Summer Issue | Volume 3, Issue 29 | Stillwater, OK
www.theodysseyonline.com | @Odyssey_OKState | Facebook.com/TheOdysseyOklahomaState
THANKS, OKLAHOMA STATE PAGE 2
GREEK OF THE WEEK: REMEMBERING KASEY WAYCHOFF PAGE 4 OSU GIVES BACK PAGE 6 GLAD TO BE GREEK, PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN PAGE 11
KELLIE BAXTER PRACTICES MILKING A COW DURING CASNR WEEK ON CAMPUS Photo Credit: Tanner Miller
2
Editor's note
www.theodysseyonline.com
THANKS, OKLAHOMA STATE
Thanks for the positions I didn’t get; they taught me humility. Thanks for letting me bursar everything from Jamba Juice to Vera Bradley accessories. Thanks for that weird smell that fills Edmon Low and brings back a million memories. Thanks for Bennett Hall, and late nights eating ice cream with friends. And most of all, thanks for taking a bunch of scared freshmen, and sending capable, confident, humble, kind, good ole’ guys and gals out into the “real world” four years later. OSU, you are all the best things about the state of Oklahoma wrapped up into 1,489 acres of wonderfulness. Dear Chi Omega, Thanks for filling your walls with girls who have become lifelong friends. Thanks The last four years have been full of growth and
LIBBY NICHOLAS
new, incredible
Editor-in-Chief
friendships. It’s hard to wrap my mind around
Chi Omega
Libby is a senior studying multimedia journalism. You may contact her at elizabeth.nicholas@ okstate.edu.
the fact that I graduate a week from Saturday. There’s no better way to fill my final Editor’s Note than to say, thank you, OSU. Thank you, Chi Omega. And thank you, Odyssey. Dear OSU, Thanks for the opportunity to cheer for America’s brightest orange from America’s rowdiest student section. Thanks for playing the fight song every hour, and for tailgates and Orange Fridays. Thanks for teaching me that loyalty goes beyond winning or losing. I’d rather cheer for you than that team south of us any day, and that goes beyond numbers on the scoreboard. Thanks for a campus full of the friendliest people you’d ever meet. Whether Greek, independent, an athlete, or whatever “classification” one falls under, each student at OSU feels the comfort and unity of the Cowboy Family. And that’s not something you find on every college campus. Thanks for that professor who I thought was so mean, but pushed me to work harder and better myself. Thanks for giving me that C that I didn’t think I deserved; it taught me that it’s OK not to have a perfect GPA. Lessons in college go beyond the classroom. Thanks for the positions through which you trusted me to serve.
THE ODYSSEY AT OKLAHOMA STATE EXECUTIVE TEAM President Breanna Fuller Alpha Delta Pi Distribution Executive Tori Brownlee Alpha Delta Pi Recruitment Executive Kade Goodwin Phi Delta Theta Sales Executives Adrianna Newport Alpha Delta Pi Hunter Kashwer Phi Delta Theta
CREATIVE TEAM Editor-in-Chief Libby Nicholas Chi Omega Contributing Editor Thomas Chapman FarmHouse Photographer Jamie Barnes Sigma Pi Megan Noble Zeta Tau Alpha
OLYMPIA MEDIA GROUP 888.272.2595 | OlympiaMediaGroup.com Managing Editor, Kate Waxler Designer, Grant Hohulin
We want a representative from every house! To apply for a writing, photography or sales position, TheOdysseyOnline.com/creative © 2014 Olympia Media Group, LLC All Rights Reserved. The Odyssey is a private entity not associated or governed by University of Oklahoma or OSU Greek life office. The views and opinions shared in The Odyssey are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Odyssey and Olympia Media Group.
Editor's note
www.theodysseyonline.com
3
for encouraging me to buy Chacos. Sometimes comfort is more important than style.
and girls who never study, singers and dancers, future FFA moms, and every girl in
Thanks for encouraging me to step out on the limb (hoot hoot, get it?), and that
between? You all have taught me something I never would have guessed before college
anything worth having is worth working for.
– it’s possible to have a group of 56 women and no drama.
Thanks for the Agnus, the cockroach who probably still lives on the third floor. The nightly screams and missions to catch him really united the entire floor spring of 2012. Thanks for being creaky and old and cozy. You truly have become my home away from home. Thanks for a fire alarm that goes off at random, whether it be 2 a.m. or the middle of a recruitment party (although, who knows in the case of an actual fire?). Things like that reflect the genuine, spunky girls who I’ve found through you. Thanks for cereal parties late at night in the dining room. Thanks for being a place to run to after an amazing or terrible date, a place to find comfort after a failed test, or a place to celebrate after a success. Thanks for teaching me that it’s more important to be lovable than popular, and character comes before
I’m glad they’ll be many memories and letters to carry with me into life after college. Dear Odyssey, When I got the call about the Editor-in-Chief position, I was worried that it would be hard to keep a group of people motivated to work toward a cause like this. Writers, you proved me wrong. Thanks for bearing with my nitpicky emails full of grammar rules. Thanks for being fun. Thanks for laughing when things go wrong, and setting the paper on every table inside your chapter house when things go right. Thanks for the opportunity to serve as EIC. I’ve never enjoyed a position and group of people more. Ya’ll have made my senior year spectacular.
appearances. Thanks for encouraging me to be womanly always, and discouraged
And thanks for reading, Greeks. It’s been fun.
never.
Sincerely,
Most of all, thanks for PC’X. What would my college experience be without this wonderful, completely united assortment of cowgirls and preppy girls, smarty-pants
A loyal and true, grammatically correct Owl.
4
Scene on campus
www.theodysseyonline.com
GREEK OF THE WEEK:
REMEMBERING KASEY WAYCHOFF Kasey Waychoff, member of Gamma Phi Beta, was a special part of our very own Greek community. She will never be forgotten.
TAYLOR FELGENHAUER Gamma Phi Beta
Taylor is a junior studying strategic communications. You may contact her at taylor. felgenhauer@yahoo.com.
international business major, and was minoring in Chinese. She was involved in Dance Marathon and Cowboy Cousins. Not only was she just a part of those organizations, but also she yet took time to really get to know the people around her. “She cared so much about the foreign exchange students at OSU,” Jordi Hall, her roommate and best friend, said. “She had dinner with them once a week and gave them tours of the house. She truly loved hanging out with them. She hung up all the gifts they gave her for Christmas in her room.”
Kasey was a s o p h o m o re a n d spent every moment in college to the absolute fullest. She didn’t waste Kasey loved to travel and has just about traveled everywhere. She a second. Continuously building the greatest friendships, making had lived in Singapore until her junior year of high school. Kasey had memories, and not letting a day go by without showing love toward also just been accepted into the Study Abroad program for Spring 2015 someone. to complete her minor. Kasey is originally from Flower Mound, Tx., and followed her family “She LOVED Texas and the world, and could never understand why to Oklahoma State University. Kasey’s parents were both part of Greek people wanted to live in Texas the rest of their lives.” life at Oklahoma State. Her brother, Wes Waychoff, is an active member Kasey had an amazingly close relationship with her brother, Wes, and of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Oklahoma State. they were able to grow up and travel the world together. Kasey was involved and loved Gamma Phi to her fullest. She served There was never a dull moment with Kasey. Every moment was a as the Financial Vice President and hoped to make a difference for funny one, constantly filled with laughing, her close friends, Jordi Hall, people to pay their billhighways on time. Chandler Case and Dallis Garman, said. Kasey was also very involved with intramurals. She played on the Kasey has left so many memories that her friends and pledge sisters Football Frenzy team every year, softball, rugby and volleyball. “We will never forget. Kasey lived in Gamma Phi Beta with the rest of her always make fun of her for being such a tomboy.” her friends said. pledge class of 2012. On Sunday nights, when it was more laid back, Not only did she hold Gamma Phi up on the business side of things, her and her roommate Jordi Hall would move their beds to the floor but also affected the chapter with her outrageous, sweet and lively and watch movies together. Kasey was also known to lighten up the personality, as her friends and pledge class had described her. mood with her snorts while she would laugh. She would always just “Kasey spent her time getting to know so many different people and smile and giggle when she was in awkward situations. building so many relationships,” pledge sisters said. “She was seriously “My favorite memory with her was when we held hands running all such an easy person to be around and had inside jokes with just about the way to Gamma Phi on Bid Day 2012,” Hayley Kiefer, her pledge anyone.” sister, said. “We didn’t know each other and had already bonded so
Throughout Kasey’s moments here in college, she always made sure much. I will never forget that day, because that is the day I was blessed to know what really mattered. She took time to really get to know to have her enter my life.” people and to show them that she genuinely cared for them. Kasey has impacted so many lives during her time as a Gamma Phi “Every time we would spend time together she was so good at Beta at Oklahoma State. She has left so many memories and moments, listening, asking questions and would genuinely care about her your and portrayed genuine love toward everyone she met. life and what was going on,” Morgan Hampton, Kasey’s G Phi Big said. “You will always be remembered by your contagiously beautiful smile “Not many people are good at that, and she was the greatest to talk to.” and the biggest, cutest dimples ever. We love you so much Kasey, even Kasey carried many valued qualities that people long to have, such more than you love pizza and coke.” Love in PKE, PC ‘12 as entertaining, sweet, loving, genuine and loyal. Kasey had also spent much of her time serving OSU. She was an
Scene on campus
www.theodysseyonline.com
NEW TUITION PLAN APPROVED FOR FALL 2014 On March 7, the Board of Regents for Oklahoma A&M Colleges approved a measure to implement a flat rate or block tuition program beginning in this Fall. The Student Government Association issued a recommendation to the board prior to voting that the measure be passed.
CASEY BURSON FarmHouse
Casey is a freshman studying construction management technology. You may contact him at Casey.burson@okstate.edu.
The program, titled “Finish in Four,” will alter the current tuition cost schedule by creating a flat rate for tuition and fees to be paid by all full time students at Oklahoma State. While President Hargis and the Board of Regents acted with the best of intentions, the potential consequences of such a program should not be overlooked. As outlined, all undergraduate students enrolled in more than 12 hours of course credit but less than 18 hours, will be charged for fifteen credit hours. The approach will encourage students to enroll in at least fifteen hours and hopefully reduce time spent in school to four years. Autar Kaw, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of South Florida, likened such tuition programs to a fast food restaurant charging you for a large soda, when you know you will only be able to finish a medium. Some students, like those who work part-time jobs, need to enroll in fewer hours in order to be successful academically. Marketed by the university as a plan to help students graduate quicker and hopefully reducing the cost of attending OSU, the program warrants skepticism as it will truly only benefit those who are not quite on track to graduate in four years but could push themselves to graduate in four for financial reasons. In an email to all current students, President Hargis cited current university statistics for the number of years spent on undergraduate coursework that are almost as embarrassing as our retention rates. “Currently, only 31 percent of OSU students graduate in four years,” according to the email from Hargis, and “around 60 percent graduate in six years.” By aiming to incentivize graduating in four years, the program has potential to cause further harm to OSU’s retention numbers, when students enroll in more classes than they can handle and leave school as a result of a suffering GPA. Standardizing the cost of enrollment in 12-18 hours of semester credit hours, the plan supported by President Hargis differs from OU’s flat rate tuition program in that the rate paid by Sooners covers up to 21 hours of credits. OU’s plan does allow for up to six hours of tuition and fees to be exempted for a summer session provided only 24 hours were taken in the previous two semesters. The outline approved by the board will not have this option. Further concern arises for those students who, in the final semesters of their undergraduate program, don’t need to take 15 hours of classes. With programs like AP, CLEP, and concurrent enrollment, many students graduate high school with a significant portion of their general education course work complete. These students have done themselves a favor by reducing the total number of hours needed to obtain their respective degree. These programs offered in most high schools offer
5
the potential to save time and money spent earning a college degree. For the college senior who only needs an additional 24 hours of credit to graduate, the plan will require course credit earned in high school programs to, in essence, be paid for again. “I graduated high school with 26 hours hoping to make pursuing a difficult major a little less difficult,” freshman chemical engineering major Mitchelle Moriarty said. “It is disappointing that I will pretty much have to pay for classes I don’t need to take during my last couple of semesters.” A lot of work has yet to be done to have the program in place for the fall semester. While there are many kinks that need to be worked out, the Board will have the opportunity to make needed changes to ensure the program effectively accomplishes its purpose.
6
Scene on campus
www.theodysseyonline.com
OSU GIVES BACK
Greeks at Oklahoma State University are each passionate about their own organizations. H o w e v e r, one collective bond unites all of us: a love for serving others.
HANNAH NEMECEK Chi Omega
Hannah is a junior studying agricultural communications. You may contact her at hannah.nemecek@okstate.edu.
representation of the quality of students at Oklahoma State and the level of dedication our students place on philanthropic efforts.” OSU’s Panhellenic Council also supports communitywide philanthropy by supporting the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation. The Circle of Sisterhood Foundation uses the collaboration of sorority women to support educational endeavors for women across the world. The foundation has impacted women in seven countries on four different continents.
“The Circle of Sisterhood Foundation aligns perfectly with the “Giving back serves as the common thread that ties all of our Panhellenic value of ‘wide and wise human service,’” Levy said. organizations together,” Taylor Levy, Panhellenic’s vice president of OSU’s sorority women participated in a variety of activities to programming, said. support Circle of Sisterhood. In the spring, Panhellenic hosted a book At OSU, the Greek system comes together as a whole to support the club featuring, “Half the Sky,” a book about oppression of women and Stillwater community. While many houses pair for communitywide girls in the developing world. Every chapter was provided a book service projects including Big Event, Into the Streets and Dance and an opportunity to attend, Levy said. Marathon, OSU’s Greek life sets itself apart as the entire community
unifies to support various philanthropies.
Panhellenic also sold carnations in the spring to be delivered to the houses during work week.
One of those philanthropies is Pumpkin Pals, a carnival hosted “Many women sent carnations to their friends in other houses,” by OSU’s Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, National Levy said. Panhellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council, Levy said. Carnations were also sold to parents of potential new members Each chapter is responsible for setting up a booth at the carnival. Elementary students from the Stillwater community come to enjoy during recruitment check-in. The PNMs received the flowers face painting, balloon animals, pumpkin painting and more, Levy during recruitment week. Other events included fundraiser nights at OrangeLeaf and Qdoba, Levy said. said. OSU Panhellenic has supported the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation “Participants seek to mentor students from the local elementary school in a safe, educational and fun environment,” she said. “I since 2011. believe it is important to build relationships and be role models for “I love supporting the Circle of Sisterhood because I understand how the elementary students.” much of a privilege it is to have the opportunity to get an education,” The event also hosts a school supply drive benefitting first grade Levy said. “I feel it is our responsibility as sorority women to assist women around the world, so they might receive an education as well.” teachers at the local elementary school, Levy said. At OSU, Greeks have the ability to see the world from a larger perspective. Rather than simply supporting individual chapters and “Chapters were never required to participate,” Levy said. “The philanthropies, Greeks come together to support causes that are bigger multitude of participation and enthusiasm we received is a true than themselves. Levy said the carnival was not lacking in participation.
Scene on campus
www.theodysseyonline.com
7
A CHAT WITH OKLA. REP. EMILY VIRGIN
Despite not actually being Panhellenic, Emily Virgin of Norman, Oklahoma is the perfect example of what a Panhellenic woman should be—poised, empowered, and compassionate.
way I could do that was through public service – that’s just the best way that I could put my gifts and talents to use. I think it’s everyone’s responsibility to figure out the best way to use their talents to help other people.”
This young woman graduated from OU in 2009 and then was elected into the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2010—at the age of 23.
Last week, she took the Bar exam, so she’s well on her way to filling her 5-year-old wishes. Speaking of 5-yearolds, we discussed her childhood. She started with this tragedy, “I always wanted a My-Size Barbie, but never got one.” Luckily, her dad made up for it. “I had an awesome Playmobil dollhouse that was probably the coolest thing I ever owned,” she said. “It took my dad all day on Christmas to put it together, so you can imagine how much he loved it.”
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to be around her, you can see why she was elected despite her young age; her commitment to Oklahoma and willingness to go the extra mile shines through her. Keep reading to learn more about this strong leader, her thoughts on the state of Oklahoma, and what you as a college student can do to help. Emily Virgin has always had a servant’s heart, even from a young age. “I’m one of those weird people who actually grew up and did what they said they wanted to do when they were 5-yearsold,” She said. “I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer and public servant. But I definitely wasn’t thinking I would start my career in politics so early. My legislative seat was being vacated by a legislator who was subject to term limits. My dad actually kind of planted the seed with me about potentially running for this seat, because it was going to be open in the next election, and I just couldn’t get the thought out of my head. I knew I was qualified and could help the people of my district, and so I decided to run.” She knew that she wanted to serve Oklahoma in some way, and eventually decided she could best do that by running for public office and going to law school. “I realized that the best
Continuing with the nostalgic theme, I asked who was her favorite Disney princess. Not surprisingly, she chose Mulan, another strong woman with a servant’s heart. We went on to discuss the state of Oklahoma, and what can be done about it. “Absolutely one of the biggest problems is that common education is not funded as well as it should be,” she said. “Our teachers need to be paid more, so that we can attract and retain the best teachers. To me, education is the foundation of all other issues, and we need to make sure we give it adequate funding…I hope that Oklahoma will truly make common education and higher education a priority.” Virgin said she loves Oklahoma. “I think we’re among the most caring people in the country. However, I think we don’t do a good enough job of caring for those who need it the most – needy children, the hungry, poor, elderly, etc. That goes back to funding, as well. I’m sure everyone has good intentions with these groups, but we have to put our money where our mouth is. We currently have 7,000 people on a waiting list
SOPHIA GIBSON
Delta Delta Delta Sophia is a freshman studying agricultural education. Yo u m a y c o n t a c t h e r a t sophie.gibson@okstate.edu.
for services from the Department of Disability Services. That is simply unacceptable, so I hope that we will truly care for underserved populations in the future, because we are a caring and giving population.” If these issues resonate with you, Representative Virgin has some advice. “The best way to get involved in politics is to work on a state or local campaign. Get involved with a candidate you believe in, and work hard to get them elected or re-elect them.” If you don’t have the time to volunteer, there are other options. “Another thing I would encourage you to do is pay attention to the bills that are going through the legislature, and if there’s one that interests you, contact your legislator about it. It would mean so much to a legislator if a college student was vocal about their support or opposition of a particular piece of legislation.” Finally, if you truly want to make Oklahoma a better state she has one recommendation. “Vote,” she said. “I can’t stress enough the importance of registering to vote, and being an active voter.”
ELIZABETH PAYNE: AN EXPERT ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP The entrepreneurship program has a teaching philosophy that is slightly different from other departments.
It has an emphasis on not only improving students, but also encouraging them to work outside of “the box.”
JAMIE BARNES Sigma Pi
Jamie is a junior studying Landscape Architecture. You may contact him at james.barnes@ okstate.edu.
company specializing in technology, called Advanced Financial Solutions. She served as their Vice President of Human Resources when Principal Financial Group awarded her company the recognition as one of the 10 best U.S. Companies for ensuring employee security. Later, Payne went on to work as a consultant for different people in multiple sectors of the industry. Now, she finds herself working here at OSU in the Riata School of Entrepreneurship!
Payne is involved in strategic engagement, women’s entrepreneurship, Native American entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial outreach. She has done a great deal of work with the Native American Tribes in Oklahoma (her husband is a member of one such tribe), and they have worked to survey multiple tribes on their economic strides throughout the past 30 years. Payne is extremely I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my classes through the entrepreneurship program. This passionate about furthering the entrepreneurial spirit as well as fostering efforts semester, one of the classes I’m enrolled in is Native American Entrepreneurship of different minority groups, whether they are women or of Native American with Professor Elizabeth Payne. Professor Payne has basically seen it all. She tribes. has a great deal of insight into the world of entrepreneurship as well as how it I thoroughly enjoy Payne as a professor and continuously look forward to affects different groups within the United States. She is a licensed attorney and worked for several years as a lawyer. After she spent some time working in law, her classes. Her enthusiasm is contagious along with her evident passion for her subjects. She isn’t one to put emphasis on excessive amounts of homework. she took a career leap that was a definitely a risk. Instead our class focuses on having a firm understanding of our topic. We leave Payne took a job with Ed Gaylord working as counsel, and later as Vice class having learned more about what we discussed. I definitely recommend President of Human Resources. She was one of the first female execs in a everyone take a class with Elizabeth Payne! She knows each of her students by multi-billion dollar private company. Payne then went on to join a new startup first name and genuinely wants all of us to succeed.
8
Adventure traveling
www.theodysseyonline.com
MEDICAL MISSIONS IN PANAMA This summer, a group of OSU students JAKE has decided to embark BLASDEL on a medical missions Sigma Nu trip to Panama, the Jake is a junior studying biological southernmost country science. You may contact him at in Central America. jacob.blasdel@okstate.edu. With the help of the national organization, Global Medical Brigades (GMB), more than 20 students will take part in a trip that promises to change their lives, and others, for the better. With this week’s theme of summer plans, I thought I’d focus on a group of students’ plans, instead of only my own. Fortunately, I happen to be accompanying this group to Panama and I can’t wait to experience a week in a Central American country and see how American students can go about helping people in need. Our group is heading to Panama in May. The Brigade will meet up with
a smaller group of students from Cleveland State University. The purpose of this organization is to colonize chapters across the country on university campuses, with a goal of bringing medical attention and resources to rural areas in underserved countries on a yearly basis. This is the first year that OSU is sending a group, as we colonized our chapter earlier this school year. Collectively, we’ve been meeting once a week to prepare for our trip, which includes raising funds, collecting medications and learning Spanish vocabulary to help us once we get to Panama. The role of students in these missions is to, more or less, act as nurses: taking vital signs, doing our best to interpret the patients’ ailments before they see the doctor and conducting a full-scale triage with the help of a few advisors and translators. We’ll be accompanied by one American doctor and we’ll work alongside local medical personnel, in order to maximize our resources while we’re there. We even get to take a day-trip to the Panama Canal on our last day, so we’ll have that to look forward to upon completion of our last day of triage. There’s a lot of preparation to do before we hop on the plane and head south, both logistically and mentally. Kayla Rinner, Kappa Kappa Gamma, decided to join the brigade this summer. Why? “I decided to go on the Panama trip because of the uniqueness of the experience,” she said. “I will get to be with 20 other students who have the same passion as I do, serving others by doing what we love and, all the while, learning so much.” I asked her what experiences she thinks she’ll have in Panama that will help in the medical field? “I think Panama will teach me how to approach patients who have a different background than I do, which is something I’ll encounter often as a future physician. In Panama, I will be triaging patients who speak a different language and who who have grown up in much different circumstances than I have.” Why does Rinner think this is significant? “I believe it is very important to be able to connect with patients in order to earn their respect and trust, and a big part in that is being able to understand and relate to the patient - no matter your differences. This Panama trip will be a learning experience of using not only my knowledge of medicine, but also of understanding people and their backgrounds, in order to help heal their physical ailments.” She’s got it. Most of the students who signed up have a pre-health major, be it biology, physiology, or even psychology. It’s been interesting discovering how much variety the group of students brings, but it’s reassuring knowing that every member does share something in common: a future in the health care field. If you have any interest in taking a trip like this, just ask! The goal of Global Medical Brigades is to send annual help to these places, so there will be another opportunity to sign up for our trip next year. Even if you’re not pre-health, everyone should consider something like this. You might learn something about the world and, more importantly, about yourself!
Lookbook fashion
www.theodysseyonline.com
9
HOT IN STILLWATER Boys, the time has come! It is finally your turn to get the spotlight. This “Girls Tell All” article is sure to help you out in the fashion and hygiene area where you may be lacking.
basic, good jeans!
ANNA-MARIE AHRBERG
· Wearing a long-sleeve button up shirt and rolling up the sleeves is always good look.
Anna-Marie is a sophomore studying sports media. You may contact her at anna-marie. ahrberg@okstate.edu.
· Facial hair… it can make it or break it. Scruff is sexy, but too much can be gross. If you do have facial hair, just be sure to keep it groomed and neat. Also, don’t have just a mustache. That basically never works.
Pi Beta Phi
*Guys please note: girls are happy to help, but we don’t want to insult you by bringing it up. So don’t be afraid to ask your girl, or Girls in the OSU Greek community were asked to submit their a friend who is a girl, for some help in the fashion area. No need opinions on what they do and do not find attractive for guys to to be embarrassed, it is totally normal! Honestly, we would be a wear, as well as give their input on certain hygienic things that little concerned if you dressed better than we did. So if you just we find important. ask for help, it will be better for everyone! Here are the results: · Always, always have clean, short fingernails and toenails. Nothing is more disgusting than nails that are dirty or too long. · Fresh breath is vital! If you’re trying to score a kiss, you better be sure to have minty breath. If you have bad breath, all bets are off! · Be careful with flip-flops. They can freak girls out if not worn correctly. Unless you are at the beach, save those puppies for another day. · Looking for a casual summer shoe? Throw on a nice pair of Jack Purcells, some Nikes or a pair of Sperry’s if you are going for the fratty look. · Make sure your shorts are long enough. They should fall right above the knee, anything shorter than that is not a good idea. · As far as eyebrows, keep them clean. Bushy eyebrows aren’t too cute. It really is ok to pluck those stray hairs you may have so you can avoid the awful uni-brow. · Smelling good and wearing the right cologne will work in your favor! When a guy smells good, his attractiveness definitely goes up a few notches. However, there is a fine line between smelling good, and giving her a headache because you poured half the bottle on. So be careful with that. · Jorts are great for a date party, but never ok for anything else. Ever. · Wranglers are great, but it is ok to switch it up sometimes. For a nice date, maybe try some nicer jeans. Try the Gap for some
10
Sports local
www.theodysseyonline.com
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS: YEAR IN REVIEW The school year flew by. It was full THOMAS exciting moments, CHAPMAN FarmHouse up and downs and Thomas is a freshman studying many memories. sports media. You may contact The same can be him at tmchapm@okstate.edu. said for professional sports over the last nine months. As you look back on your year, here is a review of the happenings and top moments of the busiest time in sports.
Series, the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games with David Ortiz claiming the MVP. For the individual awards from the season, Miguel Cabrera won in the American League and Andrew McCutchen in the National League. The Cy Young award was claimed by Clayton Kershaw and Mark Scherzer in their respective leagues.
National Football League. This season in the NFL featured exciting playoffs but, ultimately,both top seeds advanced to the Superbowl. The Denver Broncos, led by league MVP Peyton Manning, lost to the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks’ dominant defense delivered a 43-8 win and their first Super Bowl victory. Other awards include linebacker Luke Major League Baseball. Last fall, baseball had a thrilling playoffs Kuechley being named the defensive player of the year and Peyton series, watching Boston make an unlikely run to a title. In the World Manning taking the offensive player of the year. The Olympics. The 2014 winter Olympics were held in Sochi, Russia. As a nation, the United State of America claimed 28 medals, with nine of those being gold. We were the most successful in free style skiing, where we won three gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals. Russia edged the USA by five medals to have the highest medal count. The National Hockey League. The NHL season is now into the playoffs. Through the regular season, Boston and Anaheim had the best records in the league. The post season has already included multiple thrillers, including the St. Louis Blues taking two overtime victories against the Chicago Blackhawks. These series are high tempo and exciting to watch so as the playoffs continue this is definitely something to keep up with as we end the school year. The National Basketball Association. The NBA playoffs are also in full swing and the lone professional team here in Oklahoma holds the second seed in the western conference. The west is by far the stronger conference, but as we know from experience, you can never count the Heat out, no matter how weak their competition. When looking for a break from finals, I encourage you to check out these western match ups because there is no front-runner. We are in store for an exciting playoff season that, hopefully, results in an Oklahoma City championship and an MVP for our favorite – number 35. As school ends, so do the majority of sports. It has been an exciting year of upsets and dominant performances. Enjoy your summer and we will see you next year!
500 words on life
www.theodysseyonline.com
GLAD TO BE A GREEK, PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN There is no feeling that compares to the humbling appreciation and love for your country that you experience when you’re in Washington, D.C., and I would not have had these experiences if I weren’t a member of OSU’s Greek life.
11
the Capitol building and kept walking from there.
NINA BLASDEL
Kappa Delta Nina is a sophomore studying hotel & restaurant administration. Yo u m a y c o n t a c t h e r a t nina.blasdel@okstate.edu.
Through the inspiration of my friends in other chapters, I partook in a life changing experience; one that I would never have chosen for myself. A year ago, I did not know both Evan Drew, sophomore member of Sigma Chi, or Alex Tilton, sophomore member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. However, through the wonderful world of OSU’s Greek life, I found myself sitting in a hotel room with these two people, on the opposite side of the country. The three of us took a trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in a legislative action summit for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, which to be honest, is something that I would have never imagined myself partaking in. We arrived on the night of Friday, March 28, and none of us had previously been to D.C. We decided to make the most of this little second-dose of spring break, so we planned to have three days to ourselves for sightseeing before the summit. We got to visit all of the popular monuments, museums and historic sites. Unfortunately, our first day was off to a not-so-great start with torrential rain. Between the three of us, no one remembered to bring an umbrella. However, as we emerged from the metro into the National Mall, we didn’t even mind the rain. We stood in awe as we gazed upon the Washington Monument and the reflecting pool. We spent about six hours that first day, at the Smithsonian Museums of American History and Natural History. We asked some locals (who happened to be Greeks at Georgetown University) where the best place for nightlife was, and they told us to go to Dupont Circle. Dupont Circle did not disappoint. We enjoyed walking the streets lined with restaurants and cozy-looking bars, and eventually had a wonderful dinner. Following a late dinner, we hopped back on the metro and headed home. Whether it was due to the metro conductor’s unintelligible garble announcing the upcoming stops, or our own inability to pay attention, I’m not sure, but we missed our stop. Luckily, Evan realized before too long and we hopped off the subway. We decided to walk around outside at this random subway junction to get some fresh air. As we got outside, we realized we were in the middle of Judiciary Square, where the US Supreme Courthouse is. With an apparent love of the rain and a sense of adventure, we decided to walk toward
That nighttime walk was, without question, one of our greatest decisions. Due to the rain and late time of night, we got to experience Washington, D.C. without the typical interruption from thousands of tourists. We walked for miles, with no one else in sight, guided only by the streetlights and the distant sight of the Washington Monument. “By the time we reached the Lincoln Memorial, we were soaking wet and exhausted, but it was worth every step,” Tilton said. “It was so humbling.” Too often, we take for granted our great country and our freedom. It’s too easy to forget the incredible trials and triumphs America has been through, which got us where we are today. As we made our way through the memorials, I was full of awe and truly felt proud to be an American.
12
500 words on entertainment
www.theodysseyonline.com
PATRIOTISM ON THE SILVER SCREEN Nominated for two Oscars at this year ’s academy awards, Lone Survivor was anything but a feel good flick.
Based upon the heroically true story of four U.S. Navy Seals, the film displays the trials and tribulations experienced on a mission to take out one of the Taliban leaders.
ANNA MCDOUGAL Kappa Alpha Theta
Anna is a sophomore studying english. You may contact her at anna.mcdougal@okstate.edu.
After the four men travel up to their vantage point and set up camp, their mission is soon compromised by suspicious villagers who alert the Taliban to the Americans’ whereabouts after being set free. From then on, the film turns into an absolute blood bath (and at times is extremely hard to watch). As the four men hold off an army of approximately thirty to forty Taliban members, the audience is exposed to graphic
gunshot wounds and scenes of the men falling off of cliffs, viscerally experiencing every crash into the hard surface of the earth. After an intensely long portion of the movie being exposed to the grim violence of war, as the title would suggest, only one of the American men makes it out of the horrific gunfight. After making it to a stream, the lone survivor is taken in by some of the local villagers, and the rest I will leave for you to watch yourselves. The academy awards that Lone Survivor was nominated for were that of sound editing and sound mixing. The expertise and high attention to detail in those areas allowed the film to provide a blisteringly visceral experience for the viewer as the sounds of war berated the senses. The film also explored themes of human depravity as well as the inherent likeness that we all share in our humanity. Sacrificial love and patriotism heavy-handedly define the overarching message of the film, which I would say were delivered as beautifully and artfully as a war film could have done. Although the scenes portraying the gunfight were difficult to watch with the shaky camera and extremely graphic images, the thematic and emotional content contributed to the well roundedness of the film.
THE OL’ BALL GAME “The Star-Spangled
Banner” by Francis Scott Key. “The Cheap Seats” by Alabama
LANE HUGHES Sigma Chi
Lane is a junior studying animal science. You may contact him at lane.hughes@okstate.edu.
“Tessie” by dropkick Murphy’s It is America’s pastime. Everyone loves to go out to the games with the unbelievably green grass and the perfectly blue sky to watch their favorite team play. Although many other sports have had songs written in their honor,
“Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen “Centerfield” by John Fogerty “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”
few have been as iconic as the numerous tunes about baseball. The
“All The Way” by Eddie Vedder
musical numbers are a big part of the experience of attending a baseball
“Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio” by Les Brown Orchestra
game. The national anthem, “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” and
“The Greatest” by Kenny Rogers
“Centerfield” can usually be heard at every game. With college baseball just underway and MLB season rapidly approaching, here is a quick
“Nolan Ryan” (he’s a hero to us all) by Jerry Jeff walker
playlist to match the excitement of the beginning of baseball season.
Photo courtesy of flickr.com/photos/swanksalot/
500 words on campus life
www.theodysseyonline.com
13
TOP 10 THINGS ABOUT OSU
10. Campus--Oklahoma State University has five branch campuses, including its main one in Stillwater: OSU-Stillwater, Kappa Alpha Order Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Nick is a senior studying international Oklahoma State Institute business and pre-law. You may contact of Technology, OSUhim at nick.vela@okstate.edu. Oklahoma City and OSUTulsa. With these five branches, Oklahoma State offers a variety of degrees, and strives to improve the lives of each student and lead them on the road to success. Whether it’s in Stillwater, Tulsa or Oklahoma City, Oklahoma State University has its brightest orange scattered throughout Oklahoma, but still connected as one. 9. Theta Pond--Theta Pond, at the turn of the century, was used to water the college work animals. It was named after Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, which was located nearby at the time. Theta Pond has witnessed many memorable moments, such as engagements, weddings, prom pictures, sports pictures, formals and more. One famous tradition of Theta Pond was that people have often been thrown in the pond after getting engaged or “pinned.” 8. Athletics--Oklahoma State is home to 51 NCAA Championship team titles. With these titles, Oklahoma State is ranked fourth in the country and top in the Big 12. OSU athletics is home of the best basketball facility in the country and the home of one of the nation’s top football complexes. It is also the home of a Heisman Trophy winner and several of the greatest wrestlers in history. “We have the greatest fans,” Senior Alpha Delta Pi Bree Fuller said. “Our fans support our team no matter if we are winning or losing.” Bree also went on to say that we have the nicest fans who just love a good game and don’t really get into the rivalry battle.
NICK VELA
7. Library--In the heart of the OSU campus is the Edmon Low Library. Edmon Low was named after former library director Edmon Low. The library has progressed and improved additional services, collections and advances in technology, allowing our perfect library to be one of the top 100 academic research libraries in the U.S. 6. Housing and Residential Life--Oklahoma State University boasts one of the safest campuses in the Big XII, and the residence halls are absolutely no exception. The residence halls have card access entry systems and fire suppression systems to make the residence feel safe. Oklahoma State police is also readily available 24/7, and provides emergency assistance, as well as campus escorts. 5. Greek Life-- The most famous saying goes around our Greek system: “no matter the letters, we’re all Greek together.” Regardless of the letters we wear, we are all friends and work as a whole when giving back to the community. 4. Community-- “At OSU, there’s a huge sense of community that I think sets us far apart from other universities,” junior Tri Delta Kristin LaGree said. “No matter what highs and lows we’ve gone through, at the end of the day everyone one of us knows we’ve got our Cowboy family to fall back on, which isn’t something every university can say.” 3. Mascot-- OSU’s Pistol Pete has been voted the best mascot in both pro and collegiate sports. Pistol Pete is one of the most famous college mascots of all time. To this day, his likeness is a visible reminder of the Old West to millions of people yearly. I’m proud to say that this year, one of my brothers is blessed to wear the current garb and “head.” 2. Homecoming--Oklahoma State University’s Homecoming has a special meaning, and the celebration reaches a level unmatched anywhere. America’s Greatest Homecoming at Oklahoma State is known coast-to-coast as one of the country’s great college football weekends. Throughout OSU’s Homecoming activities, more than 50,000 alumni visit Stillwater. 1. Family-- According to many students on campus, the family feeling at Oklahoma State is one of the best parts about OSU. “Everyone is always so nice and welcoming, which gives OSU a big family feeling,” freshman KA Eric King said. “I love it, and I haven’t seen that at any other university that I’ve been to.” GO POKES!
14
Humor lol
WHAT WOMEN WANT No, this article isn’t about a Mel Gibson movie in which he reads women’s minds. Sometimes, like Mel Gibson in this movie, I can read women’s thoughts, Phi Delta Theta but I don’t think I invoke the same thoughts that Kade is a senior studying political Mel did. Instead of the complimentary thoughts science. You may contact him at that Mel read, whenever I kade.goodwin@okstate.edu. read a woman’s thoughts, it’s mostly stuff like, “Why does he keep talking about how good he is at Scrabble?” or “Wow, somebody went a little heavy on the Abercrombie and Fitch Fierce tonight.” But I digress. I wrote this article to benefit you. Yes, you, the guy who didn’t have a Valentine this year and hasn’t since the mandatory Valentine’s pairings in third grade. It’s okay. I too have felt rejection before, dating back to the fifth grade when Sandy Perkis didn’t choose me as her Valentine because she didn’t like the Almond Joy I gave her. Apparently her palate was more partial to Skittles at that time in her life. So here we are, about to learn what women want. I hope you can keep up, it’s a steep learning curve, and my thoughts are deep. Let’s take a look. The Kinda-Sorta Cowboy: Say you’re from Dallas, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Edmond, or any other city in a mostly rural state and you’ve always dreamed of being a cowboy. You’ve always dreamed of having SWAG (that’s Southwestern Ag), but since you grew up in the suburbs, it’s tough to find a place to tie up your imaginary horse. Well, if you are one of these people, then you are only a pair of white washed Wranglers and pair of cowboy boots away from making the statement “My family owns a ranch” believable. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never seen a cow before in your life. As long as you have Wranglers, boots, and a can of Copenhagen in your back pocket, you might as well be the Marlboro
KADE GOODWIN
www.theodysseyonline.com
Man. And there is nothing girls like more than Marlboro Man, especially the ones with emphysema and smoker’s mouth. If you do choose to go with the cowboy look, you can’t be too convincing of a cowboy. You can’t look like you’ve just spent the day doing actual cowboy work. Wranglers, boots and a Patagonia vest typically work better than chaps and spurs when it comes to meeting girls on a Friday night. The Faux Bad Boy: Women don’t want a real bad boy, unless they have serious father issues. If they wanted a real bad boy, Cops would have a larger female audience than The Bachelor. (If only we could somehow get Juan Pablo on Cops…) Instead of being a real bad boy and breaking the law and whatnot, just act like you don’t care. Got a bad grade on a test? It will buff out. Got a ticket? Don’t pay it. Spending Tuesday night on the strip? Sounds like a plan. Believe me, I’ve seen this work. What looks to be an indifference to social norms is just apathy, and that’s something women can’t resist. You also might want to look at tattoos, too. The days of actually having to be a tough guy to get a tattoo are over. You used to have to be a Naval officer or a biker to get a tat, but nowadays any nancy can go into a tattoo parlor and get a couple nautical stars or their favorite Lorde lyric tattooed to their arm. And all of a sudden, they appear to be the toughest guy in whatever room they walk in to, which is always a plus. The Halfway Hipster: Most women want a man who is sensitive, cares about the environment and social issues, and listens to the same music that they listen to. Above all, women want someone who looks like they bathe. That’s why a guy can’t go full on hipster and hope to attract any non-granola crunching hipster chicks. If you want to attract a regular girl, you can probably get away with rolling up your pants, wearing nonprescription glasses and throwing on a lady scarf. In fact, women will probably think that you’re super smart because of your glasses and super stylish because of your lady scarf. However, if you stop showering regularly, wear sandals with pants, and start rambling about government conspiracy theories, then you will lose the regular girl demographic. If you’re going to go the hipster route, my advice would be to not go full-on hipster and simply be the kinda-sorta hipster. And so, what have we learned that women want? I guess you could say that women don’t know what they want, so I’ll leave you with an ancient Tibetan proverb, “Women are bananas, but bananas aren’t women.”
PAGE 15