One of the best parts of Chicago is the food. Unfortunately, with so much happening on campus, it’s been hard to get into the city to taste it all. When I heard that Delta Chi was bringing the best local eats to campus at their philanthropy Delta Chicago, I knew this was something to get excited about. Philanthropy chair Andrew Tang, the man behind the Portillos, talked to us about giving back to the community, learning about the city, and, most importantly, pizza.
What was your role in planning the event?I’m the Philanthropy chair for Delta Chi, so my co-chair, Frank Avino, and I were in charge of planning and running the event. I helped with choosing really quality Chicago restaurants and building a menu that’s delicious and characteristic of the city. Another big thing that I did was continuously motivate the chapter to get excited about the event and to invite their friends, because the best way to make a philanthropy event successful is to have everyone personally reach out to their friends to attend.
How did you guys get the idea for the theme?I actually didn’t come up with the idea, two other Delta Chi’s did. We really wanted to put on a Fall Philanthropy event that was successful enough that we could do it every year and an event that would appeal to freshmen especially. A lot of freshmen are coming from out of state and want to experience Chicago for the first time, with Delta Chicago we’re bringing some of Chicago to them. Also, the most important skill for any philanthropy chair is to be able to make some killer puns, so Delta Chicago checked all the categories.
What is the fundraiser benefitting?All proceeds from Delta Chicago will benefit The Greater Chicago Food Depository, which is Chicago’s largest food bank. They are a nonprofit food distribution and training center that provides food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in Cook County. Just last year they provided 67 million pounds of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, dairy products, and meat, equivalent to 154,000 meals. It’s great to be able to help out an organization that makes such a huge impact the community we all live in.
How did you get involved in philanthropy?I had been involved with Relay for Life back in high school, so when I came to Northwestern and Delta Chi I was looking for opportunities to get involved with philanthropic and service organizations. Mostly though, after my first two quarters of freshman year, I loved Northwestern but I felt like I wasn’t involved with much. I really wanted a way to contribute my small part into making Northwestern the amazing place it is, and becoming the Philanthropy Chair for Delta Chi felt like a great opportunity to do just that.
What is your personal favorite Chicago food?It may be controversial to say this, but I’m not the biggest fan of deep dish pizza. But Chicago does have an abundance of amazing restaurants. There’s a place in the little Chinatown in Argyle that has the best Peking duck that I’ve ever had, so I’ll probably go with that.
What else are you involved in on campus?I’m an engineer, so I spend a lot of my time complaining about all the work I have. Other than that, I’m in Project Pitch and Engineers for a Sustainable World. What I really want to do is start a company and change the world and all that.