Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society is a collegiate society which encourages academic and professional success amongst college theatre students. The Theatre Department at FIU is pleased to announce that we have established a chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, with the first group of 28 members inducted on Monday, November 24, 2014. In following the tradition of using theatre-related terminology to describe the chapter officers, current BA student, Luisa Rodriguez is the Director (President) of the FIU chapter and she is very proud to be part of the induction ceremony. This idea has been in the works for quite some time and Luisa has spent countless hours doing research on starting the chapter and brainstorming with both her fellow classmates and their faculty sponsor, Theatre Chair Phillip Church. It is very satisfying to see all her hard work come to fruition. When asked why she wanted to start this chapter, she responded, “I am a member of another fraternity on campus and I really love that idea of brotherhood/sisterhood that these societies teach us and the fact that we all have similar aspirations and interests. I thought it would be great for my peers to be part of a group where we can feel comfortable enough to share with each other and learn from one another. So far, everyone has been incredible supportive and interested, so I hope that APO will continue to grow and be a success.”
Madeleine Escarne, Alpha Psi Omega’s Business Manager and BFA Performance student, describes the chapter as, “a bridge between the theatre community and the outside community. Alpha Psi Omega aims to raise awareness about FIU’s Theatre Department, encourage our students to be part of the camaraderie that is a fraternity and to serve as an honorary big brother/big sister to surrounding schools, especially the ones that have suffered loss of funding to their arts programs. Being a part of this society is an opportunity to give back and live up to APO’s motto-Seek a Life Useful. We want to prepare high school students for college life, teach them about the culture of the theatre and most importantly, to let everyone know how great FIU’s theatre program is. It is a wonderful feeling to be part of a group with common interests and goals.”
Alpha Psi Omega has numerous fun-filled and fund-raising events planned. On December 1, they will be having a bake sale in Graham Center lobby 11AM-1PM. They are also planning a holiday party (date TBD) and will be offering holiday song-o-grams. Please continue to visit our webpage for further details.
Requirements to become a member of Alpha Psi Omega
All prospective members must:
-Be a declared Theatre major for at least 2 consecutive semesters.
-Maintain a cumulative gpa of 2.5 or higher, be in good academic standing with the university and have no pending disciplinary actions.
-Meet the participation requirement. (Please contact Luisa for details about the participation requirement at lulusings@bellsouth.net)
To learn more about Alpha Psi Omega, please click here.
For more information about the FIU Department of Theatre Chapter of Alpha Psi Omega or officers, please contact Luisa Rodriguez at lulusings@bellsouth or visit the Department of Theatre Main Office.
Other Alpha Psi Omega officers include:
Juanita Olivo
Chachi Colon
Amanda Iglesias
Pia Isabelle Vicioso-Vila
Matthew Pastor
Erik Rodriguez
Sarah Perez
Melissa Lopez
Roselyn Moreno
Liana Sierra
