Welcome to Greek Week at Seton Hall University, Her Campus readers! As all of the social sororities and fraternities gear up for a battle to the death, (or really just for that shiny trophy!) Alpha Phi Omega, the national service fraternity on the Seton Hall campus, is preparing for a weeks worth of service projects that fall within the four fields of service. Which include service to the fraternity, campus, community, and nation.
This week we caught up with President of Seton Hall’s chapter of Alpha Phi Omega and member of the social sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, Erin Alvino, to see what life is really like on both sides of the fence. “Being in both a social sorority and service fraternity, I’ve realized there are only a few differences. In a social sorority, there is more focus on one specific philanthropy and for AOII, it’s Arthritis Research. We’ve hosted many philanthropic events such as Spike Out for Arthritis, Silly String a Sister, Pie a Pi and much more in support of that cause. However, being President of Alpha Phi Omega, we dedicate our time to many causes such as Autism Speaks, Special Olympics Polar Plunge, and Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey to name a few.”
A common misconception about service fraternities is that they are all work and no play. However, APO is founded on the three cardinal principles: leadership, friendship and service. In order to carry out the cardinal principle of friendship, the brothers of Alpha Phi Omega (yes even the girls are called brothers!) host many fellowships, which are hangouts with other members. These fellowships can vary from trips to Chipotle, Rebounderz, The Turtleback Zoo, and much more. “These fellowships allow for us to get to know our brothers on a more personal level and share some of their interests. Also, many of our members can agree that doing service with your brothers is a lot more fun than doing service alone!” says Alvino.
People often forget that being a part of a service fraternity is a lot like being a part of any of the other social sorority and fraternity. Alvino explains that even though the rush process might be a little different, the new member education program is very similar, in that there is a lot of importance placed on getting to know the chapter and participating in the various events that each organization holds.
As a very involved member in both social and service organizations, Erin Alvino would like the people considering being a part of either or even both of these groups. So stop thinking about it and just go for it! “Joining APO and AOII has definitely made my college career so exciting and fun,” she says, “I couldn’t see myself not being a part of these two fantastic organizations at Seton Hall, and I’m forever grateful for all the experiences these organizations have provided for me!”