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THE GREEK GODS
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QUEER PSI FOR THE STRAIGHT CHI
TEXAS TOAST
Exploring the Politics Behind the Possibility
The Emergence & Success of LGBTQ Greek Life
Cracker Barrel: Chicken Fried Great
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GREEK GODS
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SPRING BREAK IN CUBA
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BIG & LITTLE
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RUSHING RULE ETIQUETTE
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50. QUEER PSI FOR THE STRAIGHT CHI
DAY IN THE LIFE
THE EMERGENCE AND SUCCESS OF LGBTQ GREEK LIFE
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TEXAS TOAST
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MUNCHIES
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WHAT’S YOUR MAJOR
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RANT
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NUTTY PROFESSOR
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR // by: mark stenberg WHAT WOULD YOUR LAST MEAL BE?
FOUNDER: GAL SHWEIKI
GREEK ISSUE The Greek issue, to the bustling thinktank of whipsmart writers and designers at Study Breaks, is a wrinkle in content. For one month only, we focus exclusively on one demographic and their college experience. The choice stems from practicality, as in August the only people on campus are there because they’re involved with Rush or Greek Life. So it makes sense to write content relevant to the only people available to read it. And although the rationale behind the content is business, the blip of specialization creates a unique phenomenon. The Greek issue becomes very intimate for the writers because it’s like we’re sharing a secret with the Greek community, like we’re in this together. Y’all are the only people on campus and we write an on-campus magazine— it’s like being at a bar with only one other person. So, consider this issue our way of buying you a drink from across the room. Maybe you turn around and see us raising our hand in a tentative wave. You give a little smile and look down at your beer. It’s cheap because you can’t invest too much in these kinds of olive branches. But you think to yourself, “Hey, we’re the only people here. Why not?” You come over to the pool table because we’re playing pool to lessen the depressing aspect of drinking for one. We teasingly ask what you’re doing here alone. You playfully respond that we could ask you the same thing. We grin and offer a game of pool, sheepishly admitting that we’re not good. You say neither are we, and smile. Then the scene fades into black as the movie transitions. It’s three years later and we’re engaged but having the most serious fight of our relationship. The interaction in the bar was how we first met, but it’s too painful to think about. Suddenly a door bursts open: Study Breaks apologizes for ever writing content for other demographics, wondering why things can’t just be the way they used to be. You look at us with tears in your eyes. We’re crying too. “I wish we could just go back to that night at the bar,” you say. “Back to how things were when we first met.” We grab you by the shoulders. “It can be like that,” we say. “It can be.” You smile and the camera slowly pans out as outro music begins playing. Something by “She and Him” comes comes on, optimistic so moviegoers can’t say for sure that we’re getting back together, but it’s heavily implied by the final moments. An alternate ending has us getting married at the bar where we met. The movie is a blockbuster, outpacing combined gross sales of Avatar, Gone with the Wind and Titanic–just on the first day. The movie is nominated and awarded the Oscar for Movie of the Year. Critics shake their head, whispering that cinema will never be the same after this, and the movie is simply a masterful portrayal of the human condition. We just look at each other, smiling.
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STUDY BREAKS magazine is published twelve times per year by Shweiki Media, Inc. copyright 2012. All rights reserved. This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented without written permission from the publisher. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents of this magazine or of the trademarksof Study Breaks Magazine,
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TEXAS, O’ TEXAS //by: mark stenberg
GREEK LIFE SIDE NOTE:
ALCOHOL LAWS The interesting thing about Texas alcohol laws is that it would be inaccurate to call them—as a whole—conservative. The state actually has an interesting mix of remarkably old-fashioned and surprisingly liberal drinking rules. They are generally proTexan, pro-family and pro-Christian, which at times conflict. The result is a unique scattershot of contradictions that could only be found in Texas. For instance, several archaic Blue laws restrict when and where alcohol can be purchased in the state. Only liquor stores can sell liquor, a concept practiced by only twelve states throughout the country. These vestiges of hard alcohol cannot be open on Sundays, Thanksgiving, New Years Day or Christmas Day in a nod to both the Christian origins of many of the state laws as well as time-honored crowd control tactics. tactics. However, liquor can be consumed at restaurants on a Sunday before noon as long as the drink is paired with food. And—important college tip—liquor and alcohol consumption is legal at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday at sporting events, festivals or wineries, so just one more reason to attend music festivals. Beer and wine can be sold from 7:00 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. ‘til 1:00 on Saturday, and from noon to midnight on Sunday. Not so fast, though, as on Sunday no alcohol can be sold that exceeds 17 percent ABV. So certain mixers, wines and other concoctions—though non-liquor products—still fall into the realm of Tools of Satan and are verboten on Sundays. Texas’ infamous dry counties are another fan favorite. These counties are usually a byproduct of outdated laws and a lack of reason to update them. An important sidebar: wet county means all forms of alcohol consumption are illegal everywhere in the county. Dry county means all forms of alcohol consumption are illegal everywhere in the county. As a result, many counties are mixed, allowing alcohol consumption laws to differ area to area. Take Irion County where only beer is legal, or Rush County where beer, wine and mixed beverages are permitted, but only in restaurants. Upon close inspection, Texas begins to resemble a giant Rubik’s Cube of different combinations of alcohol laws: fun for a time but ultimately frustrating and only solvable by nerds. The flip side of Texas’ antiquated drinking laws, like the uncle who only parties when his wife’s not around, are quite fun. For instance, Texas is one of only ten states in which parents can purchase alcohol for
Currently 43 of America’s 50 largest corporations are headed by fraternity alumni. Every U.S. President and Vice President, except two in each office, were members of a fraternity. The first female Senator was Greek. All Apollo 11 astronauts were Greek. 40 of 47 Supreme Court Justices since 1910 were in fraternities.
minors so long as they are visibly present. Johnny Manziel brought this gem of a law to the public’s attention when he was harangued for visiting Avenu Lounge in Dallas with his parents. Despite the bad press, Mr. Football broke no Texas laws as parents can buy their children alcohol at any age in Texas. Another group of legal underage-drinking enablers, spouses, can share a drink thanks to a similar loophole. So long as one half of the marital duo is of legal drinking age, they take guardianship for their partner and can legally buy them drinks. While it’s not author-recommended, marrying an older spouse is perhaps the quickest way to underage drinking, though it does entail spending a lifetime with that person. The rules get even more alternative. Some alcohol prohibitions exist in Texas that many of its citizens are unaware of, only noticing when their purchase of booze is obstructed. For instance, some counties that are dry such as Houston Heights circumvent the rules by forming “drinking clubs.” These clubs are the only legal way to consume alcohol in the county. The registration, however, consists of merely presenting a driver’s license, which bars require anyway. As a result, many citizens of Houston Heights have drank for years without knowing their county is legally dry.
In perhaps the most uniquely Texan drinking proposition, the sale of alcohol at gun shows was proposed in 2014. This law would have combined beer and firearms, the symbols on the unofficial Texas coatof-arms. Unfortunately, voters struck down the law over fears of possible accidents, dealing a body blow to the American dream. There is consolation, at least, in knowing that a ban on drinking beer while floating rivers was deemed unconstitutional by a state district court, providing heartening evidence that there is still cause for hope in the Lone Star State. So, while Texas may boast some of the more buzz-killing alcohol laws in the country, they counterbalance the sobriety of Sundays with the freedom to drink with your parents. And while sales of alcohol stop at midnight, underage spouses can drink all night if they marry the right person. Drinking in Texas ends up being a gamble—which in Texas may be legally paired with alcohol in bet-free games. Occasionally, the odd dry-county laws or a weird Sunday 17 percent snafu will ruin a night, but the drivethru daiquiris, beer-laden river floats and hope of alcohol at gun shows do more than their fair share to make drinking in Texas pretty fun.
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CAMPUS CRUSH //by: mark stenberg
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO MICHELLE
VARGAS hometown: El Paso, TX major: Biology AGE: 22 relationship status: SINGLE height: 5’ 6”
FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM @Micheeellllleee
Favorite Movie:
Sex and the City. Getting ready song:
determined and hardworking, likes movie nights and occasional party nights, definitely tall, loves pizza, queso and popcorn.
“Lean On” by Major Lazer. One thing to do by the end of 2015:
Ride the new Batman roller coaster at Six Flags. Dream Job:
Having my own pharmacy practice where I am able to compound and discover new pharmaceutical drugs that can cure today’s diseases.
8 legged freaks aka spiders. Proudest moment:
Pet peeve:
Getting a 123 on my Organic Chemistry Exam!
When people don’t clean up after themselves.
Best part about Rush:
Zodiac Sign:
Walking into a room full of women who are excited to see me.
Aquarius. Charity of Choice: Dogs or Cats:
American Red Cross.
Dogs for life. Quote I live by: Hidden Talent:
Ideal guy:
Phobia:
Definitely designed with zero talents!
Dorky, funny, willing to deal with my crazy self, holds ambitions for himself,
5 FUN FACTS Sometime in the future I want to own a pet duck named Albert. ••••• I absolutely love Chemistry! ••••• I have a SMALL OBSESSION with shoes. ••••• My dream is to live in Italy. ••••• Offer me food and you can get me to do almost anything.
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“Learn to be happy with what you have, while you pursue all that you want.” – Jim Rohn
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CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT //by: vanessa delgado
JAMES MORIARTY, 21 Hometown: Helotes, TX Major: Criminal Justice College: UTSA Instagram: @M45t3rjames Like a lot of college students, James Moriarty was getting himself through the semester waiting tables in restaurants. After enduring a couple of years serving countless margaritas to countless people, Moriarty began looking for job that would give him more relevant experience toward his future career. Today, James helps children in need as a Residential Specialist at Roy Maas Youth Alternatives in San Antonio. RMYA is a center that aids children in crisis by giving them a safe haven from negative situations. There, specialists work with kids and their families to help them end abuse. Moriarty works directly with kids to help them manage their behavior, in addition to acting as a positive role model for them. James does everything
If you want to get from providing crisis management and involved with RMYA and playing basketball, to administering help children in need, serious first aid. By acting as a source of contact Jennifer Farias stability to kids all over the city, James at (830) 816-2425 to gets a lot of satisfaction from his job. “I set up an interview. To volunteer, you must be love the feeling you get when you know at least 18 years of age, you’ve reached someone,” says Moriarty. must pass a criminal “I love being a role model and teaching history check and must someone something that will help them pass a drug screening. later in life.” As a Criminal Justice Major, Moriarty has used the knowledge he’s learned as a senior at UTSA to help the kids, helping him better understand how to work with children affected by crime. Kids he works with are afflicted by uncertainty and poverty, which leads them to resort to crime. By acting as a mentor, Moriarty works to keep kids out of trouble and in good environments. He’s also learned the virtue of patience when dealing with children who lash out. “A child who is upset often says and does things that they don’t mean,” Moriarty says,” and many of them are on juvenile probation.” He’s learned in class how to deal with troubled kids properly and in a positive manner, explaining how important it is to keep your cool. “Acting out of anger or frustration just reinforces those negative reactions for the child, as well as breaks the rapport you’re trying to build with each one.” At his job, the kids James meets have different stories, come from various backgrounds and have unique personalities. Some have behavioral issues while others rough home situations: for both, James is often the only person who can build relationships with them, enabling them to create better futures for themselves. Like an older brother or a counselor, James spends time with each kid, helping them gain confidence, self-esteem and trust. His role in their lives empowers them to rise above their situations.
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UTILITIES INCLUDED
TENNIS COURT
CABLE/SAT INCLUDED
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FAKE OR CAMPUS WATCH // by: jacquelyn wingo
FAKE? CAMPUS WATCH OR
THEFT: A bicycle was stolen from the bike racks after being secured with a self-locking cable lock. The student subject who stole the bicycle was asked why he did it and replied, “Finders keepers.” The bike was later found underneath a bridge and was missing handlebars. The subject said he was making a new music video for the song “Handlebars,” but was clearly trying to be clever. Occurred 1:45 PM.
Students do stupid things in college, and sometimes the police get involved. In this section, we have three actual police reports of student antics and three fake reports. Think you can tell the difference?
PUBLIC INTOXICATION: A nonstudent subject was reported as lying in the roadway. Responding officers located the subject on the sidewalk. The subject showed several signs of intoxication and was directed to call a friend to assume care, custody and control of him. When the officer asked the subject who he was going to call, the subject, without hesitation, replied, “Ghostbusters!” Fortunately, the subject did not release any ectoplasm during the encounter. Sadly, the subject’s ability to contact a friend was not as quick as his wit and he was taken into custody. The particle accelerator proton beams did not cross as the subject was placed into the trap. The subject was then transported to an Ecto Containment System to await sobriety. Occurred 3:23 AM.
WANT TO SUBMIT? If you have a funny story that involves student/police involvement, shoot Study Breaks an email at mark@studybreaks.com. Or if you want to send us made-up ones, go ahead—we’ll try and determine which are real and fake, so the game never ends…
CRIMINAL TRESPASS WARNING: A security guard located a slumbering nonstudent subject on the south side of the building. The subject obviously woke on the wrong side of the bed when the police arrived as he became increasingly angry during the investigation. The subject acerbically took the written criminal trespass warning and placed it down the front of his britches (pants for all the non-Texans out there). Occurred 2:10 AM.
PUBLIC INTOXICATION: A male student and female nonstudent subjects were running through the 2nd floor of dorm halls loudly shouting and hanging on dorm bedroom doors. Both ran from responding officers for five minutes and hid in trash cans. The chase continued in the staircase when the male student subject tripped and fell down a flight of stairs. When taken into custody they frantically cried and apologized for their mischief and disrupting the sleeping students on the floor. Occurred 2:30 AM.
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PUBLIC INTOXICATION /THEFT/ POSSESSION OF MISC. SUBSTANCE: A nonstudent subject, who was attending a high school graduation, was reported as having stolen two bags of cotton candy, two caramel apples and two snow cones. The subject was found seated inside section, 47 staring into the crowd and ingesting the fruits of the crime. The subject showed several signs of intoxication, including an inability to maintain her balance and a distinct stain on her pants that was not believed to have been caused by the caramel apples. The subject was under the influence of an intoxicant to the point she was deemed to have been a danger to herself and others. The subject was also found to be in possession of two prescription medications that were not prescribed to her. Occurred 4:15 PM.
HARASSMENT: A female staff member subject, who wanted a personal relationship with a male staff member, had sent several unwanted text messages, phone calls and e-mails to the staff member’s phone and e-mail address. When male staff member confronted the staff member about the issue she agreed to comply but continued anyway. Occurred between March of 2014 and June of 2015.
BOOK CLUB: THE STONE DIARIES //by: klarissa fitzpatrick
THE STONE DIARIES by Carol Shields In this carefully structured meditation on the biographical form, author Carol Shields invites her readers to reflect on the socalled meaningful stages of life: birth, childhood, adolescence, marriage, sorrow, ease, death. Though the novel identifies as a biography, Shields subverts the genre with her subtly sensual style, and forces a reflection on what constitutes an accomplishment. The subject of her biography, Daisy, floats through life without agency or drive. Life seems to happen to her, though it seems a series of non-events. Her mother, abnormally fat, dies during childbirth. The death leaves her husband, Cuyler, grief-stricken and incapable of caring for a newborn. Their neighbor Clarentine Flett steps in, leaving her husband and taking Daisy without notice or permission to live with her and her son Barker, a botanist who later marries Daisy in a strangely unincestuous twist. Death follows: before Daisy is a teenager, a biker (that’s a bicycle rider, by the way) runs down Clarentine. Shipped back to her father, Daisy dutifully follows the path set before her: school, marriage (cut short when her husband drunkenly tips out of an open window and splats on the cobblestone courtyard below), remarriage, motherhood, and finally, the slow detendre of life.
Shields weaves in characters whose odd pursuits—such as the building of a stone tower, or the single-minded quest to collect every species in a floral genus—highlight the emptiness of Daisy’s life. They demonstrate the subtle power of having an occupation, however inane. Fighting the flatness of life by nurturing their quirks becomes the characters’ only defense against the grind of pragmatic concerns. In the end, the fruits of their labors—a stone tower memorial, a collection of flowers, a replica (sadly, not to scale) of an Egyptian pyramid—either disintegrate or are deemed worthless. The one spark in Daisy’s life comes from one such hobby, a gardening column that consumes her after her husband’s death. Her love for her job could be interpreted as a feminist plug, coming as it does in the middle of a mid-century housewife’s life story. But, as she undercuts the biographical genre, Shields undercuts a potentially reductive feminist interpretation. Daisy’s father, who made his fortune as only a man living in the 20th century could (hard work, good luck, booming postwar economy) shares her feeling that an accomplishment only has as much meaning as you give it. Biographers write biographies to honor great accomplishments. Shields presents the story of a woman who, even in her own opinion, does not live a life worth commemorating. Don’t let fear of an anticlimax steer you away from this novel. For a college student, plagued by the suffocating need to find life’s purpose, Daisy’s absolute lack of motivation to pursue her purpose results in a powerfully motivating work worth reading.
EXTINCT THIS MONTH: Free Music Spotify’s paying membership base is increasing. Pandora paid out almost half a billion dollars in artist royalties last year. Drizzy signed with Apple Music and exclusively released the music video for “Energy” on it. Even Jay-Z threw his hat in the ring with Tidal, the doomed music streaming system for the aristocracy. Music historians are going to mark this year as the moment the music industry found a way to get people paying again, and surprisingly—no one seems that mad about it.
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TEXAS TOAST //by: mark stenberg //photos: ian friedel
The Real
CRACKER BARREL AUGUST 2015 | 14 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
CRACKER BARREL Cracker Barrel, the wooden temple to pioneer kitsch from the Homestead Act, stands thankfully alone in the restaurant canon. Few eating establishments have their own country store attached, and even fewer move rocking chairs, Paula Deen memoirs and children’s clothing in such volume. The porch of the restaurant— constantly abuzz with seniors destroying their grandchildren in games of oversized checkers—is the spot to sit while waiting to be seated. On Sundays, the post-church crowd can hike wait-times to over an hour. Understandably though, as Cracker Barrel offers not only eye candy and real candy, but delicious, comforting food candy. The kitchen serves their breakfast menu all day, and as a child my family was no stranger to their value-sized platters of American breakfast foods, such as my brother’s white whale–the Country Boy Breakfast. More personal conquest than breakfast, the smorgasborg features country ham, pork chops or steak, three eggs, fried apples or hash browns, grits, gravy and buttermilk biscuits with butter, jam and apple butter for $9.49. Cracker Barrel remains one of the only restaurants in the city that consistently defeated my family’s plate-cleaning attempts, and at below ten dollars per head. While my family frequented for breakfast, we were in the dark to the delights of the downhome supper. As one bulging, Monday evening parking lot could attest to, they are no secret to the Cracker Barrel community. No specials, no discounts, no particular incentive brought in these hordes of gravyseeking diners—just another night at this hallowed bastion of antebellum food. Outside, children flit around the patio while comatose adults teeter in rocking chairs. Inside the Country Store, banjo–twanging tweedy music played, the soundtrack to the strange carnival of hyper-retro consumerism. Service, as could be expected in the restaurant that southern hospitality built, was impeccable. Servers, bussers, hosts, cashiers and floating anti-theft personnel all greeted our party AUGUST 2015 | 15 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
with welcomes and sent us away with thank-you’s. Despite eating during the dinner rush, our food and drinks arrived quickly and at their appropriate temperatures. I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak ($10.29), which came with three sides of my choosing: Steak Fries, Cheese Grits and Cucumber, Tomato n’ Onion Salad. My eating companions ordered the Pecan Crusted Catfish Fillet ($7.69) with Steak Fries, and the Momma’s French Toast Breakfast ($7.99) with Eggs and Sausage. Biscuits, cornbread, jam and butter accompanied the Catfish entrée, and we all ordered water. The Chicken Fried Steak was next to perfect, as the breading was salty, garlicky and crunchy, and the Sawmill Gravy was hot, peppery and rich. The unavoidable gristle and chew of the cut only added to the dish, and I found myself extremely impressed with the execution of the southern staple. I disliked the Steak Fries, as their thick cut made each bite too starchy, more baked than fried potato. The Cheese Grits were abysmal—the worst thing on the table. The cheese completely failed to register, and while the texture
looked and felt right, the flavor was nonexistent. My favorite side, in a happy surprise, was the Tomato, Cucumber n’ Onion salad. Although the produce would win no blue ribbons, the cut of the vinegar worked deliciously against the richness of my other choices, and was a much-needed foil to the heavy, starchy motif of the restaurant. Another well-executed protein, the Catfish Fillet was cooked delicately, and the pecan crust–while likely a mask for the bland fish–was almost as sweet as a streusel, but needed to hit heavy in order for the fillet to resonate. I disliked his fries and the cornbread was dustbowl–dry, but the biscuits were impressive. Perhaps my favorite bite of the whole meal was the innards of a hot, soft, salty biscuit mopping up nearly coagulated gravy. Unfortunately, only two biscuits come per order, and were short work between three people. Finally, Momma’s French Toast Breakfast harkened back to the Cracker Barrel I knew–sickly sweet, swimming in melted butter and served with an individual bottle of pre-packed syrup (a practice I find incredibly wasteful). French toast often comes off tasting like scorched vanilla, and FUN FACT: these saturated sourdough slices fared no When playing checkers differently. The eggs were overcooked, but outside, establish game in the way most people want them, and the rules immediately. sausage was saccharine and unnaturally Some rules mandate circle shaped, per usual. It was all cooked that a vulnerable well, but the breakfast menu aims primarily checker must be jumped, while others to avoid offending anyone, cooking food leave the choice to conservatively in the way people expect. the potential jumper. All told, the price-point is reasonable Both players had better and the Country Store and eerie cowboy agree to one school memorabilia provide a source of constant of thought before this divisive situation stimulus. The service was chivalrous and occurs. efficient, and the execution of the proteins, biscuits and gravy impressed me. The Peg Game that sits on every table seems to represent the Cracker Barrel experience, in that it’s difficult to win, but coming close seems pleasant enough to bother.
AUGUST 2015 | 16 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
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GREEK GODS //by: alyssa padilla
DIONYSUS: THE PARTIER When it comes to parties, nobody comes close to the mythical god of the grape. Count on him being completely incommunicable all weekend, as he probably dropped his phone into three separate toilets, making dozens of new friends in the process whose names he can’t remember. No one knows how he hasn’t failed out of school, but he’d happily talk about it over a drink or two.
HADES: THE SELF-LOATHER The god of death and regret can usually be found half-dead on Sunday lamenting everything he did the night before. The sound of Hades bashing his head against the wall constantly echoes throughout the underworld, a bleak domain populated by mourning victims of keg stands and puke-damp bed sheets. Every morning that he wakes up with a hangover he swears he’s cutting back, and then kicks himself the next day for going out to celebrate cutting back.
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APOLLO:
HERA:
THE OVERACHIEVER The posterboy for the frat, this god triplemajors in engineering, business and premed, while volunteering in Haiti on the weekends and hand sewing blankets for the homeless from his own hair. While his housemates set up for a tailgate, he’s mailing hand-written resumes to every company in the Fortune 500 while streaming Ted Talks playing on fast forward. This is the brother who denies he joined the frat for the networking, but still thinks it’s a good idea for everyone to list what they think their address will be in ten years.
THE MRS. The goddess of marriage may be in a sorority, but the only letters she cares about are MRS. She’s always available to talk babies and nuptials, and her dating schedule is shrewdly designed to yield the quickest wedding possible. Hera’s always there to talk about relationship problems, provided the conversation eventually steers its way back to her. Once she finally bags a ring, you better believe the news will be streaming live on social media the second it happens.
ZEUS: THE PLAYER Whether he has to turn into a bull, swan or eagle it doesn’t matter–this guy will do anything to get the girl. He joined the frat hoping to get a discount on Trojans, and then realized that becoming President would be the ultimate aphrodisiac. Seated at the center of Olympus, the President’s thundering voice, thick facial hair and penchant for having children spring out of his mind make it impossible for the sorority girls to resist. He dates Hera for appearances, but everyone knows his family problems gave him trust issues— she accepts his promiscuity because she understands all too well that having a sibling-eating father really discourages commitment.
ARES: THE AGGRESSOR The classic aggressive drunk, this is the guy everyone at the party keeps tabs on, monitoring his alcohol consumption by counting the times they heard the sound a beer can crushing against a forehead. When he plays beer pong, everyone plays by his rules, allowing him as many shots as he says he gets. They put up with him because he’s the enforcer for the frat, like Bane in the George Clooney Batmans. Even though he’s a lot of trouble, the chapter feels a lot safer with him on their side.
HESTIA: THE SWEETHEART According to tradition, Hestia gave up her seat as one of the Twelve Olympians in favor of Dionysus. She’s just as likely to leave her room at the sorority house if her roommate tells her that she’s having someone over, because Hestia is the eternal sweetheart. She’s the sister baking cookies Friday night to give to all the girls who wake up on Saturday morning with their hearts broken, happily listening to their stories and doing everything she can to help. Plan Formal by herself? No problem, whatever the chapter needs. After all, Hestia joined her sorority because she just wants to love on girls, and she’ll probably end up being the house mom after she graduates, eventually arranging her life so she never has to leave the house at all.
POSEIDON: THE REDNECK There’s nothing the god of the sea, rivers and floods loves more than lacing up a pair of Sperry’s, throwing on a comfortable Columbia fishing shirt, slipping a pair of Ray Bans into their croakies and hitting the water. This god loves anything outdoors—fishing, hunting and boating most of all. Plus, he always has the clothes to match. He can be recognized instantly online by
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his picture with the big fish or the dead deer. To celebrate he’ll throw on a Guy Harvey polo, some khakis and a more formal pair of Sperry’s. Unless it’s hot, then Sperry’s sandals.
HERMES: THE SOCIAL CHAIR As the messenger god, nothing makes Hermes happier than hosting a really popular social event, whether it’s Mother-Son Weekend, Round Up or the Boats and Hoes party. Hermes is a social media god, constantly snapping or texting to try and drum up hype for the next party. He has thousands of friends on Instagram and is a celebrity within the Greek community, but he’s just a nice guy in person. The key to his success is constant publication, which means he is plugged in 24/7. The ladies think he’s really cute, but he has no time for a girlfriend because of his commitment to his position as social chair. The same goes for his male friends—he has no time to hang out because he’s too busy organizing hang outs.
HEPHAESTUS: THE FRAT GUY’S FRAT GUY Much like the comic’s comic or musician’s musician, Hephaestus didn’t rush for the girls, the parties or the networking—he just loves hanging out with his crew. He’ll go with them to parties and will get a date for the events, but he lives for the nights spent hanging out in the back drinking beer and telling stories. Nobody knows if he’s doing well in school, or anything about his family, or really anything about him in general, because he isn’t interested in talking about that kind of stuff. Hephaestus just wants to play washers and load a pinch with his brothers.
DO YOU KNOW A GREEK GOD THAT’S NOT ON THE LIST? Maybe your friend Persephone dated a really terrible guy for six months? If so, tweet @StudyBreaks with your suggestion and you might make it into our next magazine!
MUNCHIES: FRIED CHICKEN // by: mark stenberg
Austin
RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH:
24 DINER
P
atricia Sharpe, food critic for Texas Monthly, recently described 24 Diner as “comfort food for hipsters,” and unfortunately she’s not wrong. The tattooed waitresses, craft alcohol selection and culinary appropriation of the diner format—the most unapologetically uncool of eating establishments— all hint at its ironic aesthetic. Fortunately, chef Andrew Curren makes irony work for him. The menu at 24 Diner reads like a paean to heartland classics, featuring a Meatloaf Sandwich ($11.95), Patty Melt ($14.95), 24 Hash ($10.95) and Country Breakfast ($12.95). The craftsmanship behind the dishes, however, outs Curren’s ruse for the charade that it is: a sophisticated kitchen executing refined versions of classic dishes. And usually, when a chef has “reinterpreted” a cuisine, I “reinterpret” my decision to eat there, avoiding the harebrained concoctions of ambitious chefs. Not so with 24 Diner. Curren’s track record: 24 Diner, Easy Tiger, Arro and Italic speak to his consistency and his clairvoyance—every restaurant he opens is exactly what diners want six months before they know they want it. My favorite Fried Egg Sandwich in the city ($12.95) lives at 24 Diner, and their Chicken and Waffles ($10.95) has become one of Austin’s most iconic dishes. The restaurant is a perfect vision of the improbable dichotomies that the Austin food scene calls normal: new and old, ironic and serious, casual and sophisticated.
San Antonio:
Lubbock:
San Marcos:
CHATMAN’S CHICKEN
RAISING CANE’S
GILL’S FRIED CHICKEN
Chatman’s serves the most OG fried chicken not only on this list, but probably in the city of San Antonio. The ambiance is lack of ambiance, twelve gizzards run a paltry $5.09 and on special occasions they offer 100 pieces of dark meat for $65. Chatman’s offers affordable meal specials—everything for less than most chains restaurants, Plus their corn fritters and okra are astounding in their own right. It’s a little bit off the beaten path, but definitely worth the drive.
While other fried chicken spots exist in Lubbock, reliable sources indicated that Lubbock is run by Cane’s. This makes sense, because the Caniac Combo: fried chicken, Texas toast, French fries, cole slaw and Cane’s sauce, makes other combos eat lunch in the bathroom. Originally conceived as an alter to the pagan god of carbohydrates, competing with so many delicious things piled on one value plate verges on hysteria, so take the safe bet and give in. Also, they’re open late.
Gill’s is everything good about Chatman’s Chicken and Raising Cane’s, plus it has fish. The restaurant brings the unpolished charm aspect that haunts good greasy spoons, and their menu boasts immaculate fried catfish and beautiful biscuits, in addition to their attentiongrabbing chicken. For such a small town, San Marcos has a plethora of fried chicken options, none of which are bad—but for charm and quality, Gill’s stands out.
NOTABLE MENTION: The Chicken of the Future The University of Arkansas noted recently that the modern chicken grows three times faster than 60 years ago. If humans grew at a similar speed, a 6.6 lb. newborn baby would weigh 660 pounds after only two months.
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AUSTIN
SAN ANTONIO
LUBBOCK
13945 N. HWY. 183 STE. D122, ATX 100 PARKER DR. ROUND ROCK TX
9910 W. LOOP 1604 N. STE 113 7616 CULEBRA RD. STE 103 502 EMBASSY OAKS 11221 PERRIN BEITEL
7301 UNIVERSITY STE 400
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SPRING BREAK IN CUBA: EXPLORING THE POLITICS BEHIND THE POSSIBILITY //by: mark stenberg
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SPRING BREAK IN
In December 2014, President Obama announced his intent to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba for the first time since 1961. In a plot reminiscent of a Dan Brown novel, news media discovered that Canada of all countries had been secretly brokering discussions between the US and Cuba for nearly eighteen months; then, after diplomats arrived at an agreement, representatives met to consecrate their political vows in Vatican City under the eyes of Pope Francis. As a result, the United States officially removed Cuba from their list of countries that sponsor terrorism in May, and on July 1st the President declared that the two countries would begin reestablishing their respective embassies. AUGUST 2015 | 23 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
Currently, all Americans can legally visit Cubawith some stipulations. The ban on travel to Cuba has been loosened, allowing American visitation so long as their travel itineraries facilitate “people to people contact.” All tourists must participate in cultural experiences that have direct contact with Cuban people, as the policy aims to educate Americans about Cubans and Cubans about Americans. While the caveat sounds patronizing, casting Cubans as some alien race, it’s well intentioned. Decades of diplomatic ice—punctuated only by propaganda and acts of hostility—may have distorted both parties’ perceptions of each other, making a cautious thaw a prudent idea. In order to ensure that American vacation plans align with these criteria, potential tourists must travel with groups licensed by the government. Exceptions exist for relatives, dignitaries and other outliers, but the average Americans must use a chartered organization. Travel companies and colleges compose the majority of these chartered organizations, and are affordably priced and easy to use. They make exploring Cuba as easy as creating a profile and entering your credit card information. Unfortunately, the “people to people” rule means many activities are forbidden. Fixtures of the classic Spring Break experience, such as relaxing on beaches and going to nightclubs, are off limits. Though official travel charters fail to mention specifics, it’s a safe guess that beer bongs, public sex, drug use and other Panama City Beach trappings are out of the question too. One group, Insight Cuba, lists several examples of appropriate excursions: “meet a popular Cuban painter in their studio, visit a Cuban primary school and interact with the children, tour fine art museums, dine at private restaurants or meet an expert Cuban historian.” While those sound perfect for a family vacation, the activities indicate the wide discrepancy in leniency levels between the Cuban government and mainland Spring Break destinations. The two wary governments essentially want tourists and guides acting as ambassadors of everything wonderful about their cultures. And if high school and college tours have taught us anything, it’s that ambassadors excel in presenting worlds that are very appealing and extremely misrepresentative. Vacations in Cuba will probably follow in form: calculated, misleading and very pleasant. Until the U.S. actually eliminates the embargo, trips to Cuba will remain restricted. So far, the American government has only loosened restrictions, not eradicated them.
Fortunately, legislation submitted in February that’s designed to remove the sanctions wields considerable popular support. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introducing the bill, “The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2015,” reminded voters who exactly the embargo punishes. “I think we all need to remember this is a sanction, or prohibition on Americans, not Cubans,” said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). The group introduced the bill in order to undo the effects of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, a bill that codified President Kennedy’s embargo on trade and financial restrictions to Cuba. Until then, the KEEP THE embargo imposed in 1962 had been in EMBARGO: effect only as a Presidential proclamation. As a result of the Helms-Burton, the fate Ending the embargo before the Cuban of the sanctions belonged to Congress, so government meets the only a Congressional vote could remove it. conditions specified by Despite Obama’s relaxation of restrictions U.S. law would make between the countries, he lacks the power the United States look to actually end the embargo. weak. Still, the President and the American The United States is people want the embargo to end. Public able to target the Cuban support for removing the sanctions has risen government with its embargo while still annually for years and currently stands at providing assistance to 56 percent. Even Cuban-Americans, who Cuban citizens. have historically supported the embargo, Since there is virtually have changed their tune: 68 percent of no private sector in the Cuban-American population supports Cuba, opening trade ending restrictions. As the age of the voting would only help the population shifts and memories of the Cold government, not regular Cuban citizens. War and the Cuban Missile Crisis fade, so does political support for the embargo. With populist backing and the approval of the President, the pipedream of unfettered access to Cuba becomes increasingly feasible. However, as Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a CubanAmerican from Miami has said, a process for lifting the embargo has existed for 20 years. Implementing “free and fair elections in Cuba, respect for fundamental human rights, the release of all political prisoners and [the] other requirements of Helms-Burton” will end the embargo. “Instead of empowering the regime,” Ros-Lehtinen said, “we should stand with the Cuban people and their pro-democracy leaders to ensure that when history is written, we are on the side of liberty.” She reflects the viewpoint of the 44 percent of Americans who are pro-embargo, and the many Cuban-Americans who have traditionally supported the sanctions. The difference is generational. Younger Cuban-Americans who have strong familial ties to Cuba but are far removed from the memories of Castro’s revolution want the embargo to end. The New York Times editorial board recently echoed these thoughts. “The generation that adamantly supports the embargo is dying off,” the board wrote in October 2014. “Younger Cuban-Americans hold starkly different views, having come to see the sanctions as more damaging than helpful.” To millennials, the embargo is a Cold War relic and counter-productive policy costing billions in potential tourism. It makes sense for the U.S. to quit nursing its ego and admit the sanctions have failed. However, diplomatic policies operate on multiple planes. The
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symbolic importance of maintaining the embargo still holds water, and not just to older generations. Repeated reports of human rights violations committed by the Cuban government have some humanitarians hesitant to end sanctions. Opponents of ending the sanctions worry that an American show of leniency implicitly condones these abuses. Proponents of removing the embargo counter that America maintains trade relations with other human rights abusers, and that singling out Cuba is hypocritical. However, lifting the ban to many politicians and CubanAmericans looks intolerably like complicity. According to the Human Rights Watch 2014 World Report on Cuba, “Officials employ a range of tactics to punish dissent and instill fear in the public, including beatings, public acts of shaming, termination of employment and threat of long-term imprisonment.” In addition, the number of short-term arbitrary arrests has actually increased in recent years. These punishments, which increased from 2,100 in 2010 to over 3,600 in 2013, “prevent human rights defenders, independent journalists, and others from gathering or moving about freely.” REPEAL THE Those arrested are beaten and EMBARGO threatened, and can be imprisoned anywhere The United States from several days to several years. The should end the Cuba embargo because its government denies them access to fair and 50-year policy has failed public hearings, and they are often required to to achieve its goals. participate in “reeducation” classes. More than The embargo harms 57,000 Cubans are in prisons or work camps, the people of Cuba, one of the highest per capita incarceration not the government as rates in the world (though still trailing intended. America’s #2 ranking). Those who criticize Most Americans want the government are “subjected to extended improved diplomatic solitary confinement, beatings, restrictions on ties and open travel family visits, and denial of medical care.” and trade policies with Cuba. Supporters of the embargo remind that U.S. policy allows citizens to visit family members and send money to Cuban relatives, and these remittances total more than $1 billion per year. In addition, Congress has allocated a budget of nearly $200 million to promote democracy and human rights in Cuba since 2001. In other words, the embargo allows the U.S. to financially pressure the government while still providing aid to Cuban citizens. Those who argue that introducing American tourism will help Cuban citizens are forgetting the virtual non-existence of the private sector in Cuba. Opening the country for trade and tourism would help the dictatorial government, not the citizens. The 90 percent state-owned economy ensures that the Cuban government and military would reap the
gains of open trade with the U.S., not private citizens. Foreign companies operating in Cuba are already required to hire workers through the state, where wages are converted to local currency and devalued at a ratio of 24:1. This way, Cuban tour guides receiving $500 paychecks are actually making $21 pittances. In essence, investing money in the Cuban economy is investing money in a dictatorship fluent in human rights abuse. Still, Cubans and Americans agree that the embargo has failed. Continuing it in obstinacy misses the purpose of why it was enacted—to encourage change. Why continue supporting a policy that has clearly failed, especially when we’re the only country participating in it? The United Nations has formally denounced the U.S. embargo on Cuba every year since 1991. In 2013, 188 countries condemned the policy, with only Israel siding with the United States. While “Everyone Else is Doing It” has never been a good foreign diplomacy mantra, America’s isolation in sanctioning Cuba may indicate that it’s time for a new approach. The embargo also harms Cubans by restricting their access to technology, medicine, affordable food and consumer goods. Cuban doctors have access to less than 50 percent of the drugs on the world market, and the American Association for World Health continues to condemn the embargo. “It is our expert medical opinion that the US embargo has caused a significant rise in suffering—and even deaths—in Cuba,” a report found. In short, decisions regarding the embargo are deeply nuanced. No one can predict what will happen if the embargo is lifted: the free market may work its magic, rejuvenating the crumbling Cuban economy from the inside out. Or, it may put money in the hands of a regime intent on solidifying its reign without improving the lives of its citizens. Spring Break in Cuba might sound alluring, with its promises of cigars, rum, Cuban sandwiches and classic cars, but the reality is unfortunately much less appealing.
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BIG AND LIL’: TANYA & KRISTY // by: mark stenberg
WINNERS OF OUR 2015 BIG & LITTLE CONTEST
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@ TANYA
@ KRISTY
BIG
LITTLE
TANYA KENT
KRISTY CASTELLANOS
MOST ANNOYING HABIT: @ She can’t fall asleep easily and will take hours to fall asleep. She’ll be up at like six in the morning. The Truth: I can’t think of one?
SOMETHING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT HER: @ People might think she’s mean because she has Resting Bitch Face, but she’s really nice. She’s not confrontational and is super sweet. The Truth: I’m Mexican.
BIGGEST TALENT @
She can eat all the carbs in the whole world and not gain a single pound. And she’s really organized. The Truth: Twerking. I’m really good at twerking.
WEIRDEST HABIT? @ She can eat more spaghetti in one sitting than anyone else in the world. The Truth: I can’t sleep unless I’ve showered, and I usually have to shower twice a day. If I miss a shower for some reason I get into a really bad mood.
WHEN’S HER BIRTHDAY? @ March 4th, 1993 The Truth: March 4th, 1994
DREAM JOB? @ Being a professional football player’s wife. She’s going to say really successful nurse practitioner, but it’s both.
The Truth: I want to be a nurse practitioner.
until after we pledged, though.
FAVORITE MOVIE?
HOW DOES SHE ACT WHEN SHE’S MAD?
@ I don’t know! She watches a ton of scary movies, though.
@ She gives you the
The Truth: Pitch Perfect
The Truth: I just get really quiet.
ONE THING SHE HAS TOO MUCH OF: @ Butt. Just kidding! She has too much sequins—she has sequins on everything. And too much red. The Truth: She’s going to say butt! Uh, I don’t know actually.
WE ARE TOTAL OPPOSITES WHEN IT COMES TO __________: @ Food.
silent treatment.
WHAT’S HER GREATEST FEAR? @ I don’t know, maybe not getting into nursing school? But she just did! The Truth: Needles in the crease of the arm, specifically shots. When it comes on TV I close my eyes but still get goosebumps thinking about it.
WHO’S BETTER AT REMEMBERING THINGS?
MOST ANNOYING HABIT:
FAVORITE FOOD?
@ I can’t think of one!
@ Wings and hot
The Truth: I get flustered really easily. I think that annoys me more than other people, though.
WEIRDEST HABIT? @ I don’t know! The Truth: I love hot Cheetos, so I walk around with red fingers all the time.
WHEN’S HER BIRTHDAY? @ August 18th, 1992 The Truth: August 18th, 1992
DREAM JOB? @ I don’t know! The Truth: I would love to be a publicist or do PR, hopefully for a fashion company like BCBG.
The Truth: Food. She hates pasta and I love it, and I hate spicy foods and she loves them.
@ Definitely me.
WHO DOES SHE TALK TO ON THE PHONE THE MOST ?
LIVING PERSON SHE’D LIKE MOST TO MEET?
FAVORITE MOVIE?
@ Drake.
to think of a romance movie that was in theaters 2-3 months ago, but can’t think of it. But is sure that’s it.
@ Her boyfriend Justin.
The Truth: Kristy for sure.
The Truth: Trey Songz
The Truth: My boyfriend or my best friend Jessica.
MOVIE SHE QUOTES THE MOST?
FAVORITE FOOD?
@ She doesn’t really
@ Pasta. The Truth: Pasta, just all pasta.
SOMETHING FUNNY ABOUT HER THAT EVERYONE KNOWS, BUT SHE THINKS NO ONE KNOWS: @ When she had to act in a skit during Recruitment week and totally blanked on her lines. None of the PNMs knew she messed up
quote movies that much because she just watches scary movies, which would be weird to quote. The Truth: Pitch Perfect
GUILTY PLEASURE? @ Eating Pazookies at BJ’s. The Truth: Just all junk food, desserts. Chocolate.
@ *Tries really hard
The Truth: Aquamarine (2006)
ONE THING SHE HAS TOO MUCH OF: @ Shoes probably. I don’t know how many she has exactly but it seems like too many. The Truth: Too much hot Cheetos!
WHO DOES SHE TALK ON THE PHONE TO THE MOST? @ Chad, her boyfriend. The Truth: Chad.
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LIVING PERSON SHE’D LIKE MOST TO MEET?
Cheetos.
@
The Truth: Wings, and I love WingStop. I get buffalo and ranch usually.
The Truth: Beyonce!
SOMETHING FUNNY ABOUT HER THAT EVERYONE KNOWS, BUT SHE THINKS NO ONE KNOWS: @ When she drinks or gets mad she turns into ghetto Kristy. She’s not afraid to voice her opinion at all, and will just tell people how she feels. The Truth: People think I’m really loud and outgoing, but I’m really shy with people until I get to know them.
HOW DOES SHE ACT WHEN SHE’S MAD? @ She’ll be very blunt about how she feels and maybe say some Spanish phrases. The Truth: I’ll probably just text or call the person and fix things. I’ll confront you about things, so we’re definitely opposite in that.
WHAT’S HER GREATEST FEAR? @ Maybe spiders? I really don’t know. The Truth: Not having a successful career is my biggest fear.
WHO’S BETTER AT REMEMBERING THINGS? @ Kristy. The Truth: Definitely me.
Any attractive lightskinned rapper.
MOVIE SHE QUOTES THE MOST? @ She doesn’t really quote movies. The Truth: Bridesmaids.
GUILTY PLEASURE? @ I don’t know—maybe food or shopping? The Truth: Watching Netflix all day and doing nothing.
RUSHING TIPS: HOW TO GET THE BID YOU WANT // by: mark stenberg
Rushing Tips:
HOW TO GET THE BID YOU WANT Every year, fraternities and sororities open their doors to interested students in a process known as Rush, or Recruitment for sororities. While the format differs slightly depending on sex and school, the bones of the structure remain pretty fixed. For a period of days, anyone interested in joining the Greek community can find their way into a number of open houses to meet and greet with existing members of the groups. There, actives— current constituents—interact with rushees, the interested but uninitiated students. The structure brings its own set of social challenges, many of which are compounded by the context of the process. Often, the bulk of recruitment takes place over a period of days, putting time at a premium and forcing rushees and actives to make quick decisions. In addition, many of the rushees have only recently graduated high school, so when they undergo this rattling social evaluation they often do it completely alone. The end result: an incredibly condensed period of time in which hugely impactful decisions are made under stressful circumstances. Needless to say, a little advice is in order. Noah Maney is a Rush Captain for Kappa Alpha at UT, and Allie Belcher is the Vice President of Membership for Zeta Tau Alpha at UTSA. Both play instrumental roles in recruiting new members to their respective communities. The difference in terminology—Rush Captain versus VP of Membership—reflects the differences between schools and genders. Noah and Allie agreed that fraternities have a much more informal rush process than sororities, focusing more on casual conversations between rushees and actives. Sororities include more structure in their encounters, expecting a higher sense of decorum. AUGUST 2015 | 30 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
Just as gender affects the process, school and chapter-specific traditions also alter Rush. For instance, at UT the Rush process for fraternities lasts all summer and has no specific end or start date, whereas for sororities at UTSA, Recruitment spans only three days. Given the variation in processes, Noah and Allie both focused on giving universal tips that apply to Greek life throughout the state.
WHAT TO SAY, AND NOT SAY While both advisors emphasized the importance of talking to actives, they mentioned several buzz words to avoid at all cost. For Noah, avoid asking whether people at events are rushees. “If you’re at an event and you don’t know if the person you’re talking to is an active or rushee,” Noah says, “ask ‘Are you an active’ instead of ‘Are you rushing?’” Being mistakenly identified as a rushee can irritate actives. They’ve served their time and expect a degree of respect for it. Allie stressed the difficulty of having hundreds of girls to talk to in a very short amount of time, underscoring the importance of making memorable remarks. Too much discussion of boys or partying— while PC conversation fodder—wastes valuable time. It says very little about the interviewee, reducing their odds of leaving an impression. While unbearably cheesy, Allie and Noah both pleaded that candidates be genuine, both for the sake of their Greek communities and for the rushees themselves. “If you don’t show a chapter exactly who you are,” Allie says, “then you’re setting yourself up to be around girls you may not connect with.” If a potential new member doesn’t act like themselves, the rushee and the chapter suffer—leading to advice tidbit number two.
BE OPEN MINDED Profound advice, yes, but it’s really important during Rush. The short time span often reduces rushees to tunnel vision, constricting their attention to one chapter and placing all their hope in it. Allie and Noah both reiterated the importance of visiting multiple houses, even if—or especially if—it seems like a waste of time. Variety enhances perspective and raises the likelihood of getting a bid. Allie particularly stresses that girls should avoid following their friends into sororities. “Recruitment is a nerve-wracking process, and it’s hard to not go where your friends go because it’s more comfortable,” she says, but every sorority has its own personality. It’s important to be a little selfish during Rush, because the decision that comes out of it is important, so avoid following others into houses. Also, Rush is partly an odds game, and Noah warns against the temptation of one-track mindedness. “You spend all your time focused
on one fraternity, and then they reject you and then you have nothing,” he says. “You miss out on a ton of options.” Time during Rush may be a precious commodity, but it’s wasted completely if no bids come out of the process, so play the field a little bit.
SELL YOURSELF Don’t forget: every fraternity and sorority looks at its rushees as potential assets. Form goes a long way, but form and function go much further. Highlight every available skill, such as volunteer or leadership experience, because actives are eyeing crowds for their chapter’s future leaders. One effective sales technique is reaching out to recruiters. Rush Captains often work for months on recruiting and advertising, and then have only a matter of days to communicate with hundreds of candidates. Simply responding to texts, initiating conversation and making an effort go a long way in endearing yourself to beleaguered actives. As much anxiety as rushees feel— and actives are aware of their nerves— overcoming skittishness makes a huge difference in increasing bid odds. Conversely, avoid creating an argument against yourself. Noah says specifically to avoid any and all drugs during the process. “You automatically get dropped,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if you’re into that or not, it’s just the policy.” Allie encouraged dressing memorably. “If you’re wearing a bright pink dress it’s much easier to remember you,” she says, because the dress will stand out in their memories. Nothing too risqué, though: “Dress like you’re meeting your boyfriend’s parents.”
INSIDER INFO Small details, it’s often said, are the difference between good and great. Noah reminds rushees to engage the sophomore and junior actives, which can be more difficult because seniors usually run the show. “But,” he says, “they’re not going to be there in a few years. It’s the younger guys who will better reflect the frat you’re joining.” For Allie, genuine excitement makes the biggest impression on most girls. “It’s easy to get lost in nerves and anxiety and forget that the girls on the other side are just as nervous,” she says. And they have more at stake. Rushees only have to focus on themselves, but actives have to sift through hundreds of candidates, and make a decision that affects the whole community for years. Rush Presidents and Memberships VPs have been preparing for these few days for months, meticulously planning, discussing and hypothesizing. The pressure is real, so a smile and a genuine expression of excitement go a long way.
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WHAT’S YOUR MAJOR //by: vanessa delgado
From the mouths of
THIS MONTH, WE STUDY
CLASSICSMAJORS
CLASSICS
“Classics can mean anything from languages, to art and architecture, to science and religion. It really makes it clear that as much as we’d like to think that we’ve advanced from a few thousand years ago, there’s so much that’s still unchanged. The human experience stays the same, and I think it’s incredibly beautiful”
The Average Starting Salary
$34,982 MYTHS
– LINDA MCNULTY, 21
MYTH:
MYTH:
MYTH:
No one gets a Classic degree TRUTH:
Classics Majors don’t learn anything useful with their degree TRUTH:
You can’t get a job with a Classics degree TRUTH:
Classics majors are rare birds, but that gives them an edge against more common majors
False! Classics Majors learn linguistics, analytical research, document cataloging, critical thinking, writing and research
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
“Studying Classics helped me to develop an open mind, because philosophy has a thousand different applications to life.” –BRIAN STARCHER, 22,
Graduate schools welcome Classics majors, paving the way to a career in medicine or law. In addition, a degree in Classics can get you a job in museum curation, writing, publishing, archiving, public relations, and human services
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
“I love my major because it embodies everything that is important in our culture. It has history, religion and literature, and it shows how our history has been influenced by the Greeks and the Romans. Pretty much everything references mythology or historical allusion, and it’s really amazing that I’m able to understand and then share my knowledge about it with others.” –MADDIE BRAZAN, 19 Hometown: Houston,TX
LATINCONVERSATION: TALKING TO ENGLISH AND LATIN MAJOR JANE MIZE ABOUT LATIN IN ENGLISH
Photo by Carlo Nasisse
How has studying Classics helped your career? “Well I studied Latin specifically, not Classics, so I didn’t take any Greek. Latin’s important because it teaches western history, so you get a good sense of why governments are the way they are. There’s also the linguistic background, like fundamental grammar and syntax, which complimented my English major really well. You also learn a lot about the history of literature, like classic allusions.”
How fluent are you? “I have no conversational fluency because there’s no need to speak it. I’m really good at reading Latin, which is the point. It’s very challenging, though. In other romance languages, people say, ‘I can’t speak Spanish but I can read it,’ but with Latin it’s the opposite. It’s really difficult to read Latin, so that’s what you’re working toward.” Why Latin? “My favorite thing is the act of translating, because the Latin language is fascinating. For instance, there’s no word order in Latin, so poets used the lack of word order to convey things other languages can’t. In a depiction of war, the word order would be crazy and hard to parse out, trying to convey the frenzy of the scene. But, in a conversation between two lovers, the word order would be really simple to express the clarity of the moment.
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INERTIA TOURS
INERTIATOURS.COM
//by: mark stenberg
INERTIA TOURS “Your Dream Spring Break Made Easy” The only thing more epic than Spring Break is the logistics of planning Spring Break. One person always ends up having to organize everything: hotels, food, drinks, activities, airfare and it’s still all a gamble when you show up. Inertia Tours is a booking agency that offers groups of college students amazing deals to domestic and international locations, guaranteeing you and your friends an amazing Spring Break for less money and no hassle.
THE LOCATIONS Inertia Tours has Spring Break package trips to South Padre, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Panama City Beach and Lake Havasu, Arizona. Prices at South Padre depend on the date and number of people per room, running from $199 to $574 per person for four days. The Panama City Beach package runs a flat $499 per person for a four-person room, and that gets you five nights in an exclusive luxury condo with a meal plan. Cancun and Puerto Vallarta run $1099 and $999 per four person room, but that pays for four nights, all flights, and inclusive meals and drinks at a four star beachfront hotel. Their Lake Havasu, Arizona, package runs a cool $299 for four people and four days, and Inertia even offers a ski-trip vacation package to Breckenridge, Colorado for $549.
THE PERKS
No one has to front money for the group because everyone pays individually, eliminating awkward money conversations. Inertia accommodates groups of all sizes and they take care of every detail. The price per person—drastically lower than booking independently—covers meal plans, reserves the best hotels and literally guarantees parties with thousands of college students. Inertia’s international deals do even more, providing unlimited drinks, discounted airfare, condos you would never be able to afford and an on-site English-speaking staff.
GO FOR FREE Through their student rep programs, you have the ability to go to South Padre, Panama City, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta or Colorado Ski for free. Sign up for the program and receive brochures and training for no cost. Then, sell fifteen or more trips and you go for free to a Spring Break destination. If you sell thirty-one trips or more, then you go for free to Spring Break and Winter Ski Trip. Essentially, organize one big trip of thirty-one people and you get two amazing vacations for free.
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AUGUST RANT: DEAR SUMMER GOALS //by: vanessa delgado
DEAR SUMMER GOALS, While most of us are simply thankful for the brief, three-month gasp of life summer offers, others seize the opportunity to shove shots of their international vacays down their Instagram and Facebook friends’ throats. As I lay on my bed with a family-sized bag of Fuego Takis and a view of the neighborhood pool filled with seven-year-olds, I am reminded by your beachside Snapchats in Thailand just how exciting my summer is. Though I don’t want to give you the satisfaction of adding to the already ridiculous number of Instagram likes, your pictures of crystalline waters and authentic Pad Thai have me glued to your page. I hate that I’ve descended into the depths of social media stalking, arriving at the bottom of your feed in the year 2012. I find myself wondering how my life has amounted to processed food, seven hour marathons of The Good Wife and having conversations with my dog. While you, Jordan and Maddie bask in equatorial sun, holding your iPhones to your clavicles to get the perfect
BRONZED LEGS IN FRONT OF THE SHORE shot, I’m sending my mom pictures of the spotlessly clean house, easing her mind while she cruises the Florida Keys with a man named Gerard. I dug for the last handful of Takis as I enviously perused your bikini pics and toned abs. Until I hopped on Instagram and compared my three months to my adventurous peers’, I had no shame about spending the sun semester making rounds to HEB for Diet Coke, sour gummy worms and frozen pizza. For a second, I felt the need to get out of bed, transition from bedroom hobbit to human and venture into the world for social contact. Then I realized that if summer is about enjoying time off and hanging with your friends, I can say that I spent at least 90 percent of it with my loyal childhood friends Little Debbie, Papa John’s and Ben & Jerry. The other 10 percent I spent living vicariously through other people’s social media accounts. So enjoy your international getaway filled with bottled water and dysentery while I enjoy my domestic holiday from the safety of my parent’s house. Sincerely,
H a pp i l y H o m e Al o n e AUGUST 2015 | 34 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
POP CULTURE FRATS AND SORORITIES Gamma Mu Mu (An Extremely Goofy Movie) Delta Nu (Legally Blonde) Sigma Delta (Blue Mountain State) Magnum Pi (Boy Meets World) Thigh Mega Tampon (Friends) Nu Mu Pi (Joe Dirt) Slugma Oozma Python (Monster’s Inc.)
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FASHION //by: karinna lopez //photography: stephen dement
FASHION FORWARD
EVENING LOOK For an evening look, Caleb sports a dark blue-jean button down shirt and dark camel chinos with brown derby shoes.
with Karinna Lopez
My inspiration for this month’s style section was based on Greek life and the students involved in it. I wanted to create outfits that would be perfect to wear on dates, going out or just hanging out. I picked items that are classic for summer time, while adding my personal style to each one of the outfits. Fashion can be tough to master especially since it’s always changing and college students sometimes don’t have time to think of what they’re wearing until the last minute. So, I created a style guide to make everyone’s life easier that includes go-to looks that will always make you look stylish. Half of the clothing can be found in your very own closet (or roommate’s) so there’s no need to spend more money on clothes.
ADD THESE DERBY SHOES TO YOUR NIGHT OUT Nordstrom | $110 | ‘Sheridan’ Plain Toe Derby
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SIMPLE LOOK Tess is wearing a black & white striped tent dress with gray platform sandals. Accessories: Pink shoulder bag with fringe & long necklace
SHIFT DRESS
FRINGE PINK PURSE
BLUE LACE AGATE PENDANT
@ zara for 12.99
@ H&M for 34.95
@ Kendra Scott for $50
JUNIPERO HAWAIIAN
DENIM BERMUDA SHORTS
CASIO SILVER WATCH
@ Urban Outfitters for $55
@ Zara for $25
@ American Apparel for $54
EASY-GOING For this outfit, Caleb rocks a vintage Hawaiian shirt with cut-off shorts and with white converse. Accessories: Silver Casio watch and patterned socks.
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SUMMER SLEEK Tess has on a blue striped tank with burntorange cotton shorts and a belt paired with jeweled gold sandals.
CROP TOP-STRIPED
SHORTS W/ TIE-BELT
GOLD LEATHER HEELS
@ Forever 21 for $14.90
@ H&M for $24.95
@ Asos for $81
Accessories: Metallic clutch.
SUMMER-CASUAL Caleb, in a perfect summer-casual look, wears a white linen shirt & salmon colored chinos and with brown derby shoes.
Accessories : Black casio watch.
THREADBARE COLLARED
COLORED CHINO PANTS
TOE DERBY SHOES
@ Asos for $46
@ Asos for $28
@ Nordstrom for $110
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NIGHT-OUT Tess sports a black & gold metallic mini dress, perfect for summer nights out. Accessories:
SANDALS
Strappy black heels, gold clutch and chunky necklace
@ H&M for $34.95
GOLD FOIL CLUTCH @ J. Crew for $118
STUDDED DRESS @ Zara for $39.99
PENDLETON CROSSBODY @ Sierra Trading Post for $159.95
CASUAL NIGHT Here Tess is wearing a black & white plaid blouse with dark blue skinny jeans, paired with tan platform sandals.
Accessories: Leather textile shoulder bag and Kendra Scott necklace.
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NUTTY PROFESSOR //by: laura valle
rpettersson.blogspot.com
NUTTY PROFESSOR Susan Gelb Rosenberg, UTSA The only thing that rivals Professor Susan Gelb Rosenberg’s obsession with Zac Effron is her love for Roman history and culture, something that becomes quickly apparent in her classes. In her Classical Mythology class, Rosenberg recounts Greek and Roman mythologies in ways that actually make the names memorable. By peppering her slide shows with Zac Effron photos, she’s also found a way to keep at least half the class constantly alert. In addition to a professor and Effronophile, Rosenberg is also an active archeologist. As a student of an NUTTY extinct culture, Rosenberg’s efforts to PROFESSOR: discover connections between two worlds Susan Gelb Rosenberg are not purely academic, because they benefit her by giving life to an otherwise UTSA Professor inanimate discipline. San Antonio, TX Rosenberg says that she made the decision to become an archeologist in high school. She began excavating sites immediately after her senior year, continuing through college and into her career as a professor. She has been on digs in the countries of Israel, Jordan, Italy and Tunisia, typically excavating urban sites. “We were always working on pre-existing cities,” she says, where typical findings are “human burials, mosaic tile floors and bread ovens.” Not quite Indiana Jones material, but a lot closer than most people get. Rosenberg attributes her interest in mythology to a class that made her realize the connection between what people believe and how it influences their lives. “In college I had to take a class because it was required, and when I would travel and see the temples of the gods it made me want to learn more,” she says. “When you see a beautiful temple dedicated to Aphrodite, it makes you wonder why [they built it], and so when you get into the literature part of it, you learn what made the gods so fascinating or so terrifying.” Greek and Roman mythology classes may seem irrevalent to many majors, but like Shakespeare or the Bible, the characters and stories are so embedded in culture that everyone benefits from studying them. Hercules, the Minotaur, centaurs and narcissism are just a few byproducts of ancient mythologies that still carry massive cultural clout. While hundreds of Greek and Roman myths exist, Rosenberg says a specific type pique her interest. “The stories I like best are the weirdest ones with transformations and weird sexual things.” Many myths are violent, sexual, sexually violent or violently sexual, and so her required reading usually trumps most other classes’ literature.
Professor Rosenberg also teaches archeology classes, including: Pompeii, Sexuality in the Ancient World, Roman History, Latin, and Ancient Literature classes. Can you now see how Rosenberg thinks Zac much of an obsession Efron is basically one of she has? And although the gods reincarnated, reading the myths as specifically some combination of Priapus fascinating and “Neighbors” era stories holds Effron. entertainment value, Rosenberg ultimately enjoys the ideologies that motivated their creation. “I love the entertainment and the artistic abilities they hold, and what they can teach us about cultural beliefs.”
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DAY IN THE LIFE: RUSH WEEK //by: desiree ameigh
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A DAY IN THE LIFE: F
or many different reasons, around 15 percent of all students in Texas find themselves joining Greek life. For potentially interested members, only a process called Rush Week stands between them and calling unrelated people their brothers and sisters. Recruitment stands as the liminal space between mortal and Greek life, similar in prestige and ceremony to the Hogwarts’s sorting hat—except with more houses and worse wardrobe color schemes. Rush is the kind of excitement that’s difficult to understand unless experienced, so Study Breaks interviewed some seasoned Texas rushers to give you an idea of what a day in the life looks like. Lauren Patrick, Katy Harvey, Mitchell Stanfill and Bo Balagia all offered insight on the process and how it feels to live the college dream. AUGUST 2015 | 44 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
LAUREN PATRICK University of Texas San Antonio
What’s going through your head before Rush Week? I didn’t know what to expect going into recruitment, because I was the only one of my friends from high school that decided to go Greek. I googled “Sorority Recruitment,” but what I really found helpful was searching all of the organizations’ social media accounts. That was a great look into what different organizations are involved in. Before rush begins, what are you expecting it to be like? I expected it to be like the stereotypical movies where there’s a room full of girls in matching outfits clapping and singing. I admit–it’s a bit overwhelming at first, but once you start talking the time flies by and you won’t want to leave. The only thing I was afraid of was who I should talk to, what they would ask and how they wanted me to answer. What does an overview of your Rush Week schedule look like? Our week consists of Open House, Philanthropy, Preference Night and then Bid Day. Girls going through recruitment will have an orientation explaining what will happen, what to wear and what it means to receive letters. The first official day of recruitment is Open House, which consists of meeting all the chapters. On Philanthropy Day you talk to fewer chapters, but learn about their role on campus, national philanthropy and community service. The last day is Preference Night. Typically, you’ll talk to two chapters but have a longer time in the rooms. What do you wear? You’ll be walking a lot–does that affect your choice? My favorite question to answer! When I went through recruitment I wore a cute dress with nice flats or wedges each day. The first day you will walk the most, so that is definitely something to keep in mind. Each day during recruitment gets more formal and dressier. The Rho Gammas–temporarily disaffiliated sorority members who train prospective rushees–do a great job of putting
on a fashion show during orientation showing what to wear. I suggest leaving large purses and phones out of the recruitment room. Actives don’t want distractions when they’re focused on getting to know you! What do you talk about with the people that you meet? The first day we are really trying to get to know all about you: what you’re interested in, what you did in high school, why you chose UTSA, major, etc. Each day the conversations deepen, and you start to really connect with chapter members. It’s really important to make sure that you are having those deeper conversations to make sure you make the right choice.
house, eat some food and get to know the brothers. We try to give every potential new member ample opportunity to meet as many brothers as they can. This also allows the active member to meet all the rushees. We try to recruit year round so if you miss rush week, you don’t have to wait until the following semester. Do you have any time to do any nonrush related things? My personal answer to that would be no, but I’m not complaining. I love devoting my time to my fraternity to make it the best it can possibly be. As for rushees, it’s much more easy-going than it’s made out to be. It leaves plenty of time for them to tend to non-rush related things.
What are you thinking between events? How many do you go to each day? I made it a point to take notes after each round on what I liked, what I didn’t and any questions I had. As you progress through recruitment, you’ll see fewer and fewer chapters each day, but spend more time with a handful. Recruitment is a matching process where both the chapter and the individuals going through recruitment have to agree.
What do y’all talk about? I try to avoid small talk. By opening up and being honest with the rushees, you allow them to make the best choice they can. This can go two ways: it can allow someone to find commonalities so they have no issues pledging; or, it can allow someone to realize that a different frat would better suit them.
What is the best part of the process? The best part of the process is running to your sorority after receiving your bid. It’s a moment everyone remembers–pure happiness all around!
What is the worst part of the process? The worst part of the process has to saying no. Unfortunately, you can’t accept everyone and acceptance is up to a majority vote.
MITCHELL STANFILL Texas State University
Why did you rush? The thought first came to mind during my senior year of high school. I had friends who went off to college, became members of a fraternity and came back home saying their fraternity changed their life. What does an overview of your Rush Week schedule look like? An overview of my fraternity’s rush schedule, from an outsider looking in, would look very busy. It’s a lot of activities involving help from the entire fraternity to prepare events for the rushees. We host many “house nights” where rushees can come and just hang out at our chapter AUGUST 2015 | 45 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
How would your experience at Texas State be different if you hadn’t joined a fraternity? Every bit of success I have had at Texas State I owe to my fraternity and my brothers. I have had better grades, more opportunities presented to me, a great social atmosphere and have learned more about myself and life than I ever could have imagined. Any advice? The best advice I can get is to go into the process open-minded. I always say, “People rush people, not letters.” The fraternity experience has the opportunity to be one of the most life changing times in your life. However, you can’t get that experience without brothers to do it with, which shows the importance of joining a group of men that make you feel comfortable.
KATY HARVEY Texas Tech
Why did you rush? I didn’t actually want to rush at all, but my mom forced me into it. I’m not really someone who takes chances like that or puts myself in uncomfortable situations, but my mom was worried I would sit in my dorm room all semester and make zero friends, so she made me do it. What goes through your head? It’s very nerve-wracking and very scary. It’s hard to put yourself in that vulnerable place of ‘getting picked’ by one house or another. No matter what you think of the house—whether you liked them or not—it’s hard to consider someone not wanting you and painful to ask yourself why they wouldn’t. Are you a legacy? I was a legacy through two of my grandmothers, but I didn’t go to either of their houses. What does an overview of your Rush Week schedule look like? My rush week is even more intense than a PNM (Potential New Member). We have to get to the lodges at least an hour before the first shuttle comes to Greek Circle, so we can practice and make sure everyone looks presentable. Depending on the day, that might mean I’m at the lodge by 8:00 am. If so, if you factor in hair, make-up and getting dressed, that probably means I’ve been up since 5:00 a.m. Plus, we don’t get to leave–literally we can’t even walk out of our doors or a PNM might see us–until around 6:00 p.m. This is to protect the PNMs. They could be distracted by us coming in or out of the lodges, or see someone at Torchy’s and be influenced by what house they’re in. Recruitment week is about them, not us, so we take extra precautions to make sure their decisions are based only on what they experience in the lodges. We’re also too exhausted to do anything besides recruitment. We’ve been practicing for about a weekand-a-half before recruitment starts,
and all of that energy takes a toll by about dinnertime. All I want is to lie in bed. Not even watch Netflix—literally just go to sleep. What do you wear? You’ll be walking a lot–does that affect your choice? It’s important to wear something you can walk in, but as the week progresses the dress code gets fancier. A lot of PNMs wear sandals or flip-flops while walking around and change into nicer shoes or heels before they come into the lodge. It’s important to have mints–you don’t want to chew gum, along with deodorant and a compact mirror to check your makeup with or you might come into the lodge sweating it off. A lot of girls choose to bring makeup with them—this is smart because a little touch-up never hurt! Part of the reason Recruitment week is fun is because only girls ever appreciate good makeup and clothes, which is a total conversation starter. It’s also stressful because wondering if the girl you’re talking to can see your pimple is awkward. What’s it like meeting so many people in such a short amount of time? From the standpoint of an active member, I can say that the memorable girls are the really friendly ones. Last year, I met my grand-little during recruitment and she became my ‘Rush Crush.’ I begged my little—who I love to death and has become one of my best friends—to take her as a little because I knew she’d be perfect. What do you talk about? What I talk about with PNMs depends on what period it is during recruitment (for example, I met my grandlittle on our Philanthropy Day, and one of the things we bonded over was how eye-opening our philanthropy video is). A lot of complimenting takes place during recruitment. It’s really the only time you can tell a girl you’ve never met before that you love her shoes and not seem weird. It’s also the only time when that compliment could turn into a full-blown conversation. How would your experience at Tech be different if you hadn’t decided to rush? If I hadn’t rushed, I would have no AUGUST 2015 | 46 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
friends. That’s a fact. My little and grandlittle are two of my favorite people on the planet and I would be lost in a ditch somewhere without them.
BO BALAGIA University of Texas Austin
What’s going through your head before Rush Week? Before Rush started, I was nervous about meeting all these new people— which is a natural feeling in the situation—so it wasn’t a big obstacle. What are you thinking and doing between events? Between events you’re contemplating which fraternity you could see yourself pledging should you get a bid. It seems like a big decision and there’s a lot of influential factors, but go with your gut and pick a fraternity that seems right for you. What is the best part of the process? The best part is also the worst part: meeting new people. It’s great to make all these new friends, but it can be overwhelming at times. How would your college experience have been different if you hadn’t rushed? I think if I hadn’t rushed I would’ve had a tougher time meeting people and making friends. You don’t really get much of a chance to befriend people during lectures, but I’m also a bit on the shy side. UT offers countless ways for students to connect on campus, so it’s definitely not a requirement to join a fraternity or sorority in order to have fun. Any advice? It’s important that when you’re at events you don’t try to adapt to fit in with the crowd. If you don’t fit in by being yourself, then it’s the wrong crowd for you.
....
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20 CAN’T MISS EVENTS // compiled by: laura valle
THE INFORMER’S ALMANAC ART
FILM
FOOD & DRINK
SPORTS/OUTDOORS
TALK
MUSIC
•
•
•
Port Isabel and South Padre Island
Wichita Falls
Austin
AUGUST 1-2 TEXAS INTERNATIONAL FISHING TOURNAMENT
AUGUST 29 HOTTER’N HELL 100
AUGUST 8 AUSTIN ICE CREAM FESTIVAL
@ Wichita Falls Trails This masochistic event consists of bike rides of varying lengths–perfect torture for the whole family. Be prepared for sweaty, sunburnt bikers in tight clothes waddling around because their sore butts and weird shoes.
@ Fiesta Gardens Everyone loves ice cream, unless you’re lactose-intolerant. But even then you should come to the festival that dedicates itself to creamy perfection.
If watching people catch and weigh giant fish sounds exciting, then this fishing tournament is for you.
• Houston
•
AUGUST 14 SAM SMITH @ Toyota Center Sam Smith’s voice isn’t the only thing that’s a gift from God–the opportunity to see him live is also blessing sent from Pearly Gates.
• Navasota
AUGUST 14 & 15 NAVASOTA BLUES FESTIVAL @ Grimes County Expo Center What sounds more relaxing than listening to Blues two days in a row to raise money for a fundraiser? Listening to it three days in a row! The festival only lasts two days, but it’s something to think about.
•
Port Aransas
AUGUST 5-9 TEXAS LEGENDS BILLFISH TOURNAMENT Fishermen compete all along the coast of Texas to see who can catch the biggest swordfish. They’re also trying to figure out if the swordfish really have Australian accents like they do in Finding Nemo.
• Texas Hill Country Wineries
AUGUST 12, 13, 14 HARVEST WINE TRAIL At participating wineries sprinkled throughout the Texas Hill Country, you and your age-appropriate friends can have fun tasting different wines and pretending to be classy alcoholic adults.
• New Braunfels
AUGUST 1,2,8,9 “ORDER OF THE PURPLE FOOT” GRAPE STOMP @ Dry Comal Creek Vineyards Finally you get to recreate the famous “I Love Lucy” scene where she makes wine by smushing grapes with her feet.
• Dallas
AUGUST 1 NORTH DALLAS TOY SHOW @ Valley View Center Mall If your nerdy boyfriend is still missing an action figure from his 1970’s Star Wars collection, you should go to this toy show where people from all over Texas come to sell their vintage toy collectables. Then, find some other people with weird significant others to get a support group going.
•
Denton
Luckenbach
AUGUST 21-29 NORTH TEXAS STATE FAIR
AUGUST 1 HILL COUNTRY FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL
@ Fair Grounds on Carroll Blvd. Nothing screams Texas more than a state fair: where else can you watch farm animals, shoot guns, eat funnel cake and be on a carnival ride all at the same time?
Spend the day in the best tiny German town in the world and enjoy ignoring your mom’s warning about accepting food from people in vans.
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• San Marcos
AUGUST 28-30 FLOAT FEST @ Cool River Ranch The only music-cum-tubing festival in the world, Float Fest is an ancient festival that celebrates the river goddess by offering her amazing music. Dr. Dog, Bun B, and Ghostland Observatory are just a few of the planned sacrifices for the Mother.
• Houston
•
AUGUST 3 FIFTH HARMONY
Austin
AUGUST 8 LAKE AUSTIN HOT AIR BALLOON FLYOVER
@ Bayou Music Center Are girl bands better than boy bands? No. BUT Fifth Harmony has some pretty catchy songs that are fun to dance to, and has opening appearances by Natalie La Rose and others–it’s practically live Disney Channel.
@ Lake Travis Boyfriends, want to romance your girlfriends? Take them to Lake Travis to watch hot air balloons rise with the sun and create painstakingly cute memories. If your relationship is rocky though, make sure she doesn’t pay too much attention to the really hot balloons.
•
• Austin
AUGUST 14, 15, 16 ANIME OVERLOAD
Longview
AUGUST 22 RUN IT LIKE IT’S HOT
@ Holiday Inn Austin Midtown Explore Japanese culture by attending a convention that consists of art and stories about high school girls running to get to class on time while eating a piece of toast.
@ Lear Park Sports Complex (Sports) Call me paranoid, but with another mud-centric sports activity it looks look like the fashion industry and dirt-sports industry have an agreement in place to encourage ruining old clothes!
•
•
Austin
San Antonio
AUGUST 29 AUSTIN PRIDE FESTIVAL
AUGUST 1-15 DINNER AND GHOST TOUR AT THE HAUNTED MENGER HOTEL
@ Downtown Austin Paint the town rainbow by going downtown on Austin to support the LGBT movement.
the Texas Thunder festival is going to make you wish you had brought sturdier clothing.
• Austin
AUGUST 22 AUSTIN BAT FEST @ Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge Bats At this festival, children get to play The Little Vampire while watching millions of bats fly out from under a bridge. It’s like rabies without the rabies!
@ The Menger Hotel Live out your Goosebumps fantasy at the most haunted hotel in the state. If you die, you cannot legally haunt Study Breaks.
• Gardendale
AUGUST 21, 22, 23 TEXAS THUNDER @ Texas Thunder Festival Grounds Bring your cowboy boots and bolo ties because
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BLURB: Our amazing editor’s birthday is August 24th, so please don’t spit on him, just this one day of the year, please, it would mean a lot to me.
QUEER PSI FOR THE STRAIGHT CHI //by: mark stenberg
QUEER PSI FOR THE STRAIGHT CHI: The Emergence and Success of LGBTQ Greek Life On June 26th, 2015, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage throughout the country, a move acknowledging the growing national support for gay rights. According to the Washington Post, a record high 63 percent of Americans support gay marriage, and the number continues to rise every year. Four all-female universities voted to update their acceptance criteria in early 2015 and now accept applications from anyone born female or identifying as female. In pop culture, Laverne Cox became the first transgender person on the cover of Time magazine when she was included in Time’s 100 Most Influential People List. And when Caitlyn Jenner came out of the closet in June, she eclipsed the record held by President Obama for the fastest to one million Twitter followers. Finally, it appeared America had accepted the LGBTQ community. Texas, however, remains one of the few state-led strongholds of anti-gay legislation. The dust had barely settled on the Supreme Court announcement when Texas began combatting it. Following the legalization of gay marriage, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick openly opposed the measure, taking immediate steps to ensure religious objectors would not be legally bound to violate their beliefs. In support of his actions Patrick referenced Proposition 2, the 2005 amendment defining marriage. “Nearly 75 percent of all Texans voted to place in our state Constitution, that, in Texas, marriage is defined as being between one man and one woman.” Like Stephen F. Austin at the Alamo, Patrick drew a line in the sand, underscoring the religious support buoying Texas’ anti-gay laws. “I would rather be on the wrong side of history than on the wrong side of my faith and beliefs,” he said. Unlike Stephen F. Austin however, history will not celebrate Patrick’s obstinacy . According to the Pew Research Center, more than 70 percent of millennials support same-sex marriage, a a substantially higher number than other age groups and the only one that’s growing. “Millennial support for same-sex marriage has grown substantially over the past decade, from 51 percent in 2003 to 70 percent today,” their report found. In Texas, 44 percent of the population supports same-sex marriage, 41 percent oppose it and 14 percent are undecided. Even given Texas’ lack of majority support, the Pew Research Center called the trend unprecedented. “The rise in support for same-sex marriage over the past decade is among the largest changes in opinion on any policy issue over this time period.” In other words, whether the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in 2015 or in 2025, it was only a matter
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of time. The increasing support of younger generations makes expanding LGBTQ rights all but inevitable. The momentum behind the equality movement may have made success seem inevitable, but that is an illusion. Tireless advocates of the LGBTQ community were pushing for their rights decades before the rainbow was a popular cause. For these individuals, the recent string of victories are only some of the first fruits to show for after years of labor. A fair share of catalysts for the LGBTQ movement have emerged from colleges, the perennial hotbeds of progressivism. Universities have always been petri dishes for idealism—hospitable environments that allow fledgling ideas to grow. And at the University of Texas, two groups are helping spur progress toward gender and sexual equality. Gamma Rho Lambda (GRL), a queer focused and transgenderinclusive Greek society, and Delta Lambda Phi (DLP), a fraternity for gay, bisexual and progressive men, both strive to institute positive change by marrying the Greek archetype to LGBTQ sensibilities. The Greek world has suffered substantial criticism in the last year for accusations of racism and bigotry, some of which has been aimed at the queer community. Stories of homophobia within the Greek community pepper the Internet. In March, the University of Texas chapter of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity (Fiji) came under fire when a Reddit user posted a photo of confidential pledge rules, one of which read “NO FAGETRY.” Though the majority of fraternity and sorority members disapprove of these backward concepts, the negative actions of the few still sour the reputation of an entire organization. This lingering homophobia makes the proposition of LGBTQ people joining the Greek system highly unlikely. Instead of avoiding the “Nearly 75 percent Greek community system of all Texans voted though, the members of to place in our state GRL and DLP chose to Constitution, that, use it as a medium for in Texas, marriage their message. is defined as being Lauren Ferguson, between one man and President and co-founder of the Gamma Rho one woman.” Lambda chapter at UT, believes that GRL encapsulates all the positive aspects of the fraternity and sorority system. “Greek life is really an awesome idea,” Ferguson said over the phone. “You get to do cool stuff with people you really care about.” In the fall of 2014, she contacted the national branch of Gamma Rho Lambda about creating a chapter in Austin. GRL spans the country, with sixteen chapters and two colonies, one of which is the University of Texas branch. “Being a colony means we’re being monitored for three years,” Ferguson explained. “We have mostly the same rights as any other chapter, but they’re making sure that we know what we’re doing while we set up.” The following semester, Lauren and her sister Audrey began spreading word of the new organization, tabling and contacting gay organizations on campus. Those interested in joining underwent new member education and joined the sorority. Going into the semester, they officially have nine members and plan to host their first recruitment fall 2015. Ferguson never focused on recruitment for the sake of volume, but the sisters believe there’s going to be substantial growth in their first pledge class. “Initially, we were just reaching out to see who was
interested,” she says. “Over the last six months we found a lot people who are really interested, and we’re beginning to see there’s a big need for it on campus.” Ferguson plans on mimicking the activities of traditional sororities by creating recruitment traditions and hosting frequent social events. “We do Big & Little the first weekend after recruitment. We also do paddles, an initiation process and a new member education,” Ferguson says. There are some differences, however. The aim of a queer sorority is to create a safe space for its members, so they plan on hosting lowstress events such as ice cream socials and board game nights. “We just want to be meeting people who need us and people who are a good fit for us,” Ferguson says. Since the keyword is safe space, the sorority avoids any activity that might dissuade potential new members. “We’re pretty much the same thing as a sorority, except we focus a little more on being inclusive.” Gamma Rho Lambda welcomes all different races, sexual identities, gender identities and allies. Still, those are just guidelines. Ferguson stresses that if you identify as female then you’re welcome “We have lesbian, transgender, bisexual and straight members,” she says. “It’s for everyone.” Delta Lambda Phi is the male equivalent of GRL. A national queer fraternity, DLP bills itself as a social fraternity for gay, bisexual and progressive men. Vernon Strickland III founded DLP in 1987 in Washington D.C., and there are now thirty chapters, five colonies and one interest group. The Beta Rho Chapter was introduced to the University of Texas in September 2008 as a colony, and was chartered in fall 2010. Andrew Beach, a rising senior and Microbiology major, recently joined the fraternity. Of the many different reasons to join a queer fraternity, discrimination in traditional fraternities is not usually the main reason guys join. No fraternity explicitly forbids gay members from joining, and even Fiji’s alleged “No Fagetry” clause fails to prevent gay students from hiding their sexual identity and getting a bid. Beach said there are definitely gay men in fraternities, they just often don’t tell their brothers. Even though most fraternities are officially non-discriminatory, many gay members choose to keep their sexuality a secret. “It would be OK for them to tell people,” Beach says,” but they’re afraid of it.” The problem is that LGBTQ men aren’t looking to rush a fraternity where there is only a
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low level of discrimination—they want a fraternity with no level of discrimination. Even one fraternity brother who feels uncomfortable with a gay member can make the environment unsafe, and unfortunately it’s difficult to find genuine, universal acceptance in such masculinity-charged arenas. Many LGBTQ men want the same feeling of community that straight men want but feel like outsiders in traditional fraternities, spoiling the experience. More importantly, Greek chapters focus a lot on compatibility and DLP is no different. Queer fraternities bring together guys with similar backgrounds, senses of humor and interests, which often count for much more in terms of identity than sexual preference. “All the people in DLP are really fun people,” Beach says, “They’re my favorite kind of people.” Even if traditional fraternities were discrimination free, Greek life is more about friendships than shared sexual identity. “When we do things like community service,” says Beach, “It’s never like ‘This is so boring.’ I’m excited because I get to do whatever it is with my brothers.” As a result, DLP has had incredible success catering to an underserved demographic: LGBTQ college men who want a solid community of male friends. For Beach and many others, it’s a simple as that. For some though, DLP is an indispensable resource. “A lot of the people I’ve talked to never had gay friends or have never had any sort of gay community,” Beach says. Similar to GRL, the fraternity operates on two levels: a safe place for anyone who needs it, as well as a social group based on friendship and shared interests. The only connections that both queer chapters forbid are romantic ones. A non-issue with traditional fraternities and sororities, GRL and DLP both adhere to strict “handsoff” policies that limit the dating and hook-ups. The specifics policies differ but share the same guidelines. For GRL sisters, new members cannot date other new members, and active members are forbidden from dating new members. The sorority makes an exception for two members who join and are already dating, or when new members are dating someone outside the chapter. In DLP, the hands-off policy completely forbids dating and hook-ups except in the case of a preexisting relationship. When pressed, both Ferguson and Beach confessed that under the right circumstances accommodations would most likely be made. The rules aim to keep the group focused on community
after all, not stifle romance. In addition, GRL works hard to create a welcoming environment for members at all different comfort levels with their sexuality. Even innocent flirting can backfire, and so their precautionary rules are well intentioned. Both groups err on the side of caution in general, as they are more prone to scrutiny than average Greek communities. Negative feedback can come for no reason, so they make extra effort to avoid bringing it on themselves. For instance, underage drinking at many frat parties is practically a given, and while sororities eschew hosting parties, they certainly partake at the fraternity ones. GRL and DLP are much stricter about alcohol rules, making sure that if drinking does occur it’s unaffiliated with the groups. While unfair, queer sororities and fraternities understand that they’re under the microscope. Discrimination against LGBTQ individuals already exists, so they work hard to avoid giving people reasons to discriminate against the groups as well. “I’ve seen [discrimination] against individual members,” Beach says, “but not just because their association with the fraternity.” Ferguson experienced some backlash when the news of her bringing GRL to campus surfaced, getting flyers handed back with reasons why the group should disband. Still, the positive support has far outweighed the negative. “For every one person who doesn’t like us, there’s a thousand who support “For every one person us. UT has been who doesn’t like us, insanely supportive there’s a thousand of us,” Ferguson said. who support us. UT “They’re not only has been insanely willing to support us, supportive of us,” but they’re excited about it.” Support has come in from across the country as the LGBTQ community has shown its solidarity. “People from across the nation who I don’t know were sending me and my sister messages saying, ‘Hey, this is awesome that you’re doing this. Keep it up.’” Ferguson even found herself making strides within the LGBTQ community. “One woman from the Transgender Education Network of Texas was saying how important it was that we’re trans-inclusive,” says Ferguson, whose sister identifies as transgender. “A lot of the feminism movements and LGBTQ community do not want to include trans-women into the queer spectrum because there is a lot of transphobia within [those communities],” Ferguson told the Daily Texan. Ferguson and Beach acknowledge their groups’ first goal is to create spaces to hang out without worrying about discrimination. They ultimately want to have a network that functions the same way traditional Greek communities do— focusing on camaraderie, group identity and friendship.
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FEATURED BAND: SIP SIP //by: vanessa delgado
SIP SIP
ARTIST AT A GLANCE:
By: Vanessa Delgado Forged in the summer of 2009 from fragments of Mother Falcon and Corduroi, Sip Sip is a 17-member collective with a sound so nice they named it twice. Originally just a creative release, the ragtag group has since evolved into a bona fide band. Their sound runs the spectrum from Post-Disco to Hip-Hop, but the key factor in their popularity is their live shows. Sip Sip has played venues throughout Austin including Stubb’s, Mohawk and Cheer Up Charlies. They recently played their biggest show ever at the X Games in Austin. AJ Audain of Sip Sip sat down with Study Breaks in the band’s practice space, a house near the Mueller district in Austin. Sip Sip was throwing a boat party the next day and had bought hundreds of bottles of beer. Unfortunately—or fortunately—law prohibits glass on the water, so Audain had plenty to offer. The walls were plastered with music festival flyers and event posters from shows they’d played, and a Dungeons and Dragons gameboard covered the long dinner table. AJ plays the drums and helps write for Sip Sip, in addition to being a very necessary spokesperson for the logistically unwieldy 17-person band. “Sip Sip is about the audience,” Audain says. “We really feed off the energy of the crowd. And in return, we feed the crowd.” The band deliberately uses costumes, antics and provocation to work in tandem with their sound to transport audiences. Rumor has it they used to throw joints out to the crowd, but that was before they got popular. Following the achievement of their 2013 album, Party Record, the band plans on releasing their sophomore album at the end of this year. Sip Sip’s second work will carry the same amount of funk but with updated content, displaying influences from Peter Gabriel, The Cardigans, and Mother Father Sister Brother. The ensemble’s miscegenation of genres creates a rare sound and is available on iTunes and Spotify. But, AJ recommends catching a live show: check them out at Float Fest or Utopia Fest to witness one of the best performances you’ll see. AUGUST 2015 | 54 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
Song: 9 2 5 Members: Seventeen Find Them: Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp Next show: Float Fest, August 28-30 Look for the album: Mid December
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FLOAT FEST 2015 //by: mark stenberg
It seems like every day there’s another music festival popping up—all of them with the same formula: a big area to do drugs in, an intentional shortage of bathrooms and groups of middle school kids trying to pass as high school kids. The music takes a backseat to ticket sales, and the whole experience gets so diluted that everyone has a little fun, but no one has a good time. Not so with Float Fest! The only event in the entire world that combines tubing with music festivals, Float Fest is the cure for the common concert.
bun b
ghostland observatories
MUSIC
TUBING
CAMPING
Sick of line-ups designed to please tweens, teens, millennials, parents and seniors? Float Fest thinks Grandpa can sit this festival out, because he won’t understand Bun B and Paul Wall, and Ghostland Observatory, Phantogram and Mute Math will be too loud for gramp’s fragile eardrums. Other headliners include The Local Natives, Dr. Dog and Devin the Dude, plus many more bands, including local heroes like Max Frost and The Eastern Sea.
Just the fact that there is tubing means Float Fest has better tubing options than any other festival on the planet, but they don’t stop there! Here’s the format: shuttles run from HQ starting at 9:00, floats last between 3-5 hours and music starts at 2:00 back at basecamp, so everything depends on personal preference. Arrive when you want, float if you want and listen to music if you want— it’s the ultimate buffet festival! Single day Tubing Passes cost $25, cover tube and shuttle and are available each day. Coolers are BYOC, and can be filled with whatever whets your whistle.
After a long day of floating, drinking and listening to music, leaving at the end of night is going to seem like a real drag. So instead of leaving this beautiful music-and-rubber filled Eden, buy a 3 Night Camping Pass for $75 and set up your own personal den of iniquity, or buy a single night pass for $50. If you and your car have a special thing going, then for just $25 more y’all can camp together.
TICKETS There are three equally amazing options for buying tickets to Float Fest, so let’s start with the most insanely amazing one. A 3-Day VIP Concert Pass that gets you complimentary open bar, free daily meal, rapid entry, upgraded absolutely everything and again—open bar—runs $299. Amazing option number two: single day passes for $50, which give access to every last decibel of music for any day, and make a lot of sense given the endurance needed for three days of tubing. The final, mindblowing option: 3-Day General Admission tickets for the near-charity price of $150, which puts the whole festival in the palm of your hand.
AUGUST 28-30TH SAN MARCOS, TX
COOL RIVER RANCH FLOATFEST.NET AUGUST 2015 | 56 | WWW.STUDYBREAKS.COM
THE SEXIEST BAR IN THE CITY
THURSDAY NIGHT SWIMS FROM
9PM TO 2 AM
DAY POOL PARTY SATURDAYS
2 PM - 8 PM
SUNDAY FUNDAY POOL PARTY 2 PM TO 2AM
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THE DROUGHT // by: mark stenberg
Austin
FEATURED BAR OF THE MONTH:
THE TROPHY CLUB 310 E. 6th St.
Once a month, The Drought releases a list containing names and descriptions of four establishments licensed to sell alcohol, known commonly as “bars.” These bars make the list for any number of reasons. Some, like the Trophy Club, are where you want to be Saturday night with your friends. Others like Faust and the Railyard are Saturday afternoon lounge-type venues, maybe a particularly sloshy Thursday night. Local falls somewhere between buzzing on a Friday night and still appropriate for a first date. It’s August though so anywhere with cold liquid probably sounds good. These are our picks. OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR, 8PM-2AM Seeing a machine at a bar? Big whoop, machines are everywhere these days. Running into a bull at a bar? Maybe raises a few eyebrows, but everybody needs to blow off steam. But seeing a machine-bull hybrid—now that’s something! At the Trophy Club on 6th St., Wild Bill the mechanical bull comes to life every night. Legend even holds that he continues bucking long after the bars close, looking for the man who changed him into a mechanical bull. No need to worry though. Trained bull engineers control his every flail with calculated and hilarious wrist-motions. Hapless young Austinites and their intrepid visitors get thrown nightly into the comfortable surrounding cushions, which are practically worth the visit themselves. In addition to Bill, the Trophy Club also features live music every night of the year. And ThursdaySaturday at 11:00 the country bar transforms into a dance club where a whole different kind of bucking bulls can be found! WHAT TO ORDER: Anything strong enough to get you to mount the mechanical bull of your dreams.
San Antonio
San Marcos
Lubbock
FAUST
RAILYARD BAR & GRILL
LOCAL
Happy Hour: 4:00-9:00 One of the best bars in the city, Faust may be tiny but every square inch is worth the wait. The outdoor area is intimate but not crowded, perfect for summer nights. Plus there’s a food portal right next to the seating area, so sustenance is only a stumble away. Inside, Faust’s intelligently curated drink selection becomes apparent, featuring beers such as 90 Minute Dog Fish Head and Duvel. Even if you’re not the mixed drink type, the cocktails at Faust are strong, tasty and cheap—none more than $6.50. During their happy hour, several cocktails drop to a mere $4.00, and they feature $2 Lonies and $2.50 Shiner. Faust is one of those rare bars that goes from sleepy to busy in the blink of an eye though, which also adds to its charm. Oh, and it’s open till 4:00 a.m
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Happy Hour: 3:00-7:00 daily and whenever the train passes The de facto summer haunt, the Railyard has perhaps the best backyard area of any bar in San Marcos. Their casual, beeroriented vibe meshes perfectly with their food offerings, which include Poblano Queso ($5.00) and their iconic Fried Wickles ($6.50), a scientifically unprecedented hybrid of fried, sweet pickles. Bring a dog, or your dog, or friends, or whatever—and sit on a wooden bench while drinking beer, slowly realizing life can only get worse. Distract yourself by playing free pool and washers, but subtly hatch a plan to move into the patio area permanently. Don’t tell anyone though, or you’ll be kicked out, forced to move and only get to write about bars for other people to enjoy.
$5 Daily Lunch Specials Every million years, a bar is born that has an amazing local beer selection. Every billion years a bar with delicious, affordable food comes into the cosmos. But never, in the history of the universe, has a bar existed that so seamlessly combines the two—until now. The owners of Local are Tech alumni who really care about their alcohol selection. As a result, they have one of the biggest local beer selections in the city—if not the biggest. They also serve Texas vodkas, tequilas, rums, gins and whiskeys, and all their drinks are pretty cheap. More importantly, the food here is inventive without trying too hard. Burgers like The Juicy Lucie ($7.99) and The Smuggler ($8.99) can’t be found anywhere else in the city, nor should you eat them if they are, because that means some other place is copying Local and they must be punished!
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CLASS PICTURES //by: mark stenberg //photography: austin: caleb freund // san marcos: madelynne scales
AUSTIN: The Hartman Foundation “Concerts in the Park,” presented by the Austin Symphony Orchestra, is in its 13th season this year. These free ensemble concerts take place in front of the Long Center near Auditorium Shores and run on Sunday evenings through August 23rd.
SAN MARCOS: The Texas State University PR Campaigns class teamed up with R3 Recycling and Nike’s Old Soles Never Die campaign to help recycle unwanted shoes and electronics. The event was held at Zelick’s Icehouse and was a huge success!
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CLASS PICTURES // by: mark stenberg //photography: lubbock: kristen lee // san antonio: bobby korom
LUBBOCK: New student orientation found many nervous freshmen at Tech walking the campus with their proud parents, creating living nightmares for students and dreams come true for parents. Tech’s welcome events were a great way to break the ice and see the campus!
SAN ANTONIO: UTSA students attending summer school were happy be photographed, as it gave them something to take their minds off of the monotony of summer school. Students photographed here are in the first summer semester.
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Key: 1-False 2-True 3-True 4-False 5-True 6-False
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AUG. 1ST
THE GREEK GODS
SPRING BREAK IN CUBA?
QUEER PSI FOR THE STRAIGHT CHI
TEXAS TOAST
Exploring the Politics Behind the Possibility
The Emergence & Success of LGBTQ Greek Life
Cracker Barrel: Chicken Fried Great
JULY 2015 • AUSTIN • STUDYBREAKS.COM
BROTHERS & SISTERS FOR LIFE