Usc 4 24 14 proof1

April 24, 2014 | Volume 4, Issue 11 | Los Angeles, CA

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WHAT SNOWMEN DO IN SUMMER page 2

USC PANHELLENIC BANS DOOR-STACKING page 3 RESPECT: A LOST ART? page 6 INVITE DINNER page 8

2 Greek Life traditions

WHAT SNOWMEN DO IN SUMMER

As we move into the second to last week of school, students are frantically dealing Delta Tau Delta with many issues.

D a v i d i s a s o p h o m o re How will I do on my studying communication. finals? Are my grades You may contact him at good enough? What epiphone504@gmail.com. will I do over the summer? Am I going home or staying here?

What will I do will all of my stuff? Or at least these issues existed at some point.

Whether or not students have figured this out yet is a different story. But whether or not you know what you’re doing this summer, I have noticed the whole atmosphere on campus becomes very stressful around finals time, so here are some tips on how to deal with these issues.

DAVID KARLSBERG

I personally know it’s difficult to figure out all of this out, especially when home is over 2000 miles away. I have had difficulty applying for jobs, don’t know where I can leave all of my belongings that won’t make it on the plane, and wonder what it’s going to be like living at home for a few months once again. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to it, but the following are some tips in order to best survive it.

It’s important to use contacts back home to help find a summer job, or work on

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something that interests you. If you don’t have many employed friends, you can always contact members of the Trojan Family in your hometown. Greek life also holds a number of alumni that can help you find a job you might enjoy, and that might boost your resume.

As for where you can store your belongings, many companies have been giving out their information at Monday Night Dinners, saying they can either store your stuff for you or deliver it to your desired location. This may also be another opportunity to speak to your brothers or sisters in your sorority or fraternity, asking them if they may be willing to store an item or two for you or if there is space in the house.

As for final grades, I’m sure this is a difficult situation for everyone. Hopefully your semester grades are pretty good to this point. As we all know, USC gives us a finals study week, so that we can do nothing but prep for these exams (and pack for home and do whatever else you need to get done), but not go to class, during this week. One also has to remember that finals are not worth your entire grade (well, not in most classes). If you’re doing well in most of your classes, you can probably stand to mess up and exam or two an not totally butcher your GPA, depending upon where you are in your college experience.

For everyone else who is behind (as I am) in getting things like this done, be sure to get this done ASAP, as the school year moves by too quickly and it’s already almost over. Otherwise, you might find yourself doing what Snowmen Do in Summer.

THE ODYSSEY AT USC CREATIVE TEAM Editor in Chief David Karlsberg Delta Tau Delta Writers Jay Juster, Phi Sigma Kappa Kristen Garrett, Alpha Gamma Delta

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

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

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USC PANHELLENIC BANS DOOR-STACKING

Here, at the University of Southern California, sorority rush is a pretty big deal.

Many believe recruitment is only intense in the South, but people forget that we are in the South. . . of California. So, everyone can expect an extravagant rush process.

This process not only includes chit-chatting up a storm, eating Pinterest-perfect snacks, and touring the beautiful sorority houses, but also includes listening to hundreds of girls screaming and singing while hairflipping.To top off each rush day, potential new members stand gawking at the doorstack, AKA sorority girls squished into every crevice of their door simultaneously singing and flipping their long hair back and forth – which takes hours and hours of practice, as well as great skill.

However, this year, all of the girls who are rushing for their first time will not be able to witness this infamous door-stack. USC’s Panhellenic Council has officially banned all sorority houses from performing the doorstack. Because this is a momentous decision, many people have differing opinions about the verdict.

Those Against: While most trust that Panhellenic has made the best decision they could, many sorority girls still are upset that they will no longer be able to flip their long locks while popping out of their house’s doorway. Additionally, many think that the door-stack is a tradition that should be continued for future sorority girls to take in and appreciate.

For years, sororities up and down the row have practiced and executed the intricate performance. Many believe the door-stack really adds to rush and hey, no pain, no gain – right? Pi Beta Phi member Blair Burleson states, “It makes me sad because no one can appreciate my beautiful hair!” Clearly, girls would rather risk some injuries to maintain this amusing performance.

Moreover, this decision also raises the question of “What will be taken away next?”

Those For: The people that completely support Panhellenic are thankful. To many, rush school during the end of summer is a pain; cutting out the door-stacking practice will probably make for shorter days since there is less to learn. In addition, most girls do not want to find themselves in pain at the end of the day. Many have reported receiving minor injuries while partaking in the door-stack. While they would frantically assume their positions, girls would get cut and bruised. Also, singing and hair-flipping within the bounds of the doorway allowed for girls’ heads to collide with others. Freshman Maddy Hinck discussed this issue and said, “I am relieved because I probably would get a concussion.”

Although these injuries made for funny and interesting rush stories, most sorority girls would rather wait until they can receive them on a Thursday night than suffer them within their own house, while sober.

Those With the “Long Hair, Don’t Care” Attitude:

A handful of girls in sororities could care less about this decision.

They trust Panhellenic’s decision and would rather Pi Beta Phi not put in the effort to Karina is a freshman studying form an opinion on the public relations. You may matter, since the fate of contact her at klfarris@usc.edu. the door-stack has already been decided. These girls would rather focus on the other intricate parts of rush that will help them achieve the pledge class that they want.

Potential new members will not even know what they are or aren’t missing out on.

Not to mention, none of the sororities on the row can door-stack anymore, so why does it matter?

KARINA FARRIS

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Ideas debate & discuss

RESPECT: A LOST ART?

When someone brings up the idea of KRISTEN respect, the first thing GARRETT my brain jumps to is Alpha Gamma Delta the song by Aretha Kristen is a freshman studying Franklin. That song theatre. You may contact her at garrettk@usc.edu. is such a classic—her brassy voice coupled with her passionate delivery makes for a knockout of a performance. But maybe there’s another reason that song is so popular: maybe it’s because, after all these years, we still don’t really know what respect is, beyond a slight knowledge of its general requirements. Be polite, don’t yell, don’t put your elbows on the dinner table—all these are respectful actions. But when you ask someone to define respect, it often results in a circular definition, such as “Respect is treating someone respectfully.” So many of us only understand respect as some sort of elusive quality, impervious to being defined in other terms.

And that’s the problem. Respect is a buzzword on college campuses today, but it’s a word that is thrown around oftentimes without meaning.

Not to mention the complexity of the notion itself: being respectful towards someone and having respect for someone is not the same thing. I’m often respectful towards people I have absolutely no respect for. So perhaps that’s where we should start—by acknowledging the difference between acting respectfully and having respect for someone.

Acting respectfully is, at its essence, just being a polite human being.

Look people in the eye, at least feign attention, if you disagree with them say so in a way that doesn’t attack who they are as a person. That’s the easy part of respect, and that’s the respect you need to treat your boss and teachers with. But then there’s the deeper kind of respect: respect for a person as an individual. This is the kind of respect that interests me. It is so important to not only treat people with respect, but, to the best of your ability, try and actually respect them; an idea I think is inextricably linked to compassion and honesty.

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Respect is, I believe, at its core about being aware that you are not the only sentient being on this planet. Everyone you talk to, everyone you interact with—they have the same breadth and depth of emotional idiosyncrasies that you do, and respect is being aware of that and acting with that knowledge in mind. That’s where compassion ties into respect: if you’re compassionate, you’re more likely, and more easily able, to view other people as actual human beings, not just people who should bend to your whim. But respect isn’t just being compassionate towards others—as you are also a sentient human being with their own valid thoughts and opinions, you deserve to be heard just as much as anyone else, and you deserve to be honest about your own experience.

This is where respect exists, I think: between having compassion for others and being honest with yourself. In that way, respect could perhaps be roughly defined as a sort of compassionate honesty—you state your opinion with the awareness and knowledge that it is going to be received by an individual who feels things differently, but equally, to you. That, to me, is respect, and I think in the swirl of ambition and entrepreneurship at USC, we tend to not practice it as much as we should. Yes, it’s easy to be rude to your barista at Starbucks who is taking soooo long to make your hazelnut coffee, but it’s even easier to ask them how their day is going, since they’re probably just as stressed as you are. It’s easy to put your fork down during Monday Night Dinner while someone is getting a delivery.

It’s easy to introduce your friend to your other friend that you bump into on the street. All these little acts of respect are so, so easy, and they in turn foster a more respectful environment for everyone. And even when respect isn’t easy—like when someone used you or lied to you—you can respectfully tell them that what they did was inexcusable, and hopefully they’ll listen to you and become a more respectful person themselves. It’s all just a big karmic circle, really: treat people the way you would want to be treated, with compassion and honesty, and hopefully you payed that respect forward. Respect is, at its core, about co-existing peacefully, and that, to me at least, sounds pretty wonderful.

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Scene on campus

INVITE DINNER Here I will review two of the most popular restaurants for invite dinner, both close to campus and great for large parties.

KARINA FARRIS Pi Beta Phi

Karina is a freshman studying public relations. You may contact her at klfarris@usc.edu.

First, we have Bacaro LA, located at 2308 South Union Avenue. Bacaro serves small tapas plates designed for tasting and sharing, such as caprese salad, poached shrimp, a variety of bruschette, burgers, and steaming mac and cheese. The eatery also offers small pizzas topped with bacon and brie, roasted fresh tomato, and my personal favorite, hard- boiled egg. This mix of flavors blend very well together, and the dish is a unique plate that cannot be found at many other restaurants. For dessert, homemade bread pudding, ice cream, and delicious Nutella, strawberry, and banana crepes are presented.

Bacaro offers beer and wine from around the world as well as their popular sangria, made in- house each day. Sangria costs only $18 a pitcher, and this larger portion can easily be split between a few couples. An individual can also order a half- liter for $8.

Parties of 15-28 people are seated in the communal dining room and served a family

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style, four- course dinner for $20 per person or a 90-minute open bar also at $20 per person. If a party so chooses, a food and drink combo is offered for $35 per person.

Another great restaurant fit for large groups is Lotus, located at 3742 South Flower Street. This eatery is so close to campus that students can take a campus cruiser to the restaurant or just as easily walk. Just as Bacaro is famous for sangria, Lotus is famous for Saki bombs. With a vibrant atmosphere and a full-scale hookah lounge, Lotus is definitely a fun spot to hit before any invite. The Japanese restaurant offers a complete sushi menu with unique sashimi and sushi combinations such as creamy rock shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, salmon, and California rolls, and raw yellowtail, eel, and albacore plates. A large variety of specialty rolls are also an option. Choices range from the “Trojan” roll containing spicy tuna, cucumber, salmon, avocado, and spicy mayo, to the “Hawaiian” roll filled aquamar crab, avocado, tuna, pineapple, mango, and creamy tropical sauce. If seafood is not your thing, there is no need to worry as the restaurant also serves teriyaki chicken, shrimp, rib eye, and more. Along with Saki, beer, soju, and delicious cocktails flavored with passion fruit, mango, green apple, and lychee are also presented on the menu.

Whichever restaurant you may choose to begin your festivities, these two suggestions are sure to offer delicious food and refreshing beverages all at a great price for you and your group of friends!

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LENT Written By: Christi Cammeron

Many others do so in order to lose weight, get better grades, or anything else along those lines to improve their self-image or identity. Some people use this time to truly work on themselves, and intend to alter their lifestyles even when the Lenten season comes to a close. The basis of Lent revolves around the idea of using this time in preparation for Easter to better oneself, whether it be through abstaining from immorality or instead making an effort to do better things throughout each day. However, these commitments are not meant to only last these forty days. Instead, they are supposed to become a permanent part of one’s life. The forty days are only meant as a “training period” in which one becomes accustomed to living in this particular way. Despite this concept of going beyond just the forty-day period, a majority of participants in Lent fully intend to go back to their pre-Lenten ways as soon as they can. Many eagerly await Easter morning not to find the treats that the Easter Bunny has left them, but instead to indulge in what they have deprived themselves of for the last forty days. The question that can be posed is, “Are you truly a better person after forty days if the end results

Self health & fitness

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in returning to you old ways?” Many people may think that they achieved what they needed to during the Lenten period, but others would disagree and instead just be proud that they were able to abstain from their vices for this certain time period. As they should be! Living without alcohol, fast food, or social media, as some examples, is a significant amount of time, and one should be rewarded for staying true to their intentions. But in order for “the forty days of good” to count, they needed to have made a difference in one’s life. Something must be taken away from the process. Although this doesn’t necessarily mean an individual should continue to abstain from what they gave up, it does mean that they should realize that they are capable of surviving without it, and that they do not need to devote a large amount of their time fulfilling this need. For example, if someone gave up social media for Lent, they should attempt to continue to limit themselves to only accessing it once or twice a week. The same goes for alcohol, fast food, or anything else among the sorts. The challenge of becoming a better person does not end after forty days. It should be continued and consistently sought after. The forty days of Lent should merely prove that small steps are possible and that everyone is capable of constantly improving themselves.

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Scene on campus

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WHAT YOUR COFFEE SAYS ABOUT YOU

enjoy the jitters you get from drinking too much caffeine or have three kids all under the age of eight.

3. Espresso – You’re simple, practical and to the point; you’re probably the type of person who actually sticks to their New Years resolutions (not that I’m jealous). You want the effects of a good cup of coffee in about one-fifth of the time. You obviously enjoy the little things in life and probably have a super rad job like marketing manager for a sports team or drummer for a band that I’ve also “probably never heard of.”

4. Expresso – We can’t be friends.

As most baristas would admit, once you work in a coffee shop for long enough, you start to Delta Delta Delta make connections. I’m Paulina is a freshman that is not talking networking, undecided. You may contact her at I mean the connection of passaf@usc.edu. what a person orders and how that directly reflects their personality. I’m definitely no expert, but after a couple of years dealing with caffeinedeprived soccer moms, middle school cheerleaders who just broke up with their boyfriend and that one vegan-allergic-to-soy-so-I’m-better-than-you mega hipster, I think it’s time I shared this double shot-sized sip of knowledge.

PAULINA ASSAF

A quick look into what coffee you drink says about you, as told by your local barista.

1. Black Coffee – In my experience, there are two types of people that order black coffee: the first is the “old school.” He isn’t trying to impress anyone; he’s most likely just trying to get through the workday and get the job done. He’s typically a creature of habit and will most likely buy Sunday’s newspaper along with his cup of joe. The other type of person that orders their coffee black is basically the equivalent of that girl in your lab who went vegetarian for a whole month before spring break – just like she needed everyone to know about her new self-proclaimed healthy lifestyle, the second kind of black coffee drinker wants everyone within a three mile radius to know that they don’t drink their coffee with ANY cream or sugar. They’re usually the pretentious type who’s (pretending to) read something by Hemingway that you’ve “probably never heard of.”

2. Americano – For when the black coffee just isn’t strong enough. These folks either

5. Latte – You were probably really cool at one point in your life. In fact, I’m pretty sure I once saw pictures of you on Facebook from Spring Break ’03 that involved some beads and a can of Natty Light, but it’s a little hazy now- like most of your weekends from way back when. However, you’ve come a long way since those days. According to you, you really have your life together now- you drive a Prius and scored a steady (yet semiboring) job despite those unfortunate FB photos. I hope my life is can be as stable as yours someday. You go Glen Coco.

6. Nonfat Cappucino – A more grown-up version of the Latte. You also like spending five dollars on a cup of caffeinated air. P.s. I love your new Pradas.

7. Mocha or White Mocha – You either don’t enjoy the taste of coffee but like the effects of caffeine or you’re the kind of person that likes to treat yourself (on a daily basis) “just because.” Either way, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that you’re drinking a glorified cup of hot chocolate.

8. Frappe/Frappuccino – Whether you’re a middle-aged woman or a middle school girl, you often find yourself wondering why they even ask if you want whipped cream anymore.

Honestly, props to you for not caring about calories, fat, sugar or really anything else. You’re definitely a dessert-before-dinner kind of person and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

9. Pumpkin Spice – You occasionally enjoy a fall-themed drink to get you in the mood for autumn festivities.

10. Pumpkin Spice in seasons other than fall – Chances are, you refer to your drink as a “PSL” and unless you’re at Starbucks, the person behind the counter will either laugh at you or not have the slightest idea of what you’re talking about. You most likely wear Uggs with your VS yoga pants and there is also a good chance that your Instagram account consists solely of selfies and/or what you ate for lunch that day with the hashtags “#yolo #fun #happy #blonde #sparkles #pink #girly #fun&flirty” 11. Decaf – Who are you?

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Humor lol

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12 5 EASY RECIPES CREATED WITH EASTER DINNER LEFTOVERS The list

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Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Ham.

TOTAL TIME: Prep– 25 min.

Bake– 25 min.MAKES: 6 servings

PAULINA ASSAF

Delta Delta Delta INGREDIENTS: 1 package (7 ounces) elbow macaroni Paulina is a freshman that is 2 tablespoons butter undecided. You may contact her at 3 tablespoons all-purpose passaf@usc.edu. flour 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes 3 / 4 teaspoon ground mustard 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 cups 2% milk 1 package (16 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham 1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut asparagus, thawed 1 jar (6 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained 3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs INSTRUCTIONS: Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, parsley, mustard and pepper until blended.

Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Stir in cheese until melted.

Drain macaroni; add to cheese sauce. Stir in the ham, asparagus and mushrooms.

Transfer to a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Old-Fashioned Egg Salad.

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 15 min.MAKES: 3 servings INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon dried minced onion 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped celery INSTRUCTIONS: In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, salt and pepper. Stir in eggs and celery. Cover and refrigerate.

Creamy Ham ‘n’ Egg Casserole TOTAL TIME: Prep–15 min. Bake–20 min.MAKES: 6 servings INGREDIENTS: 2 medium cooked potatoes, peeled and sliced 4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 1 cup diced fully cooked ham 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 egg 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 1 tablespoon butter, melted INSTRUCTIONS: In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, ham, salt and pepper.

Combine the egg and sour cream; add to potato mixture and gently toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish.

Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 160°.

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quiche.

TOTAL TIME: Prep– 20 min. Bake– 55 min.

MAKES: 4–6 servings INGREDIENTS: 2 (12 ounce) packages frozen hash brown potatoes 1/3 cup butter, melted 1 cup cooked diced ham 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 eggs 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Squeeze any excess moisture from the potatoes and combine them with the melted butter or margarine in a small bowl. Press this mixture into the bottom and sides of an ungreased 10 inch pie pan.

Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 25 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and arrange the ham and cheese evenly over the potatoes.

In a separate small bowl, beat together the eggs and the cream. Pour this over the ham and cheese.

Return pan to oven and bake for 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until the custard has completely set.

Baked Brunch Omelet.

TOTAL TIME: Prep– 15 min. Bake– 1 hr.MAKES: 1 – 9x13 inch pan INGREDIENTS: 1/2 (1 pound) loaf white bread, cut into cubes 1 1/2 pounds Cheddar cheese, shredded 1 cup cubed cooked ham 8 eggs 2 cups milk 1 pinch salt 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste 1/4 cup chopped green onion INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Place half of the bread cubes on bottom of baking pan. Sprinkle with half of the ham and then half of the cheese; repeat.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, salt, hot sauce and green onions. Pour egg mixture into pan.

Place pan on top of a baking sheet with a rim and place in oven. Pour water into baking sheet and bake for 60 minutes, or until eggs have set.

Thanks to Taste of Home and All Recipes for the after-Easter recipes!

Ideas debate & discuss

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THE NEW MONOGAMY: MARRIAGE WITH BENEFITS As my last article illustrated, millennials a re f i n i s h i n g t h e sexual revolution that the hippies of the 60s started.

might not actually be what we have been told for all these years.

JAY JUSTER Phi Sigma Kappa

Jay is a junior studying psychology. You may contact him at Juster@usc.edu.

Our generation has redefined, and continues to redefine, sex and its importance in society. We are having more sex, with more people, and in safer ways. In other words, although people are more likely to have sex today than in any other time in history, they are also infinitely less likely to have a baby or contract an STD as a result.

Consequently, the taboos surrounding sex are disappearing and the truth about what’s really happening in marriages, relationships, and even while alone is emerging.

For example, Dr. Tammy Nelson’s book The New Monogamy explores how many of our views about monogamy are wrong, or simply subjective. Her statistics show that 35-55% of people who report committing extra-marital affairs also say they had “happy marriages,” “good sex,” and “rewarding family lives” at the time of the affair.

This finding calls, she says, for a change in how we think about committed relationships: “Within the new notion of monogamy, each partner assumes that the other is, and will remain, the main attachment, but that outside attachments of one kind or another are allowed-- as long as they don’t threaten the primary connection.”

Remember when ‘friends with benefits’ was a huge deal? Well, try ‘marriage with benefits.’

Historically, marriage is a religious affair, which can be seen in the various rituals performed by different cultures. Typical Christian ceremonies have a designated script and procedure, which, fun fact, was included in the Book of Common Prayer in 1552.

Muslims ceremonies, called nikah, don’t even require the presence of the bride and are more to establish social, rather than legal, obligations. Orthodox Jewish weddings are perhaps the most symbolic, asking the bride and groom to fast until married and performing rituals such as the groom stomping on glass after being married and Bedecken, where the bride is veiled during the marriage ceremony.

I bring up this point because the statistics of people who self-identify as religiously “unaffiliated” has skyrocketed. A 2007 report concluded that only 16% of Americans were classified as “unaffiliated.” Another report done in 2012 found that 68% of Americans now identified as “unaffiliated.”

In fact, the same report established that being religiously “unaffiliated” is the third largest category that people self-identify as after Christianity and Islam throughout the entire world.

Thus, there seems to be a correlation between the dwindling influence of religion in people’s lives and the degree to which they are open to their sexuality and sexual experiences more generally.

With less religious pressure to be intimate, romantic, and sexual in prescribed ways, researchers and statistics consistently uncover a trend that a monogamous marriage

41% of marriages involve one or both spouses ADMITTING to infidelity (meaning there are probably many more where the spouses don’t admit to it).

The average length of these affairs is 2 years.

68% of women and 74% of men admit that they would have the affair given the opportunity and an assurance that they wouldn’t get caught.

So, in reality, this ‘New Monogamy’ is simply what people have wanted all along and now they are finding more freedom, and less religious restriction, from acting out their desires.

Additionally, Christopher Ryan in his blog Sex at Dawn provides one societal explanation for this trend, which includes a failure to distinguish between “social monogamy” and “sexual monogamy.” In other words, even though two people can pair bond and live together, there is no evolutionary or moral need to remain sexually exclusive. This type of ‘flexible monogamy’ was first explored in the 1970’s publication of Hot and Cool Sex by Anna and Robert Francoeur.

To put things into perspective, as more and more people reject the moral dictates of religion, they realize the need to decide, on their own, whether marriage means complete monogamy or a ‘marriage with benefits’ type of situation, where affairs can occur as long as they are mutually agreed upon.

Although these relationship situations might seem so weird and foreign that you just reject them offhand, take the time to reflect on your own experience in your previous relationships. Ask yourself whether you committed to these relationships either because you really didn’t desire anyone else or because you thought it was the “right” or “appropriate” thing to do. Especially in college, I would be surprised if your eyes never wandered or you didn’t have a ‘casual conversation’ just to spend some face time with someone you would have hooked up with if you weren’t committed.

In total, the point of this article is to illustrate how ‘The New Monogamy’ is really a symptom of a broader paradigm shift happening across religions, businesses, families, societal expectations, and individual goals.

The world is changing.

We now live in a novel environment of sexual availability, subjective rather than religious morality, and access to sex through technology. As a result, we millennials need to not only revolt against the traditional views of relationships, but also agree upon our own definition of what is appropriate.

Actually, maybe the end result of this sexual revolution is that we stop trying to define what is appropriate for everyone. Maybe we wake up to the fact that people deserve the right to live how they want rather than how we tell them they should.

Then, we might stop judging people for doing something different than the ‘norm.’

We might stop demanding that they fit our, or anyone’s, expectations.

Instead, we start exploring the different options that work for us individually. We start sharing our experiences with each other. We finally live according to our own rules and inner guidance rather than the rules of religion and outer authority.

We pioneer a new way of living, a new way of loving, and a new monogamy.

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Humor lol

@buuwaba “I didn’t know it was my roommate’s birthday.. #oops #bestroommateaward” @buuwaba “I hate getting ready in a rush because you always forget something. Like putting lotion on your ashy legs.. #dontlookatme” @hmfallon “When your JMC lab instructor brings you Panera” @johnsontruong “MONDAYS ARE FOR HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER AND NOW IT’S OVER WHAT DO I DO EXCEPT SIT IN A CORNER AND CRY” @ash_the_cupcake “I can never look tough on campus bc i have a rainbow tie dye backpack.” @LindsayLand3 “To the stranger who just bought my coffee at Starbucks, thank you for making my day” @rileysroberson “I’m at the point where I’m thinking.. do I really have to do this homework? Do I really have to go to class? Do I really have to... breathe?” @stuffaimeesayz “What’s smh mean? So much hate?”

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@carolineebreit “The amount of hours of sleep I got is almost directly proportional to the number of tests I have today. I have 2 tests.”

@NateJ24OU “S/O to pollen for making my car that disgusting shade of yellow that Honda doesn’t offer, because it’s the color I really wanted”

@TheBigEvant “Whenever I wear a hat while having a clean shaven face I look like a 10 year old that has aspirations of being a train conductor.”

@KlideBell “i look like a horse when i laugh so from now on when i think something’s funny i’m just going to say “laugh.”

@TheBigEvant “The woman @ Whataburger gave me a free lemon pie, like ugh is this some rewards program for frequent customers???”

@LesAsamoah “It’s almost as if Saturday is homeworkproof”

@ccourtneydiane “i h8 when I’m driving and another car pulls out in front of me and kills my vibe” @ccourtneydiane “#GoToOU bc we’re the first and only school in the Big 12 to raise over 1 million for Relay for Life #blessed #JustCureIt @rachclegg “the man who put the drainage systems in Norman must have been a longhorn. #drowning” @peytonisrad “Isn’t everyday a wind advisory in Oklahoma?” @KelceyBeckman “Coffee can’t even fix how tired I am”

@HunterBirkhead “My mom just used the word ratchet. #YAS” @Brandons_taudt “I used to think the idiom “shoot the breeze” was actually “shoot febreze” lol” @_SHMINDIA_ “The most productive thing I’ve done today is successfully turn a styrofoam cup inside out” @j_tatty “If I could wear my party panda shirt everywhere, I would #hyfy @megmiller24 “girl barefoot in Whataburger bathroom...

I have no words”

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