This class has been a new experience for me. It was much more different that my high school english classes. The class helped me to utilize new technology and I also learned conceptual things as well. Some of the things that i found difficult was doing one main project throughout the year. After a while I got kind of burnt out on my topic but did not want to change because of the amount of work I would have to redo. I have found that my writing skills have improved immensely through blogs and papers. This class has helped me improve skills I will utilize in the future.

(2,459 words)

Tyler Copeland

Jennifer Hudgens

WRD 110-055

October 2, 2015

Storyboard

I will open my documentary with a credit page saying “Copeland Productions”. I will then switch to a screen saying “Have you ever wondered what people thought about fraternities? the real benefits that they bring to the members and the community?” I will do my best in this documentary to explain and express my opinion on how fraternities are truly beneficial. I will then show pictures of all of the fraternity houses on campus with the song Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing. This song is fun and gives off a fast beat at the beginning. I am trying to get he viewers to think of the greek system as a fun and eventful time. The last house is going to be the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house. I will continue to talk about how the house is a place where active members can meet and dowhatever needs to be done. After that I will include an interview I conducted with  Micheal Gilligan who is an active member ofSigma Alpha Epsilon and also holds a position in student government. I  will include a clip of the interview with the question andanswer being: “Has living in the fraternity house strengthened your bond with your brothers, if so in what ways? The difference of living in a dorm and living in my fraternity house is indescribable. Living with all of my brothers is such a cool thing. Being able to walk down the hall in any direction and see any one of my best friends is so much better than living in the dorms where I wasn't living with people I knew as well.”  With this being said the fraternity house is a symbol of community and friendship. You become closer with your brothers than ever before.

In the next scene I will start it with a voice over by myself saying saying “The letters on the front of the house is what makes this place so special.” At this point I will play the song Better Together by Jack Johnson. While playing this song I want the viewers toknow that in a fraternity we are better together. All members united under the letters is something that is very special. If you see someone in another chapter with the letters on you know that they are swell  your brother. More importantly all of the fraternities and greek organizations are better when we stand together and take whatever the common public might have to say about what we do. While I am saying this I will have a collage of all of the letters on the houses and the fraternities that do not have houses I will displaytheir letters. To most people the letters are nothing but letters lost in the passing of time, but to  active members and alumni they mean so much more. Here I will include a picture of the William T. Young library and have a voiceover of me saying “Alumni never forget where they come from and how they got there.” Alumni have funded the building of the University of Kentucky library. A majority of the money was donated by William T. Young an alumni of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. William T. Young also helped fund the building of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house.

I will then put a slide with the words “Fraternities and academic life” I will start this scene with another video of an interview with Micheal Gilligan. In the interview I asked him “Has being a member of a fraternity affected your academics?” He said “Joining a fraternity has definitely impacted my academics in an extremely positive way. It has taught me how to manage my time in a productive and useful way. We have a library in our house, which provides our members with a quiet, comfortable space conducive to studying just down the stairs from the rooms.” Finding time to do homework and manage other academic practices is not hard. Fraternities push their members to do the best they can. We are given study hours where we are not allowed to do anything but schoolwork. The university gives us a bottom line GPA that members mush have to stay active. Members can be put on probation if they do not makegrades for two semesters in a row. After the interview I will display either a pictures of the greek alphabet going three letters at a time or have pictures of all of the fraternities letters that are on camps. For the idea with the Fraternity that are on campus letters I will have them slowly transition through one by one while the song Come together by the Beatles is playing. This song shows unity, which of the fraternities are under the Inter Fraternity Council. In an article by Peter Jacobs he talks about how fraternity members tend to have higher GPAs. this was proven in a study at The University of Nebraska. In a voice  over I will include these statistics from the article “90% of fraternity/sorority members compared to 70% of non-affiliated students were enrolled during their senior year.”(Peter Jacobs pg. 1). These statistics mean that Fraternity members have a higher graduation rate than non members. A major factor in this is the fact that you have people that will always be willing to help you and study with you no matter what. Along with academics comes the common misconception that all fraternities do is party. In the article “Greek life not ‘animal house’” by Josh VerStandig he talks about how most people think that a fraternity is an “animal house”. I will include a voiceover of me saying “With weekly meetings, philanthropic and academic obligations, free time can be a premium.”(Josh VerStandig pg. 1). Fraternities do have parties but when they do the people are responsible have their priorities straight. If someone needs to stay in a night to finish homework rather than going out one night the other members will appreciate it. If someone is not doing well in school he is hurting the fraternity as a whole. In the interview With Micheal Gilligan I asked him: “Has it been challenging to hold a position in student government and a fraternity? In some ways yes. Being a part of several different organizations can be tough. Both are very time consuming and require a lot out of me. Each also stand for different things and give me different things in return.” He is managing to hold a position in student government, keep his grades up and keep up with fraternity events. This puts a lot of weight on his shoulders, but his friends help him with what they can to take some of that weight off. Joining a brotherhood is not something you do if all you are looking for is parties. The brotherhood means so much more. These are people you will want to have at your wedding and other major life events. Your bond can never be broken, even in the hardest times the bond only grows stronger. I will include another voiceover of me saying this from the same article “For most Fraternity and Sorority members, their sisters and brothers become the closest friends they will ever have throughout college and beyond.” ("Fraternity & Sorority Life." Why Go Greek? N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.) Some people believe that joining a fraternity limits your chance to meet other people outside the fraternity making it somewhat cliquey. This is exactly the opposite of what happens you hang out with people from your high school and with guys in other fraternities.  

In this scene I will touch on the Philanthropy and charity events that fraternities participate in. I am going to transition from the last scene to this scene by pulling up a slide that says “Philanthropy and Charity”. During this part I will include a short clip of an event I participated in that was sponsored by Alpha Chi Omega. It was a lip sing/dance off between sororities and fraternities that were paired together. We were paired with Pi Phi and did not make  it past the first round of elimination. I will have the song Superheros by The Script playing during this part. The song is happy and it gives off a sense that you are a superhero. This is what I want the viewers to feel while watching the part about philanthropy. I want them to feel like doing something for the community truly makes them a superhero. All of the proceeds go to a good cause. It makes me proud knowing that I did something that has helped someone in need. Another huge philanthropy event at Kentucky is the Dance Blue competition. This is the largest fundraiser of the year for all fraternity and sorority events. I will voice over this quote from an article “Greek students are more active on campus and in community activities. Upon graduation, these members are also more likely to get involved in volunteer and charitable activities.”("Fraternity & SororityLife." Why Go Greek? N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.). This shows that the qualities you get from a fraternity are carried with you throughout life. We are all required to do a certain amount of service hours or Philanthropy a year to be an active member. We have a philanthropy chairman that makes sure all participants show up to the event and to make sure they are taking the event seriously. Being involved in your fraternity is one of the best things you can do. By getting involved in events and other activities helps you become more diverse. you meet people and do charity work with people you never thought you would have in the first place.  

In this scene I want to talk about other benefits you will notice if you chose to take the Fraternity path. I want to include another clip of the interview I have with Micheal Gilligan. In this segment of the interview I will ask “What other benefits have you noticed while being in a fraternity? Being in a fraternity has done so much for me in so many different ways. Socially, it has given me a group of friends with similar interests that I will have for the rest of my life. It has also taught me a lot about what it means to be a leader, and has given me countless opportunities to be a leader. I think that is one of the most underrated aspects of fraternity life, and doesn't get near enough attention. Fraternities build men who become leaders.” While being in a fraternity you meet all of the active members, go to parties, and participate in events. All of these things expand your social life. another major point he talked about is the fact that bing in a fraternity improves your leadership skills. Being a leader is something that is overlooked when you re in a fraternity. You are always being looked up to by the other students on campus. I will include a secondary source about leadership. It is an article by Biddix, J. Patrick and Rachel Underwood in the article it includes research about if holding a leadership position helped people in the long run. the research showed that if you held a leadership position in a fraternity that you had a higher chance to get a better one as life went on. The positions look good on resumes that could potentially land you a job at a good company. Also in the article it stated that after graduation you are more likely to take charge of charity events and fundraisers. I plan on conducting another interview with Ben Ward the President of  Sigma Alpha Epsilon or another person that holds an executive position. I plan on asking a question that sounds something like this: What position do you hold in the fraternity? Has this position helped you to get any jobs or other positions in life? How do You think the position will help you later in life? These questions will help me to get my point across as to why they would take so much responsibility for a fraternity and not just focus on school work or other things that could help later in life. At this point I am trying to display a good image of fraternities and how they can help later in life. At the end of my presentation I would like to play the song Closing Time by Semisonic. This is a good song that gives off good vibes and also in some ways indicates that the presentation is over. While this song is playing I will will have the credits rolling down the screen with all of my citations and editor will be me along with a couple of other roles. I will give credit to the people I have interview which is Micheal Gilligan and I plan on interviewing Ben Ward or another executive position. 

Work Cited 

Beatles, Come Together, Abby Road, George Martin 1969, LP

Biddix, Patrick J., and Reachel Underwood. "A TEN-YEAR STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL OUTCOMES FROM A FRATERNITY CENTRAL OFFICE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM." EBSCO Host. N.p., Nov. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http:// connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/89964543/ten-year-study-individual-outcomes-from- fraternity-central-office-leadership-program>.

Copeland, Tyler “Sigma Alpha Epsiolon House” 2015, JPEG

Copeland, Tyler “Sigma Chi letters” 2015, JPEG

Copeland, Tyler “William T. Young Library” 2015, JPEG

Dance Blue. Digital image. Dance Blue. N.p., 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http:// danceblue.org>.

"Fraternity & Sorority Life." Why Go Greek? N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

http://www.hofstra.edu/studentaffairs/studentactivities/greek/greek_whygreek.html 

Jack Johnson, Better Together, In between Dreams, Mario Caldato Jr. 2012, LP

Jacobs, Peter. "I Joined A Fraternity And It Was One Of The Best Decisions I Ever Made." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

http://www.businessinsider.com/dont-ban-fraternities-2014-1

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dani California, Stadium Arcadium, Warner Brothers Company 2006, LP

Regula, Traci. Learn the Greek Alphabet. Digital image. About.com. About.com, 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://gogreece.about.com/od/greeklanguage2/ss/greekalphabet.htm>.

Semisonic, Closing Time, Feeling Strangely Fine, Nick Launay 1998, LP

The Script, Superheros, No Sound Without Silence,Barry, O'Donoghue, Andrew Frampton, Sheehan 2014, LP

VerStandig, Josh. "Column: Greek Life Not ‘Animal House’." Breezejmu.org. N.p., 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://www.breezejmu.org/opinion/columnists/column-greek- life-not-animal-house/article_5488487c-3a33-11e0-9f71-0017a4a78c22.html>.

Tyler Copeland
Jennifer Hudgens
WRD 110-055
November 8, 2015

       The process of making the storyboard has been complicated. Finding music to match the mood of the documentary and placing certain information in the right spots is my major concern. I will need to conduct more interviews and take other film for the project. The research I have has been easy to write about and I have a good idea as of where I am going to put them in the documentary. Getting the other interview and recording the one I have will be the main things I need to do.

Tyler Copeland

Jennifer Hudgens

WRD 110-055

October 21, 2015

In the article I chose about the benefits of membership and holding a leadership position has on your future life. In the line “This study was designed as an outcomes assessment and included 2,065 cases.”(Biddix, J. Patrick, Underwood, Rachel pg. 1). They conducted research to find what happens with the members after they have graduated and how holding whatever position they had has benefited them in the long run. the research showed that being involved has helped them in life, or they have become more involved in charity or donations. The article gives statistics on what percent contributed to which categories and the largest one being the undergraduate leadership role. The second and third were volunteering and donations.

Tyler Copeland

Jennifer Hudgens 

WRD 110-055

Tuesday, October 20

The article “Greek life not ‘animal house’” by Alexis Einerson is talking about how greek life is commonly called an animal house when it is actually the exact opposite. She states “With weekly meetings, philanthropic and academic obligations, free time can be a premium.”(Alexis Einerson pg. 1). Time is hard to come across with all of the things fraternities have you involved in is beneficial. You must use your time wisely and effectively when the time comes. Using your time to help the your society is always a good way to spend your time. Fraternities do a number of philanthropy events that benefit different charities and other events. Fraternities is a brotherhood not just something you join for parties.

Tyler Copeland 

Jennifer Hudgens 

WRD 110-055

12 October, 2015

Photo Essay 

I took a picture of the Sigma Alpha Eplison, and the Sigma Nu house. The SAE house is  the larger one in the front of the picture and the Sigma Nu house is in the background. These are only two of the twenty one in the community of fraternities on campus. This will be used in my presentation to represent a place where active members can meet and do whatever needs to be done at the time. The house is also symbol of community, and friendship. The people who live in the house are closer totheir brothers than ever before. This allows you to create relationships with people you may not have had one with before. Living in a fraternity house also helps your grades. You may have other brothers who have already taken a class or are currently in the class. Any way you look at it there are plus sides to living in a fraternity house. 

This is a picture of the Sigma Chi’s letters on the side of their fraternity house. The letters come from the greek alphabet, and when the letters are joined it represents a greek motto. The mottos usually go along with the core values of the fraternities. To some people the letters are nothing more than letters lost in the passing of time. To active members and alumni it means so much more. The letters bring the members together as one. If one person wears your letters they represent the entire chapter and what it stands for. If someone makes a mistake with letters on the whole chapter is held to a standard by those people. Wearing your letters should be something that you should be proud to do, and you need to monitor your actions. The alumni of fraternities do not forget about where they came from and how they got there.

This is a picture of the  library which is named after William T. Young, an alumni of The University of Kentucky and as well as an alumni of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He also funded the money to build the nine million dollar Sigma Alpha Epsilon house. This is one of the many buildings that were funded by alumni of fraternities. Even alumni who have made billions come back for events to see the new members and old friends. Joe Kraft for example made billions off of a coal mining business and he comes back and gives words of wisdom to members. Having successful alumni can also set you up for future jobs or write references to other employers.

 
An article by Peter Jacobs, explains common misconceptions about fraternities. He explains a recent study at Loyola about how fraternities are less hostile towards woman than non-fraternity members. He also stated that on average fraternity members have higher GPA’s. This was proven in a study at The University of Nebraska. Along with this comes a higher graduation. He states “90% of fraternity/sorority members compared to 70% of non-affiliated students were enrolled during their senior year.”(Peter Jacobs pg. 1). Having people to study with and people who have experienced the class is helpful. It also helps people to become more diverse. You meet new people and make friendships that can never be broken. You learn to accept people for who they are and not what they look like. Creating this bond with people helps fight symptoms of depression and loneliness(Peter Jacobs pg. 1). Being in a fraternity you should never be by yourself, you should always have a brother that is willing to spend time with you.

Charity events are a main focus of fraternities. We try to raise money and help the community in any way we can. In the article it states “Greek students are more active on campus and in community activities. Upon graduation, these members are also more likely to get involved in volunteer and charitable activities.”("Fraternity & Sorority Life." Why Go Greek? N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.). This shows that the qualities we get from a fraternity are carried on through life. Being involved in greek life is something you will never forget, and the things you do for other people are the most important things you will do. The article also stated “For most Fraternity and Sorority members, their sisters and brothers become the closest friends they will ever have throughout college and beyond.”("Fraternity & Sorority Life." Why Go Greek? N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.). The bond you create with your brothers is everlasting. The guys who are in your class are people you would want to have in your weddings or be a part of other major events. Your bond can never be broken, even in the hardest times you have with your brothers. (801 words)

Work Cited 

Jacobs, Peter. "I Joined A Fraternity And It Was One Of The Best Decisions I Ever Made." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

http://www.businessinsider.com/dont-ban-fraternities-2014-1

"Fraternity & Sorority Life." Why Go Greek? N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

http://www.hofstra.edu/studentaffairs/studentactivities/greek/greek_whygreek.html

1. Has living in the fraternity house strengthened your bond with your brothers, if so in what ways?

The difference of living in a dorm and living in my fraternity house is indescribable. Living with all of my brothers is such a cool thing. Being able to walk down the hall in any direction and see any one of my best friends is so much better than living in the dorms where I wasn't living with people I knew as well.

2.   Has being a member of a fraternity affected your academics?

Joining a fraternity has definitely impacted my academics in an extremely positive way. It has taught me how to manage my time in a productive and useful way. We have a library in out house, which provides our members with a quiet, comfortable space conducive to studying just down the stairs from the rooms. 

3.  What other benefits have you noticed while being in a fraternity?

Being in a fraternity has done so much for me in so many different ways. Socially, it has given me a group of friends with similar interests that i will have for the rest of my life. It has also taught me a lot about what it means to be a leader, and has given me countless opportunities to be a leader. I think that is one of the most underrated aspects of fraternity life, and doesn't get near enough attention. Fraternities build men who become leaders

4.   Has it been challenging to hold a position in student government and a fraternity?

In some ways yes. Being a part of several different organizations can be tough. Both are very time consuming and require a lot out of me. Each also stand for different things and give me different things in return.

I interviewed Micheal Gilligan, a member of the fraternity SAE. I asked him if living in the fraternity house has helped him to bond with his brothers, he said the difference is “indescribable”  from living in the dorms. Being able towel down the hall and see one of his best friends is something else he was keen on. despite popular beliefs he said living in the fraternity house has impacted his academics in a positive way. Time management is the main thing he learned from being in a fraternity. Having a library in the Fraternity house is another resource that is available to the members. I asked what other advantages there were and he said his social life, and it has taught him to be a leader. The most underrated thing about being in a fraternity is the amount of opportunities you get to shower leadership. Micheal holds a position in student government. I asked him if that was challenging to manage that and a fraternity at the same time, he said both are time consuming but both worth it.