omega phi alpha

[kstar]

Why didn't they merge when APO became co-ed?

[Senusret I]

We're still two different organizations with our own flavor. Some people want to be part of a sorority, others want to be in a fraternity.

Kudos to my sisters in service for handling this thread with class.

<---- APO, Mu Alpha Chapter (Georgetown) SPring '99

[SigmaPezY60]

If Alpha Phi Omega is Co-Ed..why the need for a sorority? But anyways...i guess it makes sense that they are the same name but in reverse. haha. thanks for the info!

[33girl]

Originally posted by SigmaPezY60
If Alpha Phi Omega is Co-Ed..why the need for a sorority?

When the sorority was created, Alpha Phi Omega had not yet become co-ed.

[Senusret I]

Originally posted by SigmaPezY60
If Alpha Phi Omega is Co-Ed..why the need for a sorority?

Because a Sorority and Fraternity (even a coed one) are not the same thing.

OPA was founded before APO went coed.

[33girl]

Originally posted by Senusret I
Because a Sorority and Fraternity (even a coed one) are not the same thing.

OPA was founded before APO went coed.

JINX BUY ME A COKE!!

[Senusret I]

Originally posted by 33girl
JINX BUY ME A COKE!!

LOL!!!!

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by Senusret I
Because a Sorority and Fraternity (even a coed one) are not the same thing.

OPA was founded before APO went coed.

Well, of course individual sororities and fraternities "aren't the same thing..." There are different letters, different rituals, different histories, etc... However, many GLOs that we call "sororities" are officially "fraternities," so I'm curious what you mean by fraternities and sororities being different.

[OPhiARen3]

Originally posted by Taualumna
Well, of course individual sororities and fraternities "aren't the same thing..." There are different letters, different rituals, different histories, etc... However, many GLOs that we call "sororities" are officially "fraternities," so I'm curious what you mean by fraternities and sororities being different.

I think in this context the difference is that there is a distinction between an organization which is a coed fraternity and an organization which is an almost entirely female sorority (we don't really market to men, but do accept them as members). It's a different atmosphere.

While Omega Phi Alpha owes a lot to Alpha Phi Omega in terms of our founding and the ideas behind our org, we aren't the same thing. Many of our rituals, traditions, and other practices are different. I know on my campus, we also tend to attract different people - some girls are more APO kind of girls, some girls are more OPA kind of girls, and we all rock

Still, I think it would have been cool if OPA had grown more before Title IX caused APO to go coed - maybe we could have worked out something where the link between the orgs was in the constitutions or whatever, and we both could have stayed single-sex provided each campus had a chapter of both orgs. (Just one of my "alternate history" theoretical things ... no need to comment on this.)

[Senusret I]

Originally posted by Taualumna
Well, of course individual sororities and fraternities "aren't the same thing..." There are different letters, different rituals, different histories, etc... However, many GLOs that we call "sororities" are officially "fraternities," so I'm curious what you mean by fraternities and sororities being different.

Come on, you KNOW what I mean and it wasn't about individual organizations or sisterhoods called fraternities by name.

A SISTERHOOD and a COED BROTHERHOOD are not the same thing.

OPhiARen said everything else I possibly could, and then some.

[jitterbug13]

Ya'll pretty much said what I wanted to say. Kudos to my sisters from Nu Chapter who handled this thread very well.

Also (((Senusret 1)))

I am a member of a NPHC and O Phi A (check the sig) and I'm one of many examples on how you can be a part of both a service sorority and a NPC/NPHC one.

[gamma_girl52]

Originally posted by OPhiARen3

While Omega Phi Alpha owes a lot to Alpha Phi Omega in terms of our founding and the ideas behind our org, we aren't the same thing. Many of our rituals, traditions, and other practices are different. I know on my campus, we also tend to attract different people - some girls are more APO kind of girls, some girls are more OPA kind of girls, and we all rock

Ditto for Gamma Sig

I agree with everything that's been said already, as some people have said the exact same thing about us. So kudos to the OPA sisters just down the street from us that have handled this thread so well.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

I'd still have to say that they should get their facts straight before publishing it on a website. I mean just the fact that they said "Council" instead of "Conference" shows a bit of ignorance.

And yes, I found it to be a bit arrogant sounding when I read it. It's funny, I've done most of those service things they list and I've never even been in a service organization.

[OPhiARen3]

Originally posted by SmartBlondeGPhB
I'd still have to say that they should get their facts straight before publishing it on a website. I mean just the fact that they said "Council" instead of "Conference" shows a bit of ignorance.

And yes, I found it to be a bit arrogant sounding when I read it. It's funny, I've done most of those service things they list and I've never even been in a service organization.

Please keep in mind that OPA, unlike many other organizations that you may be more familiar with, does not have any paid or full-time staff. The website is maintained by people who are volunteering their time to the organization, such as my sister who responded earlier - she is an undergraduate student who is part of the national website committee, and she, along with the others, do have many other demands on their time. While those involved do try to make sure that everything that goes on to the website is accurate and best reflects OPA, it is hard to do so given these kinds of constraints.

Sometimes things will not be caught before they go onto the website. As a sister of OPA, I regret that, but I hope you will all understand, especially as my sister has stated that she is going to try to have these issues addressed and corrected. It's great that you all are looking at our website and bringing these things to our attention that we might not have caught otherwise (I don't think I ever would have gone to that section of the website if it weren't for this thread.)

I'm glad that you (SmartBlondeGPhB) have done so many of the service things listed. They're all really great things to do; I imagine a lot of people on this board have done quite a few of them (and if they haven't, they should ). As another of my sisters said earlier in the thread, and the website stated (although not at all in the clearest way), no one is saying that social sororities do not do service. It is an issue of focus. I am an academic advising dork, so the best analogy I can come up with at the moment is that it's like having a major and a minor - for social sororities, your major is social, your minor is service. With OPA, it's the opposite. There's nothing wrong with either way, and we have plenty of girls who are in both types. Just from my own experience, I know OPA girls who are also in ADPi, AKA, and DST.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally posted by OPhiARen3
I am an academic advising dork, so the best analogy I can come up with at the moment is that it's like having a major and a minor - for social sororities, your major is social, your minor is service. With OPA, it's the opposite. There's nothing wrong with either way, and we have plenty of girls who are in both types. Just from my own experience, I know OPA girls who are also in ADPi, AKA, and DST.

Please do not generalize. I've heard of some NPCs who are more concerned with service than social. Also, correct me of I'm wrong someone, but from what I've learned on GC, some (if not all?) NPHC orgs are more service oriented, than social oriented. (I hope I'm right, I know someone said it somewhere)