FALL 2017 Epsilon Mu Newsletter

K A P P A

P S I

P H A R M A C E U T I C A L

F R A T E R N I T Y ,

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EPSILON MU FALL 2017 Brothers Dr. Keon Thomas, Nickhil Patel, Jacqueline Nguyen, Kelly Wright, and Dr. Daryl Balluff explore Niagara Falls

CURRENT OFFICERS: Regent: Nickhil Patel

Chaplain: Nicole Meretsky

GRAND COUNCIL DEPUTIES:

Vice Regent: Amanda Al-Bahou

Sergeant-at-Arms: Sean Speer

Dr. Lawrence Lesko

Secretary: Amisha Tailor

Pledgemaster: Lemar Lewis

Dr. Renee Rose

Treasurer: Jose Tamayo

Immediate-Past Regent: Jennifer

Dr. Harry Patrick Marcelin

Historian: Khai Ho

Vazquez Perez

MEP FALL ASSEMBLY

BY KELLY "ILLUMINATI" WRIGHT Brothers from both Epsilon Mu and Orlando Grad attended Mountain East Province Assembly in Buffalo, New York back in October. Epsilon Omicron Brothers went so far as to pick us up from the airport and welcomed us with open arms. On Friday evening, we socialized with Brothers Province-wide in our favorite team sport attire, and even had the opportunity to have a great chat with Grand Regent Dr. Robert Mancini!

Saturday morning, we started off the day with a nice breakfast spread and again were welcomed by more Brothers before official business began. The day went on with a very organized and concise schedule, making the day eventful for even the Out-of-Province Brothers. During the lunch break, we were allowed the opportunity to shop the new Kappa Psi gear from each of the represented Chapters. We also helped make Halloween candy bags in contribution for a philanthropy event! Saturday’s business ended with a Graduate Reception, where Graduate Brothers were able to meet, catch up, and network. There was an impressive formal banquet dinner, where the Man Mile Awards and Excellence Awards were given and the Installation of Officers occurred.

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Sunday morning, which happened to be Thanksgiving Day in Canada, the Brothers representing the Southeast Province went on an exploration! We journeyed into the heart of one of North America’s most powerful waterfalls: Niagara Falls! Provided with pink plastic rain poncho’s, we hopped on The Maid of the Mist and enjoyed scenic views of the Falls while at times getting drenched by what some consider a World Wonder. Luggage in tow, we then walked across the Rainbow Bridge into Ontario, Canada, had lunch at the Hard Rock Café, walked to the VIA Rail, and took a 2.5-hour train to Toronto, Canada. After getting settled into our beautiful downtown high-rise AirBnB, we set off to tour Toronto’s majestic castle, Casa Loma, as it was transformed into a haunted Halloween mansion called the Legends of Horror! After a few bumps, bruises, screams and tears, we hit the town in search of food and fun.

Monday morning, we brunched at EVVIVA Restaurant and visited the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. Lastly, we visited the world’s tallest free-standing structure, the CN Tower.

Following a late lunch at Jack Astor’s Bar and Grill, we sadly headed to the airport for departure back to Orlando.

The Brothers of MEP provided a great opportunity for us to explore new places, and with their warm welcome we embarked on an unforgettable Brother journey. PTBYB!!!

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AMERICAN PHARMACISTS MONTH Epsilon Mu’s Chapter Development and Public Relations and Professional Development Committees set out to celebrate American Pharmacists Month, but this year, with a little Kappa Psi twist. To commemorate a month that showcases our profession’s accomplishments, these two committees organized and executed events that aligned with each of our nobel fraternity’s four pillars: Fellowship, Industry, Sobriety, and High Ideals.

FELLOWSHIP Social Media Campaign: Being a pharmacist is definitely something to be proud of during American Pharmacists Month, but that’s not the only reason to celebrate! In order to commemorate the work that pharmacy technicians do for the pharmacy profession, Epsilon Mu decided to host a social media campaign that ran the entire month. Brothers started the campaign by posting pictures of their pharmacy technician friends with the hashtags #TakeASec #AppreciateYourTech #TechniciansWithAmbition. Friends, classmates, and Brothers afar were then tagged and challenged to spread the love through social media. Behind every successful pharmacist, you’ll find a supportive and hard working pharmacy technician that facilitates the pharmacy’s activities, allowing optimum workflow and better patient care. We truly wouldn’t be able to do our jobs without the pivotal role that the technicians play, and we were proud to share the spotlight with them this American Pharmacists Month.

- Brother Katie "Chrysalis" Li

Partial Proceeds Social: Kappa Psi held a partial proceeds event at Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant for American Pharmacists Month, where pharmacy students came together to celebrate the importance of our profession and to raise funds that directly support our profession. This event benefited the Florida Pharmacist Political Committee (FPPC) of the Florida Pharmacy Association, a voluntary nonprofit organization of pharmacists and other professionals. The FPPC’s purpose is to improve the practice of pharmacy and its effect on patient care through advocating decisions and laws that positively influence the advancement of the pharmacy. Contributions made to the FPPC directly aid the committee in pooling resources and in reaching qualified candidates that recognize what is best for our profession and for our patients, as well as the relationship between health care costs and state budgets. Through the bonds of Fellowship, our Brothers were able to bring together classmates, families, and friends to celebrate the profession that we work to progress every day.

-Brother Gabi "Carmina" Iturralde

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INDUSTRY Journal Club with sPMC: Epsilon Mu paired up with sPMC to

not believe in yourself, you can not expect anyone else to believe in you. Whatever you do, you should do it with confidence and

present a presentation and journal club this past October as part

pride. By presenting yourself with a sense of certainty, people will

of American Pharmacists Month. To celebrate our profession, the

be more receptive of your actions and words. Often times, a

committees decided to take the opportunity to teach the

determinant of how someone will perceive your message is not

campus a little more about our impact in an interprofessional

always in what you say, but how you say it. Dr. Waithe’s talk was

team. The overview and article revolved around the importance

inspirational and I am thoroughly grateful that my pledge

of pharmacists in multiple areas of healthcare and how

brothers and I were able to experience it. After listening to his

pharmacy involvement results in better patient outcomes overall.

speech, I have been constantly thinking about those three

Our role in reducing medication errors in the hospital setting

qualities that Lil Wayne possesses and doing all that I can to

starts with obtaining a thorough medication record to identify

satisfy them. Dr. Waithe’s talk with us was an excellent

drug therapy problems that other healthcare professionals may

experience and provided me and my pledge brothers the

overlook. This event on campus revolved around one of our four

opportunity to receive advice from an experienced professional

pillars: Industry. We are the future of our profession and we can

and Kappa Psi Brother that we could not get anywhere else.

make a difference in healthcare as pharmacists which is a lesson every attendee learned during this journal club.

-Brother Jose "Ghost" Tamayo

SOBRIETY Reflections: “What does pharmacy mean to you?”: When the two committees considered the pillar of Sobriety, the one thought that continuously came up was “what does the field of pharmacy mean to us?” As a Chapter, we decided it was not enough to know what the Brothers thought. We decided that we wanted the entire school to pitch in and let us know of what pharmacy means to them and why they chose pharmacy as a career. To do this, we set up a cork bulletin board in the third floor and gave students the opportunity to leave anonymous messages which reflected on the meaning of pharmacy, being a pharmacist, and why they chose pharmacy. At the end of the month, we were touched by the variety of answers that showed how truly diverse both the people and perspectives of our campus are.

-Brother Matthew "Kingslayer" Ferraro

-Brother Asad Matani

HIGH IDEALS First Aid Kits: For American Pharmacists Month, Epsilon Mu teamed up with The Inter-Professional Health Coalition (Inter-Pro) to organize a First Aid Kit Donation Drive for the Apopka Clinic.

The Apopka Clinic serves underprivileged families in the community of Apopka, Florida and this was the perfect opportunity for us as future pharmacists to give back to families who rarely have the medical support they need. These First Aid kits were distributed to these families, so that in times of emergency they had something to help them. Together with InterPro, we were able collect enough supplies to make over 50 First Aid Kits! By working together we were able to impact the community in a positive way and further strengthen our career as not only drug experts, but as health care providers.

-Brother Nickhil "Chronos" Patel

Toilet Times: Brothers wanted to ensure the celebration carried all throughout the month on campus. In order to do so, we created a flyer that hung in each bathroom stall, something we

Reflections: “Why are we here?”: The Iota Pledge Class had the honor of receiving a personal speech from Dr. Richard Waithe to explain how certain qualities can make you a better pharmacist and a better individual. Dr. Waithe started his speech describing how being well rounded is not only applicable to academics and Kappa Psi but, it is also necessary to become more successful in all aspects of life. Having this trait will help you find balance by enjoying yourself and also spending time to focus on what is important to you. Being well rounded will push you ahead of the crowd when you are in the real world.

Furthermore, Dr. Waithe spoke about the importance of work

like to call the “Toilet Times”. Written essentially as a newsletter, the Toilet Times was composed of a list of ways that students could either celebrate our profession or how they could contribute and give back to pharmacy during this month.There are a lot of ways to celebrate within organizations on campus, in class, or at work. What most students forget is that we can also celebrate the month outside of school or Facebook, and even with our own families. By creating this newsletter, we hoped to inspire students throughout the campus, and motivate them to celebrate this month with us!

-Brother Megan "Kazan" Hudson

ethics in developing professional growth. He related this mindset to Kappa Psi and the field of Pharmacy stating that you need to be willing to start early and end late. You should always want to do more then the person next to you and you should never stop working hard. Lastly, Dr. Waithe explained that it is Lil Wayne’s confidence that sets him apart from other music artists.

Confidence is key, you should always believe in yourself. If you do

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BROTHERSÂ LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY AHEAD "Every Assembly is like a big reunion.

You run into family you haven't seen in ages and some you've never met before at all! This past Fall Assembly was exactly that: a reunion. Taking a swing at golf, spending time with my Brothers, and even studying at the Jacksonville campus - it was all a great time."

- LIEM "ACE" DANG

SOUTHEAST PROVINCE

FALL

ASSEMBLY IN SEPTEMBER, BROTHERS ATTENDED THE FALL ASSEMBLY IN JACKSONVILLE HOSTED

BY ZETA GAMMA.

"Being able to see the hard work Brother Enigma put into the Chapter report was the highlight of Fall Assembly. It truly showed how far we have come as a Chapter and how we are constantly trying to find ways to improve. It made me proud to see the hard work the current E-board has put into our Chapter and excited to see all the new events/ideas to come. "

- JENNY "PROWLER" VUONG

EPSILON MU WAS HONORED TO BE AWARDED THE FELLOWSHIP AWARD, INDUSTRY AWARD, AND BEST 6

CHAPTER REPORT

by Liem "ACE" Dang Last year I attended Region 3’s MRM in Orlando as a first-year pharmacy student and became aware of the impact that we as student pharmacists have in the nation. Attending Region 3’s MRM this year as a secondyear made me proud to be a part of this profession. It is always a pleasure to be able to see what other pharmacy colleges are doing and how they are helping their community or advancing the field. The most amazing part is that we only see one region’s hard work at MRM; together with all the other regions, we, as student pharmacists, make an astronomical impact. However, it is only when attending these conferences that one is able to see this.

This year, I was able to experience the joys of travelling to attend MRM. I was able to share this experience with many brothers and a few first-years from our college. My favorite experience during that weekend was spending time with brothers and exploring Charleston together. Another favorite moment of mine was being able to help the first-years make the most of their first MRM experience: introducing them to other pharmacy students, giving them suggestions on what to attend based on their interests, and providing advice on what they can do to get more involved in the future. Below are some other Brothers' favorite moments.

Brother Sean Speer: My favorite experience was interacting with other chapter officers. I was able to interact with them and learn about the ways they engage their chapters and things that are effective. I was also able to share my own expertise with them as well. One experience is with an officer from Highpoint. It is a fairly new Chapter and has extremely limited number of members and resources. They also struggle within their own leadership team and what to do as a Chapter. I was able to talk with her and share many helpful tips and past experiences that seem trivial to me but were immensely helpful for her. By the end she was reduced to tears as she was in such gratitude that strangers at a huge conference can meet and instantly come together and help each other out.

Brother Athena Colón: My favorite experience was being part of RxRadio’s podcast! Being able to talk about the importance of pharmacy students starting their advocacy with their own loved ones and practicing what we learn as a way of getting people to realize all the different things that pharmacists can do. Knowing that all the people that listen to the podcast may take that advice felt empowering too.

Brother Jennifer Ryder: My favorite experience from MRM is seeing student pharmacists from across the southeast who have been my friends for the past three years and counting! Every MRM and Annual it’s like a big APhA-ASP family reunion! It’s always so great catching up with old friends and even meeting new ones! Every MRM I know I will see a friend from each college of pharmacy in the southeast and it makes the cost, travel, and make up studying worth it ten times over!

Brothers of Epsilon Mu and Zeta Gamma at MRM

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99 HANDS THAT SERVE

By Jennifer "SHE-RA" Ryder

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This fall semester, the Philanthropy and Community Service committee dedicated itself to offering unique and meaningful ways to serve the community while bringing together our brotherhood for a greater cause.

Our philanthropic efforts began, before classes even started, at our annual Chapter Retreat with the Backpacks for Kids drive where we were able to fill four complete backpacks to sponsor a student in kindergarten, first, second, and third grades, respectfully.

These backpacks were taken to Florida Hospital where they were then distributed to the students and provided the supplies they needed to be successful for the new school year.

After the fall semester officially kicked off, we hosted our High Ideals rush event with Ronald McDonald House at Nemours Children’s Hospital where we participated in their “Share-A-Meal” program. We provided lunch and dinner to over ten families whose children have been hospitalized and lives turned upside down. As the semester progressed, brothers who attended the Southeast Province Fall Assembly helped beautify the beaches of Jacksonville by volunteering at the beach clean up with the SEP Philanthropy committee and other Brothers from across the province on the last morning of assembly. Together, brothers woke up at the crack of dawn to clean one mile of Jacksonville’s beach where we filled over three trash bags of litter.

NOMADIC

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After Fall Assembly, the annual Southeast Province Philanthropy Week was right around the corner. This year, the Philanthropy and Community Service committee was committed to helping the less fortunate of our community. We kicked off the week by launching our social media campaign to raise awareness about the homeless population and tackling common myths about this patient population. We continued our SEP Philanthropy Week initiative by bringing in Orlando Graduate Brother Dr. Jeanine Garcia to speak to our brothers and pledges on how each individual can make a difference in the lives of a homeless person. We learned how to make homeless packs, how to empathetically and proactively work with homeless patients, and how we can inspire those around us. We wrapped up the week’s theme by volunteering at Orlando Union Rescue Mission, a non-profit thats mission is to help the hungry, hurting, and helpless of Orlando achieve a new life and set new goals, where brothers and pledges helped children with their homework, ran playtime with the babies, and cleaned the nurseries and playrooms. It was an eye opening and heart warming experience. OURM helps with childcare for parents who work two full time jobs, go to night school to get their GED, and/or trying to learn English so they can make a living. It makes you truly value the privileges you have and inspired to give back even more to these strong parents.

The Philanthropy and Community Service committee was also fortunate enough to have some lovely surprises pop up along the way. Continuing the philanthropic partnership we have with Kappa Epsilon, we were invited to serve with them for their Dress for Success volunteer day. Dress for Success is an organization that gives new and gently-used clothing to women who cannot afford interview clothing. We spent our morning making goodie bags and moving/organizing inventory for the, normally, two-person staff. Within a few hours, we were able to accomplish over 4 weeks of work! Another service project that

was a pleasant surprise was the opportunity to work with the Florida Special Olympics for their state bowling championship.

Brothers had a strikingly good time being lane managers, a task that involved coordinating the bowlers, score keeping, and assisting athletes with their rolling aids. We wrapped up our shifts by awarding our athletes with medals. Sometimes, a surprise is the greatest gift life can grant us!

As our semester came to a close, we decided that we wanted to do something in the spirit of the holidays. We partnered with CPFI to host a homeless hygiene pack drive where we asked students to bring in items that would benefit those who are trying to go on job interviews and staying in shelters including shampoo, toothbrushes, and combs. Over the course of three weeks and with a generous donation from our friends at Dress for Success, we were able to collect over 400 items to be packed up and given to homeless shelters across Orlando for the holiday season!

Looking back on this fall semester, the Philanthropy and Community Service committee made amazing progress in our committee’s development and surpassed my expectations! The committee was able to offer a multitude of different service projects, connected our brothers who came out to our events, and embodied all four of our pillars of Fellowship, Sobriety, Industry, and High Ideals. While I am extremely proud of my committee’s hard work and dedication, none of this would have been possible without each and every Brother who has supported our ideas and projects. Thank you for servicing with us and making my last semester as chair so wonderful! And thank you Epsilon Mu for letting me service as your Philanthropy Chair for the last two years. I am excited to see this committee to continue to flourish with the new chair in spring!

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ASHP MIDYEAR 2017

BY ESTEFANY YANQUI American Society of Health - System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical meeting was a rewarding experience as a second-year student. The meeting was held in Orlando, Florida from December 2-7, 2017. I was fortunate to attend during December 3rd – 4th where I had the opportunity to visit the residency showcase, explore the exhibitions, present a poster, and attend the Kappa Psi reception. It was a fast-paced convention full of events and inspiring leaders.

The clinical meeting started with the keynote address by former First Lady Michelle Obama. She delivered a wonderful speech about her movement to prevent childhood obesity and promote a healthier lifestyle for children and young adults.

Additionally, she shared her experiences as a leader explaining her role alongside the former President Barack Obama. It was the perfect way to start the convention, especially with a huge turnout of students and professionals. After listening to the keynote address, I visited the clinical exhibition. It was a vast room full of booths from pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers, healthcare companies, and more. By the end of the week, I got to walk up and down all the aisles and speak with many healthcare representatives. I was excited to learn about the opportunities that the large pharmaceutical companies have for pharmacists.

On both days, I had the opportunity to visit the residency showcase. Although I did not get to speak directly with all of the programs, I was still able to learn plenty about them. I was exposed to dozens of programs that I am now interested in pursuing as a future residency candidate. I listened to countless discussions between residents and 4th year students and developed a good understanding of the proper questions to ask and how to communicate effectively.

Moreover, I had the amazing opportunity to present a poster presentation during the student 10

poster session. My poster was titled “Medication use evaluation of rabies vaccination and rabies immunoglobulin at Tampa General Hospital”, authored by myself and other second year Tampa General Hospital interns. During the poster presentation, we were approached by many students and pharmacists to speak about our research. At first, I was hesitant to speak, but as the hour went on, I became more confident. By the end of the hour, I was so thankful for the opportunity to develop my presentation skills. I am now looking forward to my next research endeavor and poster presentation to further grow as an individual striving for a residency.

After two long days of walking, talking, and learning, I had the humble opportunity to attend the Kappa Psi reception as a guest. As a pledge, I was naturally nervous and prepared the best I could to speak with Brothers from Chapters around the country. I met Graduate Brothers from Epsilon Mu, Brothers from Phoenix, Arizona, and finally I met Brother Grand Regent Robert Mancini. It was a humbling and worthwhile experience to witness the bonds of the brotherhood I have strived to join. The atmosphere was lively, friendly and the connections ran deep amongst all Brothers.

The cost of attending Midyear was minuscule compared to the experience I got out of it. I look forward to attending ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in 2018 as a third-year student and future Brother of Kappa Psi.

IOTA PLEDGE EVENTS

BY THE IOTA CLASS

Fellowship Through the pillar of Fellowship, we are able to grow and connect with each other as we strengthen our bonds. This has been represented in several events that the Iota Pledge Class has hosted recently. Creating memories and growing our friendships began as the Brothers of Epsilon Mu came to “Chill” with the Iota Pledge Class during an ice skating outing. This event was full of laughs, falls and even some friendly competition. The Founders’ Day Family Picnic was a great opportunity to involve our loved ones in celebrating this momentous occasion together. Being able to introduce our family members to the Brothers of Epsilon Mu gave us the chance to interconnect two of the most meaningful aspects of our lives. The pillar of Fellowship also extends outside of the Fraternity and this was represented at our Kappa Psi and Kappa Epsilon Scavenger Hunt. This event allowed us to create new friendships as brothers and pledges of both fraternities worked together to solve clues and competed to be the fastest team. We also enjoyed urging Fellowship between our classmates as we sponsored a Photo Booth at the Orlando Campus Friends and Family Night. Witnessing others enjoy the company of their friends and family while posing for pictures was a gratifying experience.

Sobriety Taking a moment to be clear-minded and focused is one way to demonstrate the pillar of Sobriety. The Iota Pledge Class was able to take a break from our everyday stresses as we took a moment to pause during our Pledge Class Social. This event consisted of us playing board games and just enjoying each other’s company. Focusing on being present with each other and letting go of our anxieties is important for our minds and our connections with each other. We also had the opportunity to relax at the Founders’ Day Family Picnic and get to know each other on a deeper level. Enjoying this time while sharing laughs and smiles, allowed us to focus on our serene and tranquil environment.

High Ideals Holding ourselves to a higher standard and striving to put our best foot forward is how the Iota Pledge Class embodies the pillar of High Ideals. This was shown during our community volunteer event at United Against Poverty Orlando. This event allowed us to give back to our community as we assisted in organizing and restocking a local grocery center. Being able to help those in need provides a sense of gratitude and accomplishment. Having High Ideals is also shown as we take on new experiences with courage. This was obvious during our ice skating event in that although most of us did not know how to ice skate, we made the attempt and assisted each other on the ice.

Health screening at Publix Industry Expanding our knowledge and the knowledge of others is demonstrated through the pillar of Industry. During our community health screening, the Iota Pledge Class provided the local community with information on diabetes and hypertension risk factors as well as lifestyle habits that encourage healthy living. Being able to give guidance to the community while educating them on how to take control of their health is an empowering feeling and is the epitome of Industry.

Volunteer event at United Against Poverty Orlando

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Big & Little Reveal

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Iota Class On December 17, 2017, Epsilon Mu welcomed the Iota Class into our beloved fraternity.

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EDITOR'S NOTE This Fall was a very busy, yet exciting semester.

As a Chapter, we traveled to Jacksonville, FL, Charleston, SC, Buffalo, NY, and Toronto, Canada! We celebrated American Pharmacists Month, participated in several service events, and last, but not least we welcomed 8 new Brothers to Epsilon Mu!

NEWSLETTER & PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE: Linda Ho Cyrene Molineros Timmy Do Jennifer Perez Jacqueline Nguyen Khang Tran

Thank you to the writers, contributors, and editors who made my year as N&P Chair possible. I wish the next chair all the best and look forward to see what they accomplish.

PTBYB,

Lemar Lewis Amisha Tailor Matthew Ferraro Khai Ho

Ember

Epsilon Mu Chapter of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Inc.

WWW.KAPPAPSIEPSILONMU.COM Kappa Psi Reception at Midyear

Trivia Night at Mellow Mushroom

Iota Family Picnic