Flanagan 1

Michelle Flanagan
Prof. Gary Vaughn
English Composition 2089
12 April 2016
CHAARG: Gym Rats or a Community?
Many professionals have researched the influence of discourse communities within a
collegiate setting, and much of this research has focused on Greek life and athletes. There has
been less emphasis on more loosely convened groups even though many students belong to
casual organizations. While websites such as USA Today and Total Sorority Move have featured
articles on CHAARG (Changing Health, Attitudes, and Actions to Recreate Girls), no discourse
study has been conducted. This is likely because this organization is a fairly recent addition to
college campuses, and is not one that is on most or every campus around the nation. In fact,
CHAARG started in late 2012 and has already expanded to 37 universities across the country.
The group was founded by a student at The Ohio State University, and later expanded to the
University of Cincinnati. From there, it has expanded across the United States. Talk to any of the
girls involved and it is immediately clear that this organization provides a strong sense of
community. But is it a discourse community? By conducting ethnographic research, I was able to
find out more about the group, as well as discover how communication and the power hierarchy
drive this group. These are two essential elements of any organization, but they play a
particularly interesting role in this one. To find this information, I conducted several interviews
with members who are at various levels of authority in the group. As well, because I myself am a
member, I have been able to collect various forms of communications such as emails and
message threads.

Flanagan 2
First, I needed to determine if CHAARG is truly a discourse community. Putting it up
against Professor Emeritus of Linguistics John Swales six characteristics of a discourse
community, CHAARG meets the criteria. Swales first states that the group must have a broadly
agreed set of common public goals (220). CHAARGs goal is stated in their name, and their
website gives a more in-depth look at their mission, saying, CHAARG aims to ignite a passion
in college-aged girls for health + fitness. Too many college girls rely solely on an elliptical.
CHAARG liberates girls from the elliptical + shows them that fitness can [+ SHOULD] be fun!
It also features a quote from CHAARG founder Elisabeth Tavierne: My mission is to empower
every CHAARG girl to be the best version of herself. I truly hope that all of our members find
their passion for health + fitness whatever that means to them. The organization has a clear,
definitive set of goals, although they are broad ones. As is made evident by the name, and even
more so in reading about the group, it is exclusively comprised of women, tying in with the
organizations goals.
Having a set of public goals is not difficult; individuals as well as clubs and companies
have them. It takes more than a common aim to be a discourse community. Intercommunication
between group members and board, or executive members (commonly called exec within this
community), is crucial (Swales 221). Aside from face-to-face conversations, CHAARG has
several methods of intercommunication, most of which occur through social media. One method,
the most common among all discourse communities, is email. Every Sunday night at 10 p.m.
University of Cincinnati CHAARG girls get an email sent to them by the ambassador (a position
which is essentially the president of that universitys chapter). These newsletters contain the
weeks theme, upcoming events, and a short feature on a member. Additionally, once a month
Tavierne sends an email to members across the nation, giving updates on what is going on in

Flanagan 3
every CHAARG chapter as well as motivation, whether it is workout or school oriented. The
group-messaging app GroupMe is also frequently used, especially among exec members, when
trying to coordinate events or schedules. Members keep in touch with their own chapter as well
as girls at other schools largely through social media, a concept that we will delve deeper into
later. Clearly, CHAARG girls have employ many different communication channels.
The fact that communication is conducted differently depending on who is using it points
to Swales threshold level of members (222). Exec members are more likely to use apps such
as GroupMe rather than the Facebook page because it is private; this way, they can collaborate
and figure out what they are doing without the entire chapter seeing. They also have weekly
meetings to discuss upcoming events and plans. These face-to-face meetings are something that
only the exec has access to or knows much about. They are rarely discussed around other
members, creating a clear division of who is in a leadership position and who is not.
This intercommunication also ties into Swales fourth requirement, that of utilizing more
than one genre in the groups pursuit of its goals (221). Using a wide spread of social media,
apps, and email demonstrates that the community has a firm handle on multiple genres. The
content aims differ with each of these, so the behavior differs as well. Additionally, members use
word of mouth, especially during high recruitment periods. Most girls heard of the group through
a friend. For example, freshman member Logan Arnold stated that she joined CHAARG because
her sister was in OSUs chapter and consistently talked about how great it was, inspiring Arnold
to join once she got to UC. Thus, the group possesses many genres and uses each effectively.
Feedback is essential to any groups growth and evolution. Without knowing what
members want, the organization will likely cease to exist. Swales addresses this, requiring that a
discourse community uses participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and

Flanagan 4
feedback (221). Again, this is something that CHAARG does extremely well. Each semester,
the university and national chapter send email surveys, asking about each members experience,
likes and dislikes, etc. This way, they make sure that members voices are heard. As well, the
execs make it a point to ask for feedback after each studio spotlight or small group, repeatedly
stating that they want girls to have a say and get the most out of their experience. Fourth year and
exec team member Emily Sturgeon shared, Youll have girls who are really quiet during small
groups, and never really open up, but theyll write the nicest things about you on the feedback
surveys. Girls have told me Ive changed their life, and thats an amazing feeling.
We have seen the vast array of communication this group utilizes, whether it is memberto-member or exec-to-exec. Communication is what runs this group, and was the largest issue I
wanted to delve into while conducting my research. Personal testimonies from people you know
are proven to be the most effective marketing strategy, but social media is increasingly
important, especially on college campuses, and most members are extremely active. UC
CHAARG has a private Facebook page that is only accessible to members; here, girls can post
requests for a coffee date, a running buddy, ask all types of questions, share an important
accomplishment and more. That page stays extremely active and spreads the news faster than the
weekly newsletter does. It is also convenient for last minute or quick turnaround situations as
most girls check Facebook more than once throughout the day. On top of Facebook, the national
and university chapters of CHAARG have Twitter accounts; these are used less than the
Facebook page and primarily for event reminders or recaps. The Twitters are less accessible
because only the exec team can post through it. Facebook is more active for the reason that any
member can post to that page at any time. Most unique to CHAARG, however, is the use of
Instagram. Members are encouraged to create an Instagram account that is specifically for

Flanagan 5
CHAARG, with their name and _inCHAARG added at the end (for example,
michelle_inCHAARG). The women post things such as great workouts, new recipes, and news
about their fitness journey as well as general life events on this account. This is one of the easiest
ways for girls to get to know other members at different universities. It is not unusual to see
members interacting, giving encouraging comments or asking questions, even when they do not
know the poster in real life. Sturgeon commented that You post, and all of a sudden all these
girls from other schools start motivating you and complimenting you, its so great! Social media
is a great way that the entire CHAARG community of over 5,000 girls stays connected.
The Nationals team also uses these accounts for giveaways; at the start of each month, a
package that consists of workout gear, a water bottle, and some snacks, is raffled off. To enter,
girls have to comment and tag friends who they want to spread the news about CHAARG to.
This participation mechanism doubles as marketing, getting current members to spread the word
to their friends. First-semester member Kialee Koch attested to this, saying that she joined after
being pestered for three straight semesters by a good friend. She bugged me constantly until
now. She would tag me in all the CHAARG stuff on Instagram, and I was always like, Maggie, I
dont have time, but finally I said, Screw it, Ill do it.
Every member has access to these accounts and sites, but the exec team has their own
form of communication as well. Third year and University of Cincinnati CHAARG Ambassador
Sarah Jankowski stated:
Theres a lot of GroupMes. We have weekly exec meetings on Sundays and well do a
mini-workshop from Nationals, and talk about a larger thing. And then well talk about
specific chapter things and then I send out a weekly action list every week, its basically a
to-do list for everyone. So I guess thats a big form of communication. Ill send it out

Flanagan 6
mid-week on Wednesday, and say, okay, heres everyones to-do list and heres each
positions mini thing. Have it done by Sunday. Thats a big form of our communication.
Jankowski makes it clear that there is a lot done behind the scenes that members would not know
about. Communication in this group not only starts and keeps girls involved but it keeps the ball
rolling and keeps everyone on task. She went on to say that her role as ambassador involves
being the direct line of communication to the nationals board and coordinating between this
chapter and the national organization. The next two most important roles are VP of membership
and VP of media, who are responsible for recruitment and social media management,
respectively. Those are the two things that keep us functioning. Literally, Jankowski said.
With social media comes a different type of jargon, which Swales refers to as a groups
lexis (222). This is comprised of words that would not necessarily make sense to an outsider,
but that group members understand perfectly and take in stride. Lexes will differ from group to
group, of course. Doctors have a very specific lexis, oftentimes consisting of abbreviations or
acronyms, which is why a passerby in the hospital cannot fully understand what is being said
about the patient in the next room over. In this community, the lexis is not necessarily
complicated, but it would still be confusing to an outsider, especially if taken out of the context
of CHAARG.
Jankowski touched on this concept, saying, I think the biggest one we use would be the
hashtag runCHAARG. Its actually a play on sororities, how they say, for example, #rushKappa,
because we do it the first month of every semester during recruitment. Its also just a way to get
our current members motivated. RunCHAARG is a month long event that challenges girls to
log a certain number of miles and post progress on Instagram. Using the hashtag allows each
post to be easily found, and there are prizes at the end of the month for those who completed the

Flanagan 7
challenge. The term Bolts and Blues is also CHAARG-specific, playing off of the concept of
highs and lows. Bolts (which is CHAARGs symbol) and blues are shared during small groups,
when girls can discuss the best (bolt) and worst (blue) thing that happened to them that week.
The idea of sharing is not CHAARG specific, but the term used is, qualifying it as a lexis. The
group also employs workout-specific terms. Other people who workout frequently or attend
certain types of studios may be familiar with them, but those who are fitness beginners may not
understand what is being discussed. These include things like HIIT workouts (high intensity
interval training), spinning (a specific type of cycling workout), barre (a style which combines
ballet, pilates, and yoga elements), and the phrase hitting my macros, which refers to meeting a
set goal of necessary macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins). When first entering this
community, many members may be thrown off, but they quickly pick up on it. As was stated
earlier, questions are commonly asked on various social media pages, and girls tend to respond
rapidly. Regarding communication, Sturgeon felt that it is more how you say it than what you
say:
Nobody knows what CHAARG means anyways, but we always say Treat Yoself,
Fitsonista Its funny because CHAARG has such a different concept than other
organizations. Even just typing, we use the plus sign [+] instead of and, we have our
own connotations of things. Theres just a lingo, like a slang, that comes along with
CHAARG I just feel like the whole demeanor of the CHAARG community is more
uplifting than other organizations, and that just comes along with how we interact with
each other.
The use of symbols rather than words can be seen in the mission statement, included earlier in
this study, or on CHAARGs blog. Many girls begin to adopt that tone and style when posting on

Flanagan 8
social media accounts, and it makes for a sense of consistency in the writing, something that
professional news organizations implement as well.
The diverse communication style that CHAARG employs is becoming more and more
common among discourse communities in general. In her article Discourse Communities and
Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and Diversity, San Diego State University
Professor Ann Johns discusses how discourse communities use written communication to
enable members to keep in touch with each other, carry on discussions, explore controversies,
and advance their aims (503). She touches on the idea that communication is important in all
groups for a slew of reasons. CHAARG is an example of this due to the high number of
communication types, as well as how the channel ties in to the purpose. She continues and
disproves the theory that all discourse communities are constantly professional. These genres
are not, in all cases, sophisticated or intellectual, literary or high-browed. They are, instead,
representative of the values, needs, and practices of the community that produces them, Johns
states (503-504). This further validates CHAARGs and any other discourse communitys use
of social media as a legitimate source of communication. Although more professional
organizations, specifically news outlets, are beginning to use social media, it can still be looked
down upon and considered something that only young people use. In certain groups, however,
young people are the audience, making social media a logical choice. Discourse communities
must discover what works best for them and their members, something that may change over
time. For this particular organization, it is social media coupled with email and face-to-face
interactions.
Similar to other communities, lexis and communication styles have an important
relationship in this group, and different terms are used depending on what outlet is being

Flanagan 9
employed at the time. While communication plays the largest role in CHAARG, it would not be
able to function without the power structure that it has. As mentioned earlier, Tavierne started
this organization at The Ohio State University while she was a student. After it took off there,
Sarah Clem, a friend of Tavierne, decided she wanted to bring CHAARG to her campus, the
University of Cincinnati. After the first expansion, other schools began to follow. Tavierne and
Clem are on the Nationals team, along with a handful of other girls from CHAARG chapters
across America. Nationals lays out the steps to forming a new CHAARG chapter, sets the dues
members must pay each semester, and creates challenges (such as runCHAARG) that each
chapter can participate in. Headquartered in Chicago, Tavierne oversees everything within the
organization; Clem heads the expansion of chapters, trains exec teams, and gives the chapters
resources; Teresa Sandoval, creative project lead, manages what the members see, such as the
website and blog. While each girl has a niche she works in, they come together as a team to make
decisions and move forward. The national team will, presumably, continue to grow as the
organization itself becomes more widespread, likely being formed through their internship
opportunities (Jankowski).
While these three women are the national face of CHAARG, members are more familiar
with their own exec teams. Each chapters exec team is responsible for leading small groups,
recruiting new members, fostering a sense of community and friendship among the girls, and
planning the weekly activities. Sturgeon points out that the main reason for having an exec team
is simply organization, not to create a division among members. We dont like to be, Oh, its
the exec team and then its the entire chapter. Were normal members, we just happen to keep
things going and set things up. Without the exec team, no one would set up the activities, such
as weekly workouts or the annual formal. The exec team provides accountability and

Flanagan 10
organization, making sure that each chapter is constantly striving to become better much like
the reason each girl joins (Sturgeon).
Sturgeons mindset about remaining a normal member is related to part of Johns work.
Johns address the issue of authority within discourse communities, and while her focus is
specifically on academic circles, it can be applied in a wider context. She uses a quote from
Bakhtin, which states in each world of family, friends, acquaintances, and comrades in which a
human being lives, there are always authoritative utterances which set the tone (513). This
concept means that it is even more vital that those in leadership positions whether it is a board,
an exec team, or anything else is aligned with the groups goals. It is also important that
members understand who is in power, why they are in power, and what they are using their
power for. In this particular organization, that largely means the exec team needs to create
personal relationships with the girls. In other discourse communities, it may be more related to
titles, production of scholarly works, and employment history. The reasons for authority will
differ from group to group, but each established group will have some kind of arrangement.
University of Central Florida Professor and author Elizabeth Wardle also deals with this
concept, saying authority is an intangible quality granted to persons through institutions but
which must be maintained through individuals speech and actions (290). This means that
authority begins as an intangible concept, but grows into something more solid over time. In this
group, exec members must maintain their power through continuing to communicate clearly,
participate in activities, stay organized, and build relationships with members. In other fields or
discourse communities, authority figures may be expected to teach more classes, continue
research, or write a book. Expectations will vary from group to group, but every member will
have one.

Flanagan 11
Arnold, who is currently a member but will be joining the exec team next semester, sees
the benefit of having structure and supports the exec team. Its nice having it set out for you.
Theres so many girls, if we didnt have that [structure] it would be chaos and people wouldnt
be getting out of it what they are. She went on to say that the structure ensures that everything
gets done, and that it is obvious how much effort the exec team puts into everything they do.
The hierarchy will continue to be shaped as the organization grows and ages, and as
current members discover what works best, both within university chapters and nationally. The
fact that CHAARG is not brand new but is a recent addition to UC, and even more so to many
universities, makes it a particularly interesting discourse community to study. Wardle addresses
changing discourse communities, saying that identities are fluid and remodeled over time and
over interactions, which includes verbal and written communication (289). Wardles perception
means that while CHAARG will morph into something different over time but will remain a
discourse community through those changes.
After putting CHAARG to the test against Swales concept of a discourse community as
well as Johns and Wardles ideas, it is clear that this organization is, indeed, a discourse
community. The women involved in this group use many different modes of communication,
each genre fitting a different need. CHAARG members are generally large users of social media,
but also communicate through newsletters, emails, and face-to-face conversations. The power
structure exists for the main goal of accomplishing tasks and making decisions, rather than
creating division among members. This community is unique, largely unstudied, and a fairly new
organization, making it interesting to research. As with any growing discourse community,
changes can be expected to occur as the organizations needs and members change. CHAARG
has proven to be not only a community of college women, but also a true discourse community.

Flanagan 12
Works Cited
Arnold, Logan. Personal Interview. 7 April 2016.
Jankowski, Sarah. Personal Interview. 7 April 2016.
Johns, Ann. Discourse Communities and Communities of Practice: Membership, Conflict, and
Diversity. Writing About Writing: A College Reader. Ed. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug
Downs. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 498-519. Print.
Koch, Kialee. Personal Interview. 7 April 2016.
Sturgeon, Emily. Personal Interview. 7 April 2016.
Swales, John. The Concept of Discourse Community. Writing About Writing: A College
Reader. 2nd ed. Ed. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins,
2014. 215-229. Print.
Wardle, Elizabeth. Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces. Writing
About Writing: A College Reader. 2nd ed. Ed. Elizabeth Wardle and Doug Downs. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martins, 2014. 284-299. Print.

Flanagan 13
Appendix A
Interview Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.

What is CHAARGs goal?

How do you get girls to participate and give feedback?
How do group members and exec members communicate?
How does the hierarchy work? How can students move up and through

it?
5. What purpose does the hierarchy serve?
6. What is the difference between the campus and national executive
teams?
7. Is there a specific identity that you associate with a CHAARG girl?
8. How can members make the transition into this group easier?