THE
ALPHA MAGAZINE DELTA SIGMA PI | FALL 2014
DIVERSITY IN THE WORKFORCE FEATURING:
PRIDE CORP WHAT ELECTIVES TO TAKE INTERVIEWING STRATEGIES ARE YOU APP-SAVVY?
EXECUTIVE WELCOME Dear Fellow NYU Undergraduates, It is with my utmost pleasure that I greet you to our fifth issue of the Alpha Magazine. To our original readers who have continued to be with us since Spring 2011, welcome back. To our new readers just discovering new experiences in New York University, I hope this magazine can serve as a tool to help you take advantage of your four glorious years of college. This year we have focused our articles on providing information on topics that are not discussed in the walls of a classroom, and tips that NYU Stern champions have been using for years to be successful. Although we are a fraternity judged by the success and actions of our brothers, we want to see every student in this school flourish. We hope through this magazine, we can inspire and encourage students to take new perspectives on new career choices, and learn valuable information that can help them advance in their careers. I want to thank the amazing Delta Sigma Pi brothers for their dedication and passion for providing intriguing content to the Alpha Magazine. Working besides some of the most intelligent and driven students in New York University has always provided with infinite inspiration, and we hope you can capture some of that magic in this magazine. I also want to thank the administration for being supportive of the magazine throughout the years and for giving us the inspiration to keep the magazine alive. I hope you look forward to reading the contents of this volume, and that it can help guide you in your paths to success at New York University.
Best of luck, Jackson Sheng
ISSUE NO. 5 | FALL 2014
THE ALPHA MAGAZINE DELTA SIGMA PI | ALPHA CHAPTER
COLLEGE YEARS
4
Featured Concentration: Management Which Electives to Take? Studying Abroad
PROPELLING YOUR CAREER
7
Summer Internships: A Recap on Experiences Stress Management Acing the Interview
FEATURES
10
Featured Club: Pride Corp The Overview: Clubs @ Stern Diversity Recruitment
DSP ALPHA THE ALPHA MAGAZNE DSPALPHA
EDITORS IN CHIEF SABRINA CHOW & LAUREN TAI MANAGING EDITOR LAWRENCE HO MARKETING EDITOR SHARLEEN SALIM
LIFESTYLE
15
Summer with DSP: Alumni Mingling Night Tips for Apartment Hunting Restaurant Week Featured App: Caleido Are You App-Savy?
BROTHER/ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Tandy's Iceland Expedition Nick's Summer Across Europe
20
4 College Years
FEATURED CONCENTRATION:
MANAGEMENT BY DAVY VIKNER Stern offers the Management Concentration to those who wish to delve into how organizations and firms work and operate in industries such as financial services, consumer products, and new technology. The concentration’s goals are to help students learn how to make the organizations more effective, how to direct a career in the management field, how to work effectively with peers and, ultimately, to set students up to effectively lead those who work for you. The management course program helps students develop critical skills in anticipating, addressing, and resolving the central issues and challenges of running organizations in the 21st century. By doing this, the concentration hopes to guide students in their abilities to identify and implement the best strategies for a firm to be successful. A subset of the Management Concentration is the Management Consulting Track. With some of the classes from the concentration carrying over to the track, students who decide to explore this track develop a number of the same core
skills taught in the management concentration, including data analysis, and problem solving, peer leadership, as well as written, verbal, and visual communications. However, the track provides students with a specific orientation towards more specialized career opportunities in management consulting, strategy consulting, economic consulting, healthcare consulting and information technology consulting. When it comes to career advancement, a concentration in Management can be applicable to all paths. Many if not all careers involve the management of individuals and groups; this program is designed to provide students with practical skills and an understanding of the basic theory that will make them effective individual contributors and managers. By viewing the business as a whole, evaluating the overall needs of an organization, and defining supporting objectives, students will develop an outlook that enables them to perceive and anticipate opportunities to innovate and the need for change.
COURSES OVERVIEW REQUIRED COURSES: Management & Organizations International Studies Program STUDENTS MAY CHOOSE FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING ELECTIVES: International Business Management Managing People & Teams Managing Innovation Managing in Creative Industries Strategic Analysis Managerial Skills Managing Change
Managing Family Businesses & Privately Held Firms Negotiation and Consensus Building Growth Strategy and Management Power & Politics Patterns of Entrepreneurship Independent Study in Management and Organizations
FOR MORE INFORMATION on the Management Concentration, contact Professor R. Kabaliswaran at rkabalis@stern.nyu.edu
Which electives to take?
A look into four fun electives to round out your Stern education
BY SHAHRYAR BACHANI
Emerging Technologies in the Energy Industry This course lies at the intersection of two academic streams: technology and innovation, and energy. It examines the rapid technological changes that are taking place in the energy industry from an economic, geopolitical, and sociocultural perspective. It covers traditional petroleum-based industries as well as other industries such as solar, nuclear, oil, wind, biofuels, and renewable energy. This elective will also examine technological changes in the electricity market such as smart grids. As part of the Experiential Learning Seminar, the course will require students to work on projects with New York city-based organizations.
Economics of Sex, Drugs, & Rock N Roll This course shows students how economics can be used as an aid in understanding almost every aspect of human behavior: drug addiction, crime, marriage, divorce, prostitution, suicide, religion, abortion, sports, gambling, and rock and roll music. With special attention paid to evolving economic ideas, theories and empirical analyses, this elective sheds an analytical light on these various topics. Further, this course provides students with sufficient knowledge to decipher between the economic facts and myths that pervade popular news media, particularly on topics such as the legalization of drugs and the advantages and disadvantages of capital punishment.
Globalization of The Entertainment Industry This course provides a framework for understanding the global expansion of media and entertainment companies. It examines how exporting American leisure products and services impacts the U.S economy. In addition, the course analyzes the strategies of several leading entertainment and media companies and the development of their businesses within the major world economic zones. International speakers, cases and readings are also used in this course. Even though a lot of students take it for the BEMT minor, it has somehow grown to be ‘The’ two-credit elective to take. This course is a must for anyone the least bit interested in how the entertainment industry operates and how it's grown over time.
Networks, Crowds and Markets This is a course on how the social, technological, and natural worlds are connected, and how the study of networks sheds light on these connections. Topics include: social network’s effects on business and culture, crowdsourcing, games on graphs, the propagation through networks of information, fads and disease, small worlds, network effects and rich-get-richer phenomena, the power of networks for prediction, the power of the network for web search, networks and social revolutions, and the melding of economics, machine learning, and technology into new markets, such as prediction markets or markets for online advertisements.
6 College Years
STUDYING ABROAD BY JAG BUDDHAVARAPU
Jarrod Chung - Shanghai
One of the major selling points of NYU is its famous study abroad program. NYU claims to be a global university, and these claims are certainly justified as it presents students with opportunities in almost every single continent. Stern students typically choose one of two routes for study abroad: A semester or a year away at one of NYU’s global campuses, or an excursion through the Stern-specific International Business Exchange Program (IBEX). If you choose to study abroad at one of NYU’s campuses, you will find yourself with other NYU students in NYU housing, and instructed by NYU-hired professors. The IBEX program on the other hand is a full cultural immersion, as you will be placed at a top business institution in another country, with foreign students and professors. IBEX is also a semester or yearlong program, but it is only available for rising juniors or seniors. You can find all of the NYU study abroad locations on the NYU website, and run multiple google searches on each location to see how it fares against the others. That tactic may be useful, but the best way to gain insight in my opinion is by talking to other students who have experienced what each location can offer. Here is a look into three brothers’ respective study abroad experiences.
Why did you decide to study abroad at your respective locations?
Scott Shi - London
Kevin Sun - Prague
Jarrod: I wanted an experience that I’d never had before. I’ve never been to China so learning the language and culture was what I was looking for. Scott: I was initially part of the BPE program, so I had to go to London for the fall semester of my sophomore year. Kevin: I heard a lot of fun and interesting stories about Prague from some upperclassmen brothers. What was your favorite place outside of your respective locations? Jarrod: Yangshuo, Guilin was definitely the best place I traveled to. There was good food and it was really easy to meet people at the various hostels around the area. I also had a great time biking. Scott: Barcelona, Spain was an absolute blast, and I just never wanted to leave. The beach was amazing. Kevin: Budapest, Hungary is a really cool place with good weather, and it is also very cheap. I also enjoyed Germany. What are your favorite places that a student must visit at your respective locations? Jarrod: XinTianDi, Zhongshan Park, and The Bund. Scott: Nuflied gym, Lucas Arms restaurant, and Tower Bridge. Kevin: Old Town Square and an Asian Restaurant near Osadni dorms that had great and affordable Pad Thai.
Propelling Your Career 7
Summer Internships: A recap on experiences BY JANET LEE
Could you please introduce yourself with your school, year, where you're interning with what position?
Could you please introduce yourself with your school, year, where you're interning with what position?
Bonjour, my name is Alice Cheng, I’m a senior at the Rutgers Business School and Brother of Delta Sigma Pi, Rho Tau Chapter! I’m interning at Deloitte Tax LLP in New York City in International Tax.
Hello, my name is Aditya Deshmukh and I am currently a rising senior at NYU Stern, interning at Credit Suisse in the Credit Investments Group within Asset Management.
What kind of work does your internship entail?
What kind of work does your internship entail?
International Tax may seem impossible but my internship has actually proven otherwise, since helping out with a client during its times of restructure has shown me sides of how companies work with offshore accounts of billions of dollars and how we could save a company $20 million dollars in taxes. Plus, it’s all legal. Other work that I do includes analyzing financials to determine net income and more.
The work is basically similar to any other fund: researching companies, developing a thesis about the company, and its product, and its future, and then building models so that we could quantify our thesis. It is a lot of reading and a lot of Excel and Accounting.
What would you say is the biggest takeaway from this experience? Always check your work!! If you checked it already, check it again!! If you always treat your work as if it’ll be the absolute final draft that you are presenting to the client, then you can ensure you’ll have little to no mistakes left. It’ll show your managers that you care and you can be trusted to always provide quality. If you could give one advice to underclassmen, what would it be? Internships for freshman exist so it’s up to you to go find them!
What interested you about your internship? I knew I wanted to go into investing, and a fund in the future so when this opportunity rose, I figured that I would be able to skip the two years of banking, and jump right into investing. In addition, I knew that CIG was one of the larger shops on the street, so I hoped that I would have a chance to work on the largest deals on the market, which turned out to be true. If you could give one advice to underclassmen, what would it be? Think long-term of what it is you want to do, and if the door opens up to that opportunity then take it, even if it is different than what everyone else is doing at the time.
8 Propelling Your Career
STRESS MANAGEMENT Effective tips on how to cope with stress
BY NATHAN WANG As we all experience stress at some point or another in our lives, it is important that we learn how to reduce, prevent, and cope with stress. The good thing is, stress is controllable and can be handled and viewed differently per person. The following are some basic ways of dealing with stress. Know your limits If you know that you will not be able to take more than the standard workload at one time, then do not. Overloading is a common area where stress stems from. People often think they can do better and therefore challenge themselves; however, it is important to know your limits. Sometimes even the anticipation of not being able to handle too much work can potentially cause stress. Therefore, through experience with various workloads, handling stress should become easier. Learn to prioritize There are numerous ways to do this. One example is to analyze your daily to-do list and prioritize each task according to factors such as its level of urgency, duration, and intellectual intensity. Make sure you save yourself some time for relaxing and take breaks between tasks. There are times when you are going to have to forgo certain priorities in favor of others. If this part is done well, stress won’t get to you.
Tips from a few Brothers: Brother Peter Lim shared with us his stress-handling method. If feeling stressed, Lim listens to music, meditates, works out, and cultivates a healthy routine. “By finding ways to slow down my day, I’m able to approach the rest of life in a more steadfast, stress-free, and intelligent manner”. Brother Nick Wang looks at stress as a skill you improve on over time, depending on the type. He always took practice exams so now when there is an exam coming up, he won’t feel stressed because he has done it so many times. However, when he was recruiting, which was his first time, he was stressed. It is about the mentality, which relates to the premise discussed earlier. Nick believes that since he has gone through so many stressful times, he can overcome whatever challenge he faces. Brother Nishaad Ruparel believes in working with his schedule and pushing back more flexible deliverables in favor of social time (hanging out with friends or playing basketball) if he starts to feel overwhelmed. Note here that self-medicating with alcohol or drugs and indulging your diet may provide an easy escape from stress, but it is detrimental in the long term and not recommended. The most important tip on managing stress is balance. It is important to find stressrelieving outlets that work and to take breaks from the daily to-do lists.
ACING THE INTERVIEW Five important suggestions to keep in mind when going into an interview BY ADITYA DESHMUKH 1. Be Yourself - This is by far the most important tip. Employers are looking for someone that they can spend the entire day in the office with and enjoy going out with after work. Keep your answers as close to the truth as possible, and do your best to show your personable side. If you have a sense of humor, do not be afraid to tell an appropriate joke. If you are more on the serious side, thats fine as well, but find ways to stand out and make yourself memorable. Most hiring decisions are based on a candidate’s personality and their fit within the group, rather than their technical capabilities. 2. Do Your Homework - The fit only matters, however, if the candidate has a certain bare minimum of skills. The knowledge based portion of the interview is usually seen as a checklist: you either know it or you don’t. This part of the interview is completely under your control, so prepare for it well. Read up on the group and the company as well, so that at the end of your interview you can ask meaningful questions. In the case that you do not know the answer to a question, walk the interviewer through your thought process. 3. Body Language - The majority of communication is done nonverbally. Eye contact, body posture, and hand gestures are key in making a good impression. A good rule of thumb is to almost mimic your interviewer. Talk to them as if you were talking to an elderly relative, so that way you seem relaxed, and yet composed. If there are multiple people interviewing you, make sure to address each of them. Do not forget to smile! 4. Answers - Keep your answers a reasonable length. The longest answer that you have should be in response to the first “Tell me about yourself” question. The rest should be no longer than 1 minute. Try and keep the interview as conversational as possible. While it may be more comforting to prepare and memorize all your responses beforehand, it usually is more effective if you outline key talking points ahead of the interview, but tailor your answers to the interviewer. 5. Post Interview - Once you walk out of the room, the interview is not over. Make sure to follow up with the interviewer before the end of day. A simple thank you is good enough. A good way to end an interview is by asking questions that you can follow up with later in the email. Be sure to ask either in the email, or in person, when you should expect to hear back.
10 Features
FEATURED CLUB: BY SABRINA CHOW
Pride Corp, Stern’s LGBT business alliance, aims to promote diversity within the business school as well as NYU as a whole. Its mission is to increase awareness of LGBT issues at school and in the workplace, and it does so through various club meetings and special events. We met with the Vice President of Pride Corp, Li Hsueh Lu, and he tells us the club’s primary activities and voices his opinions on diversity and equality.
Alpha Mag: What is Pride Corp’s main goal and mission? Li Hsueh Lu: Well, we’re a bit of a different club within Stern. While most of the other clubs focus on a specific topic, Pride Corp is more diversity focused. We basically act as a bridge between any minority groups and the rest of the community. For example, during Ally Week we held a lot of events, not only for the LGBT community, but for women and minority groups too. Alpha Mag: What are some other major activities that Pride Corp does? LHL: We have regular biweekly meetings, and most of the special events we hold are social events or more panel oriented. In these guest panels we have a theme of what it is like being in a minority group in the workplace. We try to bring people from different industries, like our last panel had someone from the medical field, financial services, education, etc. It’s very diverse and broad. They talk about what it’s like in their specific fields as a minority group, and it’s very different for the different groups. Alpha Mag: I’m sure you are aware of companies’ various equality and diversity programs; even with these programs, do you think the business workplace recognizes the LGBT community in the right light? LHL: Yes, I’ve been to several myself. I think the bigger companies are doing a great job; they have conferences. But the majority of all jobs held are at smaller companies, small to medium enterprises are the ones that employ the most people. I think the big companies are great examples to follow, say J.P. Morgan. I personally think [these conferences offer] a great step ahead and [progress is] going as fast as it should in the right direction. Alpha Mag: What are your thoughts on the opportunities the diversity conferences offer? LHL: It’s not right for people to say that others are only hired because they’re in a group. These initiatives are there because it’s an uneven playing field in the first place. Once you go through the interview process, you still have to show you can do XYZ, and you get in the company because of your skills, not because of your advantage.
Alpha Mag: Do you think there is a way college students can actively promote diversity on campus and in the workforce? LHL: On campus, especially at NYU, there are a lot of resources you can go to, since it’s such a community based focus. Even within Stern itself I know there are multiple clubs, and it doesn’t have to be USWIB, but a lot of clubs are doing charity work. And to be honest, any club will promote diversity. It’s a much safer environment on campus and it’s easier since it’s a much younger and newer generation. Within the workforce, it gets trickier, a lot of it is politics-y. In the workplace it is really [important] to be true to yourself, and one way of doing that in the LGBT community is being out on your resume. The more people you start talking to, the easier it gets. It’s a much slower process than what you can have on campus. Alpha Mag: How would you rate the extent of openness and active practice of equality and diversity in Stern, NYU, and the workforce? (0 being unwelcoming, 10 being extremely welcoming) LHL: 7 for NYU, but a higher score if the majority of population wasn’t all the same, I feel like there aren’t a lot of African American students at NYU. Stern gets a 4, I don’t feel women are treated equally, and I’ve overheard people talk bad behind others’ backs, and that’s just not an okay environment at all. The NY workforce is a 7-8, it’s a pretty open area, but other areas of the country probably a 5-6.
To the right: students get together at a Pride Corp meet and greet (photo provided by Pride Corp)
ALLY WEEK “Take the pledge. Become an ally.” Ally Week is one week every year that specially raises awareness of the importance of diversity and equality in any community. In April 2014, Pride Corp teamed up with other clubs and staff for a week of engaging events. See the flier to the left that highlights the week, and look out for Ally Week 2015!
12 Features
THE OVERVIEW: BY LAUREN TAI The Stern undergraduate college offers a broad range of clubs that suit student interests. All clubs promote professional development within a wide array of industries such as finance, accounting, entrepreneurship, social impact and entertainment. Clubs are open to all students, unless otherwise noted, and have meetings on a weekly basis. The Inter-Club-Council (ICC) is the governing body for Stern clubs and is overseen by the Office of Student Engagement (OSE). ICC is responsible for marketing club events to students, collaborating between clubs and planning large-scale events to unify the greater Stern community. For more information about specific clubs, check out the ICC website at http://www.sternicc.org/ or e-mail them at icc@stern.nyu.edu.
INDUSTRY FOCUSED: Accounting Society Actuarial Society Economics Honor Society Finance Society Stern Real Estate Group Management Consulting Group Marketing Society
CLUBS @ STERN FRATERNITIES: Alpha Kappa Psi Beta Alpha Psi Candidate Requirements: in order to apply for membership, candidates must have at least a 3.50 overall GPA, be of Sophomore standing (> 32 credits) and also plan to major in Accounting, Finance and/or Information Systems. Delta Sigma Pi Phi Chi Theta
SPECIAL INTEREST: Business and Politics Group Entrepreneurial Exchange Group International Business Association Investment Analysis Group Negotiations Club Net Impact Pride Corp Stern Business & Law Association Stern Cares Stern Political Economy Exchange Stern/Tisch Entertainment Business Association Undergraduate Stern Women in Business Quantitative Finance Society
14 Features
AN INSIDE LOOK AT:
DIVERSITY RECRUITING BY ASHELLY SUH The financial services industry has historically been male-dominated, yet the importance of bringing diversity into the workforce has become more emphasized in recent years. Many financial institutions offer diversity programs to cultivate culture that appreciates various talents and backgrounds. These programs are generally one-day workshops at the company’s headquarters, comprised of networking sessions, guest speakers, informational workshops, and interviews. Diversity programs can be categorized by the following: LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Minorities (Under-represented in banking, such as Black, Hispanic, Latino, for both men and women) Females LGBT and Minorities There are many scholarship as well as diversity program opportunities for LGBTs and minority students. Credit Suisse offers “Steps to Success - The Doug Paul Scholarship Program,” which targets sophomores with minority ethnic backgrounds. Those who get selected get a 10-week summer internship program and are eligible for $5,000 scholarship and a junior year internship offer. JP Morgan’s “Proud to Be” is specifically targeted at LGBT students. It highlights the firm’s commitment to support the LGBT community and its unique programs and policies to satisfy the employees' needs. Eligible students can apply for either Corporate & Investment Bank or Asset Management divisions. Females The author herself attended the Early Insights Program for Women at Morgan Stanley. The program is one of the Early Insights Programs for undergraduate freshmen and sophomores to explore various fields within the financial services industry. The full-day program took place in March at Morgan Stanley’s headquarter office in New York. The program consisted of speeches by female executives at Morgan Stanley, information panels, roundtable lunches, and Q&A sessions with recruiters and professionals. Sue Chen, a brother at Delta Sigma Pi, was selected for the Winning Women Program at JP Morgan. The program is held in the fall and spring semesters for junior and sophomore female undergraduates, respectively. The program is divided into Corporate & Investment Bank and Asset Management. In order to be invited to the event, you need to go through a phone interview. Through the program, she was able to network with numerous JP Morgan professionals and learn more about the firm’s culture and business. She got her summer internship offer as well as a full time offer from JP Morgan. She will be joining the Financial Sponsors Group (FSG) after graduation.
Lifestyle 15
SUMMER WITH DSP: ALUMNI MINGLING NIGHT BY DONNA CHUNG In any collegiate organization, an active alumni base is one of the most important and valuable resources available. It gives current members the opportunity to learn about their organization’s history, while actually being able to meet and mingle with the people who created that history. In addition, for all you business majors out there, it provides invaluable networking opportunities. That’s why Delta Sigma Pi has, for years, made a conscious effort to keep ourselves in tune with our alumni whereabouts. At the end of every summer, we host an alumni-brother mingle so DSP can come catch up with each other after a long day of work. While the event is a way to kick back after the end of our summer internships, for many of us still in school, it also serves as a great chance to gain insight into first hand experiences at various prestigious firms in finance, marketing, consulting, accounting, and more. “DSP’s alumni mingles are always a lot of fun and definitely a great way to meet new people. It is really great to see that alumni are still interested in meeting us and getting involved,” said Kevin Sun (junior). As an on-campus professional fraternity, it is important to distinguish between between maintaining a professional atmosphere and getting comfortable with each other as brothers. Therefore, to supplement our events with alumni panels and special guest speakers, the brothers of DSP find alumni mingles to be more relaxing and casual than the traditional networking event.
“It’s interesting to see alumni in a different setting. We all have heard of their professional accomplishments, but seeing them in a social setting allows us to get to know them as people, rather than just professional contacts,” said Aditya Deshmukh (senior). Sharleen Salim (senior) agrees, as she sees these events as an opportunity to befriend our alumni and get to know them personally. She says, “The laidback atmosphere makes it easier for me to connect with our alumni regarding not only their professional fields, but also their hobbies and passions outside of work. I love getting to know them on a more personal level because it gives me a much better idea of my own career goals.” In addition, it gives current brothers an opportunity to learn more about the history of our fraternity, which clearly differentiates DSP from just another club at NYU. “Last year, I met one of the alumni who rechartered our current chapter of DSP. It was very fascinating to hear how different things are today than they were back then,” Angela Xu (junior) shared. We continue to see great success in our alumni mingles, as more brothers and alumni are encouraged to come out with every event moving forward. We highly encourage you to come out and join us to meet and get to know the old and new brothers of DSP.
16 Lifestyle
TIPS FOR APARTMENT HUNTING BY SHARLEEN SALIM
#1
Find roommates that have similar wants and needs.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not going to be rooming with your best friend, it might actually be better that way. Take the time to sit down with your potential roommate(s) and detail out your budget, location preferences, cleaning habits, shower schedule, sleep schedule, etc. Be completely transparent with your concerns about living habits from the start, it’ll make all the difference in the long run. Regarding the number of roommates, aim for two. Two-bedroom flex three-bedroom apartments are typically the easiest to find, and fall within most students’ budgets.
Be careful about shady brokers.
#2
“Brokers are really hard to work with so check out management companies first, but some apartments require brokers for leasing purposes. Keep in mind that if a broker shows you a place you're obligated to pay him/her a fee. Just be really assertive... Just don't give in.” - Lulu Peng | ‘14
NYC’s best kept apartment hunting secret is the “walk in and ask” trick. There are tons of no-fee apartments around the city with management companies that you can trust. No time for that? Try these websites great for finding no-fee (aka. broker-free) apartments: Apartable.com; Craigslist.org; Facebook.com; NakedApartments.com; StreetEasy.com However, if you do find yourself working with a broker, be smart about it. “I’ll work with you don’t worry, I typically charge 18% but for you, 15%” says every broker in in Manhattan. Like Lulu said, don’t give in. Brokers live off of commission, so ask about their rate before you let them drag you around the city.
#3
Uncover hidden costs.
As tempting as it is to rush into things and snag that beautiful apartment right on the spot, your parents’ wallets might be crying if you don’t take every detail into account. Ask about electricity, heating, gas, water, laundry, how the mailroom and package deliveries work, and any other fees not included in the initial rent. It might even be worth taking the time to talk to a current tenant in your building to make sure you aren’t missing anything.
#4
Have your guarantors ready. “If you're going to room with international students, make sure you figure out the guarantor situation as early as possible. We had to rearrange the group we were living in due to lack of guarantors. The 3 guys I live with now are different from the 3 guys I started apartment hunting with.” - Kevin Sun | ‘16
Unless you’re making a six-figure salary, this rule applies to everyone, whether your roommates are international students or not. Guarantors are required to make 40 to 50 times the monthly rent, depending on the place. NYC apartments are typically signed within 48 hours, which means all documentation from guarantors, as well as first month’s rent and a security deposit, should be prepared as soon as you pick a place. Be prepared and don’t miss out on a great place because you were late in getting your paperwork in.
R E S T A U R A N T BY MAUSUM SHAH
W EE K
NYC Restaurant Week is a 3-week long special that occurs in the winter and summer. During Restaurant Week, over 300 restaurants compose smaller versions of their menus and offer 3 courses for either $25 (lunch) or $38 (dinner). What makes this absolutely fantastic is that normally, a dish at these restaurants costs roughly $25. This gives you a chance to indulge in that steakhouse you’ve been dying to try but your wallet simply cannot afford. For the cultural snobs and foodies out there – this is your version of Hanukkah! Here are a few restaurants I’ve been fortunate to try and some tips that can help you no matter how new or experiencedlyou are in the food scene of New York.
JUNOON
BARRACA
Indian Semi-Intimate, Spanish/Tapas classy atmosphere Romantic, candle-lit Good for: Large groups or Good for: dates, dinners with intimate dates friends, small intimate crowd Recommended Dishes: Recommended Dishes: Family-owned Rustic Italian Lahsooni Ghobi Patatas Bravas and Gambas Al Murg Lababdar Antique looking, elegant atmosphere Ajillo Good for: Dinner with Parents, Coconut Rice De Temporado Paella Grandparents, Elderly Pudding Flan De Nata Recommended Dishes: Minestrone Semifreddo Whole Wheat DeCecco Penne with a Ragu of Meat Sauce For more information: Pears Baked in Red Wine Greek check out the official NYC alla Piemontese Summery, Casual, Restaurant Week website: Good for: Lunch with friends, http://www.nycgo.com/re Casual dates staurantweek/ Recommended Dishes: For some photo Organic Black Quinoa inspiration, follow the NYC Wild Mediterranean Sea Restaurant Week official Bass Mastic Panna Instagram! Cotta
BARBETTA
THALASSA
Like one dish in every course – I can’t stress how important it is to like at least one thing for every course or else it’s not worth it! Venture outside of your comfort zone – Try something new! If you’ve never had French infused Vietnamese food (like Zengo), try it! Now is the time to explore your taste buds and see what unique foods New York has to offer. Lunch is cheaper – Although it’s harder to coordinate, lunch is $13 dollars cheaper and usually the sameamountoffood.Somerestaurantsofferlessvarietyofoptionsduringlunchbutit'sstillagreat bang for your buck! Check out Sunday lunch/brunch at El Toro Blanco for some delicious Mexican baked eggs. Check out reviews and the menu before – There have been many instances when I or my friends have gone to a restaurant to find out that it was either not good at all or not worth my money. Check out any reviews you can find (Yelp, Zagat etc.) and scope the menu! You’ll be able to tell easily through that whether or not you should book a reservation. Dress nicely – Restaurant Week is a time to not only indulge your taste buds, but also spice up your attire! Make sure you look the part when you eat at these top Zagat rated restaurants. Try different dishes amongst your friends –This way you are able to try over 6 dishes at a delicious restaurant, what can possibly be better than that!
18 Lifestyle
FEATURED APP
BY JAMES LEE
For our featured app, we sat down and interviewed Abhinay Ashutosh, founder of Caleido, a premier productivity app that integrates your calendars, tasks, weather, maps, and contacts with customization. Abhinay is a junior studying Computer Science and Business Studies at New York University. He is also the co-founder of Kipin Hall, president of TEDxNYU, and on the boards of Tech@NYU and HashtagNYU. Alpha Mag: What platforms is Caleido currently available on? Abhinay Ashutosh: iOS AM: What does Caleido aim to accomplish? AA: In a world where we adjust to technology, I wanted Caleido to be a breath of fresh air something that you could use that would adjust to you. The themes features let you view the calendar the way you want to and the multitude of views (Day, Week, Month, List, Timeline, Task, and Location) lets a user see and interact with their calendar and tasks the way they want to. AM: What drove you to create the app? AA: I started development of Caleido (formerly Event Book) in the first semester of my Freshman year at NYU. I needed a way to manage my schedule and there were no useful and beautiful calendar apps out there, so I decided to make my own. As the app grew, having been featured by Apple, TechCrunch, and many other publications around the world, I received feedback from thousands of users and continued to grow out the app. New features I added included themes, task, and contacts integration. Today, Caleido boasts over 350,000 downloads and a growing user base. AM: What are some cool, unique features about Caleido? AA: Caleido is the only calendar and tasks app on the market that features a multitude of themes that can match your device, season, or mood. Caleido also features calendar, tasks, contacts, weather, and location integration so you’re always on top of what needs to get done. Caleido is also one of the most customizable apps on the market today with tweaks to modify everything from the colors of your calendar to how you view your maps to which calendars and tasks you want to see in each view.
ARE YOU APP-SAVVY? BY JAMES LEE & SANJNA VERMA
- iOS, Android, Windows - Price: Free - Sole function is to send “Yo” or “YoYo” (double tap) to friends - Often compared to Facebook’s Poke function but mobile - RAINHOUR: Yo's you when it's going to rain within the hour - SP500HIGHER: receive a Yo when the S&P 500 sets a new high - Fun fact: Used by the Israeli military to notify its citizen about incoming bomb threats
- iOS only - Price: Free - Automatic and effortless journaling - No need for publishing to social networks, it’s private and personal -Takeaphotoandaddnotestoitwritebelow (if the professor shows a really important slide, you can take a picture of it with your iPhone and then add a caption under it with more information. Never lose the most important parts of lectures)
- iOS, Android - Price: Free - Handles all your personal finances for free, tracks expenditures, and graphs your future trends - Allows for budget planning, tracking, and notifies you when you’re exceeding your budget Alerts you when you make uncharacteristic purchases, low balance, large deposit, etc. - Best way to handle your money and be responsible as a student of New York
- iOS, Android - Price: Free - The simplest way to transfer money to your friends and family - Completely free of charge to send money instantly when using a debit card. 3% fee for credit cards. - Can “charge” people which requests them to pay a specified amount - Includes a social media spin where you can like/comment on other peoples’ transactions with others
-iOS, Android - Price: Free - In the event of an emergency, click on the app and it’ll notify your top 5 allotted contacts of your location via text message - The text will include a link of your location via satellite (location services turned on through your phone) - Notifies you on the type of alert: allergic attack, robbery, etc. - In case of an allergy attack, the user can set instructions for aid procedures
- iOS, Android - Price: Free - Ride-sharing application, similar to Uber but significantly cheaper - Rides arrive quickly, drivers are approved and rated and reviewed so it’s safe, just look for a pink mustache on the dash or front of the car. - Convenient for short distances, and the rate is very fair (rivals both Uber and yellow taxi cab fares)
20 Brother Spotlight
SUMMER TRAVELS :
TANDY'S ICELAND EXPEDITION Tandy Cheng is a current senior in CAS, majoring in Economics with minors in Architecture and Business Studies. Born and raised in Los Angeles, his hobbies include solo backpacking, scuba diving, landscape photography, hiking, and Broadway theatre. Tandy is heavily involved in the NYU community and has served in a variety of leadership roles, including Vice President of Marketing of Delta Sigma Pi and President of Asian Cultural Union. As a passionate explorer, Tandy travelled to Iceland in June and had a stunning experience. Read more for an exclusive interview on his special vacation.
BY KARTHIK RAMAKRISHNAN
Alpha Mag: Are you a frequent traveler? Where else have you explored? Tandy Cheng: Yes, I would consider myself a frequent traveler. Aside from Iceland, my most recent trips were Guatemala over last spring break and China and Taiwan over last winter break. Before that, I studied abroad in London my sophomore spring, where I traveled extensively around most of Western Europe and some of Eastern Europe. AM: Why did you decide to visit Iceland? TC: Game of Thrones…just kidding. I wanted to go to Iceland mainly for the scenery, which is any landscape photographer’s dream. Plus, the travel is surprisingly cheap from New York. A flight to Reykjavik (Iceland’s capital) costs the same as a flight back home to California. AM: How long were you there? What kind of accommodations did you stay in? TC: My trip was around 10 days long. I stayed at a place called Kex Hostel, which translates to “biscuit” in English. The building used to be a biscuit factory, and it still smells like fresh-baked biscuits, which is awesome. I would highly recommend Kex Hostel for anyone traveling to Iceland. AM: What were the locals you met like? TC: Iceland is ranked the most peaceful country in the world, and it definitely shows. The country is probably one of the only places in the world where you can get in a stranger’s car without any worries, which is exactly what I did. AM: Did you find any sights or activities off the beaten path? Beyond the tourist traps? TC: Plenty of amazing, less-frequented sights to see, but you have to rent a car, which I highly advise doing. I couldn’t drive more than 5 minutes without pulling over on the side of the road—there’s a photo-op at every turn.
AM: What was your favorite meal? TC: The hot dogs at Baejarins Beztu Pylsur (translated to “Town’s Best”), which are widely considered the national food of Iceland. Sausages are a combination of pork, beef, and lamb, and come with ketchup, sweet mustard, fried onion, raw onion, and sweet relish mayonnaise. Locals advise eating here only once or twice a year because of how unhealthy the hot dogs are, but I had them almost every day. AM: What was the most memorable moment of your trip? TC: Too hard for me to choose just one. Scuba diving in glacial waters between the continental plates of Europe and North America or the traditional 15 mile/10 hour Fimmvorduhal hike through every terrain imaginable, including volcanoes and glaciers. AM: What was the hardest or most frustrating aspect of your trip? TC: The cost of living can be brutal. Eating gas station sandwiches every other meal because that’s the only food you can afford really takes its toll. AM: Did you learn anything about yourself while exploring Iceland? TC: I don’t like gas station sandwiches. AM: Now that you’ve checked Iceland off your bucket list, where else do you want to travel? TC: I’m most likely going to Egypt with my family this coming winter break. My next solo trip will probably be to South America for the great diving sites. For more of Tandy’s travels and pictures, follow him on instagram @tandycheng
Tandy scuba diving between 2 glaciers
Taken during Tandy's hike Thorsmork (Woods of Thors)
Photos copyright of Tandy Cheng; for more of Tandy’s travels and pictures, follow him on instagram @tandycheng
22 Brother Spotlight
SUMMER TRAVELS: NICK'S SUMMER ACROSS EUROPE THE FABLES OF THE FUNEMPLOYED BY SANJNA VERMA
Typical for seniors in the limbo period between being full-time employees and full-time students is the period of fun-employment, where passing into alumnus-hood includes taking a “fun-employment trip.” Like a high school senior trip, but on an international level, the funemployment period passes easily into working in the real world. For Nick (2014), his trip allowed for a seamless transition into his life in the workforce. He chose to spend his funemployment time in Europe, traveling from France to Italy to Spain and then to Switzerland, before coming back to the city to work full time at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Despite having gone abroad to NYU Prague his sophomore year, Nick wanted to test his language skills and go to Europe again. “After learning French intensively for a year, I wanted to put my skills to the test not only by going to France, but by applying what I knew about French and applying it to other romance languages such as Italian, Spanish and Catalan,” he said. The elements of Nick’s funemployment trip included picking the right travel companions, planning destinations beforehand, and budgeting. Nick said, “[My very good friend from back home] had never been to Europe before, so I wanted to show him around some places I was familiar with.” Two others, a friend from Taiwan and another friend from college, joined the duo in Europe. Next came planning destinations. “I chose France because I wanted to practice my French and I was not able to see a lot of Paris the first time I went,” he said. Nick also chose Italy because “the food there is amazing” and to revisit Cinque Terre, Rome, and Florence, which he highly recommends. Zurich, Switzerland and Barcelona, Spain were also chosen as he had never been there before. After planning destinations, it’s a matter of budgeting. “We used Google+ to gather online to discuss what we wanted and agree on things to do,” Nick said. Nick suggested looking into apartments to stay in Europe on Airbnb, which were just as inexpensive as hostels. His entire trip was about $3000 for 18 days which comes out to be less than $200 a day. Despite all the planning, Nick believes the best part of the trip came when days were more spontaneous, like in Zurich. “We took a train to Üetliberg to get a great view of the city and Lake Zurich. After that we met up with my friend (a fellow Stern Alum) who was working in the city at the time and she showed us around… It was the hottest weekend in Zurich in 8 years so everyone was at the lake. We were chilling there when we decided it was really hot, so we just jumped in. We played around in the water (which was pretty chilly!), walked along the lake and found a stand that was selling local food. We grabbed a bite to eat and sat along a pier on the lake and just enjoyed a local band that was playing nearby as the sun set. The spontaneity and relaxing nature of the activities easily made our day in Zurich one of the most memorable,” Nick recalled. The funemployment time is one of the most relaxing times if you plan ahead for it. Nick says, “ I highly recommend a trip like this. It was incredible traveling with some of my closest friends and seeing cool sights with them. There’s not much more of a reason than that!” Photo copyright of Nick Wang; for more of Nick’s travels and pictures, follow him on instagram @hellocolorclear, and check out his website www.hellocolorclear.com.
Taken on Lake Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland
Special thanks to all the brothers who contributed. If you would like more information about The Alpha Magazine or Delta Sigma Pi, contact any brother. Please look forward for the next issue, out Spring 2015. - Editors in Chief Sabrina Chow and Lauren Tai
YOUR AD HERE CONTACT A BROTHER OF DELTA SIGMA PI