Active Appreciation of the Day

              I know it might be cliché to talk about my big bro in an essay about an active that I appreciate, but this is definitely true. My big bro has continually helped me with my problems and she will always be there. I can count on her to come if I need someone to talk to talk to. Like recently. I just recently had an emotional breakdown. In essence, my main problem was the fact that I had to choose between two equally competing aspirations: one to see my brother’s graduation, and the other to passing a class. I definitely did not know what to do. I began to cry and I called my big bro. She came right away and talked to me and helped me sort through my problem. Although I ceased to cry when she arrived, and attained more or less a balance, I still feel that her presence has helped me find the answer I was looking for. She helped me realize that although the decisions we make may be hard, some may be necessary.

              Kaycee is also very considerate and she is everything I want to be in a person. She is very compassionate. From all the people I have met, she constantly thinsk about others and I love that about her. Considerate people are high in my book. Also, Kaycee is very analytical. Although she might seem very loud and proud and spontaneous, Kaycee thinks things through before following though on them. Kaycee takes very good observations. She really looks at the small actions that may go unnoticed to some people, and can read people better than others can. She can read me like a book, and most people really cannot read me.

              Kaycee is also one of the big bro little bro chairs. One day, I want to be one. She takes to heart all of the values that the big bro little bro chairs need: a genuine love for others, a compassionate side, an empathetic side, and clear judgment. This is why I love and appreciate Kaycee. She understands me in ways that other people cannot.

-Emmanuel Aglubat

(via terroriss)

Hi Little Luongs!

You may not be so little anymore or even saving China…but, we know that you guys and gals will make awesome actives! Good luck on grilling and make us all proud!!!

So..LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS…TO DEFEAT THE…

Yeah, you know the rest ;) Someone hand us some tissues before we cry a river…

Okay, good luck tonight!!! <3 See you all then!

iLFS,

Mel & Mel (aka your Spirit Chairs)

Active Appreciation Blurb of the Day:

Spring 2008, Dance 4 Kids Decorations

Mika is not my Pledge Parent, not my Pledge Trainer, not my Big Bro, and not even my Sponsor. She’s not anybody in my line, and is not even in the same family. Maybe she’s just that goofy girl who lives next door and curls up into a ball now and then to think for a few hours. She’s the girl whose face always lights up at the mention of any little thing related to service. She’s the girl who can’t handle how excited she is about new leaders contributing their own inspiration. She’s a lot of things.

Mika is someone for whom I couldn’t bear to nominate for Scout awards, because she probably characterizes all of them. I trust her to enough to share whatever ideas and problems I struggle with to improve the chapter, and I rely on her loyalty to support me through those challenges. She is always willing to help me with my projects when I need it, and I’m sure every candidate who’s run for Service VP since the glorious Krenek Term can say the same. She’s friendly for sure—she’ll greet anybody with a smile, hug, or a jolly hello. And when things get serious, so will she: she’ll courteously encourage those people willing to learn by indulging their ideas and giving them ways to improve. It’s the kindness in her that allows her to support those people, and at times follow their leadership obediently despite her being more knowledgeable. When she’s out there, she’ll be pretty cheerful more often than not, and I’d challenge anyone to deny how infectious her laughter can be. In terms of thrift, she’s one of the few people who looks for cheaper ways of carrying out her work —she definitely reminds me to challenge the chapter when we vote in budgets! In my time as an active, I’ve seen her bravely stand before all members to defend Alpha Phi Omega’s purpose to promote service, and defend what made us a renowned group. Clean? Well, I can only hope. But when it comes to those actives before her who impart their valuable wisdom and leave deep impressions, she displays the utmost reverence.

As a pledge, Mika was the first active to make me feel like more than just one in the crowd by asking me one day at Avalon, “You sure come out a lot, huh?” In my first active term, she was the one who made me feel at home when older actives were kind of intimidating. As the terms went on, she was the one who encouraged me to make the kind of difference I wanted to make without taking on offices. As a person trying to make the most of my experience here, she is one of my pillars of support. If I could dare to say one thing Mika is without rambling on further, Mika Nishiya is a friend of mine.

-Ashish Bhatt

Submitted by: Amy Nguyen

      One active in Alpha Phi Omega that I appreciate is Gain Saetern. The reason I appreciate her is because she is always trying to help others out by making it easier for the other person. Although she is my trainer, she checks up on everybody. When I started pledging and it was the first meeting for the term, I have met all three trainers. I remember Gain and Angela coming in late with cupcakes. That’s another thing, she likes feeding other people! She is a pretty good cook. She also likes to joke a lot and clowns on me the most. She likes to say I’m the “FAIL” trainee because I don’t do anything right. I know she’s joking because she just wants me to talk more and do more during the beginning of pledging. I remember Gain said that she was from Sacramento and I saw her last name which is a Mien last name. I was like, “oh damn, she probably is hella ghetto”. She was nothing ghetto as I got to meet her. Although it took me some time to try to get to know my trainers, they tried hard to try to meet me and talk to me. Gain has always checked up on me still until today. She would ask me about my requirements and how I am doing. She also checked up on me to see if I tracked correctly for service hours. I still remember when I did not have a BB/LB interview before the midpoint check-up, Gain was willing to get somebody to interview me. She also drove one of her other trainers around to get signatures before the midpoint check up. One thing I’ve learned from her is that it is not that hard to try to talk to people. When she meets people, she does not come off shy or anything. Another thing I have learned from her is always helping others in need. Even though she does not tell me to do that, I can see from her actions and she is definitely setting a good example by doing that. This sort of prepares me because I am planning to be a pledge trainer after pledging process is over. I will definitely try to help my trainees just as much as the way my trainers helped me. I do appreciate what she has done and she has supported me and the other trainees during this Luong term.

-Kelvin Liu

A video submitted by 2 of our Spirit Comm Kids! ^___^ Enjoy.

Submitted by: Angus Yang

Esther Kim is my big brother and my trainer.  She is someone I appreciate not just because she is my big brother and I have to nor because she is my trainer, but because she is someone I can turn to for advice.  Esther Kim is Korean and is a Sagittarius and was born on December 19, 1988. She is from Sacramento and she went to Mira Loma High and is the youngest in her family out of four.  She is very outgoing, friendly, and easy to talk to.  She is not afraid to make new friends and does not make a situation awkward.  Her family has high expectations on one another, so her dream job is to become a nurse just like her mom.  Her mom went to UC Davis before too and her older siblings is an over achiever, so she wants to get up to their level too.  She is doing pre nursing now, so she can get a stable job when she comes out from school.  After she graduate she wants to go to a graduate school and to get a psychology degree.  Though she is not that good in the chem series, she still tries really hard and she does not want to get lower than a 3.0 because it can lower a chance in getting to grad school.  She laughs about almost everything and when she talks her action speaks for itself.  When you look at her, you can’t be sad because her smile and personality is very charming so she makes her surroundings happy.  One thing I really admired her is that she grew up as a vegan.  I barely know anyone that was raised and grew up like that without eating any meat.  Now that she lived away from home, she is no longer a vegan, and now she eats about everything.  Since she grew up without eating meat, it is still hard for her to handle eating meat and seafood since she is not used to it.  One unique thing about her is that she has been studying Spanish since the sixth grade.  She is independent because she went to study abroad and that is something that I always wanted to do, but too afraid to go alone.   

-Lisa Chu

Jonathan  Gatto also known as “JD” is brave by he is not afraid to be who he is.  He is not shy in doing anything; he is very open about his feeling and his appearance.  When I was in his team for scavenger hunt and we all did not know each other that well, he was not afraid to do any of the obstacles or once hesitate about any of the situation he was in.  He took the courage in doing most of the things that were on the list even though other people did not contribute as much, he did not once made it uncomfortable for other people that were in it.  As the president he was named more than once on the paper and other teams were in the hunt for them; he did not once think about hiding from them, instead he wanted to do as many thing as possible before the other teams.   Being a president is not as easy as any other positions, he took on the role to be a role model for pledges to look up to and to set a good example for them.  In meetings when it gets out of hands, he will regulate the meetings and make sure we are all on top of the time and our schedule.  Besides being a president for this term, he also wants to take on the bigger position as a pledge parent.  It has been his goal since he crossed in Alpha Phi Omega. 

-Lisa Chu (on active JD Gatto); Scout Oath Trait: Brave

What it is: Basically, we wanted to acknowledge all the actives for all of their hard work and dedication to leadership, friendship, and service. The scout oath is important to who we are as a national service fraternity, and it identifies the principles and qualities for which we follow. These are whom our comm kids nominated! Check it out! :D