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Liz Gates - 6142 1 March 2012 Professor Douberly ENGL 1102 NN Positioning Paper Final Draft Individually Unique, Together Complete Less than three percent of the United States is affiliated with a Greek Organization. At Georgia Southern University, Greeks make up only eleven percent of the student body. But, even with those small numbers being Greek has grown into a way of life. One example is the womens fraternity of Kappa Kappa Gamma: Zeta Upsilon Chapter located at Georgia Southern University. Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG) is considered a subculture due to, but not limited to, its unique set of clothes, ritual, behaviors, and exclusive set of members. Each initiate of Kappa can, on any normal day walking to class, be seen dressed in a t-shirt with the fraternity letters on them paired with Nike shorts or black leggings. What also separates our group is our secret ritual. Each member, after initiation, is taught the special KKG procedures along with all other Kappas across the nation. This connects us in an extraordinary bond. The behavior of each and every one of our girls is also matchless. Upon receiving the gift to be associated with the letters and sisterhood of Kappa Kappa Gamma, each member is then tied to one another to always help and love. The reason I am so knowledgeable about the subculture of Kappa Kappa Gamma is because I am an active member and have been since my pledge period and initiation of fall 2010. I have had numerous leadership positions including Assistant to the Philanthropy Chairman, member of the Standards Committee, and Pi Chi. Holding these positions and being active in

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other various events such as intramural sports, homecoming and philanthropy events, and living in the KKG house has allowed me to see Kappa in all aspects. What made me desire to start looking at Kappa from a researching standpoint instead of just a regular chapter member was the curiosity of how our group functions. From the moment I signed my Bid card, I had multiple friends within the first few hours. But, Kappa does serve more than just friendships. I really was intrigued by the social connections made by joining a sorority not just with each other but with alumni and sisters across the nation. Also, another interesting subject matter was how upon joining a group of over a hundred women start to blend and acquire common traits just by being associated with Kappa Kappa Gamma. Unfortunately though, some stereotypes do exists as do all groups that have select membership. The main misconception of Kappa Kappa Gamma is that we are a bottom tier sorority that consists of the left over girls during recruitment. Also, a stereotype that is in common with Greek Life as a whole and not just Kappa is that sorority girls are judgmental and conceited. As a member of KKG, I am prone to have a bias pro-kappa opinion. This will take a conscious effort to put aside during my studies. Compared to the other members of Kappa, I see myself quite close in representation. Though each individual still has their own set of morals and unique personalities, we all still share the same respect for sisterhood, scholarship, and philanthropy among other things. This will only prove to help me. By being so close to my sisters it will be simple to understand where they are coming from and will help to understand my observations. To observe my subculture will be stress-free. I am present at almost every meeting and live in the Kappa house. These meetings include our weekly Council and Chapter gatherings. Also, once a week, we have a dinner at the house that is free for all members. Any intramural

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game, study hour session, or night out on the town is a prime location/event for viewing my sorority subculture. I do foresee difficulties in continuing my research. Since I am such a strong member of Kappa, it might be difficult to remove myself intellectually from the situation and sisterhood well enough to write a research analysis about the sorority. Another problematic task will be to fully wrap my mind around those girls in my sorority who do not share the same belief and love for the organization as I do. There are some members who only exist so they may write Kappas name on a resume one day. As a strong affiliate, I sometimes fail to comprehend why someone would not take full advantage of this college experience if one was lucky enough to be initiated. As far as precise opinions from other people I plan on conducting a series of interviews. The Chapter President, Head of Greek Life, New Member, and regular chapter members are all on my list of people to get in contact with. The Chapter President can provide insightful views on the Zeta Upsilon Chapter about how we conduct ourselves as women and the procedures needed to run a sorority. Ms. Joyce, Head of Greek Life, can offer knowledge of how Kappa fits in with the rest of Georgia Southerns Greek Life and how some outsides viewpoints on the sorority. Even with the challenges present, I am very excited to gain knowledge about Kappa in more ways than I see now. I believe I am part of an organization full of loyal and classy women. Exploring Kappa as a subculture can do nothing but help me on my journey to discover what exactly makes our sisterhood so strong and contagious.