The sisters of Sigma Lambda Upsilon (SLU) hosted their annual “A Page Ahead” event last Tuesday night in order to shed light on the importance of literacy and the different forms it can take.
The event began with an ice-breaker that tested the reading comprehension skills of the participants by making them figure out what each character in a story ate and drank based on cards that they were given with bits of incomplete information like “Catherine does not eat donuts” and “the latte drinker gets a donut”.
The ice-breaker proved to be a challenge as none of the participants were able to put together the story correctly.
The event then moved into a discussion about how people don’t learn the most important life skills in school like how to balance their money, social skills, and how to adapt to certain situations.
“In school you are taught that you’re always going to succeed. If you study hard you’re going to get straight A’s. They don’t tell you that in real life you’re going to get kicked down as you try to get too your goal,” one participant said.
Participants then talked about how even though some people are poor test takers, they are effective hands on learners, and how some of the most successful people, for example Rachael Ray and Steve Jobs didn’t go to college.
“I know that my grandfather has a sixth grade education and he’s a lot smarter than I am, and I’m in a private institution. I think it’s just wanting to know, wanting to grow and always having that hunger for more knowledge is what will get you further in life,” sister of SLU Tiffany Alvarez said.
The group then discussed how it’s important to have knowledge of the cultures of others.
“I had someone from Pace my freshmen year ask me where I’m from, I told them I’m Columbian and Ecuadorian and they asked me what part of Mexico that was,” sister of SLU Tiffany Vasquez said.
The event closed with a discussion about how technology has ended up overshadowing face-to-face conversation. Participants talked about how when people are online they feel invincible and will say whatever they want since they don’t have to confront people face-to-face, and about how since a lot of the older generation is not using technology they no longer have as strong of a voice in today’s society.
This event was part of SLU’s EmpoWORD Week, which is focused around their philanthropy of literacy empowerment.
thetuccireport 