Summer Issue | Volume 4, Issue 13 | Los Angeles, CA
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DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE GREEEK? page 2
THE GIRLS OUT FOR ‘GIRLS’ page 3 5 SECRET STUDY SPOTS page 4 DRINKING IN REGULATION page 5
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Editor's note
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DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE GREEK? On December 27th,
the Foundation for Individual
Rights
in Education (FIRE) published a report entitled
‘The
10
Worst Colleges for
DAVID KARLSBERG Delta Tau Delta
D a v i d i s a s o p h o m o re studying communication. You may contact him at epiphone504@gmail.com.
Free Speech: 2013.’ Although Utah’s Dixie State University was fourth on the list, the accusations against it are the most controversial. The problems began almost a year ago when the student group, Phi Beta Pi Society, was denied recognition as a proper Greek sorority rather than a club. University officials stated in response to the Society’s request, “Since the late 80’s and early 90’s Dixie has fought a ‘party school’ image and the institution has made it very clear that they do NOT want to have any tie to events and programs that would promote or encourage such an image.” Their reasoning was succinctly expressed: “Nationwide there is a negative stigma attached to Greek Life.” And, they even added some reassurance at the end: “You can still do whatever you want as a club.” No hard feelings. The ladies of the Phi Beta Pi Society, however, were determined to receive recognition, especially since the administration admitted that they had amended their bylaws “due to this particular charter request.” In terms of this debate, I think there are two main relevant questions to discuss. First, is Dixie State University violating Phi Beta Pi’s First Amendment right to, as Peter Bonilla put it, “identify themselves the way they want to be identified?” Second, are Greek organizations actually valuable to the University despite the stigma?
The Greek Life Debate
From a solely Public Relations perspective, the University is right that Greek life probably does more harm than good for their “image.” I mean, take USC for example. The only time our Greek system gets any attention is when members have exhibitionist sex or people die. Never mind the fact that the Greek community as a whole raises more than any other community of students and consistently out-performs non-Greek students. I could go on, but it’s obvious that Dixie State doesn’t care about any of these possible features and benefits of having a Greek life on campus. They only care about their image. They even concede in another e-mail that they love the philanthropic focus of Greek organizations and their positive impact on the local communities. Let’s be real for a second. Clearly, Dixie State has a very interesting take on their “image.” I mean, why would a rational University in UTAH decide to put DIXIE anywhere in their name? I’m from the South. That’s just ridiculous.
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
The First Amendment Debate I seriously doubt that prohibiting an organization from identifying itself as Greek violates the First Amendment. Now, if the University tries to stop the ladies from assembling as a group altogether, then Dixie State is absolutely crossing a line. From my point of view, the University is simply enforcing and perpetuating a policy enacted in the early 90’s. That’s over 20 years of Dixie State’s prohibition of Greek life. Considering that the ladies of Phi Beta Pi say they only want sisterhood out of the Society, I don’t see how they can’t accomplish that as a club. Especially since there are no other Greek organizations on campus to do exchanges with or party with. You are just constantly left hanging.
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OLYMPIA MEDIA GROUP 888.272.2595 | OlympiaMediaGroup.com Cambria Roland, Managing Editor
We want a representative from every house! To apply for a writing, photography or sales position, TheOdysseyOnline.com/creative © 2012 Olympia Media Group, LLC All Rights Reserved. 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.
Scene on campus
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THE GIRLS OUT FOR ‘GIRLS’ Tim Molloy, a reporter for The Wrap, asked Lena Dunham, the creator of the HBO show Girls the following at a panel for Alpha Gamma Delta the Television Critics’ Kristen is a freshman studying Association on January theatre. You may contact her at 9th: garrettk@usc.edu. I don’t get the purpose of all of the nudity on the show, by you particularly, and I feel like I’m walking into a trap where you go, ‘Nobody complains about the nudity on Game of Thrones,’ but I get why they are doing it. They are doing it to be salacious and, you know, titillate people. And your character is often naked just at random times for no reason. This caused considerable backlash, for obvious reasons. If Molloy understands the reasons that women are naked on Game of Thrones, why is it hard to understand why a 20-something character on a show that prides itself on being an accurate representation of life for millennials might be naked a considerable amount? Girls is a show about liberation—liberation from the conventional standards of beauty that actresses are held to, liberation from perfection, and, most importantly, liberation from idealized depictions of life, which includes idealized depictions of nudity. Female nudity isn’t always meant to be sexy. I will rephrase that, because I think many people, including Mr. Molloy, don’t seem to recognize this: when women take
KRISTEN GARRETT
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their clothes off, it isn’t always for sexual reasons. Molloy thinks that nudity should be “salacious” and “titillate” people; Dunham is aware that nudity just is. Additionally, the way Molloy phrased his question—saying he was offended by Dunham’s character particularly—further illustrates Molloy’s ingrained misogyny. Dunham isn’t a Hollywood beauty like her two other co-stars, Allison Williams and Jemima Kirke. Kirke and Williams have both been naked on the show a considerable amount, but Molloy doesn’t seem concerned by that, as they were naked in the context of sex and they are both conventionally beautiful. No—Molloy is bothered by an average looking women being naked on television as an attempt to represent the reality of nudity, which is that everyone gets naked every day. Men, women, good-looking, plain—it’s unavoidable. By focusing on Dunham’s nudity, Molloy is essentially saying, “I don’t get why you have to be naked on television since you’re not thin and pretty. I also don’t get why sometimes you’re naked in a non-sexual manner, since women’s naked bodies are inextricably linked to sex in my, and most of my male colleagues, minds. If you’re not hot or having sex, why bother getting naked at all?” It’s this sort of question that makes the importance of shows like “Girls” even clearer: without accurate representation of nudity and female sexuality, and the intersection of those two aspects of life, there will be no advancement in the inherently misogynistic connection between female nudity and male sexual pleasure. So go for it, Lena Dunham. Because your body is your own, and you can represent it any way you want—sexually or otherwise.
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Scene on campus
5 SECRET STUDY SPOTS
Finals are right around the corner and although you would like to pretend sleeping will be more beneficial to you than studying will be – you probably should study.
KARINA FARRIS Pi Beta Phi
Karina is a freshman studying public relations. You may contact her at klfarris@usc.edu.
At this point in the semester, it will take a lot of time spent in Leavey to resurrect your grades. We know that withering away in Leavey throughout the week makes studying much more tedious than it has to be, so we sought out five, exciting places that
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you can study at for finals. Hopefully, these different locations can make studying much easier and more relaxing for you. These include areas in the midst of the McKay Center, the Cinematic Arts School, the Mudd Hall of Philosophy, the Viterbi School of Engineering, and the Roski School of Fine Arts. Outside of the McKay Center and Heritage Hall, you are welcome to enjoy the red, plush couches and chairs to study in comfort amongst the athletes. While most athletes will be inside the actual McKay center, you can still feel special from the outskirts. Around the area, you also can find fire pits surrounded by couches where you can keep warm while studying! Maybe you can even bring some s’mores ingredients for a fun, study snack. In the middle of the Cinematic Arts School, there are various tables and chairs to study at and you can feel as if you are on vacation in a small European town. Go grab a coffee from the Coffee Bean cart and sit with some friends and get down to business. The trickling of the fountain in the middle of the square creates a nice, tranquil atmosphere that will help you study. Also, ladies, who knows – maybe you will even spot a celebrity guest speaker (AKA . . . James Franco). If you want to avoid Leavey and Doheny, but still study in a library, the top floor of the Mudd Hall of Philosophy is an exceptional alternative. Many regard this library as one of USC’s greatest hidden gems. Upon entering the building, it seems as if you have been transported into Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The library is equipped with thousands of books, plush chairs, and a massive fireplace. In this library there is no way you can procrastinate. The quiet environment promotes productivity. But, beware, this library is closed on Saturdays. In the middle of the Roski School of Fine Arts there are multiple yellow tables with attached stools. Although the chairs are not plush, it is an ideal place to work quickly and efficiently. The minimalistic qualities of the area will motivate you to finish your studies in a timely manner to get back to your warm bed. Another plus about this location is that the Shop Cafe which houses Nekter juice bar is located right across from these tables. So, while you study you can enjoy a refreshing, healthy smoothie or acai bowl! Right behind GFS, the Roski School of Engineering is located. In the midst of all of the buildings, you can find a nice sanctuary to study that includes a plethora of tables and chairs, umbrellas, grassy areas, and a fountain. The grass and trees surrounding the area almost make you forget that you are in downtown LA. You can take in the sunshine of the day while maintaining your focus in the shade. We hope to see you during dead week studying at one of our favorite study spots! Happy studying!
Scene on campus
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DRINKING IN REGULATION
It’s no secret that the row’s social restrictions have been the small-talk hot topic among Greeks this year. After months Delta Tau Delta of the termination of D a v i d i s a s o p h o m o re weeknight parties and studying communication. unregistered events all You may contact him at together, USC has agreed epiphone504@gmail.com. to allow four registered frat parties at a time, open until midnight on Thursday nights and 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights. After having record numbers of alcohol related transports early on first semester, it seems appropriate to have some restrictions set in place -- you know, for our safety. I’m sure members of the Greek community thank their lucky star that they’re lucky enough to attend a University that puts in the initiative to make them safer.
DAVID KARLSBERG
In fact, I’m sure most felt this new found sense of security when going out the first weekend of these new rules. While funneling booze down your throat as fast as humanly possible due to the fact that an early party end time equates to less pre-gaming time if you plan on actually making it to the party (and there’s no way in hell you’re showing up sober), you probably thought to yourself how grateful you are to go to a school that has your best interest in mind and after doing so picked out your costume (again big shout out to SC for making the choice of which theme to dress for that much easier from lack of selection) and left for West 28th St.
When you finally arrived at your first frat of the night (a minimum of thirty minutes late), you most likely walked into the house to find an amount of party goes that is almost certainly near or over capacity crammed together all extremely hot and dehydrated. In a state of panic, you immediately proceed to the bar in fear that there wasn’t enough prestige to go around for all those people. Once the nearest handle has been spotted, it was likely chugged in effort to save time to party (after all, you pre-game drunk won’t last all night). After some dancing and you realizing that your bladder can’t contain all the liquid you just consumed, you probably stumbled off to the bathroom, took care of your business, looked yourself in the eye through the mirror, realized by your appearance how drunk you are, and thought “Thank God USC has made these changes to keep me safe”… that is until you open the door of the bathroom to see one of your peers taken out on a stretcher, adding to the highest list of transports in a weekend The University of California has ever seen. Now certainly most of you reading this didn’t actually have this experience, but fact of the matter is unfortunately a story like this isn’t foreign to our ears. Sarcasm aside, USC truly does have student’s health and best interests in mind; however, the causation for our high level of hospitalizations transcends amount of parties available or shut down time. College could be the time for beer pong, shots and mixed drinks, but it appears as if what our social culture deems as acceptable party behavior has crossed the line of what is safe. While the university is doing what it thinks is best to correct this problem, the restrictions are just creating an environment for the nature of our partying to be more and more risky. Our work hard, play ten times harder way of life is what started this mess, and though there is no clear and simple solution to reconstruct the dynamic of how we go out, trying to merely regulate it is clearly not a viable option.
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Scene enrepreneur’s tool kit
THE COLLEGIATE ENTREPRENEUR’S ESSENTIAL TOOLKIT
As an entrepreneur, being in college is a great advantage. Just like people have permission to party without consequences, you have the freedom to start a business venture and chase your dreams without risking homelessness.
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2. Like-Minded Entrepreneurs
JAY JUSTER Phi Sigma Kappa
Jay is a junior studying psychology. You may contact him at Juster@usc.edu.
In this article, I’m going to share with you a list of resources that you have at your fingertips right now and can start utilizing today. These individual tools, when combined, will provide a huge boost for your journey. 1. Inner Motivation and Passion Entrepreneurs are such a unique breed of humans because their engine runs on what psychologists call Intrinsic Motivation. They enjoy what they do or see their business venture as an opportunity to learn, explore, and actualize their potentials rather than merely a way to obtain an obvious external reward like money. Ultimately, the successful ones find a way to align an inner purpose with their outer venture and make that pursuit a central part of their lives every day. So, determine WHY entrepreneurship appeals to you and set daily goals that satisfy this underlying motivation.
As savvy, smart, and skilled as you are, including other entrepreneurs in your venture is guaranteed to increase your effectiveness.To find these individuals, start or join an entrepreneurship club on campus. Once you find the professors and other successful entrepreneurs willing to speak at your club meetings, post flyers around campus advertising the event and enjoy the continually expanding membership. 3. Teachers and Professors Take advantage of your university’s faculty and staff. Find teachers and professors who share your area of interest and schedule a time to talk to them. Most universities maintain an online directory of their professor’s contact information and a synopsis of their interests and/or published materials. Utilize this resource. Send an e-mail to professors indicating interest in their exact field of study (“I saw on your profile that you do research in smart phone applications.”) and ask whether you can talk during their next available office hours. Professors absolutely love to receive this kind of attention, especially if they are in the business school or an entrepreneurship program. 4. Identify A Need Most entrepreneurs aren’t great salespeople because they focus on the idea rather than the potential customers. When talking to a prospect, they might list off the features and benefits of their product or just persistently try to get the prospect to say yes. Instead, as a general rule of selling, you will find far greater success by identifying a prospect’s need and explaining how the product can satisfy that need. If you can’t figure out why a customer would need your product, then you have little chance of finding an ideal market, an ideal customer, or getting that ideal customer to buy even if they are sitting right in front of you. 5. The Internet Now that you’ve determined the precise need that your product aims to satisfy, start sharing the idea through social media. Create a Facebook page. Link that page to a Twitter account and post on both frequently. Focus on creating engaging content that reminds the reader of their unfulfilled needs, and how your product solves those problems. Create a website through WordPress and start blogging. Post videos to YouTube and share them through all of these new online accounts. Most importantly, establish a dedicated e-mail address for the company. The address can be as simple as an @gmail account, or you can opt to use the domain name of your new website. 6. Your College As a student, you have an access to your campus that would turn older entrepreneurs green with envy. First of all, take advantage of the unlimited access to your school’s libraries. Start reading books about entrepreneurship and biographies of successful entrepreneurs. Find all the information you can about your field of interest, selling, and negotiation. Remember to utilize professors. Think about auditing classes that support your passions. Some colleges even have elective classes for directed research. You can take this class to do scientific studies on your product and the extent to which it is effective at satisfying your customers’ needs. Last, you are surrounded by thousands of potential customers! Go out there and sell! 7. Multiple Streams of Income The easiest way to earn money on campus is through scholarships. If you can use your daily goals to create some outstanding early successes, then you will have some unique, interesting content for your applications. Apply to all of them. Even if the scholarship is worth $100 and it takes you a full 10 hours to complete the application. Then you are getting paid $10 per hour if you win. Another way to make money is to do short fundraisers. When you schedule a truly great speaker for the entrepreneur club, find a great venue and charge a cover fee. Start selling your product online and in person. Last, read Robert Allen’s book “Multiple Streams of Income.” I want to really stress how much your years in college can help with your entrepreneurial quest for success. You have to learn most lessons in business the hard way. Waiting until those mistakes can bankrupt you is ridiculous. Also, think about how much more meaningful your successes will be if they happen when you’re still in school. Making a million dollars is always great, but how about doing it before 25? People will respond to your enthusiasm and ambition, and if you can establish credibility, then I guarantee you will make more sales because of your status as a student. At the end of the day, just remember the wise words of Catherine Cook: “To any entrepreneur: If you want to do it, do it now. If you don’t, you’re going to regret it.”
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Scene on campus
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NECK NOMINATIONS, WHAT ARE THEY? Written by Christi Cameron We’ve all heard of the Neck Nominations that are all over the internet, but what are they really about? What is it that makes these Neck Nominations go viral? A craze known as “Neck Nominations,” or “Neknominations,” has been sweeping through colleges across the country and has most recently hit the University of Southern California. Neck Nominations are considered an online drinking game and have taken the technology of the twenty-first century to another level This phenomena originated just a few months ago and has already spread across the world, as it originated in Australia. The concept consists of an individual either being recorded or recording themselves consuming alcohol in a creative manner, along with that same person either preceding or following up their drinking with some sort of interesting action. At the end of their feat, the individual nominates any given number of people to then perform their own drinking showcase and continue to pass it on at the end of their own video. In most cases, these videos are posted to Facebook so that the original person is able to post it and also tag the nominees. A video that was recently created by a student at the University of Southern California took place in the Finger Fountain, the infamous fountain located near Jefferson said to be inappropriately gesturing to UCLA. After chugging a beer through a beer bong, the student nominated a few of her acquaintances who in fact attend the University of California at Los Angeles.
However, these drinking games have been describes as “deadly” and “lethal.” Approximately five deaths have been reportedly linked to participating in these dares and challenges. According to BBC, after jumping into the River Barrow, 19-year-old Irish Jonny Byrne became one of these victims. “Jonny Byrne entered the River Barrow on Saturday night and after hours of searching, his body was recovered shortly after 11:00 GMT on Sunday,” BBC reported. These online challenges are not only being accepted by teenagers and college students. According to The Guardian, one of these victims is 29-year-old Stephen Brookes. The Guardian reported that it is believed that Brookes attempted to consume a pint of vodka and was later found to have died in his sleep. The video that had been posted of him performing this task was taken down soon after his death. Developments in technology have paved the way for people across the world to easily communicate with each other. Neck Nominations are simply another way in which people have become able to influence each other regardless of the distance that may exist between them. Despite the satisfaction that may come from completing the challenge, it is important that those who choose to participate in this fad are aware of the potential dangers and the deaths that have occurred. The Odyssey team encourages those who choose to participate in Neck Nominations to be cautious in their actions and, as always, to drink responsibly!
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Scene enrepreneur’s tool kit
THE COLLEGIATE ENTREPRENEUR’S ESSENTIAL TOOLKIT Written by Christi Cameron
With Starbucks beginning to sell alcoholic beverages, how will this affect our campus? Who doesn’t want to hear about the prospect of more alcohol on campus? Trojan Grounds might just be our next location to serve. Earlier this year, Starbucks announced that it was planning on broadening its new evening menu to over 2,000 locations. According to Washington Square News, this Starbucks evening menu will be available after 4 p.m. and will include wine, beer and a selection of light, tapas-style menu choices. Menu items include a
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cheese plate, bacon wrapped dates, truffle mac ‘n’ cheese and chocolate fondue.” This business move has proven to have already caused controversy, and the debate is sure to ensue over whether USC’s Trojan Grounds, the infamous coffee shop located under Birnkrant that operates just as a regular Starbucks does, should pick up this new menu. In general, the perks of this new menu include reversing Starbucks’ universal trend of declining sales after the morning and mid-day rush hour. The main goal of this business venture is to attract more business, especially in urban areas. This improvement to Starbucks stores across America is sure to take place in Los Angeles, for “after the initial success of this evening menu, the company expanded to offer the new menu at 26 different locations,” with Los Angels being one of the four greater metropolitan areas they plan on expanding to. Because USC’s Trojan Grounds falls into these basic preliminary requirements, the question remains of whether or not TroGro should expand their menu. However, there are a number of reasons why this late-night menu would be a positive attribution to the coffee shop. TroGro’s hours are among the most convenient of on-campus dining options. Because it is open later than many of the eateries in the Campus Center, the evening menu would provide a substantial, yet intriguing meal to those students and professors who get out of class at later times. It also would act as an interesting meeting place between acquaintances or even students and their professors at later hours in the evening. Allowing students access to alcohol on campus would provide convenience to those students with jam-packed schedules, and would also provide for a different drinking atmosphere. The liquors that Starbucks will be selling are sure to be high quality, and presumably different alcohols than what students currently consume. Potentially, these alcohols could be changing the drinking scene at USC, and there is hope that it would make it more controlled and safer. This would not be the first time that USC has allowed an institution to serve alcohol on campus. For example, Morton Fig, located on Trousalde, has a full bar that is available to students of age throughout the day. In a sense, this is no different than Trojan Grounds potentially selling alcohol to students and guests as well. If Trojan Grounds decides not to participate in this expansion, there is hope that the Starbucks located on Figueroa and Exposition will participate in this modern development. Exposure to new trends and different meals is something that all college students hope for, and Starbucks’ new menu would do precisely those two things.
Scene on campus
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THE DOWNSIDES OF ALCOHOL AT TROJAN GROUNDS As you may or may not know, Starbucks around the nation will soon start serving alcohol. Will Trojan Grounds join this trend? Should Trojan Grounds sell alcohol? Paulina talks about the cons, in response to the “pros” written by Christi.
PAULINA ASSAF
Delta Delta Delta
Paulina is a freshman that is undecided. You may contact her at passaf@usc.edu.
With the number of hospitals transports coming from in and around the USC campus, the last thing the student body needs is another easily accessible place to purchase alcohol. The drinking rate at USC is already unsafe, and selling alcoholic beverages at Trojan Grounds would only increase the danger of alcohol overdose and poisoning. Due to its location, the majority of TroGro’s customers are residents of New/North and Birnkrant, as well as of the other the freshmen dorms on campus. None of these freshmen are of legal age to buy alcohol, though many own fake IDs to work around this problem. According to the 2012 USC National College Health Assessment Report, the binge rate (five or more drinks in a short period of time) was reported at 23 percent for undergraduate students and 15.6 percent for graduate students. This significantly
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higher rate shows that underage students are seeking out opportunities to drink excessive amounts of alcohol more often than students of legal age. If TroGro was to sell alcohol, I predict that the rate of drinking behind closed doors in the dorms as well as at fraternity, apartment, and other parties would surely increase. In the month of September alone, a total of 21 hospital transports from the USC campus and the Row were reported, due to alcohol intake. Transitioning into college is a very exciting time and freshmen are often anxious to experiment with alcohol, as college is the first time that complete freedom from parents and other supervisors is actualized. Yet, at only 18 years old, many students are not aware of the huge detrimental effects of alcohol and do not know their body’s limits. Trying something foreign and new can, of course, be fun and appealing to many, but can also be very dangerous. Whether or not an underage student obtains a fake ID, having such a local source of alcohol would facilitate the purchase of these beverages by those 21 and over buying drinks for their younger friends. A drop up or pick up location would be easy to set, as the student and the source of alcohol are on the same campus. Alcohol is already oversupplied at many parties, allowing naïve freshmen to drink too much, too fast, which can cause terrible sickness. I believe the sale of alcoholic beverages at Starbucks on campus is an ill-fated, thoughtless idea and an addition that should not be implemented on our campus.
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Scene on campus
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THE HOOK-UP CULTURE: THE NEW MONOGAMY Written by Jay Juster
In a world where everyone is an advertisement, TV commercial/show, accidental Google search, or mouse-click away from porn, sex (or some fantasy along those lines) is the first, second, and third thing on our minds for most of the day.The last report done in 1994 suggested that 54% of men think about sex daily or several times a day, but I can only guess that the 20 year interim involving the internet and television porn explosion has changed things a little.Remember that ‘men think about sex every seven seconds’ myth? Well, it’s starting to hold some truth because of the instant access to sex and sexy things we have at all times. I mean, look at all these apps dedicated to sex: Tinder. This application is a hand-held version of ‘Hot or Not,’ where you scroll through photos and profiles of the opposite sex and indicate whether you find the person sex-worthy with the swipe of your thumb. When the other person reciprocates interest, you can start chatting and eventually meet up. The best part of this application is that you don’t have to know the potential sex-candidate. Your options are based on your location relative to theirs. Down (a.k.a Bang With Friends). Like Tinder except more narrow. You tag the Facebook friends you’d want to sleep with and you’ll be notified if/when you are
tagged by them, as well.
Blendr. More explicitly about sex. Blendr matches you up with other singles in your postcode who are immediately good to go. Vibease. This one’s for the ladies who are tired of getting harassed by all of the creeps on the aforementioned apps. Utilizing cutting edge teledildonics (yes, teledildonics!), the app syncs an erotic narrative to a vibrator that responds to the specifics of the story. Not to mention that applications like Pure, the Dating Ring, Grouper, and others can be used for ‘dating.’ But, come on, who are we kidding? These dates almost inevitably lead to sex or something more serious. In reality, these ‘dating’ apps are just easy ways to make the whole ‘one thing led to another’ justification let us all feel less weird about porking perfect strangers. Apparently, however, this casual “hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but you’re on Tinder, so let’s make babies” mentality is the contribution that the Millennial generation gets to make to the sexual revolution. To put things into perspective, Tinder has made over 50 Million matches out of 4.5 Billion total ratings, Down has over 100,000 installs, and Blendr, over 500,000, on the Android alone! In fact, this collective attitude found in college students, and young adults more broadly, has spawned a unique label for our dating scene: “The Hook-Up Culture.” Millennials are more open to new sexual experiences with new people than any other generation. In fact, we are having more sex than anyone since the 60s, and we have found ways to not have unwanted kids! And, what’s better, Millennials now have unique avenues for making even casual encounters turn into lusty sex flings. We can sext, send racy full-body photos, find each other at any time of day, and, if all else fails, booty call. The best part of this sexual revolution? We carry around the handy technology at the center of it in our pockets: our cellphones. We are constantly accessible and one “what’s up” message away from a sexual encounter that would’ve otherwise required those two to be in the same room or long-distance correspondence. (Remember Pride and Prejudice? HA!) Our private parts are becoming public parts. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The stigmas surrounding sex, sex work, homosexuality and fetishes are lessening It’s evolutionarily adaptive. Female chimpanzees and the females of other animals have sex many times, and with many males before having a single baby. May the fittest sperm win it, right? People are more willing to explore their sexuality rather than repressing or feeling ashamed of it As I’ve written before, Research suggests watching porn and having sex are actually great things for your health and happiness In what other era of time could I meet a girl on the street, gather some intangible data on how to contact her directly regardless of distance, and then have sex with an extremely low chance of contracting any STDs or having a baby. This combination is the perfect sexual storm. What else could make things easier? (Besides nudism becoming a universal trend) As a recent Rolling Stone article points out, this hook-up culture breeds a new kind of monogamy where two people commit to a primary relationship, and maybe even live together, but agree to sleep with other people on the side, as well. I love how Rolling Stone expresses this new sexual arrangement: “Millennials are pioneers in their own right, navigating a wide-open sexual terrain that no previous generation has encountered – one with more opportunity, but also more ambiguity.” That’s right, Millennials! Screw those other pioneers who sailed across the Atlantic or landed on the Moon, we are exploring dimensions of sexuality Hugh Hefner could only dream about. We are reaching peaks of pleasure that dwarf Mt. Everest! And all from the comfort of a warm bed. Damn, it feels good to be a Millennial.
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Scene on campus
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ALPHA GAMMA DELTA: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
When I received my first email from Alpha Gamma Delta, I honestly had no clue what was going on
I skimmed over the key phrases such as “new Panhellenic sorority,” and “live with purpose,” and though I was confused, I was interested.
KRISTEN GARRETT
Alpha Gamma Delta Kristen is a freshman studying theatre. You may contact her at garrettk@usc.edu.
I set up a time to get coffee with someone in Alpha Gamma Delta, and since then, I was hooked. I never really saw myself as joining a sorority—I viewed myself as having too many little idiosyncrasies to really fit in with a house. So I was pleasantly surprised when, on bid day, I found myself really clicking with my sorority sisters. I also loved how exciting everything was: we were the new house on the block, and it was refreshing to tell people I was in Alpha Gamma Delta and not have them pre-associate me with any stereotypes, because there weren’t any. People didn’t (and maybe still don’t) know what to make of us. Last semester we primarily focused on re-establishing our chapter and initiation, which was no small feat, but this semester we really started coming into our own (and into our house, which is a huge plus). Though the house isn’t officially done yet, we’re able to use it for most of our sorority events, including Monday Night Dinners and Chapter Meetings. Sisters are moving in next semester, so the house will be open full time starting in the fall. We had a round of Spring Recruitment, and we’re initiating a group of new members soon (which is really exciting for me as a Big Sis to one of our new members), and we’re participating in Formal Recruitment in the fall. So those are the logistics, the facts. But that’s not really the important part of Alpha Gam to me. Our motto is “live with purpose,” and that’s what I think we do. My sorority sisters are some of the most accomplished and passionate women I have ever met, and they’re heavily involved in other organizations outside of AGD, from USG to dance troupes. Not to mention that almost every sister in the house has some sort of leadership role in Alpha Gam: I’m a freshman, and I’m on the Philanthropy committee and I’m a Junior Panhellenic Delegate—and I’m not even living in the house next year, so that’s excluding any potential executive positions I could have if I chose to live in (I’m looking at you Junior year). Alpha Gam heavily encourages leadership, involvement, and accountability—I’m still working on that last one, but I like to think I’m getting more accountable because of being in Alpha Gamma Delta. And then there are my sisters. My beautiful, intelligent, warm, crazy, lovely sisters. Never before have I felt so much support from such a diverse and strong
group of ladies in my entire life. Not only do they put up with my crazy (and as my friends will tell you, there’s a lot of crazy to put up with), but they embrace it. Every time I go in our house, I know I’m going to be greeted with a hug and someone sincerely asking about my day, which is invaluable for someone who’s actual family is thousands of miles away. I didn’t think I would find people who would mesh with my offbeat and occasionally dark sense of humor, but I’ve managed to find a whole house full of them, and for that, I’m so incredibly lucky. So that’s it. A brief, rambling, incomplete overview of Alpha Gamma Delta from one girl’s point of view. I can’t wait for Formal Recruitment, and to meet potential new members who could become a part of this wonderful family of mine. Alpha Gam has truly become one of the best, if not the best, experience I’ve had so far at USC, so it’s exciting to see the sorority growing and coming into its own. So look out for us, USC, because we’ve got big things coming.
12 500 words on
A SUMMER AT USC
Alyssa writes about what great opportunities are available to students over the summer. For those who don’t want to go home, there’s plenty to do right here on campus over the summer.
Summer is just around the corner, and although everyone’s excited to be done with exams, a lot of students aren’t excited to leave SC. Thankfully, there are many ways for people to stay connected to the Trojan Family during this summer season! If you can’t picture departing from USC’s beautiful campus, perfect weather
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and stellar academics for three whole months, there are many options for living nearby in LA to take a summer class.
PAULINA ASSAF
Delta Delta Delta
Paulina is a freshman that is Registration for undecided. You may contact her at summer courses at SC passaf@usc.edu. occurs at the end of the semester and if one didn’t want to take a class at USC, there are many nearby community colleges. Most fraternities on the row rent out rooms during the summer for students to live in and are typically reasonably priced. There are also many apartments near campus, such as West 27th, the Lorenzo, Gateway, etc., where students sublease rooms when they take a summer abroad or go home.
If these options don’t seem appealing, students received information about living in student housing over the summer and can apply to live on campus on the USC housing website. Students who attend other colleges sometimes live around SC during the summer, so it’s a good opportunity to meet other students from surrounding areas. If you want to stay connected to SC over the summer, but not take a class, there are many job opportunities the university and LA have to offer. The USC career center has walk-in appointments available to help students improve their resume, find local jobs and internships in the area, and discover jobs and internships that have locations near student’s hometowns as well as Los Angeles. On campus jobs are also a possibility for those who stay in the area since the Lyon center, Campus center and other buildings are open for operation. In addition to work and school, there are many other exciting things to take advantage of in LA. There are Facebook groups for SC summer events and parties for help finding cheap, fun things to do. Fraternities host weekly events, The Grove has free music events, Exposition Park has free movie screenings, beaches have bonfires, and many other places in the LA are having fun things to do. 1iota. com allows people to get free concert tickets, screening tickets, etc. in the LA area. With a little bit of research and preparation, there are endless places and activities to explore around USC in the summer time. All in all, if you haven’t gotten enough of the Trojan Family during the school year, you might want to consider staying at school to take a class, get a job, or just have a fun summer experience.
Humor
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13
TOP 10 MOST ANNOYING THINGS YOU CAN DO TO YOUR FRIEND’S PHONE 1 . Ty p e
in
6. Put it in airplane mode and put the brightness all the way down.
his
passcode combination wrong enough times for the phone to lock. 2. Download and
JAY JUSTER Phi Sigma Kappa
Jay is a junior studying psychology. You may contact him at Juster@usc.edu.
set up a profile on Blendr 3. Change the ringtone to moaning noises. 4. Change the background. To something...inappropriate. 5. Put all of his applications in various, randomly named folders.
Extra points if they don’t know how to fix the brightness and try to turn off and on their phone because they think it’s off. 7. Change the names of important contacts. Or send them sexy/hilarious messages. I like the hit on someone’s father idea. 8. Change the time zone settings. 9. Remember those classic stickers that look like broken glass? Buy something like that and stick it to their front screen. 10. Add several keyboards. They will have to scroll through 20 options each time they want to switch between emoji and English, and vice versa.
14 RESPONSE TO GQ’S “10 REASONS WHY Humor
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YOU SHOULD QUIT WATCHING PORN”
About two weeks ago, GQ published an article entitled “10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Watching Porn,” which discussed the results of a recent Reddit survey of the members of their NoFap sub-community. To give some background, the NoFap community represents a safe haven for people seeking support for porn addiction or committing to stop watching porn for at least a week.These Fapstronauts, as they are called, share advice, personal experiences and articles relating to porn and how to escape its treacherous, sexy clutches. According to UrbanDictionary.com, the term “Fap” is the “onomatopoeic representation of masturbation” (the sound made when masturbating), which is why NoFap suggests abstinence. The Fapstronauts willingly engage in this period of celibacy in pursuit of the ultimate goal: “the surge,” a peak in energy, vitality, libido, and overall happiness that occurs after one to two weeks. I commend anyone who exercises self-discipline and sets their mind to achieving a goal, especially when that goal includes resisting their fundamental biological impulses and avoiding, according to projectknow.com, the 420 million pornographic web pages. That takes a whole new level of dedication. Mind over masturbation at its finest. The reason I find fault with the GQ article comes, primarily, from my education as a psychology major and preoccupation with science, rather than sensationalism. I think you’ll see what I mean as I refute each point. 1. For those addicted to porn, arousal actually declined with the same mate, while those who regularly found different mates were able to continual their arousal. It’s known as the Coolidge Effect, or novelty-seeking behavior. Porn, after all, trains the viewer to expect constant newness. However, the Coolidge Effect has nothing to do with porn addiction. The effect is a widely known phenomenon that applies to everyone and even other animals. Back in 1956, researchers Beach and Jordan were studying how male rats, seemingly exhausted after copulating copiously with a particular female, would suddenly get right back to thrusting when a new female was placed in their cage. And this makes perfect sense for people, as well. Why do couples need to spice things up in the bedroom? The reason, according to Eliane Hatfield, PhD., who’s been studying love for over 40 years, is that “romantic, passionate love is fleeting... Passionate love provides a high, like drugs, and you can’t stay high forever.” Thus, this “novelty-seeking behavior” is present in healthy, married people, as well as porn addicts. That’s why the divorce rates are so high! The urge is ubiquitous because it’s actually the inevitable consequence of finding a steady sexual partner. 2. One in five people who regularly watch porn admitted to feeling controlled by their own sexual desires. Considering that this is apparently an article trying to demonize watching porn, I’d like to point out how apparently only 20 percent of the people actually fit the definition of being addicted to porn. Addiction, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance.” In this case, the habit-forming substance is porn (or masturbation, more specifically) and apparently only one in five people actually form the habit to the point that they are controlled by it. Furthermore, I’ll take this opportunity to remind the reader that the people being studied represent a very specific group of individuals. Since this study has a limited scope, it’s extremely likely that the actual ratio of people who become addicted to porn, compared to the number of people who watch porn is much lower than 20 percent. I mean, these people are putting in a lot of effort to join a sub-community on Reddit in order to fix a giant problem in their lives, right? How many non-alcoholics do you see attending AA meetings? Better yet, how many alcoholics do you see at AA who haven’t experienced a life-altering catastrophe as a result of drinking? 3. Twelve percent of NoFappers report watching five or more hours of Internet porn every week; 59 percent report watching between four and 15 (!) hours of porn every week. This statistic is actually surprising. You would expect the people who are trying to quit masturbating to stop watching porn altogether. Or at least cut back from two hours a day! What ever happened to leading by example? Furthermore, if 12 percent report watching five or more hours of porn and 59 percent report watching between four and 15 hours, then 47 percent of these Fapstronauts must be watching exactly four hours of porn every week. That means they are keeping space logs of their sexplorations. Or, at least, they are timing themselves. 4. Almost 50 percent of those on NoFap have never had sex in their lives, meaning their only experience with intimacy is purely digital. Again, I can only stress just how unique these people are and how it makes no sense to draw conclusions that apply to the rest of the population based on these findings. 5. Forty-two percent of male college students report visiting porn sites regularly. This is exactly why you should start and/or continue watching porn. Clearly, all the cool kids are doing it when they aren’t throwing parties and having real sex. And, if you
want to stay cool, you need to have meaningful contributions to the conversation when Ron Jeremy, Peter North, Alexis Texas, Keisha or even the topic of favorite sex positions comes up. Who cares if you’ve never actually performed the Mongolian Smurf or didn’t actually hook up with that person last night? 6. Fifty-three percent of the NoFappers developed a regular porn habit between the ages of 12 and 14. An alarming 16 percent said they started watching before they were 12. Why is any of this information “alarming?” There are 420 million websites relating to porn and most parents just give their kids open access to the entire internet through a computer or smart phone. I’d be more surprised if there was a statistic that people hadn’t seen any porn before the age of 14. According to Anna Arrowsmith, pornography is a great way to learn about the human body in the absence of proper sexual education. Most people learn about the locations of the female clitoris, G-spot and A-spot through porn, especially the lesbian ones. Personally, I would’ve loved for my sex ed curriculum in middle school to involve all the top 10 videos on YouPorn’s website. I can guarantee you that class would have had my undivided attention. 7. Sixty-four percent report that their tastes in porn have become more extreme or deviant. Here’s a fun fact: in 2008, researchers Hald and Malamuth discovered that “respondents construed the viewing of hardcore pornography as beneficial to their sex lives, their attitudes towards sex, their perceptions and attitudes towards members of the opposite sex, toward life in general, and over all.” Additionally, they found that watching more hardcore pornography increased the extent of this effect! Similarly, Milton Diamond reported in 2009, after reviewing several previous pornography studies, that as people watched more sex scenes their tendency to commit sex crimes drastically decreased. So, if people start meandering down Robert Frost’s proverbial road less travelled, they might actually be happier as a result. Why? Maybe because by watching these fetishized sexual acts, you learn to come to terms with what you find appealing and attractive. How much easier is it to accept that you find feet incredibly sexual when there are hundreds of videos glorifying them? You no longer need to hide behind a veil of normalcy and a preference for vanilla sex. 8. Among 27 to 31 year olds on NoFap, 19 percent suffer from premature ejaculation, 25 percent are disinterested in sex with their partner, 31 percent have difficulty reaching orgasm and 34 percent experience erectile dysfunction. According to Men’s Fitness, the statistics of the overall population of men who “suffer” from premature ejaculation is 33 percent. That’s right. And other sources agree that about one in three men deal with this condition. The 25 percent who are disinterested in sex with their partner are probably also, in part, the virgins who are afraid of crossing that line and would rather stick with the comfort of their hand and some lotion. Either that, or they need to find a new partner who is more appealing. Of the 31 percent who have difficulty reaching orgasm, I wonder how many are women. They are notoriously hard to get off. On the other hand, the men who have trouble reaching orgasm are probably dealing with some kind of shame or anxiety about the thought of masturbation. I mean, why else would they subscribe to a site all about liberating you from addictive internet bosoms? To the 34 percent who experience erectile dysfunction: you are not alone. According to the researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, erectile dysfunction affects 18 millions men over the age of 20 in America, alone. 9. After committing to no masturbation/porn, 60 percent of those on NoFap felt that their sexual functions had improved. What sexual functions? I thought most of these people were virgins. Of course you will feel 100 times more horny and get hard with ease if you don’t masturbate for a week. That’s about as revolutionary as saying you’re appetite will improve if you starve yourself for a week. 10. Sixty-seven percent had an increase in energy levels as well as productivity. Duh! They stopped lying in a bed and staring at a screen for two hours every day. I sure hope that they could get more done with all that free time. That almost meets the requirements for a clinically depressed person. The best part of this article is that the author ends it by saying, “While the evidence may not be scientifically thorough, there’s certainly enough to suggest that porn has a negative impact on our lives.” Well, I hope that my response has been scientifically thorough enough to persuade you that porn is actually a positive, beneficial activity that can enrich your life and relationships as long as you don’t lie in bed for two hours every day watching it. But, that goes for about anything. Seriously, if you lie in bed for two hours a day doing anything, except maybe sleeping, then you need to reevaluate your priorities and spend some time outside.
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