Stereotypes
As a Miami Student I attend a school that is home to an assortment of stereotypes
These stereotypes range from
“Selfish Bitches”
To
“Cocky Fraternity Boys”
Stereotypes define a person or place from an “outsiders” point of view
These stereotypes usually disappear once a situation is better understood.
But does anyone try to understand?
I have stereotypes
We all have them
Even if we try to ignore them
they are there.
How?
Family
Friends
Books
Media
The only way to erase stereotypes is to overcome them through
experience.
You walk by fraternity house and flashes of
Vineyard vine shorts
Polos
Sperrys
Alcohol
Consume your thoughts
You walk by a homeless shelter and flashes of
Tattered Wrangler jeans
Moth-eaten plaid shirts
Alcohol
Consume your thoughts
See they already have something in common.
You walk into a fraternity house and you witness
Brotherhood
Huge dinner table of boys grubbing down
Fights over sports and girls
You walk into a homeless shelter and you witness
Brotherhood
Huge dinner table of men grubbing down
Fights over sports and girls
Now there is a lot in common.
Yet definite differences remain.
Greek letters mounted on a stone outside the fraternity house
Versus
“No Loitering” sign mounted on crumbling paint outside the homeless shelter
Credit cards with charges that get billed to parents
Versus
Bills that will never be paid
BMWs, Lexus, Mercedes parked out front
Versus
Shopping carts full of month old newspaper
The material possession of these two groups of men may divide them but
Human passion
Love
And
Brotherhood
Exist not only in fraternity brothers and sorority sisters but exist in
Homeless men and women
In no way are my observations stated in a manner to mitigate the incredible pain and hardship that is associated with homelessness. Rather, I hoped to convey the important message that the only thing that separates a guy in a fraternity house and a guy in a homeless shelter, are green pieces of paper with the faces of presidents. This seemingly small but incredibly significant difference should never instill superiority or foster stereotypes between two men who are someone’s brothers, husbands, fathers, or boyfriends.
The conclusions that you came up with are very correct. I never would have thought to make this comparison, but you provided a lot of evidence that shows solid similarities between the two groups. It is rather surprising, but in the end, all makes sense. We are all human beings.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are similarities between these two groups. After all, being human connects people. Circumstances may be different, but the mere fact that we are living and breathing and going through life, puts us on a plane together whether we like it or not. The funny thing is that Miami students would probably not like being compared with homeless people. What they do is ok, but what a homeless person does is not. Interesting thought.
ReplyDeleteThis was such a creative way to discuss your Drop Inn visit. Comparing fraternities to homeless people is something that many people would not think to do. It is all very true though. I think that many people forget what homeless people actually are--people. Some people cannot get past the whole homeless part. I feel like this would be a good piece to share with Miami students even though they may not all agree about the comparisons but it would be a good way to show them what they truly are. I believe that this statement, "Rather, I hoped to convey the important message that the only thing that separates a guy in a fraternity house and a guy in a homeless shelter, are green pieces of paper with the faces of presidents," was an important detail to add.
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ReplyDelete(sorry the above comment is from me--I just used the wrong profile to post it)
ReplyDeleteThis was such a creative way to discuss your Drop Inn visit. Comparing fraternities to homeless people is something that many people would not think to do. It is all very true though. I think that many people forget what homeless people actually are--people.
Some people cannot get past the whole homeless part. I feel like this would be a good piece to share with Miami students even though they may not all agree about the comparisons but it would be a good way to show them what they truly are. I believe that this statement, "Rather, I hoped to convey the important message that the only thing that separates a guy in a fraternity house and a guy in a homeless shelter, are green pieces of paper with the faces of presidents," was an important detail to add.
I loved this comparison! I found many similarities between my friends and some of people at the Drop Inn, but I never made this connection. It makes perfect sense though. The alcohol comparison was great because both groups probably consume a relatively close (and large) amount of alcohol. I also really agree with the fact that only thing separating these two different groups of people is money. You have made a really great point in a really beautiful way.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with you. I think that that is one of the most important things that I took away from the experience. As much as I felt that I didn't have something in common with any of the people I was serving, I had so much in common with them. Once I got past our differences, I was able to realize that people had something to offer, just as I did. Homelessness is just a tag. I feel like it does not (nor should it) define you unless you allow it to.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the comparison of the two worlds. I don't think very many people realize how similar they are to people who live such different lifestyle from them. Perhaps expanding more on these similarities would be an eye-opening experience for many people who haven't had the opportunity to see it with their own eyes like we did.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a call to consciousness, it really is a great way to demonstrate how wrong some of the societal things at Miami are. I think they can be applied to many colleges on campus as well and not just Miami. A glimmer of hope still stands up to everything that flys in the face of the homeless. I agree with what you said.
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