Summer Issue | Volume 3, Issue 16 | Lubbock, TX
www.theodysseyonline.com | @TheOdyssey | Facebook.com/TheOdysseyatTexasTech
HOLY CHIC PG. 2
THE NEW MEN ON CAMPUS PG. 3 TRI DELTA RAISES $15 MILLION FOR ST. JUDE PG. 4 FOUDATION RETREAT: THE ONLY WAY TO KICK-START COLLEGE PG. 5
THE GIRLS OF TRI DELTA GEAR UP FOR GREEK WEEK!! Photo provided by: Kortni Robinson
2
Editor's note
HOLY CHIC
www.theodysseyonline.com
can have while showing off your personality.
Add high-end accessories or very fun flirty jewelry from Francesca’s, a fabulous pair of shoes and viola! While it’s casual and sporty, this kind of t-shirt is the chicest basic there is. Some boutiques or online stores that sell them are: ·
Madewell
·
Kate Spade
·
Wildfoxcouture.com
·
Tobi.com
·
Nastygal.com
·
Gojane.com
·
Forever 21
I dare you to be bold and creative and let your imagination run wild beyond the fashion trends and make a statement with a new graphic tee. If you’ve been following fashion MALLEY blogs for a while like RASCO myself, you know this Kappa Kappa Gamma statement to be true: Editor-in-Chief If one blogger has it, Malley is a junior studying chances are ten other Advertising. You may contact her at malley.rasco@ttu.edu. bloggers have it as well. This applies to the Kate Spade totes, Studded Valentinos, and the arm parties c/o Bauble Bar and DY to name a few. Another trend that I am going wild for is the graphic tee. Yes, the trend that sent us running for the hills in middle school is growing on me. Graphic tees are everywhere. Whether they’re extra long, cropped, baggy, you name it. You can rock a graphic tee to class on those days you really don’t feel like trying, but still want to look cute for the guy that sits behind you in class. Graphic tees are a chic and classic trend I fell in love with. I could wear one every day, mixing and matching it with almost anything. It is one of those essential items that should be in your closet, one you can dress up or down. Many of the graphic tees I find are trendy with a modern French twist. So how do you style the oh-so-coveted graphic tee? You can pair graphic tees with jeans of any color for that perfect casual outfit. For these last winter to spring days we have left, pair it with a motor leather jacket or leather leggings. For a more spring look, pair it with a bright colored cardigan or denim jacket, for the effortless look. You can still show taste and style by the way you mix them. Mixing and matching a graphic tee with a fitted blazer, midi skirt or high-waist denims, is all the fun you
THE ODYSSEY AT TEXAS TECH CREATIVE EXECUTIVE TEAM Editor-in-Chief Malley Rasco
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Photographer Zach Scott
Sales Executive Garret Cooper Kappa Sigma
Ryan Medellin Kappa Sigma
Phi Delta Theta
OLYMPIA MEDIA GROUP 888.272.2595 | OlympiaMediaGroup.com Managing Editor, Rosemary Kelly Graphic 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 Texas Tech University Greek life office. The views and opinions shared in The Odyssey are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Odyssey and Olympia Media Group.
Scene on campus
THE NEW MEN ON CAMPUS www.theodysseyonline.com
There are new men on campus. The Texas Alpha chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi has officially been colonized at Texas Tech.
DANIEL GRACEN
Chi Omega For fraternities, this could be both beneficial and Daniel is a junior studying harmful. The new Alpha Sig Advertising. You may contact her at chapter could mean keeping daniel.gracen@ttu.edu. pledge class sizes smaller, ensuring IFC chapters don’t reach capacity similar to Panhellenic’s current situation. On the flipside, Alpha Sig’s entrance could mean more competition for homecoming dates, scheduling conflicts for events, and a new victim for the ever-present “tier wars”. However, this chapter seems here to stay for a while. Alpha Sig’s chapter at Tech is setting out to “establish a new status quo for fraternities”, said Canyon Brock, the newly elected recruitment chair. The chapter held its elections two weeks ago for the executive board. With all of over 40 men as pledges, the officers and new members alike will all be initiated together as founding fathers of Texas Alpha. The difficulties of establishing the first colony of Alpha Sig in Texas may have some benefits for recruitment. The men have an opportunity for a fresh start with a new membership pool.
3
They are “going off of recommendations from other students, and then voting them in as members as a chapter”, said Brock. The Alpha Sig’s handbook bases recruitment tactics on the statement “Because, after all, you can’t recruit who you don’t know.” As for the elephant in the room, the fraternity will begin building a house in the next two years, hopefully on Greek 3. The fraternity is charging an initiation fee as well as dues. The chapter recently approved also paying summer dues to kick-start the housing campaign. They are hoping to make a positive impression on the newly colonized sorority, whichever one that may be. “We want to improve fraternities’ reputation and be true gentleman”, said Brock. With a strong national alumnae support, this may seem more possible than one might think. Dues and fundraisers have already raised enough funds to make a house feasible. Alpha Sig colonies are quickly being established at other universities in Texas, including UT Austin and UTSA. One thing can be noted, Alpha Sig’s national headquarters are hard at work, expanding the fraternities ideology and values. The fraternity at Tech has five different philanthropies, and has recently partnered with Alpha Delta Pi to work on its mutual service, the Ronald McDonald House. The fraternity also looks to work on one of its other philanthropies, the Humane Society. “They (the men) are going to be beneficial to both the Lubbock community and Texas Tech”, Brock said. As for Brock, he has several different goals for Texas Alpha. He plans on coordinating with IFC to begin formal small Greek rush in Fall 2014. “I plan on having a 20% growth rate mark by May 2015”, Brock said. This seems like a goal that is not an impossible feat.
4
Scene on campus
www.theodysseyonline.com
TRI DELTA RAISES $15 MILLION FOR ST. JUDE The ongoing relationship between Tri Delta and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital began back in 1999. With the adoption of this organization as Tri Delta’s national philanthropy, both the sorority and the hospital began to gain and learn so much about charity, family, and the importance of life – especially in it’s youth. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, located in Memphis, Tennessee, offers the unique mission to “find cures for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases through research and treatment,” and the hospital offers to all of the families at no cost to them. No patients are ever billed one cent for their time spent at St. Jude, including treatments, travel, food, and housing for them and their families.
Tri Delta’s first pledge to St. Jude was to raise $1 million in five years. That goal was LESLIE MOSELEY achieved one year ahead of Chi Omega time. The next commitment Leslie is a sophomore studying was to raise $10 million in 10 psychology. You may contact her years, which was completed at leslie.moseley@ttu.edu. in only four years. The final and most recent goal was to raise $15 million in 5 years. This goal was just completed nationally, a year and a half ahead of schedule. With the overall total amount of money raised by Tri Delta reaching over $25,000,000, Tri Delta has funded the three main facilities for the hospital. The first was the Teen Room, which is a place for 13-19 year old patients to relax. The second facility is the Tri Delta Patient Care Floor for bone marrow transplants. The most recent $15 million went to the C-Clinic, which offers treatments to nearly every patient that comes through St. Jude’s doors. As the second largest healthcare charity in the United States, St. Jude operates solely based on donations and help from donors. Tri Delta’s impact on St. Jude includes countless types of treatments, but also the ability for families to stay with their children during the hard times they face. According to St. Jude, the $25 million raised by Tri Delta could have provided some of the following: 1. Full operation of St. Jude for more than 13 days, seeing as the hospital takes $1.8 million to operate each day 2.
2,500,000 meals for patients
3.
100,000 units of red blood cells for transfusions
4.
16,960 doses of chemotherapy
5.
2,739 CT scans
That perspective shows how much that money really does. This isn’t just research – its actually helping these children survive. Since St. Jude opened in 1962, the overall child cancer survival rate has increased from 20% to 80%. St. Jude has also stated that they are working to increase that percentage to 90% in the next decade. One of my sisters visited St. Jude in years past, and tells the story of a nurse that stopped the group of Tri Delta’s walking through the hospital. She wanted to personally thank the group for all that Tri Delta does, on behalf of a patient and his mother who had asked her to do so. That serves as proof of the impact that this philanthropy has on such a large community.
Self health & fitness
HAZING AND PARTYING
www.theodysseyonline.com
I asked random people what comes to their mind when they hear the word “Fraternity” and the top two responses were associated with drinking and hazing.
5
hazing can be separated: humiliation. If you are being humiliated then that is hazing.
JORGE OCHOA
Delta Sigma Phi
I am by no means defending or encouraging hazing, however, I want people to be aware how broad and negatively connoted the definition of hazing is. The whole “we break you down and build you up” is complete BS and it’s a pathetic excuse to stupidly haze and humiliate our soon-to-be brothers.
Jorge is a senior studying human All I’m saying is that we really need to think about why we joined a fraternity in the development and family studies. You may contact him at jorge.ochoa@ttu. first place and what we can do to change the views that society have on us. Each year, it edu. becomes harder to establish a chapter at universities because fraternities and sororities
I asked myself, could this be due to the media only highlighting the negative aspects of Greek life, or does the website TFM have anything to do with it? My conclusion was both. Both of these sources have had a huge influence on what others think of us. At first, I was sort of disturbed because fraternities and sororities all have similar, positive values and messages, and I am sure that their oath and purpose were intended to make society look up to us and appreciate the positive differences we make. Alpha Delta Pi: We live for each other. Alpha Phi: Union hand in hand. Delta Delta Delta: Let us steadfastly love one another. Delta Sigma Phi: Better men. Better Lives. Kappa Delta: Let us strive for that which is honorable, beautiful and highest. Sigma Nu: Excelling with Honor. Sigma Phi Epsilon: Building Balanced Leaders for the World’s Communities. Phi Delta Theta: We enjoy life by the help and society of others; One man is no man. Zeta Tau Alpha: Seek the noblest. The fact that we as Greeks are known for our drinking and partying more than what our mottos intended our chapters to do is kind of harsh. Instead of partying, I was hoping to hear stuff like, philanthropies and gentlemen. If we pride ourselves in partying, drinking, and dehumanizing women, than why do we even operate with our mottos and our creeds? We cannot allow Greek life to stray away from what our founders wanted us to become, because by doing so, we are no longer Delta Sigs, Phi Delts, Pi Phis, Zetas, ATOs, or Kappas. I was reading online and came across a really neat article and what this guy said pretty much summarizes what I am trying to get across as far as alcohol goes. “I’m all for a good party. But, when it becomes what you stand for and call it your “purpose” rather than just allowing a social life to be one of many “benefits” you provide, you aren’t a fraternity anymore. You are a bar. And, if that is what you want to be, great! Go ahead and be that. Get your house re-zoned and get a liquor license. Have a great time and drink a beer for me. Just stop saying you’re a fraternity.” (David Stollman, The Fraternity Advisor) Now with the whole hazing ordeal, I was expecting that. But honestly, I feel like hazing is really blown out of proportion. Nowadays anything can be considered hazing and everyone knows how badly it is looked down upon, however I feel like there are two types of hazing. There is stupid hazing and there is a “purpose behind it” hazing. Stupid hazing would be things such as binge drinking, being locked in a closet, or making you do illegal things. “Purpose behind it” would be little tasks that everyone does such as cleaning, mandatory study hours, or getting signatures. Stupid hazing is what the media always highlights, but the truth is that if we use the definition of hazing and apply it to the real world, then your boss probably hazes you. You get told what to do even if you don’t want to do it but if you really want that job you will do what they ask, of course without being humiliated. That is where the stupid hazing and the “purpose behind it”
are getting bad exposure through sites like TFM. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I personally don’t take that site seriously but the majority of other Greeks and non-Greeks do. If we keep this up, I don’t see Greek life getting very far. If you want to read the article here is the link: http://thefraternityadvisor.com/totalfrat-move-another-perspective/ Jorge is a sophomore studying human development and family studies. You may contact him at jorge.ochoa@ttu.edu.
6
Scene on campus
www.theodysseyonline.com
THE THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER NEEDS YOUR HELP Helping people is awesome and helping organizations affiliated through Texas Tech is even more awesome. Come on people. We’re Greek; all Alpha Delta Pi we do is help people (Hello? MaryBeth is a freshman studying Philanthropy?). As I was Natural Resources Management. working on an article before You may contact her at MaryBeth. my Horse Evaluation class, holm@ttu.edu. my TA came to me and insisted that I get the word out about this awesome opportunity to help the Texas Tech Therapeutic Riding Center. Of course, I love the Equestrian Center and would love to get the word out.
MARYBETH HOLM
The Therapeutic Riding Center at the Texas Tech Equestrian Center (where the Equestrian Team practices) has been chosen to compete in a national competition against other therapeutic riding centers across the country. For those who don’t know what therapeutic riding is, it’s basically helping people with disabilities of all ages to help them physically, emotionally, and socially. Recently, we just retired one of our beloved horses, King, who is this beautiful Norwegian Fjord Horse (like the horses in Frozen). So many little kids with special needs have said their first words on him and have even competed in Special Olympics and won. King has also helped the Therapeutic Riding
Center with numerous studies on Autism and how Hippotherapy, another word for therapeutic riding, helps these kids. Today, King is happily living with his mate, Queen, at the Equestrian Center. However, we still need another horse that is similar to King in temperment and stride length (The horse can’t be too bouncy or else the rider would fall off). What better horse to replace King than a Gypsy Vanner? A Gypsy Vanner is a beautiful, small draft horse (Smaller than a Budweiser Horse for those who don’t know horse breeds) that is really, really, really expensive. Most Gypsy Vanners go for at least $7000. Gypsy Vanners are also the prettiest horses you’ll ever see, even in pictures. They are usually black and white and have long, flowing manes and ankle hair (Which is the only attractive leg hair you’ll ever see). Gypsy Vanners are basically unicorns but without the horn. Gypsy Vanners are large enough (Remember: Small Budweiser Horse) where an adult with special needs could be put on the horse and not damage the horses spine. You have to admit that this is a pretty awesome opportunity to help out the Equestrian Center. Since we are young adults and we just love social media (You know who you are), the Lexlin Gypsy Ranch, the company who is hosting the competition, opened a poll on their Facebook page so you can vote for the Texas Tech Therapeutic Riding Center. Voting is open until July 3, 2014 and you can vote every day. Yes, you read that correctly. Every day until July 3rd. Ask Athena will also have a link on her Twitter page (@AskAthenaTTU) so those who are constantly on Twitter can vote too. I can’t stress how awesome of an opportunity this is!! Thanks again and go vote. Like, now!
Scene on campus
www.theodysseyonline.com
WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING WITH OUR TUITION RATES So you know how college tuition is soooo expensive? Do you realize that soon it won’t even be worth it in the long run to attend college?
Well here is what our political system and the Obama Administration are doing about it.
BAILEY BELL Pi Beta Phi
Bailey is a sophomore studying biology. You may contact her at bailey.bell@ttu.edu.
The good thing is that President Obama has put focusing on the rising tuition rates of college on his presidential agenda. In August 2013, during a bus tour in Pennsylvania, he spoke about a new ranking system that would allow the federal government to give “grades” to the colleges located in the US. The system would grade based off of who gives the best overall value. White House officials have said the rankings would focus on each universities ability to keep tuition rates and student loan debt low, while keeping a high graduation rate and solid post-graduate employment rate. He then wants to base government funding off of these rankings, and keep funding from those colleges who have higher default rates than graduation rates.
That is huge. College is no longer affordable for the middle class families. Another alarming statistic is that “Federal student debt topped $1 trillion in July, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, while private banks have issued another $200 billion in student loans. Aside from mortgages, student loans are now the most widely held debt in the country, according to the Federal Reserve”. If that alone doesn’t scare you into doing something about this rising cost, I don’t know what will. It is terrifying that young adults have lost interest in gaining a higher education simply because of how much it costs. Pay attention to what your congressmen is doing, and what other political elite are saying! Our education here in the United States is declining at all levels. Low education quality leads to low income rates, and later to high debt rates. If we want progress, we have to start at the core, and that includes increasing the quality of education and also the affordability. If we have an astronomically high education quality rate, but only a small portion of the population can attend, we are not getting anywhere. Yes, this proposal from President Obama is a huge step in the right direction, but we are many, many leaps away from a solution.
Obama has agreed that these reforms will not please everyone, and he is absolutely right. Republicans are questioning whether this is another political speech used for politics and politics only, or if it is truly something that Obama will push forward. Yes, it is easy to assume that Obama is only politically speaking here, but if both sides could get together on this I believe it could help keep universities accountable. However, as always there is a dark shadow over this whole system that you could call “Corruption”. As the system is proposed, it opens up a huge availability for government controlled pricing and government endorsing where it shouldn’t be found. Universities are largely state run and this would bring in the big business of government to control what has long since been a state responsibility. I find this system pleasing in the original sense, however the more I look into it, I notice places where it needs to be reformed. Basing government funding on these rates would just simply be unnecessary. It would however, be very beneficial to high schoolers and their parents in choosing a college who will offer the best value to them without the need of funding control. They will be able to look at a fair and unbiased representation of exactly what they will be paying for. The universities themselves will then be in competition to provide the best value. Lower tuition rates will be more attractive to the potential college student, and therefore lead to high competition tuition-wise; forcing the rates down across the board as universities fight for the highest ranking and student registration. Of course, we cannot expect a major drop. But it should be A drop, which is fairly significant. If only the universities come to the realization that in the near future, we could very well experience a time when the cost of college is simply not worth it then the proposal was a success. We very well may start seeing a huge decline in college registration as high school students begin to prefer stating a career that doesn’t require a degree over inheriting nearly $80,000 in debt within four years. Some frightening statistics found on thehill.com include “the average tuition at public four-year colleges has risen more than 250 percent, while a typical family’s income only increased 15 percent”.
7
1717 Broadway, Lubbock, TX 79401 # 806.368.6178
8
Scene on campus
www.theodysseyonline.com
MEMBER OF DELTA TAU DELTA TO PERFORM AT LONESTAR AMPHITHEATER Hunter Hutchinson was born and raised in Abilene, Texas and attended Wylie High School. He is an aspiring country music artist and is one of my very best friends.
TAYLOR TOWNSEND
Kappa Kappa Gamma Taylor is a junior studying media strategies. You may contact her at taylor.townsend@ttu.edu.
Although I may be considered biased, I am not writing about his work because he’s a long-time friend of mine. I chose to do this because I truly believe he has what it takes to someday be a star. He is currently a sophomore at Texas Tech, a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and is extremely involved in the Greek community. “From playing at sorority events with dozens of girls standing around to playing in a bar with 20 people have all been times I wouldn’t give up for anything,” he explained. Hunter has performed the past 2 years at Delta After Dark, as well as Alpha Phi Chilifest, Blue Light Live, Firehouse, and numerous other places and events around Lubbock and Abilene. He said, “my first full band show was a crowd the bar said they hadn’t seen in a very long time. Being in my hometown and seeing the support from all of those people is quite amazing.” Hunter already has one album out on iTunes, called Texas Too. Not only is he a singer and guitarist, but he is also a songwriter. A personal favorite song of mine is “Man Who Believes In Me,” which was written in memory of his dad. Hunter’s father passed away on February 20, 2008. Chuck was an amazing man and influenced many people
throughout his lifetime, especially Hunter. Cancer Services Network’s Fashions for the Cure gave Hunter an opportunity to give back to the community in Abilene by singing the song he wrote about his dad. He sang in front of over 600 people and touched each and every one of them. I believe that shows a lot about Hunter’s personality. He doesn’t just have a passion for singing. He has a desire to write meaningful songs. Currently, Hunter is in the studio working on a record that his “big bro” Aaron Watson is producing and helping him write. He illuminated by how blessed he is with the support of family and friends. I hope the Greek family can contribute to help his support group grow. To prove his willingness to succeed, Hutchinson said, “I’ve worked my butt off for this and won’t stop ‘til the top, then I reckon I’ll just keep working hard.” “I have had the door shoved in my face many of times, but it seems shortly after an even bigger door will open,” Hunter said about his experiences as a musician. This can be demonstrated by the notification he recently personally received from Josh Abbott asking him to open up for a big show in Lubbock with Josh and Pat Green. He told me that the feeling still hasn’t worn off and has continued to keep a smile on his face. That being said, let’s prove why Texas Tech has one of the strongest Greek communities among all and show our support for Hunter Hutchinson on Saturday, May 3rd at the Lonestar Amphitheater for the 1st Annual Spring Fest. Doors open at 6:00 and tickets and information can be attained at www.roadhousetickets.com.
www.theodysseyonline.com
Scene on campus
APPLY ONLINE FOR FALL 2014
9
10
Ideas debate & discuss
www.theodysseyonline.com
CAMPUS CARRY LAWS In May of last year, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill, with an overwhelming victory of 102-42 that would be known as the Campus Carry Bill. In this bill, students with concealed carry permits would no longer be forced to leave their personal defense weapons in their homes or vehicle when attending class.
According to state law, for an individual to attain their Concealed Handgun License (CHL) first, they must be 21 years of age, hold a clean criminal record, must not be under any protective orders, must not hold any chemical dependencies (i.e. illicit drug use or alcohol addictions), must be of sound mind, must be financially free of any delinquent fines, fees or payments to any government agencies and must pass a required course in weapon safety and training. Anyone attempting to attain their CHL must also be eligible to purchase a firearm through the National Instant Criminal System (NICS). This recent discussion on the allowance of these personal defense weapons is underway in response to recent shootings in places of education. Just over a year ago, on one of the campuses of the Houston based Lonestar Community College system, three people were injured when a student pulled a firearm from his backpack and began firing after a heated argument. This incident, along with shootings across the country (Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook) has pushed students and politicians to consider the allowance of firearms in classrooms in an effort to bolster the ability for one to defend themselves. Currently, Texas Tech allows CHL holders to carry their weapons in some areas on campus, including parking lots and roadways, yet, these registered weapon holders are not allowed to bring the firearm into university buildings and classrooms. If the bill passes, now currently stalled in the State Senate, students and faculty would be allowed to carry their registered weapons in campus buildings. If the bill were to be passed, each University in the State will have the opportunity to decide whether they will allow their students to bring the weapons into the buildings and classrooms. Here in Texas, the reservation of our second-amendment right to bear arms is revered by nearly all its citizens. The right to defend ourselves and our family in our everyday lives is provided to us by the American Constitution and the laws written for us by those we vote into public office. In such, I believe it is our right to continue this ability in places, such as the classrooms at our university, where we spend large amounts of our day. We, as citizens of this
state, should have our capability to personal HARRISON preservation extended WARDWELL to the classroom. In the Phi Delta Theta event that a terrible event, Harrison is a junior studying mechanical such as these schools engineering. You may contact him at shootings, should occur, harrison.wardwell@ttu.edu. our students should be given the opportunity to properly train ourselves and equip ourselves to stop those who wish to cause us harm. Just as we are afforded the same opportunity to defend our lives and property in our homes and in other public places.
www.theodysseyonline.com
500 words on
11
12
Sports local
DELTA TAU DELTA INTRAMURAL CHAMPIONS
Two Years running Delt plays Phi Delt for intramural basketball championship Any student who goes to the Texas Tech University Recreational Center during season knows just how heated intramural basketball games can get.
CAROLINE CAMPBELL
Kappa Kappa Gamma Carolin e is a s ophomore studying public relations. You may contact her at caroline.campbell@ttu.edu.
Coming from the standpoint of a female intramural basketball player I know that TTU girls take these games very seriously. Boys on the other hand, are a whole other story. This time last year Delta Tau Delta A team played Phi Delta Theta A team for the championship game. The game was extremely close, but Delt came on top after freshman Matt Temple had an exciting end of the game slam-dunk. This year it turned out to be the same situation, Delt versus Phi-Delt again for the championship title. In a conversation with point guard and leading scorer for the game, Austin Durham he gave me his pre-game thoughts. “Before the game, I’d look into my teammates eyes and I’d say to them “you strong?” and they’d say to me “we strong” and I would say “then let’s go.” Then we would all put
www.theodysseyonline.com
our hands on the ball together and say the Delt creed, the energy would transfer through the ball to all of us equally and we would all play and win as one. This is how we won the championship two years in a row.” As you can tell, Durham along with his teammates is very passionate about the game, and they enjoy coming together as a team to win. The game was extremely competitive, with both teams staying within ten points of the other the whole time. The leading scorer was Austin Durham with thirteen points, followed by Aldo Quiroga with eight and Kash Anderson with six. At half-time the score was 18-19 with Delt leading. The game ended with a final score of 36-39. The Delts were extremely excited to be named back-toback champions. Matt Temple shared with me some of his thoughts about the season. He said he loved playing with his teammates and that by them buying into playing as a team is what made them so great. Temple also stated “we all play our individual roles and when we put all of it together we are a tough matchup for anyone.” Temple said that this championship was a battle though, and he gave credit to Phi Delt for playing so tough up to the end. He believes that it is a “testament to both teams that it was a low scoring, grind it out game.” He also says he is sure they will be seeing Phi Delt again next year. After conversations with many of the Delts on the A team anyone can tell they have a great bond that causes them to do so well on the court. These types of relationships are what make the Greek society so great. Who knew some of these young men would be finding their life-long best friends while tearing it up on an intramural basketball court? Congrats to Delta Tau Delta on a great season.
Humor lol
www.theodysseyonline.com
13
LIFE WITHOUT XL T-SHIRTS: A SORORITY GIRLS’ WORST NIGHTMARE T-shirts and nikes and norts, oh my!
Let’s be honest, the best emails to get are the emails that your sorority’s t-shirt shipment has arrived. What is going to happen when the shipments stop coming? When you are forced to wear big-girl clothes?
CAROLINE CAMPBELL
Kappa Kappa Gamma Carolin e is a s ophomore studying public relations. You may contact her at caroline.campbell@ttu.edu.
Nikes and norts and XL t-shirts are absolutely necessary on a day to day basis. Am I right or am I right? It’s completely stereotypical for a sorority girl to sport this look all day long, and it doesn’t matter the location or time. Some of my best bar nights have been spent in leggings and a big ‘ole comfy t-shirt. This look is also perfect for the classroom, because it is super casual without looking sloppy. Here’s the best news: T-shirts and norts (Nike shorts) or leggings can also be paired perfectly with a hat, because we all know some days hats are completely essential due to lack of showering (just admit it). Yes, college is the perfect time and place to rock this look every day. It’s easy, breezy, AND you get to wear your letters, which is an added plus. The only problem with wearing your letters to class is the 98% chance that you’ll be make-up less and greasy-haired, so just keep that in mind before giving your sorority a bad rep (just being honest with ya). However, today as I was walking out the door to get lunch with my grandmother, she commented on my big t-shirt/leggings outfit, saying, “Are you really going to wear that? You look like you just
rolled out of bed.” Now, my grandmother is very fashionable and always put together, so I didn’t let this comment bother me too much. However, it made me think of something completely terrible, horrifying and unthinkable: What the h** am I going to do when it is no longer socially acceptable to wear t-shirts, shorts and Nikes every day of my life? This concept is truly terrifying. The idea of having to wake up every morning and put on jeans, skirts, or God forbid, a pantsuit, makes me cringe. In the real world, wearing t-shirts all day long just looks sloppy and unprofessional. I dread the day when I am no longer young enough to pull off my sorority t-shirts/leggings ensemble. Also, let’s be honest, when we are all married with children it will be SO embarrassing to be spotted at the grocery store in our old sorority PR shirts. No one wants to be caught trying way too hard to relive their college years. My mom has still has one of her sorority t-shirts from her college days, and I wouldn’t be caught dead with her in public if she still thought it was cool to wear it. It’s not. It’s not cool. So don’t do it unless you hate yourself. The reality is, as we all grow up, our wardrobe needs to grow up too. It will no longer be socially acceptable to wear the clothes we wear now on a day to day basis around campus in the real world. It is a sad truth that we will need to embrace. When it comes time to say goodbye to our beloved sorority t-shirts from philanthropy events, mom’s weekend and formals past, you don’t necessarily have to get rid of them forever. Many seniors either sell their old t-shirts to eager freshman and sophomores at garage sales (profitable) or cut up their t-shirts and connect the pieces to make a t-shirt quilt (sentimental). Of course, if you want to keep that one special sorority t-shirt that you simply live without, it would probably make an excellent sleep shirt. Keep in mind that just because the t-shirts are gone, the memories will always remain. The good news is that even though our style and clothes will need to change, we will always have wine. Wine will never go out of style. That’s better than any sorority t-shirt I own.
14 A RESPONSE TO SORORITY SCRUTINY Humor lol
www.theodysseyonline.com
waiter. Getting a job would help you understand what the value of a dollar means. Also, walking into a restaurant 4 minutes before Delta Delta Delta close isn’t ok. When your waiter walks up to a table, Emily is a sophomore studying acknowledge them, don’t Journalism. You may contact her at keep talking for 43 seconds emily.hamilton@ttu.edu. about the boy that didn’t text you back. Your friends are probably bored with that story too. No, I don’t have time to stop and take y’all’s picture from 11 different angles. No, I don’t want to give you free dessert ‘cause it’s really not your birthday. And lastly, rounding to the nearest dollar amount is not a tip. Keep your change, b*tch. Love, every server in a college town.“
EMILY HAMILTON
Just when I had arrived at the rock bottom of writer’s block, and found myself fresh out of ideas for article inspiration, I came across a Facebook status written by one of my former high school classmates. He, who shall not be named, was expressing his own complaints about the way sorority women conduct themselves in public, and more specifically in the restaurant setting. His post read, “Sorority girls, I have a few pointers and tips for y’all when eating out: yes, water is free. When you ask for extra lemons so you can make your own lemonade, the world judges you. When you ask if rice is a carb, it is. Butter is also a carb for future reference. No, we don’t want to split your side order 3 ways cause you’re on a budget. Your parents can afford your monthly dues and your insurance, so they should also pay for you to make more math classes to better understand percentages, or how to tip your
Some of the comments even included: “They probably shouldn’t be in a sorority if they cant afford a side order.” “reasonsimovedoutofSanMarcosVolume243” “I’m so glad I’m not a server anymore. Just not worth it. If they are on a budget, then they need to eat at home or freaking McDonald’s.” “I was a server before I headed off to college too and I can assure you that it is not ridiculous at all to stereotype those girls. It’s a different ball game in a college town. Do we hate all sorority girls that come in? No, not all of them. It’s the majority that make the minority look bad. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.” “Thank you, glad I’m not alone! The lemon thing gets me. Sometimes I want to charge people for lemonade because they had 20 lemon slices and added a ton of sugar. People need to quit being cheap and just order a drink. And as for ‘keep the change’, I have restrained myself so much from just saying ‘no, you obviously need it more than me.’ If daddy is paying for all your bills, tell him you need money to go out to eat and tip your server 20%. I bet you have enough money to go out and drink all night, and I bet that bartender hates you as well. And I am not talking about anyone specifically, just all the ignorant customers I see. Unfortunately the people who tip $1 on a $50 tab that read server complaints continue to tip that way.” Initially, I found myself just laughing at this post, and its display of stereotypes and lack of validity, but as the comments continued to pour in, I began to take somewhat offense as people continued to scrutinize an organization I hold to a high standard, and am shamelessly proud to be a part of. Taking into account that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, ignorant or not, I decided to respond briefly to my former classmate’s status with this article. For as long as I can remember, my parents have taught me the importance of respect for others, and integrity, so personally, I find it hard to relate to the scenario addressed in this young man’s status. His incredibly sarcastic post portrayed the type of sorority girl we all enjoy laughing at in movies, such as Elle Woods, or Shelley in “House Bunny”. As a member of the Greek community, I believe I could speak for us all, when I say there is much more to being affiliated with a sorority than wearing big t-shirts and binge-drinking four nights out of the week, and also that if someone is going to act like a disrespectful valley brat in a public setting, they are probably going to do so regardless of if they are in a sorority, or on the collegiate chess team. The negative connotation associated with being Greek is a common deterrent for people unsure about joining, and posts such as this status only further the propaganda. In the news, hazing scandals and probation sentences always seem to make the front page, while philanthropic accomplishments go unnoticed. For instance, did you know that Tri Delta recently raised $15 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in only 3.5 years? According to USA Today, “85% of Fortune 500 executives were part of Greek life. The first female astronaut was Greek. So was the first female senator, and college graduation rates are 20% higher among Greeks than non-Greeks.” I would be willing to go out on a limb and say that although Laura Bush was an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta, she more than likely never tipped 8% at a restaurant. In conclusion, as members of the Greek community, it is our duty to either let these things go ignored, or to prove these stereotypes wrong. When it comes down to the wire, it is up to us to define our own reputations by behaving like the respectable young women that we are. And lastly, if it is truly the case that the world is “judging me” for putting lemons in my water, our world should probably direct its focus on more trying issues.
www.theodysseyonline.com
500 words on entertainment Humor lol
15
PAGE 15