whether right or wrong, imagination is shaped by pictures seen...

Why is it that so many of us, so often, blame "stereotypes" for the shortcomings of our community?

I apologize if I come across a little blunt in this entry, but I want to challenge each of us to really consider whether or not "stereotypes" are to blame for the negative attention our communities gets.

Consider this...

The word "stereotype" (ironically) is of Greek origin literally meaning "solid-kind." Its roots actually go back to the days of the Printing Press when newspapers began being printed from "metal printing plates by taking a mold of composed type or the like in papier-mache or other material and then taking from this mold a cast in type metal." (according to dictionary.com)

Now I'm no Printing Press expert, so that description is probably as confusing to you as it is to me, but the jist is this: that "mold" or what you and I would consider a "stamp" that is used to create the text on the newspaper is called a "stereotype." In printers term, a "stereotype" is that metal plate used to "stamp" the words on the page. According to Wikipedia, a "stereotype" (in printing terms) is a "duplicate impression of an orginial typographical element, used for printing instead of the original." So, an author would type her/his story on the typewriter, then would "duplicate" the story into a "stereotype" (or a stamp), that would be used to "stamp" the newspaper. Got it?

So, when the word was first coined, it was in essence, a duplicate reflection of an object - a stamp.

So where did the metpahor for "a conventional, formulaic, and oversimplied conception, opinion, or image" (dictionary.com's defintion of the modern usage of "stereotype") come from? Well, I'm really not sure. Because in response to the development of the printing stereotype, Walter Lippmann (an American journalist) created a metaphor for the stereotype by calling a stereotype a "picture in our heads" and that "whether right or wrong, imagination is shaped by the pictures seen..." In other words: the stereotype (remember: Greek translation = "solid-kind") that was used to print our newspapers, formed a picture in our heads... and those pictures formed in our heads lead us - as humans - to form an opinion.

Lets review:

• Greek translation = "solid-kind."

• The Stereotype printing tool = a stamp used to create "solid" (concrete) news.

• Walter Lippmann = creator of metaphor for how the stereotype used to create the newspapers leads to us forming a picture in our heads. Pictures in our heads, lead to our own imaginations.
  

History lesson complete.

Switch back to 2010...

Why has society and our collective generation, let the word "stereotype," come to mean something that it really wasn't meant to mean? Why do so many of us say stereotypes are unfair when every stereotype there is, is there for a reason? Why do so many of us complain that stereotypes are one-sided, when every man and women has the right to have his and hers own opinion (imagination) of something? Why do so many of us complain that stereotypes are to blame for negative attention, when a stereotype is simply a reflection of a "solid-kind?"

Yes, there are many "stereotypes" out there about our Sorority/Fraternity community. But please, please, please stop thinking that they are unfair, one-sided, and to blame for everything that goes wrong in our community, when all a stereotype is an opinion someone (or collective someones) form due to what they see.

A stereotype is nothing more than someone's perception of something. And what is MY perception? Sorry, but MY perception, is MY reality. What I percpieve, is reality for me. What YOU percieve, is reality for YOU. What Suzie Freshmen percieves about the sorority community, is being percieved in her mind for a reason. And who are we to say that her perception is wrong? We can try our hardest to change her perception, and to persuade her perception, but for as long as that perception remains in her mind, that is HER reality.

So now the question begs, where does her perception comes from? (hint: the answer is NOT the media). It comes from what she sees. It comes from OUR ACTIONS. If she perceives the sorority/fraternity community to be nothing more than"sex, drugs and fraterall", well, thats because she has seen/heard/witnessed that happening before.

Ok Tyler, but what if she heard that on the news? The news gave her that perception.

Ok fine. But who gave the news that perception? WE DID. And yes, yes, I know, "its just one or two chapters that are doing that bad stuff - its not all of us." But why should that matter? We are all one community, whether right or wrong, we are only as strong as our weakness link.

Ok, but, why doesn't the news talk about all the "sex, drugs and fraterall" that happens on the football team? Well, not to beat a dead horse after class yesterday, but, its simply because the Football team did not take a life-long oath tolive by the highest moral standards possible. So the football team not living by those highest moral standards possible is not news. Is the football team not playing football well "news"? Certainly. Is the Sorority/Fraternity community living by the highest moral standards "news"? Not at all. Why should the Sorority/Fraternity communitiy living by the highest moral standards possible be any more of "news" than Ohio State successfully completing another day of classes?

Instead of blaming stereotypes for keeping us from getting any positive attention, lets change our behavior to ensure that no one is able to have any negative perceptions to begin with. Because no matter how hard we try, a fraternity living by their values is NOT news.

But a fraternity NOT living by their values IS news, and gives every man and women the right to form a perception that becomes that person's reality.

So I know in class yesterday I said (in my opinion) "stereotypes don't exist." Let me recall that statement and instead say the following:

Stereotypes are perceptions of reality. Stereotypes are printings of what we write about ourselves. Stereotypes is imagination shaped by what is seen.

And until we change our collective behavior (note: not INDIVIDUAL behaviors), we will be continuing to author our own stereotypes. No one is responsible for our stereotypes other than ourselves.

So PLEASE lets stop blaming others, and start changing ourselves so the only thing people imagine is the same thing we imagine for ourselves.

"A stereotype is a picture in our heads. Whether right or
wrong, imagination is shaped by the pictures seen"

Sometimes Blogabus's aren't even perfect

So... even though Blogabus's are awesome, sometimes they need to be changed. And this one is no exception to that rule. Below is a revised course schedule. Please ignore the schedule in the original Blogabus, and only use this one moving forward.

Please also note that because we enjoy all of you so much (and because we get the sense that feeling is mutual...right?), we will be meeting during our scheduled final exam period.

So here you are - the new schedule:

For class 3 (April 19), we will be talking about the Social Change value of Consicousness of Self, Congruence and Commitment. We ask you to read Chapter 9, 10 and 11.

For class 4 (April 26), we will be talking about how the first three C’s relate to Fraternal Values. We ask you to read this article called "Values & Action Congruence," this article called "A Call for Values Congruence," this article called "Branding + Values," and this article about Ritual.

For class 5 (May 3), we will continue to talk about Fraternal Values. You have no reading due this day.

For class 6 (May 10), we will talk about the social change values of Collaboration and our Common Purpose and will apply those topics to the shared values that facilitate our sorority/fraternity community. We ask you to read Chapter 6 and 7 in your text, and this article called "Individual vs. Community" and this chapter from a book about the American Fraternity.

For class 7 (May 17), we will talk about the social change value of Controversy with Civility and Citizenship. We ask you to read Chapter 8 and 5 in your text and this article about the diversity within sororities and fraternities.

For class 8 (May 24), we will be talking about some specific issues facing the Fraternal Movement and you are asked to read 4 out of 8 articles that will be given to you in a later blog posting. Each article will have to do with a different topic facing the Fraternal Movement (ie: GLBT students in sororities/fraternities, recruitment, alcohol, hazing, bystander behavior... to name a few). You'll get to pick which 4 you want to read :)

For class 9 (May 31), we will be talking about Global Social Change and the role Fraternities and Sororities can and/or should play in the process of achieving Global Social Change. We ask that you read a couple chapters from a book called Social Change 2.0. We'll post these chapters at a later date.

For class 10 (final exam period) we will present our final projects (to be assigned at a later date) to one another.

Who am I?

I have to admit, I feel a bit hypocritical asking a class full of 18,19, and 20 year old college students to "describe" themselves in a blog by answering the question "who are you," when personally, that is a question I, well, hate to be asked myself.

Who am I? Well, I'm Tyler Blair. I'm 25. I work at Ohio State. I'm from Boston. I have a mom, a dad, and two brothers. No pets (bitter subject). I went to school at Denison. And then grad school at Kansas. And now work at Ohio. I like to play soccer.

And 90% of the time, THAT is my answer to the "who are you question." But over the years, I've started to realize that if that's "who I am" then I'm missing out a lot. So I've tried to improve my answer to that question. And right now, I'm going to try to take that to even the next level. Not yet sure how this is going to work out for me, but, here goes: I love my job. I always have wanted a dog. My parents hate dogs. I have never had one. I grew up in Boston. I love the Red Sox. I hate the Yankees. I went to Denison. Then I went to Kansas for two years. I have a bachelors degree and a masters degree. I have always valued education. I don't think I'm done with my education, but don't know whats next. Attending the LeaderShape Institute was one of the best things that ever happened to me. So was joining my fraternity. On February 19th, 2005, I took a life long oath to live by the values of Cultivation of the Intellect, Unsullied Friendship, and Unfaltering Fidelity, as objects worthy of the highest aim and associated effort. I try to live by that oath every day. I have days when I do well at it. I have days when I'm okay with it. And I have days when I falter from it. I never thought about values until I joined Beta Theta Pi. Once I joined and made that oath, I started thinking about them. I used to think they were my only values. Since then I have adopted my own core values. My core values are life long learning, creativity, citizenship, and congruence. I like to write. I never used to like to Blog. I think a lot. I also try to listen a lot. But I prefer thinking. My favorite sport is soccer. My favorite TV shows are SVU, House, CSI, Modern Family, Brothers & Sisters and NCIS. I miss LOST. I really have no special talents. Every time I go to a Piano Bar I leave feeling talentless, and realize that I regret not sticking with piano lessons as a kid. I also frequently regret not sticking with Spanish classes throughout high school. But besides that, I try hard to not live my life with regrets. I like to think that every day is a new opportunity. Speaking of opportunity, I don’t have any clue why I joined a fraternity. Other than the fact that I saw it as a new opportunity. Joining one was the last thing anyone would ever think I would do. But I saw it as an opportunity, and said ‘what the heck, why not.” I like food. I like to cook. I think every tooth in my mouth is a sweet tooth. I'm neither Coke nor Pepsi: I don't drink soda. I like making up words. I am pro technology in ever sense of things. Facebook, Twitter, 4Square, YouTube, Flikr, Wikipedia, Google, and every other totally awesome thing there is out there. I'm obsessed with Google. I'm also obsessed with my initials. My first name is not Tyler. It wasn't my choice. I love traveling. Kenya is the coolest place I have ever been to. Ireland, Australia, Turkey, and Italy are on my to-do list. Kenya taught me how lucky and privileged I am. I have a mom, a dad, and two brothers. I love my family, but sometimes wish I was closer to them. DC is my favorite city in the country. I have spent 2 summers working there. I want to live there sometime. I once worked in the U.S. Senate. I suck at spelling, but am awesome at drawing. I grew up on the water. I like to sail. I love to go on boats. Nantucket Island holds a special place in my heart. I miss the water. I have the best job in the world. I love Ohio. I love fraternity. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with college students ever day. I love talking about leadership, and think teaching leadership is one of the most rewarding and inspiring thing I could do with my life. Leadership confuses me. I have much more to learn. I wish I had more time to do more things. I want to do more with less. I want to have a bigger impact than what I'm already having. I want to know what my future entails.

And after reading the Blogabus, I feel ready to change the world.

I think our world is a great place. I think we live in a very fortunate time. I also think too many of us take too much for granted. I think there needs to be more love and less hate. I think education is the answer to 99.89% of our worlds problems. I think more Americans need college degrees and more countries need more colleges. I also think our world need more fraternities. I think war should be fought with text books, not guns. But I don't want to be the one to lobby in DC. I don't want to be the one to do the research to find a cure. I don't want to be the one to bring the medical supplies to Haiti. I don't want to be the one to run for office. I don't want to be the one that builds the irrigation system.

All I want to do is get other people to want to do that. I want to help young men and women find their passion. I want to help young men and women figure out how they want to change the world. I want more young men and women to feel a purpose. I want more young men and women to feel like they have the power to change things. I want more young men and women to have a Vision. I want more young men and women to lead with integrity. And I want more young men and women to have the resources, confidence, and skills necessary to do all that.

I want more young men and women to see their potential. I want more young men and women to be happy.

I want a world, where every young man and woman begins their adult lives with a purpose; a vision for how our World can be a better place.

And I want every young man and women to act upon that purpose; that vision.

And I want our World to get better, as a result of that.

Thats all I want.

And thats who I am. And how I feel. In a nutshell. More or less.