Brooke Postlmayr Rebecca Agosta ENG 101-25 November 17, 2013 ZTA is Forever The Eta Tau chapter

of Zeta Tau Alpha is a community that I am extremely proud to be a part of. Since the day I received my bid I knew this community would change my life forever. I am constantly gaining new knowledge, friendships and becoming a better person by being a part of this community. There are several characteristics of discourse communities as explained by Swales found in my sorority chapter. The novices of the chapter would be considered the new members. In a fraternity, this novice group would be better known as pledges. New members have made a pledge (commitment) to the sorority and will become official members after they are initiated. An initiated, dues-paying member who is enrolled in the university is also known as an active member. There are requirements a new member must uphold to in order to be initiated. For example, all new members have to take a written test and score a 90% or higher, or they cannot be initiated. A high attendance record for chapter meetings and new member meetings is also required. New members must also memorize and recite the creed. The experts of the group would be the members of the executive council. The executive council consists of members who hold high positions in the chapter. For example, the president, vice president, treasurer, etc. The new members look up to the older sisters as leaders and supporters. Since I am a leader I am

obligated to be a role model in all aspects of my life. I enjoy this obligation though, as it has made me better myself and hold myself and my sisters to a high standard, said Torey, Eta Tau President. In this discourse community there is also a specific lexis used amongst the members. Some of the phrases and words used may not be understood to those outside of the community. Most Greek life communities in general share a similar lexis. There is a certain vocabulary that can be learned even by outside members, simply by researching on the internet or by being told by members. For example, the term bid is an invitation given to a potential new member to join a sororitys chapter. The terms big and little refer to a big sister who is an assigned mentor, best friend, etc to their little sister. The big/little bond is a very special one that can last a lifetime. My ZTA Big Sister has inspired me to become an involved member of ZTA as well as better myself in other aspects of my life (Torey). Then there is also a private lexis that is special to each community, and is only used and shared amongst the members of that specific sorority. For example, the phrase ZLAM is used amongst members of my community. It is an acronym for a phrase that members learn. All initiated members of the community know secrets of the sisterhood that are not to be shared with anyone except for members of Zeta Tau Alpha. Knowing these secrets and sharing the knowledge of what makes us Zeta Tau Alpha with sisters is a very special thing. My discourse community shares many of the same values and goals. In fact, as new members, we are required take a new member course that teaches us all the values of Zeta Tau Alpha. One very important value to our sorority is loyalty. When you are a zeta, you must be loyal and true. The nine founders of ZTA gathered to form a special sisterhood bond. The founders and all members become better people who strive to be helpful to others while living up

to this value. Responsibility is another value members share. When you are a zeta, you must act with integrity. The membership of Zeta Tau Alpha carries with it responsibilities and obligations all members must uphold. This is an important value that all members share when making the pledge to be a part of this community. Our service is another important value and also a goal this community shares. Our national philanthropy, Breast Cancer Education and Awareness, is something all members take very seriously. We are all devoted to supporting our philanthropy and enjoying the nobility of serving others together through our philanthropic work. The most important quality that I look for in members is the true spirit of sisterhood. I look fo r girls who would do anything for their sisters and always have the welfare of their sisters and our organization at heart (Torey). Leadership is a big value in this community. One of the most

rewarding aspects is learning from our chapter and national leaders. Members can then use this new knowledge when they take their turn to lead. Communication is a key aspect in any sort of group or community. My discourse community would not be functional if we did not communicate. One way in which we

communicate is by using a Facebook group. All members of the community get added to this group. It acts as a way for us all to share opinions, ideas, information and support with the convenience of technology. All members can see the posts onto this group page. It is an easy way to reach out. A more formal way in which my community communicates is at our weekly chapter meetings. These meetings take place every Sunday. The meetings are required for all members of the group to attend. At these meetings the executive council runs the topic of conversation. This brings back the idea of novices and experts. The president of the sorority leads the entire meeting, while executive council members do their part by providing the information for which they are responsible on sharing with the chapter. It is similar to that of a

college lecture, but a little more casual. Having this many young women in one room together can at times cause some tension and get pretty loud, but we make it work. Attendances at these meetings are important because it is a responsibility as a member to stay updated with your communitys goals and events. Another way in which our members communicate is through cell phone use. Technology plays a big part in communication today and this community definitely takes advantage of it. Seeing our fellow sisters around campus makes for a better day. We are always there to support one another and talk about any issues we may be having. This community brings with it a tremendous support system that comes with communication. Whether people are willing to admit it or not, we all stereotype against a certain group of people. Until you are a part of a group that gets stereotyped against, you may not understand how wrong it is to stereotype. The discourse community I am a part of unfortunately has a big stereotype against it. I will willingly admit that I held a small stereotype against my own community before I even knew anything about it. After years had passed and I learned more about the community, and within the past couple months actually being a part of this community, I realize the amazing opportunities, connections and relationships that come with joining a sorority. Stereotypes are usually a tough thing to break. Also, stereotypes stick and affect peoples opinions for long periods of time, so it is hard to try and change peoples opinions. I find that one of the largest stereotypes set against sororities is that our main focus is just on partying. Go on to any college campus and you are going to find partying in almost about every group of people. As sorority women we have values, goals and priorities that we put before social functions. Our grades are still very important: we dont forget why we are in college. Each chapter has a GPA

requirement for members to uphold to. This proves that we do in fact take our studies seriously, and want to make good grades. ` Joining a sorority is not all about paying for friends. While joining this community

does in fact come with the opportunity to meet a lot of people, thats not the only thing that comes from a sorority. You can ask any young sorority woman why they joined their greek organization, and you will get varied answers. All of the reasons add up to the shared values amongst the entire community. One reason that is brought up frequently is the community service, which many enjoy because of the smiles it puts on other peoples faces as well as ours. Gaining knowledge is also another reason people join. Being a part of this community comes with connections and opportunities that fuse the gaining of new knowledge. We can then use this knowledge to make ourselves better women and help others as well. This connects with another reason why women join this community, which is to be a part of something they know will make them a better person in the end. The sisterhood and lifelong friendships that members gain come with bonding over what we learn as being members and how we have grown together. The friendships are not simply made by paying your dues. We all share an extremely special experience together which powers our sisterhood. If I did not join Zeta Tau Alpha, I think I wouldve had a completely different college experience. I wouldnt have had the chance to meet all of the new friends I have made or volunteer for a philanthropy. I also wouldnt have had as many leadership opportunities without my sorority as I am very involved in it and have held an officer position every year (Torey). The Eta Tau chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha displays characteristics of a discourse community through changing memberships, a specific lexis, common public goals, shared values and intercommunication (Swales). Without these characteristics, my community would not be

functioning. Now being a newly initiated member of my discourse community, I am looking forward to all the new experiences soon to come. I will continue to communicate and provide feedback to better the community as a whole. I will strive to live up to all the values my sisters have before me. I will put forth my most effort to reach our goals as a community and be successful together.

Works Cited Smiley, Torey. Personal Inteview. November 11, 2013. Swales, John. The Concept of Discourse Community. Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Boston: Cambridge UP, 1990. 21-32. Print.