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 The
History of the Zeta Chapter
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Brothers of the Zeta chapter at Finger Lakes. |
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In the Fall of 1997, instead of joining the ranks of other well
established organizations, three young men chose to embark on
a journey where their efforts would not go unnoticed. They were
determined to build an organization from the ground up, which
would create a presence for the Asian community. By establishing
a charter at New York University, they persevered to extend
the goals of Pi Delta Psi to their school in hopes of making
a change on campus, and one day seeing their endeavors pave
way into other schools.
Starting from 3 strong and growing to 50 brothers united, the
founding fathers have seen their dream become reality- the Zeta
Chapter has become the second largest fraternity on campus,
and is now stronger than ever. |
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Background: |
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The
Figures: |
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One hundred and seventy years ago, Albert Gallatin, the
distinguished statesman who served as secretary of the
treasury under President Thomas Jefferson, declared his
intention to establish "in this immense and fast-growing
city ... a system of rational and practical education
fitting for all and graciously open to all."
At that time, 1831, most students in American colleges
and universities were members of the privileged classes.
Albert Gallatin and the University's founding fathers
planned NYU as a center of higher learning that would
be open to all, regardless of national origin, religious
beliefs, or social background.
While the University's commitment to these ideals remains
unchanged, in many ways Albert Gallatin would have scarcely
recognized NYU today. From a student body of 158, enrollment
has grown to more than 48,000 students attending 14 schools
and colleges at six different locations in Manhattan and
in over 20 study-abroad countries around the world. Students
come from many foreign countries. The faculty, which initially
consisted of 14 professors (among them artist and inventor
Samuel F. B. Morse), now totals over 3,100 full-time members.
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Chapter:
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Zeta |
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School:
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New York University |
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School Adress:
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70 Washington Square
542 George Street
New York, NY 10012 |
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University Website:
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www.nyu.edu |
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Current University Population:
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16,500 |
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Current % Asian Population:
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14% |
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Current President:
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Owen "Juice" Chen |
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Mailing Address:
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110 East 14th Street
Apt. 1204A
New York, NY, 10003 |
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Chapter Website:
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www.nyupdp.com |
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Current # Undergrad Brothers:
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36 actives |
Lookin GQ after the Bid Dinner. |
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Our
Slice of the Pi
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The four pillars of Pi Delta Psi
are Academic Achievement, Cultural Awareness, Righteousness,
and Friendship/Loyalty. Briefly describe how your chapter has
upheld and promoted these 4 objectives since inception. |
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Academic Achievement
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As twenty-five of thirty-six
brothers work in New York, there
exists a duality between course work and career work.
Often, the balance between school and career becomes ambiguous
and unmanageable. To end this dilemma, a series of "career
workshops" were held to ease the balance between
academic excellence and professional development. In these
workshops, we have invited alumni
and experienced brothers of the Zeta Chapter to take the
floor to offer important advice on areas such as resume
building, interviewing skills and professional ethics.
We have found these workshops exceptionally successful
in aiding brothers in exacting their academic endeavors
and in their development as responsible individuals in
society. Many brothers of the graduating
class of 2001 managed to graduate in the top 10 percentile
of the class and land jobs at several big name companies.
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Cultural Awareness
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Zeta Chapter in full effect after a cultural show. |
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Residing in one of the most
diverse areas in the world, the Zeta Chapter finds itself
in the midst of an array of people and influences. The
culture within our chapter itself is so heterogeneous,
that we find ourselves constantly learning and adapting
our awareness from each other. Each semester, cultural
awareness at NYU comes to its apex in a show we present
to the school. In our last show, we based a skit on the
Wizard of Oz, composed by brothers to promulgate awareness
to the NYU community. We found an increased level of cultural
awareness in ourselves while creating the show as well
as displaying it. |
Righteousness through Philanthropy
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Each semester, we partake
in a number of community service events including painting
community centers for New York Cares, helping out in the
Special Olympics, and the March of Dimes. However, perhaps
the most striking instance of philanthropy at our chapter
is the example set by Lawrence Chen, aka Shadow. Having
at one point been an elementary school education major,
Lawrence took it upon himself to befriend a five year-old
boy from Chinatown. Lawrence tutored the young man in
everything from "1 + 1" to "See Dick run."
Lawrence sets the standard for us in righteousness at
NYU.
In light of the recent tragedies, a number of brothers
have volunteered in aiding the community to recover and
heal from the events of September 11th. The attacks affected
many and we have worked together in providing funds and
clothing to aide those in desperation. |
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Brothers lending a helping hand at the March of Dimes. |
Friendship/Loyalty through Brotherhood
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A few Brothers showing support at the NYU aKDPhi presents. |
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The most
important aspect of brotherhood at the Zeta Chapter is
its diversity. The Zeta Chapter prides itself in each
brother's individuality. We feel it is important
in maintaining each individual's respective differences
while working towards our common goals. In combining this
range of influences and beliefs, we have developed a unique
collective personality. Sometimes it is amazing to find
that such a variety of different people can be so cohesive
and loving of one another thanks to our common goals.
One of the largest issues was the dilution of brotherhood
as the Zeta Chapter's membership size increased. In an
effort to counteract brotherhood dilution, a succession
of class mixers was implemented, in which brothers of
different pledge classes would attend an event together.
We found these highly effective in promoting the brotherhood
amongst those of different classes, ages and backgrounds.
These mixers have been essential in encouraging brotherhood.
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Chapter
Goals
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Describe what goals the chapter wishes
to achieve this semester and how it hopes to achieve them. |
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Having already established ourselves as a dominant force
in the Asian community, we hope to reach out to the rest
of the student population on campus by participating in
more University-wide events and extending our influence
to a broader base of people. With the extenuating circumstances
of the market, we hope to prepare each upcoming graduating
class with the tools to compete in the real world by creating
network connections, and providing them with the necessary
leadership capabilities. |
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Notable
Achievements
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Commendation for outstanding annual service from New York Cares
(1999).
Plaque of recognition for extensive involvement during Asian
Heritage Month (1998).
Student Service Award for NYU Christmas Toy-drive (1997).
We have held an annual Fall Show for the past three consecutive
years.
With elected officers in several school affiliated Asian-American
clubs, we hold a strong presence in the student community. |
Outstanding
Alumni
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Alumni of the Zeta Chapter enjoying some time off at
one of many NYU PDPsi parties. |
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This section is currently being compiled. Please check
back by the end of the week. |
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