Page 2 - Cla Delta Spotlight - Winter 2007-08

Chapter News Cal Delta Member Spotlight: Patrick Levine atrick “PJ” Levine is a Junior at USC and is currently serving Cal From the Cal Delta Chapter President PDelta as Vice President. PJ was previously the chapter Treasurer and Secretary. Originally from San Francisco, he joined the chapter ike most USC football semesters, Fall 2007 when he was a freshman at USC. He is a Finance and Economics Lwas an exciting time for California Delta. major. He said that his favorite class at USC was Organizational In spite of the severe trauma and subsequent Behavior. depression following football losses to certain About joining Cal Delta, PJ said, “What drew me to Phi Delta low-grade universities, we walked away from the Theta was its youth and promise. I frst joined to play a role in its semester with a number of notable successes. We creation and development. I wanted to build from the bottom-up and currently have 66 members and 13 phikeias, and have a real impact. Looking back, I never could have imagined that we were second in grades on the Row for the fall Phi Delt would play such a profound role in building me. When you 2007 semester. join something in its infancy, it becomes a part of you. I have always Our 2nd Annual Walk to D’Feet ALS, which felt this way about Phi Delt. When the organization struggles, we all raised $300,000, attracted even more USC support than the previous year, feel it… This process has always been about trial and error. We try garnering the participation of more than 20 student groups on campus. not to base our actions on what other fraternities are doing; instead Jeff Okita, who has been in charge of the walk the past two years, will we look at what works for us. I joined Phi Delt because I knew it was graduate in the spring. Steven Nomura will take over this important something special.” event next year for Cal Delta. We also enjoyed our biannual “Senior PJ said that his Phi Delt membership has been valuable because Prom” at the Belmont Village Retirement Community, accompanied, as it has allowed him to meet many different people: “The fraternity usual, by the ladies of Delta Gamma. provides so many venues to develop new relationships with USC Our homecoming celebrations were a big hit. As is tradition, the Cal administration and faculty, student organizations, and other fellow Delt booth outshone all the other fraternities and boasted over 500 alumni Greeks. When you combine the resources of seventy other talented and guests. It was a great opportunity for old friends to reconnect and and involved men then you immediately become connected to tons meet some of the current members of the chapter. I invite and encourage of people. Studying business, I have learned that networking is a all of you to come to next year’s homecoming festivities on November crucial part of being successful. A fraternity makes meeting people 1. We also held our frst annual Cal Delt Alumni Golf Tournament at easy. Many of my current relationships at USC I owe to Phi Delt.” the Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena. Alumni and actives enjoyed the In addition to his work as a chapter offcer, PJ is a member of beautiful weather and the chance to compete for skybox tickets at the the USC Squash Team and he is a principal partner in Moccasio, a new Galen Basketball Center. wireless communications company. When asked about his career Spring 2008 brings many events to look forward to, including goals, PJ said, “I hope to become a successful investment banker Songfest with Theta, our second annual spring formal weekender, and followed by starting my own business. Currently, I am helping start California Delta’s 60th anniversary celebration dinner. I am also very a business with one of my fraternity brothers. It probably won’t be proud to announce the introduction of Cal Delta’s Industrial Mentorship the last time I do business with a Phi Delt.” PJ plans to stay involved Program. This initiative searches for alumni who are willing to serve with the chapter after he graduates: “I will work to make sure this as a mentor to an active member of the chapter during his time at USC. house is completed and then well- maintained. Although I may never Alumni and actives are paired together based on similarities in career live in it I want to make sure that every member of this fraternity interests. More than 20 alumni have already expressed their interest in appreciates and honors what so many have selfessly worked for.” participating in the program, which will begin in early 2008. If you wish PJ said that Bob Haggstrom ‘73 is a Phi Delt role model for him. to become a mentor in the program, please contact Alumni Chairman “Bob is a man who has achieved great success, but who has never Chase Wirtz (caldelt.alumnichair@gmail.com). forgotten his roots. Bob has offered his house to use for Rush Week Last year our chapter’s theme was presence. This semester we will every semester since we came back, his ranch for our invite, and continue to focus on presence while establishing a new theme: tradition. Levine, continued on page 3 The recent four year break in California Delta’s history brought with it a loss of identity and tradition. As we move from our infancy into a stage of President, continued on page 3 November 2007 New Initiates Johnathon Cathcart Benjamin Pollock Nick Justicz Charles Quain Mikhail Kazantsev Juan Ruiz Harrison Kreiss Matthew Segal Matt Luery Zak Salehipour Danny Minnich Nathan Skoller Chris Perkins Phi Delts at Homecoming 2007. Pictured from left to right: PJ Levine, Steve Nomura, Alex Flores, Jake Saroyan, and Mark Eisen.