CLICK HERE to update your contact info! |
Canadian Chapter Review 
Greetings to all of our brothers North of the border. Now that another school year has past us by, we can reflect on how Zeta Psi is doing in Canada.
Our eight active chapters had nearly 200 active members after initiating 55 this past year. Of course, we had a number of graduates so we believe we'll have some 140 Zetes returning this fall. The Theta Xi at Toronto lead the charge with 12 initiates with both The Theta Phi at Western and the Tau Theta at Ontario Tech initiating 11. The other five chapters had healthy numbers in the single digits. Last year our Canadian chapters initiated 69, but that number is skewed by the large charter class at Tau Theta. Numbers in the 50s have been the norm, but stretching the annual initiate number over 60 can only help.
Certainly each chapter is different and has its own strengths and weaknesses, but we can continue to say Zeta Psi is strong in Canada.
Some chapters struggle with smaller membership and must concentrate on growth next fall. The Alpha Mu at Dalhousie balances precariously between remaining active and a restart so please give encouragement to the Alpha Mu Elders as they decide what the best course is in Halifax.
Next fall should be a good one for Zeta Psi. I look forward to the new challenges and the great progress each chapter will make. And a reminder to all - the convention in Lincoln is coming in two months. For actives it is a great way to kick-off the year. For Elders, come renew the bonds of brotherhood!
Dave Hunter '80 (email me) |
|
Another Canadian at IHQ
So far, the experience has been busy and exciting-it's hard to believe amidst all the activities that it has only been a week since I arrived. There are four young staff members who live at the house, as well as Exec. Director Dave Hunter. Of course, the office wouldn't be complete without Dan Backer popping in now and then, and the regular presence of our multi-talented Office Administrator Barbara Ross. I've found that if anything needs to be asked, she is likely to know the answer.
The town of Pearl River is small, but boasts a number of bars and restaurants. The grocery store is a minute walk away, and it's difficult for a Canadian to adjust to the availability and affordability of beer. The size of New York City is shocking, especially for somebody who thinks Toronto is big. I thought I might be able to find my way around by myself, but after spending an evening there, I'm going to need some training from the staff that know the streets.
All in all, it feels great to be serving the fraternity at another location. Working with brothers of different ages and from all different chapters is a great experience. Knowing that the memorabilia and papers in the house document most of Zeta Psi's history makes me appreciate all the opportunities that the brotherhood provides. I encourage anybody who hasn't experienced the international aspect of Zeta Psi to take the step, either by visiting a nearby American chapter or by attending our annual conventions.
Missing the CBC, real poutine, and kilometres per hour.
In Tau Kappa Phi, Jon Clark Theta Phi '08 (e-mail me) |
|
Our 160th Annual Convention!
You can now register online for this year's 160th Annual Convention in Lincoln, Nebraska! The early bird registration rate is $295 US (online payment via PayPal converts at the market rate, but approx. $315 CDN). CLICK HERE TO REGISTER! |
Greetings Brother!
Welcome to the Second issue of the Canadian Quarterly! This month we highlight three Young CanadianZetes who've crossed the border - one as an IHQ intern and two in our second year class of the Wall Street Scholars Program!
Other Young Canadian Zetes having found success in the Washington Scholars Program - Andy Webb and Graham Little for instance - and we've seen that these incredible Zete-based internship activities make a big difference on either side of the border.
With that in mind, I hope you'll all consider these two great stories, and others in the past, and start thinking of how we can create a Canadian Internship program! Lets make this years' 160th Convention the starting point for the next great Zeta Psi expansion in Canada - as the premiere Internship Program in ALL of North America!
I hope to see a lot of you in Lincoln! Always in Tau Kappa Phi, Dan Backer, Upsilon Mu '99. (email me!) |
|
|
Wall Street Scholar - Chris Reid
Currently I am interning at the Independent Film Channel, a division of Rainbow Media. I am interning in two opposite, yet complimentary departments, splitting my time between the public relations/marketing department and the business development department. My time with the public relations department has been extremely fruitful thus far. I've been working on campaigns for current IFC content, including distributing media related materials and increasing support for IFC content. I'm currently at the beginning stages of creating a marketing campaign for a new high-budget show that will premiere this summer. My time as a business development intern with the IFC is spent with the director where we are currently working on the IFC's Free Film Fest, which is tour that will commence this summer and tour 10 major US cities. An IFC-developed service for independent filmmakers, called Media Lab, is very similar to popular video posting site YouTube and allows independent filmmakers to upload, manage and screen their films for free to the public. Users can view a bank of over 3,000 independent films; voting, discussing and sharing their favorites. I am personally responsible for screening and judging submitted films, as well as working behind the scenes to develop the site to serve users in even greater capacities. I will balance my time between both departments this summer and both positions promise to provide numerous exciting opportunities, including dealing directly with national media outlets and customers.
As a Canadian entering the Wall Street Scholar's Program, I anticipate a summer full of invaluable experiences impossible to gain elsewhere. Experiencing the American business system, in the world's pinnacle financial center, is an experience in and of itself that will pay great dividends in the future. Handling the fast paced, dynamic business environment of New York City has and will grant me an unparalleled experience that cities such as Toronto could never provide. Every time I walk into the street, or get off the train I'm amazed with everything that is New York. It truly is unlike any city in the entire world. The fast-paced "city that never sleeps" is really an understatement. The application of my education in my position with the IFC is an opportunity that will benefit me in any educational or business environment for years to come. Hands-on experience and learning as a Wall Street Scholar provide the soft skills that a degree often lacks. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the summer in the great city of New York and my time with the Independent Film Channel.
I would like to personally thank Zeta Psi and The Wall Street Scholars Program including, but not limited to, Brother Doug Donaldson, Brother Adam Zandan and Brother Dan Backer as well as all the Zetes who have been extremely hospitable and helpful this summer. On a final note I'd also like to thank Brother Evan Shapiro for allowing me to experience the IFC this summer. Without all of you, this wouldn't be possible.
In Tau Kappa Phi, Chris Reid, Theta Xi '09 (e-mail me) |
Wall Street Scholar - Eric Romeril
I'm a 2nd year Biology major at the University if Waterloo (Alpha Theta). When I heard I was one of this year's Wall Street Scholars, I was elated. I have been working hard the last two years, and that work is starting to pay off.
Wall Street Scholars has given me a great opportunity this summer. I'm working at a biopharmaceutical laboratory, Sibtech Inc, and living in the Zete house at Yale (Eta). I am working with 2 PhDs, on cutting edge research, to purify an experimental mutant protein. This protein can be used as a drug delivery vector to prevent undesired apoptosis in human cells. I have the opportunity to be involved, in a basic level, in most of the work done with this protein. I get to culture mutant bacteria, and extract the proteins of interest. After that we test them for functionality, and modify them some more. While doing this, I get to learn many techniques that will be applicable in any other lab jobs I have. Just this week I have learned how to; make and run SDS-PAGE gels, run FPLC purifications, HPLC analyses, and run Erythrocyte Assays. This is just what I did this week, my first week on the job.
Living in New Haven, CT, I will have the chance to tour around the United States of America. The Wall Street Scholars program will be taking me to New York City, Washington D.C, and convention in Nebraska. There will also be numerous informal networking opportunities available to me throughout the summer. Through these, I'll be able to meet people in my industry, and others, and make connections that will last for years to come. Outside of the scheduled trips, I hope to take full advantage of my stay here. I'm hoping to travel to Boston, New York City (again!!), Cape Cod and anywhere else that has both a good reason to go and a good time when I get there.
My host chapter here at Yale has been great. The guys here are a blast to live with, and have already brought Harrison and myself into the fold. They've helped me get my bearings in this new city by introducing me to the people that stop by the house, and gave me the inside scoop on Yale and New Haven in general. Plus, they have a BBQ night every Tuesday where we all just sit outside, eat some burgers, and listen to some tunes. It's a great time, and a good way to relax after a hard day's work.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the boys from Alpha Theta for their support and patience over the past few years. Their understanding has helped me excel academically, and personally. I would also like to thank my Hosts at Yale for being so accommodating, and helping me feel at home in a new city. Finally, I would like to thank the brothers responsible for the Wall Street Scholars program. Thanks to them, I have an opportunity to further my skills in ways that would not normally available.
In Tau Kappa Phi, Eric Romeril, Alpha Theta '12 (e-mail me) | |
|
|
|
