Browse Exhibits (5 total)

When most people think about Greek Life on college campuses, they think about the Panhellenics and Interfraternities. A lot of people don't know about the National Panhellenic Council or the Multicultural Greek Council. The National Panhellenic Council is also known as the Divine Nine and they are the historically Black sororities and fraternities. The Multicultural Greek Council, sometimes called the Diversified Greek Council, is made up of numerous sororities and fraternities that celebrate different cultures and ethnicities. The Multicultural greeks tend to be small, yet strong and proud in their tight-knit community. Each organization is filled with different events, fundraisers, and service projects that are impactful to the campus and community.

So why would someone be interested in a Multicultural organization? Sororities and fraternities are based on scholarship and community. For some people, the standard Panhellenic and Interfraternity ones wouldn't have the same sense of community that a multicultural one might have. In a multicultural sorority or fraternity, someone can be around others of similar ethnic identities and bond out of their experiences. They throw cultural events, help the communities they're close to, and become a home away from home.

Imagine sharing your mom's empanada recipes with a sorority sister from a different Latin American country, and she in turn teaches you how to make some savory arepas. Imagine sharing the music that your dad played in the car with your line brother, and he expresses that he listened to the same songs growing up. The experiences of those who grew up with different or multiple cultures are different than that of people whose families have been in the United States for generations. Going to a university that may be hours away for most people can feel isolating, and finding a sorority or fraternity that feels like home is exactly why the Multicultural Greeks exist.

Everyday writing is present and necessary to keep the community going and communicating. All organizations keep track of and post things on their pages for events, fundraisers, and service. The artifacts in this exhibit demonstrate the multiple ways that everyday writing is used to keep the Multicultural Greek community alive and thriving today.

This exhibit highlights the casual and nonrestrictive characteristics and allowances that everyday writing provides. More specifically, how everyday writing is present in an iconic establishment on a college campus as such is seen in The Sweet Shop on Florida State University's campus. The Sweet Shop was established on campus in 1921. While it has seen some changes, the walls inside are filled with alumni and current students' signatures and writings. The business has encouraged customer participation to leave their mark however they desire on their walls, with signatures dating back to the 1940s and proceeding into the present day. Writing on these walls is a rite of passage for many Florida State University students.

Theresa Lillis defines everyday writing in the article "Writing as Everyday Practice" in the sense that "writing is not one thing, but involves many different kinds of materials, technologies, and practices including various kinds of relations around texts…made available and learned (or not) through the specific contexts we inhabit and used in different ways for different purposes" (92). The exhibit will focus on three commonalities in style and type of writing found on The Sweet Shop's walls. While perusing the walls, some of the most popular signatures and messages include couples marking their names or initials, school spirit, and miscellaneous notes that spark conversation with others or create a unique message.

As names and messages are added by past and present students at Florida State University, a connection is forged across time between the creators. While it is not entirely for certain what years individuals created their text even with graduation years accompanied as many have returned to the establishment years later to leave their signatures. However, it is known that when a person writes on the walls, they become a part of a narrative. Making their mark to show that they align themselves with everyone else on the walls, they are unified in the sense that at some point, they were all college students with the same problems and worries sitting at the edge of the unknown. All of which is displayed within an environment that plays a vital role in the college experience for many. It provides an opportunity to create community and look back throughout history and connect with those college students of the past who sat in the same places and walked the same campus; how were their college experiences and memories the same or different?

They are what we all see as we take to the roads: bumper stickers. While these decorative ornaments for vehicles tend to be seen as tacky, are more than often overlooked, and even go unnoticed, they reveal personal information in an interesting way. These seemingly small tidbits of information give insight as to who the driver or owner of a vehicle is, revealing their interests, likes and dislikes, personality traits, family history, political standings, education, and much more. Whether it is a bumper sticker, car decal, window paint, or another type of vehicular tattoo, these forms of everyday writing reveal information that would otherwise be unknown by those in passing vehicles. It's quite common to feel uncomfortable sharing personal information, especially upon initial introductions, however, writing on vehicles provides us with first impressions that otherwise never would have been had. Beyond this, writing on vehicles functions as a form of expression for humankind without even being acknowledged as such. While these writings can go ignored, there is beauty in their simplicity. Writing on vehicles allows for self-expression that follows drivers wherever they travel, functioning as a platform to share personal information and establish social connections with strangers in an unconventional way.