Caroline Hubbard

ENG 131.01

Professor Lucas

18 November 2015

Stereotypes of Greek Life

Introduction

In my semester of college at Lenoir-Rhyne University, I became the typical sorority girl. I went through the weeklong process of recruitment and became overwhelmed with the excitement of bid day. I received a bid from my top choice, which was Delta Zeta, and could not have been happier with accepting the offer joining that organization. I was drawn to sororities to have a better experience in college, because I knew the adjustment would be hard at first. I never once thought that I would be this involved or created the friendships I have within my sisters.

Every sorority goes through the stereotypical arguments of buying friends, partying girls, and being wild. Little do they know instead of buying friends, you actually fall in love with the girls, and that’s how you make the choice of which sorority to join. It is not about parties. Most of the Nation Organization does not allow their sororities to host parties in their houses, and they also have laws we have to abide by. My sorority, Delta Zeta, has strict laws, which our chapter (Zeta Xi) could be fined with if we do not follow. While most people broadcast the negative things that sororities do, once a sorority is in the negative light of the media it is extremely to clear and clean up the name and reputation. With the media often bashing about the mistakes some girls make, they rarely ever broadcast the positives of sororities. One important thing we stress on is helping the community. We participate in school functions, along with raising money for our local philanthropies and our nation wide philanthropy, which are Starkey Hearing Foundation and The Painted Turtle. Both organizations raise money to help and give people around the world hearing aids. Every year they distributed a video after their mission trips, which leaves me speechless as I watch it seeing peoples faces light up because t hey can finally hear.

Finally, learning what sororities actually do and what they are about changed my view about them. I wish that instead of putting them in the negative stereotype category, people would actually learn what all they are about. It is not about the parties or the events; it actually helps you become a better person. I stepped out of my comfort zone and became friends with people that I knew I wouldn’t have if I were not a Delta Zeta. Becoming a Delta Zeta is by far one of the best decisions I have made, because not only do I get to help people it has made me into a better person. I have realized that there are many other serious matters in the world and there are people who need help. Our philanthropy outreach program has helped me gain a better perspective. The outreach program helps sponsor a child or adult who is in need of hearing aids through our philanthropy Starkey Hearing Foundation.

The bibliography that follows has several different views about sororities. It talks about one of the national philanthropies, which is The Painted Turtle. The Painted Turtle is a camp in which each week children of different disabilities gets a break from their diseases and get to have some fun with other children who have the same disease. The second sources I used talked about how there are negatives and positives of joining Greek life, and some of them can benefit in the long run or hurt you. Not everything that comes with joining and fraternity or sorority will always be positive, but as a brother or sister we have a impact on how the media portrays us. The last source I used talked about how joining Greek life is one of the best experiences that they ever had, because they gained friendships of a lifetime. I personally have made friendships that I would not have due to being around a different type of girls and out of my comfort zone.

I will say that joining a sorority has helped me gain a new perspective of people and I have made new friendships that will last a lifetime. I know that some people’s opinions will now always change, but if they get to know the sorority they might actually see that there is good within it. If they would get to know about the positives instead of the negatives they would actually notice that most sororities are not the stereotypical kind.

Annotated Bibliography

“Innovative Camp Programs for Children & Families.” The Painted Turtle. 4 Jan. 2010. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

The Painted Turtle website, describes what the painted turtle is about, it explains how not only are the “sisters” of the sorority inspiring children but how the children are inspiring them. Every year children are allowed to attend The Painted Turtle free of charge, and their families are allowed to attend as well for free. This philanthropy caught my attention the most because I would be touching the lives of little children and they would be touching mine. I am actually thinking of applying for a job as a councilor at the Paint Turtle this summer.

“Positive & Negative Effects of Greek Life in College.” Education. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

“Positive & Negative Effects of Greek Line in College” addresses how joining a sorority or fraternity is a major commitment for students. It says how they form life long friendships with their brothers/ sisters and create bonds that they never thought they could. It also explains how the negative reputations can have an affect on the fraternities’ brothers and the sorority sisters that you will fall into. Most people associate Greek Life with heavy drinking and partying, and not with all the positive community service that most chapters participate in. Even thought sororities and fraternities are expensive it is worth the cost because you gain so much more as a person, and friendships.

“Why I Joined A Sorority.” The Odyssey. 26 Aug. 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

This article really spoke to me personally, because it explained all the emotional excitement and experiences I faced. I saw that I was not joining the stereotypical sorority that I actually joined it because I fell in love with the girls that were in it. I have made friendships with them that mean the world to me, and I have something that is making me into a better person. Through the ups and downs of the sorority life, I have learned that people will always think negatively opinions but until they actually learn what sororities are about then they will never understand it completely.

Stumpt, Scott. “‘Worse for Women than Donald Trump’: Sorority Criticized for Recruitment Video.” TODAY.com. 17 Aug. 2015. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

The Alpha Phi chapter at the University of Alabama went under tremendous backlash from the media due to their rush week YouTube video. The chapter reportedly took the video down due to the negative reputation that the media broadcasted about them. The article states “These young women, with all their flouncing and hair-flipping, are making it so terribly difficult for anyone to take them seriously, now or in the future” with the media feeling this way about the video it shows how the world gets negative perspectives of sororities. Even though that it had a negative impact the girls reached out saying that this is not the way they want to me viewed. This year the Alpha Phi chapter added the most girls it ever has and one of the new pledge class members stated that the video portrayed her sisters as the total opposite of what and who they are.

 

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An Evening with Chuck Kolsterman

http://visitingwriters.lr.edu/the-authors

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On Thursday November 12, 2015, the author Chuck Kolsterman attended Lenoir- Rhyne University. This visit was much different from Jeff Hobbs, for one the interview was recorded for the radio station Charlotte Talks. Chuck talked about how he worked for a college paper at University of North Dakota, and thats how first got into journalism. He stated that he started his first book just to see if he could write that much, and said that he learned more from friends in college than professors. Chuck said that he always linked things together that are unlikely- just normal. He believes that the internet can damage journalism badly, and it was starting to.

I really enjoyed listening to Chuck Kolsterman, because it was a lot different than Jeff Hobbs. I thought it was more relaxing because his sense of humor, and how he talked about his own experiences. I also thought it was really cool how he said he hasn’t been around people like him since he moved to New York. Chuck said that he was always overthinking a lot and I can connect with him a lot on this subject, because I am always overthinking the littlest things possible. I found it very neat that even though we were different, we still connected on some way.

Visiting Writers: Jeff Hobbs

Jeff Hobbs, the author of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, visited Lenoir- Rhyne on October 22, 2015. Jeff talked about his own experiences with Rob, and how much of an impact Rob had on his life. He talked about how they were roommates while they attended Yale University, and how Rob became the biggest drug dealer there. Jeff said that even with Rob selling weed in their dorm he still felt safe, and there was a lot of laughter that came from all the people who visited. He talked about how Rob would never really ask for help, because where he was from that was a sign of weakness. He expressed how much he saw the impact Robs parents had on him, and how at the end of every phone call with his mother he would say “You’re my heart.”  Rob always was laughing, and that if he had a problem with somebody it was kept quietly. Jeff said he thought he was aware of the black life because he was a part of his high school track team, but he said Rob taught him otherwise while they lived together. Rob and Jeff were best friends, and even though he is passed Jeff said he is still very special to him.

I enjoyed listening to Jeff Hobbs talk about Rob, because I felts as if I connected better with the book. I learned what type of person Rob was, and the relationship he made with certain people in his life. Jeff made me realize how much Rob really cared about his mother, and the love that he had for her. I felt like I learned that Rob would do anything for anybody that he cared about, and would help out anybody who was in need. Also, I saw the impact that where Rob was from made him into the person he became during and after college. How he feel into the typical male of his time, but he managed to still get the education he desired.

Living with a Stranger.

In the New York Times post “A College Education Should Include Rooming With A Stranger” by Anna Altman, researchers argue that rooming with a complete stranger will make or break your first-year college experience. I personally disagree with half of this article saying that living with somebody different helps you branch out. I do understand that living with somebody else can switch your ways and help branch out of your typical everyday friend groups but you can always interact and make friends from campus activities. Even though living with somebody new can develop better social skills, I personally enjoy living with somebody that I have known for years. The ways colleges randomly assign roommates don’t always make the best fit, which can cause a miserable experience. There are positives and negatives to rooming with a stranger versus somebody you know, and in my opinion it has helped adjust and relax in college having somebody who I know.

I have known my roommate since the first grade and even though we disagree at times she has helped adjusting to the college life. She has helped me because instead of the awkward stage with the new roommate I am always comfortable around her and in our room. I never had to adjust to a new person or their living style. My roommate and I are both polar opposites with our personalities, which help us branch out and do our own things. We both have different friends but we also mingle amongst each other’s friends because they are either in our room or just hanging out somewhere. “Who you live with can change your studying habits, influence how much alcohol you drink and encourage (or prevent) weight gain and mood disorders.” I have adapted some of her ways without realizing but they are habits that I have already adapted with being friends for so long.

One thing that has helped my roommate and I branch out and make new friends is all the activities on campus. “Roommates influence whether and which social organizations an individual joins…” My roommate and I both participated in Greek life, she became a Zeta Tau Alpha and I am a Delta Zeta. With us both in different sororities we attract different people and build friendships with them. I have made a new family, which I have realized has made my college experience even better. I have learned to fit in with people I have just recently met. Also, just making new friends through our different classes. I have built relationships with people I wouldn’t have ever met if I didn’t take the campus opportunities.

I do think that there are some positives with rooming with a stranger but I find more negatives with that topic. If I was rooming with a stranger, I feel as if I would be under more stress trying to please my roommate then getting anything accomplished. It would be extremely hard especially if I didn’t get along with them or our personalities didn’t match up. I feel like the bond would have to be made at the start and if it weren’t then there would be nothing but awkwardness for the rest of the year. College is already hard with classes and then a failed relationship with a roommate would really make the first experiences be a hard struggle because I would really feel as if I had nobody. If my roommate and I never got along I wouldn’t ever want to be in the room with her, and that’s my room.

My roommate is my family away from home so personally I couldn’t imagine having a not close relationship with the person I live with. College uses all the random apps to assign roommates by asking the simplest questions, which the questions don’t really ask about personality and I would want my roommate to know my personality before I lived with her. That’s why I agreed and felt more comfortable with rooming with somebody who knows me and knows how I go about things. It has made my first two months of college so much easier versus having to build a relationship with a complete stranger.

Even though I cannot fully relate to this article because I live with somebody I have known for years, I do agree with some of the statements they make. I have adjusted some of my ways due to her, but I have also made new habits. I still agree that my adjustment to a new environment has been easier living with somebody who knows me.

Work Cited

Altman, Anna. “A College Education Should Include Rooming with a Stranger” TheNew York Times. The New York Times. 7 September 2014. 20 September 2015

I know the grandmother one had hands

In the poem “I know the grandmother one had hands” by Jaki Shelton Green, I believe that she modeled the poem to show that grandmother one was a hard worker. I analyzed that grandmother one was always working for herself or family. It seemed that she never had a down moment and she cared more about her family than she did herself. This reminds me of my grandmother, because even though she has three grandchildren she still gives each of us her best effort and does anything that we need her to do. Grandmother one seems to be very selfless and cares about others well beings more than hers. I feel as Jaki Shelton Green wanted to show how grandmothers actually put their love ones on a higher pedestal than their own wants and needs, their love for their family over powered their love for themselves.