Are You Ready for Rush?

With a new year comes a new semester at USF – and as well all know, that means Rush Week is nearly upon us. This semester, the Actives in the Delta Zeta Chapter are looking to increase their presence on campus and recruit new members with significant academic achievement.

Rush Chi Phi

The Brothers in the Active Chapter realize that having a larger Chapter can open more doors for everyone, as it will increase the amount of networking and leadership opportunities now, as well as in the future. (And, in case we forget, more new members = more Alumni!)

The Actives have designed a whole new look for their Spring 2015 rush shirt; and this year, due to interest from sororities, parents, and Alumni, the Chapter has decided to sell rush shirts for $10 each. The money collected from the sales of the shirts will be put to use during Rush Week and future Chapter activities.

Rush Chi Phi Shirt

Rush Week begins January 19th with the IFC Open House, and continues through the 20th, 21st, and 22nd, with a number of activities planned. The Alumni are encouraged to be involved and help out. For those who can attend and are interested in helping, you are encouraged to contact the Recruitment Chair, Alex Watts.

We are all looking forward to the Chapter having a successful 2015 Spring Rush Week!

DZAA Takes a Look Back at 2014…

2014

As 2014 comes to a close, let’s take a look back at everything the DZAA has accomplished over this past year…

Brother Ryen Linder became a daddy, and Brother Clinton Millsap became an expected daddy!Suarez Wedding - Ryan Cover

Brother Ryan Suarez took the plunge and tied the knot to his long-time sweetheart!

Brother Tim White retired after years of service in the United States Air Force!

Brother Shawn Cerra’s wife saw the publication of her first book!

Brother Jason Bornstein stepped up and assumed the role of DZAA Archivist!

Brother David Ebner won the National Award for Distinguished Service!

1966726_10102644107534151_1744860205_nBrothers Bryan Callaway, Adam Feinberg, and Todd Yonteck brought the DZAA up-to-date with their lives in the Where Are They Now? feature!

Brother Tony Dieppa shared his story of success with getting hired at Google!

Brother Alex Petrilak shared his connection with and the importance of Kung Fu in his life!

The DZAA gave back to the community by volunteering for Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay!

The DZAA celebrated its 30th-ish Anniversary with a special Founders’ Day dinner celebration for the Alumni!

The DZAA won yet again the annual Actives vs. Alumni game!

DSCN3864

The DZAA raised over $1,300 in the 2nd Annual USF-Chi Phi Scholarship Scramble!

The DZAA saw its highest-ever dues-paying members this year thanks to the Scarlet vs. Blue Dues Challenge, which was won by Team Blue (and for which we are still waiting to see Brothers Ebner and Suarez do their Cross-Fit Challenge)!

The DZAA saw Delta Zeta on the cover, once again, of the Spring issue of The Chakett!

Delta Zeta ActivesThe DZAA cheered as the Delta Zeta Chapter took first place in Chi Omega’s “Spike It Up” fundraiser!

And the DZAA watched as the Delta Zeta Chapter inducted new members into Chi Phi, took an accomplished second place in the Chi-O Rodeo, and shared an exciting “Murder Mystery” social with Chi Omega and Sigma Pi.

Clearly, 2014 has been a busy, productive, and successful year, and we are looking forward to an even more exciting year as we continue to build better men in 2015!

Google It, Chi Phi!

Pretty much everyone these days uses Google – on the internet, it’s pretty much the go-to for finding anything on the web. But here’s something you probably didn’t know: one of our very own, a Delta Zeta Brother, now works at Google!

Having joined Chi Phi back in the Fall of 2007, Brother Tony Dieppa ultimately graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. Me Big BrotherFrom there, this amazing young man went on to graduate school at the University of Florida, where he graduated in 2013 with a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship.

When he first graduated, Brother Dieppa originally thought he would get into computer security research, but quickly found himself disillusioned with academia shortly after starting his Masters studies. “One day,” he says, “I just decided I needed a change, and left for Japan for six months to do a bit of soul-searching. After returning, I wanted to start my own venture and proceeded to do so while I worked on my MS in Entrepreneurship.” While ultimately starting his own company is still Brother Dieppa’s goal, he decided that his dream job before launching off on his own would be to join Google or Facebook and really grow in his abilities.

After graduating, he joined Syniverse Technologies and worked on a Wi-Fi calling product that he had the opportunity to test while he was abroad in Japan, and later again in Ireland. Shortly thereafter, he started working on his own venture, Eatable, and jointed a start-up out of Miami called New Frontier Nomads. Within that team, he launched “NFL Now” to millions of users nationwide.

Brother Dieppa’s success in getting hired on with Google was a matter of knowing the right people. “Initially,” he states, I was looking for a way to go out west and find a team I could join to really grow my skills. After talking with some friends, I discovered that I had contacts in Google who could refer me. After that, the rest is history!” Me Google - 2He applied for the position because he wanted something that was more than “just another job.” He was looking specifically for a team of people who could challenge him, an environment where he could grow and a destination where he could meet the right people to move his plans forward. “Joining Google,” Dieppa says, “brings me several steps closer to my ultimate goal!”

When he was offered the job, he was ecstatic. It was a long series of challenging interviews, but for Brother Dieppa, it felt amazing to know that he was ultimately deemed to be Google material. Now that he’s on board, he plans to continue growing his skills with Google for the next few years, to proper him for the final phase of his plans. Areas he is hoping to grow are not only his technical skills, but also his leadership abilities.

Brother Dieppa is definitely a shining example of Chi Phi success, and he provides an inspiration to our Active Chapter’s members as to what one can achieve with the drive and determination that a true Chi Phi possesses.