Kenneth Cheung's Alpha Phi Omega Universe

The Labors of a Pledge

All members have to serve 30 hours of community service, which not comfortable, since it is a number. To many, that may seem to be a lot of hours. Having that number there is quite intimidating. Until we meet that mark, we constantly worry about that number. After we meet that mark, we ignore it as if it was not important anymore. To make matters more complicated, the fraternity divides its service into four categories: campus, community, nation, and fraternity. Five hours are required for the campus, nation and community, whereas 1 hour is required for the nation. Campus hours are the most difficult because they are at inconvenient dates. Imagine having 30 hours, but only 2 of them are service to the campus. The reason for this requirement is to allow all the people to explore different areas of service. But this also cause the service chair people to categorize their service, which may cause people to volunteer for a particular service just to get the hours, as opposed to fulfilling their obligation to the community. On the other hand, it may cause people to work on a service when they would not normally do so. This division may also deter busy people from joining a particular service in the first place.
            The Pledge Trainer enforces the uniform and pin requirement. The Pledge Sergeant.-at-Arms check the members for the requirement, but they report to the Pledge Trainer. The Pledge president holds the committee together, but he or she, too must report to the Trainer and Educator. The Trainer, Educator, and Assistants had this discipline system that gives ‘chexes’ and ‘exes’. Five ‘chexes’ are an equivalent to one ‘ex’. If you get three ‘exes’ you face severe consequences, possibly getting removed from the club. One with the penalty system is that I was not aware I was getting these bad marks until much later. This was partially due to the lack of communication of the Trainer and my ignorance in not memorizing the requirements. It is advised that pledges read the list of requirements and make sure that they follow them. The pledge uniform was decided by the class. If your uniform is dirty, you are screwed. The apparel is supposed to promote unity and make the group look more professional. It instills the image of pride.
            Not only do pledges have to wear uniforms, they must take tests. As stated before, Pledge meetings are a like a night class. This particular chapter has one of the highest standards of the nation, so it makes its new members memorize important facts about the whole fraternity. Members must pass the test at a 75%, and it is not a multiple choice, either. It is all fill in the blank, with one instance of matching. The test environment was also unsuitable. Without desks, test-takers had to kneel down to write on their chairs. The room was cramped and unventilated, an ideal nightmare scene for any test-taker. So in addition to that Statistics test coming up, I had to study for the APO tests. There are a lot of tests, too, and it is all cumulative leading to the final exam. You are mostly on your own when it comes to studying. Sure, there are many study sessions to help, but time is scarce. You could also get help on a personal basis, since a sense of communion develops among all the members of the club.
            In order to promote socialization of its members, the pledges must interview each other, all of them plus some other people. This requirement puts a great strain on our already busy schedule. For the interview, we all must ask two of the same questions decided by the class. The first question, “Do you like to dance? If so what kind, and please demonstrate” was one of the most awkward questions I ever asked before. It is a yes or no question, yet the answer cannot be fully understood. It does break the ice, though and opens more possibilities. The second question, “Who do you think is cute in the pledge class or the active class?” is an embarrassing question that did not really feel appropriate, for many I interviewed did not have an answer. Next time, the question should not be so indirect. How was I supposed to know who was cute or hot if I did not know them well? Then again, maybe I should know everyone well. Unfortunately, that task will take a long time.
            Overall, the fraternity does have high standards for its potential members. Each of the requirements carry some risk, but without risks, you cannot earn rewards. One must be prepared to put a lot of effort into this club. Despite this organization being dedicated to service, the social aspect is equally important. You must make friends with the other members to survive. You have to chat, meet, and hang out. These people are very social-oriented. If they do not know you, they cannot help you. You have to know the other members on a personal basis, or else you may face isolation. If you feel isolated, you may lose interest in the fraternity, and they may lose interest in you. To stay in the club, you must depend on them and trust them, for their spirit will flow in your veins and guide you through the rest of you college experience.

Back: Hitting the Pledge Wall<

02.17.2004