester and culminating the year at another wonderful
end of the year banquet at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel
in Downtown Los Angeles, this year was jam packed with
outstanding achievements in scholarship, leadership, and
professional development.
The accolades the active chapter have accumulated over the years are innumerable.
It has been such an enjoyable experience serving as an advisor and mentor to so many
future leaders of pharmacy during this academic year. This year’s board did an excellent job of leading an active chapter of over 140 strong, and always made sure I was in
the know of the latest fraternity happenings and upcoming events. Instead of providing a brief summary of what was accomplished this year, I will leave that to the wonderful Omicron Brothers. Best of luck to the class of 2010 and enjoy this year’s edition of the Omichronicle!
Ronald L. Alkana, Pharm.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies & Curricular Development
Phone: 323-442-1429;
Fax 323-442-1704
[email protected]
P-3 Brothers with their faculty advisor, Dr. Ron Alkana
PAGE 3
Executive Board 2009-2010
Worthy Chief Counselor: Jordan Yingling
Serving as Worthy Chief Counselor for the 2009-2010 school year was
one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences of my life. The accomplishments and leadership of all of the Omicron Brothers is uncanny
and made my life as the WCC a lot easier than one would think. I am extremely proud of all of our Brothers and what we have accomplished this
year and I know the fraternity will be in great hands for the years to come.
This year’s highlights included the crossing over of 54 future leaders
of pharmacy with the Omicron Chapter’s And1 Pledge Class, creatively
named knowing they were the 101st pledge class to be welcomed into our
chapter. Other highlights of this year included our first ever scholarship
dinner, a holiday reading session with a 5th grade class at a local Los Angeles elementary
school, an alumni/active barbecue at Alumnus Richard Seibert’s home in the city of Orange
for the USC vs. Ohio State football game, and the expansion of our yearly letter-writing campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to a school-wide event. These are just a few
of this year’s accomplishments, and throughout this publication it will be evident why our
Omicron Brothers are extremely proud to represent the Phi Delta Chi Fraternity.
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve as this year’s WCC and
will be committed to the growth of the Omicron Chapter and to this fraternity
as a whole as my journey through pharmacy school continues and beyond. At
the USC School of Pharmacy, we truly are leaders in pharmacy and Brothers for
life, and I couldn’t be more excited to see the Omicron Chapter reach new
heights in the years to come.
“The accomplishments and leadership of all of the
Omicron Brothers
is uncanny.”
Worthy Vice Counselor: Megan Grant
It has been an honor to serve as the Worthy Vice Counselor (WVC)
for the 2009-2010 school year. Working off the great ground work laid
by last years board, our goal was to keep things running smoothly while
improving on our weaknesses. One of the areas we worked hard to
improve was our rush process. Without the help of the board and all
our active members, we would not have been able to obtain such an
outstanding pledge class. One of the best parts of being the WVC this
year was being able to get to know all the pledges. In addition to our
success at rush, I’m proud of our advances in community service and scholarship recognition. Throughout the year I have basically served as Jordan’s right hand (wo)man, helping out wherever I could, especially with my favorite thing- keeping everything organized!
Above all, this year has taught me the expression “you get back what you put into it,” is
so true. Though the year hasn’t been easy, the more effort we put into each event made
the outcome that much more rewarding. As a first year I had no idea how big a part of
my life PDC would become, but I couldn't imagine pharmacy school any other way!
PAGE 4
Worthy Keeper of Records & Seals: My Duong
Being a board member, the Worthy something or not, of Phi Delta Chi was
all I could think about after a fabulous weekend spent with my fellow
PDCenturions and PDC Brothers for the retreat. I wanted to be more internally involved with the fraternity and its decision-making process and to
maintain the tradition created by the previous Brothers. Then a few months
later I was elected Worthy Keeper of Records and Seals of 2009-2010. I was
honored because I was presented with an opportunity to follow in my big
Brother’s footsteps of being an extraordinary WKRS. Believe it or not, being
WKRS was more than performing mindless secretarial work. In addition to
announcing upcoming events and meetings, taking attendance, updating the
roster list, and my favorite, recording the minutes, etc., I also helped coordinate and facilitate rush
events, pledge education sessions, and other activities. What I loved most about my position was
that it was multifaceted. The greatest challenge that I encountered during my term was event attendance. Increasing the number of attendees to both general meetings and events proved to be difficult due to everyone’s conflicting schedules and personal responsibilities. My strategy was to use
humor by incorporating Natalie Dee’s comic, my favorite artist of all time, to the email announcements and send them out at least 2 weeks in advance. I supposed the secret is out. Unfortunately, I
was not the mastermind behind the funny comics, but their uniqueness definitely proved effective.
That was my way of getting our Brothers to check their PDC-related emails frequently. Each
Brother could read the comic, laugh a little to lighten their days, and save the dates. It was then up to
the individual to make time and attend. With all that said, it was an absolute pleasure to serve as
WKRS.
“I know that I
have grown
as a leader .”
Worthy Correspondent: Erin Hamai
This past year has provided me with many challenges and rewards that
have helped me become a better leader and communicator. At times, the
deadlines were tough and collaborating reports with others was difficult,
but it made me appreciate my Brothers as well as our fraternity. Being
Worthy Correspondent not only connected me with Phi Delta Chi on a
national level, it encouraged me to be involved with all of our chapter activities and events. I have grown a lot in this past year and look forward to
applying what I have learned as Worthy Vice Counselor next year.
Worthy Prelate: Andy Williams
Serving as Worthy Prelate this past year truly has been a remarkable experience. In the summer, I planned our board retreat which was held in Long
Beach, CA. Throughout pledging, I made myself readily available to all the
pledges—making it known that I was always available and willing to listen if
they had any concerns. In the winter, I planned and organized our annual fraternity retreat which was held in Las Vegas, NV. We had approximately 60
Brothers attend – an all-time high in terms of number of attendees! In the
spring, I held nominations and voting for our 5 awards to be given out at our
annual banquet, as well as conducted voting for our fraternity elections. It truly
was an amazing year serving Phi Delta Chi, and I know that I have grown as a leader because of it.
PAGE 5
Worthy Keeper of Finance: John Alpago
Throughout this tough economic environment, one of the main
goals as the Worthy Keeper of Finances this year was to sustain a
balanced budget while still allotting the funds necessary to promote Brotherhood amongst our fraternity and potential new
members. Because of our successful fundraising periods and generous help from our alumni association we were able to produce
three amazing rush events which ultimately led to one of the largest pledge classes in recent history.
At the USC School of Pharmacy, each organization only has two
weeks to fundraise and the Omicron chapter made the most of this. I had developed a financial review committee in order to help assist in collecting funds and accurately log these
transactions. Due to the tremendous support of our Brothers, alumni, and school, we were
able to set up next year’s board to successfully finance the ever expanding chapter in their
events and donations.
I am very proud of all of our accomplishments this year and look forward to the future of
the Omicron chapter.
Worthy Inner Guard: Mira Trufasiu Bakas
My experience as the Worthy Inner Guard during the 2009-2010
academic year was truly unforgettable. I set two main goals for myself
and this position. The first foremost, the goal was to effectively lead
the pledges during their journey towards Brotherhood. More importantly, I wanted to be a person the pledges trusted and turned toward
for guidance and support during the demanding first semester of
pharmacy school. To accomplish this, I began the year by getting to
know the potential pledges at the rush events. Similar to how I was
feeling at that time the previous year, they were all a little overwhelmed, full of questions, and a little intimidated about what the future held in store for
them. I focused on being honest with them about my experiences and being supportive and
encouraging as the year got off to a quick start. As the semester progressed I was so happy to
see how the pledges began to bond and rely on each other’s support which truly embodied the
meaning of Brotherhood. My second goal was to be a successful liaison between the active
Brothers and the pledges. In order for the actives to be the integral part of pledging that they
needed to be, I felt that they should be thoroughly informed about the progress the pledges
were making on a weekly basis. With a pledge class of 54, I relied on the actives to help me
teach them about the history, meaning, and fraternal spirit of Phi Delta Chi. I am very honored to have had the opportunity to hold this position, but more importantly I am very proud
to call all of them my Brothers. Thank you Omicron chapter for the friendships and memories!
“I was so happy
to see how the
pledges began
to bond.”
PAGE 6
Worthy Master-At-Arms: Toni Codling
This past year I served the Omicron chapter in the capacity of the Worthy
Master at Arms. It was my immense pleasure to have served with the most motivated and energetic board I've ever had the pleasure to be associated with. The
communication and the camaraderie shared between the board members were
indicative of our many successes this year. From the dynamic leadership of our
WCC and WVC, Jordan Yingling and Megan Grant, respectively, to the partnership I was able to garner with our Worthy Inner Guard Mira Bakas, every facet of
our board was cohesive. We were successfully able to cross over and educate
greater than 50 pledges in the ways of the Phi Delta Chi Fraternity this year. The
honor of being able to educate a large pledge class in the traditions and high ideals of Phi Delta Chi may be thought of as a challenge, but with the support of our board and active
Brothers, every bit of it was my immense pleasure. I have resounding confidence that these pledges
will go on to be the most thoughtful and active Brothers in their upcoming years of pharmacy
school and beyond. From this experience, I’ve sharpened my own abilities to lead, which will serve
me well in my future endeavors.
“The communication
and the camaraderie shared between
the board members
were indicative of
our many successes
this year.”
Professional Projects:
Susan Shakib & Janeane Moura
This year brought on new challenges and
opportunities for the two of us as Co-chairs of
Professional Projects. As Omicron's Professional Projects Chairs, our job was to help oversee projects,
such as Cholesterol Awareness, at various health fairs. We
were able to participate and screen event participants during
numerous health fairs all over Los Angeles County, Orange
County, and Ventura County. Many Omicron Brothers came
out to these health fairs to support us as Professional Project
Chairs, participate in the health fair screenings, and to man
various disease state education booths. Along with serving local communities through Cholesterol Awareness, we actively participated in various events which have allowed the brothers of Phi
Delta Chi Omicron come together to reach out and affect thousands in LA County and beyond.
Although Cholesterol Awareness is considered the main service project of our chapter, the
Omicron brothers actively participated in various other professional events throughout the year.
Collaborating with the P.S. I Love You Foundation, our Brothers have acted as role models and
taken pride in participating in this mentoring event for the past 3 years. A day is spent at the
beach guiding and bonding with underprivileged children. With the numerous participants in this
event, each Brother was able to be coupled with a child aged 2-13 from one of a few local shelters.
Each mentor and child pairing participated in various activities at the beach and bonded for the
day with one another.
Poison prevention is another event in which the Omicron chapter has actively been involved
in on a yearly basis. This year, the And1 pledge class was responsible for coordinating and teaching poison prevention to 4th grade students in local neighborhoods, teaching them about the dangers of poisons, and how they would be able to prevent poison-related accidents. Also, this program serves to teach these children to become more aware of how they would locate poisons
around the household and how to prevent younger siblings from being poisoned as well.
The participation and enthusiasm of our Brothers in various community events is second to
none. Not only do the Omicron Brothers actively participate in screening projects, they also make
it their responsibility to act as role models for younger children, therefore continuously building
upon the trust given to pharmacists in our community.
PAGE 7
Worthy Alumni Liaison: Kalsang Dorji
Serving as the Worthy Alumni Liaison was an amazing experience. Working with
the new Alumni Chapter President, Dr. Garrett Ow, and his amazing board was
completely effortless. The entire USC PDC Alumni group is in complete support
of the active chapter. The alumni members have not only attended most of our
events throughout the year, but this past year they created new networking events
and welcomed us into their homes.
Here at the USC School of Pharmacy, we would be remiss to neglect our USC
football tailgates. Each USC home game the active chapter and alumni spend hours
together preparing to watch their Trojans take the field. As WAL, it
is considered my responsibility to be the first one at each tailgate, but
with our group of Brothers this was hardly a responsibility. I enjoyed every minute spent with
“Phi Delta Chi
my Brothers and the alumni this year, as it was truly a pleasure to serve as the alumni liaison.
makes every effort
Academic Chair: Minh Truong
to ensure pledges
and Brothers succeed academically.”
Pharmacy school is one though transition. As look upon the anxious faces
of this year's pledge class, I see myself. Only a year ago, I was a P1 student digging
my way through notes that appeared to have no end, lectures that made no sense,
while setting aside time for pledging, and using the remainder of my time to clutch
hopelessly to my sanity. Alterum Alterius Auxilio Eget, was what they said to us before pledging and through the process. Those words then seemed to ring hollow to
my ears, muttered in long dead and forgotten tongue. But behind those collection of
esoteric utterances, there stands a Brother who understands our needs, a Brother
who assuages our worries, a Brother who imbues us courage and a Brother who volunteers any help he can dole. Our future Brothers during the pledging process offered us their study guides, tips, and guidance through our courses. They conducted
review sessions and organized study groups to help us succeed. As pledges, we were awashed in this fraternal
spirit and led by their example, we banned together and helped each other both academically and emotionally
through the end of the first semester and pledging. Our support of each other remains strong, semester after
semester. Pharmacy school would have been a lot more difficult and frustrating if I had to struggle through it
alone.
AAAE is the reason I am proud to be this year's Academic Chair. I wanted to reciprocate what had
been offered to me as a pledge, and then as a Brother of this fraternity, to my fellow and future Brothers. To
this effect, fellow Brother Parth R. Shah and I, tagged team to present lecture styled reviews of Pharmaceutics
and Health Care Delivery coursework before their respective midterms, totaling in excess of 8 hours. In addition, I also arranged less formal study sessions and one-on-one tutoring sessions conducted by myself and my
Brothers. I also pushed the use of electronic media to aid learning. I offered to answer any questions students
may have via e-mail because some students may feel more comfortable communicating in this manner or they
could not attend the reviews that we put on. For questions that I could not answer, I relayed them to actives
who could. Furthermore, I created and distributed electronic flashcards to help our future Brothers memorize
their top 200 commonly prescribed drugs and other facts. A unique advantage that these electronic flashcards
have over traditional flashcards is that they employ algorithms based on psychological models such as spacedrepetition and the Leitner method to test cards in a patterns that not only decrease memorization time, but also
promote long-term retention. Moreover, these cards can also be synced to iPods, iPhones, smartphones, and
PDAs, allowing them be reviewed anywhere. Lastly, I built a new website for our Brothers to share our notes and
lecture recordings. Compared to sharing notes via email, notes stored here are organized into categories and readily accessible to Brothers who will need them in the future.
Phi Delta Chi makes every effort to ensure pledges and Brothers succeed academically throughout pharmacy school. Our success rests on embodying the spirit of AAAE and putting it into action.
PAGE 8
Social Chairs:
Parth D. Shah & Sarah Moy
As social chairs, we worked together to plan the three rush
events to meet potential Omicron pledges. At these events,
the incoming class and prospective second years had the opportunity to meet the brothers of the fraternity and learn
about the meaning of Brotherhood. Our first event was an
outdoor barbeque/potluck in Alhambra where the Brothers
brought barbeque essentials as well as their own homemade
goods including kabobs, salads, and desserts. The diversity
of the food that we brought reflected the diversity of our
fraternity and added a personal touch to the event.
“It was a great opportunity to work with
the other fraternities
on campus and
strengthen our relationships”
The second rush event was the Alumni Wine and Cheese event with our
alumni chapter. Over a variety of wine and cheese, the alumni and the prospective
Brothers participated in roundtable discussions to talk about how the Brotherhood
influenced their pharmacy school experience as well as their pharmacy careers.
At our last rush event, we held a social at Barney’s Beanery where actives
and the potential pledges were able to grab food and drinks and get to know each
other better in a more casual, laid-back setting. As social chairs, we also worked
with representatives from other fraternities at the pharmacy school to host a “Trifrat” clubbing social event. This event was a time to get all the fraternities together and invite the incoming class to take a break from class and have a party to start the
new school year. It was a great opportunity to work with the other fraternities on campus
and strengthen our relationships with them. The highlight of the year was our 101st banquet at the Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. With much planning, we hosted a
memorable banquet with more than 200 guests, including many of our distinguished
alumni. The program included a reflection of the past year, the recognition of the graduating class of 2012, as well as the outgoing and incoming board. After a long year of hard
work, we are glad we were able to promote the social aspect of USC’s Phi Delta Chi this
Webmasters:
Aubrey Moreau & Alifiya Hyderi
This year we worked in collaboration with
the Academic Chair, Minh Truong, to create a new website for the Omicron Chapter. We also worked with the national
Webmaster to make our new site available
on the national PDC website. The new
Omicron website has message boards and
file sharing capabilities that have facilitated e-communication within the chapter. In
addition, we have managed the PDC email list-serve so that it works smoothly.
Serving on the board of Phi Delta Chi was a wonderful experience. We would like
to congratulate the new Webmasters-elect and wish them a great year ahead!
PAGE 9
Historians: Robert Jones & Matthew Dinh
Many barriers were broken this year for the
historians. First of all, through years of suggestions, and proposals from other Omicron
Brothers, we have successfully implemented
the use of technology for all of our historian
projects. This started off with moving forward
from a hands-on cut and paste annual scrapbook into a digital photo album, with originally
designed templates and page layouts. This also
included designing and printing a poster for
our chapter, containing our composite and other pictures of fraternity related activities to
be hung in the glass window display case located in our pharmacy school lobby.
In addition we continued our tradition of producing comedic rush videos along with
motivating slideshows for our yearly informational session, held in the beginning of the
school year, in hopes of recruiting new prospective Brothers. This resulted in a large attendance of both P-1 and P-2 students at all of our rush events. Our rush events paved the
way to successfully crossing over 54 new initiates at the end of the fall semester. Much of
this success can also be attributed to the many projects carried out by Robert and I that
were not previously filed under the historian job description. This included the creation of
original fliers for our events that we emailed to the entire school of pharmacy to help promote all of Omicron's activities throughout the year, as well as designing fashionable and
aesthetically-pleasing T-shirts to maintain a positive image and presence on campus. One
memorable result from our efforts was an amazing fundraising event, in which our T-shirts
were sold to other Brothers from across the country at Grand Council last summer.
Our responsibilities were slowly coming to a close with the creation of a commemorative
slideshow for our annual end-of-the-year banquet. This eight-minute video showcased all
the proud moments of Phi Delta Chi at USC during the 2009-2010 academic year. Lastly,
this publication set before you marks the end of our term. We would like to thank all of our
Omicron Brothers for their constant support of our projects throughout the year and
would like to specifically thank Brothers Jordan Yingling and Jessica Louie for their active
contributions to the Omichronicle this year!
Flyer designed for Wine & Cheese
Rush Event
Fundraising T-shirt design
Brother Jordan Yingling celebrating a
successful fundraising event.
PAGE 10
Congratulations to the
Incoming 2010-2011 Board!
WCC
Derrick Garcia
WVC
Erin Hamai
WC
Karissa Le
WKRS
Jessica Louie
WP
Aubrey Moreau
WKF
Andy Williams
WMA
Hovik Mehkjian
WIG
Karen Elmeri
WAL
Steven Cheng
Academic Chair
Leonid Beygelman
Professional Projects
Saleema Kapadia
Yalda Dorosti Akasheh
Social Chairs
Malte Napp
Raymond Chao
Webmasters
Jay Parikh
John Ko
Historians
Emmanuel Paraiso
Vickie Yang
PAGE 11
Summer Board Retreat
Jordan Yingling
After a very successful centennial celebration of the Omicron chapter last
year, we were anxious to get started with the planning of this year’s events.
We began in July when our newly elected board traveled to the Long Beach
Hilton to meet and discuss plans for the upcoming school year. We discussed
the strengths and weaknesses of our chapter and its performance throughout
the past year, our Phi Delta Chi Achievement Award rankings, and ideas as to
how we could improve upon both our successes and inefficiencies. We focused on the importance of upholding the values this fraternity was based
upon: scholarship, leadership, professionalism, and activism within our profession. We also spoke at
length at the importance of proper mentorship for the incoming class of 2013 as well as those who
may decide to pledge our chapter during their second year. In addition, two new awards were instituted as motivators for the upcoming year. We honored a “pledge with the edge” every two weeks
during pledge meetings, in which one of the members of this year’s pledge class was given a gift card
to recognize their commitment to their pledge class and our fraternity, all while succeeding in their
studies and leadership development. Similarly, the active chapter recognized a Brother of the Month,
or “Bro of the Mo” as the actives call it, to encourage non-board members to remain active. We
awarded the "Bro of the Mo" to recognize outstanding achievements of our active Brothers not serving on this year's board each month at our formal meetings throughout the year.
In addition, we set goals to add more events to the spring semester to promote service, leadership,
and scholarship. We definitely succeeded in doing this in many ways, but every Brother in this chapter
knows that there is a lot improvement that can be done. Most importantly at our retreat, we made a
commitment to each other to maintain good and effective communication throughout the year and
realized the better our board communicated, the more success we would have with participation from
the active and alumni chapters alike. It was apparent from this July board retreat that the Omicron
Chapter was destined for great things during the 2009-2010 school year.
Grand Council
Jordan Yingling
On August 4th, 9 of Omicron Brothers flew out
to the 67th Grand Council of Phi Delta Chi in
Phoenix, Arizona. We participated in educational tracts focused on student leadership,
alumni relations, chapter finances, and fraternity
rituals. In addition, this meeting provided us
the opportunity socialize and network with over
50 chapters from across the country. Grand
Council was highlighted by our chapter winning
the John D. Grabenstein Leadership Award
given to the chapter that best exemplifies the
first part of Phi Delta Chi’s slogan, “leaders in
pharmacy” through our written leadership report that is submitted to the national office annually.
We also finished 4th out of 55 chapters for the Emory W. Thurston Grand President’s Award
which recognizes the top Phi Delta Chi chapters across the country and encompasses elements of
scholarship, leadership, professional service projects, and brotherhood. We should all be very
proud of these accomplishments, yet we all knew coming into this year, 4th is not 1st, so we had to
be better. Grand Council provided all the motivation this year’s board needed to make the ’09-’10
year one to remember!
PAGE 12
St. Jude Leadership Conference
Megan Grant
This year I had the honor of attending the 2009 St. Jude
Leadership Conference in Memphis, TN. The weekend
started off with a tour of the St. Jude Children’s Hospital itself. For the Brothers in attendance, the tour also included a
stop at the pharmacy to see the plaque honoring Phi Delta
Chi’s national contribution of $200,000 to the construction
of the new pharmacy. The conference included various information sessions such as “letter writing 101”, “event planning”, and “forming an action plan”. These sessions helped me learn more
about various ideas for fundraising as well as how to improve upon our letter
writing campaign.
In addition, several St. Jude families and patients spoke about their
experiences with St. Jude to help us realize all the different things St. Jude
does for patients. For example, no child is turned away for an inability to pay.
St. Jude also will provide housing for families as their child receives treatment.
As a pharmacy student, I also found it very interesting to learn about all the
research St. Jude is doing both with cancer and other diseases such as influenza. For example, thanks to the research done at St. Jude, childhood lymphoma survival rates have increase dramatically to almost 98%. In addition to
all I learned about St. Jude itself, I also met numerous other Phi Delta Chi
Brothers from across the country. This allowed us to share not only fundraising ideas, but stories about our own chapters as well.
The time spent at this conference and exploring Memphis with these
Brothers from across the country I had never met showed me how widespread and strong the Phi Delta Chi Brotherhood is. In February, the Omicron chapter held its annual letter writing campaign. In attempts to increase
participation, the event was held at lunch and was open to the entire pharmacy school student body. There was also a raffle for those who submitted
various amounts of letters to win
prizes such as gift cards and even
an iPod.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN
PAGE 13
Conference attendees from various chapters.
“The time spent
showed me how
widespread and
strong the Phi
Delta Chi Brotherhood is.”
Plaque honoring Phi Delta Chi’s philanthropy
hung outside St. Jude Pharmacy.
Omicron brothers participate in the St. Jude letterwriting campaign during the month of February.
PAGE 14
P.S. I Love You
Ashley Weissman
During the past summer, the Omicron Brothers participated in
P.S. I Love You Foundation’s annual Day at the Beach event for the
third consecutive time. At this all day-event in Manhattan Beach, over
200 volunteers “Adopt a Child” for a day of fun, games, and sun.
Every paired child and volunteer bonds and has a day of talking, giving, and sharing to ensure a safe and positive experience for each
child. It truly is a wonderful hands-on day of social interaction with
at-risk children from the Greater Los Angeles Area.
PDC Brothers gathered early on a Saturday morning during our
summer break to become a mentor for an inner city child. Brothers
who participated include: Henry Lee, Megan Grant, Jeni Baynes, Jason Lebowitz, Harut
Kagoyan, Amy Ta, Laura Van Wechel, Ashley Weissman, Sahar Alnatour, Carlos Davila,
Nadine Ozdemir, Anna Naapetyan, and Toni Codling-Garrett. We spent the day playing
games, supervising water activities, face painting, eating and chatting with the children.
While each of us developed a special bond with the children, this event also provided an
opportunity for us to bond with our Brothers. After the event ended, we continued our
Brotherly bonding at a nearby restaurant. This is a fun community service event that the
Omicron Chapter continues to participate in each year, and clearly makes a great impact!
Omicron brothers spend the day at the beach
socializing, mentoring, and enjoying the sun
with children from the Greater Los Angeles
Area.
“Each of us developed a special bond with
the children.”
Getting ready to play some Speedball!
PAGE 15
Alumni Tailgate:
USC vs Ohio State
Razan Battikha & Jasmin Patel
On Saturday September 12th, 2009, alumni and actives of
Omicron Chapter gathered at Brother Richard Siebert’s home in
Orange County to watch the USC vs. Ohio State football game
being played in Columbus, Ohio. Themed “Burgers, Brats, Beverages and Brotherhood,” this event was the final event of a series of
centennial celebrations put together by the Omicron Chapter and
the alumni. Active Brothers enjoyed delicious food and drinks while
mingling with alumni. Some alumni traveled long distances to be a
part of this celebration and to cheer on the USC Trojans. During a close and tense football game, the
alumni and actives showed their USC spirit as they cheered on their team with their favorite USC
chants. As USC came up with a touchdown in the last minute and 5 seconds to take the win, the
house roared with USC pride and camaraderie. This memorable Saturday afternoon is a favorite in
our books, and was talked about many times during the remainder of the year!
PAGE 16
Rush Event #1: Welcome BBQ
Jay Parikh
Our first rush event took place at beautiful Almansor Park in Alhambra,
CA – about 15 minutes from campus. We planned and designed our first rush
event to be inviting to as many people as possible with a multitude of food
and activity options. We have always strived to attract the most diverse group
of pledges from our school and we tried to maintain this goal at our initial
rush event. While burgers, hotdogs, and kebabs roasted on the barbeque,
students were kept entertained with activities such as scavenger hunts and
“find the Brother bingo” to not only pass the time but to also get to
know our active Brothers better.
Thanks to the large number of actives that participated in our
first rush event, the majority of prospective pledges were able to easily
find someone they connected with – something we hope to carry over to
our other rush events in the future. Most of the feedback we received
about this rush event was about this strength, and the ease of finding a
common bond between prospective and
active Brothers. This proved to be one of
the highest contributory reasons these
BBQ attendees decided to attend our other
rush events and ultimately pledge the Omicron Chapter of Phi Delta Chi.
Brothers Steven Cheng & Jason Lebowitz fire up the grill.
Brother Inge Suwandi chatting it up with William
Liangg at our rush BBQ.
Rush Event #2:
Alumni Wine & Cheese
Sarah Moy
The Wine and Cheese rush event with the Omicron Alumni introduces our
legacy here at USC to the rushees and provides the opportunity to become
acquainted with our alumni of many different backgrounds. This year, we
heard from Alumni Bob Kazebee and Richard Siebert as well as recent
graduates Sheena Patel, Kimberly Lau, Garrett Ow, Marshal Abdullah and
Ray Risman. They shared their experiences as PDC Brothers and how the
Omicron Chapter helped direct their path in pharmacy. Following the
speeches, active Brother Matthew Keushguerian shared a video he had made
during his pledge semester. His film of the PhiDexter pledge class depicted what the fraternity
was all about and provided a glimpse of the bonding and Brotherhood the pledges develop
throughout the process. Over wine and cheese, the alumni conducted roundtable discussions to
get to know the rushees. The event was a great success and we give special thanks to all the actives and alumni who came out to support us.
PAGE 17
Rush Event #3: Barney’s Beanery
Parth D. Shah
During the final Rush event before bids are given out, potential
pledges are invited to mingle with current actives and alumni for
dinner and billiards at Barney’s Beanery in Pasadena. The gala is
full of cheers, laughter, and fun, as potential initiates have a final
opportunity to mingle with the Omicron Brothers and learn more
about our chapter’s activities, values, and individual members. We
had an exceptional turn out from both sides, with over 80 potential pledges showing interest in joining our fraternity. This provided a great opportunity for our Brothers to get to know the potential pledges and
allowed us to assess whether these individuals had what it took to become a successful member and leader in Phi Delta Chi. After the event, the Brothers met in secrecy
to determine which individuals would receive an opportunity to pledge the Omicron
Chapter, and be a part of an unforgettable experience, enhancing their pharmacy career.
“The gala is full of
cheers, laughter,
and fun.”
Brothers Harut Kagoyan, Tina Patel, Anna Naapetyan, & Amy Ta enjoying time with prospective
pledges.
“Prospective pledges were
able to easily find someone
they connected with .”
Brothers Aileen Chu, Mira Bakas, Lisa Serrano,
and Liz Plunkett get ready for Wine & Cheese.
PAGE 18
USC Project Jamaica
Saleema Kapadia
Students at USC have gone above and beyond to reach out to
the community every day with their involvement in community
service locally and nationally. This time, they went global and
decided to reach and venture to a nation that had not been
visited before. In a joint effort of two organizations, Student
National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) from the
School of Pharmacy and African Americans in Health Organization (AAIH) from the Undergraduate campus, we selected
Jamaica, a country within close proximity of the US, but with vast needs with respect
to healthcare.
USC Project Jamaica took place over the holiday break in December 2009 where
ten students from USC, including six SNPhA members and four AAIH members,
along with one veterinary student from Western University, traveled to Jamaica for a
service-learning project. Among the students participating from the School of Pharmacy were Brother Toni Codling-Garrett, Brother Aubrey Monreau, Brother Christina Yu, Susan Won, Ruth Awosika, and Brother Saleema Kapadia (myself). Our mission was to develop a global-active pharmacy voice while volunteering and learning
about Jamaica’s health infrastructure.
Being a week before Christmas, we brought toy gifts and clothes bought and donated by USC students and faculty for the kids in the underprivileged parts of Jamaica where we planned to visit. We felt like we were able to bring the Christmas
spirit everywhere we went, from the little ones sick in the hospital to those living in
safety homes and orphanages. Our trip also included teaching and learning sessions
at the places we visited, including the pediatric ward of the Cornwall Regional Hospital, the Blossoms Gardens and SOS Village Orphanages, the Westhaven Home for
the Physically Challenged, and the Genderville Safety Home for teenage girls. We
also got a chance to speak with the children and teenagers about poison prevention,
HIV/AIDS awareness and hygiene. The lessons included puppet shows, sing-alongs,
games, and presentations.
In addition, we had the opportunity to meet with the Caribbean Association of
Pharmacists executive members, the Jamaica Minister of Health, and the Senior
Medical Officer and Pharmacy Department Supervisor along with interns at Cornwall Regional Hospital. We also met with the University of Technology School of
Pharmacy Administration in Kingston, which is in process of establishing the first
Doctor of Pharmacy program in the Caribbean.
Project Jamaica was an eye-opening experience for most of us who haven’t yet
encountered hardships and disparities of an underprivileged nation. Our servicelearning trip was a rewarding and life-changing experience that we will never forget.
We are leaders in pharmacy and we advocate our profession wherever we go. 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.”
PAGE 19
Omicron brothers educate the orphanage in Jamaica about Poison Prevention.
The Project Jamaica Team gets in the
Christmas spirit while en route to a
hospital.
USC shares Jamaican pride!
USC Project Jamaica with the hospital
pharmacy team.
PAGE 20
Pledge Class 2009:
Welcome the AND 1’s!
“I’ve come a long way from the days of thinking of Phi Delta Chi as “just another frat.”
Now, Phi Delta Chi is my fraternity, and I
have never been so proud to call the Omicron
chapter my Brothers for life.”
- Vickie Yang
“This is truly a unique experience that I
share with my brothers and I could honestly say I do not know what I would have
done last semester without the help of this
fraternity.”
- Karen Elmeri
“I had expressed to her that my older
brother was between jobs, and was having
a hard time finding a Pharmacy Technician
position around Los Angeles. Without me
even having to say another word, she told
me that she would email her PhiDex
brothers to see if they knew of any job
openings. Within a week, I got nearly
twelve emails from members of PhiDex
with job opportunities for my
Brother.”
- Hovik Mehkjian
PAGE 21
“Upon reflecting what my brothers have done
for me, I could probably write at least a novel
about the tears, the funniest moments, and the
warmest memories that happened during my
experience as a pledge and now as a brother of
Phi Delta Chi.”
- Linda Tran
“This fraternity nurtures the development of social and leadership skills and
encourages their members to make a
commitment to something outside of
themselves.”
- Natalie Gross
“My Brothers taught me that I had the intelligence and capability to succeed this
whole time and they brought out my
strengths and confidence by providing me
with the support, and closeness I had been
longing for.”
- Vlada Treynker
“As we faced trials and tests, and things got
tough during both the pledging process and our
daily lives, there was always someone to lean on.
People gave their time, their friendship, and their
efforts with such generosity. And as we all gave
and received, supported and leaned, we began to
grow as individuals and as a group.”
- Sara Chang
PAGE 22
Brotherhood Report:
Fabiola Bien-Aime
It was December 8th, 2009. I just finished taking my
first final and knew I failed it. All I can think about is
how my first semester in pharmacy school has been a
never-ending uphill battle. I traveled 3,000 miles to
attend such a great school and with that came making
new friends, being homesick daily, and all the while
getting accustomed to the fast pace of professional
school. I came all this way to pursue a career I knew
was right for me and now I foresee all my hard work
going down the drain.
As I try to mask my sadness this day, I run into a fellow brother and she asks me how the
exam went. I immediately break down and tell her I’m failing pharmacy school and do not
know how to deal with it. Without delay, she consoles me and tells me to calm down. My
brother takes time out of her busy study schedule to talk to me and advise me on how to stay
focused and to just move on to the next exam. My brother calls me every day during our finals
week to make sure I am on the right track and even gives me her additional notes to ace the
remaining exams. I am amazed on how this brother of mine is so compassionate and actually
cares about my success when I, myself, have already given up. I felt like a nobody, a failure
waiting for the final hour of judgment from administration to remove me from school, but
thanks to this brother, I now see the reason of being someone who deserves to be in pharmacy
school. I will never forget this.
It is now my second semester of pharmacy school. After successfully managing to pass my
first semester, I return for spring semester in full force, ready to bring my grades up and do
much better. Then on January 12th, 2010, tragedy strikes my beloved island of Haiti. The
country I visited less than a week ago is now going through the most horrific event in its history
and unfortunately my father and my brother were not too far from the epicenter. When I hear
the news, I am in shock and immediately think the two most important men in my life are gone
forever. I am with a fellow brother when I receive word of what has occurred and all I hear
from her mouth is, “I’m here for you, how can I help?” All I can say is thank you and we hug.
At first, I was skeptical about the idea of a pledge class of 54 people being able to bond
and become close, but all 54 quickly proved me wrong. Within days, the outpouring of constant
support and concern about not only my family, but also my well-being was apparent from all
the brothers. My brothers even took it a step further to initiate a Red Cross donation drive for
the Haiti earthquake and demonstrated deep empathy for my family and me. I never felt so
much love from such a large group of people in my life. Once I found out my family survived,
my brothers were there with me to share in my joy. Even after the event of the earthquake, not
one day passed by without one of my brothers asking about my family’s well-being.
My Phi Delta Chi brothers of the Omicron Chapter truly encompass what brotherhood should be: someone who realizes you are a significant when you feel you are not, someone who cares enough about your well being inside and outside the classroom, and someone
who has your back when you are falling. That is what true brotherhood is all about.
PAGE 23
Trojan Tailgating
Steven Cheng
Although the 2009 season of USC football was sub-par compared to recent history, Omicron Brothers still looked forward to every
home game. Football tailgates served as a nice break from the rigors of
school as well as an opportunity for the Omicron Brothers to display our
school spirit. For six Saturdays in the fall semester, dedicated Omicron
Brothers arrived around 7:00 in the morning to reserve a prime tailgating
spot in the quad. Brothers contributed by bringing various food items,
beverages, and even some games to play. These Saturdays provided us an opportunity to
socialize and strengthen bonds during a relaxing morning, before we all headed over to
the Coliseum to cheer on the cardinal and gold.
The Homecoming tailgate was our largest tailgate this year. In addition to regular
attendees, all members of the “And1” pledge class came out to help set up the tailgate
and introduce themselves to the Omicron Alumni in attendance. For most of the
pledges, it was their first exposure to the USC campus on a “Game Day”. Many of our
Omicron Alumni made their way over to our tailgate after visiting the USC School of
Pharmacy alumni barbeque.
The 2010 season is quickly approaching and with many students buying a football pass for the first time, tailgates look to
become as large and fun as they ever have.
Hopefully the quality of football matches
the excitement that we will have during
next year's tailgates.
“These Saturdays provided us an opportunity
to socialize and
strengthen bonds during
a relaxing morning.”
Omicron brothers interviewed by a local news station.
PAGE 24
PDC Primal Scream
Erin Hamai
“Primal Scream” is an event traditionally held at the University Park Campus of
USC. It takes place every evening before final exams each semester. Residence
halls honor this event by providing food and snacks to students studying for
their tests but the highlight of each night is the USC Marching Band which
marches through campus to the library playing several of USC’s time honored
songs. The brief event ends in hundreds of students screaming out their frustration, which can be heard all throughout campus, before filing back into the library to study. This event is not only a great stress reliever, but a custom that
has been passed from generation to generation of USC Trojans.
Since the first semester of pharmacy school can take its toll on students both physically and
mentally, our fraternity decided to implement a “Primal Scream” of its own on the Health Science
Campus which is where our pharmacy school is located. Since most of our pledges came from
colleges all over the United States, we felt that it was important to teach them some of the traditions of USC and to provide a welcoming relief to tensions before their first big round of midterms. Our chapter provided study snacks and drinks and gathered a large group of students outside our pharmacy building to scream out loud on the count of “3”. It was both a bonding experience among pledges and active Brothers as well as the start of a new tradition on our campus.
Primal Scream set-up getting
ready for full effect in the USC
School of Pharmacy Lobby.
Pledges Richard Dang and
Emmanuel Paraiso nourish
themselves during exam week.
Pledges Daniela Um & Vickie Yang take a break
to smile for the camera.
Brothers Erin Hamai & Megan Grant celebrate the
success of the first-ever “PDC Primal Scream.”
PAGE 25
Founder’s Day 2009
Jaclyn Kaladjian
Phi Delta Chi is the first professional pharmacy fraternity that was founded by 11
pharmacy students at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, on November 2,
1883. This organization was recognized by students and faculty to bring students
of pharmacy together to discuss the science of pharmacy as well its sister sciences.
Throughout its evolution over the past 126 years, Phi Delta Chi still preserves its
foundations, and brings forth true leaders in the field of pharmacy, while uniting
us all as Brothers.
The men who are responsible for starting this organization, today known as Phi
Delta Chi, are all deceased but we continue to remember and honor the work of
Charles Edward Bond, Franklin Herbert Frazee, Llewellyn Hall Gardner, Calvin Pomeroy Godfrey,
Adolph Gustave Hoffman, Arthur Gilliam Hopper, Charles F. Hueber, George Pawling Lemon,
Arthur Sidney Rogers, Azor Thurston, and Albert Tenney Waggoner
On November 2, 2009, in honor of our founding fathers we bought red carnations, the flower of
our fraternity, to give out to our active Brothers, and honorary members. Throughout the day a few
of us walked around campus with dozens of carnations in hand, handing them out to our active
Brothers as we greeted them with an enthusiastic “Happy Founder’s Day!” We also went to the
offices of Dr. Alkana, Dr. Wincor, Dr. Weissman, and Dr. Goad, our key Alumni and Honorary
Brothers at the university, where we handed a carnation and took a picture. We were gratified to be
part of this tradition, spreading the spirit of the fraternity and marking its 126th year.
As pledges we were all very proud to be pledging for a professional pharmacy fraternity that had
such a long history and great line of traditions. As honored Phi Delta Chi Brothers we will all continue to follow the purpose of this fraternity that was originally set forth in 1883: “The object of
this association shall be to advance the science of pharmacy and its allied interests and to foster and
promote a fraternal spirit among its members.”
Pledges Christina Yu, Malte
Napp, & Jaclyn Kaladjian prepare to distribute the PhiDex
carnations!
Brother Andy Williams is pleasantly surprised during his lunch.
Brother Matthew Dinh receives
extra motivation while studying
for his exam.
The And1 Pledge Class on Founder’s Day.
PAGE 26
Legislative Day Breakfast
& Health Fair
Tanaz Kohan
On Friday, November 9th, NCPA and APSA (American Pharmacy Student
Alliance) organized and hosted USC’s Annual Legislative Day at USC’S Town
and Gown Ballroom. Our annual Legislative Affairs Day was organized to unite
over 200 students, USC faculty, legislators, community leaders and local media to
advocate and discuss current legislative issues. As an active member of both
NCPA and Phi Delta Chi, it was a great honor to serve as a key contributor to
the organization of this event. In addition to the work put in to organize this
event, the Omicron Chapter helps with a variety of things each year during this Legislative Day to
ensure it runs smoothly. We provide as many Brothers as necessary to set up the sign-in table, tie
balloons and work on other welcoming decorations for the legislators, set up signs from the parking structure to Town and Gown Ballroom for those coming from out of town, as well as provide
personal escorts for the esteemed politicians that have been invited for the day.
One of the goals of such an event is to show students how they can get involved in legislative
affairs and the huge impact that their voices create. During a formal breakfast, in which several of
our brothers were in attendance, pharmacy leaders and state and local legislators spoke about current topics and issues, such as the new healthcare reform and its impact on the pharmacy profession. Speakers at this event included Dr. Jeff Goad, former CPhA President and USC NCPA faculty advisor and USC School of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Pete Vanderveen. NCPA’s ongoing relationship with UPNI enabled us to invite such esteemed speakers such as State Senator Curren Price,
Assembly members Mike Eng, Ted Lieu and Anthony Portantino, Dr. Victor Law, and Dr. Geoffrey Joyce. The continuous efforts, involvement and leadership of UPNI members Victor Law,
David Fong, Bob Small, and Anita Pemstein serve as role models for students to continue fighting
for our profession.
During the second half of the program, fellow organizers and myself decided to conduct a
student-run debate and to invite students to take an active role to ask our legislators questions and
express their view and opinions about current policy that is shaping pharmacy. This was a twist to
our annual Legislative Day since we opened the forum to student concerns.
Overall, the event went smoothly and flawlessly in that we introduced, advocated, and stressed
the importance of legislative affairs to the profession of pharmacy for the students. The event
encompassed the NCPA’s motto of “Get into politics, or get out of pharmacy,” and it gave our
Brothers motivation to get involved and have their voice heard.
Directors of Legislative Day, Tanaz Kohan
& Parth Shah with assembly members.
Brother Jason
Lebowitz speaks
during a caucus
session.
Brothers Jaclyn Kaladjian &
Jaquelyn Manougian with the
Deans of USC School of
Pharmacy, Dean Vanderveen
(left) & Dean Weissman
(middle)
PAGE 27
Big Bro/Little Bro Dinner
Emmanuel Paraiso and Christina Yu
Among the most cherished of relationships brought
upon being a member of Phi Delta Chi is that shared
between a Big and a Little. Pledges are immediately
paired with active Bigs once they begin the pledging
process, and it is the Bigs’ responsibility to provide guidance and support to their respective Littles. As the
pledging period continues, the pairs establish unique and
close friendships that extend beyond the confines of Phi
Delta Chi and pharmacy school.
A special day is put aside in our chapter to commemorate and celebrate this special bond together
as a unified fraternity. We were given the privilege to plan this event – known as the annual Big
Bro/Little Bro Dinner. The planning process was special to us both because we shared the same Bigs,
and we enjoyed the opportunity to show our appreciation to them by making this event one to remember. The event was held at Barnburner, a BBQ restaurant in Pasadena modeled as… well, a barn. The
venue had an extremely lively atmosphere and strong family feel to it. Brothers sat in long bench-like
tables and enjoyed the BBQ buffet and each other’s company the entire night. There was even live
music which prompted some of our Brothers to dance. The event was extremely successful with 100+
of our Brothers in attendance and everyone enjoyed the break from studying to spend more time with
their Bigs and the rest of the fraternity. We were even more relieved to see our Big, who happened to
be a vegetarian, enjoy herself that night. Although this bond is recognized and appreciated every day,
it is still important to continue the tradition to celebrate our bonds together as a fraternity.
“The pairs establish
unique and close
friendships that extend beyond the confines of Phi Delta Chi
and pharmacy
school.”
PAGE 28
USC Homecoming
Raymond Chao
After our annual big bro/little bro dinner at Barn
Burner in Pasadena, CA, a group of Pledge Brothers and I
went to USC’s main campus to secure a spot for the next
day’s homecoming tailgate. A group of five from the And
1 pledge class showed up at midnight on the night of the
game and by 3:00AM, the group grew to thirteen. We
stayed up the entire night getting to know each other as
more of our Pledge and Active Brothers showed up as the
night went on. We kept ourselves entertained by telling stories and by throwing
a football and frisbee around. One of our Brothers brought a tent for people to
stay in if it got too cold. By 7:30AM, most of the fraternity arrived and we
started to set up the canopies and tables.
A lot of our Brothers brought their siblings or significant others along so
we had a chance to learn more about them on a more personal level. A handful
of Brothers volunteered to help with an alumni fundraiser by selling raffle tickets
and helping with food distribution at the USC School of Pharmacy's Homecoming Alumni BBQ. As the day went on, more Phi Delta Chi alumni arrived for
our tailgate. This gave the first and second year pledges a great opportunity to
get acquainted with numerous professionals in the field of pharmacy on a more
casual basis. We spent the entire morning eating and socializing until noon when
we started to clean up our tailgating area. Our group then went to the Coliseum
to watch the homecoming game against Stanford. Even though our team did
not win in the end, we all had a great time tailgating and watching the game with
our Brothers and future colleagues. This experience helped us grow closer to
one another and we hope that the next year’s homecoming events will be even
better!
Midnight Tailgating!
PAGE 29
A group of early risers take a break
in the morning California sunshine.
Brothers Emmanuel Paraiso,
Christina Yu, & Matthew Dinh.
Brothers Jordan Yingling & Minh
Truong getting fired up for the game!
PAGE 30
Movember
Aubrey Moreau & Derrick Garcia
Movember is an international event that takes place
in the month of November and is intended to raise
awareness and funds for the Live Strong campaign as
well as the Prostate Cancer Foundation. For one
month men are encouraged to raise awareness to support prostate and testicular cancer by growing and
maintaining a moustache. They then request people to
sponsor them to help make their “mo’ grow.” All the money that they raise is then
donated to the charities listed above. In 2009 Brother Derrick Garcia became aware
of this event and started growing his moustache in the middle of November. Many
Brothers joined in.
Together they were able to raise over $100 that was donated to Live Strong
and Prostate Cancer foundation. Considering that we only had a few Brothers participate and for less than half the month of November we think it was a reasonably
successful event.
In 2010 we will try to get the entire school of pharmacy involved and start
promoting the event in October. We feel that it will also be a great way for our
pledges and actives to build camaraderie between each other and show their leadership in being a part of helping a good cause. Hopefully this will catch momentum
and become a tradition.
Brothers Artak Kerimian,
Aubrey Moreau, Derrick
Garcia, & John Dollbaum get
their ‘mo on.
Can’t grow a ‘mo? There’s an
App for that!
PAGE 31
Winter Reading
at 52nd St. Elementary School
Jordan Yingling
This past December, after the And1 Pledge Class were now new initiates, it
was necessary to immediately show them what our fraternity is about and since the
holiday season was upon us, what better way to show our PDC pride than to give
back to a local elementary school. Brother Bonnie Hui put me in contact with a
friend of hers that teaches a 5th grade class at 52nd Street Elementary School
which is just south of the University Park Campus of USC. We wanted to do
something for Miss Nam’s 5th grade class before we went home for the holidays
so we decided we would offer to come in and read with the students and we also
used some of the money collected from dues to donate $100.00 worth of school
supplies to her classroom. The smiles those 5th graders had on their faces, just to
have us there to read with them were unforgettable and we hope to go back next
year to participate in a similar event.
Brothers Christie Alcantara & Ashlee Klevens enjoy reading to the
children in Miss Nam’s class.
The children were appreciative of the time spent with Omicron brothers.
PAGE 32
Winter Retreat
Andy Williams
In January of 2010, approximately 60 Omicron Brothers ventured out to Las Vegas, NV for 3 days/2 nights for our
annual retreat. In order to foster the growth of our fraternity,
as well as further strengthen the bonds amongst each other—
we chose to all stay in one large house. The house served as
our home base, where we would all come together for meals
and for our day long meeting. Official retreat business began
on day 2. We each took part in games that helped us learn
more about each other – as well as further integrate the new
initiates into the fraternity. We discussed the past semester’s recruitment and pledging process, and looked at areas that could use some improvement. We then decided on various fundraising ideas for our fundraising period. Evenings were reserved for social events on the Strip. Although the retreat only lasted 3 days, the
memories and bonds formed in Las Vegas will stay with us for a lifetime.
Brothers line up for breakfast to be served!
The lovely ladies and
gentlemen of
Phi Delta Chi ready
for a night on the
town!
PAGE 33
Fundraising Week
Richard Dang & John Ko
During the month of January in 2010, the brothers of the Omicron
Chapter took on the task of raising funds for all of our activities.
The week long fundraising events included the sale of Diddy Riese
ice cream sandwiches, coffee and Cuban-styled baked goods from
Porto’s, Vietnamese spring rolls, and
refreshing boba milk tea drinks. The efforts of our brothers were
extremely successful. Not only were we able to raise over $1000, we were also able to build stronger bonds
amongst ourselves and to introduce our classmates to various cultures. Some of the events were organized
by members of this year’s pledge class. However, both active Brothers and pledges worked together to
raise funds. Members of the pledge class were able to utilize their leadership skills learned throughout the
year to help organize others in fundraising efforts. To cap off fundraising week, our chapter hosted a
party at Green Door in Downtown Los Angeles. Brothers, both actives and alumni, as well as many other
classmates of ours at the USC School of Pharmacy came out in full force for an eventful night out downtown. This event's success was due to the efforts of over twenty brothers who volunteered to sell pre-sale
tickets and sell tickets at the door.
In the end, the combined efforts of our Brothers to secure donations from local vendors, sell these
items to our classmates, and in organizing the night at Green Door truly exemplified our ability to work
together for the betterment of the chapter. The fundraising period not only added a substantial amount of
money to our treasury, but it also brought our chapter together by promoting cohesion and communication.
Left: Brothers Diana Tran & My
Duong sell Vietnamese Spring
Rolls in our school lobby.
Right: Brothers Emmanuel Paraiso, Aileen Chu, Christina Yu, &
Jordan Yingling dance the night
away at the Green Door.
Haiti Fundraiser:
Fabiola Bien-Aime
On January 12th, 2010 tragedy struck my beloved island of Haiti. A 7.0
magnitude earthquake causing massive destruction and casualties made
history as the most horrific event ever to occur on the small island. Sadly,
both my Brother and father were vacationing in Haiti and were not too far
from the epicenter. My Brothers of Phi Delta
Chi quickly initiated a Red Cross donation
drive for the Haiti earthquake and demonstrated deep empathy for me and my family.
Fellow Brothers and I spoke with each class asking for donations and
were successfully able to raise over $1,100. A check was written on
behalf of the USC School of Pharmacy to the Red Cross to meet the
needs of the Haitian people. This money added on to the millions of
dollars already raised to help get food and clean water to the survivors. I felt much love from my
Brothers and once I found out my family survived, they were there to share in my joy.
PAGE 34
Annual Volleyball Game
Leonid Beygelman
Every year our pledge class has a volleyball game against the
pledge class of the other professional pharmacy fraternity on campus, Alpha Iota Pi. As I play volleyball recreationally, I was excited
to take the lead and organize our team as team captain. I was surprisingly impressed how motivated our team was to participate in
the game. Even with our busy schedules every team member was
willing and eager to practice and prepare for the game. Even those
not playing still came out and motivated us during our practices.
This year our game was postponed from the fall to the beginning of
the spring semester, but the energy and passion our team showed never waned. Come
game day, I was amazed how many Brothers came to support us. Initially, our team was a
bit nervous, but once everyone got into the mindset we had an amazing time. We ended up
losing the first game, winning the second game, but losing the match by just a couple
points. Immediately after the game all our Brothers swarmed us and treated us as if we had
won. We were able to form stronger bonds and work as a unit, all while representing our
fraternity in an experience we will never forget.
“We were able to
form stronger
bonds and work
as a unit.”
PAGE 35
Annual Broomball Game
Hovik Mehkjian
The Omicron chapter of Phi Delta Chi has a rich history of winning
the annual broomball game vs. Alpha Iota Pi. April 14, 2010 was the
day the two fraternities would face off, and as one would imagine,
the anticipation and excitement rose to new heights as game day
approached. This year, we had an amazing turnout of Brothers who
came to support their fellow Brothers who were on the ice. Phi
Delta Chi was especially enthusiastic and loud when it came to cheering the team on
towards victory. This year, however, Alpha Iota Pi took the win for the first time in
over 10 years. Even though we suffered a loss this year, we were quick to consol the
Brothers who fought hard on the ice, and the first to congratulate Alpha Iota Pi on the
win.
Brothers get pumped up and energized for the game!
Brother Jessica DeGiacomo demonstrates
great sportsmanship on the ice.
PAGE 36
Kids’ Day 2010
Benjamin Yep
Annual Kids Day is an event put on each year by an organization on campus called, Skull and Mortar (SAM). SAM aims to put pharmacy students
in community outreach programs in areas often outside the realm of pharmacy. Local middle school students are given a tour of the USC Health
Science campus and are assigned into groups for various educational
breakout sessions. The students are provided educational sessions about
the importance of keeping grades up, staying out of gangs, avoiding drugs and alcohol, sexual
education, among others. Omicron Brothers were involved in both the educational sessions
as well as the entertainment portion of the day, during the kids’ lunchtime. We performed a
small "American Idol" competition. The kids enjoyed the comedy and the outstanding musical skill of all of our Omicron Brothers. I hope Phi Delta Chi will continue to inspire young
minds in the future.
(Above, clockwise) Brothers Mai Tran, Hovik
Mekhjian, Chris Munoz, Benjamin Yep, and Sara
Chang perform their musical talents for Omicron’s version of “American Idol”.
(Right): Brothers Joseph Mora, Karen Elmeri,
and Malte Napp act as “American Idol” judges
Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell.
PAGE 37
Scholarship Dinner
Megan Grant
This year the Omicron chapter organized it’s first ever “Scholarship Dinner.” The idea was conceived as a way for the chapter to provide more
recognition for its scholastic achievements throughout the year. The
event was held at a local Buca di Beppo restaurant and began with a
three-course meal. After dinner, various awards were given out. First,
each Brother who is a member of the Rho Chi Honor Society was recognized with a certificate of achievement, nice pen, and a small photo album to put notes in for work and rotations. Secondly, each Brother with a GPA of 3.5 or
above was recognized with a certificate of achievement. Awards were also given out to
Brothers for other various achievements such as those awarded scholarships, those whose
research was published, and those who served as leaders at conferences. Lastly, some novelty awards were given out, as voted on by Brothers of the chapter. For example, awards
were given for the “Best Dancer,” “Best Seat Saver,” “Most Likely to Ask Questions in
Class.” The night allowed Brothers to come to together to enjoy dinner and honor each
others achievements. This will hopefully be a new tradition that will continue on for years
in the Omicron chapter!
Superlative Awards:
Best In-Class Sleepers: Steven Cheng, Joyce Choi, Narine Sargsyan
Best Dancer: Hovik Mekhjian
Best Fist-Pumper: Richard Dang
Most Likely to Smile: Karissa Le
Best In-Class Lecture Commentary: Jordan Yingling
Best Dancer: Arezo Issary
Best Seat Saver: Elina Baskina
Most Likely To Ask Questions In Class: Jason Lebowitz
Most Likely To Make A Sarcastic Comment In Class: Andrew Warnock
Most Likely to Burst Into Song: Mai Tran
Worst In-Class Whisperer: Matthew Keushguerian
PAGE 38
APhA Midyear Regional Meeting
Jonathan Jazayeri
This year the USC School of Pharmacy Phi Delta Chi Omicron chapter made an important impact on the profession while attending many conferences. In October 2010, 7 members of our chapter headed to Albuquerque to participate in the APhA-ASP Region 8 Midyear Region Meeting. At this conference, issues regarding the practice and profession of
pharmacy were debated and policies were developed and sent for national debate. Additionally, two of our Brothers Rebecca Ashlee
Klevens and Parth D. Shah ran for regional office. At the end of the conference Parth was
elected Regional Member At Large and the USC
Chapter was awarded as the winners of the regional challenge compiling a series of Pharmacist’s experiences from various practice areas of
the profession. Finally the conference was a
learning experience for all in attendance as there
CSHP Seminar
Andrew Warnock
CSHP Seminar in San Diego was the
first major conference of the year, and
my first conference as a pharmacy
student. Seminar is a conference
geared mostly towards upper classmen
and practicing pharmacists, offering
workshops on new standards of care
and a residency workshop that offered
students the opportunity to inquire
about postgraduate opportunities.
There was also the ever-popular Drug
Quiz Bowl where students from different schools could compete for
bragging rights. As one of only four first-year students to attend the conference, I focused on
being as open and engaged as I could in unfamiliar circumstances.
The conference happened to fall at the beginning of Omicron’s pledging process, so I was
still unfamiliar with many of the Brothers that were attending the conference. Regardless,
several Brothers went out of their way to make sure that I was getting the most out of my
experience at the conference. Brother Derrick Garcia was always available to let me know
where to go or which events to attend, and Brothers Jason Lebowitz and Diana Tran went
out of their way to make sure that I having fun as well. Even fourth years, such as Brother
Bonnie Hui (-Callahan now!), took the time to get to know me. Seminar was a worthwhile
experience, and a great opportunity to get to know my fellow Brothers.
PAGE 39
ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting
& Residency Showcase
Henry Lee
ASHP MCM offers opportunities in the
multiple aspects of pharmacy and thus attracts a
large and diverse crowd. Approximately 20,000
pharmacist/pharmacist in training ASHP members from 86 countries attended. The ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting has provided health- system
pharmacy practitioners with a venue for updating
their knowledge, networking with colleagues, enhancing their skills, and learning about the latest
products and technologies. ASHP accomplishes
this by providing hundreds of educational activities and two great networking events/recruiting
events: Personal Placement Service (PPS) and the Residency Showcase.
The Personal Placement Service opens a way for thousands of job
seekers to connect with potential employers. It is a separate component of the
ASHP clinical meeting that requires an extra fee and registration. Many managed care residencies and industry fellowships conduct their initial interviews
here and thus it is tantamount to one’s future career. Missing these initial interviews, would put many otherwise great candidates at an extreme disadvantage
or eliminate them from consideration. The interview process could be grueling- back to back, for multiple days, from morning to night.
The Residency Showcase does not offer initial interviews. It provides
ambitious students and other pharmacists a forum to meet the program’s current residents and preceptors in an informal session and to gain information
and insight about their programs and institutions. 4th years attended to research out of state residencies that are not represented by the local conferences
or to further network with the programs they have already been introduced to
and were highly interested in. 3rd years and very ambitious underclassmen
were also in attendance to interact with their possible future top program
choices and to prepare themselves for the application process in their near future.
Many of our second, third and fourth year Brothers attended ASHP
with lofty goals and objectives, and for the most part, came away very fulfilled
and more confident about receiving their top choice programs.
PAGE 40
CPhA Outlook
Vlada Treynker & Ashlee Klevens
This year’s Outlook Conference, hosted by the California
Pharmacists Association, united pharmacists from all
realms of the profession along with pharmacy students
from all over the state. Held in Long Beach, California the
conference served as an arena in which opinions could be
shared, innovations and improvements could be introduced and our voices could be heard all in the name and
progress of pharmacy.
The conference also enabled pharmacists and students alike to recognize those who have
contributed to the advancement of pharmacy by advocating and exemplifying leadership in our
profession. Several Brothers from the Omicron chapter were recognized for their active roles in
our profession. Brother Bonnie Hui-Callahan was recognized as CPhA Student Pharmacist of
the year while the Robert C. Johnson Scholarship was awarded to Omicron's very own, Jonathan Jazayeri. Other active Brothers including Diana Tran and Matthew Keushguarian were
also recognized for successfully advocating the profession through their short film entries in the
PFC Pharmacy Film Festival by taking home awards for best film, best parody, along with the
award for the most educational film.
The Outlook Conference is also the annual meeting for discussing and setting policies for
CPhA . These policies, voted on by the CPhA House of delegates shape the pharmacy profession in California because they guide CPhA , the Board of Pharmacy, and other government
agencies in legislative decisions. This years delegation included several Phi Delta Chi Alumni
and current active members from our chapter including, Aimee Keegan, Rebecca-Ashlee
Klevens, Jason Lebowitz, Parth D. Shah, Diana Tran and Vlada Treynker. Brother Joyce Choi
was in attendance and also served on the Board of Trustees for the delegation.
The Omicron chapter didn’t stop there! Several of our Brothers coordinated and participated in the PFC Bowl-A-Thon to help raise money in efforts to “Strike Out Medication Errors” and also prepared and administered H1N1 vaccines at the conference. The experience was
fun and educational and we eagerly await next years conference and for our chance to get involved and make a difference.
Brothers Jessica Louie, Andrew Warnock, Sharon Huang,
Richard Dang, and Karissa Le enjoy their first CPhA
conference.
Brothers Diana Tran & Matthew
Keushguerian accept their awards from
the Pharmacy Film Festival
PAGE 41
APhA Annual Meeting
Bonny Chan
This year’s APhA Annual was an unforgettable experience. Not
only did it mark the grand opening of the APhA National Office in
Washington, D.C., it was great seeing so many PDC Brothers involved at a conference of this scale. While it was great catching up
and meeting many pharmacists and student pharmacists from California, PDC Brothers thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to
speak to pharmacists from other states to learn about how their
professional concerns differed from ours and how award-winning student projects operated.
USC was recognized for several awards at this conference. Omicron Brother Aubrey
Moreau and his co-director Camille Pacis brought home the National Award for Operation Diabetes for the second year in a row, which was an unprecedented accomplishment.
Operation Immunization won the Region 8 award, Project SHARE earned a national
grant, and our Rho Chi chapter’s efforts in mental health was recognized for Rho Chi Project of the Year. PDC Brothers took part in each of these national and regional awards by
directly coordinating health fairs, volunteering their time, and heading subcommittees. In
addition to these awards, Brother Bonnie Hui-Callahan successfully completed her term as
APhA-ASP National Member-at-Large, and Honorary Omicron Alumnus, Dr. Michael
Wincor was awarded Advisor of the Year. Amidst attending leadership workshops, legislative debates and hearings, Omicron Brothers Richard Dang, Rylan Hanks, and Ashlee
Klevens even spoke to California Senator Diane Feinstein on the Hill.
Over twenty PDC Omicron Brothers convened in Washington, DC for the 4-day conference, many of whom will return for next year’s APhA Annual in Seattle as project directors and delegates.
Brothers take time
posing with (a cardboard) President
Obama and visiting the
White House.
Left: Brother Aubrey
Moreau & his Co-Director
Camile Pacis win the National Award for Operation
Diabetes!
Right: Bonnie Hui-Callahan
celebrates a successful year
in national office as Member-At-Large.
PAGE 42
AMCP Annual Conference
Breanna Popelar
With a record number of USC students in attendance,
the 22nd Annual Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Conference and Showcase proved to be a huge success for student pharmacists seeking a glimpse into the real world of
managed care. The conference commenced on Wednesday,
April 7th in beautiful downtown San Diego with an opening
night reception. Students and new members also attended a
Welcome Breakfast on Thursday morning to kick off the conference.
Aside from mingling with other students, pharmacists and industry professionals, attendees had the opportunity to sit in on a variety of educational sessions. Topics included applying managed care principles in the VA system, patient-centered
medical home, and scanning the pharmaceutical pipeline, just to name a few. Student-geared talks provided information on getting the “inside scoop” on obtaining a
residency and how to implement e-professionalism in today’s modern world.
Other highlights of the conference included hearing from an array of inspirational speakers such as Mark McClellan, former Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and decorated Navy SEAL, Marcus Luttrell. Students
also witnessed the AMCP/FMCP 10th Annual National P&T competition. The
competition was an outstanding display of student talent and drive. Many schools
put forth finalist teams, but the University of California, San Francisco came out on
top, claiming first prize in the competition.
While the P&T Competition left many students excited to compete next year,
the Exhibit Hall served as a fun outlet for networking and socializing. The Exhibit
Hall proved to be a favorite which successfully blended candy, coffee, contacts,
cards of the business variety and conversation. Nothing is more exciting than returning home with a bag full of goodies, a few new friends, and some newly acquired knowledge of how managed care affects all aspects of pharmacy. Overall, the
Annual AMCP meeting turned out to be a great learning adventure for several of
our Omicron Brothers and an overall enriching experience for all who attended.
Phi Delta Chi come together
for a group photo on the last
day of AMCP Conference.
PAGE 43
CPhA Legislative Day
Rylan Hanks
The Annual CPhA Legislative Day, held in Sacramento, CA, is an event which
focuses on informing California pharmacists and student pharmacists on key
issues facing the profession as well as providing meetings with legislators to
allow contact time and lobbying efforts to take place. This year the event was
set amidst a crucial transition period as national healthcare reform was passed
and states across the country are scrambling to figure out how to prepare for
the ramifications. This event kicked off with speeches made by some very notable members of the state legislature, such as Speaker of the Assembly John Perez, who talked at
length to an audience of hundreds of pharmacists on legislative issues facing pharmacy and the next
step in the future of our profession as the new healthcare law is implemented. In addition to Mr.
Perez our very own Dr. Jeff Goad, a Phi Delta Chi Alum and well-known professor, addressed the
crowd to speak about a piece of legislation in which he was crucial in developing. A quick mention
of a few of the other speakers were individuals such as CPhA President Dr. Eric Gupta, CEO of
CPhA Lynn Rolston, state senate candidate Dr. Jeff Stone, and Medicaid Defense Fund Chief Legal
Counsel Lynn Carman, Esq. The information provided from all the great speakers was very powerful in understanding some o f the uphill battles pharmacists face in the next several years.
Western Regional Conference
Jessica Louie
The Phi Delta Chi Western Regional Conference was held on March 26-28, in Las
Vegas, Nevada. The conference was hosted by the Beta Upsilon Chapter. Six members from the USC Omicron chapter traveled out for the weekend. The conference
began with a meet-and-greet social hosted by the Beta Upsilon chapter on March
26th. On March 27th, the conference started with opening remarks, followed by
several different committee meetings. As a member of the nominations committee,
I assisted in interviewing candidates for the Regional Correspondent position. Next,
I attended the workshop on the Achievement Awards Program. This workshop
provided me with valuable information to assist Omicron’s WC next year and to help improve our
chapter as a whole. In the evening, we attended the banquet and a social outing planned by the host
chapter. The conference ended with a formal meeting before we headed home. Attending the Western
Regional Conference provided me a unique opportunity to learn how the Phi Delta Chi Fraternity operates. It allowed me to meet fellow Brothers of Phi Delta Chi and learn what different chapters are doing. As a newly initiated member, this conference was a great experience for me and truly showed me
how connected our fraternity is.
Brothers Derrick Garcia, Minh
Truong, Jessica Louie, Diana
Tran, and Andrew Warnock
enjoy a formal evening out in
Las Vegas, NV.
PAGE 44
Health Fairs
Christopher Munoz
USC School of Pharmacy has many patient care projects that serve the surrounding communities through health fairs that provide disease state education and screening. Phi Delta Chi
is an integral part of USC’s community health fairs, with directors in such projects as diabetes, cholesterol, cancer awareness and many others. In the beginning of the year, I wasn’t
aware of the degree of the fraternity’s involvement. After pledging, however, I had the
chance to meet the Brothers involved in such projects, which led me to also become involved. Some of the most notable events our Omicron Brothers participated in were the Tet
Festival Health Fair, USC Parents Day Health Fair, Black Barbershop Health Summit, and
the Telemundo Feria de Salud. This academic year we have served a multitude of ethnic and
underserved communities. After participating in 15 of these health fairs throughout the semester, I’ve seen the diverse ways which our Brothers have made a difference in Los Angeles and the surrounding communities. I take pride in being highly involved in these events
and lead by example; because without the level of involvement that our Brothers have
shown this year, USC School of Pharmacy would not have as powerful an impact as a helping hand to the community.
Left: Brother Christopher Munoz supervises
his peers during patient health screenings.
Right: Brother Christie Alcantara performs a
fingerstick test to test glucose levels for Diabetes screenings.
Health Fairs Attended By Omicron Brothers:
:
2009:
2010:
APSA / VAPSA Helath Fair
APSA / KAPSA Health Fair
APSA / SAM Health Fair
USC Parents’ Day Health Fair
APSA / Operation Diabetes Health Fair
Pit Bull Energy / Roscoe’s Health Fair
APSA / YMCA Health Fair
APSA / VAPSA Tet Festival Health Fair
SNPhA / Black Barbershop Health Fair
Telemundo Health Fair
BAPS Health Fair
PAGE 45
Cancer Awareness
Minh Truong
Filling the shoes of past of APSA Cancer Awareness Director and Phi Delta Chi
Brother, Toan Vo was both challenging and rewarding as this year's director. Our project aims to provide education on cancer risk factors, prevention, and early detection
to the community. To fulfill our mission, the Cancer Awareness project participated
in eight health fairs this year presenting cancer information and distributing brochures
on the types of screenings available and recommended screening schedules.
One form of cancer that our project has a special focus on is skin cancer which is
the most prevalent type, but it's also highly preventable. To this end, we passed out
free samples of sunscreen to health fair participants along with teaching proper application technique for sunscreens and remedies to alleviate sunburns. In addition to our
health fairs, our project participated in two run/walks against cancer. The first one,
Relay for Life, was a 24-hour relay held on campus. The second one, the 5k Revlon
Run/Walk, bookended a successful year for our project. Our team had the fortunate
opportunity to march with the San Gabriel Valley Society of Health-System Pharmacists team this year, traversing through central Los Angeles and finishing together at
the historic LA Coliseum. We had 18 participants in our team, including the past, present and future directors of Cancer Awareness and our faculty advisor, oncology pharmacist Betty Chan. The majority of the participants in our team are Brothers of Phi
Delta. Together, we contributed and fundraised more than $400 dollars towards cancer research and assistance.
Clockwise: (1) Past Cancer Awareness Chair,
Brother Toan Vo, and current Cancer Awareness
Chair, Brother Minh Truong. (2) Revlon Walk
participants with professor and oncologist Betty
Chan. (3) Revlon Walk participants finish the event
proudly.
PAGE 46
Cholesterol Awareness
Susan Shakib & Janeane Moura
Cholesterol awareness is Omicron's major service project designed to help pharmacy students reach out into the community to actively help the Greater Los Angeles
community. Dyslipidemia is a critical chronic condition, resulting in cardiovascular
problems which can potentially have significant or fatal consequences. The Cholesterol Awareness Project provides students with the opportunity to establish a positive
interaction with the surrounding neighborhoods and communities, through application of the knowledge gained through the classroom into an educating source for the
uninsured population of Los Angeles County. Performing screenings and counseling
patients becomes more than a mere service for the patients to learn the values and
significance of their lipid panel, but also a learning tool for the students to better
comprehend high cholesterol, its risks, treatments, and complications.
Throughout the 2009-2010 school year Project Cholesterol Awareness was able to
provide screenings and education to greater than 800 individuals in Los Angeles
County, Orange County, and Ventura County. The project screened and educated
each patient on cholesterol, healthy living, life style modifications, tailoring each consultation to the specific patient being screened or educated. USC takes great pride in
reaching out in the community and making a difference as do the Omicron Brothers
of this fraternity. Of those patients screened, greater than 40% had one or more of
their lipid panel values outside the normal range. Though not all were given referrals,
all were presented with various techniques to help bring the abnormal value to within
range limits. Part of our duty as future pharmacists focuses on preventative care, and
it is through education that this can be achieved. Each year Cholesterol Awareness
becomes an even larger and more successful project and we are confident next year's
project directors will continue to take Cholesterol Awareness to the next level.
Brother Hovik Mekhjian counsels a patient
on proper medication adherence and lifestyle modifications.
PAGE 47
Diabetes Awareness
Aubrey Moreau
During my first year, a colleague from a
different fraternity approached me to run
for APSA-USC Operation Diabetes CoDirector. We decided to drop the fraternal
rivalry and take on diabetes. Two Omicron
Brothers were the previous directors and
they won the national award for this project, competing with almost every pharmacy school in the country. They were
mentors and leaders on campus who took
on a great energetic charge, inspiring first years. Winning a consecutive national
award was unheard of and not our intention due to the "impossible" circumstances.
We spoke of the award twice throughout the entire year with small emphasis.
Our focus was towards diversity and volume, we wanted pharmacy students to
have a chance to screen multiple populations. Leading a diabetes committee of
fifty-eight diverse student pharmacists, we had the largest patient care project at the
USC School of Pharmacy, implementing screening forms in Farsi, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. A unique collaboration with Pitbull Sugar Free Energy
Drinks and Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles brought on a great experience.
Setting up screening booths inside local Chicken and Waffle chains on Sunday’s
during November's National Diabetes month was a highlight of the year. For public
education we decided to take advantage of our culturally rich surrounding East LA
community. Local schools, occupational centers, and the YMCA welcomed student
pharmacists for a total of 8 diabetes presentations. Although some of the kids were
tough and jokingly waved us off while they were going to Jack in the Box, we think
the message got across. As a result of our efforts, a total of 2700+ participants were
screened. In Washington, D.C., while visiting other ASPA chapters at the national
conference we brought home the national award for an “unheard of” consecutive
year. All I could think was “Azor would be proud”!
Brothers David Yuan & Joseph
Mora perform finger sticks at a
Diabetes Health Fair
PAGE 48
Poison Prevention
Ashley Weissman
This past year, Laura Van Wechel and I
were privileged to serve on the APSA
board as co-directors of Poison Prevention/AWARE. The overall goal of this
project is to raise consumer awareness and
understanding about the appropriate use of
medications. Our aim is to reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics and accidental poisonings. At health fairs, we provide tips to
the community regarding poison prevention and antibiotic use along with healthy handwashing techniques to keep healthy
throughout the flu season. We also coordinate events at schools and adult homes to
highlight the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. Some of our highlights from the 2009-2010 academic year include Project Pumpkin Patch and the
Senior Prom Health Fair.
Project Pumpkin Patch was a Halloween event conducted at USC’s local elementary school. We began the event with a short presentation to the children regarding
Halloween safety and distributed pamphlets including safety tips for trick-or-treating
and costume design to be taken home to their parents. We also played a quick game
using our new display on medicine-candy look-alikes to emphasize that all candy
should be inspected by parents before being eaten. After the education session, the
children enjoyed pumpkin carving with other pharmacy students.
At the Senior Prom health fair, we educated the elderly about poison prevention,
what to do in the event of an actual or suspected poisoning, and helpful tips to keep
the home safe. Our education involved our medicine-candy look-alikes to help emphasize the need for responsible storage of medications. We also emphasized the
importance of taking your correct medicine at the correct time and keeping an accurate list of medications, dosages, and frequency to keep track and show doctors and
pharmacists. We also encouraged the use of pill boxes to aid in taking medications
properly.
P-1 Omicron Brothers implement their Poison Prevention
training to elementary schools
around the East Los Angeles
Area
PAGE 49
Ashlee Klevens
Annually, the Omicron pledge class organizes a community outreach program to
educate the underserved area of Los Angeles. This year the And1's pledge class visited
the 52nd elementary school in Downtown Los Angeles, and educated over 150 4th
graders in regards to poison prevention. We emphasized the steps that can be taken to
help prevent accidental poisonings and tips for what to do in case of a poisoning
emergency. Being that most dangerous potential poisons are medicines, cleaning products, and pesticides, we taught the kids how to read labels, wash their hands properly,
and what to do in case of a poison emergency. Moreover, we wore our white coats
and emphasized the role of the pharmacists in poison prevention by teaching the kids
the difference between candy and medicines. The best part of this project was the
And1 pledge class vowed to continue this project every year until we graduated… in
order to reach out to over 900 students before we graduate!
Left: Brother Pooja Patel reads a story outloud
to the elementary school children.
Right: Brother Richard Dang converses
with children to test their understanding
of Poison Prevention
Left: Brothers Daniela Um, Vickie Yang, Sara
Chang, and Lisa Huynh enjoy themselves after a
hard day’s work touring elementary schools!
PAGE 50
End-Of-The-Year Banquet
Parth D. Shah
As per tradition in the Omicron chapter, at the end of the academic year in
spring, the fraternity gathers together at the Annual Phi Delta Chi Banquet to
commemorate the achievements of particular individuals who demonstrated the
core objectives of Phi Delta Chi, as well has recognize the overall accomplishments of the fraternity as a whole. Both actives and alumni gathered this year for
dinner, speeches, and presentations at the famous Millennium Biltmore Hotel in
Downtown Los Angeles.
Banquet provides one last opportunity for the collegiate and alumni chapter, as
well as close friends, to celebrate each other’s friendships and opportunities this
fraternity continues to offer. Individual Brothers were recognized by the chapter
for various achievements including leadership, Brotherhood, and service. Furthermore, the president of Omicron’s alumni association formally installed the pledges
as new Brothers, receiving the chapter’s challenge coin, and a certificate for successfully completing pledging. The chapter’s new board was installed as well, with
an inaugural speech from our new Worthy Chief Councilor. After the dinner program, attendees were invited to The Crocker Club, a 1920’s bank vault converted
into a lounge, to continue the celebration late into the night.
Awards Given:
Most Active Active: Diana Tran
Most Active Pledge: Richard Dang
Brother Of The Year: Megan Grant
Brotherhood Awards: Jay Parikh, Mira Trufasiu Bakas
Leadership Award: Jonathan Jazayeri
Alumni Brother Of The Year: Chi Cheng
PAGE 51
An award-winning family: Rylan Hanks, Jay Parikh, Christie
Alcantara, Jonathan Jazayeri,
Jessica Louie, Linda Tran,
Diana Tran, Andrew Chia,
Bonnie Hui-Callahan, & Parth
Shah
Mira Bakas’ little bros, Vlada
Treynker & Ashlee Klevens
congratulate her on her
Brotherhood award.
The And1 Pledge Class
presented with their
initiation certificates!
PAGE 52
Omicron Brother of the Year:
Chi Cheng
I graduated from the USC School of Pharmacy
in 1978 and am currently practicing in the community (retail) setting. I joined PDC in my first year
of pharmacy school and became a life member
upon graduation. I have been a staff pharmacist,
hospital pharmacy administrator, and preceptor for
USC.
Throughout the years, I have known other pharmacists and interns who belong to other pharmacy
fraternities. In comparison, I always find immediate kinship to other Omicron alumni, even those who are not my classmates. Since
PDC is a national fraternity, I often run into PDC members from other chapters at
ASHP, APhA, and other national conventions. It doesn’t take much to break the
ice because of this common bond that we share.
Ever since the USC School of Pharmacy moved to the Health Science Campus in
1974 (my first year), it was an uphill battle to maintain the fraternity house near the
University Park Campus. It was a nice location for football parties and other gatherings, but it was pricey to maintain. The Alumni Association became very active
about 20 years ago because it had to manage the money from the sale of the House.
We invested part of it in the active chapter by providing scholarships and grants to
conferences and leadership training. I am presently a Board member and have been
for most of those years. One of my projects was to establish and maintain a working e-mail and address list for all PDC alumni. Needless to say, I am honored to be
selected as the recipient of the AAAE Alumnus of the Year Award for 2010. That
meant even more because my son Steven is an active and was able to share the moment with me. It was a humbling experience to be recognized when you think others are more deserving.
Being a preceptor I kept in touch with the school through the students and
joined other alumni in the wine and cheese reception for the incoming students. I
let them know what PDC stands for, as in its motto: Alterum Alterius Auxilio
Eget. During the football season, my family attended all the tailgate parties for
home games. The scenic main campus is a nice environment to catch up with old
friends and to meet new students. Other alumni provided networking opportunities for the seniors. Last month, I even attended the annual broomball against Alpha Iota Pi. The spirit and camaraderie is something to behold.
I wish the best for the graduating Class of 2010 and may our paths cross in the
future.
PAGE 53
Omicron would like to recognize outstanding Brothers in:
Rho Chi National Honor Society
Jessica De Giacomo
Maryam Nowakhtar
Harut Kogoyan
Nadine Ozdemir
Chris Ledeboer
Jasmin Patel
Helen Lee
Toan Vo
Kristina Malkhasova
Boratha Yeang
Andrew Messali
Sahar Alnatour
Margie Patel
Karen Gana
Stella Amranyan
Natalie Gross
Tim Bensman
Aimee Keegan
Stephanie Carrillo
Artak Kerimian
Joyce Choi
Anna Naapetyan
Tania Houspian
Sheri Tsukamoto
Anthony Lorenzana
Ashley Weissman
Phi Lambda Sigma
National Leadership Society
New Omicron Brother 2010-2011: Jonathan Jazayeri
PAGE 54
Congratulations, Class of 2010!
Ashley Clark
Carlos Davila
Jessica De Giacomo
Henry Lee
Kristina Malkhasova
Tarah Massiatt
Tapasya Desai
Andrew Messali
Kalsang Dorji
Golkoo Mohammadzadeh
Bonnie Hui-Callahan
Heidi Naylor
Harut Kagoyan
Margie Patel
Pargol Khorsandi
Alice Law
Christopher Ledeboer
Helen Lee
Taylor Pupka
Crista Christina Qi
Yousef Rahyab
Lisa Marie Serrano-Eftychiou
PAGE 55
Omicron Baby!
Brother Carlos Davila & his son, Noah Alejandro Davila, born April 12, 2010.
Omichronicle Editors:
Matthew Dinh
Jordan Yingling
Jessica Louie
Class of 2011
Class of 2011
Class of 2013
Napa, CA
Hershey, PA
Brookfield, WI