Mark is President of PTPI’s Norfolk, Virginia (Hampton Roads) Student Chapter. He recently, via Facebook, organized a PTPI Student Chapter Meet-Up at Times Square for members of student chapters in the metro New York City area, as well as for two students visiting from Milan, Italy through PTPI’s International Visitors Program. PTPI Chapters represented include:
We talked to Mark to find out more about what inspired him to organize the gathering and how it went:
Mark Jamias at PTPI's 2010 Global Youth Forum in Atlanta, Georgia
1. What made you think of bringing chapters together to visit Times Square?
My chapter was hosting two homestay students from PTPI Milan. This was the Italians’ first time to visit the United States, and both were very eager to visit New York City. I hoped that having them meet other students, especially PTPI students, would enhance their experience. Having attended GYF in previous years, I was able to meet and make friends with people from all over the PTPI network, and those contacts proved very useful and beneficial for this event.
Besides that rationale, I would love to see more chapters working together. Projects, campaigns, initiatives, whatever. The first step in starting something like this is an open dialogue, right? Also, I wanted to meet with Charvi Radia of South Brusnwick, NJ who is hoping to start a new chapter in that locale.
I was initially scared that this meet-up would not be a sucess due to the one week’s time notice. I love how it all worked out in the end!
2. Which student chapters were involved?
- Milan, Italy Chapter
- Norfolk, Virginia (Hampton Roads) Student Chapter
- Secaucus, New Jersey (GIFT) Student Chapter
- South Brunswick, New Jersey Student Chapter
- Yorktown Heights, New York (Westchester Union) Student Chapter (pending charter)
3. What was your favorite part of the experience?
For dinner, we were not able to sit together as a group as we anticipated. I ate dinner with the wonderful guys from South Brunswick. We spent the meal discussing chapter strategies, the trials and tribulations of starting a chapter and such. I listened to what their goals and concerns are about starting a chapter, and I gave them my input and advice. Likewise, they shared some really excellent ideas with me that I might apply with my chapter, too. There’s definitely some room and potential for collaboration.
4. What did everyone learn from each other?
Pretty much what I said above. The girls from Yorktown Heights spent the evening with the Italians, so I’m sure they have some interesting stories.
5. Were there any members who made an outstanding contribution?
Cathy Wolf, the advisor for the Seacaucus, New Jersey Chapter really helped me coordinate this meet-up. She is much more familiar with the city that I am. Actually, she picked us up when we first arrived in New York City in the morning. We arrived two hours late and we were scheduled to visit the Statue of Liberty from the New Jersey side. Thankfully, she picked us up and brought us to the ferry landing where we were able to meet a big group from PTPI Seacaucus who were doing an event there that day.
I’d also like to thank Jessica Yuan of PTPI Westchester (Yorktown Heights) and Charvi Radia of South Brunswick. Both were able to muster up a group of great guys and girls with one week’s notice. Thanks!
6. Will you hold another event like this in the future?
Many of us are very optimistic of a future meet-up. The big obstacles in our way right now are location and time. Should we go back up to New York/New Jersey? Can we invite them down here to Virginia? Perhaps something in the middle like Washington, Baltimore or Philadelphia? We’ll have to see!
To learn more about People to People International, visit www.ptpi.org
