Alpha Phi Omega Gathers for Intercampus Event
Officers and pledges in coed fraternity chapters from the University of Alaska Anchorage, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Oregon and students from a school located in Seattle, Wash. met for weekend of service and fellowship.
By: Hollis Kitchin
Officers and pledges in coed fraternity chapters from the University of Alaska Anchorage, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Oregon and students from a school located in Seattle, Wash. met for weekend of service and fellowship.
Unfortunately due to the Mt. Redoubt eruptions, only one member from UAF was able to attend the meeting as he was returning from a trip in Seattle.
Alpha Phi Omega is a coed fraternity that focuses on service to the community, unlike the more common view of fraternities as seen in movies, such as “Animal House,” drinking is not permitted at official APO events and hazing is forbidden.
APO was started by Frank Reed Horton, a former Boy Scout and member of the United States Army who wanted an outlet for former Scouts to continue serving the community and creating new friendships.
The section 8 conference held at UAS, “Serving the Seven Seas,” was pirate-themed and included a large variety of sessions for each active member and pledge to attend. Rumar Arzadon, the Pledge Master of Spring 2009 of UAA, found the session entitled “Pep on the Poop Deck” given by Stephanie Self of Student Housing to be his favorite.
This workshop explained that not everyone thinks on the same wave length and reacts the same way to a given situation. “I learned how we can integrate different personalities in which are present at every chapter and in everyday life,” Arzadon, an aviation technology major, remarked.
Each workshop gave a different talk on service, working on recruiting new members, working with new people and advice on fellowship within each chapter. Most of the workshops were interactive, allowing for the meeting of members outside of each school’s chapter, and presented new ideas for each member to work towards.
Some of the fellowship events held during the conference included a photo scavenger hunt in downtown Juneau for members of APO that had arrived before 5 p.m. on March 27.
After the opening ceremony, which began with a welcome by Vice Chancellor Bruce Gifford and APO Alumnus, APO members went for a late night hike at the glacier. Saturday night there was a banquet dinner followed by dessert, “mocktails” and card games for all members to enjoy.
“I enjoyed being able to create an awesome conference atmosphere for our brothers from out of state and out of town,” Stephanie Cross, an APO pledge from UAS and a Community Advisor with UAS Housing, expressed.
The next section 8 conference will be held at the University of Oregon in Eugene in November of 2009.
