[nabs-l] Finding a niche in campus orgs

[justin williams]

Have you approached the leaders of the fraternity? I'm sure you have, but I
just have to at least ask.  If so, it does not sound as if they are
responsive.  If not the leaders, then maybe the advisor.  

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti Shelton
Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2014 6:31 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: [nabs-l] Finding a niche in campus orgs

Hi all,

For the past 2 years I've struggled to find my place in organizations on
campus.  I felt the same way in high school, but here is my situation now.

Freshman year I was in a club for my major, as well as a community service
fraternity.  I ended up leaving that fraternity at the end of my freshman
year because of a few things, but mainly because I felt the chapter was run
in a very beaurocratic style, and the same people always did everything and
never let those of us who were on the outside do much.  The elections seemed
more like a popularity contest, with really personal digs made by current
exec board members against candidates who they did not want to see in future
exec board positions.  Though I didn't run for anything, even as an
outsider, a member just watching and casting my votes, it left a bitter
taste in my mouth.  If that was how it was going to be run, I didn't want to
be a part of the organization.

That spring semester I pledged another fraternity that I liked a lot better.
This one is a professional organization more geared towards my major.  It is
smaller, and still does service, which I like.
However, I have increasingly felt like I am not a part of the group.
One of the main problems this year has been a lack of communication and
access to the google docs resources.  Of course, these things work fine for
the other 20 members of the chapter who are sighted, but they do not work
for me.  I feel that when I miss a piece of information that was posted
online, or when I don't know to do something because I can't see it, people
are like, "Well, she screwed up again," rather than thinking, "Oh, I wonder
if she didn't see it."

This all sounds much more bitter or dramatic than I really feel, but I am a
bit frustrated by this.  I have good ideas, and can do my job very well if I
know what is expected of me and have the accessibility to do it.  However,
with the google docs system, and the lack of communication I receive from my
sisters about visual things they just pick up on naturally, I am unable to
contribute in the way I want to.

I think my struggles with these things has also impacted me socially.
We had elections a few weeks ago, and I was the only junior who was not
elected to an exec board position.  I ran for 2, and really wanted the
recording secretary position.  I feel like the issues I had this year have
made me seem like I am uncapable of carrying out these responsibilities to
my sisters, when they really don't know my situation and never asked.  I
specifically chose to run for recording secretary because I have particular
experience with this position, and I also know that the minutes are taken in
Word Docs and member standing is kept track in a spreadsheet.  I would have
run into no technological glitches whatsoever, so this position would have
been great for me.  I also gave up membership in other clubs and musical
ensembles in order to make time for an exec board position should I have
gotten one, so I'm thinking false social perceptions have gotten in my way.

I also feel socially left out sometimes because not all members of the
chapter will talk to me.  I mean, I'm certainly not expecting to be best
friends with everyone, but some of them just don't even speak to me, which
isn't a good feeling.  And yes, I do try to speak to them.
They don't openly shun me, and it's not nearly that bad, but unless I say
something to them they won't say hi, or ask how I'm doing even when we're
sitting next to each other.  This is not just a chapter issue; the people
this happens with also don't really socialize with me in classes, and I'm
one of those awkward people who gets along more with people who are older
and younger than her than with students in my year.

I really don't want to sound whiney, because that was not my intent at all,
but I'm wondering how people in similar situations got through these issues.

--
Kaiti

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