University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

SERVICE APO Members Host Tri-State Convention " We are family " was quite different from " Dancing through the ' 80s with the Stars of Region 7 to the Song of Service in the South, " but to the members of the Universi- ty of Texas Alpha Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, the idea was the same. Alpha Rho used the " Dancing " theme when they began planning a convention for APO ' s Region 7 an event that included more than 350 people from three states. " We wanted to emphasize the fact that Region 7 is more than Texas, " said conven- tion coordinator Marcus Loy. " The ' Danc- ing ' theme said everything we wanted to say, but it was obviously too long, so we shortened it to ' We are family. ' " From New Mexico, Louisiana and around Texas, members of APO, a national service fraternity, gathered in Austin on Oct. 23 for a weekend of leadership, friendship, and ser- vice. The convention marked the largest gathering of APO members outside of a na- tional convention. Activities during the weekend conference included a series of seminars, a service pro- ject, two parties and a banquet. Students met the members of the national board and at- tended the opening session, guests got ac- quainted at a party at the Chariot Inn. Saturday began with a breakfast at the Texas Union, followed by four seminar ses- sions. APO alumni presented such topics as interpersonal communications, parliamen- tary procedure and recruitment techniques. The Saturday evening banquet ' s featured speaker was C. P. Zlatkovich, national presi- dent and Alpha Rho alumnus. Zlatkovich emphasized the greatness of the APO family, held together by the common bond of ser- vice. Darrell Spoon, national executive direc- tor, and Stan Carpenter, national service chairman, also addressed the students. The convention concluded Sunday at the state capitol where students locked arms and formed three circles on the floor of the rotunda. And as visitors watched silently from the balconies, 350 voices joined to sing Alpha Phi Omega ' s song of service. Barry Bahadoorsingh takes a blind child to a rec room. Members of Alpha Phi Omega from colleges and universities in three states gather in Welch Hall to participate in a seminar on interpersonal communication. 1 326 Alpha Phi Omega