March 27, 2014 | Volume 3, Issue 23 | Orlando, FL
www.theodysseyonline.com | @TheOdyssey_UCF | Facebook.com/TheOdysseyUCF
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WHAT GREEK LIFE GAVE TO ME page 3 BETTER THAN A BOYFRIEND page 4 IT’S TIME FOR GREEK WEEK page 6
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Editor's note
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CASSIE WILKINSON Zeta Tau Alpha
Cassie is a junior studying Englishcreative writing. You may contact her at cwilk92@knights.ucf.edu.
THE ODYSSEY AT FLORIDA EXECUTIVE TEAM President
Matthew Gruda, Sigma Nu
CREATIVE TEAM Editor-in-Chief
Cassie Wilkinson, Zeta Tau Alpha
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Ideas debate & discuss
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WHAT GREEK LIFE GAVE TO ME
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know, only to find myself now living with her and sharing the same sisterhood. Whether it was the nights spent gossiping until 4 a.m. in my sorority house or the nights we spent more time making our social costumes than actually being at the social, nothing makes me happier or prouder to be Greek than to see the amazing friends I’ve made along the way. Confidence. One word: recruitment. Thanks to sorority rush, I can now hold a 15 minute conversation with a wall. I am not kidding. This has proven to be very useful for job interviews and those awkward encounters with people from your hometown whom you haven’t seen in years. Encouragement. Until my freshman year of college, the only place I ever sang was in the shower or my car, so it felt incredible to sing in front of my chapter for the first time during spirit week. It also felt great to dance on stage again at events like ZTA Lip Sync and KD Shakedown. Dance was a passion of mine I, regretfully, let go of after middle school. With the support from my sisters, I was able to relive one passion and be brave enough to practice another outside of my comfort zone. In terms of academic encouragement, being Greek pushed me to work my hardest in school and strive for a higher GPA than I would have been encouraged to aim for had I not been Greek. To anyone who wants to go Greek but whose parents don’t know if it’s a smart idea, make sure they know that Greeks, on average, have higher GPAs than non-Greeks. Networking. It was much easier getting my first part-time job in college when one of my sisters was already working for the company. My advice to all of you is to network everywhere you go, especially within your own organization. Many of the opportunities I’ve had, I received because I knew someone who knew someone.
Here’s exactly why Greek life means everything to me. We all love Greek life and what it has given us.
STEPHANIE GOENAGA Zeta Tau Alpha
Stephanie is a senior studying In most articles about Greek human communication. You may life, you read about a member contact her at smgoenaga@knights. of a Greek organization ucf.edu. contributing to their fraternity or sorority. As a senior and fourth year member of Zeta Tau Alpha, I can’t help but think of everything my sorority and Greek life have contributed to me. In just a month and a half I will be a Zeta alumnus. Looking back, I realize so much of the life-changing experiences I’ve had as a student were given to me because I’m a member of the Greek community. Here is a reflection on all the wonderful, irreplaceable things Greek life contributes to us and why we should all be thankful.
Friendship. Yes, it’s the stereotypical reason people say they rush – “I want to meet my bridesmaids!”– but it’s entirely true. The single most important thing I’ve received from my four years as a Greek is the friendships I’ve cultivated inside and outside of my organization. It’s hard to believe the two sisters I spent my 21st birthday with in Las Vegas would have been strangers to me had it not been for Zeta, or the fact that two years ago I rushed a girl I didn’t
Leadership and experience. I may not have realized it when I was nearly in tears over planning a perfect retreat while simultaneously putting together a team for Race For The Cure, but the hard work paid off. There is nothing like the feeling you get after one of your projects or events comes to a perfect finish. Not only did the leadership experience help build my resume, it also taught me time management and budgeting skills, brought me closer to my chapter and gave me irreplaceable memories. Philanthropic opportunities and community service. The community service I’ve had the opportunity to participate in has been indescribable, and if there’s one thing that brings a group of people together, it’s helping others in need. From working a cerebral palsy auction and dancing with senior citizens at an assisted living center to running the Race For The Cure and dancing at Knight-Thon, Greek Life gave me a deeper appreciation for real life. The service even helped me score an internship with a nonprofit. If there’s one thing you actively participate in during your years as a Greek, it should be community service. I could go on and on about the impact Greek life has had on me as a student and as a person, but we’d be here forever. I hope the rest of you who, like myself, are reaching that moment in time when your daily Facebook notifications will soon be replaced with emails regarding alumni donations, look back and appreciate everything the past two, three or four years have given you, big or small. And remember – once a Greek, always a Greek.
4 BETTER THAN A BOYFRIEND Humor tweets
Boyfriends are the hot thing right now. I mean, I wouldn’t know… I don’t have one, but that’s what people keep telling Zeta Tau Alpha me. Boyfriends are great. They Alexa is a senior studying broadcast make you laugh, tell you you’re journalism. You may contact her at pretty, keep you warm at night, rodriguez.alexa@knights.ucf.edu. and feed you. But if you’re like me and for some reason men are actually afraid of you, then you need to look at some alternative options that are just as, if not more rewarding than a boyfriend. Here are 8 things that are better than having a boyfriend:
ALEXA RODRIGUEZ
1. Puppies The actual definition of unconditional love. Does your boyfriend sprint to meet you at the front door after you’ve had a long day of work? Didn’t think so. 2. Pizza Your boyfriend may be hot, but I can guarantee that my stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut is hotter. And who knows, maybe the delivery guy is a cutie delivering pizzas at night to pay for med school. Probably not, but a girl can dream. 3. Ben & Jerry’s I don’t really think I need to elaborate. Whether it’s the worst day in the world or you just got a promotion at your job, both Ben and Jerry will be there for you whenever you need them. You don’t even need to call them! 4. A shopping spree You would buy your boyfriend a Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Birthday present… so why not spend that extra money on yourself! Know one knows what you’d like for any of these special occasions more than you. Sometimes, I even buy myself gifts for my singledom
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anniversary. Yeah, I’m insane, but I can’t hear your judgmental comments over the sparkle of my new earrings. 5. A teddy bear He will cuddle with you and keep you warm all night. He will be waiting for you every night when you climb into bed to rest your pretty head. You can even give him a name. 6. Friends They can tell you how crazy you are without you getting offended. They will also tell you how pretty you are as well! Mix friends to any of these other things in the list and you will forget boys even exist. 7. A barstool There’s nothing like a nice cosmopolitan after a long day. Or an ice cold beer. Pick your poison, but whatever it is, it will be there to help ease all your problems and doesn’t expect you to make it a sandwich after. 8. Chocolate swear this is the secret to life. Open a box of chocolate, pop in a movie, pour a nice glass of wine and thank god that you don’t have someone leaving the toilet seat up. 9. A spa day If boyfriends are supposed to make you feel like the princess that you are, then that’s the same thing as a nice long spa day. You leave feeling pampered, rested and refreshed. There’s an 88% chance that you won’t leave your boyfriend’s place feeling that way. I really could go on forever about all the things that are better than having a boyfriend, but unfortunately I’m limited to just this page. Maybe one day I’ll feel differently, but for now, my kindle and English bulldog will continue to be top priority in my life. Want to know why? All of the aforementioned things will never cheat on you, leave you, or ask you to do their laundry.
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IT’S TIME FOR GREEK WEEK! STEPHANIE ISAAC Zeta Tau Alpha
Stephanie is a sophomore studying journalism. You may contact her at singinstar935@aol.com.
It’s that time of year again! It’s time to celebrate all things Greek here at UCF!
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Greek Week is this week, so read up on why this week is a do not miss!
During this time of year in the Greek community, Greek
The theme for this year’s Greek Week is The Hunger
strolls that will be presented. Astroll is basically a stepping
Games. This theme is perfect since Greek Week is based
kind of dance without music. The people performing the
on Greek organizations splitting up into teams in order
strolls usually chant while they perform their routine.
to participate in the events. Just like in The Hunger Games, the teams will be called districts, with sorority and fraternity divided into a total of twelve districts. Each district will be led by a team captain to help keep
The following event is called Stroll For A Cause in which each district performs a stroll. This event will take place in the Venue. On Friday there will be a Greek Pageant. This event will
everything in order and lead the group.
be held in the College of Sciences building, beginning at 7
The final and most noteworthy event will be the Greek Games. This event will take place at Lake Claire. The games will be soccer, volleyball, dodge ball, tug of war, archery, egg toss and human knot.
life hosts Greek Week. During this week all of
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p.m. Each contestant must do a personality walk, a talent, formal wear and UCF question and answer survey. This pageant is a great event for people who want to let the UCF community know their hidden talents and show us all what they got! The final and most noteworthy event will be the Greek Games. This event will take place at Lake Claire. The games will be soccer, volleyball, dodge ball, tug of war, archery, egg toss and human knot. There will also be a
Greek life comes together and participates in a variety of
The first event, Capitol Feast, will be hosted
relay race where judges randomly select members. The
events. The purpose is to celebrate the values of fraternity
at Lake Claire. It’s a potluck dinner with a
relay race consists of a three-legged race, potato sack race,
and sorority life here at UCF. The values that are celebrated
variety of different dishes that you can sample from with
are leadership, scholarship, brotherhood, sisterhood, and
just with one ticket!
service. The goal that Greek life is to support is the unity of all fraternities and sororities. All proceeds from Greek
The second event is community service day, held in the
Week go towards juvenile diabetes research foundation.
student union. There will be a Yard Show previewing the
spinning on a bat and running through Greek Park. We encourage everyone to come out and support this week of fun and activities! You don’t want to miss this!
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KAPPA SIGMA KEY WEST FEST 2014
At 3 PM, the day will start off with a Queen of Key West Fest competition.
It’s that time of year again for Kappa Sigma’s annual Key West Fest! It’s important to support all things philanthropic!
CASSIE WILKINSON Zeta Tau Alpha
Cassie is a junior studying Englishcreative writing. You may contact her at cwilk92@knights.ucf.edu.
With the post springbreak depression finally settling in, the gentlemen of Kappa Sigma are bringing back Key West Fest just in time. Since the last year greek life was facing the “Greek Life Ban,” Kappa Sigma wasn’t able to have their philanthropy event in 2013. However, this year on April 4th, they’re going to clear out their parking lot in order to make room for 200 tons of sand to bring the feel of the beach right on to UCF.
Representatives from each sorority are going to compete in a series of activities from sandcastle building to a hidden talent competition in order to be crowned the Queen of Key West Fest. There will be a dinner break starting at 5, but doors will re-open at 6:30 for a concert featuring DJ Kap Slap. Proceeds will go to the Kappa Sigma Military Heroes Campaign which honors wounded military veterans that have come home from active duty. Philanthrooy Coordinator, Joshua Thompson, who has put together the entire event is most excited to “rais[e] a lot of money for The Fisher House foundation, which aids wounded veterans going through the rehabilitation process! It’s for a really great cause and is a foundation my fraternity holds close to heart.” Tickets are $15 presale or $20 at the door. Contact a Kappa Sigma brother or Joshua Thompson at joshthompson6780@gmail.com for a ticket or any more information. This is an event that should definitely not be missed!
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Greek life traditions
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Sports local
MIDDLE OF THE MADNESS
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question is, who do you choose between those two teams? They’re practically split down the middle as far as stats go. It was a tough choice, but I had to go with the Big 10 school. Again, it could’ve gone either way, but my gut was telling me the Spartans are going to charge on to victory. Moving along, let’s analyze who the best of the West are. Arizona and Wisconsin are the biggest teams on my radar. Oklahoma, even Creighton, aren’t bad teams at all, I just think it’s going to come down to the Badgers and the Wildcats. I went with the grain and said that Arizona will pull away. They’ve been great all year so it wouldn’t a surprise to me if they were our third team to make it to the final four.
BAILEY GLESSNER Sigma Nu
Bailey is a sophomore studying hospitality. You may contact him at baileyglessner@aim.com.
The time is here, the heat is on and the journey for the tourney is underway in this 2014 edition of March Madness. If you need assistance while making your bracket, here is a short synopsis of who I picked in my updated predictions. Well here we are, smack dab in the middle of the most electrifying college tournament this country has to offer. Brackets have been filled, teams have been sent packing and fans have already felt the highs and lows that come along with cheering on their team during this fierce competition. In our special March Madness addition of The Odyssey, I
predicted that Syracuse would win it all, hands down. As I start to fill out my bracket on selection Sunday, though, I actually did not follow my own advice. Instead, went a different route. So here is my bracket, along with some of my new predictions. First, let’s start with the South section. The five major players in this conference are #1 ranked Florida, Syracuse, Kansas, Ohio State and UCLA. Now, I have Kansas and Florida playing each other in the elite 8. I chose to go against the grain by picking Kansas to walk away with the win. Kansas had the hardest schedule this year, and although they had far more losses than UF, I believe that the tough opponents have allowed JayHawks to prepare more for the journey. I also think that their offensive performance might be able to top that of the Gators (and this is coming from a defensive enthusiast). So, with that, they’re officially my first final four team. The next conference to analyze is the East. The East is not quite as strong. Your main players are going to be Michigan State, Virginia, Iowa State and Villanova. Now, I have Michigan State taking out Virginia and Iowa State taking out Villanova. The
Last but not least, the hardest conference of the year is the Midwest. Let me break it down for you. There’s Kentucky, Wichita St., Michigan, Louisville and Duke. Kentucky is the weak link in this lineup, but they have been known to upset teams, this year. Wichita St., undefeated; have they proven they’re worthy to be a top team? That’s debatable. Louisville, the defending national champs, haven’t backed down from showcasing their talents on the court. Duke and Michigan are almost identical, statistically speaking, and the latter is who I have chosen to rise above to make it into the final four. My final predictions for the final four, even though it may be a bit of a stretch, are going to be Michigan over Arizona and Michigan St. over Kansas. When the dust clears and it’s all said and done, my new, bold, naive, prediction for this year’s March Madness tournament is the Michigan Wolverines. Hopefully, my predictions come true, but let’s be honest, as long as Kentucky or Florida gets sent packing home, there are no losers.
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Special occasions: Summer Break
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Humor tweets
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Blake Bortles @BBortles5 1h
Knight Stomp @KnightStomp Mar 14
Such an awesome experience being able to work out with my teammates for the last time! #UCF #ProDay
500 LIKES on Facebook! Go visit us and give us a Like :) MidKnight Munchies @Munchies_UCF 3h
Disney Words @disneywords 3h When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable. –Walt Disney
Congrats to @BlakeBortles5 and the rest of the @UCFFootball team for their awesome Pro Day! We can’t wait to watch you on Sundays! Ultra Music Festival @ultra 12h
Squirrels of UCF @UCFSquirrels 4h The final remaining tickets are selling fast! Act now before it’s too late. Today’s the last day of winter, thanks to that ratchet groundhog… Experience Ultra, don’t hear about it...
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