With a new batch of pledges recently initiated, Epislon Chapter spent the weekend of Septem-ber 18th in Aptos, a beach community just south of Santa Cruz on the Monterey Bay. The semes-terly tradition of retreat, according to Internal Vice President Lorenz Noe, is “to give all of us a chance to get to know each other and forge friendships in order to work better together.” This is the third such weekend retreat DPhiE has taken since re-chartering, and the tradition ap-pears to be firmly established in the hearts and minds of the members. Friday night saw a flurry of activity as various cars arrived at the beach house rented for the oc-casion. The evening eventually got started with a Bigs and Littles mixer, designed to familiar-ize the actives with new pledges and vice versa, in advance of the Bigs and Littles ceremony the next night. The speed dating-style activity led into an evening of sundry other amusements and

fraternal carousal. Saturday broke with a delightful breakfast provided by Meghan Mize, Mary Cheesus, Melissa Ng, Ingrid Budrovich, and By-ron Chan. As bleary-eyed Chapter members sipped orange juice and devoured pancakes, a general consensus was reached to pass the afternoon beach-side, a plan which was put into immediate action. DPhiE found itself graced with the triple blessing of sea-side proximity, fair weather, and unusu-ally warm waters, which – despite the untimely and gruesome arrival of a large sea lion carcass – provided for a pleasant afternoon of bodysurf-

ing, volleyball, frisbee, and the construction of a veritable sand metropolis. While the day slowed in the late afternoon as most members either napped or pretended to do schoolwork, the evening began with the Big

Del ta Phi Eps i lon: Eps i lon Chapter

 

Volume III: Issue I December 2, 2009

At the end of every semester, it has become a tradition for us to play a game. During this game, we read off descriptions and tap our brothers and sisters that match that description. One of these descriptions reads, “Tap someone who you just met, but felt like you’ve known for a long time.” This is what DPhiE has been for me, although its only been two years, it has felt like so much longer. The people I’ve met, the relationships and connections that I’ve made all came to me as easily as reconnecting with an old friend. DPhiE to me has been more than just an organization to do in my idle time here at Cal. It has become my second home and family. This semester has been a lot of fun, but it wasn’t always easy. With so many brothers and sisters gone – either due to graduation and moving on or to just being abroad and living a DPhiE life, I could see the morale was hurt. We lost so many people and we missed them, every event just being a reminder that they weren’t there. But we managed to push through, we exceeded expectations and had an incredible semester. There were insane, yet meaningful,

strikes. There were incred-ible and inspiring speak-ers. There were presenta-tions that showed me the diversity and in-depth knowledge of our members. There were a lot of good food times. There were danc-ing and social events that were also extremely productive – raising more than $600 to an amazing organization. Yes, this semester has been amazing and I am glad to be stepping down at this time because I know that I am leaving DPhiE in capable per-haps even better hands than I could give. Just as a small shout out to the Fall 2009

pledges, at the beginning of this semester I challenged you to fill the very big shoes laid in front of you. I told you that every class is better than the last and every semester just shames the one before, and you guys met that challenge. Now I dare you to continue this tradition of making yourselves better people, making this organization better, but more importantly mak-ing each other better every day.

T h e D i p l o m a tWelcome New Pledges By: Melissa Ng DPhiE President Fall 09

I n s i d e Letter from Abroad.... .Page 2

Active Profile...............Page 3

Pledge Profile......Pages 3 & 4

International Environmental Policy Forum...............Page 4

Delta Phi Eplison Kicks Off Semester in Santa Cruz Area: By: Devon Peterson Newsletter Committee

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Alumni: Interested in Making a Donation to DPhiE? Every year Delta Phi Epsilon chooses one de-serving member to receive the Rudy Wagner Memorial Scholarship, an award whose name-sake was one of the integral forces in Epsilon chapter's rechartering in 2003. Past recipients of this award have included presidents of DPE, current Peace Corps volunteers, and others now abroad working on projects with focuses rang-

ing from disease control to agriculture. This award, however, would not be possible with-out your support. The Rudy Wagner Memo-rial Scholarship consists only of Alumni and friends' donations. Your support will enable us to continue to honor Rudy with future genera-tions of DPE. If you wish to donate, please see the attached form.

Friendships Made, Frisbees Thrown at Weekend Retreat

Continued on page 4

DPhiE creates sand metropolis complete with functioning mote and life-like slums.

Continuing DPhiE’s tradition of embrac-ing the different dances of the world, we went salsa-dancing on Friday night of October 23rd to dance away our mid-term stress. Some of us got together for a pre-salsa dinner at Biryani house, whose spicy cuisine we hoped would translate into a similar effect in our dancing. This was not the case for some of us (David), but we arrived at the bus station in good spirits. Traveling by bus, which conveniently dropped us off right in front of Club Montero’s, we first took a salsa lesson from our lovely instructors; Joel and Sorcy. One thing that was immediate-ly apparent and which provided us with much amusement, was that, while in DPhiE we often

laugh at our own discrep-ancy between the number of men and women, the sheer number of women as opposed to men was staggering. While there were perhaps twenty guys there, there must have been at least 50 women there, setting the stage for many a stubbed toe and confusion about the steps. All confusion aside though, we quickly learned some of the instrumental steps, the

instructors careful to teach us in “dry-runs” before having us try out our newly-learned steps with musical accompaniment. While it was easy at the start, as the lesson went on, the steps became increas-ingly complicated and we were introduced to the added challenge of having to coordinate our arm-movement with our feet, a task that proved difficult for some of us. Having been taught the essen-tials of salsa, we were thrown into uncharted waters as the dance-floor was opened up to the general public. Here the guys were intro-

duced to a new concept, one which takes much more practice than simply learning a few steps; leading. While we may be used to a fairly egalitarian way of dancing, one in which even the woman takes charge, the flow of salsa is entirely patriarchal. Thus, it was up to the guys to lead and initiate the maneuvers which made salsa stressful as well as entertaining for the guys, as the complicated steps resulted in many a twisted arm or trip over the partner’s feet. In the end, it was a fun night and all agreed that we will definitely be returning there in the near future to improve our skills. Aside from the lesson, Club Montero’s provided a fun and musical background to our experimenta-tion with salsa; accompanying us was a live salsa band which made sure that our feet never rested.

Salsa Dancing a Big Hit By: Lorenz NoeNewsletter Commitee

Active Profile: Ingrid BudrovichBy: Kate Lewis Newsletter CommitteeQ: How did you get involved in DPE?A: I think saw a flyer for it and was interested. I went to the first meeting and saw people I knew. I wanted to be involved in international relations and gain a greater awareness of what is going on internationally. Part of it stemmed from the fact that I had just come back the year before from studying abroad in Greece.

Q:What interests you about international rela-tions?A:Seeing how people think and other places work in the world. We’re all one big community, and I think you need a global perspective to be an overall better person. You need to understand international relations in order to better appreci-ate traveling experiences. When you gain under-standing of someone else’ss culture, you under-stand your own better. You learn more about the world by learn about other people’s perspectives.

Q:What kind of traveling have you done?A:I studied in Greece as a freshman over the sum-mer with my best friend through a Santa Barbara program. The next summer I went to Croatia to visit relatives with my family. The next spring, I went to Rome with studying abroad and did some traveling. Last summer I went to visit my sister, who was studying abroad in Italy. My dad’s family is from Croatia, specifically the islands of Croatia: Hvar and Brac. When I visited we stayed in the town of Bol, on Brac. It’s a great place, it’s beautiful. The people aren’t always nice, but my family is. It didn’t help that we don’t speak the language.

Q:Why did you choose to study in Greece and Italy?

A:I chose Greece on a whim. My best friend speaks Greek and didn’t think she was able to study abroad during the semester because she is a chemistry major, which is why we went as freshmen. I didn’t have very high expectations; I thought it would be a tourist trap. There is definitely Greek time in Greece, which is really slow. It’s something you get used to. After a few weeks, I didn’t want to leave. The whole experi-ence of going to Greece opened this Pandora’s box of me wanted to travel more. I chose Italy because of the history and the food. I was in Rome, which was not the best experi-ence because it’s such a big city that you don’t really get to know the local area and people. You end up hanging out with only the people in your program. But we did get to travel a lot, the food was great, and I ended up making lifelong friends, so that was still a great time.

Q:Tell me about your major.A:I’m a history and ISF major, with an empha-sis on food politics. I have to write two theses. I’m writing my history one right now and my ISF one next semester. My history thesis is about calendars during fascism in Italy and how they represented a type of social control.

Q:What kind of internships have you done?A:Had an internship at the Chez Panisse foun-dation, doing processing stuff and random ad-ministrative and outreach stuff. The Foundation brings in money to help the Edible Schoolyard, at MLK middle school. Kids have garden classes where they learn gardening techniques and how to cook. It’s cool because these are practical skills that have been lost that they are trying to bring back to kids. Also, the foundation runs the

School Lunch I n i t i a t i v e , which is at Berkeley High and other pub-lic schools in Berkeley, which is green-ing cafeterias. It’s a way to bring local farmers and local food into schools to teach kids from an early age how to eat right, as a way to combat unhealthy corn-based foods that are so common in school cafeterias. The foundation also gives grant money to other schools that are interested in similar projects. I also had an internship with the Oakland Food Policy Council. They just got started. They are trying to make food policy an important issue for local politicians. Oakland is basically a food desert; good food is hard to find outside of the wealthier areas. So this is just a board of people from the community trying to make changes to food access and availability in Oakland. I was just doing interviews and collecting and organiz-ing raw data about demographics, income levels, food distribution, etc. from the community for them.

Q:What do you want to do when you graduate?A: Not sure, definitely something involving food.Not sure where. I might want to go to grad-uate school, but pretty much everything is up in the air. Anything from city/regional planning to cooking school. I will probably get a job first though. But it’s scary!

2

 

3Letter from Abroad Rachel Whyte

Saludos DPhiE!

I am writing from by México City apartment which, as my Russian friend tells me, bears a striking resemblance to Soviet Russia. However, as much as it might scream communist regime, I have fallen deeply in love with my small depa, just like the rest of this giant megalopolis. México City can be described as many things, but the two words I think best illustrate my experience here, are overwhelming and intoxicating. Overwhelming for the sheer number of people and cars I come into contact with on a daily basis and intoxicating, because I am in a constant state of fascination with how the society functions, under the heavy weight of contradiction, corruption and of course the unpredictability of nearly 20 million people.

I am currently enrolled in the Universidad Nacional Aútonoma de México (UNAM) the largest university in Latin America with a whopping 300,000 students! I am the only American in all of my four classes, making me the resident expert in everything USA- ranging from Iowa agriculture to changes in US trade patterns after 9-11. Needless to say, there is a lot of pressure associated with school and sounding intelligent. Everyday I am so impressed by my classmates- by their eloquence and ability to speak to a classroom of their peers as if addressing a room full of diplomats. In one of my classes, which is composed chiefly of students in their final semester, I can honestly imagine them as the next México’s next generation of NGO heads, policy makers or maybe even the next Subcomandante Marcos. Outside of school, I am wrestling for UNAM’s lucha team and volunteering with an amazing organization called, Un Techo para mi País, which works in peripheral communities to provide proper housing and access to a variety of other resources to those that need them most. What has inspired me the most working with them is the fact that the NGO is completely run by youth, ages ranging from 18-25. Unlike the US, where it seems that the only real changes must be made from within the system, change is truly tangible here. You can see the faces of those you are helping, and listen to what they want and need, versus working in an intermediary organization that is based in the United States. I am also starting to get comfortable enough to solicit more than volunteer positions. There’s a refugee organization called Sin Fronteras that I have had my eye on for a while, and I think I’ll be applying for an internship there soon.

So where are all the adventures? The fun? The crazy stories?? Well, my dearest DPhiE, the majority (all of them) will have to wait until I return. Un-til then, I hope you will be happy with a small rave about Mexican cuisine. Tacos are sometimes the only reason why I get out of bed in the morning. There are probably more than 50 types of tacos here, but my favorites are tacos al pastor, with pineapple and green peppers. Also, a close second are tacos de canasta, which are tacos sold from a basket, very greasy, and sometimes quite spicy. And no this basket filled with tacos is not located in a 4-star restaurant. Street food is not only one of the most wallet-friendly meals on the go, but it is also an integral part of México’s unofficial economy. Lining the streets near metro exits, there are countless makeshift booths selling anything from fresh fruit smoothies, to sandwiches (tortas), to tamales oaxaqueños. And don’t worry about getting sick. It’s just a part of the experience…and totally worth it!

Okay chavos and chavas, I have worked up quite the appetite and am going to head out for some tacos alambres right now. I miss you all terribly…and House of Curries too. Take care and I’ll be seeing you spring semester!

Chau, Rachel

Q: Any interesting plans for the spring?A: I’m studying abroad in Ghana this spring! I’m really interested in Africa and development, and there are so many classes offered on development in Ghana. I’m an econ major and concentrating on development, but so far I haven’t taken any development classes specifically in economics.

Q: Are you excited or nervous?A: It’s finally sinking in with all the EAP health procedures—I’ve been going through immuni-zation records and booster shots, and I signed a form for anti-malarial pills. Doing all the health stuff is a little worrisome, but if I do everything it’ll be okay. I’m looking forward to it being re-ally different; I’ve never lived in another country for a long period of time. My friend is actually studying abroad there right now and having a re-ally good time. She’s visited Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. The other weekend she went to a rural village and helped teach kids how to use com-puters.

Q: What did you do over the summer?A: I went to D.C. and interned at Senator Fein-stein’s office with four or five other Berkeley students. It wasn’t the most substantial intern-ship ever, but it was more about being there and learning how Capitol Hill works, how hearings of congressional offices work, and for getting to know everyone. I went to a lot of Foreign Rela-tion Committee hearings headed by John Kerry and I saw John McCain, Chris Dodd, and Arlen Specter speak about healthcare. I also got to see a couple of big votes, like the Sotomayor con-

firmation and the cap & trade vote—that was really exciting.

Q: What was your coolest internship memory? A: Having lunch with Senator Feinstein was really cool. We sat around a confer-ence table and asked her questions, and even though a lot of her answers we’re “politic-y” she was a lot more frank than I expected.

Q: Would you want to work in D.C. in the future?A: If I were to take a few years off to work before grad school, D.C. is where I’d want to go. I’m not really sure about plans, but I might get an MPP or J.D., or both. I’m more interested in international development policy rather than domestic policy.

Q: What’s your favorite city? A: I really like San Francisco. I love the independent music scene and the food. There’s an amazing sandwich place called Ike’s in the Castro, and it has hundreds of different types of sandwiches. They all have re-ally different and clever names, like one’s called the name of the girl you’re dating. I also really like the environment and the weather, too. I also really like D.C., but I’d be afraid to live there alone. They have an awesome indie music scene, blues/jazz scene, afrocarribean restaurants, mu-seums, history, and architecture.

Q: Now to some slightly offbeat questions. What’s your favorite word?A: Hmm … I really like “troittor,” which means sidewalk in French. I think it’s so cute, like a sidewalk you trot on.

Q: If you could meet a member of your favorite band, who would it be?

Plege Profile: Alina Xu By: Desiree Matloob Newsletter Committee

Continued on page 4

4

Retreat Continued

and Littles ceremony, a blindfolded ritual of trust for pledges, and a chance to celebrate the new bonds of friendship being created within Epsilon Chapter. Upon return to the house gifts were presented and rev-elry re-commenced. In the words of pledge Lisa Chen, "Between hot tub-bing and our own little American Idol compe-tition, there was never a dull moment with DPhiE!" Sunday was largely a day of cleaning and packing, the Chapter determined to leave its adopted home in at least as fine condition as it was found. As everyone loaded up for the trip home, tired and doubt-less now crushingly be-hind on reading, there was an overall sense that the semester for Delta Phi Epsilon had indeed started in earnest – and by all accounts, that it was looking like a suc-cess.

By: Devon Peterson Newsletter Committee

Plege Profile: Isabel Shum

Q: What is the best place you have ever taveled to? A: The best plave I ever visited was Hong Kong because my family is there and all i do is shop and eat. The stuff is cheap and the food is good. What more could I ask for? It's the city of life!

Q: Do you have any siblings? A: I have two siblings, one at UCSB and one in high school.

Q: How did you first become inter-ested in international relations? A: I first became interested in inter-national relations when I came toBerkeley and heard professors lec-ture about it. I liked learning how the world interacts. Of course, my decision to go abroad next semesterinterested me in possibly getting a job there in an international compa-ny and that also got me interested in international relations and howworldwide corporations can man-age their business on such a wide scale.

Q: Where are you from originally? A: I'm from South San Francisco (Nor-Cal, represent),

Q: What is your favorite color? A:My favorite color is lime green

Q: What are your hobbies? A: My hobbies are all winter sports, and anything fun, really. Ijust went to about four national parks this summer followed by Ve-gas and that was fun.

Q:Who is your favorite world lead-er, dead or alive? A: My favorite world leader would have to be Kim Jung Il. hahaha just kidding. hmmm I'd say as a "leader figure" my favorite people would be thesupreme court justices just because that is such an epic job to have.

By: Michael Bea Newsletter Committee

A: Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead. He’s the guitarist and plays mul-tiple instruments, including a weird Scandinavian instrument called the “ondes-martenot.” You can hear it in “How to Disappear Completely”—it’s the weird high-pitched voices in the beginning of the song. He can also play the keyboard and has really cool hair.

Q: What would you do if you saw Greenwood?A: I would either run away or dissolve into happy tears. If I were col-lected enough I would try to talk to him. It would just be nice to revel in his presence and experience the shimmery waves of genius and musical brilliance emanating from his being.

Q: What’s one of the coolest memories you have from Berkeley?A: I can’t really think of all of them right now, but last semester wo RAs from Clark Kerr and I unlocked the swimming pool at 2 am and went swimming.

Pledge Proflie Continued: Alina Xu

Congrats Pledges on the International Environmental Policy Forum By: Meghan MizeNewsletter Chair

On November 18, 2009, the Delta Phi Epsilon Fall 2009 Pledge Class orga-nized and hosted the International Environ-mental Policy Forum. The forum panel in-cluded Professor Rich-ard Nogaard of the Energy and Resources Group, Professor Max Auffhammer of Agri-cultural and Resource Economics and In-ternational and Area Studies, and PhD can-didate of the Energy and resources Group Fritz Kahrl. These prestigious individuals discussed policy debates over

climate change and what to expect from the UN Climate Change Confer-ence in Copenhagen. The majority of the pannel agreed that Copenha-gen Con-gerence will not yeild any a g r e e -m e n t s like the K y o t o Protocol. O t h e r t o p -ics dis-c u s s e d i n c l u d e the pos-sibility of a carbon tax and the merrits of the cap and trade system. After the panel spoke, the Pledge Class opened up the floor for a lively question and answer session with the panel. After the lively discussion came to an end, the pledge class served delicious refreshments including chocolate fondue, cheese and crackers, and soft drinks. Overall, the event was a large success and very informative. Congratulations pledges for hosting an excellent event!

By: Desiree Matloob Newsletter Committee