Jennifer Quilici
Arizona Daily Wildcat
A UA community service fraternity that went extinct 10 years ago is an official campus club once again.
Alpha Phi Omega, a national fraternity with about 650 chapters, was recognized last week by ASUA and the Department of Student Programs, said the group's publicity chair Laura Moore, nutrition sophomore.
The UA chapter of APO is considered a petitioning chapter right now and by next semester, they hope to become a national chapter, she said.
The group's extinction 10 years ago was due to a lack of interest from students, Moore said.
Stacey Tannenbaum, a pharmacy graduate student and APO member, was involved with the chapter at Duke University.
"I wanted to get involved with APO again because it's a unique service fraternity; people work together doing community service, and at the same time, it is a brotherhood," Tannenbaum said.
The group was first named a fraternity because it only allowed men in the mid 1970s. Today, the group is coed and still considers its members brothers.
Moore said the group's 15 members are working to recruit more people interested in service projects around the community.
Some of the group's future projects include Adopt-a-Highway with Arizona State University's chapter; in December they will help serve lunch at the Special Olympics and this weekend they will participate in "Make a Difference Day" at Reid Park.
"It is a way for students to get involved with community service," Moore said.
She said the group is slow in growing. APO held an informational meeting last Monday and will hold a second meeting tonight at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Room 256.
Regular APO meetings are Sundays at 5 p.m. in the Cactus Lounge.