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Savannah Ashley
Professor Taylor
ENC 1102 T/Th 12-1:15
17 March 2015
Initial Research Proposal
Research Direction
I want to research on a broad spectrum relating to Greek life in general asking what
benefits there are of being in a sorority and how they operate on college campuses. Then, I want
to dive deeper and focus on my sorority specifically - Delta Zeta (DZ). This chapter is fairly new
at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and I aim to research what impact an individual can
make as a member of a new sorority chapter. Using my sorority specifically, I can find out what
makes DZ special as opposed to other sororities. I can go on to explain the benefits and the
processes that come with being new to Greek life on a college campus and new to a Greek letter
organization.

So What?
This subject is worth further investigation because not many people understand the
benefits of being in a sorority. There are many experiences and opportunities given to those who
participate in Greek Life and it needs to be broadcasted. Unfortunately, there are a number of
negative stereotypes about sororities and I wish to shed light on the positive things that go along
with involvement in Greek Life. After talking about Greek Life in general, I will present Delta
Zeta as an example and show the specifics of what is involved with becoming a member of such
organization. There is a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication that goes along with

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participating in sorority life in order to better individuals in the long run. Highlighting these
things and diving even deeper into these topics will make the investigation worthwhile. Also,
illustrating the good qualities of women in sororities to potential new members can help continue
to grow chapters with the right individuals.

Why Has This Not Been Resolved?

These negative stereotypes of sororities are due to the lack of knowledge of what
sororities actually encompass. Many gather their knowledge of Greek Life from the media,
which portrays negative images of sororities based on partying and drinking. The continuance of
these images throughout movies as well as the lack of awareness for the positive side of
sororities are the reasons there is negative light on Greek Life.

What Do I Hope To Learn?

Because I am new to Greek Life, I hope to learn more of the benefits of being in any
sorority. Then, I hope to learn the specific benefits of being in a new chapter on campus and even
more specifically, being in Delta Zeta. Each sorority has something else to offer and I want to
learn more about the one of which I am a part.

Who Else Cares?

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College campuses as well as Greek Life care about spreading the positive awareness of
sororities impact in the community and on the individuals inside the sorority. UCF even has a
program, Become, that focuses on the benefits of Greek Life.

Initial Sources
Philanthropy - May I Give Graciously of What Is Mine." Delta Zeta UCF. Pi Xi Chapter Delta
Zeta Sorority, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.deltazetaucf.com/philanthropy.html>.

"Sorority Life: A Values Based Experience." Sorority Life. NPC In The News, 11 Jan. 2013.
Web. 10 Mar. 2015. <http://www.thesororitylife.com/newsDetail.aspx?id=63>.

"Sorority Purpose." Delta Zeta Enriching. Constitution of the Delta Zeta Sorority, Article II,
Sections 1. and 2., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.deltazeta.org/aboutus/sororitypurpose>.

UCF Fraternity and Sorority Life- Become.. 2014. Youtube. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhuq5bXTEp4>.