Arkansas 4 24 14 proof2

April 24, 2014 | Volume 3, Issue 27 | Fayetteville, AR

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HATE TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE PAGE 2

PASSING THE TORCH PAGE 3 OH, WHAT A ROW WEEK PAGE 4 THE ATTACK FROM THE AIR PAGE 6 STEPHANIE ANTLEY, SHELBY HAMPTON, HALEY ETHRIDGE AND OLIVIA STEINHAFEL. Credit: Haley Ethridge

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Editor's note

HATE TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE On the 13th of April, three people were killed in an act of violence this nation is still trying to comprehend.

At the Jewish Community Center, Terri LaManno, Reat Underwood and William Lewis Corporon were shot and killed.

Shootings like these seem to happen more and more these days, but I never thought it could happen in my hometown.

I have lived in Overland Park, Kansas my entire life, and I would have never guessed that when I checked Twitter that fateful afternoon, news like that would appear.

One of the victims went to my high school, and our younger brothers were friends.

I have never experienced and will never forget the sadness I felt from text I received from my little brother about it and can not even imagine what that family is feeling right now.

For some outsiders, Overland Park and the surrounding areas exist in a bubble.

On that dreary Sunday afternoon, some thought it burst. But what outsiders may call a bubble, insiders, having a better perspective, know it for what it is: a community. Unlike bubbles, communities, especially the one in Overland Park, cannot pop. I have ever seen anything close to the unity exhibited by my hometown, and it has become even stronger in the past few days. People from every part of the community have stepped up to help all the families involved.

A lot of the memorial events have been organized by the younger generations.

This past Tuesday, they organized a “wear white” day for Reat Underwood that was held at six other area schools. Earlier that morning, I received a picture of our performing arts center packed to the rafters with students and people from the community for a remembrance ceremony. There is also Reat’s Challenge posted on Twitter by one of his good friends. It challenges you to look at things that made you happy or things you are thankful for. A local news channel picked it up, spread its message, and I think it is really helping people appreciate what they have.

Closure is often more elusive than appreciation, however. We’re left with a lot of questions as to why this could have happened in such a great place to live. I think it speaks to the humanity of our neighbors that the suspect was not even from the area. He believed his racist actions would leave this city in a state of panic and division. I think we can find strength in the fact that we struck back in the most effective way possible and shattered this belief. Without question, he picked the wrong town.

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When I return to Overland for the funerals and remembrance ceremonies, I expect that I’ll have to park Pi Kappa Alpha far away from the church and Ryan is a senior studying pass parade of friends and international business. neighbors walking up the You may contact him at rmccread@uark.edu. street on their way inside. I’m preparing myself mentally because to see the mass of people that will come out to remember these three great people could likely be overwhelming.

RYAN MCCREADY

Evil will be there too. Notorious hate mongers of the Westboro Baptist Church plan to picket these funerals, I expect that as they cheer on hate and evil, we’ll repel it again and will drown their message by celebrating the three great people we lost. We will miss them, but we will never forget them.

THE ODYSSEY AT ARKANSAS EXECUTIVE TEAM

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The Odyssey is a private entity not associated or governed by University of Arkansas or Arkansas Greek life office. The views and opinions shared in The Odyssey are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Odyssey and Olympia Media Group.

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Scene on campus

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PASSING THE TORCH

When Ryan McCready, Editor-in-Chief of the Odyssey, asked me to step up and be the new editor for 2014-2015 school year, my first response was, “Yeahhh… probably not, Ryan.”

Editor-in-Chief is a huge job and following in his footsteps would be hard to live up to. I thought about it for a couple of weeks and decided to take on the role.

Editing and journalism runs in my family. During my grandfather’s career, he was a public relations writer for Westinghouse Electric Company and Rockwell International. My aunt was also a journalist for the Houston Chronicle for 15 years. Growing up around the two, I have fallen in love with journalism and have always had an eye for it. This past school year I have been the fashion columnist for the Odyssey and really have enjoyed my time as a writer for the newspaper.

I am ready and willing to take on this next role as Editor-in-Chief and so excited for the interesting, comical, thrilling, and dramatic articles my writers will be creating. Fun Facts About Me: I was born and raised in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. I definitely miss the big state, but Arkansas has been a huge part of my life for three years now. I am so in love with Northwest Arkansas, and I’ll tell you, I have never seen a fall season like Fayetteville’s!

I’m an Apparel Studies major studying SHANNON fashion design and JONES merchandising. Since I Zeta Tau Alpha was a little girl, I have Shannon is a junior studying apparel always dreamed about studies. You may contact her at snj004@uark.edu. a career in the industry.

I have found a talent in drawing and watercolor this past year and really enjoy it in my free time. My future plans include getting solid jobs in retail and corporate offices for a couple years with major companies, so I can really learn the industry with experience and then eventually create my own wedding gown line. I want to be a clothing designer and I am so determined to make it happen for myself one day. I just really love what I do.

I am a Zeta Tau Alpha here at Arkansas and have enjoyed getting involved with the sorority the past three years. Last year I held the position of creative chair and now this year I was selected to be t-shirt chair. I absolutely fallen in love my co-worker, Maddie Johnson, and also love seeing our designs being worn around campus. I wouldn’t trade this position for the world! I have a gigantic family who I love with my whole heart.

I grew up with four older brothers who are the best brothers a girl could ask for and also two loving parents who are equally as important to me. My brothers have also blessed me with four amazing sister-in-laws! I don’t know how I could live life without my best friend, my mother. I recently just became an aunt, too! I have two beautiful nephews, Evan Thomas Jones and Ryan Thomas Jones. The first thing they will learn from me is how to call the hogs…future Razorbacks in the making, y’all!

I always have a craving for Jimmy Johns, pizza and sushi; they never get old. My two favorite songs of all time are “Get Low” by Lil Jon and “We Found Love” by Rihanna, they never get old either. You can always catch me dancing at any given moment. My friends make fun of me for this, but I don’t care. I still love them all I guess.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know a little bit about me on paper. I look forward to future articles as Editor-in-Chief for my senior year. Go Hogs, baby!

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Scene greek life

OH, WHAT A ROW WEEK

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“Those are like GOLD!” My phone’s inbox was significantly fuller this week Once a high school from text messages from pledge sisters and friends looking to see if I had any senior has accepted the KATIE spare wristbands hanging around from my Sigma Chi boyfriend and when I scholarships that were HICKS attended Sigma Nu last week, their social chair’s room was full with anxious, offered, strategically Pi Beta Phi wristband-seeking girls. One friend sold his band for $200. Row week bands picked the dorm room Katie is a freshman studying English.

You may contact her at were this year’s gel-ink pens. with the best stadium kohick@uark.edu. view, and being the naïve 2. The Outfits: Since I had done my fair share of pre-college creeping, I thought young soul that they are, that I was well informed on what to wear to these row week events. However, I selected the “residence hall overnight stay” option for orientation, the next step is was terribly wrong. On Friday, I attended Sigma Chi’s “EX on the Beach” themed researching what kind of shenanigans can be expected for the upcoming year.

Once I selected the University of Arkansas, I can remember being intrigued by stories of Old Main, frantically asking for letters of recommendation for rush week, and texting basically every girl in Reid Hall in order to find the dimensions for frivolous things such as bed skirts or area rugs. However, I can also remember avidly searching through Facebook pictures and Instagram posts from the previous year to see what kind of fun the university had to offer.

Once I came to school in the fall, I was all caught up on my knowledge of Homecoming, Tacky Christmas, SAE Jungle, Sigma Chi Ski Lodge, and of course Row Week. Little did I know, there are just some things that you will not find captured on camera. As everyone knows, this past week was Row. As only the people that experienced it know, there is not really a simple way of describing what the experience is like. So for those of you that sat it out, or for those of you that find excitement in reliving it, let me outline what it is like to be a Greek student at the U of A on Row Week. As I found myself amidst the frenzy this weekend, I found that it can be categorized by a few simple things.

1. The Bands: In elementary school I remember bringing my new, metallic, multicolored “Gelly Roll” pens with the sparkles in the ink to class. Book fairs were always exciting, but when my mom would splurge on a Lisa Frank folder and these gel pens with ink of an ideal milky consistency, I knew I had hit the jackpot. What does this have to do with anything, you ask? Well if you are a kid from the 90s, as I believe that we all are, then you can also recall what happened when you brought the Gelly Roll pens to your desk with the perfectly laminated name-tag. It created a frenzy! Bringing those pens meant that you had your choice at the best trades on the playground. This week, I found that Row wristbands are much like these pens with the easily-smeared glittery ink. I was eyed in the elevator with my Kappa Sig bands in-hand and told,

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Scene greek life

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event, so naturally, I went in my best Hawaiian-printed shirt. I seemingly fit right in with my high-waisted shorts and of course, every sorority girl’s favorite, Converse high-tops. However, many aspects of the outfits I saw this weekend could not have been anticipated. For one, flower garlands apparently correspond to every theme that was offered this week. Wear a Hawaiian shirt? You need to wear a flower garland. Wear a crop top? Which, might I add, seemed to be smaller and tighter on Row Week than on any other occasion. You need to wear a flower garland.

with My Story, well, quite frankly you ought to head on over to the app store and update your Snapchat app. Every person that attended the Row festivities suddenly became, in their minds, the campus’s newest talent in the videography industry. Every move made at these parties was documented via My Story. I saw close-ups of Kid Ink, the Ying Yang Twins, and Waka Flocka time and time again. I repeatedly saw videos of the mass crowds time and time again. So, no need to fret if you couldn’t find a wrist band to a party that you were dying to get into. You can most likely get the full experience from your Snapchat app.

Wear an over-sized jersey? Which, might I add, is apparently a Row Week trend that I was not previously informed of. You need to wear a flower garland.

You get the point. A common trend amongst outfits for boys was, well, plain shameless-ness. American flag tank tops, PFGs with the sleeves cut off, necks adorned with chains, visors on upside down and backwards, Walmart’s finest bald-eagle shirts, wind-suits from Fayetteville’s finest thrift shops. You name it, I saw it. Part of the fun is the overlying “let loose, be yourself ” theme.

Unfortunately, many believe that the “let loose” mindset extends to many different kinds of body parts as well.

All in all, Row Week is a blast. Even for people who don’t get easily excited by the party scene, between the food, music, outfits, and friends, there was probably something for you. My first experience “rowing” was phenomenal and it is understandable why, yet again, the Greek community at this university is legendary. So, you can tell your much lamer friends that attend other schools to check out nypndaily.com to see the top 10 SEC parties. You can then proudly point out that we are located at the top of the list beside #3. And maybe next time, if they are lucky, you can bring them along so they can experience the mass chaos that we call Row.

3. The Crawfish: A reoccurring theme at the many Row Week events I attended was the crawfish. Look for simple things like paper towels, a clean bathroom, or just a bottle of water and you are sure to never find them. Look for hundreds of pounds of crawfish worth a small fortune and you are sure to find it everywhere you go. I’m not a girl that minds jumping in with the boys and getting my hands a little dirty, so I felt as though I fit right in. Heads, tails, and knawed-on corns littered the ground and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the unfortunate spring pledges who would, without a doubt, be the souls responsible for trash duty the next day. As everyone crowded the stages anxious to see the day’s most likely shirtless performer, I could be found at the tables surrounded by my newest friends: the crawfish.

4. Security: I found myself sympathizing with the men donning the black shirts that simply read “SECURITY”. Even the biggest, baddest, meanest, most intimidating men that had been hired by each fraternity did not stand a chance against Arkansas’s Greek students this week. In the front row of the Kid Ink concert, I made friends with the 9 foot tall and 10 foot wide muscly security guard. By the end of the concert, he was dripping with sweat and was also, without a doubt, sore from working to push the hundreds of eager, newly found Kid Ink fans away from the stage. At Kappa Sig, I saw security gaurds chasing down the brave and wristband-less soul who decided to rip away the newly constructed fence in order to climb in. All in all, they had their work cut out for them.

5. Snap Chat: If you didn’t attend this week’s events, I am quite sure that you already are familiar with all that I am telling you thanks to Snapchat. If you aren’t familiar with what Snapchat is, well, quite frankly you ought to put away your Facebook and catch yourself up with the times. If you aren’t familiar

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Self health & fitness

THE ATTACK FROM THE AIR Pollen is in the air! If there is one bad thing HANNAH about the blooming ZAFUTA buds of spring time Kappa Delta it’s the allergies Hannah is a sophomore studying that come along psychology & creative writing. with them. If you’re anything like me (grass is my number one allergy -- yay!) you could use some tips for how to deal. If allergies have never been a problem for you skip this article, and please know that I deeply envy you.

Antihistamines.

Take an over-the-counter antihistamine DAILY like Claritin or Zyrtec for a little relief.Just avoid the drowsy kind if you want to make it through finals too.

Nasal Sprays help with nasal symptoms the most. You can buy them without a prescription or you can have your doctor prescribe you something with a little more kick.

Neti Pot. You don’t have to search far for these, and they come in all different shapes and sizes. Yes, you pour clean, solution-mixed water in one nostril and it comes out the other. It’s disgusting, but it works. Apparently America was behind on this trend because we do not place a big enough emphasis on nasal hygiene. Neti Pot recommends everyone to cleanse weekly, even if you’re not sick.

Local Honey.

Bet you didn’t see this one coming! I believe this old wives’ tale. Consuming local honey on a regular basis does build up your immunities to nearby pollen because that’s what the bees used to make the honey! Crazy, huh?

You can find local honey at the Farmer’s Market and Ozark Natural foods.

I like to add it to my tea. Heck, if your sneezes are keeping you up you can add a spoonful to some sleepy-time tea to knock out your sleep and sinuses.

Allergy shots.

I’ve had my allergies tested a few times, which means I’ve been stuck with hundreds of needles dipped in what I’m allergic to and watched my body swell to its reaction. So much fun. Anyway, you should really get your allergies tested if you do suffer from them and don’t know what you’re

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allergic to. Getting weekly allergy shots from your doctor consistently can have a huge, positive effect. I promise you the needles on these shots are tiny, so have no fear.

Travel Tissues.

I think this one goes without saying. Keep a little pack in your backpack if this is a problem for you. Those little Kleenex pouches are kind of cute. Hope these tips help some of you out there! In the meantime, if you see someone in class blowing their nose, we know it’s gross and it sucks to sit by us. We, allergy sufferers try our best so instead of giving a dirty look just imagine how we feel.

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5 SUMMER FLINGS Summer is the time for sun, swimming and meeting new people. You never know what will turn into a summer fling and with so many different types to choose from, why not try one out?

Con: You’re trying to be super different.

KATIE HICKS Pi Beta Phi

Katie is a freshman studying English. You may contact her at kohick@uark.edu.

The Co-Worker: You’re back at your normal summer job that you have had for years and suddenly you have a new co-worker who catches your eye. You may not be totally interested, but hey, it’s something to keep you busy during your 10-hour shifts.

However, when it ends, it will probably be pretty awkward at work for the rest of the summer.

Pro: You see each other every day.

Con: You see each other every day.

The Hipster: You met him at the coffee shop, and you pretend to talk about music and books you’ve never heard about. He dresses nice and talks about stuff other than sports, partying and video games. You’ll pretend to be interested in current events and organic living just to impress him. His uniqueness intrigues you.

Pro: He’s super different.

The Vacation Fling: We’ve all dreamt about that perfect boy you meet while on vacation.

He’s super attractive and shows you all the amazing things that you normally wouldn’t see as a tourist. It seems so romantic, and you will never see him again. You probably never even knew his last name but that accent though.

Pro: It’s only for a week.

Con: You’ll never get to hear that sweet accent again.

The Ex: The first round did not work out too well, but you figure with the time that has passed that things will be different. Chance are that when the summer heat dies down so will the flame between the two of you.

Pro: It’s comfortable.

Con: Finding the reason why you broke up the first time.

The Guy who got Hot: You knew his name in high school but never thought much of him.

Turns out that a year or two away at college did a lot of good for his appearance. Despite what you may have thought about him in the past, you decide to go for because it is summer and why not?

Pro: He’s hot.

Con: His high school reputation.

Adventure travel

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YOUNG AND BROKE TRAVELIN’ FOLK To all of you lucky travelers studying abroad this summer, it’s crazy to think that in just a few short weeks you’ll be getting on an airplane to start an adventure of a lifetime.

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when it is high and low can be a huge advantage.

ALEXANDRA SERRANO Kappa Delta

Alexandra is a sophomore studying communication.

You may contact her at aserran@uark.edu.

In just two months I’ll be traveling to Granada, Spain to start my very own adventure. Despite how exciting this opportunity is, one thing is for certain: traveling is expensive -- and the expenses add up quickly.

Here are some of the most popular tips used for the young and broke with the urge to travel and explore the world without breaking the bank.

Choose a bank wisely. While abroad, there are some banks that don’t charge you extra ATM fees, which can unfortunately add up quickly. Some banks even charge an additional 5% when withdrawing money from your account. Also keep track of the exchange rate-understanding

Make friends with the local students. No one will know the ins and outs of the system better than the locals your age. There are also many countries that have student pubs that aren’t that expensive compared to real pubs, and makes for a great location to make friends and share some good memories.

Skype is the best. Seriously. Cell phone charges can be ridiculously expensive in some countries and can add up fast. Skype is an easy fix to that problem and can cut the charges in half.

Take advantage of budget travel. RyanAir is going to be your new best friend after studying abroad. Also get acquainted with the public transportation in your area, or even better yet, try walking. There is no better way to know your city than getting lost in it.

If you have a kitchen, use it! If you’re living in a dorm or apartment where food isn’t always included, try grocery shopping. Not only is this a great way to try new foods but it is also an awesome way to get a group of friends together to cook a new and foreign meal. Don’t forget to splurge your money on an awesome meal every once and a while though. After all, food is a huge part of the cultural experience, and that’s what most of you are traveling for!

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Ideas debate & discuss

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THE FINAL PUSH

You see the future frat stars walking around and touring campus daily, and you want to just already judge them for being freshmen.

ABBY WALSTAD Pi Beta Phi

Abby is a freshman studying biochemistry.

However, there are the playoffs for basketball, and then baseball season kicking in for the professionals that has officially grasped every guy’s attention. Girls are stuck trying to find the cheapest local tanning salon just preparing for the summer ready to face their friends, who just might be tanner than them.

You remember that feeling you had in January… the one that told you that you were going to finish strong this semester and come back home as a studious 4.0 kid. Now you remember you still have a round of tests left and your clenching on to that 90.1 with your dear life and finally starting to get to know your teachers on a first name basis to slip in those bonus points.

Here are some tips on what you need to remember, or really what you shouldn’t forget to do, when you leave Fayetteville for your summer of a lifetime.

Freshman, take advantage of every single meal trade, Hill Grill meal, cafeteria cookie and the Brough sandwich line while you can.

Sophomores, you’re getting into the “mid-college life crisis” time now, and take advantage of being an underclassman and do something stupid that you cannot be judged for yet.

Juniors, I guess this is your final time to realize your fun life, and all those college experiences you had is almost over. Start looking for those jobs you’ve been dreading since you even started applying to colleges, cause life is about to slap you in the face.

Seniors, celebrate that you made it, and celebrate accordingly. AKA No Ragrets.

For anyone else, you have one week before the two-week frat house rule kicks in (if you’re one of those types). If not, find something that makes you focus and that you’re prescribed too, and take advantage of it.

The “I literally can’t” statement’s usage all time high, and the weather has been at it’s all time low. You know it’s starting to get bad when all we’ve been doing is begging for the better weather, yet when it’s here, we still don’t have the strength or mindset to even get out of bed until 1 a.m., and then it’s a strong attempt to the library.

It’s not just us who experience this, and I think students need to remember this.

Professors are exhausted with putting up with all kinds of students, especially in the spring. You’ve got the kids who are only here in the spring semester to attend ROW week, then you’ve got the studious kids who actually are fighting for their degrees and

basically live in the library, then you’ve got those who are all about the fraternity life and being away from home. But when it comes to being students, the poor professors deserve a little sympathy at this time of the year when they have 500 kids they didn’t even know existed in their classrooms to show up now for bonus points -- that’s an issue.

Summer is so close, and the sound and feeling of the warm weather, mom doing our laundry, home cooking, and having absolutely nothing to do for about 80 straight days sounds pretty dang good if you ask me. If you’re ever feeling down, or need that final push, just remember your bed awaits you at home. You can do it.

13 WHAT WE’RE ALL THINKING Humor lol

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Wit h t hat comes the cramming that professors do to fit in regular tests right before they slam us Delta Delta Delta with a comprehensive Kara is a junior studying communication disorders. final the day after Cinco You may contact her at de Mayo. We all have ksaulsbu@uark.edu. our study patterns and habits. Some are better than others, but here is my version of a typical college student preparing for a test.

KARA SAULSBURY

Two Weeks Before: “I have some free time, so I’ll look over my notes because I know I have a test in Stat soon ”*15 minutes pass. “Sweet. I’m off to a good start. I’m going to kill this test!”

One Week Before: “I studied last week. I’ll take a break this week.” *Proceeds to spend an entire weekend engaging in ROW week activities and sleeps for 17 hours on Sunday.

Sunday Night (4 Days Before): “Oh, wow. I have that test in Stat on Thursday…but I also have to read for World Lit.” *logs on to SparkNotes.com, exits after 10 minutes and logs on to Buzzfeed and takes five quizzes. “Well, at least I took some quizzes. I will study tomorrow for sure.”

Monday (3 Days Before): *goes to library between classes* “Alright, let’s take a look at this study guide…Okay so we basically need to know everything from Chapters 4-12. Real cool.”

*sees classmate in library, also studying. For 45 minutes they complain about the study guide and how they can’t understand the professor during lecture.

Monday Night: *studies at sorority house* “Do you wanna go to sonic?” *goes to Sonic, the movies, Walmart, Sarah’s house, and orange leaf. “Whoops, guess I’m not getting anything done tonight.”

Tuesday (Two Days Before): *actually studies for a full two hours while watching a House Hunters marathon.

Wednesday (1 Day Before): “I studied so much yesterday, I probably don’t need to study that much longer.” *talks to other classmate who has a 23-page study guide. “Okay, that it. It’s going to be an all nighter in the library.”

12 Hours Before: *spends 37 minutes picking out the perfect study music 7 Hours Before: “We get to use a formula chart right?!” *drinks three Diet Cokes 4 Hours Before: *forms a study group with 4 other classmates.“Wait, please explain that again...

Okay, where was I when we learned that?”

1 Hour Before: “No, I give up. If I fail, I fail.”5 Minutes Before: “If someone sits in my seat, I swear..”

During Test: “We never learned this.”After Test: “Well, at least it’s Thursday!

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Humor lol

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@totalfratmove: Telling the owner, “We’ll take in a row without tweeting about it where’s good care of her,” when renting something my award? you know will get destroyed. #TFM.

@totalsratmove: “Let It Go” being the only song you are capable of singing when you’re belligerently drunk. #TSM.

@totalsratmove: Being “unable to even” on a @CoachHughFreeze: Anything worthwhile regular basis. #TSM. @itsWillyFerrell: Monday: No. Tuesday: Ugh. takes time to build. If we have immediate Wednesday: Why. Thursday: Omg. Friday: success, we wouldn’t develop the character @JimmyTatro: I blame techno music for 100 Finally. Saturday: Yes! Sunday: Crying. needed 2 sustain true success 4life. percent of my speeding tickets. @tbhplzdont: mean girls came out on april @WesVengeance7: Why do sorority girls hang @CollegeTownLife: F is for friends who share 30th 2004. April 30th is a wednesdaythis year out in odd numbers? Because they can’t even. Netflix passwords. and if the whole world does not wear pink i’m moving to Saturn. @totalfratmove: Having an irregular heartbeat @itsWillyFerrell: I don’t understand why since returning from spring break. #TFM. drunk me always seems to have more money @totalfratmove: Impressing her mother while simultaneously infuriating her father. #TFM. than sober me. @CollegeTownLife: I worked out three days

THE MASK OF SOCIAL MEDIA We all have different p ersonas for so cial media, and we resemble our personas to differing degrees depending on the day or our mood. Either way, everyone puts their best face forward on social media because that’s how our generation measures themselves now.

KATIE KORTEBEIN Pi Beta Phi

Katie is a junior studying creative writing. You may contact her at kkortebe@uark.edu

How many likes a picture gets on Instagram or Facebook or how many favorites and retweets on Twitter confirms how we are supposed to feel about ourselves. Or at least that’s how we see it.

Everyone wants to look good on social media. That is why all our pictures are of us with friends or going to parties or doing some cool activity. No one is taking pictures of themselves laying on their bed watching Netflix after not having showered for the third day in a row.

(Side note: No one should be posting pictures of themselves at all. Public selfies are not your friend, people. Save it for Snapchat.)

And this is because we want to look like we are always doing these fun and cool things. If someone looked at my social media pictures and assumed what my entire life was like from there, well, obviously I just bounce from concert to friend’s birthday celebration to going out and apparently doesn’t need much sleep.

In reality, I spend 80 percent of the time I’m not in class in the aforementioned scenario: in bed, doing homework while watching Netflix, knowing I’ll be wearing a hat tomorrow because, honestly, how important is clean hair? Oh, and let’s not forget about the part where I am constantly dreaming about getting just one night of a full eight hours of sleep.

College is the prime time to wear the social media mask. When we leave, we’re probably just

not going to care as much. We’ll start putting up fewer photos, or they’ll be more pictures of scenery and less of our group of friends all doing some stupid pose we thought was hilarious at the time. We will definitely see a significant drop in “sorority squat” and “throw what you know” photos.

Actually, to be honest, I’ve already started that process, at least on Facebook. I think I last posted pictures on there in December. It’s just too much work for me to put up all the pictures I take and it’s so much easier to pick just one or, if I’m really going crazy, a collage of five to put on Instagram. Reminder, I spend most of my time on my bed…

At this point, we are all still figuring out who we are as adults so our social media acts as a mask for us to try on while we do. Maybe you are leaning toward wanting to be a punk rock chick so all your statuses are song lyrics and your photos involve a lot of spiked hair and hole-in-thewall concert photos. Or maybe you think you want to be a hippie, in which case, lots of flower pictures and pictures of you in a hammock or just outside in general, including at Wakarusa.

Social media is helping us figure out who we are in this crucial time in our lives. I can’t yet say whether this is a good or bad thing. On one hand, it makes us a very conceited generation; we hear that all the time. On the other, it is giving us a unique way to play around with how we view ourselves and how others view us that our parents never had.

I would like to say we should take a break from these social media personas and try to figure ourselves out away from other people’s opinions, but I don’t think any of us would really know how else to grow. With social media, we can look at our high school self and see how much we’ve changed and whether that’s a good or bad thing. Without our masks, I think we would be a little unsure of where to go next.

I think the thing to do is continue our personas and continue figuring out who we want to be, just try to stop caring what other people will say or think. I have this issue and I know it would be so much easier to not care if people will think I’m weird or judge me for posting one thing or another. It’s definitely difficult, but it will be so much easier for us to become the people we’re meant to be if we focus on we care about in ourselves, not what others care about.

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