Meter

Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Campus News

Members of Alpha Nu Omega show their Greek Spirit(Courtsey of David Williams)

A new organization on campus, Alpha Nu Omega, plans to change the perceptions of fraternities and sororities by offering students a Christain alternatives to the normal activities associated with Greek life.

Alpha Nu Omega, which was founded on Nov. 3, 1988, on the campus of Morgan State University , currently has a total of four members and is in the process of becoming a full-fledged chapter.

The organization's stated purpose is to "present a Christian alternative to the students and or faculty on college/university campuses, to minister to the needs of the whole person (spirit, soul, and body), and to promote an attitude of academic excellence among its members," according to its national Web site, alphanuomega.org. The Christian focus of the organization was a facet that has appealed to current members.

"It was a Christian fraternity and an alternative to Greek life, a lot of stuff that I'm not into," said Glenn Martin, Jr., a sophomore biology major from New Orleans .

Alpha Nu Omega's current president David Matthews notes that even though the organization does have a social component, the events are catered to a Christian conscious.

"If we have a party, it will be wholesome," said Matthews, a senior computer science major from Lithonia , GA. "It was a way to spread the word, and enjoy the Greek aspect in a way that won't conflict."

In addition to its status as a Christian Greek-lettered organization, ANQ is also unique in that it functions as one organization that is composed of both a fraternity and sorority. Additionally, both the fraternity and the sorority are bound by the same constitution.

Due to the fact that the organization has a constitutionally bound fraternity and sorority, the members say this has helped them develop a unique bond between brothers and sisters.

"We're tight knit, we do everything together," said Martin of the bond shared between the male and female members of the organization. "Not only do I have brothers, I have sisters."

While the organization was founded at Morgan State University and has several chapters at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the organization is not strictly defined as a black Christian organization and is open to individuals of all ethnicities. The familial connection shared between the yoked organizations is evident in the term the members use in reference to themselves and other members.

Continued...

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