Arkansas 4 3 14 proof3

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

www.theodysseyonline.com | @TheOdyssey | Facebook.com/University-of-Arkansas

SHOULD YOU RIDE THE YAK? PAGE 3

WHERE THE HECK AM I GOING TO LIVE? PAGE 2 BEAUTY, BRAINS AND PHILANTHROPY PAGE 4 MY EXPERIENCE AT MILEY PAGE 6

SPRING HAS FINALLY JOINED US. Photo by Annie Humphrey

2

Editor's note

www.theodysseyonline.com

WHERE THE HECK AM I GOING TO LIVE? Unfortunately I will be graduating a few weeks after this is published and will most likely move to a new city to start my career.

What is to come after Fayetteville?

1. Boston, Massachusetts Percent of 18-24 year olds: 19.4% Unemployment: 7.1% 2 Bedroom Appt. Rent: $1820 Bars per 1000 people: .77Top Industries: Healthcare and Finance

RYAN MCCREADY Pi Kappa Alpha

Ryan is a senior studying international business.

You may contact him at rmccread@uark.edu.

As a diehard Yankees fan, it pains me to rank anything associated with Boston as number one, but it seems to be a great city for post-grads. They have the forth most bars per capita in the U.S., but also boasts very active population — something for both ends of the spectrum. While it has the highest cost of living on the list, the unemployment rate is lowest. There will most likely be a job for you. If sports is your thing, Boston hosts four major sports teams and loyalty to them runs deep, especially in the last 10 years.

2. Seattle, Washington Percent of 18-24 year olds: 11.8%Unemployment: 7.5%2 Bedroom Appt.

Rent: $1417 Bars per 1000 people: .82 Top Industries: Biotech, healthcare and clean tech Seattle is one of the places that I would really like to work and live just based on the culture, social scene and laid back attitude of the residents. It has the second highest number of bars per capita, but again the residents are highly active and very healthy. If you are looking for jobs in tech then

Seattle is a great starting spot with Microsoft and Amazon calling it home. Although Seattle only has the defending Super Bowl Seattle Seahawks they almost love Seattle Sounders soccer even more.

And try not to bring up the Oklahoma City Thunder, they are still bitter that Kevin Durant and the Supersonics jumped ship for Oklahoma.

3. Austin, Texas Percent of 18-24 year olds: 14.5% Unemployment: 6.2% 2 Bedroom Appt. Rent: $968 Bars per 1000 people: .44 Top Industries: Biotech and tech

Austin has the third most 18-24 year olds in the country, so if living around young professionals is what you are looking for, this is your place. Most people from Texas know that Austin is a weirdly great cultural city and hosts SXSW every year as well as many other great concerts. Honestly, you never know what you are going to see when you leave your house that day. They also have a very low unemployment rate and a reasonable cost of living with many different things to do throughout the city. Lastly they are a growing player in the tech and entrepreneurship game with Dell and IBM headquartered there. The only downside is that if you are trying to get away from current college students, the University of Texas’ main campus is located in Austin.

4. Columbus, Ohio Percent of 18-24 year olds: 14.1% Unemployment: 7.6%2 Bedroom Appt.

Rent: $768 Bars per 1000 people: .51 Top Industries: Entrepreneurship and tech If you are looking for a low cost city to start a business this may be your place. It is an up-andcoming place for entrepreneurs that is extremely friendly to recent grads. The cost of living is very low and is comparable to living in Fayetteville. The only major sports team is the Blue Jackets and if hockey isn’t your thing then the love of THE Ohio State may help.

Hopefully this gives you a little guidance on where to start your job search.

THE ODYSSEY AT ARKANSAS EXECUTIVE TEAM

CREATIVE TEAM

President

Editor-in-chief Ryan McCready

Chelsea Mercer

Delta Delta Delta

Sales Executives Shelby Rinehart

Delta Delta Delta

Ashley Swindell Delta Delta Delta

Pi Kappa Alpha

Contributing Editor Katie Kortebein Pi Beta Phi

Social Media Editor Megan Pearson-Hargus Kappa Delta

WANT TO JOIN OUR CREATIVE TEAM? Apply online today at theodysseyonline.com/Page/WriterApplication

OLYMPIA MEDIA GROUP

888.272.2595 | OlympiaMediaGroup.com Managing Editor, Will McGuinness Graphic Designer, Grant Hohulin

We want a representative from every house!

To apply for a writing, photography or sales position, TheOdysseyOnline.com/creative © 2014 Olympia Media Group, LLC All Rights Reserved.

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.

www.theodysseyonline.com

Scene on campus

SHOULD YOU RIDE THE YAK? Originally posted to the iTunes store on November 2013, it is now known campus-wide. The app was designed to be a fun way to interact anonymously with the people around you, a community to share your thoughts and observations.

It works off of your phone’s GPS, and yaks are posted to the first 500 people’s feeds within a five-mile radius. The app has a “Top Yaks in My Area,” which groups together the yaks that have gotten the most up-votes, as well as an “All-Time Greatest Yaks” to see the most popular and funniest yaks from around the country.

In a college town, an app that allows you to post anything on your mind completely anonymous to everyone within a fivemile radius could be the best or the worst thing ever.

If you haven’t already heard of the new app Yik Yak, this fad has taken off like crazy.

Some yakkers use the app to waste time in class, some talk about last weekend’s party or just the struggle of college life. But what started in good fun may be nosediving towards violent and hateful gossip. The number one rule of the app is that you do not bully or specifically target other yakkers,

3

KAYLA EIFFERT Kappa Delta

Kayla is a sophomore studying advertising and PR. You may contact her at kmeiffer@uark.edu.

especially when using full names.

“I think the idea of it is really cool, but a lot of people are taking it too far,” sophomore Nicole Howard said.

The anonymity of the app allows cyber bullies to say anything about anyone and not be held accountable for their words. Users of the app have taken to using it purely as a gossip forum to drop names and talk trash. As college kids, we should be mindful of what we are saying and how we say it. There are real people on the other side of that send button, so lets all try to use the app for how it was meant to be used. Keep on yakking, yakkers.

4 BEAUTY, BRAINS AND PHILANTHROPY Scene on campus

This past Thursday night, the Union Ballroom held over 200 students for the 45th annual Lambda Chi Alpha Pledge Queen Pageant. As the representative from each sorority was backstage getting dolled up and dressed up, the proud sororities formed ecstatic fan clubs for each of their own.

However, this beauty queen affair was not all about beauty; this event serves as a fundraiser for the fraternity’s philanthropy. A ticket to the event meant supporting the wonderful women of our university’s Panhellenic system, as well supporting a much bigger cause: The Garrett Uekman Foundation.

Garrett Uekman is a name that is familiar to some and dear to many. A former student and athlete of the University of Arkansas, Garrett passed away in November 2011 due to an enlarged heart. The foundation was created in memory of him in hopes to raise money for heart disease awareness and education, and also to provide scholarships for student athletes. Daniel Fritsche, Lambda Chi Alpha’s philanthropy chair, says that raising money for this foundation through this event is important to many in the fraternity that knew Garrett personally. He also says that many are very involved in the foundation, so raising $1,400 from this year’s Pledge Queen Pageant is an exciting accomplishment.

This year ’s winner was Chi Omega’s own, Maggie Benton. A Jonesboro, Arkansas native, Maggie was followed by first runner up Madison Watkins (Kappa Kappa Gamma) and second runner up Audra Daniels (Phi Mu). The night consisted of introductions, an evening gown portion, a talent portion, and finally, the crowning. Crowd participation is also an important aspect to the competition; Maggie’s pledge class could be found sporting signs reading “10!” on them as a display of their avid enthusiasm.

When asked, Maggie said, “Before going on stage for crowning, we had determined that no matter what, we had a blast! We were dancing and having fun backstage the entire night. Winning the pageant with my entire pledge class there for support was just icing on the cake.

I loved getting to meet a girl from each chapter, and I know that we will stay in touch! Lambda Chi did a phenomenal job organizing the event to benefit the Garrett Eukman Foundation. I’m proud of them for their hard work!”

All in all, the night was a tremendous success. Philanthropy is something that every Greek student at the University of Arkansas can pride themselves on, so philanthropy that is in honor of one of our own is a one of a kind experience. Daniel says, “Pledge Queen is a fun way

www.theodysseyonline.com

for us, as a fraternity, to get the girls of KATIE Panhellenic involved HICKS in something that is Pi Beta Phi interesting to them, Katie is a freshman studying while helping raise English. You may contact her at kohick@uark.edu. money for a great foundation.” So, if you get a chance, congratulate Maggie for winning, tell a Lambda Chi thank you for contributing to something great, and take a moment to appreciate that you get to be a part Arkansas Greek unity.

BLIND DATES www.theodysseyonline.com

Scene on campus

new sisters set me up with a friend of her boyfriend. I somehow managed to make myself appear to be normal human being because overall it was a pretty successful set up.

By that I mean I’m still good friends with the lucky guy I took camping freshman year…That’s saying a lot right?

Some people aren’t so lucky. One of my best friends, and I should note that she is the sweetest and most innocent girl I know, got set up for a function once. With little in common with this guy and small talk getting smaller, he felt it was appropriate to ask her if she wanted to see paraphernalia related to something against Arkansas law, and he proceeded to pull out what she described to me as a kit for illicit purpose.

It happens. Function time comes around and for whatever reason (probably none!) you are dateless.

Maybe you don’t really know anyone, maybe you just got dumped, maybe you have a terrible personality and no one wants to be around you, or maybe it is a combination of all three. It’s also a possibility that your gorgeous flower has simply existed undiscovered until now.

Regardless, I’ve done the date set up before. It was freshman year and I wasn’t sure who to take and didn’t want to take the typical route and ask someone I went to high school with. One of my

5

KARA SAULSBURY Delta Delta Delta

Kara is a junior studying communication disorders.

You may contact her at ksaulsbu@uark.edu.

watching House of Cards on Netflix to be with you so just be polite at the least.

I’m serious. I don’t make this stuff up. Needless to say, a relationship or even a friendship never came about from that setup.

2.) Cool off the beverages. Don’t overdo it. Meeting someone new can be nerve racking, but responding in an immature way can lead to disaster. “Tis better to be an awkward date than a raging, black out drunk.” I think Shakespeare wrote this.

I’ve also done the whole “Hey, my boyfriend’s friend needs a date to such and such function tomorrow night. Wanna go?”

3.) Creep. Utilize social media before the big night. This should be a given.

It is at this point I begin to question what may be wrong with this guy—but usually say #yolo and go. I usually get a free meal and a good story out of it. So I have a few tips if you ever get set up for a function.

4.) Don’t give in to pressure. It’s just a function date. You don’t have to marry this person so just have fun and don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing. If your date makes you feel uncomfortable then throw away tip #1 and be as sassy as you want and make a quick “Irish exit.”

1.) Be nice. Even if within five minutes of meeting this person you decide you loathe them—be nice. They took time out of binge

6

Feature

MY EXPERIENCE AT MILEY We were a little late getting there.

Doors opened at 6, show was set for 7, and it was 7:30.

www.theodysseyonline.com

HANNAH ZAFUTA Kappa Delta

H a n n a h i s a s o p h o m o re I rushed in to studying psychology & creative get a glimpse of writing. You may contact her at hzafuta@uark.edu. the opening acts Icona Pop and Sky Ferreira, but the stage was empty. I had just familiarized myself with their music the past two nights and was thoroughly impressed. Fortunately neither was on; I was both relieved and confused. Our floor seats were closer to the stage than I expected.

Giddy with anticipation, I watched the strangely dressed humans around me take pictures before the show started.

At about 8:10, I was visiting with friends in another section -- totally unprepared -- when a projection of Miley’s giant face and wondering eyes crawled up the backdrop. Without warning, her gigantic mouth opened, and out came a tongue.

The star herself slid onto stage and jumped right into her hit “Bangerz” complete with dancing back-up stuffed animals, a mini Britney Spears and giant balloons falling and bouncing among the audience.

The evening of Thursday March 13, 2014 at the Tulsa BOK Center, was an evening I spent unlike any other.

The Miley Cyrus Bangerz tour was the cherry on top of the wide arrange of concerts I had seen in early 2014 including Imagine Dragons, The Naked and Famous, JJ Grey& Mofro, Big Gigantic, and Arctic Monkeys. After seeing crazy pictures of her tour, I had been looking forward to seeing the highly publicized performance for a while.

I’ve seen Miley’s latest music videos, recognized her tendency to shock people, and went in with realistic expectations. To entertain myself during the drive, I dug up reviews of Miley’s performance online. The eagerness that previously filled me morphed into dread.

“A toddler’s worse nightmare” I read. “The whole show is like a bad drug trip” another critic said. An article from her show the previous night was titled “Really needs to calm down with the vagina rubbing.” It said that Miley’s crazy, on-the-vergeof-porn show was only to distract from her poor vocals.

I wondered if I would ever be the same after seeing this spectacle. I had to see for myself. The majority of people there wore as little clothing as possible. There were body parts in the arena that should not have been on display, but I won’t get into that.

I was really confused about the opening acts. It said Icona Pop, Sky Ferreira AND Miley Cyrus on my ticket. I wished I would have seen all three perform or at least was offered an explanation, but thankfully Miley went above and beyond to provide what she called “the best party ever” for her audience members. A gold car rolled on and off the stage for “Love Money Party;” dollar bills with Miley’s face were blasted into the audience; and a bobble head Big Sean sang along to his featured part.

For “FU,” Miley sang away a giant monster-bird while a cartoonized love story of a rabbit and monkey played on the screen. Her videos throughout the show were very intricate. It was tough to decide which to look at -- the backdrop or the stage. She even included a caricature mocking herself. She slowed things down with radio jam “Adore You” involving a kiss cam in the audience. Special guest The Flaming Lips stopped by with a personalized balloon and joined Miley on a back acoustic stage closer to the audience. She wore on oversized T-shirt, interacted with the crowd (particularly when she put on a wiener costume thrown at her from an audience member), Instagrammed a video of herself, and sang “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Roberts” twice while bras rained upon the stage.

Miley must be the only female performer in history to have as much lady underwear thrown at her. She performed “23,” flew over the audience on a giant hot dog, had a Macy’s Day Parade size blow up dog take stage for “I Can’t Be Tamed,” and the finale “Party in the USA” closed with fireworks, presidents on stilts, and a dancing Mount Rushmore.

Now I have to ask, what’s scary about this? For goodness sake, mothers need to stop

www.theodysseyonline.com

Feature

7

taking their daughters expecting a Disney princess and then blasting Miley when she puts on a real show. It wasn’t exactly kid friendly. She’s clearly not Hannah Montana anymore. The girl had to grow up under the constant eye of public scrutiny. She does not lie or hide anything from the public. She has found a way to celebrate herself by being a no-holds-back person with the ENTIRE WORLD all while stacking millions to her ever growing money-making empire. How many people can say that?

Our generation is unique. We grew up with Miley. She transitioned from Disney to MTV like every other teenager in America. Unlike the rest of growing teenagers the nation saw her change. The nation did not see Lady Gaga as a chubby faced little girl before she switched to fishnets and pasties, therefore Miley gets the biggest backlash. Cyrus is a phenomenal performer, and she stays true to herself. Will the critics please cut it out with the lying overstatements and making Miley out to be a demon from hell?

I have to roll my eyes at the obscene pictures posted that look way worse than reality because they are moments caught when she’s moving and dancing. Don’t get me wrong here -- I’m not some biased crazy Miley fan. I thought her “Wrecking Ball” video was a joke and equally cringed at her VMA performance with Robin Thicke, but you have to give her credit. She doesn’t have the widest range of vocals. If that’s what you are looking for, go see Adele. Miley has a good voice, and she sounded great live. She knows how to entertain and it’s what she does best. When it comes to creativity and the amount of time and money that went into the set, this is probably the greatest show I’ve been to. I am so happy I saw Bangerz.

My perception of Miley has changed from seeing her in person, the way she genuinely cared for the audience, executed an outstanding show and her glow from the roar of the crowd. Critics better get used to seeing her around. I hope to see more of her work in the time that comes. Bangerz gets two thumbs up from me. The Miley Cyrus Bangerz tour was the cherry on top of the wide arrange of concerts I had seen in early 2014 including Imagine Dragons, The Naked and Famous, JJ Grey& Mofro, Big Gigantic, and Arctic Monkeys. After seeing crazy pictures of her tour, I had been looking forward to seeing the highly publicized performance for a while.

I’ve seen Miley’s latest music videos, recognized her tendency to shock people, and went in with realistic expectations. To entertain myself during the drive, I dug up reviews of Miley’s performance online. The eagerness that previously filled me morphed into dread.

“A toddler’s worse nightmare” I read. “The whole show is like a bad drug trip” another critic said. An article from her show the previous night was titled “Really needs to calm down with the vagina rubbing.” It said that Miley’s crazy, on-the-vergeof-porn show was only to distract from her poor vocals.

I wondered if I would ever be the same after seeing this spectacle. I had to see for myself. The majority of people there wore as little clothing as possible. There were body parts in the arena that should not have been on display, but I won’t get into that. We were a little late getting there. Doors opened at 6, show was set for 7, and it was 7:30.

I rushed in to get a glimpse of the opening acts Icona Pop and Sky Ferreira, but the stage was empty. I had just familiarized myself with their music the past two nights and was thoroughly impressed. Fortunately neither was on; I was both relieved and confused. Our floor seats were closer to the stage than I expected. Giddy with anticipation, I watched the strangely dressed humans around me take pictures before the show started.

At about 8:10, I was visiting with friends in another section -- totally unprepared -when a projection of Miley’s giant face and wondering eyes crawled up the backdrop.

Without warning, her gigantic mouth opened, and out came a tongue. The star herself slid onto stage and jumped right into her hit “Bangerz” complete with dancing backup stuffed animals, a mini Britney Spears and giant balloons falling and bouncing among the audience.

I was really confused about the opening acts. It said Icona Pop, Sky Ferreira AND Miley Cyrus on my ticket. I wished I would have seen all three perform or at least was offered an explanation, but thankfully Miley went above and beyond to provide what she called “the best party ever” for her audience members. A gold car rolled on and off the stage for “Love Money Party;” dollar bills with Miley’s face were blasted into the audience; and a bobble head Big Sean sang along to his featured part.

For “FU,” Miley sang away a giant monster-bird while a cartoonized love story of a rabbit and monkey played on the screen. Her videos throughout the show were very intricate. It was tough to decide which to look at -- the backdrop or the stage. She even included a caricature mocking herself. She slowed things down with radio jam “Adore You” involving a kiss cam in the audience. Special guest The Flaming Lips stopped by with a personalized balloon and joined Miley on a back acoustic stage closer to the audience. She wore on oversized T-shirt, interacted with the crowd (particularly when she put on a wiener costume thrown at her from an audience member), Instagrammed a video of herself, and sang “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Roberts” twice while bras rained upon the stage.

Miley must be the only female performer in history to have as much lady underwear thrown at her. She performed “23,” flew over the audience on a giant hot dog, had a Macy’s Day Parade size blow up dog take stage for “I Can’t Be Tamed,” and the finale “Party in the USA” closed with fireworks, presidents on stilts, and a dancing Mount Rushmore.

Now I have to ask, what’s scary about this? For goodness sake, mothers need to stop taking their daughters expecting a Disney princess and then blasting Miley when she puts on a real show. It wasn’t exactly kid friendly. She’s clearly not Hannah Montana anymore. The girl had to grow up under the constant eye of public scrutiny. She does not lie or hide anything from the public. She has found a way to celebrate herself by being a no-holds-back person with the ENTIRE WORLD all while stacking millions to her ever growing money-making empire. How many people can say that?

Our generation is unique. We grew up with Miley. She transitioned from Disney to MTV like every other teenager in America. Unlike the rest of growing teenagers the nation saw her change. The nation did not see Lady Gaga as a chubby faced little girl before she switched to fishnets and pasties, therefore Miley gets the biggest backlash. Cyrus is a phenomenal performer, and she stays true to herself. Will the critics please cut it out with the lying overstatements and making Miley out to be a demon from hell?

I have to roll my eyes at the obscene pictures posted that look way worse than reality because they are moments caught when she’s moving and dancing. Don’t get me wrong here -- I’m not some biased crazy Miley fan. I thought her “Wrecking Ball” video was a joke and equally cringed at her VMA performance with Robin Thicke, but you have to give her credit. She doesn’t have the widest range of vocals. If that’s what you are looking for, go see Adele. Miley has a good voice, and she sounded great live. She knows how to entertain and it’s what she does best. When it comes to creativity and the amount of time and money that went into the set, this is probably the greatest show I’ve been to. I am so happy I saw Bangerz.

My perception of Miley has changed from seeing her in person, the way she genuinely cared for the audience, executed an outstanding show and her glow from the roar of the crowd. Critics better get used to seeing her around. I hope to see more of her work in the time that comes. Bangerz gets two thumbs up from me.

10

Self health & fitness

www.theodysseyonline.com

MY MOST DIFFICULT BREAKUP TO DATE

I know everything seems like it’s going well. I’m always excited to see you, and when I’m with you, you make me happy.

We’ve been together for what seems like forever.

It’s just been that lately I have been having mixed feelings. And I cannot seem to shake them.

You’ve been bringing me down lately. And I’ve come to the conclusion that you just aren’t good for me any more.

I don’t need any more negativity in my life.

You always make me feel fat. And even when I go to the gym, I come home to you and I never feel thin. Needless to say my self-esteem has lowered immensely since we have been spending more time together.

I have been trying to remember the good times, at the county fair, the football games and even the

late nights in my room watching Netflix.

RACHEL RAWLINGS

But none of these memories seem to shake the fact that you’re bringing me down. I just don’t think I can reach my full potential in life if I keep you around.

I’ve talked to my mom about getting you out of my life, and even she thinks that it’s a good idea. She even said that I’d have more energy and a more positive outlook on life. And she even thought I’d be more active without you around to bring me down.

Now, I know what you are going to say in response to all of this. But don’t try to talk me out of it.

I know that there isn’t anything out there even close to you. And I know there is nothing that can make me feel the way you do, but there are others out there that can make me feel better about my

Pi Beta Phi

Rachel is a sophomore studying advertising and public relations.

You may contact her at mrrawlin@uark.edu.

self in different ways. Ways that you never could.

So this is it.

This is the last time we are going to talk for now.

But I guess it’s true when they say, “It’s never goodbye. It’s I’ll see you later.”

I’ll see you after I lose ten pounds.

Ice cream, cookie dough, ruffles sour cream and cheddar chips, and all other Junk Food, I’m going on a diet. And I’m going to miss you with all of my heart.

500 words on

www.theodysseyonline.com

IS ‘DIVERGENT’ THE NEW ‘HUNGER GAMES’?

An action-filled movie based off a book trilogy about a strong female heroine set in a post-apocalyptic society with a corrupted government where she is praised for her violent actions and her love life is in constant conflict yet her goal is to protect her sibling...

Sounds like a familiar story right?

We all know the story of Katniss Everdeen and her adventures in the “Hunger Games” in order to save her little sister, Primrose. But this could also fit the story of Beatrice Prior after she takes her aptitude test and gets placed in a faction to protect herself from a corrupted government. It is clear that these stories are similar to each other and everyone knows the popularity of the “Hunger Games” and now the question is whether or not “Divergent” will live up to or surpass that success.

When “Hunger Games” was released in March of 2012, the response was crazier than anyone involved had expected. Many people had already read the book and could not wait to see it come to life on the big screen. Once it did, it became instantly popular and when the second movie of the series, “Catching Fire”, came out, it was the first movie with

a female solo lead to top the annual box office in forty years.

11

LEIGHA VAN SICKLE

Parallel comparison shows that “Divergent” Kappa Delta has what it takes: strong Leigha is a freshman studying female actress, Shailene journalism, advertising & Woodley in “Divergent” PR. You may contact her at and Jennifer Lawrence in Ljvansic@uark.edu.

“Hunger Games”. They also both have hunky male actors such as Theo James, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. Both the authors included a strong family bond with sibling love between Tris and Caleb Prior and protection from Katniss to Primrose. These strong ladies are often understated about their abilities yet praised for their violence within their corrupted government. They are in constant danger due to their amazing abilities and high intellect because the government sees them as a threat toward their deformed system.

Many are eager about the “Divergent” mania that is expected to happen but will it truly be the next “Hunger Games?” Only the box office and fans can tell.

Image courtesy https://www.facebook.com/Divergent

12

500 words on

www.theodysseyonline.com

RITES OF PASSAGE Chinese calligraphy on their shoulders, automatic assumptions will be made by their interviewers. When these kids grow up to get married and their husbands or wives see their high school sweethearts’ names on them, questions will be brought up. I’m not saying that these tattoos that these kids get will ruin their lives in the future. They might even make for some really funny stories. I’m just saying we shouldn’t make permanent changes in our lives simply because we can.

They should be things we want. This goes into other areas of our lives as well. We shouldn’t get married because we have been with someone for forever and it’s just “time,” we should have an undying desire for permanent changes in our lives, and know for a fact it’s not just a “stage.” My tattoos are something that I got because I know I’m going to be a Christian for the rest of my life, and I want to see these reminders every single day until I die. When I get married, I want to know without a fact that I want to see my husband’s face everyday until the day I die. Same with when I decided to have kids, and so on. Acts of defiance do no show maturity and they do not leap us into the next stages of our lives. Getting a tattoo simply is not a rite of passage, and we shouldn’t look at it like that, because we shouldn’t take permanent changes lightly.

Photo courtesy flickr.com/photos/dcrummey/

There are certain events that seem to propel people into the next stage of their lives.

TAYLOR SMITH Pi Phi

Ta y l o r

is

a

sophomore

studying political science For the majority of major. You may contact her at Americans the typical tsmith@uark.edu. rites of passage are getting a driver’s license, voting for the first time, graduating from high school, purchasing an adult beverage legally, graduating college, getting married and having kids.

These are each individual moments when we feel a tad bit older, when we stop and think “Holy crap, I’m getting old.” However, there are people who have different rites of passage.

Sort of on the perimeter of finally being able to order a beer at a bar when you turn 21, at the age of 18, some people decide to barge into the tattoo parlor and get “inked.” For these people, getting a tattoo is simply defiance, not a rite of passage.

It is these teenagers being told, “No, you’re too young” for 18 years and them being able to walk in and say, “look at me now.”

This is a scary thing, honestly. I am only 19 years old, and I have 2 small tattoos.

The thing for me was that I got my tattoos for reminders. I got them because I WANT to look at them everyday and be reminded of their significance. They were not something that I wanted because I was finally old enough to get one. This is not a complicated fact: tattoos are permanent. They are there forever.

So when these teenagers go to work, and they have skulls on their arms or some

The list

www.theodysseyonline.com

5 GREAT USES FOR COCONUT OIL As women, we want great skin, the kind that is smooth, soft, acne and oil free. We want skin that allows us to feel comfortable to leave the house with no makeup some days.

13

BRIDGETTE WELLS

4.

Better your body. Studies have shown coconut oil can help fight off viruses and bacteria causing illnesses, help improve our metabolisms and digestion tracts, lower stress levels and contribute to weight and abdominal fat loss while lowering cholesterol.

Bridgette is a freshman studying journalism and political science major. You may contact her at bkwells94@gmail.com.

5.

Whiten your teeth. Before you leave the house, take a spoonful of coconut oil to swish around in your mouth for 20 seconds. Studies have shown that coconut oil is more effective than the pro-whitening mouthwashes sold in stores.

Kappa Kappa Gamma

Well-known beauty brands like Covergirl, Lancome, Clinique, Chanel and Bobbi Brown advertise hydrating crèmes that will produce a “natural-glow” on our skin, leaving us looking effortlessly irresistible, but after using these beauty products time and time again, failing to produce these flawless results, women around the world, including myself, decided to look to the organic side for answers.

The shocking result we discovered was that coconut oil is equally as good for your skin and will give the results we’ve all tirelessly been searching for. Coconut oil has already been considered a “super-good-for-you” ingredient in food, more recently, coconut oil started covering women’s beauty and health magazines, being known as the “healthy and cheap go-to” skin product.

While beauty brands promote their water base moisturizers for flawless results, the products contain too much water, producing dryer skin than you started out with.

Other ingredients in these renowned beauty products contain chemicals that actually suffocate the skin, leaving the natural producing oils and moisturizers, trapped under your skin, resulting in face breaks outs. So when coconut oil surfaced in the beauty world, us women were shouting “hallelujah.” The best part about coconut oil is that it’s a cheap fix for a range of issues.

1.

Fix damaged and dry hair. If you’ve been using straightening and curling tools, it is likely your hair has been damaged and is crying out for help. Simply place a nickel sized amount onto your fingers and rub into the ends of your hair. If you are in a hurry, leave the oil in for 20 minutes, and then rinse out with water or shampoo, otherwise, let it set over night and rinse out in the morning. Coconut oil also encourages hair growth. Don’t expect your hair to be three inches longer in a week, but after 12 weeks results should be evident.

2.

Moisturize smarter. After using the coconut oil for your face, proceed to rubbing it on your lips, hands, arms, legs, heels, anywhere that needs moisturizing.

If your nails need strengthening, apply the oil to your cuticle beds two to three times a day. Overall, the natural oils will leave your skin feeling soft and fresh.

3. Replace your butter. Paula Dean would not approve, but try replacing butter with coconut oil in recipes. By replacing butter with coconut oil, you are taking out nasty sugars and extra calories. Coconut oil surprisingly doesn’t taste like coconut, which makes it a perfect substitute for butter, vegetable shortening and other unhealthy solid fats.

Who knew a product as simple as coconut oil contributes to an array of beneficial purposes. Don’t feel obligated to buy the $30-50 jars, because more than likely, you’ll just be paying for the name. The $7 jar of Spectrum Naturals: Organic Coconut Oil will do just the trick. We’d love to hear you thoughts and experiences with coconut oil. Are there other beneficial uses for coconut oil? Let us know!

14 OXFORD SAY WHAAATTT? Humor lol

www.theodysseyonline.com

The Oxford English D i c t i o n a r y re c e n t l y added a whole bunch of cool, hip new phrases to its most recent edition (900 to be exact). I know Delta Delta Delta what you’re thinking, “Wow, 900 new words?!?

Laura is a sophomore studying Is that even a real thing?” marketing. You may contact her at The answer is: barely.

Leselak@uark.edu.

In past updates, many culturally valuable words such as “twerk,” “selfie” and “srsly” (Yes, it is srsly spelled like that.) were added to what was once an educational tool. This is the direction that English language is headed, and we should all be ashamed and afraid. We just can’t have nice things, can we?

I spent a little time this week on putting together a list of some remarkable phrases on which I could offer some sassy commentary.

Bestie (n): A person’s best friend; a very close friend First off, may I be the first to say that if you actually use this word, you should focus harder on graduating middle school.

Secondly, after reading the definition of this word I am conflicted about the meaning.

The first part talks about a best friend; your numero uno, your PIC, the person you call when you wanna binge on Netflix and eat lots of carbs. But then the second half of the definition refers to a “close” friend. A close friend is someone that I would consider acknowledging in a public place, someone who might get more than just the generic “Happy Birthday” wall post.

LAURA SELAK

@totalfratmove: Informing the police officer

Scissor-kick (v): to perform a kick, which involved a scissor-like motion of the legs, as in swimming or soccer.

Here, I’ll use it in a sentence! “I have an overwhelming urge to scissor-kick whoever put this word in the dictionary.”

Wackadoodle (adj.): crazy, mad; eccentric Please stop and imagine how silly you would feel if you yelled this word at someone with whom you were arguing. Go ahead, say it.

Whisper it in a stranger’s ear if you’re feeling especially creepy today. (Don’t.)

Honky-tonker (n.): a person who owns, works in, or frequents a cheap, sleazy bar or nightclub, typically one where country music is played. $5 to whoever can find me a sleazy country nightclub first….

Also, I wonder if one day a future fourth grader will be filling out his/her vocab list and will have to look up the word “Honky Tonker.” *shutters* Herogram (n): a congratulatory message from an editor praising a journalist’s work.

In later use also more generally: a message expressing praise, encouragement, or congratulations.

Very sad that this is not in fact Instagram for heroes because that would be a must-follow.

“OMG, Batman’s eating sushi!” “Spiderman’s #wcw was Mary Jane again #ugh” “Wonderwoman’s selfie Sunday was #literallyperfect”

souvenir store

He should hit one of those tour groups next

that you’re a Criminal Justice major and everything is under control. #TFM

@tothefreshmen: No pants man strikes again...

@tothefreshmen: Not sure exactly how many

#WelcometoOleMiss

UPD crime reports I’ve gotten in four years @itsWillyFerrell: A cop stopped me and said that involve pantless strangers or panty @pierremontez92: Left my windows halfway “license please” so I offered him a donut and

thieves, but it’s too many.

down before class, and I get back to my car to see that I have a ticket and someone stole

said “I donut have one” and we laughed and laughed and I’m arrested.

@ShtOleMGirlsSay: Who frayed your jorts?

@totalsratmove: Saying “hashtag” out loud.

@totalfratmove: Talking about your former @om_srat: How to potentially kill a sorority

#TSM

pledge brother who dropped as if he was girl: Insult her cooler.

my decal

dead. #TFM @CollegeTownLife: If someday we all end up

@ShtOleMGirlsSay: What now I have to talk

in jail for downloading music illegally, I can @totalsratmove: Giving up unhealthy food for lent: bonafide, or evil genius? #TSM only hope they split us up by genre.

to him sober. @CollegeTownLife: I think my liver just put

@tbhjuststop: here’s to all the kids who have @CollegeTownLife: I hope I did better on my never found their name on anything in a midterms than I did on my bracket

in it’s two weeks notice

www.theodysseyonline.com

The List

15

PAGE 15