Why I love APO by Becca Rickard

As the Fall 2012 semester draws to a close, I start to think about how I spent my time
this semester. Did I study as much as I should have? Are there areas in which I could improve
on next semester? Did I do as much as I could have to get involved? One thing that I am so
thankful for is joining APO in the spring 2012 semester. Being part of this brotherhood has
changed my life. I know how cliché that sounds, but honestly my life would tell a very different
story if I had not made that last minute decision to join.

Service is something that I love to spend my time doing and is a reason why I decided to
pledge APO. This past semester my favorite service event was MOPS or Mothers of
Preschoolers. This biweekly event was an escape for me as a college student. I got to take care
of really cute kids for three hours which served as a reminder that there is a real life community
right outside campus with people that aren’t all of the ages 18-24. Doing service with my fellow
brothers really makes the experience unique and so much fun! For example, I was completely
sleep deprived the morning we were doing arboretum trail service. Normally, this would make
physical labor extremely difficult; however, shoveling mulch for two and a half hours in the cold
became enjoyable because I had the people I care about surrounding me.

This brings me to another reason why I am so thankful for APO which is friendship. The
strong friendships I have made over the past two semesters have given me the best experience
here at Penn State. I have told some people this, but I didn’t want to come back here after fall
semester of last year. Because of APO, I never want to leave this school. Friendship is such an
important part of this fraternity. We are not just a service organization. We are a brotherhood.
I think this past semester fellowship took a back seat, but I hope as we move forward into the
spring semester that we are able to really bond as a brotherhood.