New Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega International Fraternity Brings Additional Opportunities for Service at EC

Cultivating excellence in service is a key component of the Eureka College mission statement. Likewise, discovering ways to use knowledge in service to further the welfare of humanity is among the Eureka College goals.

Service opportunities at Eureka College took a big step forward February 8 when the Eureka College chapter of Alpha Phi Omega international service fraternity chartered in at the 2 p.m. ceremony in Becker Auditorium.

Eureka College Provost Philip Acree Cavalier accepted the charter from the president of Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity, Inc., Mark Stratton; the extension coordinator of Region VI, Doug Fuller; and the chairman of Section 50, Justin Martin.

Eureka chapter officers kept mum about the Eureka chapter letters until they were announced as part of the ceremony Saturday. The chapter letters are Alpha Eta Lamda (???).

“Alpha Phi Omega members are committed to the organization’s cardinal principles, which resemble the college’s own ‘Learn. Serve. Lead.’ motto,” said Melick Library access services coordinator and APO chapter advisor Jen Rockey. 

Students have worked for three years towards the goal of establishing an APO chapter at Eureka College, Jen said, and many faculty and staff have been part of the journey with them.

Jen credits senior DJ Gibler for bringing “the spirit of APO” to campus when she transferred to EC in spring 2011. She had pledged APO at Millikin University and then pushed for a local chapter when she arrived at Eureka.

Other founding members are Ashley Maltas, Jessie Dorough, Kelli Vietti, Alexis Holcomb and Tina Brattin Minner.

Illinois State University’s Theta Epsilon is Eureka’s “big brother” chapter, Jen said, and assisted with organizing the Eureka chapter and helping with the initiation ceremony.

Eureka chapter officers are: president Kathy Gafford, vice president of leadership Tommy Brewer, vice president of service Brooke Poling, co-vice president of fellowship DJ Gibler, co-vice president of fellowship Kevin Hester, vice president of membership Alyssa Barron, pledge educator Tessa Blakey, treasurer Julianne LeFebvre, secretary Josh Gumbel, sergeant-at-arms Aimee Judd and historian Kaitlyn Carpentier.

APO is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at more than 350 campuses and an active membership of more than 25,000 students and 400,000 alumni members.