I have many problems with many organizations across campus. It could be IUA, KHODA, Gear and Triangle, or the SGA, it doesn’t really matter; I have a lot of gripes with everything. The service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega (APO) is absolutely no exception. Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of hate on Facebook about APO, mostly regarding how APO is frequently “in possession” of America’s Cup. It is true, for the most part. Seeing as the service fraternity only has a measly office the size of my personal one in Jacobus, it makes sense that this very large organization is going to need an open forum to hang out. Additionally, when APOers tend to gather, they tend to be really loud and rowdy, which really doesn’t make for a good study environment.
But really? Who in their right mind goes to America’s Cup to study? This gap in logic is even more flawed when you realize that the location in question is literally attached to the library, the quietest, and most studious of all the locations on campus to choose to study.
Instead these online griefers, (a term I’ll use to define someone who just wants to cause a lot of grief, also a useful term in Minecraft) are going to gripe about this poor coffee parlor being too loud.
Yes, APO has problems. Yes, there are plenty of people, myself entirely included, who can find a lot of reasons to complain about it. But “owning” America’s Cup should not be one of them.
Let us take a brief moment to recall a few of the really good things that APO does that we are thankful for.
- APO made huge contributions to Hoboken in times of crises.
To Freshmen and Sophomores too young to know what Hurricane Sandy did to Hoboken, you must take my word for it: APO did a lot during Sandy. The other fraternities did too, of course, but APO had people managing groups of servicemen across all of Hoboken, getting ice to people in need, organizing volunteers, and filling in wherever needed. Hoboken got back on its feet really quickly considering the damage, and it was a really big deal.
But that isn’t the only thing they’ve done. I vaguely recall a fire on 3rd street that APO rushed to assist, raising money to help those suddenly in need. And I am willing to bet that if something drastic were to happen again, APO would be there in less than 24 hours.
- APO volunteers for your events.
Of course I am talking primarily of CPAC, but I know APO has a big hand in Boken and Move-In Day, and just about any event that requires volunteer help. To focus solely on CPAC, which is something I know best, APOers comprise probably 75% of the staff. When CPAC rolls around, there could be anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 guests, and really, only the Anime Club organizes all of the stuff that goes down, and historically, only about 20 people sign up for roles on the CPAC board. There is usually a staff count over 100, and that is all APO. From security guards to information attendants to room cleaners and setup staff, APOers learn their roles fast (usually within 48 hours) and do them very well. CPAC would fall apart without support from the school, and it is not contestable that APOers comprise most of the staff. Without them, certainly, the event wouldn’t work the same way.
- APO helps you with your homework.
Even if you’re not in APO, odds are you have a friend who is. If you are stumped on a crazy Differential Equations problem, who do you turn to? Because APO is so big and so longstanding, just like any other communal organization on campus, the homework net is very large. Chances are, someone in APO had a similar question, collected the answer from an upperclassmen, and saved it to a large database of homework help.
I personally had my grade saved by APO in General Chemistry from this very network. I recall that a friend lent me some old tests from the APO Skydrive. After studying those, I got fairly good grades on the tests, and passed the courses with relative ease. (Which was miraculous, because I really, really don’t do chemistry.)
So, all of you griefers online bashing APO, get the hell out. I may not like APO all of the time, but I can’t deny the good they do, and neither can you. If you’re looking for a quiet place to study, go to the 3rd floor of the Babbio Center.
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