By Lauren Beeman

Alpha Phi Omega (APO) is a national service fraternity and presently has chapter representation on over 350 university campuses across the country.

APO began in 1925, and in 2015, several Quincy University students began the process of bringing Alpha Phi Omega to QU.

“I personally decided to be a part of APO to make a bigger difference. Yes, Quincy University has opportunities for community service and leadership, but I did not want to limit myself to only local opportunities,” sophomore, Jasmine Luckett said.

The process associated with becoming an official chapter is lengthy and requires a lot of steps and procedures. Individuals interested in forming a chapter first need to fill out an inquiry form.

Junior, Lauren Tarleton was instrumental in initiating the chartering process. Tarleton needed five other students to become a “petitioning group.”

In May of 2015, the APO chapter at QU became an official petitioning group, and since then have welcomed a total of fifteen members.

However, the APO organization at QU is not yet officially chartered, and is still working to fulfill chartering requirements.

Luckett, who serves as the second vice president of membership, says that the organization is looking to add as many new members to the fraternity as possible.

Alpha Phi Omega is a coed fraternity, so any student who meets the criteria is able to pledge.

APO members at Quincy University are required to pay $55 to become a member. Once the fraternity is officially chartered, members will pay $55 per semester.

According to its website, Alpha Phi Omega adds around 10-15 new chapters each year, and plan to reach 500 chapters by the year 2025.

Presently, the organization involves over 400,000 student members nationwide.

“The fraternity encourages growth in each member’s leadership skills through dedicated leadership programs,” APO President KurtWood Greene said.

Greene says that members are required to be active and attend as many of the sponsored events as possible.

“All events are related to leadership, friendship and service, which are the three pillars we (Alpha Phi Omega) stand on,” Greene said.

In September of 2016, APO hosted a jean drive which ultimately helped provide shoes for children in Uganda.

“I feel it’s important to be a part of APO because it first is a service fraternity which dedicates most of its time to giving back to people in need. It also makes it fun by holding events that allow members to become closer and have lifelong friendships,” Greene said.

APO partners with a number of organizations, including the American Cancer Society–Relay for Life, Boy Scouts of America and Youth Service America, to provide service opportunities for members.

Quincy University’s APO division has five advisors. Two advisors include QU faculty members, Nora Baldner and Michael Keller, as well as three community advisors, David Gilbert, Ashlei Anderson, and David Amelotti.

The community advisor aspect allows fraternity members to also make a difference off-campus and in the world around them.

As a group, the members collectively decide on service projects that they believe will benefit others within the community.

“APO is a national organization so I felt as if my service would reach people all over the world,” Luckett said.

Students interested in joining APO may contact KurtWood Greene or Jasmine Luckett for more information.