Objective Summary Blogpost #2

  Lois C. Olden recorded the history of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in, The Timeless Legacy of Zeta Nu Omega. In chapters through seven of The Timeless Legacy of Zeta Nu Omega the author focuses on how the AKA sorority worked together achieve goals. It is very clear through the novel that the AKA sorority had a strong sense of team work and wanted to use this to help as many people as possible. The AKA provided "ground breaking social action" and this sorority rose up in a time of segregation and sexism," Hedgemen and cohorts worked to honor an everlasting debt to raise them (negros) up and make them better..."(Olden 87). Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded by nine undergraduates at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The author concludes that the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority has fulfilled its obligation to become an indomitable force for good.

Essential Question: sororities

Essential Question: 
What if hazing laws did not exist?
Claim:
Hazing laws do not have an effect on reducing hazing in sororities.
Reason:
Though laws exist against it, older sisters encourage and force younger sisters to partake in drinking, drugs and other illegal activities.

New sorority sisters are peer pressured into drinking during hazing 

Objective Summary

          Lois C. Olden recorded the history of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in, The Timeless Legacy of Zeta Nu Omega. In chapters through three of The Timeless Legacy of Zeta Nu Omega the author focuses on the goals the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority tried to accomplish, for example; creating a support network for women with like minds. Ethel Hedgeman created the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority to benefit others by making a group that would bring out each others strengths. The main concern of the AKA sorority was to educate the masses and encourage lifelong learning, the author also makes it clear that AKA wanted to help their community. Olden states that the AKA, "Not only fostered interaction, stimulation and ethical growth among members; but also provided hope for the masses"(10). Olden also highlights that the AKA received a scholarship award and adopted more than twenty-seven African villages, earning Africare's 1986 Distinguished Service Award. These chapters conclude with the fact that the Alpha Kappa Alphas focused on helping their community in anyway they could, whether it was providing education or help to the sick and poor.

Alpha Kappa Alpha

Ethel Hedgemen

Olden, C. Lois. The Timeless Legacy of Zeta Nu Omega. New York: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Zeta Nu Omega chapter, at Smashwords, 2014, print.

Survey Results

The results were varying for each question, each question also had unique responses. Most people would join a sorority for life experience and friendships. However, seventy five percent of the responses thought of parties and exchanges when thinking about greek community. There us so much more to sororities than parties and friends. Fifty percent of students who took the survey find charity work in greek life somewhat important. Also, hazing makes fifty percent of users nervous about joining a sorority or fraternity. The financial aspect of becoming a Greek member does not affect most students in their decision.

Sorority/Fraternity survey

Survey

Discussion Question #3

Discuss the affect social media would have on the book Sorority Sisters.

The book Sorority Sisters is set in the 1970's in Los Angeles, California. It is clear how different communication was in the 1970's as opposed to modern day communication. Karen, one of the main characters, mentions her boyfriend Greg sending her letters and also waiting at her house for her to get home to make sure she was okay. This is a prime example of how different the times have become. If this book were set in modern times, then Greg could have texted or called Karen if he was worried about her. At another time Karen was at a frat party, which Greg was not thrilled about, and if social media was around, pictures could have been posted from the party. These pictures could have upset Greg and caused a rift in their relationship because Karen isn't the most loyal," It was definitely a case of what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him"(13). Social media like; facebook, instagram, snapchat, and twitter, affect many relationships today because people post about every moment. Sometimes these accounts can be the start of fights and bullying as opposed to staying in touch with friends and family. Social media can give people a false sense of courage, which can lead to dangerous situations.

Discussion Question

What is the most important theme of Sorority Sisters? Justify why this theme is an important aspect of the book. :

The most important theme in Sorority Sisters is friendship. Friendship is what the girls searched for, found, and kept. In the first chapter we met Karen who didn't expect to find any friends and never had any girl friends growing up. However, a quick bond is made between; Karen, Laurie, Ellen, and Diane. The girls were faced with; heartbreak, family issues, and internal conflict, but always had each other to count on. All the girls, at one point, are heartbroken by a guy they thought they loved, and when they felt the most alone and helpless, they would have a friend to pick them up. Also, as we learn more about the characters, we find out the kind of childhood each of them had, along with the baggage they carried due to that. Some of the girls self conflict and insecurities stem from this, and threaten to take over. When they find themselves spinning out of control, no matter how hard it is, they know they can ask each other for help. The four of them share a sisterhood they never thought they would have found. 

Sorority Sisters~by Claudia Welch

Discussion Question

                Analyze Karen and Gary's relationship:

                Karen and Greg have an unhealthy relationship because Karen gets bored of Greg and constantly cheats on him. She claims she loves him, but he is just a safety net. Karen and Greg care each other, this is clear when he we waits up for at her house to see if shes safe. Also when Karen imagines their future together, however she is caught up in college and all the male attention. Karen has had a multitude of boyfriends since second grade, she is unable to be alone. She justifies her cheating by saying she loves Greg and she was away from him for three months and she was bored. Karen pledged to a sorority because her mom thought she needed more female friends. However Greg doesn't like her being apart of a sorority because he probably doesn't trust her, "...when I wrote and told him my mom had signed me up for rush, his first letter back to me was vitriolic and intense"(Welch 15). Greg is very upset and angry about Karen rushing a sorority and later asks about the frat guys. Greg is also angry when Karen returns later than she said she would, from a party. If Greg and Karen's relationship was healthy he would trust her enough to be okay with her joining a sorority.  Honesty and trust is important in any friendship and/or relationship, however Greg and Karen's relationship does not possess these two things.

Sororities

Sororities

TED Talks: Malcom Gladwell

Malcom Gladwell at PopTech! is 2008

              It has become clearer to me that things are not always what they seem after watching a few of Malcom Gladwells TED talks.There are so many things in everyday life that we view from only one perspective, when there are so many ways to look at and interpret the situation. Gladwell shows us this when he talks about how 'spagetti sauce is happiness'. He supports this claim by saying that everyone likes a different spaghetti sauce and food industry used to only have one type, obviously not everyone agrees on one type. Gladwell states that people do not know what they want and have to be given a variety of sauces. Gladwells talk is concluded with how the food industry has changed to cater to the individual, and how everyone is unique. The point of this TED talk was to promote human individuality and how it promotes happiness.

Each one of Malcom Gladwells TED talks begin with a with a very straight forward topic or story but he then looks at the subject with a new point of view. By doing this Gladwell shows the significance of that story or that there is a lesson to be learned. The part of Gladwells talks that stand out to me is how he can see an important message in something I wouldn't bother to look any closer at. For example, his talk about the Norton bombing site. Gladwell begins with the history behind it and concludes his talk by saying, "The issue isn't the accuracy of the bombs you have, its how you use the bombs you have and more importantly whether you ought to use bombs at all." This makes me think of how far we have come in technology regarding war, but also whether this advance was for better or worse.

 Gladwells' TED talks and writings have made me more aware of my actions, especially Gladwells' piece called, 'The Warren Harding Error'. This chapter in one of his novels focuses on peoples implicit bias. In my life I think a phenomenon that deserves a closer look is the placebo effect. Many people have looked into this and scientists have run many experiments, showing that people will believe what they want. I think this is very relevant in my generation because i think a lot of kids will believe something in order to fit in. For example a lot of people go to parties and pretend they're drunk and are convinced they are because they want to be. Another example could be when someone doesn't want to go to school or work and ends up convincing themselves they're sick.