Alpha Phi Omega (pictured above) is a national co-ed service fraternity and members of this organization engage in various community service opportunities together. Each member of this organization learns important leadership skills, which are beneficial for growth (Photo Editor/Kate Rodgers).
There are many different clubs and organizations one can join at Geneseo, and it can be overwhelming to choose the right ones to join. One organization on campus is Alpha Phi Omega (APO), which is a national co-ed service fraternity.
If one is interested in both doing community service and meeting new people, this is a great option. The president and secretary of APO both answered questions via email to explain what APO is and what one would get out of joining this fraternity.
“Our three main pillars are leadership, friendship and service. APO’s mission is to cultivate community leaders through acts of service and the creation of community amongst Brothers,” theatre and communication double major and APO secretary Jake Rogan said.
Sociomedical sciences and Spanish double major Renee Allen, who is also the president of this organization, explained that she wanted to join APO because of the good things that she had heard about the organization.
“I decided to join APO because I grew up with my brother being a boy scout. In high school, I completed over 100 hours of community service. I also heard that the comradery in APO was amazing, and it really is,” Allen said.
Anyone can join APO, but the process to join is only completed at the beginning of each semester. There are also certain requirements that a student must complete in order to be able to join, according to Rogan.
“During rush, it’s usually attending an interest meeting, doing one rush chat, four hours of rush service and attending two socials,” Rogan said. “Then you’ll get your bid. Once the pledging process begins, all new members must complete a number of things including service, brother chats and bonding events before they cross.”
Allen explained that one of the benefits of students joining APO is the incredible friendships.
“I think that many students would find friends and even a family (figuratively and literally). Not only would you be able to benefit personally but you [also] would be helping so many people even just by making them smile from a card you write,” Allen said.
Given how many people are in APO, many of the events are currently held online because of COVID-19. However, there are still some events being held in-person.
If students are interested in joining APO, then they should be on the lookout for information regarding how to rush for Fall 2021. APO advertises how to join online and attends the club expo, which is a great way to meet members and learn more about the co-ed service fraternity.