Alpha Phi Benefits

The objectives of Alpha Phi Alpha are to stimulate the ambition of its members, to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the cause of Humanity, Freedom, and Dignity of the individual; to encourage the highest and noblest form or manhood and to aid downtrodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic, and intellectual status.

The discourse community I have chosen is within my sorority, Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta). There are many stereotypes associated with Tri Delta, and that is the most irritating thing about being in a sorority. Anyone from my high school would insist that I am not a sorority girl if someone were to ask them. When I started my fall semester, I was not expecting to rush because once again again, I am not the “sorority type”. Greek life at Boise State is unlike any other campus. Some may think that being in a sorority is all about social standing, parties, and being better than the people around you. In reality, it is the exact opposite. For the rest of this paper, I am going to prove to you why Tri Delta is a discourse community.

With this research I plan to go back to the roots of why sororities use Greek language in their discourse community and how it helps them form a sisterhood that is shared only amongst the community. Sororities and fraternities are becoming more prevalent in universities all across the nation. Today, there are over 9 million members of the Greek communities and the number is continuously growing each year (“Greek Life Statistics”). “The terms ‘fraternity’ and ‘sorority’ describe groups of men and women who join together to offer fellowship, academic support, leadership training, participation in campus activities, service to the community and University, and preparation for future careers” (“What is Greek Life?”). People that in are the Greek community all have at least one thing in common. Whether they just want to be apart of a sisterhood/brotherhood or deeper things like they all share a common belief or goal. “Sororities have five basic benefits: sisterhood, scholarship, leadership, philanthropy (charitable causes/community service), and socializing” (“About Sororities”). These benefits are included in the values and beliefs of a sorority as a discourse community. Greeks all speak a “language” that they learn in the process of becoming part of their fraternity/sorority(recruitment process). Agendas, e-mails, and text messages are all forms of a genre. A genre is anything that is written down and shared in the discourse community. Face to face interaction is a way to advertise for events and also another way to advertise for events is through

When one first thinks of Greek life or a sorority the only thing that comes to mind is the social aspect. Most people don’t think of sororities as social institutions that envelop their own culture, with mannerisms, languages and customs that are unique to each individual organization. However, these institutions promote a common set of values that enable members to become connected in a way that has a more profound meaning than just social interaction. Greek organizations are good examples of how institutions can affect and be affected by social status and roles within the collegiate community. They are also a prime example of how race, class and gender can affect a social setting in both positive and negative manners.

The Greek communities that have risen across the country have created huge impacts on every university that they have established themselves on. Historically, fraternities were designed for students to discreetly meet to discuss issues and host debates that their members believed would be deemed inappropriate by their collegiate faculties. Since their founding, fraternities and sororities have completely revamped their focuses. They are used as social, professional, and honorary organizations that promote many different combinations of community service, leadership, and academic success. The ideas of brotherhood and sisterhood have also transcended the college experience,

Brea’na Wright-Hall, “We attend the Greek events and we see no one that looks like us. Not only that, the Greek organizations on campus who makes up a large percentage of the social life do not support any other events besides their own or FPC. That’s a problem, we can’t keep supporting your events but the support is not reciprocated.”

Walking around a university’s campus any day of the week, one sees an array of Greek letters worn proudly by young men and women in the Greek system. Fraternities and sororities play a big part in a university. The Greek system can also be an easy target to direct criticism. There are those who oppose the Greek system and those who embrace it. Evan Wright opposes the Greek system in his article “Sister Act” that was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine. He uses examples from students at Ohio State University in Columbus to show his disapproval of the way sororities are now days. He portrays sorority girls as catty conformists who are obsessed with partying with fraternity

In the 1960s, there was a considerable decrease in the number of students joining fraternities and sororities on campus. The movie implemented a rejuvenation of the Greek college, party life on campus. Sperber writes “Nationwide membership in fraternities doubled from about one hundred thousand in 1970 to two hundred thousand in 1980, and doubled again to almost four hundred thousand in 1990” (16) Due to the rise of party and prank behavior attributed to membership, colleges put regulations in place to stop student drinking. These regulations do not work. The regulations also contradict the advertised Greek life used while recruiting students to pledge. My impression of this is that it still occurs today. I agree with Sperber, there are many students entering college just to be part of this

Originally, I had the common misconception that fraternities solely focused on parties, drinking and their social status. As I further researched the founding principles of Alpha Phi Alpha I became aware they collectively prioritize scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity. Alpha Phi Alpha is

This is my first semester at New Mexico State University and I am over all loving the experience. There aren’t many flaws here at New Mexico State University in my opinion however my proposal will be something that I am currently pretty actively involved in on campus, and that is the Greek life here at New Mexico State University. In just my short time here on campus no other program or organization has stood out or had near the effect Greek life has had on me thus far. Within New Mexico State University you find people in Greek life everywhere you go, we have members in ASNMSU, the president of ASNMSU is a Greek. There are Greeks in almost every organization on campus. You find us working jobs on campus, and no matter where you find one, Greeks play a pretty active role here on campus.

One of the most exciting moments as a Greek was being selected as a recruitment counselor for the Greek community. While it meant having to disassociate myself from my sorority for a period of time, it was a rewarding experience. I was honored that the selection committee thought I exhibited the personal qualities necessary to be a counselor.

Pursuing the dream of obtaining membership into the First Intercollegiate Greek Fraternity for African Americans, Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. is one of very few ultimate goals in my life. An organization that was founded to stimulate the ambitions of its members and prepare them for great usefulness within the community has since become one of the most well respected organizations in America. Over one hundred years later, the pivotal movement in 1906 has spread to over the entire country in different collegiate chapters and cities across America and the impact has been tremendous. Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. was vaguely introduced to me as a child but it did not take effect until I started school at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Many people state that the four years that one spends in college will be some of the best in their lifetime. College is a place to expand horizons and find new clubs and activities to participate in. Being a member of a Greek system is one of these endless options offered by a university, and it is a popular one. There are over nine million students distributed in over 12,000 chapters nationwide who take part in the Greek system (NJIT). Going greek can impact experiences and connections in a college student’s life in positive and negative ways.

Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience into going Greek. It is important for one to have the best experience in college, and by joining such an organization one may improve their college years, as well as their post college years with the relationships they build, the leadership and networking skills gained, and the job opportunities.

‘Their Pledges Die. So Should Fraternities.” Published by the New York Times and written by Frank Bruni, goes into depth of why fraternities should be abolished in our modern day education system. The author keeps multiple audiences engaged throughout his argument by using all appeals of logos, pathos and ethos, and taking into account of all his possible audiences. Bruni targets his audience of the educated(college graduates) adults that have most likely been around greek life or even been apart of it.