More about 2010 Convention in San Diego Shahrzad Morim (UCLA) I remember how excited I became when I made the decision to attended my first AO convention in 2009, which happened to be the first AO cruise convention. This past December, I had the privilege again to spend my last week of winter break with my AO family and friends. From my first day amongst Alpha Omegans, I felt welcomed by all the AO members and their families and had the opportunity to network with students and other members from all over the world. I enjoyed all the activities during the trip; from the first day when we as students participated in a human knot game, to going on the Midway tour to, visiting Dr. Silverstein’s free clinic in downtown San Diego, and finally to the Honors night and New Year’s Eve gala. I recognized the value of the student meetings & activities since they allowed me to get to know the students better, relate to their experiences, and find out about their AO chapters and activities. Overall, this year’s convention broadened my perspective more about Alpha Omega as an international fraternity, and made me appreciate the value of true fraternalism and professionalism that connects all of us. Lindsey Steele (Loyola) Exploring Pacific Beach Honors Night Reanna Rochman, (Toronto) 2011 Fundraising Chair Student Night Out USS Midway Tour Incoming and Outgoing Student Leaders The 2010 San Diego convention was my first ever AO convention experience and it is one I will never forget. People told me that it would be amazing and unforgettable and they were absolutely right. After twenty-four hours of being there I found myself at a Mexican restaurant with about twenty of my new friends having a great time. For me, that’s what the convention was all about. Meeting a lot of students, getting to know each other and just having fun. We all had some really great experiences together including trying the surfing simulator at Wave House, singing together at a dueling piano bar and just relaxing in the hot tub. There was a more serious side to the trip as well including business meetings and continuing education seminars, but these events were really worthwhile to attend. I learned about charitable organizations and some great causes that I hope to have the chance to support this year as the Foundation Rep. This trip is what AO is all about and I can’t wait to do it again next December in Fort Lauderdale! The 2010 Alpha Omega Sunny Days Convention will forever stand out in my mind as my first true introduction to one of the three angles of the AO triangleFraternalism. I am proud to say that Alpha Omega is the one and only fraternity/sorority to which I have ever belonged. While many of my friends went away to a number of Big Ten schools and joined fraternities/sororities, I attended a smaller private school and did not participate in the Greek system. Dental fraternities, from what I was told, were to model the friendship and fraternal aspects that one finds in the coed Greek system, but without hazing, ‘keggers,’ cold dorms or drama, so I thought I would try it out. From my experiences at the University of Michigan and Convention, this has held true. I very much felt like I belonged, not only as a dentist, but also a woman, a peer and finally, as a halfbreed Jew, a somewhat touchy subject. I am from a multi-spiritual family, and as Alpha Omega moves into a new era and focuses on member recruitment and retention, it is crucial to remember that not all members are Jewish or Christian— sometimes they’re both! My background (all facets) was greeted with open arms, and I am so happy to say that for the first time, I felt fraternalism. Alumni were warm, interested, accepting, and eager to help in any way possible. I am forever grateful and truly touched. *A note from our International Editor, Dr. Michael Stern: Thank you, Lindsey, for your comments. Alpha Omega was started in 1907 as a Jewish dental fraternity, whose initial mission was to combat overt antiSemitism in the dental community. The three pillars of our fraternity are, and always will be, Fraternalism and Clinical Excellence, based upon a moral and ethical basis of Judaism and Judaic Values. This being said, we have always been an inclusive fraternity, encouraging student from all faiths to join our organization, because we feel that people, no matter what their faith, share our common values. We encourage all of our members, regardless of their religious leanings, to remain fraters following graduation, enjoying the many benefits of alumni membership. Page 2 November 2011● Volume 1, Issue 35 ● Alpha Omega Articulator ● http://students.ao.org