Essay about Rebekah Nathan

Some of these dorms are labeled as the “party dorm”, and many freshmen are unaware of this because they are given little information and they do not have previous friends or family that have attended the university before them. Monica and Karen were both housed in the “party dorm” at MU, the party dorms are directly affiliated with the Greek life on campus. The Greek system is a sorority or fraternity that consists of mostly white male and female members from privileged backgrounds. These members of the Greek life usually have a great deal of connections both on and off campus and this in turn gives them more power within the educational system as well as the social aspect in the universities. Many students will attempt to join this elitist Greek life without realizing the consequences that come with the membership. Some of these consequences are the out-of-pocket costs to join, another is the constant partying that id involved as well as the deeds that you must do to prove your loyalty to the fraternity or sorority that you are hoping to become a part of. About less than half of the students that were in the same housing unit as Karen and Monica opted to try and join this elitist group. Many freshmen saw the Greek life as a great way to party and relieve stress but much more importantly these students saw free alcohol and a great social connection. That is what these

Minority serving institutions have been an integral part of the education system in the United States since before the Civil War (LeMelle, 2002). Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have, for much of their existence, been criticized for the level of academic rigor, political context, and their social agenda have created controversy for generations. With that being said, HBCUs hold a valuable place in the landscape of US higher education institutions. The culture, history, and perspective that is taught and shared are unparalleled and cannot be replicated at a predominately white institution (PWI).

By participating in Greek life, the students’ social circles are expanded. Because sororities and fraternities are specific to gender, religions, races, and even majors, those who participate in Greek life create lifelong relationships with people they choose to associate with by

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,

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

Having served in higher education the past three years, I have grown in my appreciation for the complexities of colleges and universities. Specifically, I am fascinated by how institutions value diversity within their student population and among their employees. Over the past two years colleges and universities have had to confront their racist past to understand their student population. Christian higher education has not been immune to this soul searching. Christian institutions must recognize diversity as a biblical and institutional imperative to embrace institutional inclusive excellence. Diversity needs to be embraced for institutions to survive in a pluralistic and changing society. As higher education faces a tumultuous future, there is a heightened need for diverse administrators who can navigate and effectively lead institutions towards inclusive excellence.

For over a century the University of Texas (UT) has served as a leading institution educating America’s leaders, however; the lingering effects of prior discrimination haunt the campus. Due to perceptions that UT’s environment is not supportive of underrepresented minority students, the University lacks diversity within its student body. Regardless, UT continues to receive an overwhelmingly selective applicant pool. However, without student diversity UT deems it difficult to perform its mission of providing superior educational opportunities while aiding the advancement of our society.

As a freshman at UNCW, I was starting out in a new place for the very first time, away from my friends and family. So many different thoughts were running through my mind like “How do I make friends.” Maybe I could join different clubs and organizations around campus. I found myself wanting sign up for sorority recruitment, to see what Greek life was about here at UNCW.

Supporting the success for diverse students on campus is just the beginning to make their experience as equal to that of the white community. Without positive campus attitude and without the recognition of what diversity brings to a school and a classroom, the system would not thrive and those of a different ethnic background will not be inclined to attend. The conclusion to Espinosa’s, Gaertner, and Orfields article is that college and university leaders

Arizona State University has been deemed one of the most diverse universities because their ethnic diversity is described as above average. However, according to the racial demographics, more than half of the students at this university are Caucasian. In my opinion, providing a setting for students that is culturally diverse is one of the most important aspects of a college campus. While Arizona State University has somewhat diverse campuses, it seems as if minorities are outnumbered. Being an African American student of ASU has inspired me to want to be a part of projects and events that advocate for African Americans. More specifically, being an African American woman has been a huge inspiration. It has inspired me because I have heard

While deciding where one is going to attend college, one may decide to look into extracurricular activities to get involved on campus. Sometimes one may ask an adult they look up to about what they think one should get involved in, many would agree that one should go Greek. After listing to other adults, one may decide to go through the recruitment experience and find their home in Greek life. Since joining a Greek organization one can see how people see it as a way to gain many leadership skills along with a great way to network. However one understands that everything one is involved in has something negative, like Greek life have so many opportunities to party which is the only thing that many people see when they think of Greek life. While exploring how Greek life is a good thing and that the bad that comes with it is nothing compared to the good. For many people including myself Greek life is a place where someone can be oneself and learn many things about who one is along with the sisters around you that push you to be the best person you

In order to study the need of a racially and culturally diverse college campus, the journey and battles fought must be dicussed. While there is a lack of diversity on college campuses today, they are not completely devoid of people of color. However, there was a time when college campuses were one hundred percent Caucasian. Jonathan R. Alger, Jorge Chapa and a team of researchers conducted studies on various college classrooms. They then went on to publish their findings in a book titled Does Diversity make a Difference? The purpose of their paper was to discuss the importance of diversity and reveal the effects of non-diverse campus. They begin their book by taking a look into the history of diversity in America. The start of the Civil Rights movement along with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty took place in the mid 1960s. These events forced the country to face the reality of the people of color in America. These Americans of color did not have equal access to education, jobs, housing, or other valued resources (Alger et al. 2000). College administrators and faculty were starting to understand the necessity of a diverse campus. The realized that people of color had just as much to offer to the United States as the Caucasian majority. During that time, “many higher education faculty members and administrators were deeply concerned that abandonment of race sensitive admissions and hiring, at a time when most minority groups continue to be unrepresented in higher education, will severely limit campus diversity and would undermine the learning environment for all students.” (Alger et al. 2000). Additionally, a lot of the traditionally white colleges and universities were provoked and questioned by the concerns of their students. The universities and colleges began to notice their inability to extend the same educational

This factor makes UIUC seem like a place where people stay within their respective “social cliques,” due to their reluctance to step outside their comfort zone. Detached observers have this naive realism that people will stick to their social norm to stick to the status quoi. But these detached observers are not observing the subjects as correctly because UIUC students do communicate with people with other social cliques due to clubs, sports, school, social events, in their community, and any extracurricular activity. Students are expanding and stepping out of their comfort zone, which leads to UIUC students being united and together as

While my undergraduate institution highly encouraged pursuit of cultural activities, it was only because of the student community at UC Davis that this was feasible. My involvement in the Davis community was largely intertwined with cultural activities, and allowed me to form deep connections on campus and within the town of Davis. I believe that University of Minnesota’s goal of promoting excellence through diversity is commendable because it similarly encourages students to celebrate diversity within their community, and allows the formation of a close-knit, safe environment for people of all background.