Tuesday's Class

I think Tuesday's class was really interesting.  It was cool to contact a bunch of friends and random people and see what they thought about their sororities/fraternities.  I was surprised that it was hard for many of them to answer the questions we asked.  Some were really confused about what we meant by those questions, and some just didn't know exactly how to answer.  I could tell that some were trying to make their answers sound really educated and were trying to answer them in ways that would make their chapters look good.  Well, I mean we would probably all try to do this in a sense, but for some interviews I got the vibe that they were actually thinking one thing and answering another.  Also somewhat surprisingly we came across a few who really did have good and genuine answers.  I think this really shows that there tends to be a mix within the organization about who knows the values/ritual/activities of that organization.  Some people are very in tune with their organization, and others are not as in tune.  I think in general, organizations probably need to spend a little more time on educating their members about the topics of values, ritual, and the top activities they try to spend most time on.  They also need to spend some time on continually talking about these issues to keep them fresh with everyone.  I'm sure that if you're only taught them once, they will quickly be forgotten.

An Organization with Values

When we were asked to think of an organization that is good at displaying their values to the public, I was really confused at first.  What popular organizations just throw their values out there at you?  Then GE came to mind.  I remembered a few commercials of theirs that seemed to be a little different from the normal company's advertisements.  So I went to youtube to look up some commercials that might display some values that GE may have.  I came across a GE commercial that was labeled "Ecomagination line dance."  It was a pretty cool commerical where all these factory workers, scientists, business people, and just normal people started to line dance to "Good Time" by Alan Jackson.  Then at the end, it flashes the GE symbol and under it says, "Imagination at Work" which is sort of their slogan.  To me, this commercial really displayed some of GE's values.  It tried to show hard working people having a fun time.  This was even more reinforced by the actual song that says something like "work, work all week long......(other lyrics)..... having a good time."  GE is trying to portray the value of hard work, but also having a passion for that hard work and just having a fun time.  Somewhere in there it also mentions the word "ecomagination" which to me was trying to display the value of being an eco-friendly company.  Also the fact that they merge words with the word imagination or use the phrase "imagination at work" means that they value genuine ideas and uniqueness that can bring innovation.  The commercial portrays that the workers do more than go to a job everyday.  Its like they get to come to work and let their imaginations run wild, like they are kids again.  And I think most people try to find a job like the ones portrayed in the commercial; a job they don't feel is actually a job.  These are all things that not only GE values, but that a lot of average people value as well.  I think this commercial really displays some of GE's values, and maybe I'm just oblivious but it seems like that's really all the commercial is actually trying to do.  I think that's pretty interesting because most commercials try to sell some kind of product, but this commercial wasn't exactly trying to do just that.

And just in case you want to see it, the link to the commercial is: http://youtu.be/SxhbTkVhljI

My Values

What are my personal core values and what do they mean to me?

1. Honesty
2. Respect
3. TRUST
4. love
5. Friendship
6. Family
7. Understanding/ Appreciative
8. Just being an all around nice person

The first value on my list is honesty.  I think this one came to mind first because it is something that is essential in having lasting and true relationships with others.  It is one of my biggest concerns when it comes to others because you can't have trust (my third value) with out it.  On top of that, I'm really bad at lying anyways!  I probably have on the most guilty consciences around.  It makes me so incredibly uncomfortable to tell someone something other than the truth, even if it is a little white lie that means absolutely nothing.  Especially now that I have sisters, I want to be the person that they can always depend on no matter what.  I'm gonna go a little out of order here and talk about trust first, because it ties in with honesty.  Trust is one of the most important things to have in any relationship.  I want to be the person that anybody can talk to, about anything.  I like to think it is a mutual thing-- if people trust you, then most likely they will be trustworthy will be trustworthy toward you.  I know that is not alway the case, but I like to think that people will let you trust them if they trust you.  Respect is my second value.  Respect is very important to me because I would never want anyone to disrespect me.  Obviously it happens, but I try really hard to treat others the way I want to be treated.  So respecting others and their opinions and ideas is definitely a way to do that.  You may not necessarily like a person or their opinion or idea, but if you don't respect them then how will their ideas or opinions be heard?  I think everyone deserves to have opinions and ideas and be able to voice them, because I know I have a few and I would never want to feel like I can't express them.  Love is a very big value for me.  I think it is essential in life to love and to be loved.  As humans, we need love; I thrive on it.  The thing that always gets me through every hardship is knowing that I have family and friends who love and support me no matter what.  With love, you can accomplish anything.  Friendship and family are actually sort of tied together, and tied to love.  I value every single person that is my friend or family.  I love them, I trust them, and I lean on them.  They are truly the most important things to me in life; without them I would not be the person I am today.  Understanding and appreciation, which is also in the Delta Zeta creed, are important for a lot of reasons.  For one, you never know what kind of day someone has had.  If you are not understanding, you could end up making their day even worse.  Understanding a person for who they are is also very important to me.  Many times I feel like people are misunderstood.  Since graduating from high school, I came to realize that what people thought of me in high school wasn't at all who I really am.  I feel that people thought I was stuck up, spoiled, and exclusive.  I am still not sure why some people have thought of me that way, but it makes me sad to think that they did because I try so hard to show that I am a caring, thoughtful, nice, and genuine person.  I want to make sure I get to know a person for who they really are instead of judging them based on what I think they are.  Appreciation has also always been important to me for a lot of reasons.  I am so thankful for everything I have and I want to make sure that I show that.  If you can't appreciate what you have then you probably don't deserve it.  My mom has always been the type to want to give me everything in the world that I could ever need.  She has worked so hard to give me the things I have and I would never ever want her to think that I don't appreciate everything she does.  Finally, I value just being an all around nice person because like I said before, I like to act towards others the way I want them to act towards me. I'm a very sensitive person and even the slightest little thing can ruin my day.  I know how horrible it can feel when someone is not nice to you, and I would never want anyone to feel that way.  Ever.  No one deserves to be put down or made fun of. There was a quote in one of the videos we watched on the blogabus that really resonated with me and sort of coincides with values: "Be the change you want to see in the world."  You can't change the world with out first having the values that the world needs.

Initiation!

Since my initiation is tonight, I figured I'd share some thoughts I have on it.  When coming to OSU, I never thought about joining a sorority.  I figured I'd just be the average college student who easily finds a group of friends where they live and in classes and stick with them through college.  I really thought that I would naturally fit in-- I mean how could I not when there are 50,000 students here??  But, as it turns out, I started to feel really alone.  I had made a few friends, but none that seemed to really share my values or interests. There was no one here that I could go to when I was having a bad day or just wanted to talk.  I started thinking that OSU was too big for me, that I was too ambitious in coming here and that I should just admit defeat and go home, transfer to a community college there, and live at home.  Then my mom told me about formal recruitment.  She told me she was Greek in college and that she loved it. I decided that I didn't have anything to lose, so I thrust myself into this really huge group of girls that all wanted the same thing I did, more or less.  It was so overwhelming, but surprisingly organized.  When Bid Day finally came around, I was so nervous that I'd get a call that no one wanted me and I'd be stuck right back where I was before.  But that didn't happen.  I got my bid from DZ, my first choice!  I was so happy!  But I was still very confused.  None of the girls I had met through recruitment got bids for DZ, so alone I walked down to the entrance of the Union and saw the letters.  When we got back to the house, we got hoodies and took a bunch of pictures and I finally met all of my pledge class.  Since then, life has gotten so much better.  I have finally found girls that share my values and interests, people I can talk to no matter what.  I found what I was missing all along.  It seems like it's been a while since that day, but it really hasn't.  I've learned so much about DZ and about myself through becoming a new member.  I've gotten to know so many awesome people, and had so many adventures and fun times with them.  I feel so excited to finally be able to call the girls of Delta Zeta Theta Chaper my sisters.  I never knew what sisterhood was until I joined DZ, and I'm sure I will continue to learn what it means throughout my years as a DZ.  I am not really nervous about initiation, just more excited than anything.  I'm actually wondering what will change, if anything.  I won't be babied anymore, I'll have to get all the information I need on my own instead of having my wonderful Big (Caroline!) email it all to me.  I think that'll be okay though.  I'm really excited and interested to see what the ritual will be like.  I just read that article on ritual.  It was a little confusing but I feel like it's a very important part of being Greek.  I feel like it binds me and my sisters together.  I think it will signify me sort of "crossing over" to the Greek world here.  So, needless to say, DZ has a very special place in my heart and I am so proud that I get to become a part of it today.  It has changed my life for the better. <3 :)

Introductory Blog

Hi everyone,
My name is Kayla Kiedrowicz.  I am a freshman at OSU and am taking Edu 270! (which is why I have this blog)

I am in Delta Zeta here on campus, and I chose this sorority when going through formal recruitment this winter.  There are many reasons I chose DZ, but most importantly for me was that I felt most comfortable with the girls there.  I just felt like I belonged :) I am still a NM, but will be initiated in about a week!

After reading the blogabus, I think this class will be really cool.  I've never had a blog before, but I'm kind of excited about having one now.  I hope I'll learn a lot about being a good leader and making change in the world, and it looks like that's what this class is all about.  Hopefully the fact that I'm only just now going to be initiated into my chapter won't put me at a disadvantage.  Can't wait to come to class tonight and see what it's like! :)