Our campus's chapter, the George Read Chapter, is the largest student group on campus, and our members comprise many of the student leaders at Widener Law. Moreover, we are striving to become nationally recognized among the other 300 chapters as one of the premier chapters due to our commitment to the core values of the fraternity: Integrity, Compassion, Courage, Professionalism, Service, Diversity, and Innovation.
Integrity
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Phi Alpha Delta, George Read Chapter Executive Board. From left to right: Jim Lewis (Vice Justice), Josh Inkell (former Justice and current Alumni Liaison), Danielle Strauch (Extended Division Liaison), Dan McDowell (District XXXIII Justice), Kimberly Renner (Clerk), Dean Linda Ammons, Andrew Quietmeyer (Justice). Not pictured due to class schedule: Alicea Milbourne (Marshall), Jason Greenspon (Treasurer) |
Jim Lewis, George Read Chapter's Vice Justice, and George Read member Shloka Joshi, coordinated “Professionalism Week” with several other student organizations in order to bring about numerous events. Phi Alpha Delta's own event, “Financial GPS”, was hosted by Dan McDowell, Phi Alpha Delta's District XXXIII's District Justice, and instructed students how to make appropriate decisions in regards to their own finances so that they can be better members of the bar. Sara Aslaleh, Phi Alpha Delta member, and founder of Widener Law's Food and Drug Law student organization, brought in Professor Roseann Termini, member of the PA Board of Ethics Committee, to speak regarding the importance of ethics in the legal profession. Finally, the Public Interest Law Association (PILA) held a toy drive to benefit needy children for the holiday season. Kelly Allegretti, member in both PAD and PILA, assisted in taking donations.
Of these winners, the following are building up their courage and competing in the national Phi Alpha Delta Mock Trial competition this spring in Arlington, VA:
David Walker: Internship with the World Health Organization.
Ashley Talley: Studying Abroad in Switzerland.
Danielle Strauch: Judicial Clerkship
Matthew Bilker: Prosecutor's Office
Aaron Stullman: Bankruptcy Court Clerkship
Lastly, the George Read Chapter assisted the school's administration with running Professionalism Day itself. Andrew Quietmeyer (Justice), Rachelle DeCinque, Nicole Stanzione (former Vice Justice), Jenna Kring, Alicea Milbourne (Marshal), Kimberly Renner (Clerk), Ashley Talley (Academic Chair), Edward Hughes, Darya Natesova (Etiquette Dinner Chair), Daniel Rapoport, Kaitlyn O'Neill, Robert Schweiger, Angie Kandil, Charles Glass, Clint Orem (Professional Development Chair), Ariel Viray, Natalie Missouri, Joseph Greco, Dominic Carrera, Melissa Caltabiano, and Prema Roddam all volunteered to work the event during its 14 hour duration.
Compassion
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(Pete passing out the goodies for the kids' Trick-or-Treat bags before we went to the hospital) |
As future lawyers, George Read Chapter members are in a unique and powerful position to reach out to those members of our society that truly need help. The George Read Chapter stepped up and demonstrated that its members are ready to take on that responsibility this past October. Pete Tsoflias, George Read Chapter's Community Service Chairperson, coordinated with A.I. DuPont's Children's Hospital to allow several members to visit with the hospital's patients. Caitlin Lutz, Rachael Kemmey, Natalie Missouri and other members were able to talk, play, and hang out with kids who really needed a chance to just be kids again, instead of worrying about the next round of medical tests, treatments, or surgery.
Furthermore, in conjunction with the Frelinghuysen Chapter of Camden-Rutgers Law, the George Read Chapter rolled up their sleeves and set out into the Philadelphia Community to lend a much needed hand. The two chapters participated in “Philly Cares Day”, one of the largest group community service events in the region, by going to J.F. Reynolds Elementary. Phi Alpha Delta members, including George Read's Aqua Etuk and Dan Ritterbeck, worked tirelessly for hours to bring much needed maintenance and repairs to the inner-city school.
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(From left to right) George Read Chapter: Pete Tsoflias, Ashley Talley, Akwa Etuk, Andrew Quietmeyer, Dan Ritterbeck. Frelinghuysen Chapter: Lexi Gee, Ellen Roberts, Kio Chapesh, Clint Atkins, Gillian Cooper, Jennifer Kim, Elizabeth Keith-Olsen. (Not pictured - Kirsten Samantha Rønholt) |
Courage
Courage
Courage means different things to many people. Courage to stand up for what's right. Courage to be wrong. Courage to risk failure. Members of the George Read Chapter showed the strength of their courage this semester by participating in AAJ's fall Mock Trial competition. With increasing workloads, stress of school, and life's responsibilities, members took on yet another challenge and competed against other Widener Students in this year's criminal trial problem. 1Ls were invited to participate as well as 2Ls and 3Ls. And despite not having the basic classes of Evidence, CrimLaw, or CrimPro, our chapter's 1Ls signed up and competed in droves!
Our members took home more awards than anyone else:
Upper Classmen Awards
Best overall advocate: James Lewis
Best opening: Traci Cosby
Best closing: Michael McNeil
Best direct: James D. Doyle
Best cross: Brian Legum
Best overall team: James Lewis & Michael McNeil
1L Awards
Best overall advocate: Clint Orem
Best closing: Dominic Carrera
Best cross: Erie Coney, Jr.
Best direct: Scott Frame
Best overall team: Vijaysen Yellareddigari & Roberto Rosales
Of these winners, the following are building up their courage and competing in the national Phi Alpha Delta Mock Trial competition this spring in Arlington, VA:
Josh Inkell (former Phi Alpha Delta Justice and team liaison), Jim Lewis, Michael McNeil, Clint Orem, Vijaysen Yellareddigari, Dominic Carrera, Scott Frame, and Brian Legum
Professionalism
The George Read Chapter has won several awards for our Professional Development events from both Widener Law and from the national Fraternity. Our annual “Etiquette Dinner” is widely popular at Widener Law, and has been implemented by other chapters nationwide. This year, our Professional Development committee, chaired by Clint Orem, delivered two excellent events designed to meet the needs of 1, 2, and 3Ls.
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From Left to Right: Damien Tacredi (panelist), Heather Levandoski (panelist, George Read Alumnus), William Newman (panelist, George Read Alumnus), Kristi Krasowski (panelist), and Andrew Quietmeyer (moderator) |
“3L + 1” brought seven Alumni to speak to students about the realities of the transition from Law Student to Law Professional: John D. Cirrinicione (class of '07), Heather Levandoski (George Read Chapter Alumna and class of '09), William Newman (George Read Chapter Alumnae and class of '09), Damien Tancredi (class of '09), Kristy Krasowski (class of '08), Evan T. Miller (class of '09), and Justin Alberto (class of '08).
The panel discussion, moderated by Andrew Quietmeyer, discussed a wide array of topics, including the unexpected realities they faced during the first year out of law school; how to approach other members of the firm including non-lawyers; and what mistakes they made in that transition period. The panel discussion lasted 90 minutes, and several Alumni remained for another hour or so just to talk to the students about other topics.
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"What I did over my summer vacation" Panelists and George Read Chapter's Professional Development committee (from Left to Right): Josh Inkel (Panelist and former PAD Justice), Ashley Talley (Panelist and PAD Academic Chairperson), David Walker (Panelist and PAD member), Matthew Bilker (Panelist), Robert Schweiger, Danielle Strauch (Panelist and PAD Extended Division Liaison Executive Board Member), Aaron Stullman (Panelist), Charles Glass, Chris Goldschmidt (Panelist), Kate O'Neil, Clint Orem, AJ Viray, Dan Rapoport, and Joe Greco |
"What I did over my summer vacation" gave 1Ls and 2Ls amazing advice about exploring the different options of what to do during summer break. Dan Rapoport, Professional Development committee member, got seven amazing 2Ls and 3Ls to lead the discussion:
Chris Goldschmidt: Associate at a personal injury firm.
David Walker: Internship with the World Health Organization.
Ashley Talley: Studying Abroad in Switzerland.
Danielle Strauch: Judicial Clerkship
Matthew Bilker: Prosecutor's Office
Aaron Stullman: Bankruptcy Court Clerkship
Josh Inkell: JAG program
With Clint Orem moderating the panel, students in attendance learned how to look employment or internships, what to say to potential employers, and what exactly a day's work entails.
Service
Reaching out to those who need the law's protection the most is but one aspect of a lawyer servicing his/her community. Stepping up and being the one to lead the charge of improving the community is a key component of what makes a lawyer a true superhero. The George Read Chapter had several events that serviced the community at large, and demonstrated the power of giving back.
On one sunny, crisp autumn Saturday morning, members of the George Read Chapter, including Ed Hughes, Benjamin Chapple, Staci Pesin, and Carrie Ann Young, as well as the Environmental Law Society participated in the annual “Tree Planting Day” at Natural Lands Trust (NLT) in Media, PA. NLT is the region’s largest conservation organization, saving thousands of acres of forests, fields, wetlands, and streams each year. Together, each group planted well over 200 young trees!
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(from left to right) Andrew Quietmeyer, Carrie Anne Young, Stacy Pecin, Ed Hughes, Alicea Milbourne, Benjamin Chapple, and Pete Tsoflias |
Moreover, the George Read Chapter came together, and raised well over 300 items of food to donate to Widener's Alternative Dispute Resolution Society's and Food and Drug Law's fall food drive. Members such as Ed Waldron and Sarah Filippi led the charge and rallied fellow members to dig deep and help out. These items, combined with the donations of other Widener Law students, will be donated to Ministry of Caring to feed families in need during the holiday season.
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| Andrew Quietmeyer turning in all the PAD food donations |
Service, in our chapter's opinion, also means service to our school. We know that the success of our school, and in turn the reputation of our degree, can be greatly increased by active student participation in the school's events. At the beginning of the semester, members of the George Read chapter volunteered to be tour guides to the incoming 1L class. Moreover, many George Read members participated in panel discussions during the 1L orientation. A great many of our older members, like Brittany Kale, have donated their time to be official mentors for members of the 1L class. Lastly, Andrew Quietmeyer will be assisting the school's Admissions department with a mock LSAT exam in December for interested law school applicants.
Finally, service also means service to other members of Phi Alpha Delta. Alicea Milbourne, George Read Chapter's Marshal, has done an amazing job of wrangling all the new members and current members of the chapter. She has been instrumental in making sure everyone receives their Phi Alpha Delta initiation materials. Members of the George Read Chapter attended the Mifflin Chapter's and the Frelinghuysen Chapter's Initiation ceremonies. George Read Chapter will also be attending the Frelinghuysen Chapter's holiday party this weekend.
Ashley Talley, George Read's Academic Chairperson, has also served our members by revamping the chapter's coveted Online Outline Bank, and brought in a tremendous amount of new upper-class level outlines for 2L and 3L members. Furthermore, Ashley coordinated with Themis Bar Review to offer members a review session for both Civil Procedure and Evidence. She arranged for breakfast, rooms, and materials for these reviews so that our members can excel in their studies.
Additionally, all of the Chapter's 1Ls undertook their first challenge of their legal career – Midterms. At Widener Law, midterms are given to 1Ls in one class as a teaching tool in order to demonstrate what a law school exam looks like. More importantly, it is a chance for 1Ls to work out any mistakes they might have made on a final early on in the semester, and learn from the experience. Obviously, this is a scary prospect for students who have never witnessed a law school final, and naturally, our 1Ls were nervous. However, the older members of the chapter proactively sought out their 1Ls brothers and sisters, and worked with them so that they could do well on their midterms.
Speaking of finals, this year the George Read chapter will be doing its first “BYOCC” during the finals season. We will be brewing up fresh coffee in the student lounge for all Phi Alpha Delta members during those late night study sessions. The only caveat is that members need to BYOCC – bring your own coffee cup!
Diversity
One of Phi Alpha Delta's strengths, and indeed one of Widener Law's strengths, is the diversity of our members and student body. The Executive Board comprises of 4 men and 3 women. Our membership has Muslims, Jews, and Christians. We have members from Sudan, Russia, and India. Vegetarians, Gluten Allergies, and religious dietary restrictions all add variety to any menu we serve. No matter what the member's pedigree, the George Read Chapter only cares about two colors: Purple and Gold. The friendships that have been made among members prove that there are no real boundaries to being friends.
And thanks to Ray Pinner, George Read's Social Chair, those friendships were strengthened at our chapter's Thanksgiving Party. Ray not only hosted the chapter at his apartment for the Sunday meal, but he even cooked for us all! We had a wide variety of dishes and delights so no matter what your dietary preference is, there was something to feast on. Our chapter celebrated the holiday of thanks by coming together and being thankful we all have such wonderful friends that will last us our entire lives.
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| Dominic and Ray in the kitchen |
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| Kim and Ray |
Innovation
Innovation can mean a variety of things: New ideas, new members, new events. Whatever the meaning, the George Read Chapter lived up to all of it. This year the chapter saw its largest inductee class ever – well over 60 new members have joined the chapter, which virtually doubled our roster. We even had new members, like Traci Cosby, who had transferred from another law school. Glenn Milgraum of the fraternity's International Tribune, and Justin Roberts, George Read Alumni helped the chapter deliver an amazing Fall Initiation Ceremony. And our sights are already on ensuring the Spring Initiation Ceremony is a huge success. Kimberly Renner, George Read's Clerk and all around go-to-woman, is trying to get honorary membership granted to a member of the Delaware Legal community who has demonstrated incredible service to our great state. This person, if granted Honorary Membership into our fraternity, will take the oath of the fraternity along side those members who have joined the chapter since the last initiation.
Furthermore, the chapter has done new things this year to increase the benefits of membership in Phi Alpha Delta. Jason Greenspon, George Read Treasurer, worked with VistaPrint.com to get an amazing deal on business cards for the chapter. Our members received 250 business cards to use when they network with Alumni, students, and professors.
The procedure in which basic general meetings are conducted has also been changed. Justice Andrew Quietmeyer creates each meeting's agenda to provide information for all members of the chapter. At each meeting, a member of the school's faculty or staff comes in to speak with George Read members about various topics. We have had Dean Ruffin from the Career Development Office, Dr. Howe-Barksdale from the Public Interest Resource Center, and Professor Nichols from Widener Law Clinics to discuss the available options, resources, and activities their respective offices provide for 1L, 2L, and 3L students. Additionally, Andrew Quietmeyer conducted a how-to seminar on Networking at the October meeting. His main focus was how to actually go out and develop contacts, as well as how to use Phi Alpha Delta's network of 300,000 people to increase members' career contacts.
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Andrew Quietmeyer, covered in SpongeBob Square Pants temporary tattoos and dressed to psyche out his competitors. Taken about 3 hours before he realized what “Pyrrhic Victory” really means... (background – AJ Viray) |
Lastly, Phi Alpha Delta linked up with Widener Law's Student Bar Association, to bring about the first annual, “Widener Law v. Johnnie's Dog House” Hot Dog eating contest. This event raised over $650 dollars for the class of 2011 class gift, and had well over 100 students in attendance! Phi Alpha Delta fielded its own team: Andrew Quietmeyer and AJ Viray. Each team had to eat a 13” jumbo hot dog as fast as possible in order to claim victory. Despite competing against 15 other student organization teams, these two came in second place! This event, despite a few administrative hiccups, was a tremendous success, and students are already talking about attending NEXT YEAR!
All in all, our chapter is actually looking forward to finals so that we actually have time to relax! It has been a wonderful semester. But, if you think we're going to slow down in the spring semester, you ain't seen nothing yet:
Our Etiquette Dinner, run by George Read's Darya Natesova, will be held February 2nd, 2011.
Clint's professional development committee is already working on the Professional Dress Fashion Show will be in early April
Brian Legum, George Read's Alumni Relations Committee Chairperson, will be reaching out to the Widener Alumni who created the George Read Chapter in 1975 and 1976. These members will be invited to be “re-initiated” so to speak at the spring Initiation ceremony on Thursday, January 27th to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the George Read Chapter.
Danielle Strauch, George Read's Executive in charge of Extended Students, is working with Delaware's Supreme Court to host a Widener Law day at the court house in March.
Brittany Kale, George Read Chapter's Intra-Pad Liaison, along with Ray Pinner will be coordinating with the other Phi Alpha Delta Chapters in the region to have a sports tournament in the spring at Widener Law when the weather finally gets warm again.
Pete Tsoflias is scouring the community to find people and organizations in need of assistance so our chapter can continue its commitment to service to our community throughout the entire semester.
And finally, the George Read Chapter will be all over Widener Law's campus, participating in events, helping other student organizations with programming, and assisting the school in whatever they need to make our investment in law school a tremendous asset in our legal career.
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George Read Chapter's bragging table... |
