One of my favorite aspects of APO is the brotherhood. I originally joined because some of my closest friends were brothers in APO and since rushing I have made many more valuable friendships. Those bonds are one of my favorite parts of APO and contribute to my continued excitement about the fraternity ensuring that any event I attend whether service, leadership, or fellowship oriented will hold an element of brotherhood. Not only has APO given me close friendships, but it also has given me experiences and values I will take with me after I graduate in May. One of the biggest things I will take with me is a desire to do volunteer work. Experiencing first hand the passion of the individuals I’ve met in APO has inspired me to volunteer for causes such as food insecurity in the local community and comprehensive prison reform among others. These brothers have demonstrated the value of contributing my time to help solve problems in my community, a mindset I will take with me to Lake Tahoe when I graduate. Despite the many benefits of APO, it can still be a struggle to balance the time required by the fraternity with the many other things I’m involved with on campus. One of the most effective methods for time management in my experience has been rigorously maintaining calendars and to-do lists. I keep a separate calendar on my iCal for APO as well as about 6 other calendars for various commitments so I can always see where I need to be and what commitments I’ve made at any given time. At the end of the day, no matter what I have to do on my calendars, if I had the chance to do something with APO then I know it’s been a good day.
