A large part about being on a Greek organization on campus is doing your fair share of philanthropy work. There is one fraternity, however, that takes service to another level: Alpha Phi Omega. APO became a fraternity in 1925 at Lafayette College when former boy scouts wanted to live out their principles at the collegiate level. APO became co-ed in 1976 and soon became one of the largest service fraternities in the nation with 350 college chapters.
Living APO’s motto of embodying the three principles of service, leadership and friendship, these students devote a lot of themselves to issues in the W-S community. President Michelle Merill explains, “In college it is easy to just be focused only on the things going on at the campus; we try to get off campus and forge relationships in the community.”
APO members can be found on weekdays and weekends serving at various places including Habitat for Humanity, Riverwood, tutoring at Easton Elementary, Samartian Inn, Forsyth animal shelter, and the children’s museum. Junior member Monica Carusello shared her favorite memory as the day when only the APO girls volunteered to work at Habitat for Humanity. Carusello says, “Learning how to put together closet shelving, kitchen cabinets, and the siding on the outside was a riot!” Junior member Elizabeth Forrest prefers tutoring at East Elementary: “I feel like I can make a difference in helping them with their homework because they have learned to trust me.”
APO members must fulfill service hour requirements and also fulfill social hours where they meet one another and participate in the chapter’s social events. But, none of the members find these requirements daunting because the organization has a very organized list of available opportunities. Junior member Monica Carusello explains, “The effort to find activities and coordinate how you will get there and what you will be doing is minimal.” APO has an extensive network of community partners with whom members can volunteer.
But, APO members are not always out in the Winston-Salem community. They make a large impact on campus as well. This lives out their third principle: leadership. Ever wonder who cleans up the outdated flyers blowing across the Quad? Answer solved! Besides their weekly flyer cleanup, APO seeks out partnerships with on campus organizations to serve their philanthropic causes. For example, APO partners with the Secrest Artist Series to usher concerts, the Facilities Management to set up graduation, and the Divinity Department to help prepare luminaries for LoveFeast.
APO’s leadership on campus is probably the reason its membership has more than tripled in the past two years! After losing a lot of members to graduation in 2009, President Merrill and other APO members sought to rebuild the organization and bring back its popularity on campus. It wasn’t hard, however, considering the “Pro Humanitate” nature of Wake Forest students and students’ previous high school requirements of volunteering. Junior member Claire Dunn explains, “I was really involved in volunteering in high school and wanted to get involved in on campus and in the community around Wake”.
But most members think APO is actually quite diverse besides members’ common interest in service. Junior member Kasha Patel says, “My favorite part of APO is I get to meet people from different social groups I would have never have had the opportunity to meet”. The words “brotherhood” and “family” came up in a lot of our interviews with APO members. Junior member Abby Keener explains why APO is not just any campus organization, “Our brotherhood makes us more like a family.”
APO’s next on-campus event will actually take place on the Water Tower Fields! On March 16th, APO is hosting its first annual KickCF! or team kickball tournament supporting cystic fibrosis research. What a great way to be outdoors on one of these beautiful spring days while also supporting a great cause! Collegiettes™, register a group of 6-7 friends with a fee of $12 per person and live out your elementary school days. To register, contact Lindsay Schneider or schnlf9@wfu.eduby March 19th!