How does conflict affect change?

Conflict is something that can be both a positive and a negative. It is a positive when conflict creates a discussion about an issue. This is positive because a dialogue is created about the issue that conflict sprang up around. Through this dialogue the issue can be solved and a change for the good will occur. Conflict can be negative when it is not handled correctly. This is done when people are offended or the conflict escalates much more than it should. When done right conflict can make major changes to an organizational some of them good and some of them bad.

4/3/13 Blog

One of the most difficult things you can go through as a chapter leader, in my opinion, is dealing with risk management violations. This is because it takes a lot of courage and integrity to admit that mistakes were made and that the chapter as a whole has to take responsibility. If I was the chapter leader of an organization that had risk management violations up against it, I would notify nationals about the situation that the chapter is currently in. Then I would gather a group of brothers that would be executive officers and various other well-respected brothers within the chapter. This group of individuals would create a plan that fits in with the values and morals of our chapter to properly handle this situation. If members are known to be not living up to our creed and values then we put them up to a membership review to determine if they truly fit with what we want in our organization. Then next we would go up to the Judicial Board of Review and hear the sanctions against us and accept the violations that we could possibly be found guilty of. We take this sanction as a learning lesson and to avoid making the same mistake that was made in the past.

Blog Assignment #3

In class we discussed the important traits that a leader should possess. The traits I posses is the ability to lead by example, the ability to delegate things to other brothers, ethical decision making, and creating a plan and implementing it. Three areas I would like to improve about the skills I possess is to improve my communication, time management, and being an overall better leader. When it comes to communication I can sometimes be a shy and timid person and this can be a problem when opinions need to be voiced or problems are seen and need to be address. As a leader in my chapter I need to break out of my shell and develop effective speaking skills to use them to inspire my brothers to excel in all areas. I also need to improve my time management skills to balance school, fraternity, and my social life. If I do not do this then I will be swamp in work that could have been done earlier if I had better manage my time and this leads to bad grades, and poor work for the chapter. Lastly I need to step up to being a leader in the chapter and help the younger brothers find their place in the fraternity with the things they want to do and to also help with their personal lives. Being a good brother is the first step to being a great leader in a fraternity and is something that I want to strive for.

Blog Assignment #2

There are many organizations that do great things for society. These organizations however, need money to continue their operations. Without money they aren't able to continue their philanthropic activities. People like Bill Gates support these organizations by donating money from his vast wealth. Through his foundation Bill Gates support various programs and initiatives that makes American education more competitive with the world. Greek organizations across the country also contribute to organizations that serve great causes. An example of a greek organization supporting a cause here at Ball State is Kappa Delta's Shamrock N' Bowl which the money raised at the event goes to Prevent Child Abuse America. These great contributions that greek organizations are often overshadowed by the negative actions by some organizations and the image of greek life that is often portrayed in our culture. For example the news stories of hazing that have been in recent headlines have damaged the image of the greek organization. Things like TFM also give us a bad image too. The site is satirical and is mean't to not be taken seriously, however some people are inspired by this website and adopt that lifestyle and dress. These two sides of greek organizations are at odds with each other and gives the normal person mixed views about it. The thing that will always stand out to people sadly is the negative things like the news stories about hazing and the cultural things like TFM. As long as these are around greek life won't be able to have a positive image to the public.

The names Martin Luther King Jr., Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Warren Buffet, and Neil Armstrong are names that are very familiar to the American public. There is something about them that not many people know about them however. In their college careers these famous people were members of greek organizations. These people went on to do great things after they finished college. For instance Martin Luther King went on to become the de facto leader of the civil rights movement in the late 1950's through 1968. His assassination made him into a martyr for the movement and cemented his place in American history as a visionary and a crusader for equality and justice. Leaving behind a legacy means many things, for me if I was to leave a legacy I would hope that the legacy I leave is positively affecting my students when I enter into my desired career as a teacher. If I don't have a positive impact on my students then I have failed as a teacher and that is something I do not want to happen.