Ok state 5 1 14 proof3

May 1, 2014 | Volume 3, Issue 28 | Stillwater, OK

www.theodysseyonline.com | @Odyssey_OKState | Facebook.com/TheOdysseyOklahomaState

THANKS OSU PAGE 3

CRIMPED HAIR, MSN & OVERALLS PAGE 2 EDUCATION FOR A GREATER GOOD PAGE 4 WHATEVER HAPPEND TO MONICAL LEWINSKY? PAGE 5

RECRUIT IT. TWEET IT. MARK IT. SELL IT. EMBRACING OUR STEREOTYPES. Photo Credit: Megan Noble, Zeta Tau Alpha

2 THANKS, OKLAHOMA STATE Editor's note

The last four years have been full of LIBBY NICHOLAS growth and new, Chi Omega incredible friendships.

Editor-in-Chief It’s hard to wrap my Libby is a senior studying mind around the multimedia journalism. You may fact that I graduate a contact her at elizabeth.nicholas@ week from Saturday. okstate.edu.

There’s no better way to fill my final Editor’s Note than to say, thank you, OSU. Thank you, Chi Omega. And thank you, Odyssey.

Dear OSU, Thanks for the opportunity to cheer for America’s brightest orange from America’s rowdiest student section. Thanks for playing the fight song every hour, and for tailgates and Orange Fridays. Thanks for teaching me that loyalty goes beyond winning or losing. I’d rather cheer for you than that team south of us any day, and that goes beyond numbers on the scoreboard.

Thanks for a campus full of the friendliest people you’d ever meet. Whether Greek, independent, an athlete, or whatever “classification” one falls under, each student at OSU feels the comfort and unity of the Cowboy Family. And that’s not something you find on every college campus.

Thanks for that professor who I thought was so mean, but pushed me to work harder and better myself. Thanks for giving me that C that I didn’t think I deserved; it taught me that it’s OK not to have a perfect GPA. Lessons in college go beyond the classroom. Thanks for the positions through which you trusted me to serve. Thanks for the positions I didn’t get; they taught me humility.

Thanks for letting me bursar everything from Jamba Juice to Vera Bradley accessories. Thanks for that weird smell that fills Edmon Low and brings back a million memories. Thanks for Bennett Hall, and late nights eating ice cream with friends.

And most of all, thanks for taking a bunch of scared freshmen, and sending capable, confident, humble, kind, good ole’ guys and gals out into the “real world” four years later. OSU, you are all the best things about the state of Oklahoma wrapped up into 1,489 acres of wonderfulness.

Dear Chi Omega, Thanks for filling your walls with girls who have become lifelong friends.

Thanks for encouraging me to buy Chacos. Sometimes comfort is more important than style. Thanks for encouraging me to step out on the limb (hoot hoot, get it?), and that anything worth having is worth working for.

Thanks for the Agnus, the cockroach who probably still lives on the third floor. The nightly screams and missions to catch him really united the entire floor spring of 2012. Thanks for being creaky and old and cozy. You truly have become my home away from home.

Thanks for a fire alarm that goes off at random, whether it be 2 a.m. or the middle of a recruitment party (although, who knows in the case of an actual fire?). Things like that reflect the genuine, spunky girls who I’ve found through you. Thanks for cereal parties late at night in the dining room.

Thanks for being a place to run to after an amazing or terrible date, a place to find comfort after a failed test, or a place to celebrate after a success.

Thanks for teaching me that it’s more important to be lovable than popular, and character comes before appearances. Thanks for encouraging me to be womanly always, and discouraged never.

www.theodysseyonline.com

Most of all, thanks for PC’X. What would my college experience be without this wonderful, completely united assortment of cowgirls and preppy girls, smarty-pants and girls who never study, singers and dancers, future FFA moms, and every girl in between? You all have taught me something I never would have guessed before college – it’s possible to have a group of 56 women and no drama.

I’m glad they’ll be many memories and letters to carry with me into life after college.

Dear Odyssey, When I got the call about the Editor-in-Chief position, I was worried that it would be hard to keep a group of people motivated to work toward a cause like this. Writers, you proved me wrong.

Thanks for bearing with my nitpicky emails full of grammar rules. Thanks for being fun. Thanks for laughing when things go wrong, and setting the paper on every table inside your chapter house when things go right.

Thanks for the opportunity to serve as EIC. I’ve never enjoyed a position and group of people more. Ya’ll have made my senior year spectacular.

And thanks for reading, Greeks. It’s been fun.

Sincerely, A loyal and true, grammatically correct Owl.

THE ODYSSEY AT OKLAHOMA STATE EXECUTIVE TEAM President Breanna Fuller Alpha Delta Pi Distribution Executive Tori Brownlee Alpha Delta Pi Recruitment Executive Kade Goodwin Phi Delta Theta Sales Executives Adrianna Newport Alpha Delta Pi Hunter Kashwer Phi Delta Theta

CREATIVE TEAM Editor-in-Chief Libby Nicholas Chi Omega Contributing Editor Thomas Chapman FarmHouse Photographer Jamie Barnes Sigma Pi Megan Noble Zeta Tau Alpha

OLYMPIA MEDIA GROUP 888.272.2595 | OlympiaMediaGroup.com Managing Editor, Kate Waxler 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 Oklahoma or OSU 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.

Scene on campus

www.theodysseyonline.com

GREEKS OF THE YEAR Krissy Gilbert

Mitchell Earl

There is never a dull moment when Krissy Gilbert is around.

Charismatic, amiable, social and beaming are all words to describe Krissy and her experience at Oklahoma State. She has spent the last four years being involved, building relationships and overall making the best of her college experience.

“I only applied at OSU, it’s the only place I ever wanted to go,” she said. in shows.

3

Krissy is a senior, and has spent her time in Kappa Alpha Theta giving back to OSU in a special way: through her involvement

“I loved directing Follies and Spring Sing because it is a great way to meet new people and give back to your chapter.”

Whether you enjoy being a part of shows or simply enjoy watching shows, it takes leaders like Krissy to keep Varsity Review, Freshmen Follies and Spring Sing alive.

Her talent and drive has had a positive effect on the Greek community as a whole.

“The coolest moment so far has been winning Varsity Revue with Sigma Nu in 2013.

Sherlock Holmes has been one of my favorite shows I have ever been in.” Krissy said.

“And one time I had to kiss Chad Stephens in VR, that was really weird.”

Krissy chose Kappa Alpha Theta as her home for many reasons. “They way they made me laugh. They were the girls I wanted to be best friends with. And at the time, Kats was a thing. I’m old, I wanted to be in Kats so badly.”

Krissy described her chapter as “jovial” because it’s always cheerful and happy.

Gilbert’s favorite saying describes her college experience perfectly.

Mitchell Earl, an Oklahoma State senior, has spent his time as an undergraduate constantly giving back to the university.

Whether through his position as president of Alpha Gamma Rho or work with the Student Government Association, his leadership skills have impacted OSU students across the board.

What makes Mitchell stand out most as Greek of the Year, though, is his work with The Odyssey. The paper wouldn’t exist at Oklahoma State without him. As founder of the paper at OSU, Mitchell spent long hours covering the proper bases between The Odyssey nationals and the authorities at OSU to bring a Greek paper to our campus.

“When I became a part of the Greek community in 2010, I felt a huge disconnect between different chapters,” he said. “I felt as if we were all here, trying to accomplish the same goals, but with no concern or awareness for the resources we had available in the form of fellow members of our community, not from our own houses.”

Through bringing The Odyssey to OSU, the goal was to establish unity and overcome many unhealthy stereotypes around he community, he said.

Four years later, the paper is such an integral part of each week on campus. Each Greek receives an Odyssey every Thursday because of Mitchell’s effort when he arrived at OSU. “Looking back now, nearly 90 issues winces our inaugural publication,” he said. “I can say with conviction that the OSU Odyssey is still working to accomplish those goals, and the OSU Greek community is more connected as a result.”

Mitchell’s leadership skills shine through the Greek system as a whole. He was named the 2012 Outstanding Greek Junior, and was one of the Top Five Homecoming King candidates.

“If you’re ever wondering whether you should or you shouldn’t… you should.”

Marty Jones On October 13, Marty Jones was crowned Oklahoma State 2013 - 2014 Homecoming King.

“I am honored,” Marty said. “I was shocked to hear my name, but it really feels no different.”

Marty has remained humble after obtaining such an incredible title. A senior member of Alpha Gamma Rho, perhaps Marty’s many leadership positions that ultimately lead to his king title, derived from encouragement from his brothers. In fact, many Homecoming kings in the past have been AGRs, as well.

“My favorite thing about AGR is, without a doubt, the strength of relationships I have made with each of the men I have the good fortune of calling brother,” he said.

Within the chapter, Marty has served as in a variety of leadership positions. He’s spent his senior year serving as the Chaplin.

“I really enjoy serving the house and in my current position leading brothers to Christ,” he said. “It has given me an opportunity to connect with all of my fraternity brothers on more than just a social and professional level, but also a spiritual one.”

He’s also held many leadership positions on campus.

“I love giving back to this university,” he said.

Marty said he’s learned a lot during his time at OSU, and he had a piece of advice for incoming freshmen.

“My advice is to ‘be a Cowboy,’” he said. “Our time at Oklahoma State is short, so enjoy every minute and never forget why you are here.”

Marty said he hopes to one day pass along the wisdom that he’s gained during his time at OSU to future generations of Cowboys, perhaps through his career as an agriculture teacher.

Marty was recently named one of 15 OSU Outstanding Seniors of 2014.

Lucy Bates Homecoming queen, chapter president, music major, biochemistry minor, medical school bound, world traveler; with words like this to describe Lucy Bates, you’d think she’d be anything but humble.

Talk to her for about 30 seconds and she’ll prove otherwise.

“I just hope people don’t see these things as things I’ve accomplished...things I’ve done,” she said. “So much of it is what God has done through people in my life, and specifically through Chi O.” Before she became set on Oklahoma State, Lucy was accepted to a couple of prestigious universities.

She switched to OSU when she learned she could not pursue both music and medicine elsewhere. Lucy soon became an official Cowboy and never looked back.

“I feel most myself when I’m in orange,” she said.

Growing up an hour away, in Edmond, Okla., with a family who tailgates for every home game, Lucy was born bleeding orange.

“Take a picture of my closet, it’s all orange,” she said. “That would be a better representation of me than an actual picture of me.”

Lucy said when they called her name as queen, she didn’t think it was real.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” she said. “I literally was like, ‘oh my gosh, I think they just said my name.’ It was so surreal.”

Lucy’s extreme humility about her Homecoming queen title is surpassed by her expression of sheer gratitude for the opportunity to have served as president of the Tau Beta chapter of Chi Omega.

“I just know how awesome every girl in this chapter is,” she said. “And just to think that this incredible group of girls would want me to lead anything is so humbling.”

Lucy was recently named one of the 15 OSU Outstanding Seniors of 2014.

4 Political Smalltalk

EDUCATION FOR A GREATER GOOD

Oh, summer. As great as it is, it’s also a time SOPHIA for small talk. There GIBSON are family reunions, Delta Delta Delta internships and Sophia is a freshman studying vacations galore, where agricultural education.

Yo u m a y c o n t a c t h e r a t you have to endure sophie.gibson@okstate.edu. everything from your redneck third cousin twice removed to the overly enthusiastic tourist who accompanies you on the beach.

If you’re tired of discussing what your major is or the fact that there are tornadoes in Oklahoma, consider discussing some of the political events that have occurred in the last year.

2013 was a busy year and 2014 is turning out to be even more eventful.

Perhaps one of the most historical events that has happened during this school year was on June 26 when the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as well as California’s Proposition 8, which would ban gay marriage.

A month later, a man who you certainly won’t be seeing in your text books anytime soon, lost his election for mayor of New York City due to a sexting scandal. Whether Anthony Weiner would have made it into the news without his unfortunate name or not is unknown to me, but on the behalf of America, I would like to say thank you.

Moving on to September 25, Ted Cruz suddenly became a household name because of his 21 hour filibuster in the Senate, which was an attempt to prevent the funding of the Affordable Care Act. During his speech, he read Green Eggs And Ham to his daughters at home so they could have a bedtime story.

If he wasn’t trying to shut down the government, it would almost be sweet.

The government was officially shut down on Oct. 1 and it lasted until Oct. 16, making it the second longest government shutdown in history. A compromise was finally reached and, while it passed easily in the senate there were 144 votes against it in the House. It is estimated that $24 billion was taken out of the US economy as a result of this shutdown.

Aside from minor scandals, Obamacare delays, international strife and an off-year election, things were relatively quiet during the rest of 2013. So far, 2014 has been pretty focused on the political crisis in Ukraine, occasionally coming up for air to discuss Syria and the missing Malaysian plane.

Ukraine’s crisis actually began in 2013, most notably on December 1, when 300,000 people marched in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Amazingly, there were no protestor deaths until January 22. Much of the crisis is focused around the cultural differences of those who live in Ukraine because many of the people who live west of the Dnieper River relate more closely to Europeans, while those to the east identify with the Russians. As the country decides who to more closely align with, the citizens have been taking to the streets to voice

www.theodysseyonline.com

their opinion.

On Feb. 18 at least 26 protestors died, which convinced the president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, to flee the country on Feb. 22. Meanwhile, the opposition leader and former prime minister was released from prison to serve as the interim president and she issued a warrant for the arrest of Yanukovych, who was later spotted in Russia, which is a country that is heavily allied with Yanukovych. On March 18, Crimea—a part of Ukraine that is 60 percent Russian—signed a treaty that would make it part of Russia.

Because of Russia’s alliance with Yanukovych, the G-8 summit became the G-7 as a snub to Putin, who takes his titles very seriously.

Ukraine’s political crisis is constantly developing and it’s hard to imagine an end in the near future. So while we have looked at the past, we must continue to read about the developments as we move into the future. This ongoing crisis will give you plenty of small talk. Happy chatting!

Scene on campus

www.theodysseyonline.com

THE YEAR’S GREEK ACHIEVEMENTS HANNAH NEMECEK

Homecoming King and Queen

Chi Omega

Lucy Bates, Chi Omega.

Hannah is a junior studying agricultural communications. You may contact her at hannah.nemecek@okstate.edu.

Sweepstakes

In the Greek community at Oklahoma State University, excellence is not only common, but also expected. Each year, the level of creativity, talent and spirit continues to increase. Congratulations to the following award winners!

Homecoming Football Frenzy 1st – Alpha Omicron Pi & Sigmi Chi. 2nd – Pi Beta Phi & Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Female MVP – Rachel Urban.

Male MVP – Blake Umberham.

Sign Competition 1st – Kappa Alpha Theta & Phi Delta Theta.

2nd – Kappa Kappa Gamma & FarmHouse.

3rd – Chi Omega & Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Harvest Carnival 1st – Kappa Kappa Gamma & FarmHouse.

2nd – Kappa Alpha Theta & Phi Delta Theta.

3rd – Kappa Delta & Phi Gamma Delta.

People’s Choice – Phi Mu & Kappa Alpha Order.

Harvest II Philanthropy Award – Alpha Omicron Pi & Sigma Chi. House Decorations Alumni Association Chairman’s Cup – Kappa Delta & Phi Gamma Delta.

Marty Jones, Alpha Gamma Rho.

1st – Kappa Delta & Phi Gamma Delta.

2nd – Zeta Tau Alpha & Alpha Gamma Rho. 3rd – Kappa Kappa Gamma & FarmHouse.

Freshman Follies

1st – Chi Omega & Sigma Phi Epsilon.

2nd – Kappa Alpha Theta & Beta Theta Pi. 3rd – Pi Beta Phi & Sigma Nu.

Varsity Revue 1st – Chi Omega & Beta Theta Pi. 2nd – Kappa Alpha Theta & FarmHouse.

3rd – Pi Beta Phi & Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Spring Sing 1st – Delta Delta Delta & Kappa Sigma 2nd – Kappa Delta & Sigma Phi Epsilon 3rd – Chi Omega & FarmHouse 4th – Kappa Alpha Theta & Sigma Nu 5th – Phi Mu & Phi Gamma Delta

Greek Awards Alumnae Relations – Kappa Delta.

Honorable Mention – Alpha Chi Omega.

Campus Involvement – Pi Beta Phi. Honorable Mention – Alpha Chi Omega.

Community Service – Kappa Delta.

Honorable Mention – Alpha Chi Omega.

New Member Programming – Kappa Alpha Theta.

Honorable Mention – Alpha Chi Omega.

2nd – Zeta Tau Alpha & Alpha Gamma Rho.

Risk Management – Alpha Chi Omega.

3rd – Gamma Phi Beta & Sigma Nu.

Honorable Mention – Kappa Alpha Theta.

4th – Alpha Chi Omega & Kappa Sigma.

Scholarship – Alpha Chi Omega.

5th – Kappa Alpha Theta & Phi Delta Theta.

Engineering Excellence Award

Honorable Mention – Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Delta.

Lindsay Gabler, Delta Delta Delta.

Mary Cheryl Mannering Outstanding Greek Sports Woman Kirsten Krull, Kappa Delta.

OSU Panhellenic Council Distinguished Spirit Award Gamma Phi Beta.

Interfraternity Council Troxel Awards Campus Involvement – FarmHouse.

First Runner Up – Phi Gamma Delta.

Campus Relations – Sigma Nu. First Runner Up – FarmHouse.

Community Service – Tau Kappa Epsilon.

First Runner Up – Delta Tau Delta.

Intramurals – Beta Theta Pi. First Runner Up – Phi Gamma Delta.

Scholarship – Beta Theta Pi. First Runner Up – FarmHouse.

Dean Troxel Award FarmHouse.

Thomas M. Keys Outstanding Pledge Class Phi Gamma Delta.

First Runner Up – Beta Theta Pi. Panhellenic Council Outstanding Members New Member – Hannah Faulkenberry, Kappa Alpha Theta.

Sophomore – Lyndsay Parks, Kappa Alpha Theta.

Junior – Erin Scanlan, Pi Beta Phi. IFC Outstanding Members New Member – Ridge Howell, Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Sophomore – James Hutson, Alpha Gamma Rho. Junior – Brandon Hubbard, FarmHouse.

2013 Greek Woman Kaley Uptergrove, Pi Beta Phi.

Zeta Tau Alpha & Alpha Gamma Rho.

2013 Dean Zelma Patchin Outstanding Award

2013 Greek Man

Safety Award

Alpha Chi Omega.

Corbin Mertz, Sigma Nu.

Kappa Alpha Theta & Phi Delta Theta.

5

Congratulations and best of luck to the Greek Marilon Morgan Outstanding Panhellenic community next year!

Delegate

6

Scene on campus

www.theodysseyonline.com

CHI O WINS OLD NAVY MOM’S DAY COMPETITION Happy Thursday, everyone! If you can recall, a couple of weeks ago, on Mom’s Day, Old Navy held their first annual Mom’s Day Greek competition.

Well, I’m proud to announce that the winning chapter, that had the most members come into the store that day, is Chi Omega. Congratulations, ladies!

“There were so many Chi Os in the store,” store manager Michelle Magistri said.

“There were girls everywhere.”

Old Navy was extremely excited to hold this event for the first time. It was a successful and the managers were excited and very appreciative of the Greek community getting involved. There were 110 Greek members who participated in the competition.

Because the women of Chi Omega won the entire event, the Old Navy managers will be volunteering their time to Chi O’s philanthropy. The Chi O philanthropy is Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wish of

a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical NICK VELA condition. The foundation believes that a wish Kappa Alpha Order experience can be a gameNick is a senior studying international changer. The Old Navy business and pre-law. You may contact crew is super excited to be him at nick.vela@okstate.edu. able to help grant wishes that change the lives of the kids throughout the United States.

Granting a wish sounds simple, but wishes are only made possible through the hard work of many dedicated staff, volunteers, donors and other supporters.

To donate, volunteer your time or just to learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit their website at www.wish.org.

As another reward to the Chi Omegas, their house mother won a $50 Old Navy gift card. Not only did she win a gift card, but also a fit session with one of Old Navy’s fit experts to enhance her spring wardrobe.The chapter will also be able to come in after store hours one night and have their shopping time without any other customers.

Businesses like Crazy Cakes, Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, Orange Leaf, Blue Spruce and El Vaquero all participated in this event. The entire Chi O chapter will receive coupons from these businesses.

Old Navy would like to thank everyone who participated in the event, including their Greek members who work at Old Navy and helped make the event successful.

They would also like to thank the local businesses for donating some of their coupons to the store. Lastly, Old Navy would like to send out a special thank you to the women of Chi Omega for going all out and having the most participation that day.

Old Navy is excited to host the competition event next year and hopes to continue the competition for years to come.

As usual, make sure to follow The Odyssey Twitter page at @Odyssey_OKState.

Have a great summer everyone and Happy Thursday!

Adventure traveling

www.theodysseyonline.com

7

HOW TO AND HOW NOT TO PREPARE FOR A SEMESTER ABROAD

Studying abroad is something that I’ve always dreamed about, but now that it’s finally here, I don’t really know what to do with myself. Sometimes I have grand ideas, but the minutia involved in executing these ideas tends to get in the way.

all year.

NINA BLASDEL

Kappa Delta Nina is a sophomore studying hotel & restaurant administration.

Yo u m a y c o n t a c t h e r a t nina.blasdel@okstate.edu.

Throughout the past few weeks, I’ve been finalizing the details of my upcoming semester, and I’ve been doing almost everything completely backwards. So, here’s my advice on how to, and how not to, prepare for a semester abroad.

1. DO tell people far in advance!

I officially decided, mid-February, to study abroad in the upcoming semester. Unfortunately, this puts me in an awkward stage of life: about one-third of my friends know that I’ll be gone for the fall semester, one-third knew and forgot and the other third probably have no idea. Since I don’t really know which friends are in which category, I’m in conversation limbo half of the time. How do you casually say, “By the way, when school is out, I won’t be seeing you for six months?” You might want to make a Facebook post about it so everyone knows.

2. DON’T wait until the last minute to get your official documents.

Last week, I realized that my passport had been expired for six months. The day I chose to reapply, just so happened to be April 15 – tax day – one of the busiest days the post office has

Almost every foreign institute requires your passport and/or visa number on the application, so make sure your documents are up-to-date far in advance. I learned the hard way that an expedited passport costs about twice as much as a normal one.

3. DON’T be afraid to ask dumb questions. The people working in the Study Abroad Office are there for one purpose: to make things easier on you. Regardless of your question, don’t be afraid to ask it. Plus, I have probably already asked all the dumb ones.

4. DO become bffs with Google.

Google the heck out of the place you’ll be staying. Google your school, Google your apartment complex, Google your professors and no shame in Googling your classmates if that information has been released. It is seriously so exciting.

5. DON’T get discouraged.

Applications, deadlines, letters of recommendation and all of the preparations are certainly less than enjoyable. Don’t get discouraged – it’s all part of the process. Each step gets you a little bit closer to the final destination!

6. DO attempt to get familiar with the customs and traditions of the country you’ll be going to.

This is super important. Spending months in a new country is going to be hard enough, so do your homework before you go and research the place!

7. DO follow your heart. If there’s a place you’ve always wanted to go, go there. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, do it.

I can’t stress this one enough. I’ve always dreamed of living in Italy and, now, I’m doing it.

Granted, I haven’t left yet but, for me, the hardest part about studying abroad is the decisionmaking process. Decide you want to do it and decide sooner rather than later.

THE OTHER SIDE OF STILLWATER

Stillwater, Okla., where Garth got his start, where JAMIE the Cowboys like to play BARNES and where we all go to Sigma Pi school. Stillwater offers Jamie is a junior studying Landscape Architecture. You may some exciting things for contact him at james.barnes@ okstate.edu. us to do, but the Stillwater scene undergoes a dramatic transformation around the beginning of May. When all of the college students leave town after finals, the town of Stillwater changes from a college town to a different kind of small Oklahoma town.

There are usually a handful of people who stick around during the summer.

That number, though, tends to go up the older we get. When you stay in Stillwater over the summer, you get to see the real character of this curious little city. You get to experience the town and all the townies. The traffic is tremendously better during the summer, because 25,000 people are not trying to traverse around town.

It is truly incredible when you can go from one side of town to the other in a few short minutes, without having to interact with nearly as many other cars. Going

to the strip takes on a new meaning – you don’t have to wear your cute outfits. It is completely acceptable to wear basketball shorts and a tank. And there are not going to be very many people competing with you for best dressed.

A lot of people get to experience little bits of summer in Stillwater when they come into town for recruitment events, bid day or Camp Cowboy. Besides those occasional visitors, though, the people who stay in town will get to know each other much better. Of the handful of people, any one person may know each of those other people, who will know at least a couple other people. And so, your inner circle of summer buddies will eventually grow, and you will have the opportunity to meet or get real chummy with most of the college students staying in Stillwater over the summer.

My favorite part of summers in Stillwater is that there is almost always something to do. Because there are so few people around, when one of them is trying to hang out, everyone will get a call. There are some great stories that will come from the good times had during the summer; there are just enough people to have fun and plenty of free time without classes. So there are some extremely fun memories from summers in Stillwater, and I can’t wait for one last summer here, hanging out with my peeps.

8

Self health & fitness

www.theodysseyonline.com

THE BODY: OUR PYRAMID The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter!

We’ve been through a lot together and we’re near the end.

After a year of researching articles and finding out information about our bodies and what we expose them to, it’s time to sum up our findings and have one final recap on everything we’ve seen so far in 2014.

JAKE BLASDEL Sigma Nu

Jake is a junior studying biological science. You may contact him at jacob.blasdel@okstate.edu.

Every day I wake up and go about my usual routine before I head to class, not even pausing to think about the fact that my body slept through the night, fully functioning and woke up more energized than when I left it. Aren’t they great? Our brains and our bodies work hand-in-hand most of the time, but our bodies are really autonomous, when you think about it. It’s time that we reflect on why we should treat our bodies like pyramids.

A few topics I covered earlier in the semester were studying, stretching, flu shots, tattoos, gluttony and genetic engineering. I’m hopeful that one more visit to each of these will shine a little more light on each area and help inform your own opinions of each.

Why study efficiently? The foundation of good studying is to be efficient and consistent.

Limiting distractions, taking small, more frequent breaks instead of a few longer breaks, getting enough sleep, not pulling all-nighters – these are all ways in which research has shown that the human body can better retain information during the course of our studies.

Try ‘em out! After all, finals week is right around the corner.

PECKS LODGE

Stretching allows our bodies to be exposed to extreme conditions before we work it out. If we cause our proteins to unfold a little longer than they’re used to, it might save us from tearing a muscle of hyperextending a joint. “It hurts so good!”

If you’re still skeptical about flu shots – well, there’s a reason that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) takes it seriously and provides as much vaccination access to people as they can. The flu changes every year and our bodies are capable of developing resistance to it through exposure to a dead form of the virus. I think this mechanism of our body is truly incredible and one of we should take advantage of.

The gist of my tattoo article was that the ink penetrates multiple layers of our skin in order to stay there for so long. Different people have different effects from the tattoo ink, while some people are perfectly fine with the exposure. I’d suggest making sure you don’t have any allergies to the dyes that are present in the ink before you make a trip to the parlor.

Gluttony, the Thanksgiving issue, was a fun one. We’re living out the American dream when we stuff ourselves with turkey, but our stomachs and intestines aren’t very happy with us when we consume so much food. The best cure is a long nap to give our bodies enough time for digestion before we get active later in the day.

And finally, genetic engineering. We are all a product of our differences. Even though we have the same blood as our siblings (and initially began with the same DNA), it’s important to realize that without the natural birth cycle, we would be changing fate.

There are cases for why genetic engineering should be considered, but others could make a case for why it’s ethically unacceptable. It’s in our future, so decide how you feel about it before we get there!

It’s been a fun year and I wish you all a great summer. Whether you have a productive or a relaxed one, make sure that you treat your bodies right. They are your pyramids!

Sports local

www.theodysseyonline.com

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS: YEAR IN REVIEW The school year flew by. It was full exciting moments, up and downs and many memories. The same can be said for professional sports over the last nine months.

As you look back on your year, here is a review of the happenings and top moments of the busiest time in sports.

THOMAS CHAPMAN FarmHouse

Thomas is a freshman studying sports media. You may contact him at tmchapm@okstate.edu.

Major League Baseball.

Last fall, baseball had a thrilling playoffs series, watching Boston make an unlikely run to a title. In the World Series, the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games with David Ortiz claiming the MVP. For the individual awards from the season, Miguel Cabrera won in the American League and Andrew McCutchen in the National League.

The Cy Young award was claimed by Clayton Kershaw and Mark Scherzer in their respective leagues.

National Football League. This season in the NFL featured exciting playoffs but, ultimately,both top seeds advanced to the Superbowl. The Denver Broncos, led by league MVP Peyton Manning, lost to the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks’ dominant defense delivered a 43-8 win and their first Super Bowl victory. Other awards include linebacker

9

Luke Kuechley being named the defensive player of the year and Peyton Manning taking the offensive player of the year.

The Olympics. The 2014 winter Olympics were held in Sochi, Russia. As a nation, the United State of America claimed 28 medals, with nine of those being gold. We were the most successful in free style skiing, where we won three gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals. Russia edged the USA by five medals to have the highest medal count.

The National Hockey League. The NHL season is now into the playoffs. Through the regular season, Boston and Anaheim had the best records in the league. The post season has already included multiple thrillers, including the St. Louis Blues taking two overtime victories against the Chicago Blackhawks. These series are high tempo and exciting to watch so as the playoffs continue this is definitely something to keep up with as we end the school year.

The National Basketball Association. The NBA playoffs are also in full swing and the lone professional team here in Oklahoma holds the second seed in the western conference. The west is by far the stronger conference, but as we know from experience, you can never count the Heat out, no matter how weak their competition. When looking for a break from finals, I encourage you to check out these western match ups because there is no front-runner. We are in store for an exciting playoff season that, hopefully, results in an Oklahoma City championship and an MVP for our favorite – number 35.

As school ends, so do the majority of sports. It has been an exciting year of upsets and dominant performances. Enjoy your summer and we will see you next year!

OSU SPORTS: YEAR IN REVIEW This year in athletics was a rough one for many of the Oklahoma State sports programs.

ALEX DEWINTER

The football team had Phi Kappa Tau high expectations to begin Alexis a sophomore majoring the year, with plenty in finance and accounting.

Yo u m a y c o n t a c t h i m a t of returning starters. alex.dewinter@okstate.edu.

Many experts picked the Cowboys to win the Big 12 and to contend for the National Championship but, as we know, that did not happen. After an early season loss to West Virginia, our Pokes went on a run, winning seven straight conference games that culminated in a huge win against the highly-ranked Baylor, by a score of 49-17. Then, Bedlam happened and OU came into Stillwater and got themselves a victory with an asterisk (I don’t care what anyone says, Justin Gilbert caught that football). The Cowboys had a chance to redeem themselves in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri, but were unable to do so and lost 41-31. Overall, a 10-2 regular season record is actually pretty solid and the Pokes will look to improve on that for next season.

The basketball team didn’t fare any better than the football team. Things were looking pretty good for the Cowboys early on in the season, as they started 15-1 in their first 16 games, but the team suffered a seven game in-conference losing streak, which included Marcus Smart getting suspended three games for shoving a Texas Tech fan in the closing seconds of the game.

The team got fans’ hopes up after finishing the season 5-2, with both losses coming in overtime against quality teams (Iowa State and Kansas). They came into the NCAA tournament with some momentum, and were placed as a nine seed in a relatively weak division, playing Gonzaga in the first round. For the second season in a row, Coach Travis Ford led a team with superior talent into the tournament and was unable to get out of the first round. We know all about the talent we have leaving, we just have to hope that Coach Ford can continue to recruit well and improve his in-game coaching.

It wasn’t all negative for Oklahoma State sports this year. The wrestling team did extremely well in the NCAA championships. Overall, the team placed third, but two of our wrestlers won their individual weight classes: Alex Dieringer won the 157 pound weight and Chris Perry won the 174 pound weight. Tyler Caldwell and Joshua Kindig also were runners-up in their respective weight classes (165 and 149).

OSU has proven again and again that they are one of the elite wrestling programs in the country.

The cross country team also performed extremely well this season. The Cowboys won the Big 12 8K Championship and the Cowgirls got third in the 6K Championship.

The men’s team also placed third in the men’s 10K team race, as only Colorado and Northern Arizona did better.

Overall, this year did not go as well as hoped. Although the baseball team still has a chance to do some real damage this year. As of April 20, they were in first place in the Big 12.

We must remember the great thing about sports: there’s always next year.

10

Lookbook fashion

www.theodysseyonline.com

HOT IN STILLWATER Best Style Lessons from Kate Middelton:

When it comes to style icons, Kate Middleton is definitely one of the top.

It’s no secret that she has a unique and timeless fashion sense. It is one that never fails to be exquisite and classy.

Check out these lessons we can learn (and borrow) from Kate!

ANNA-MARIE AHRBERG Pi Beta Phi

Anna-Marie is a sophomore studying sports media. You may contact her at anna-marie. ahrberg@okstate.edu.

1. Black doesn’t mean boring. There have been multiple instances where Kate has proved that all black means stunning and classy. Black is very slimming and looks good on everyone. In the wise words of Coco Chanel, “Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony.”

2. Having a signature color is fun. When reflecting on Kate’s past looks, it is obvious that her favorite has been blue, blue, and more blue. If you have a color you love wearing, embrace it! Find different ways to rock the color, from coats to dresses to jewelry. There is no limit!

3. Eyebrows make a big difference. One of Kate’s most defining features would be her brows. Notice that they are thick and full and frame her face very well. So when putting on your make up- don’t forget to pay attention to the brows! Fill them in and darken them a little to make them “pop”!

Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying Clothing 1.

Is the price reasonable? Paying a little extra for something that you will wear often is one thing, but feeling like the price is totally unreasonable is another. We need to be sure to use our money wisely. Balance this question with some other questions on this list to make your final decision about purchasing the item or not.

2.

How often will I wear this? The answer to this question can help determine the answer to question number one. If you think you will wear it often, splurging on the price won’t be as big of a deal. If it is something that you may wear once or twice… it probably isn’t worth it. Save your money for something you will get more use out of.

3.

Do you have something similar? This is something we need to be very careful of.

A lot of time our taste is so exact that we tend to buy things with little variation over and over again. By asking ourselves this question this keeps us from having 5 black tops and 4 white lace skirts in our closets. By asking ourselves this question, we can really spice up our closets.

4.

Will this be out of style soon? We have to be wary of purchasing “trendy” items.

Buying them to some extent is fine, but if it is a trend that seems like it will be short-lived, maybe pass. Buying things that are more likely to be in style for longer periods of time is a smarter way to go. Try to stick with “classic” outfits with a few “trendy” touches.

Girls Tell All: Tips for Guys · Always always have clean, short fingernails and toenails- nothing is more disgusting than nails that are dirty or too long. · Fresh breath is vital- if you are trying to score a kiss, you better be sure to have minty breath. If you have bad breath, all bets are off! · Be careful with flip-flops. They can freak girls out if not worn correctly. Unless you are at the beach, save those puppies for another day.

· Make sure your shorts are long enough. They should fall right above the knee, anything shorter than that is not a good idea. · As far as eyebrows, keep them clean.

Bushy eyebrows aren’t too cute. It really is ok to pluck those stray hairs you may have so you can avoid having a unibrow. · Facial hair… it can make it or break it.

Scruff is sexy but too much can be gross. If you do have facial hair just be sure to keep it groomed and neat. Also, never have just a mustache. That basically never works.

This “gift guide” was originally used for Valentines Day, but can be used when getting your girl a birthday gift too!

A couple dates- So you guys have been on a couple dates, you talk often, but you have not DTR-ed. This can be a hard position to be in. You don’t want to over-do it because that could send clingy vibes. Flowers are acceptable, but maybe not a dozen roses.

Daisies say “I like you”, but roses say “I love you”. So be careful there. A nice dinner is a safe bet. Avoid giving actual gifts such as jewelry or anything similar. Acknowledge the day, but don’t go above and beyond because depending on the girl that might not work in your favor.

Newly dating- You are past the stage of “talking” and you all have recently made it official. You’re in luck! This is the easiest category to fall under for this particular holiday. You don’t have to worry about small “moves” freaking her out, but you also don’t have the pressure of getting her an extravagant gift. Flowers, a nice dinner, and a small gift such as tickets to a sporting event or concert that you two could enjoy together are the perfect way to go.

Seriously dating- So you have been dating for what seems like an eternity. Boys, you better be ready to step it up a notch. Maybe try venturing out of Payne County for this one. This is a special date, more so than a regular “date night”. Go to a nicer restaurant than you normally would. Flower are a given, but the list doesn’t end there. A nice pair of Kendra Scott earrings, or a something similar would be great

Humor lol

www.theodysseyonline.com

ASK.FM/ODYSSEYADVICE Dear Abby,

Dear Relationship Crisis,

My boyfriend and I have been in a relationship for almost two years, now.

When we first started dating, I was very honest with him about my last relationship because I was cheated on and I did not want to go through that again. He reassured me that he would never do that to me and that he was sincere about his feelings for me. We haven’t talked about that subject since, but recently I have been noticing a change in him. He is usually very affectionate whenever we’re together, but now it’s almost like he doesn’t even want to be around me. He has also been texting more than usual in front of me, but he never tells me who is texting. Maybe I am just being paranoid, but things just don’t feel the same between us. I’m wondering if I should confront him about it, or just let it slide. I don’t want to make a bigger deal of it than it is, but I do have my concerns. What would you do in this situation?

Sincerely, Relationship Crisis

TRIBUTE TO MR. CHAINZ

We all know and love his fantastic rhyme scheme, “She got a big booty, so I call her big booty.” And who could forget his classic positive anthems such as “Crack” and “I Luv Dem Strippers.” Just plain genius is one way to describe him. He has that confidence about him. His voice is just the right octave to rage to. Mostly, he has fantastic producers. Without them, he would probably be the worst rapper alive. Thank God for computers, right?

LANE With that, here is my heartfelt tribute to Mr. Chainz himself.

HUGHES Thank you for all you do.

Sigma Chi “****in’ Problems” by A$AP Rocky, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz.

“I’m Different” by 2 Chainz.

“No Lie” by 2 Chainz, Drake.

“R.I.P.” byYoung Jeezy, 2 Chainz.

“Birthday Song” by 2 Chainz, Kanye West.

“Talk Dirty” by Jason Derulo, 2 Chainz.

“Feds Watching” by 2 Chainz, Pharrell Williams.

“I Luv Dem Strippers” by 2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj.

“Crack” by 2 Chainz.

“Trampoline” by Tinie Tempah, 2 Chainz.

“Do My Dance” by Tyga, 2 Chainz.

11

Lane is a junior studying animal science. You may contact him at lane.hughes@okstate.edu.

You definitely have the right to be concerned. Considering what you went through in your previous relationship, I totally understand why you are feeling skeptical. However, it may not be a cheating situation. There may be something that he is upset about, but would rather keep quiet about. That is how most guys are nowadays – they avoid conflict at all costs. There also may be something going on in his family life that is causing him to act distant toward you. I know it won’t be easy to do, but find an opportunity to bring up your concern. You two have been in a relationship for two years, so he should be willing to sit down and talk about whatever your thoughts may be. Try your best to be honest with him, because you don’t want to regret holding back something that you really should have said. You must keep in mind, however, to be willing to listen to what he has to say during the conversation. I believe communication is one of the most important aspects of a relationship and if you both can take the time to express how you feel, you may be able to gain some common ground.

12

Humor lol

THINGS WE’LL ALL MISS ABOUT STILLWATER... KIND OF. Stillwater. The sound of that word is sure to produce quite the variety of emotions in people at any given time of year. These emotions are the strongest, Alpha Chi Omega however, at the end of the Hope is a sophomore studying year. Sure, the likelihood business / pre-law. You may of you missing absolutely contact her hope.frisbie@ okstate.edu. everything about this place over the summer is slim to none. I’m sure I speak for just about everyone when I say that I am tired and ready for a break from school. While I’m ready to get out of here, there are some things I will definitely miss about this place.

HOPE FRISBIE

For starters, I will miss all of my friends living right down the hall from me. That is, arguably, the best thing about living in house. The relationships you form over the smallest things can turn into some of the best friendships you have. You’re never alone, but it never seems to be a problem because that’s just it – you’re really never alone. There’s always someone to do activities with (and by activities, I mean midnight McGriddle runs, am I right?) In the same way, there’s always someone there to listen and help you when you’ve had a hard day. The opportunity to live with this many people who are united for a common cause is such a valuable experience. None of us should ever take it for granted.

Another thing we’ll all miss about Stillwater is Aspen Coffee. That place seems to be the cure for just about anything. Failed a test? Go grab an americano and bask in your sadness, realizing that you actually paid to fail that sucker. Having a terrible day? Get a

SORORITY SUE’S WEEKLY SCOOP Alex Adkins, a.k.a. Sorority Sue Sophomore Chi Omega -This is my formal apology to the men of Farmhouse and their grandmothers.

-I’ve been keeping you entertained for a year. You’re welcome.

-I promise I’m not a stalker. Y’all are just shameless.

-It’s been fun being anonymous, but it’s more fun being me.

-Can’t wait to pass on the torch to the next rumor queen and Sorority Sue, but I’ll always be the original.

Weekly Scoop -Next year’s “new members” will have it easy. RIP pledgeship, we will all miss your DD services.

-We may be failing finals, but at least I’m not a 40 year old at Calf Fry. -Speaking of Calf Fry, the entire female population is excited to see you fratstars dusting off the cowboy boots.

-Hey freshmen, enjoy the rude awakening of a summer curfew with mom and dad.

-Hey seniors, it’s been fun. We’ll call you when we need a job recommendation. Murphy’s will miss you.

www.theodysseyonline.com

chainana. Even the name sounds happy; you just can’t get something like that and have a bad day. Having an awesome day? Get yourself a granita with caramel and now accept the fact that nothing else can possibly make your day get any better. I swear everything that comes out of that place is perfect. And it sure beats the heck out of Starbucks.

I don’t know what it is about this place, but everyone here is so friendly, all the time.

You can be walking to class and it won’t be uncommon for a stranger to smile or say hi to you on your way. The people are genuinely nice and that’s something I’m definitely going to miss over the summer.

To take the edge off of these things we’re leaving, let’s highlight some things we maybe won’t miss quite so much – like, the terrible Wi-Fi. So. Annoying. Do you think they realize we pay for that to work? Maybe it’ll be better next year. We can only hope. Or how ‘bout the people in the library who don’t take the words “Quiet area” seriously? If you’re that person, I probably hate you. So does everyone else in that area. You’re not the only person there. Be considerate.

I’m going to go out on a limb here – I’m pretty confident no one will miss the people who hand out flyers by Chi O Clock. Perhaps I should specify. I actually appreciate the people who hand out flyers about their organizations. I think that everyone should be involved in something and be proud enough to reach out to others about their cause. I think it’s great that they are. That’s the thing, though. I appreciate the people who hand out their flyers, not the people who shout at the top of their lungs and force you to take one of their papers. People are so much more likely to throw them away if you’re yelling.

Stop yelling and be nice. Maybe then we’ll look at what you’re promoting.

Well, readers, no matter what you’re going to be doing, I hope you are ready for a great summer and I hope that the transition to not letter-checking people’s cars as they drive by is good to you.

500 words on life

www.theodysseyonline.com

IT’S FINALLY OVER

Well, here we are, the final article of my Odyssey career. I was planning on going out on top like Michael Jordan.

I planned on writing a meaningful article that changed at least one person’s perspective on life, and then I thought better of it.

13

KADE GOODWIN

average score on the test is 65 percent. It also doesn’t help matters that your professor has caught you sleeping in class. If you don’t pass this class, you’ll probably end up selling t-shirts out of your car in the desert somewhere. No pressure, though.

Kade is a senior studying political science. You may contact him at kade.goodwin@okstate.edu.

All in all, finals week is not a laughing matter. I’m going to quote some of the simplest, yet best advice I have gotten this semester by fellow Phi Delt and Top 40 Senior at OSU, Zechariah Wright.

Phi Delta Theta

My Odyssey career isn’t comparable to Mike’s. Instead, it’s more like Dennis Rodman’s – only I don’t plan on becoming ambassador to North Korea. So here it goes, my swan song, my final article.

Most of you have not yet officially survived the semester and what lays ahead are the dreaded finals. So, I suggest you drop the paper and start studying or you’ll probably fail your test and die poor and lonely. This is the most exciting time of year, not only for the professor who is out to ruin your life, but also the locals who are ready for the city to turn into a ghost town.

I think we can all agree that finals week has its highs and lows. Between the lack of sleep, the obscene amounts of caffeine consumed and your diet of Wendy’s french fries, I’d say finals week takes off at least a week of your life.

The level of severity of finals week depends on what kind of finals you take.

I like to put them into three categories.

Take home final. This is the Holy Grail of finals. Every person goes to the first day of class hoping that the final will be a take home. The class is usually taught by a teacher’s assistant who lets you out 15 minutes early. Between dealing with their own classes and trying to ignore the one person in the class who is constantly asking questions, the teacher’s assistant has better things to do than make your final awful and is most likely to give you the take home final. If you’re lucky enough to get one of these as a final, you probably only have to give it the old college try. Just write something down and hope for the best.

Essay final. One of my favorite finals was for a history class. In this class, the final was to write an in-class essay about what we had learned in the class.

This was a broad enough topic that I had no idea what to write. Did he want specific example of things he taught? Or was he looking for something more philosophical? I ended up combining the two ideas and writing about how Dolley Madison saved a few portraits from being destroyed when the British burned the White House, and how I hoped my future wife was like Dolley Madison. I’m not saying this is a foolproof method, but it did get me a B. Final that will ruin your life. This is the Darth Vader of finals. Pretty much, your entire life revolves around making a good grade on this final. It doesn’t help matters that you’ve missed a few classes during the semester and it doesn’t help matters that the test is worth 70 percent of your grade, and the

“If you go to class every day, do all your homework and study for every test, no matter what, you’ll be somewhat successful,” he said.

After writing this article, I realize that I have one more semester here at OSU and that maybe this isn’t the end. Perhaps I’m more like Brett Favre and maybe my retirement won’t last long.

14

Humor tweet of the year

@traciajanae: Just asked somebody a question at the book store. He didn’t say a word but it looked like he was trying. I’m assuming he’s an engineer.

www.theodysseyonline.com

sorority girl type at all” –All sorority girls

wowed crowd at recent talent show”

@JacksonTidwell: S/O to mom Cathy for always sending me uplifting texts like, “You should get a personal trainer.”

@AlexClineCash: In class, a girl’s reason for being a good people person was due to the fact, “she’s been around people all of her life”. K.

@thesameblaine: Hey, girl taking the pic of your dog using the bathroom.. Don’t instagram that.

@kellenjking: The First Kid is my favorite children’s move about internet predators.

@TheJustinDuncan: I don’t know maybe don’t lick everything. RT @MileyCyrus: This cough thooooooo

@rainnwilson: I believe it is every American’s right to own & carry a T-shirt cannon.

@kadegoodwinning: GTA V is kind of like Florida.

Except one you can shoot people without consequence and the other is a video game. #justice4Trayvon.

@meganamram: I’m super lax about grammar, I’m a real Grammar Jew

@HilaryShmilary: Some girl outside the Union yelled “SO TRUE” when the bells played the Alma Mater earlier but don’t worry I punched her.

@BJavellas: Go to FIJI they say. Meet boys they say. *currently pomping alone*

@sstromb: After discovering a small little pattern… If you haven’t been to jail before chances are we’re not that good of friends

@KJSikes: Stripper Steve only exists after a certain number of drinks. He was wearing a jersey last night & I’m pretty sure nobody else could see him. @LassidyCadd: Just saw a girl with cheetah print tattooed on her shoulder. She’s going to regret that in 20 years or maybe next month.

@JimmyTatro: “It’s weird cuz like I’m really not like the

@jessika_curry: Yeah Sterling! “@kfor: Teen with autism

@matthew_farley: “Policemen are little guys with

mustaches who got beat up in high school.” – Urich

PAGE 15