Activism Blog 6

Kelly Hales WST 3015

April 23, 2010
Nina Perez
Word Count: 460
Activism Blog 6

Activism:

This week I helped Marianna and took the Girl Scouts to an event at the UCF Kappa Delta Sorority house. The Kappa Delta Sorority is actually directly related to the Girl Scouts (which I didn't even know). We met at the Bithlo location and took separate cars to shuttle the girls to the Kappa Delta house. The girls made collages to reflect their personality, which was very interesting. It was very evident that the girls are very interested in Twilight and Justin Beiber. I find it interesting that they enjoy Twilight so much because there are mothers and grandmothers who are enjoying the series as well. Perhaps it's just a "girl thing". They all stood up and shared what they put on their posters; I found that the majority of them were interested in the same things. The Kappa Delta girls then provided everyone rootbeer floats and the event came to an end.

Reflection:

This event was interesting for many reasons. First of all, I have always been curious about the sorority/fraternity houses on campus. I have always wondered what they looked like inside and what went on inside them. This trip allowed me (and especially the Girl Scouts) to explore that lifestyle.

The collage project was so interesting because I was able to analyze the different images they used portray who they are and what they like. I found so frequently that the girls were pasting pictures of purses, make up, perfume and clothes to their collages. They were stating that they liked to shop and look pretty. It is very obvious that these girls have been affected by the media, which is a topic we have studied in class. Jean Kilbourne offers the fact that "most teenagers are sensitive to peer pressure and find it difficult to resist or even to question the dominant cultural messages perpetuated and reinforced by the media" (Kilbourne 231). It is important that these girls are able to understand that they can be themselves and that they don't have to follow what the media tells them.

Reciprocity:

I was glad to be able to enter the Kappa Delta house. It was just as much of a learning experience for me as it was for the Girl Scouts. It allowed me to understand what the girls are focusing on and defining themselves with (make up, perfume, etc.). I was so proud because the girls kept telling me that they wanted to go to UCF and become part of Kappa Delta. I was glad to be a part of the trip because maybe this experience is the one experience that they needed to convince them that going to college is what they need. I feel proud when I feel that perhaps I've influenced someone in a beneficial manner.

Resources:

Kilbourne, Jean. "The More You Subtract, the More You Add". Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. New York: McGraw Hill, 2009.