Ucf 4 17 14 by Hohulin

April 17, 2014 | Volume 3, Issue 26 | Orlando, FL

www.theodysseyonline.com | @TheOdyssey_UCF | Facebook.com/TheOdysseyUCF

LOOKOUT... IT’S BIG GUAVA FEST! page2

WELCOME TO FINALS WEEK page 3 KNIGHTTHONE 2014! page 5 BEAUTY ON A BUDGET page 7

ZETA TAU ALPHA’S STAND 20 HOURS FOR KNIGHTHON 2014! Photo Cred; Erica Juliano

Editor's note

www.theodysseyonline.com

LOOKOUT... IT’S BIG GUAVA FEST!

Salutations UCF kids! Only two more weeks of spring semester (gasp)! Yes this semester is slowly coming to a close but that doesn’t mean our event calendar is at a low. With

only costs 165 bucks. A festival with that impressive of a lineup and that cheap a price

CASSIE WILKINSON Zeta Tau Alpha

Cassie is a junior studying Englishcreative writing. You may contact her at cwilk92@knights.ucf.edu.

formals, philanthropies, and socials in full swing the semester might be ending but the fun has just begun. I’m very thrilled about this week’s issue because it’s jam packed with solid gold

is VERY hard to come by. Plus Tampa is only about an hour drive from Orlando, so it’s pretty easy on the gas tank. By May 2nd you should be done with finals and super ready for a mini vacation with friends, so why not plan a fun and affordable trip to hear some great tunes and drink fantastic beer? You know you want to!

THE ODYSSEY AT FLORIDA

information. Articles ranging from why the girl’s bathroom is actually the worst place in the world to how to properly study for finals week to our review on Knighthon 2014! This week’s issue has some of our best articles of the year, so be prepared for a good read. One of my personal favorite articles included in this issue is the article by Christina Monroe about which music festivals to catch this summer. Even though spring is coming to a close it’s important to plan some fun events for summer. Christina provides

EXECUTIVE TEAM Looking for an internship? The Odyssey is now hiring our sales interns! Please email Matthew@olympiamediagroup.com for more information!

CREATIVE TEAM Editor-in-Chief

Cassie Wilkinson, Zeta Tau Alpha

some amazing coverage on some of the big festivals in her article such as Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Governor’s Ball, but those can all cost you a pretty penny and they’re quite the destination festival. So unless you’re rolling in the dough, it’s important to check out some festivals within driving distance of our great city of Orlando! One festival that has caught a lot of attention within the summer festival circuit is Big Guava Fest in Tampa, Florida held from May 2-4. This three day music festival is stacked with all of the best bands and DJs traveling the festival circuit this summer. Headliners, Outkast, Vampire Weekend, and Foster The People are three of the biggest bands in music right now and all three will be in attendance this year. Not to mention reggae stars Slightly Stoopid, sisters Tegan and Sara and DJ Girl Talk all attending as well. With most festivals costing 300$ plus, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Big Guava

OLYMPIA MEDIA GROUP 888.272.2595 | OlympiaMediaGroup.com Cambria Roland, Managing Editor Grant Hohulin, Designer

The Odyssey is a private entity not associated or governed by the University of Central Florida or UCF 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 finals week

WELCOME TO FINALS WEEK Nothing makes a college student cringe more than the word cumulative. It doesn’t get much worse than walking into your 9am class you occasionally skipped all semester and hearing your cumulative final is next week.

And by occasionally skipped, I mean you attended less than half and no the ones you left early after signing the attendance sheet don’t count. Now all those lazy mornings that you shut your alarm off and stayed in bed are starting to taunt you. All those times your study group invited you to the library are starting to set off your FOMO. If only you didn’t stay up racing to finish all nine seasons of One Tree Hill as if you didn’t have the rest of your life. Now, you have a cumulative final standing in your way of bringing this semester to a close and all of your sanity. Welcome to finals week. Finals week is single handedly one of the most stressful weeks of a college student’s life. It’s difficult to keep your focus fixed on studying, let alone staying sane. In order for you to survive this hell week you’ve been hiding from, you need to have all the right essentials. You have to be well prepared and keep it together. So take a deep breath, count backwards from ten if you must, and take these next tips to heart. You will thank me later. First and foremost, catch those ZZZ’s. Naturally, we stay up all hours of the night doing who knows what and end up getting less than 8 hours of sleep. Take the time during finals week to actually get sleep so you can wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested. You’re going to want to spend nights studying instead of sleeping but a tired brain isn’t going to retain all the information you need. You need to time manage your studying so you have room for sleep. Speaking of time managing, remember to plan out your studying. Go over what you need to study and how long you think it will take. If you organize your studying you won’t be pulling all-nighters and will feel a lot less stressed out. Since we are on the topic of stress, you need to avoid it at all costs. Yes, that is going to not only sound impossible but most likely be impossible. Focus on one exam at time instead of thinking about all five. Use exercise as an outlet for stress as well during the week. Don’t let it build up, that will only hurt you. How can you avoid stress? Formally invite someone to be your study buddy! And no I’m not talking about Adderall…although I’m sure a lot of you will result to that. Seek out an individual in each of your classes that you can meet up and study with. Sometimes it’s

easier to study with another person because you can break up the amount of KAILEE SMITH work and then come back Zeta Tau Alpha and look over it together. Kailee is a senior studying Studying with other people interpersonal organizational also gives you the option to communications. You may contact her at kaileesmith21@aol.com. be interactive and creative with how you remember things. This could be your key to getting A’s! If you do result to coﬀee, (or Adderall) remember to eat healthy and stay hydrated. It’s known that eating breakfast is good for our memory. Keep a healthy diet and eating habits throughout the week, if you let yourself feast on carbs and junk food you will slip into hibernation mode. Hydration is self-explanatory, water loves you and you should love it. Now just one more thing, try and remember to breathe. Don’t go having an anxiety attack on me. Chill out, relax. There is no reason to panic, even if you were the slacker that skipped all those classes. You have time and know how to put it to good use. So sit back, take another deep breath and thank the man upstairs for grade forgiveness…just kidding!

Self jobs

www.theodysseyonline.com

Scene on campus

www.theodysseyonline.com

KNIGHT-THON 2014! This year’s Knight-Thon was the most amazing one yet! Ever greek organization stood for 20 hours in order to help those in need! #Knightthon2014

STEPHANIE GOENAGA Zeta Tau Alpha

Stephanie is a senior studying human communication. You may contact her at smgoenaga@knights. ucf.edu.

Imagine you’re in a car going from UCF to New Hampshire without stopping. Now imagine you’re having to stand that entire trip. Sounds impossible, except that’s exactly how long roughly 800 UCF students stood for once 12pm rolled around on Saturday, April 5th for Knight-Thon, UCF’s annual dance marathon to raise money for the Greater Orlando Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. The marathon, which is the 12th largest dance marathon in the country, is UCF’s largest philanthropy. Standing for 20 hours may sound brutal, but the Knight-Thon Exec and Morale Team made sure there were plenty of activities and entertainment to keep participants energized and motivated to keep raising money. For starters, there was the ten-minute dance routine, which was taught to all the participants at the start of the event, and later performed every hour on the hour (imagine a giant flash mob). There was also a DJ spinning throughout the duration of the event, a rave hour, and games for participants to channel their inner children including Ping-Pong, foursquare, life-size Jenga and Connect 4, and two blow-up obstacle courses. Knight-Thon even welcomed live entertainment, ranging from a Zumba instructor, line dance instructor and hypnotist to performances by Rukus, UCF’s swing dance team, and four UCF a cappella groups. While the event was nothing short of entertaining, what is most important is how impactful it was- not only on the children and their families, but on the participants as well. Whenever “I’ve Got the Magic in Me” blasted through the speakers, students immediately formed a human bridge and cheered as the miracle children and their families ran underneath and eventually hopped on stage. Once the families began speaking, students kneeled out of respect and listened as they were told stories of fear, loss, courage, hope, and the happy endings that were

given to the children because of the money raised for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “Hearing how scared these parents were for their children’s lives and how many surgeries and issues some of the children experienced before even turning ten years old was unimaginable,” says Corina Roman of Zeta Tau Alpha. “It warmed my heart hearing the parents and kids tell us we are part of the reason the kids have been able to grow. Hearing that changes your life.” At around 7:15am the following morning, just before the end of the marathon, the Exec and Morale teams gathered on stage, each with a poster in hand for the big moment- the moment everyone finds out just how much money was raised in the past year for the Children’s Miracle Network. In just one flip of those posters, participants went from silent to screaming as the posters read $392,813.65, surpassing Knight-Thon’s goal of $365,000. And we have Greek Life to thank for a lot of it- the three groups who raised the most money, from third place to first, were Alpha Xi Delta, Zeta Beta Tau, and Alpha Epsilon Phi. Be proud, Greeks. We’re more than socials, formals, recruitment, and tailgates. We’re students who have the power to use our influence on campus for good. If you didn’t participate in Knight-Thon this year, do so next year. It will change your life, and more importantly, you will be changing someone else’s- someone who wants nothing more than the opportunity to someday be where you are.

Adventure traveling

MUST- SEE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVALS

So long SXSW and Ultra! You were fun while you lasted, but, now we’re in the heart of festival season and the big contenders are finally showing their faces: Coachella, Sasquatch!, The Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza are finally here!

CHRISTINA MONROE Chi Omega

Christina is a sophomore studying advertising and public relations. You may contact her at christinamonroe@live.com.

Who, what, when, where, and how? Coachella (April 11th-13th)Smack-dab in the middle of the California desert, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a top-tier music fest that never fails to impress. With performers like A$AP Ferg, Arcade Fire, Bastille, Beck, OutKast, Chance the Rapper, and Ellie Goulding it’s clear to see why Coachella attracts concert goers and celebrities alike... (It’s rumored that Lea Michele will be making $20,000 and Vanessa Hudgens is set to earn $15,000 to attend the Coachella) COACHELLA 2014 IS SOLD OUT! Sasquatch! (May 23rd-25th)A 3 day music festival on Memorial Day Weekend at the scenic Gorge in central Washington. For the past 13 years, Sasquatch! has been gracing Washingtonians with excellent music, ranging from the likes of MIA, Foster the People, and Kid Cudi.

www.theodysseyonline.com

Purchase tickets here (http://www.ticketmaster.com/search?tm_link=tm_homeA_header_ search&aid=860071&user_input=sasquatch&q=Sasquatch%21+Festival) The Governors Ball (June 6th-8th)Last year the Gov Ball weathered a tropical storm and flash flood warning in New York, NY. But the show must go on, and on it went; concert goers donned wellies and rocked on to the sounds of the Best Coast, Azelia Banks, and Kendrick Lamar. This year the Strokes, J. Cole, Interpol, and Disclosure will all be in attendance. Purchase tickets here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-governors-ball-music-festival-2014tickets-9469121397) Bonnaroo (June 12th-15th)A MUST for any hardcore festival-goer. Located in Manchester, Tennessee, Bonnaroo is not only a festival, but an extreme four-day camping experience. It’s well worth it to brave the intense Tennessee heat, because the likes of Kanye West, Lionel Richie, Vampire Weekend, The Flaming Lips, the Arctic Monkeys, and Elton John will all be at Bonnaroo 2014. Purchase tickets here (http://www.bonnaroo.com/tickets) Lollapalooza (August 1st-3rd)Lollapalooza takes place in the Windy City. Besides getting to jam out to Eminem, the Kings of Leon, Lorde, Calvin Harris, and Childish Gambino, you get to explore to beautiful city of Grant Park. Snag some free festival swag around the park, peep into Chow Town for the best festival food, drinks, and sweets, and check out Green Street for world-recognized artisans selling enviornmentally responsible goods! LOLLAPALOOZA 2014 IS SOLD OUT!

www.theodysseyonline.com

Lookbook beauty tips

BEAUTY ON A BUDGET Your hair should feel softer and look shinier. I’ve done this for years in place of expensive leavein conditioner.

HEATHER HENDERSON Kappa Kappa Gamma

Heather is a sophomore studying Also, this kitchen journalism and marketing. product works wonders Yo u m a y c o n t a c t h e r a t on your skin! Okay, heather51013@knights.ucf.edu. applying oil to the face does sound a little concerning, but trust me! Wet your face, massage the oil in a circular motion, then make sure to completely remove the oil with a wash cloth and warm water. Do this once a day for a few weeks and you’ll have softer, clearer skin!

Back in high school I used to be a huge beauty guru, obsessing over the latest products to hit both Sephora and Ulta’s shelves. That is, until I came to college. Suddenly, I found myself spending all my money on concert tickets, Starbucks and Chipotle, and quickly realized that I needed to make a swap from my usual, expensive products to much cheaper items. Of course, drugstore beauty products are great alternatives, however, why buy something when you can make it? Genius, right? After much research, I quickly began incorporating inexpensive, household products to my beauty routine rather than dolling out a ton of money at the store. Who doesn’t want to look great while saving money? Keep reading for these simple beauty staples! 1. Baby powder This life-saving product will quickly replace any dry shampoo or mousse that you own! Is your hair feeling a little greasy or a flat? Simple pour a little bit of baby powder in your hand, flip your head upside down and work the product into your roots. Flip your head back over and wahla! Your hair will instantly be more voluminous and less greasy. Additionally, if you want to mimic the look of false lashes, grab an eye shadow brush and pat a little product onto your lashes before applying mascara. The baby powder will thicken the mascara making your lashes pop! 2. Olive oil Olive oil seems to be the cure-all for just about every beauty woe. First, it substitutes as a great hair conditioner, instantly putting moisture back in your hair. Simply rinse your hair with warm water first then gently massage the 1 tablespoon of the oil into your scalp. Next, just pin your hair up, throw on a shower cap and wait 30 minutes. Finally, rinse your hair well and follow with shampoo.

3. Lemon juice Any girl that suffers from facial redness or an uneven skin tone knows that toner applied daily is a must! However, lemon juice works as a great natural toner. You can either use store-bought lemon juice or a cut up lemon and simply squeeze the juice onto a cotton pad and pat it directly onto your face. Even though it may sting a little, after a few weeks your face will appear more even with reduced redness. I tend to do this every few months and it always get the job done! Make sure to follow with moisturizer to ensure that your skin’s PH levels are balanced. 4. Sugar Sugar is a great, natural exfoliant due to its glycolic acid that aids in breaking down the protein in your skin that prevents dead skin cells from sloughing off. Therefore, simply grab a half cup of sugar, mix it with enough olive oil and you’re set! You instantly have an exfoliator that can be used anywhere on your body, from your feet to even your lips. So simple and cheap! 5. Baking soda There are countless uses for baking soda. From either absorbing smells to whitening teeth, this product is definitely a staple for either your apartment or dorm! I first discovered baking soda when I was on a mission to find a cheaper alternative to store-bought teeth whiteners. I was a little skeptical at first, yet it worked very well, gradually whitening my teeth over the course of a few weeks. Simply sprinkle a little onto your toothbrush and scrub! However, I always mix the baking soda with a little hydrogen peroxide to form an actual paste for my teeth. Be careful to only use this once a week because your teeth will get sensitive. I made the mistake of doing this everyday and although my teeth were whitened faster and looked great, they definitely did not feel great! Either head to the grocery store for a quick, inexpensive trip or stroll into your kitchen to begin using these staples for better skin, whiter teeth and gorgeous hair. Looking great on a budget has never been so easy!

Self health & fitness

www.theodysseyonline.com

STRESS FREE FINALS

Here are some helpful tips for how to keep your studying healthy this finals week! With college finals just around the corner, it is important to seek out healthy and safe ways to study.

STEPHANIE ISAAC Zeta Tau Alpha

Stephanie is a sophomore studying journalism. You may contact her at singinstar935@aol.com.

This time of the year poses a great deal of stress for many college students and it is important for them to have healthy resources in order to study successfully. Study somewhere where you feel safe and comfortable. I would recommend the library or maybe a quiet room somewhere with zero distractions. Never study in your bed. Your bed is only where you should sleep, not study. If you don’t like studying by yourself then choose people who will not distract you during your study time. Getting into a routine for studying is also very helpful. Don’t try cramming all the information into your brain the night before the exam. This never works. One successful hour of studying is better than staying up all night to try and remember all the required material. Find a time of day where you know you will study best. If you get tired at night then try studying during the day. A helpful tip to avoid being overwhelmed when studying is to make a list of everything that needs to be accomplished each day. Split up your workload over the course of

several days. This way you know exactly what you need to do each day. This will make the workload seem more manageable and will decrease your stress level. Many college students turn to coffee and energy drinks when it comes time to study. Although coffee is a stimulant and can make you feel more alert, it can also cause you to become more irritable and reduce your concentration if you drink too much of it. Many college students naturally have a cup or two of coffee upon waking up and that is totally fine. If you know you are going to be studying quite a lot that day then another cup of coffee later in the day would be okay. The main thing is to not rapidly increase your caffeine intake just during finals week, as this can be harmful to your body. If you drink a great deal of caffeine during the day then the likelihood of you getting a good nights rest is minimal. Energy drinks and street drugs will only cause your concentration to diminish and will not improve your ability to study. A balanced and nutritional diet is extremely important to keep during finals week. Stay away from foods that are high in sugar and other artificial ingredients. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as these are rich in vitamins and minerals that will help you to better concentrate and study successfully. Getting good nights sleep is also extremely important. If you find yourself having trouble falling asleep try reading a book and spraying some lavender mist on your pillow as this will help to ease and relax you. Exercising is another great way to help with stress. If it is hard for you to motivate yourself to work out on your own, check to see if your gym holds any classes where you can work out in a group. Exercising is proven to lift your mood and to help release endorphins. Overall, just make healthy choices when studying and reward yourself when you have accomplished something. You deserve it!

www.theodysseyonline.com

500 words on bands

BANDS TO KNOW BETTER Written By Odyssey Writer Claire Satterfield

There are many bands in the music world that have found enough success to release a well-known single. Of course, many artists have more than one successful single, but this is becoming more and more of a rarity. The trouble with this, however, is that you might love an artist’s entire album, but never know because it isn’t as popular. For this reason, I’ve compiled a list of popular artists whose albums, I believe, are just as valuable – sometimes more so – than their singles. Artist: The Neighbourhood. Single: “Sweater Weather.” Album: I Love You. Sweater Weather resonated with me from the first day I heard it. I love The Neighborood’s darker vibe and the way these emotions come out in each of the songs on the album. Sweater Weather is a bit lighter,, compared to their counterparts, with a faster tempo and chorus, yet all the songs come together to form a cohesive whole. The album is a matured version of the angsty music we were all guilty of loving in our early teens. As a relatively recent band, The Neighbourhood is just getting started. Songs to check out: “Let It Go,” and “Female Robbery.” Artist: Fun. Singles: “We Are Young” and “Some Nights.” Album(s): Aim and Ignite, Some Nights. Both of Fun’s singles took off with incredible force, rapidly making them a household name. The lead singer, Nate Ruess, has an easily recognizable voice which is a key component of each song on both albums. If this is one of your favorite aspects of the singles, then I would highly encourage you to explore the rest of their discography. Both a pro and con, many of the songs are very similar; they all rely heavily on catchy beats and full sound. Because of this, they’re a must-see during concert season. Songs to check out: “Barlights,” and “Out On The Town.” Artist: Kings of Leon. Single(s): “Use Somebody” and “Sex On Fire.” Album(s): Mechanical Bull, Only By The Night. Kings of Leon has more than two albums, however, Mechanical Bull and Only By The Night are the ones I listen to and love the most. It’s all about Caleb Followill’s voice. If the fact that you can’t understand every syllable he sings will bother you, then I can’t recommend, but I urge you to at least give the rest of these albums a listen through. I won’t pretend to be unbiased. The band formed very close to my hometown, which bring nostalgia into my KOL fandom. Beyond that, it’s the only rock style music I listen to. The albums are so incredibly thought out, from the mix of tempos to the way things transition.

If there’s a road trip in your future, these albums really make the time pass faster. Songs to check out: “Supersoaker” and “Manhattan.” Artist: Young the Giant. Single(s): “Cough Syrup” and “My Body.” Album(s): Young The Giant and Mind Over Matter. Young The Giant offers the perfect walking to class music. Most of the songs on both albums are a complete blast to listen to. Beyond a simple sense of enjoyment, however, you have to respect all the different pieces that overlap to make one song. This is true of all the bands on this list, but it’s slightly more obvious with YTG. The music is complex, but easy to listen to, and the vocals are so full of talent. Most importantly, I believe these albums appeal to truly anyone, no matter their favorite genre. Songs to check out: “Apartment,” “Anagram” and “In My Home.”

Humor lol

www.theodysseyonline.com

THE GIRLS BATHROOM WAR

Is this Hell? No, but very close. It’s the girl’s bathroom during peak bar hours.

As soon as you’re out of the stall, your first instinct is to race to the sink to wash your hands even though you probably need a full shower after that disease infested cubicle. This is when girl who just wants to use the mirror ruins your day. She’s standing in between both sinks with her face inches away from the mirror examining her makeup or fluﬃng her hair. You quietly say “excuse me” and maneuver around her to try and get access to the sink. She’s not going to move so you’re going to need to get aggressive at this point and give her a slight nudge. Or full on push. Depends how annoyed you are at this point. After you get into a verbal fight with mirror girl you realize there’s no paper towels and you’ve dripped water from your wet hands all over your pants so it looks like you peed yourself. There is no winning in the girl’s bathroom.

It doesn’t matter if you’re completely sober or completely wasted; the girl’s bathroom from the hours of 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. is everyone’s worst nightmare. I’ve always thought it was a terrible experience, but this past weekend was a real eye opener. Seriously, I woke up the next morning with a note on my phone titled “Reasons why the girl’s bathroom sucks – article idea”. I was very proud of myself. It usually takes me a while to brainstorm ideas, but apparently I was looking out for myself that night. Now, just so you know, 98% of the time I go to the bathroom alone on my nights out. I often ask my friends “do you actually have to go or are you just coming to stand with me?” Because I don’t need you to stand in the corner of that tiny ass stall and watch me struggle to take my pants oﬀ just because you couldn’t stand at the bar alone for 10 minutes. Every single one of us at some point will brave this terrible location, so here’s what you should expect when entering the battlefield, soldier.

ALEXA RODRIGUEZ Zeta Tau Alpha

Alexa is a senior studying broadcast journalism. You may contact her at rodriguez.alexa@knights.ucf.edu.

The first situation you’ll encounter in this hell on earth is the never-ending line. It’s as if every girl in the bar decided they had to pee and needed to bring their friend, sister, second cousin twice removed, that random girl they just became BESTIES with, and their new puppy along with them to the bathroom. At this point you should ask yourself how badly you have to go because once you’re in the line, you’ve fully committed yourself to the next half an hour of torture you will inevitably endure. About 15 minutes into your wait time, you’ll notice the girl that’s spilling her vodka tonic on herself hasn’t moved in a while. That’s when you’ll ask her if she’s in line. She will turn to you and slur some derivative of “ohhhhhh noooooo. I’m just with my friend.” WHY?! For moral support? For protection? Whatever the reason, please move over so I can actually go to the bathroom. Once that battle is over, you’ve still got to fight oﬀ the super confrontational girl and the drunk texter. Super confrontational girl will barge through the bathroom door, find someone she knows, skip the entire line and then scream at you when you tell her to go to the back. Usually her friend stops her from punching you in the face, but she will probably keep her spot in line so just accept it and move on. The drunk texter is sucking in her job of holding the broken stall door closed for her friend as she scrolls through her contact lists on her phone. When her friend comes out of the stall, she looks at her and says “Jess, should I text him?” Jess will then weigh the pros and cons which is completely pointless because drunk texter has already typed out “heeEy wht r U doin?”. What I like to do to move this process along faster is simply tell the girl YOLO and watch her happily agree, hit send, and move away from your vacant stall. Congrats! You’ve made it to a stall! Now you’ve just got to walk carefully to avoid splattering the slosh on the ground onto your Tory Burch flats, squat, drip dry, and not touch anything all while holding the door closed and not breathing. You can try and decipher the crypt writings and hieroglyphics written in lipstick or permanent marker on the stall walls to by pass the time.

Finally, you claw your way through the sea of bystanders to achieve the ultimate goal of exiting the bathroom. I’m proud of you, soldier. You made it. To all of our enemies, we will see you next time on the battlefield.

www.theodysseyonline.com

Adventure traveling

5 THINGS ABOUT THE GREEK SYSTEM YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN Written By Odyssey Writer Meghan Prieto

Being in college, we like to think we know it all. We like to think we hold the whole world in the palm of our hands. Alas, this is not always the case. For example, did you know the oldest fraternity is 237 years old? Or that George W. Bush pledged Delta Kappa Epsilon? While there is still so much I don’t know, these are just a few of my favorite things I’ve learned about the Greek system. 1. There are 123 fraternities and sororities with 9 million members total. Nine. Million. Greeks. That’s almost 3% of the United States’ total population. I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel incredibly small and incredibly inspired at the same time. On the one hand, I’m just one person in a community of 9 million. But on the other hand, I’m part of a community 9 million strong with some of the most successful, driven and ambitious people in the country. 2. The Phi Beta Kappa Society is the oldest Greek letter organization. PBK was founded on December 5, 1776 at the College of William and Mary, making it a whopping 237 years old. Although PBK is an Honor Society and not a fraternity or sorority, they were the first organization to start the tradition of using Greek letters as a name, which is kind of big deal. Their motto was, “Love of learning is the guide of life,” and even had top secret initiation rituals and a special handshake. And if you’re wondering why 1776 sounds so familiar, that’s the year America declared its independence. So basically, Phi Beta Kappa is as old as the existence

of the United States of America. Nbd. And while we’re talking about history and old things: 3. Since 1825, all but three U.S. presidents were members of a fraternity. But really, how cool would it be to be able to say that you’re bros with Ronald Raegan, John F. Kennedy, or Franklin D. Roosevelt? Ronald Raegan was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, John F. Kennedy was an alum initiate of Phi Kappa Theta, and Franklin D. Roosevelt was a member of Alpha Delta Phi. On top of that, 85% of the Fortune 500 executives belong to a fraternity. I would definitely say that these frat boys have got it goin’ on. 4. The youngest woman to ever be on the cover of Forbes’ Billionaires was in a sorority. Speaking for girls everywhere, I send much thanks to Sara Blakely, the wonderful founder of Spanx. Where would we be without her? Sara was a Delta Delta Delta at Florida State University, and graduated with a degree in communications. Not only is she gorgeous and motivated, but also she has a passion for giving. In 2006, she launched the Sara Blakely Foundation to provide educational financial assistance to entrepreneurial training. You go girl. 5. The Greek system is the largest network of volunteers in the United States. Every year, over 1 million hours are spent volunteering by Greeks throughout the nation. Considering there’s only 8,736 hours in an entire year, that’s a wholllle community service! No wonder why more than $4 million dollars are raised by sororities each year for their various philanthropies. Being in the Greek community, I have so much I’m proud of, and each day I find another reason why I feel so truly blessed to a part of such a strong, caring, and loyal network.

500 words on

www.theodysseyonline.com

FIRECHAT: APP OF THE WEEK Written By Odyssey Writer Jay Juster

communicates over a little-known iOS 7 feature called Multipeer Connectivity. Basically, this creates decentralized networks between In the old age, you could only text when you had service. You were either devices using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct.” getting reception from the nearest cell tower, or you were out luck. In essence, FireChat works especially when your normal reception Even if you did have service, you could only contact people you already doesn’t and it will remain functional all the time. knew. Granted, it’s amazing technology that you could text these people no matter how far away they were. But, how much more amazing would The second, and last, feature to mention about FireChat is the ability to it be to text people because they are in your area? open a text conversation with “everyone.” In this setting, you are placed in the middle of a nationwide conversation. You get to choose your name Better yet, what if you are at a giant concert and want to have a conversation and, due to location services, your city is listed by your name, as well. with all people who are also at that concert, even if reception is horrible. There are two hilarious parts to FireChat. The first is that this national With the help of FireChat, now you can text all the nearby people who’ve “everyone” text box isn’t just flooded with random trolls. Either, there is downloaded the app. a way to ban people or the app simply hasn’t blown up to the next level, According to Simon Sage, the FireChat app relies on special technology. yet. Second, the conversations are censored. It’s like the good ol’ days of “Instead of relying on any kind of cellular connectivity, FireChat AIM where a group of **** would represent bad words.

www.theodysseyonline.com

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? UConn shows Kentucky first hand why dogs will always be better than cats.

This past weekend wraps up this year’s March Madness Tournament. What turned out to be an exhilarating championship game didn’t get that way without the drama that preceded just a few days before. The final four teams consisted of UConn, Florida, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. Top seeded and heavily favorited Florida looked for a decently easy win against the Huskies in their match up, and by the looks of it early on, it seemed as though it was going to be a blow out. The gators very first shot was a 3 pointer followed by, what seemed to be, a string a good luck as shots that were taken seemed to fall down time after time. Of course the winds of change began to blow as the Huskies took more shots downtown than the gangs of New York. Unfortunately for UF, the short version of this match up is UConn found a way to cut through the double defense the gators had notoriously been utilizing this year and hitting high profile shots when need be. The game following was between Kentucky, a team compared to Michigan’s famous Fab 5, and Wisconsin, who, although wasn’t the best team in the Big 10 this year, was expected to take out Kentucky and move on to the final round. Unfortunately for the Badgers, that wasn’t the case. Wisconsin came in hot. They were playing excellent ball and staying slightly ahead at half time. Wisconsin came out of the second half a little sloppy. They weren’t hitting shots, they still stayed with Kentucky but not at the intensity which was being played in the first half. The drama came down with 16 seconds left on the clock. 71-71 on the scoreboard, Wisconsin with the ball comes down, pump fakes, the jumps up for a shot to draw the foul; he gets it. Up until this point, Wisconsin

Sports local

had made 100% of their free throws, so of course, BAILEY Traevon Jackson, junior GLESSNER guard for the Badgers, Sigma Nu missed his very first shot. He Bailey is a sophomore studying ended up making 2 out of 3 hospitality. You may contact him at shots leaving the score 73baileyglessner@aim.com. 71. Now Kentucky has the ball, hasn’t been shooting much from the outside heads down the court. With time running out Aaron Harrison shoots a 3-point shot from 23 feet out. Fans of both Badgers and Wildcats could only hold their breathe for a split second before it falls right in; a truly heartbreaking moment for Wisconsin. With 5 seconds left, the Badgers hurry down the court, throw up a prayer, and are left with shattered dreams as the rim shot signifies the end of their season. The final match up has been set. The Huskies are set to take on the Wildcats, and just as bracket fillers have done all tournament, the favorite pick was Kentucky. A big variable that hurt Kentucky though was loss of their 7 foot forward Willie Cauley-Stein. The Wildcats almost lost their other forward Alex Poythress due to a knee tweak from the Kentucky dog pile at the end of the Wisconsin game. As far as the game goes, UConn didn’t have the size or rebounding ability to compete, but what they did have was more than one shooter who could send the ball through the hoop. The thing about small players vs. big players is that while big players may be able to defend you if you don’t have much room to go, but smaller players have more agility and are able to change directions on a dime. This came into play because while Randle, for Kentucky, is a dominant player, the team couldn’t stay with Uconn’s Napier and other shooters like him. UConn lead the whole game. The Huskies not only did the unheard of by forcing Kentucky to go from their famous man-on-man defense to zone, but they also made history by becoming the very first #7 seed to ever win a National Championship. The Huskies now have 4 national championships, winning 2 of them in the past 4 years. All in all, it was a great year for March Madness. You had the underdog stories with Dayton and Mercer, you had favorites such as Florida, Michigan, Kansas, Michigan St., and Duke fall, and finally history was made with 7th seeded UConn cutting down the nets. With so much talent staying and going, it’s tough to see what next year will hold. This has been the 2014 edition of March Madness.

Humor tweets

www.theodysseyonline.com

@totalfratmove: Telling the owner, “We’ll take good care of her,” when renting something you know will get destroyed. #TFM @CoachHughFreeze: Anything worthwhile takes time to build. If we have immediate success, we wouldn’t develop the character needed 2 sustain true success 4life

@totalsratmove: Being “unable to even” on a regular basis. #TSM @JimmyTatro: I blame techno music for 100 percent of my speeding tickets @CollegeTownLife: F is for friends who share Netflix passwords

@WesVengeance7: Why do sorority girls hang out in odd numbers? Because they can’t even.@ totalfratmove: Having an irregular heartbeat since returning from spring break. #TFM

@itsWillyFerrell: I don’t understand why drunk me always seems to have more money than sober me.

@CollegeTownLife: I worked out three days in a row without tweeting about it where’s my award?

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

@itsWillyFerrell: Monday: No. Tuesday: Ugh. Wednesday: Why. Thursday: Omg. Friday: Finally. Saturday: Yes! Sunday: Crying. @Drunkgraduate: I plan on reliving 6th grade at the Nelly concert, but I’ll replace the awkward dancing with large amounts of alcohol.@tbhplzdont: mean girls came out on april 30th 2004. April 30th is a wednesday this year and if the whole world does not wear pink i’m moving to Saturn @totalfratmove: Impressing her mother while simultaneously infuriating her father. #TFM

PAGE 15