"Pledged" final thoughts

"Pledged" has been a lifebchanging book for me because I have wanted to be in a sorority. after reading this book I believe that some sororities are trying to do the best they can by being fair to one another. Other sororities have done the exact opposite by picking the week sisters out and singling each other. I am nervous that I will be one of the young girls not strong enough to stand up for myself and if someone speaks about me how will I handle it. "Pledged" should be recommended to be read by not on only future sororitiy girls,but parents who are sending their girls to college.Many people can learn from this book by not only talking about the faults of sororties, but the meaning of them too.Many traditions have been passed down ,which I think is very important and has a lot of meaning behind the actions of a sorority.I enjoyed this book because it taught me a lot about college life and what to expect and avoid.

"Pledged" #5

Alpha Rho is preparing for the Greek Olympics where all sororities and fraternities are gearing up to win the challenges, intoxicated of course.The girls are extremely excited to be apart of something so historic in the Greek culture. The winners of the Greek Olympics are know to be the wild and energetics girls , which all guys are considered interested in. Many perks come from winning the Greek Olympics, which to most people don't understand because Greek life is the only thing that  matters to these young men and women.Sabrina and the girls are preparing for the games by pre-gaming and warming up with mixed drinks. It is sad to see that this is what the girls look forward to instead of the education they are receiving and the tests they need to take. A frequent question that is asked is, ' How do these girls go out every night and keep up in school?' I can barely keep up with my school work now. The co- chair on a Tuseday night before midterms bought tickets for the sisters to go to the club, "come on, we're going to the club now!" (144) The girls were studying for midterms, but the peer pressure form the older girls caused most of the young girls struggling in school to go to the club. Sabrina did not budge because she knows how to stand her ground. I hope to be like Sabrina because she doesn't let anyone walk on her. Sororities can get out of hand, but you have to know yourself to control yourself.

"Pledged" #4

 So far  "Pledged" has been one of the most interesting books I have read. All the details and stories are true and the only things that has changed are the names. There are many references to other books about sororities and facts of different houses. Tradition is a main part of how a sorority is formed and behaves and these girls are trying to stay in the lines of tradition.Amy, Caitlin, Sabrina, and Vicki are surrounded by the pressures of other girls to be apart of sacred traditions such as drinking and drugs. Many young girls today feel the pressure to be everything there Big Sister wants them to be. Risking lives should not be tradition, " In a review of twelve hundred claims against fraternities between 1987 and 1995, an insurance company discovered that alcohol was involved in 90% of all claims, whether they be falls from roofs, sexual abuse, or automobile accidents."(139) Young men and women are being harmed and the risks are becoming greater because the law is not enforcing tradition to be illegal. The sisters of the house face struggles and challenges such as not going to a party can create hostility in the house hold and cause catty fights. The sorority sisters need to look out for one another instead of egging each other on.

"Pledged" #3

The sorority is getting ready to have there homecoming next week. This is a huge deal in the Greek Life community. Fraternities and Sororities have been getting ready for this week for the past month and preparing for festivities.Before homecoming week the Fraternities must serenade the sororities by doing a song and dance. They also bring gifts to each sister of the house they have serenaded. The reason why they are going out of there way to the sororities is to be chosen by them to go to the formal. The sisters of Alpha Rho have options they can choose from to decide what fraternity they want to go with. The President has to decide who they are going with,but the house is up in arms. The sisters of the house are debating between Omega Phi, Zeta Sigma,  and Delta Lambda.Fraternities sing vulgar songs to the sisters in the house and the more inappropriate the fraternity has a better chance even the girls sing songs back, "I wear my pink pajamas in the summer when it's hot, and I wear my flannel nightie in the winter when it's not, but sometimes in the spring time and sometimes in the fall I just into the covers with nothing on at all. Don't you wish that you could be there ,don't you wish that you could be there,Don't you wish that you could be there, In the spring time and the fall, With nothing on at all, I'm sure we'd have a ball, With nothing at all." ( 42) Singing this to a fraternity house I think would be embarrassing and insulting. I would never want to be treated how these young women and men sing like. Amy, Sabrina, Caitlin, and Vicki are ready for homecoming week and prepared for the insane memories that will be formed.

"Pledged" #2

Many of my family members have been in sororities and fraternities and throughout my years I have heard many stories of pranks and parties. "Pledged" begins telling the true stories of the young girls Caitlin,Vicki,Sabrina, and Amy. These girls all have different personalities and different views of the sorority they are in. Each have different backgrounds, yet are brought together by Greek letters. One of the main problems that is talked about in sororities is what great power girls have over one another. Sororities bring out the good and evil in each girl. Many young girls form eating disorders because they feel pressured by the other girls in the house and the representation they make. Eating disorders were so relevant that is was considered a game , "It was like a competition to see who could eat the least.At dinner they would say,'All I had today was an apple,'or ' I haven't had anything.' It was surreal."(29) Reading about these young girls feeling pressured not only by other young women that are supposed to guide them and help them are torturing them and the fraternities influencing habits that are dangerous too. This book keeps surprising me with more inside details of how life of a sorority girl truly is, yet through the bad times I still want to be one.

Abortion

After viewing each website I have mixed feeling of both opinions. First the methods of abortion like partial birth I believe in inhumane and cruel. In a partial birth, the doctor inserts scissors into the back of the baby's skull and widens the wound while inserting suctions into the head sucking out the brain. Reading about this method is extremely disturbing and horrifying to know that this happens in America.The other way I am torn is how other Americans treat the doctors and nurses performing these surgeries. There job is to protect the women that are choosing the best option for their baby. The stories of harassment and cruelty towards doctors is ridiculous.This website wants people to know that there are ways to avoid this problem. They encourage those that are sexually active to use a condom and for the women to take birth-control. Many of the young women and men in America do not have the knowledge and access to birth-control, but when these websites are advertised and talked about more abortion would be less relevant in America.

Clearly every young women has thought about becoming pregnant once they are sexually active.It is always a possibility. Many young women will say they will act one way if they become pregnant, but a young girl cannot make that decision without it happening to them. Either way every women should be protected and aware of the situation. I do think that the parents of a 17 year old and younger should be aware if their daughter is having an abortion. The young women is still a young adult and is legally unable to make their own decisions. If anything were to happen to a young lady and the parents were not aware of the medical procedure being done the doctors have no right to perform on a young lady who is not an adult. The parents should be aware of what is going on with  their daughter, but should not have the final say because in the end it is the girls body and soon to be mom that has the choice.

I strongly believe that the mother of the unborn baby should have the choice to tell the father, but should not be required to. In many situations of abortion, the mother and father are unprepared to have a child. Abortions usually involve young couples without a stable job and home. Being so, there is no reason for the father should not give consent for the abortion because everything is unstable until that baby is born from the mother. The father does not have the stress of caring the baby for 9 months.The father has no stable opinion and should be decided by the mother if she wants to inform the father of the baby.

Illinois has a law that states " The provisions of any abortion procedure that falls within a broad definition a felony, unless necessary to preserve the life of a woman endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, and no other medical procedure will suffice.” This means that Illinois was going to make abortions illegal to be performed on women. How could this be possibly to those women who have been raped and victimized by men that they do not love. How can Americans want babies to suffer because the mothers are unable to feed and clothe them. This law will hopefully never be enforced in Illinois because I strongly disagree with it.The next law that is enforced by Illinois is that tax payers should not have to pay for situations they were not put in and beliefs they do not support. I believe that there should always be other options for women and that if they need a loan it should be available to them. One abortion does not add up to supporting a child.

Pledged # 1

When I first started reading "Pledged" I was extremely excited because I can't wait to go to college and join a soroity. I believe that Soroities and Fraternities are what makes colleges experiences more memorable. In the begining of the story it begins with the first day of a young hopeful girls on Bid Day at Southern Methodist University . It takes place in the month of August at State U , which is not are real school because the names and places have been changed for protection. The author Alexandra Robbins  describes the scene of the large room filled with hundreds of girls as overwhelming with emotion because in the next few minutes a young girls life will be changed forever by the Greek Letters and colors she represents.Alexandra follows four young girls for a whole year , which is amazing she is able to get this chance because these young girls are risking everything just to show the true life of a soroity girl and how hard and insane it truely is. Alexandra chose 4 girls that are well respected being 2 sophomores and two seniors, one being an officer. "Pledged" starts with the type of girls I expect to be in a soroity and the stories I thought I would hear. As it progresses there are drastic changes and events that I thought would be rumors.

Tucson shooting

 The Tucson shooting has been on the news constantly for the past 2 days. CNN has repeated the 911 calls of the witnesses and update the statuses of the victims that are injured. The shooter was a young man who had been removed from school because his uneasy personality and his threatening behavior. Jared Lee the killer had been notorious for his cold behaviors and was repeatedly punished for his actions. Many of his class mate and teachers weren't surprised that he was the one who was shooting. My question is how could someone like this not be put into a mental hospital from before. He had been in multiple situations where he should have been admitted to a hospital. When the Court case begins his lawyer will most likely suggest he needs to be put away in a hospital where he can become sane. When the Case begins I can't wait to know the verdict of this horrible tragedy.