Alpha Phi Omega kicks off their annual rush week next week for students who are interested in getting involved with a unique service-oriented fraternity on campus.
Alpha Phi Omega is a coed fraternity whose main focus is to help teach the values of leadership, friendship and provide service to the campus, the community and to the nation. Membership is open to anyone with any major, any belief, religion or orientation.
“One of the things that make us different is that our members are all different,” said Melissa Evans, president of the Alpha Phi Omega’s Lamba Delta chapter at ETSU. “The only criteria that we as you have is that you present our three principles: leadership, friendship, and service.” Evans has been involved with Alpha Phi Omega since fall 2005.
Alpha Phi Omega was originally founded as a male fraternity, and went coed in 1976, but men and women members alike still consider themselves to be “brothers.”
Alpha Phi Omega works with about 25-30 different organizations throughout the year and names the Veterans Administration, the local animal shelter, Coalition for Kids, the Boys and Girls Club and local food banks as a few of their many service projects. They also take an annual road trip every summer to be a part of “Give Kids the World” in Orlando, Fla.
Another thing that is unique about Alpha Phi Omega is that they support Greek life on campus and allow their members to be a part of another fraternity or sorority on campus while holding membership in Alpha Phi Omega.
They also try and work their schedules around other Greek events to accommodate accordingly.
There is an eight-week pledging process, along with an interview process for prospective members wishing to join Alpha Phi Omega but Evans assures anyone who is thinking about joining that pledging is not nearly as intimidating as it may sound.
“Pledging and hazing are frightening concepts, but we do not haze, and pledging isn’t scary at all,” Evans said. During the pledging process, the fraternity breaks pledges into smaller groups who plan out their own pledging. “You have your ‘pledge class’ that meets every week to learn about chapter history . which is part of the educational process. These classes also go through and plan out service hours and fundraisers and fellowship within their group, it is almost like a mini-fraternity.”
“And new members are equal to every other brother – there is no real hierarchy system other than the officers,” said Meagan Landry, vice president of Membership for the ETSU chapter of Alpha Phi Omega. “Everyone has a say.”
There is also an interview process, but this is just to insure pledges are in it for the right reasons. “You’ve got to be in it because you want to help others and the community,” Landry said.
“Even though we are focused on service, we get to do the fun stuff, too,” Evans said. “I came to ETSU with one friend, and now I have a family of about 50.”
Those interested in becoming a part of Alpha Phi Omega should attend one of their info meetings or any of their rush events next week.

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