And this is one of those instances where it's best to let Brothers have this conversation.

MESSAGE!

...and perhaps GC isn't the place to have it either but I will respectfully bow out.

The two terms...
 

1) A Phi Q (or A Phi Que) as far as I've seen has only been used at chapters at HBCUs, but there may have been some exceptions (Florida State back in the 1980s springs to mind, but not sure why). While it may be a copy of what Omega Psi Phi does, unless someone official from Omega Psi Phi is willing to state that it is specifically tied to their ritual or something similar (like Nupe for KAPsi), I'm not going to personally discourage it. If it makes a difference for a particular chapter, then I might give advice, but I think that's a local decision...

As indicated by the poster two above me, at least at Howard U., APhiQue is used by both the male and female brothers. Not sure on the other co-ed chapters at HBCUs, though.

2) Vikings/Vikes . *Considerably* different for me. I've *never* heard a female brother of Alpha Phi Omega, refer to themselves as a Viking. At one of the conventions in the last 20 years there was an effort to add the Viking as a symbol for Alpha Phi Omega, but I never understood the idea. All of my requests at the time (and since) haven't gotten an answer. While it probably made more sense than the proposal to add the Buffalo as a symbol at the 2000 convention, I'm still fairly clueless. I do get uncomfortable when the male brothers at co-ed HBCUs refer to themselves as Vikings...

3) As for other descriptors for Alpha Phi Omega, APO is the most heavily used. A Phi O is more common in Region V than elsewhere. Those two and APhiQue/APhiQ are the only ones I really see today. Historically, OTOH, I've seen "Alpha Phis" (Fairly common in the DC area chapters in the 1950s according to the Mu Alpha(Georgetown) chapter History) and "Omegas" (elsewhere)

4) In terms of our abbreviations affecting Omega Psi Phi, we also affect the Drama Fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega, which tends to abbreviate to APsiO to keep from causing confusion between the APOs.

And it's not your place to decide where we have the conversation, either.

Thank you for bowing out. Next time, you can take the snide remarks with you as you do so.

Oh please. I could have been way more snarky if I felt like it. :D
But I got the hint though. Back into my lane.

LOL@you for honoring a request to stay in YOUR lane from the CHIEFEST of lane changers on GC.

I have to agree with Senusret on this.

I know of a couple of co-ed chapters that seems to have come under the influence of A Phi Que elements, and refer to themselves as A Phi Que. One is a chapter at a state university that is now predominatly black (at a school that is definetly not) and the other is a chapter at a state university which is mixed. Yes, both chapters are still co-ed. It can be a bit jarring to hear a female Brother refer to themselves as A Phi Que.

Before that I had only heard the term A Phi Que used by members/chapters who were at HBCUs.


Also, at least in my region, the predominate term I here is "A Phi O", with APO a second. Will have to pay more attention in the future to see if I note one or the other used more.


Getting back to what the original thread was about. I have to say that APO chapters at non-HBCU schools also have to deal sometimes with the 'fake greek' attitude from the NIC/NPC crowd. Some see us as a 'non greek' group that has taken the 'trappings' of a greek org (letter, handclap, ritual, etc), but aren't a 'real greek' group because we aren't 'social', don't have houses, etc. (so what about social greek chapters who exist on campus where either none have houses or only a select few???). But if one is interesting in that 'debate', there are other threads here on that.