Leadership, Fellowship, Service: APO Service Fraternity
Alpha Phi Omega (Photo courtesy of Katie Oglesby)
By Mikelyn Britt, Contributing Writer
Alpha Phi Omega (APO) is a national co-ed service-based organization. The Iota Omicron chapter on Gettysburg College campus has been active since 1952. The service fraternity provides charity through time and effort for various organizations and causes.
APO has Greek letters, but is not affiliated with Greek life on campus. The organization is open to anyone on campus who has a desire to help their community, starting as soon as their first year.
APO’s President Megan Joy ’22 sat down to talk about the fraternity’s service and social spheres, “We are more service oriented. We try to emulate a two-thirds service and one-third social balance when it comes to events and fundraising.” The combination of service and social aspects of the organization creates an environment that is unique to APO, allowing for brothers to build relationships through giving back to the community.
Haley Bechtel ’22, the Service Vice President, considers the impact of APO on her college experience, “Participating in so many service events has been such a positive impact on my experience here in Gettysburg. Also, I have had the ability to take on leadership positions within the organization that I will be able to carry with me after college.”
The brothers pride themselves on their three fundamental values of leadership, friendship, and service. These core practices allow for a welcoming atmosphere that encourages people to join an organization that inspires people to be an active member of their community.
The chapter’s Treasurer and former President Justin Chovanec ’22, details how APO differs from Greek life on campus, “While APO has a Greek letter name, we don’t really see ourselves in a similar light. We view our primary purpose as service, not ties to brotherhood or social events. While we do have these aspects in our organization, they are not our main focus.”
Chovanec shares that being a part of APO is not a solitary club but instead encourages other activities, “We encourage our brothers to take active roles in other campus organizations and find their own ways to serve the community. To many of our members, APO is not their primary extracurricular activity and that’s fine with us!” APO brothers are active campus members and can additionally be involved in the social Greek organizations on campus.
Members of APO have a wide range of majors and unique perspectives that build a diversified community welcoming students from all backgrounds. The fraternity’s accommodations for time management amongst other clubs and organizations on campus help create an environment different from many’s knowledge of Greek life.
The brotherhood of APO brings together passionate individuals who want to help the greater Gettysburg area as well as the nation while creating strong bonds of friendship.
This article originally appeared on page 19 of the November 1, 2021 edition of The Gettysburgian’s magazine.
