Monday, April 21, 2014

Period 2 Blog Post Due 4/25

http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/02/the-dark-power-of-fraternities/357580/

Consider the author's tone, structure of the article, validity of evidence, persuasive techniques, and your personal reaction.  
2. Please add an intelligent comment (minimum 5 sentences) in response to the linked articles from The Atlantic.  Be sure to use a minimum of one quote in your response.
3. Optional: Comment on a classmates post in a second post (minimum 3 sentences)
*Use only your first name, last initial and class period.

15 comments:

  1. Ryan C.
    Fraternities were started to become more than just a place for young men to be steered in the direction of service and leadership. They have become a significant nationwide problem as they are often the central location for college parties. The author points out throughout the article that fraternities are designed to help control and steer young men in the right direction, but that is starting to change."Fraternity organizations raise millions of dollars for worthy causes, contribute millions of hours in community service, and seek to steer young men toward lives of service and honorable action. They also have a long, dark history of violence against their own members and visitors to their houses, which makes them in many respects at odds with the core mission of college itself." So why have these organizations transitioned into more harm then good? The author points out that fraternities are becoming more party heavy and are starting to go against the roots they were founded upon. Pledging for fraternities has become incredibly inhumane as people are often abused physically, sexually and are forced into doing things that put their lives in jeopardy. The whole landscape of fraternities and sororities has changed and not for the better. They are no longer a place full of service and leadership, but instead full of lawsuits and assault.

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  2. MaryColleen
    I liked the way the author structured this article. Though it was very long, it never lost my attention. From starting with a stupid story to going into the history of Fraternities themselves "The organizations raise millions of dollars for worthy causes, contribute millions of hours in community service, and seek to steer young men toward lives of service and honorable action." And then piling on more and more shocking stories. I find it very peculiar that famous men throughout history found their time in a Fraternity was one of the best in their live. I want to believe that young adults these days act differently than the way the young man in the fraternities did years ago. It's amazing to me how they cover up all of their sick deeds. "Fraternity tradition at its most essential is rooted in a set of old, deeply American, morally unassailable convictions, some of which—such as a young man’s right to the freedom of association—emanate from the Constitution itself." The fact that this is acceptable and the public isn't made aware of these issues is very scary and dangerous. What happens when on one of those drunken nights the "stupid idea" is a very very stupid one that puts many persons lives at danger? Would that be covered up too? We grow up trusting in our government but if big mistakes like this can get tossed out so easily, what else can? Fraternities, in my opinion need to go back to its roots of service and brotherhood because how many more people can be harmed by them?

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  3. skimming through most of this dramatically long article, i saw that these frat houses are posing more and more problems for college students. Instead of a brotherhood for learning and an establishment for future career connections, they have become an excuse for college students to throw wild and crazy house parties. Frat houses are supplying minors with absurd amounts of alcohol and are causing drunken accidents, leaving students injured and even some hospitalized. for example, a 20-year-old man named Shane Meyer had fallen from the third-floor window of the Delta Tau Delta house leaving him critically injured. frat houses have steered away from their original purpose. students have been treating them as if they were in animal house. so colleges must do a better job of controlling the festivities that go on campus.

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  4. Alla Miller period 2
    After reading this article, it has opened my eyes to what actually happens at frat houses. I did not realize how crazy they got, and really do not follow what they were started for. They have a six beer policy, that not everyone at the party follows, and they have other rules that each house should follow but they don't. I think they are a bad idea, and should have more rules, so there is less danger and trouble. But some members really do follow all the rules and go by them one member said, "One way you become a man, Smithhisler suggests, is by taking responsibility for your own mistakes, no matter how small or how large they might be. If a young man wants to join a fraternity to gain extensive drinking experience, he’s making a very bad choice." I agree with Smithhister in the sense that they should follow the rules of the frat house and not join them to party, but to be part of a brotherhood. and establish connections with people.

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  5. Many things became apparent to me whilst reading this article, the most obvious is how interesting one's walls appear 3/4th's done with this article. Jokes aside, this was a very long, but interesting article. I've never paid much attention to fraternities and the inner-workings of one, only the parties they have en masse on many universities. As it is the most known part of fraternities, I doubt it is a small group of individuals as Mr. Smithhisler thinks it is, "His belief is that what’s tarnishing the reputation of the fraternities is the bad behavior of a very few members, who ignore all the risk-management training that is requisite for membership...". While I believe some may join for well-intentioned reasons as many presidents and politicians have, the majority of men who join fraternities are in it to party. Parties are open-invitations to defy and break many of these policies like the six beer policy which must be broken A LOT. Fraternities started with good intentions but have degraded to a point I believe isn't salvageable.
    - Jared Carlson, Period: 2

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  6. Caroline M.
    Period 2
    Greek life has always had an issue with hazing along with the alcohol and drug consumption. The people who go through Fraternities and Sororities usually come out of the process with improved self-esteem. however, along the journey through the life of a Kappa Delta or Alpha Tau Omega, etc. they go through numerous of times were there confidence has been crushed. Just the initiation is all judgment and conformity. But, as I read the very lengthy article it opened my eyes to other issues that occur in fraternities and sororities. I had no idea that deaths can happen from,"Far from being freakish and unpredictable events, fatal and near-fatal falls from fraternity-house roofs, balconies, windows, and sleeping porches are fairly regular occurrences across the country." About 15% of incidents are from a fall of heights. But we have to acknowledge that these kids who "fell" were probably oblivious because of the amount of alcohol that they have consumed. Fraternities don't have to be this crazy but we make it this way. College students today need to break from there studies and just hang lose; (some may hang lose to much and fall off of a balcony or out of a window). But what I'm trying to say is that there is not much that we can do. They're college students and there will come a time soon when we will go to college and some may choose to join a fraternity or sorority. Its our choice to put ourselves through the "near death experiences" and the judgment. My sister was a Delta Delta Delta and doesn't regret joining it.

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  7. College fraternities have always been a place where you expect to see excessive alcohol consumption and parties that get very out of hand very quickly. The stereotypical frat, as seen in pop culture in TV shows such as "Blue Mountain State" and movies such as "Animal House," has always been a place that sees some of the wildest parties imaginable, with alcohol, drugs, and sex fueling the fire. The article clearly shows how often times that stereotypical frat is in fact very close to what happens in real life. What was most striking from the article to me was the graph that was shown approximately a quarter of the way down the page. The graph depicts the most common claims reported to insurance companies of the frats. most often reported is assault, accounting for 23% of all claims, followed closely by sexual assault accounting for 15% of all claims.These statistics astonish me. The alcohol induced assaults that together account for 38% of all claims is a serious problem. Although they have a history in American schools, frats are turning out to be one of the biggest dangers facing college aged students. When fraternities turn more into an alcohol and drug induced fight club, action needs to be taken. This also does not include harmful practices such as hazing, or poor choices made by party goers who drink and drive afterwords. Overall, fraternities are posing threats to our higher educational system that need to be addressed.

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  8. Fraternities were originally formed as a young men's club in which leadership and service were priorities. They are as old as America itself; George Washington was a a part of the Freemasons. Though fraternities have done a lot of good since they were conceived, the face of frats have changed. When thinking of the modern frat, most think of rich, preppy guys living in a house who throw crazy parties with alcohol. No more does the image of potential leaders of the future. Not only are frats becoming out of control, they are also a source of violence and danger; in fact, "more than 60 people- the majority of them students- have died in incidents linked to fraternities." Stories include falling from three-story windows to accidents from hazing gone wrong. Though there are many horror, freak accident stories from frats, I think they are here to stay. Frats and sororities have become an intergull part of the American college experience; people even choose certain colleges over others for their Greek system. And there are still some good, productive frats and sororities out there. It becomes the job of the individual college to make and enforce rules pertaining to partying, hazing, underage drinking, etc. What it comes down to is that the individual student must be a aware of their peers and surroundings when engaging or rushing a frat or sorority.

    Skylar S.

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  9. Jordyn B.
    I found this article quite interesting because of the tone the author had throughout it. She found a way to express his intelligence and feelings in a mature, but also understandable way. Because she was able to make such intelligent comments so relatable to even someone like me, I found that I was more inclined to read and listen to what he had to say. One quote that stood out to me was, "That pursuing a bachelor’s degree might be something other than a deeply ascetic and generally miserable experience was once a preposterous idea. “ Rather than just saying that a bachelors degree can actually be fun and worth it, she brought life to the situation. It was also quite interesting how a seemingly “normal” college party turned into a legitimate legal case. From the first paragraph, you wouldn’t imagine that it would turn into that, but it was the author’s way of drawing you in.

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  10. This article was very interesting because I learned what really happens in Fraternities and Sororities. People end up going to schools just for the frats and this isn't good because when they do this they usually make bad decisions. " ...in may substantive ways, fraternities are now mightier than the colleges and universities that host them." That's pretty scary, especially because of how big some schools are and even the small schools. And it's even worse that they can't be stopped. It is just a weird situation and a weird thing to have at schools. There are some things that were good for these fraternity and sorority houses. It is something that keeps the students and the alumni involved with the school, but they do more harm then help. These places make the kids want to go to school for the wrong reason and people need to realize what harm will be done by using these places.
    Chaylea Finn period 2

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  11. I found this article about fraternities to be very interesting. The article first mentions a story about a boy named Louis Helmburg who fell off the deck of the Alpha Tau Omega. He got together with a lawyer to file a lawsuit about how the deck did not have a railing on it. However, I find it shocking that he would want to sue them because I feel that it is more of his fault. The author says, “Sending a lawyer without special expertise in wrangling with fraternities to sue one of them is like sending a Boy Scout to sort out the unpleasantness in Afghanistan.” I agree with this point because I feel that it is unreasonable. It is scary to think that more than 60 people have died from incidents linked with fraternities. The article also showed pictures of fraternity houses the day after. After seeing these pictures, I got a better feel for how dangerous they can be. Even though the article mentioned some very good points as to why these are bad, I feel that they will never be banned.
    Holly Parker P2

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  12. This article about fraternities was very eye opening and interesting. While on my college tours on April break, the tour guides discussed fraternity life. They tried to portray the point of if you join a fraternity you will gain valuable leadership skills and have a family experience away from home. However, after reading this article I realize that there is much more to fraternities. I'm still most likely to become a part of a fraternity when I'm in college, but this made me more cautious of the dangers a fraternity can bring. One member stated, "One way you become a man, Smithhisler suggests, is by taking responsibility for your own mistakes, no matter how small or how large they might be. If a young man wants to join a fraternity to gain extensive drinking experience, he’s making a very bad choice." If you join the fraternity for the wrong reasons you're putting yourself in harms way. If you know how to conduct yourself and how to make the right decisions, the being a member could be a worthwhile experience.

    Joe Roca P2

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  13. The article was very informative and provided a lot of viable data to support its points. I loved the author's use of voice. It added a lot of character to his writing and made the article a lot more personal. However, the article was painfully long. He definitely could have been more direct. Personally, I think that fraternities are like most things in life- they can be wonderful and productive or they can be horrible and destructive. "The organizations raise millions of dollars for worthy causes, contribute millions of hours in community service, and seek to steer young men toward lives of service and honorable action. They also have a long, dark history of violence against their own members and visitors to their houses, which makes them in many respects at odds with the core mission of college itself." It really goes two ways. Yeah, some fraternities are ridiculous and dangerous but there are also some that do a lot of good and really help the students adjust to and succeed in school. Whether a fraternity will be "bad" or "good" really depends on what direction the members decide to take it. I don't think you can generalize ALL fraternities and say that they are collections of idiots bent on self-destruction. You have to judge them each individually.

    Iana W.
    Period 2
    - Iana-Lee West

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  14. Jake S.
    Period 2
    While I do agree with some of the points the author brought up in the superfluous article, I strongly disagree with the author's overall purpose that college fraternities have more bad than good. Although I understand that college is meant for students to learn not study, I believe fraternities offer great opportunities that cannot be matched elsewhere. For example, a number of college students are shy, and by joining fraternities you see them become more outgoing and friendly to others. Another good thing about fraternities is that they help students network, which will come in handy for once they have graduated. In the text it says, "The organizations raise millions of dollars for worthy causes, contribute millions of hours in community service, and seek to steer young men toward lives of service and honorable action." Additionally many fraternity members have gone on to live lives of success, "Fraternity men make up 85 percent of U.S. Supreme Court justices since 1910, 63 percent of all U.S. presidential cabinet members since 1900, and, historically, 76 percent of U.S. senators and 85 percent of Fortune 500 executives ... Fraternities really do breed leaders—a cohort of young men dedicated to being loyal, being knowledgeable, and embracing the skills of leadership success." While I do recognize the fact that there have been many inappropriate incidents at an overwhelming number of colleges, I believe college fraternities have many benefits and need to be regulated in order to decrease the number of incidents.

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  15. I agree very much with the author's opinion of college fraternities as I view them as reinforcements of the structural hierarchy of powers which suffocate the American Dream. The influence of college fraternities is made evident by the author of this article when he cites the following statistics, "Fraternity men make up 85 percent of U.S. Supreme Court justices since 1910, 63 percent of all U.S. presidential cabinet members since 1900, and, historically, 76 percent of U.S. senators and 85 percent of Fortune 500 executives." These numbers are alarming as they confirm just how much influence fraternities have in the US. Respectively, this is due to the connections fraternities provide for their members, something that is imperative for success in the modern world. But regardless of the community service and charity work some frat houses are known for, there is no denying the poor character displayed by the young men who inhabit these frat houses at college parties; as the author cites, "...Bloomberg News’s David Glovin and John Hechinger notes that since 2005, more than 60 people—the majority of them students—have died in incidents linked to fraternities, a sobering number in itself, but one that is dwarfed by the numbers of serious injuries, assaults, and sexual crimes that regularly take place in these houses." Given this information, I think a question we should all be asking is: do we truly want such men to be our leaders?
    Dan Lalor
    Period 2

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