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Photo Credit: Danielle TollFINALS IN THE LIB-studying all day every day.

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We Say: Thank YouOur entire Odyssey team at the University of Michigan would like

to extend our gratitude to you—our readers. Your continued support and readership of The Odyssey has encouraged advertisers to keep supporting us fi nancially.

I would also like to thank all of the writers and photographers who have voluntarily contributed interesting content each week to ensure students continue to pick up The Odyssey. I encourage anybody who is interested in getting involved with The Odyssey next semester to send me an email. We would love to have representation from all fraternities and sororities on campus.

If you don’t see yourself as a contributor, but would still like to aide in the growth of The Odyssey, there are ways you can help. You can

tell your friends to read The Odyssey each week, you can “Like” us on Facebook, and most importantly, when you shop with any of our advertisers, tell them you saw their ad in The Odyssey.

At The Odyssey, we wish you all good luck on your fi nals and hope you have an amazing winter break.

See you next semester!

Casey Goldman is a sophomore studying business and chemical engineering. You may contact him at cgoldman@olympiamediagroup.com.

CASEY GOLDMAN

Phi Kappa PsiPublisher

Alex Perlman, Phi Kappa Psi • Matthew Goldstein, Phi Kappa PsiLeann Arcori, Alpha Phi • Ben Prouty, Phi Kappa Psi • Will Pappo, Phi Kappa Psi

Interested in writing or sales? Contact Michigan@TheOdysseyOnlline.com

Casey Goldman, Phi Kappa PsiPUBLISHER

Vol.1 No.15

www.TheOdysseyOnline.com • 3STORYSTORYSTORYFeature

We Say: Thank YouWhen we think of the holidays, we tend

to think of going home, spending time with family and friends, eating good food, receiving gifts, Christmas trees and pretty lights. Amidst all of the warmth and sparkle, we often forget to think about those who won’t really have a holiday; those who don’t have a warm fi replace to cozy up to, nor a holiday feast to enjoy, and those who won’t get to open presents because they can barely afford their next meal. Many Americans cannot afford to travel home to visit family, while others cannot afford presents much less a roof over their heads. What about that holiday feast? Several million people cannot afford that either or any other meal. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a little over 1/8 of all Americans go hungry from day to day.

What I am suggesting that you do? Anything you can to give back. You don’t need to contribute much effort, money or time, because giving back to those less

fortunate than you is so easy and there are so many ways to do it. Perhaps you could start by donating a dollar or two to the Salvation Army Santa Claus you always see ringing the bell by grocery stores and malls. This money goes to several projects that the Salvation Army funds; in the past, it has gone towards relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina, programs that prevent human traffi cking and towards youth camps.

You could also volunteer at a soup kitchen, work at a rummage sale that raises money for charity, or participate in any other event that you don't need to give money to, only your time. Do you have clothing, books or furniture that you never use? Donate it to one of many organizations that will pass it on to those who would get much more use out of it than you would, such as Purple Heart, which has several locations throughout Michigan.

If you and your family, fraternity/sorority, or friends want to do a little more, consider

participating in an Adopt-a-Family program. One nearby program is Lighthouse of Oakland County (an organization at works to provide relief for low income families), and each holiday season they coordinate many groups where people can help get families necessities that they need, such as gas cards, toothpaste, coats and mittens, and more.

We all know that we will enjoy, or at least be comfortable, during our holiday breaks. If nothing else, we should all remember those who will not have a holiday and those who won’t have the luxury of feeling comfortable during the cold season.

Lindsey Mandich is a sophomore studying political science and English. You may contact her at lmandich@umich.edu.

Giving Back during the Holiday Season

LINDSEYMANDICH

Delta Delta DeltaContributing Editor

4 • www.TheOdysseyOnline.comTRADITIONTRADITIONTRADITIONGreek Life

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rPike's New House

This year Pi Kappa Alpha, a fraternity more widely referred to as Pike, is facing a problem that many frats would kill to have: their house is too small. To remedy this issue, Pike will move into a new house this summer, one with enough space to accommodate the big plans the brothers have for the 2011-2012 school year and beyond.

Pike, who has only occupied their current residence at 915 Oakland for one year, has been looking for a stable home for a few years. Before the house on Oakland, Pike leased 1501 Washtenaw from Triangle. Moving around has limited Pike from creating a house that is uniquely their own, but they hope that will change next year when they begin their fi ve year lease from Sigma Nu of 700 Oxford. It is clear that Pike’s housing corps, made up of alumni of the fraternity, adhered to the tried and tested maxim of “location, location, location,” because there aren’t many better spots for a frat. Located at the corner of Oxford and Hill, Pike will be smack-dab in the middle of Greekland, across from the Fiji house and surrounded by Sammy, Alpha Phi and not too far from Sigma Kappa.

Pike, which has expanded this year, needed a house that could accommodate more people than the 32 that they were limited to at their house on Oakland. Their new house can lodge up to 50 people and has far more open space and common areas for hosting mixers and other events. Among the special features of the house are a spiral staircase, a sizeable back porch and a second fl oor balcony that looks down upon a large foyer area on the fi rst fl oor.

Sophomore President of Pike, Timothy Drancik, says that the new house will “completely change the way that the fraternity operates and functions.” The added space will give the brothers a lot more freedom and opportunity in planning events at the house. “The biggest change that we will see is in our social scene. The way the house is structured, it makes a huge difference,” says Drancik.

“Everything from social to brotherhood events will be a lot bigger.”

Although everyone in Greek life will benefi t from Pike’s expansion, no one is more energized than the brothers. “Everyone is so excited, it’s unbelievable,” says Drancik. “It puts a fi re under the brothers to know that they are part of a great fraternity.” With such anticipation in the air at Pike, it makes sense that the prospect of moving has been, “a constant source of conversation at the house.” The anticipation has also been a positive impetus for

increased participation in the fraternity for many of the brothers. “Everyone is motivated and wants to get more involved in the house,” says Drancik.

Many of the brothers have already formed committees dedicated to revamping the house this summer in preparation for the move. The boys will have limited time to make their mark on the house before the school year begins because of the terms of the lease, but they plan to use all the time they have. Drancik says that the committees will be dedicated to building new tables and furniture, painting, and moving composites and furniture that they plan to keep. The alumni will provide funds for new couches and other furniture for living areas throughout the house.

The brothers plan to fi nish redecorating before students return for the fall for a very specifi c reason. That reason is Welcome Week. When asked if Pike would be hosting a housewarming party, Drancik replied, “Welcome Week next year, Pike will be the place to be. Its right in the middle of everything.” Pike’s plans about their future at 700 Oxford extend past Welcome Week 2011, however. “Looking ahead, it will be the best thing not just for the guys living in next year, but for the next fi ve years.” In the words of the Pike President himself, “Its gonna be sweet.”

Jenny Hinkle is a freshman studying English. You may contact her at jrhinkle@umich.edu.

JENNY HINKLESigma Kappa

www.TheOdysseyOnline.com • 5TALK ABOUTTALK ABOUTTALK ABOUT

Something to

There are so many things to look forward to in December: The snow, the tray sledding, the holiday music and the Christmas lights. It’s fi nally time to whip out the big, fl uffy sweaters and the furry Ugg boots, dust the cobwebs off your earmuffs and scarves and off your pencils and pens. That’s right, my friends: December rings in the holiday cheer with our favorite six-letter word: Finals. Since high school, the word itself has been enough to make me shudder. When I used to hear “fi nals,” the most appropriate comparison I can make is the feeling you get when you’re about to board a plane and realize you left your iPod in security. It’s that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you're assigned to a semester-long group project with “that guy/girl from that party that one time” whom you haven’t spoken to since… Pure misery.

Of course, the relentless studying isn’t fun. Neither is missing the Tuesdays at Skeeps, the

Thursdays at 5th Quarter, the Fridays at frat parties, and the Saturdays at Rick’s. Oh, and neither are the all-nighters you will inevitably pull and the inordinate amount of money you will spend on cups of extra-caffeinated coffee. But the impending arrival of the dreaded F-word doesn’t have to be Doomsday. The way I look at it, fi nals represent something exciting: a new chapter. I don’t know about you, but by the time December rolls around, I am often a little bit bored with the redundancy of the material I learn in class and ready for a fresh start. Finals symbolize the last hurdle we need to jump before we can cross the fi nish line (hopefully in fi rst place, but that all depends on the curve). For me, fi nals are also the gateway to winter break. Thanks to Michigan’s oddly planned breaks sprinkled throughout the year, I am rarely home when my friends from high school are home. Winter break is the one time during the school year when we can all be together again. Lastly,

for all the juniors who won’t be returning to Michigan next semester, fi nals represent the gateway to the international adventures we will have while we’re abroad.

Now when I think of fi nals, I don’t compare it to losing my iPod or an awkward encounter. In that typically dreaded word, I see my family, my best friends, a new lesson plan, some Nutella crêpes and la Rue Félix. Bonne chance, everyone!

Samantha Scharmett is a junior studying French and communication. You may contact her at samariel@umich.edu.

The F-Word

SAMANTHASCHARMETTSigma Delta Tau

6 • www.TheOdysseyOnline.comTALK ABOUTTALK ABOUTTALK ABOUTSomething to

Now that the madness of Thanksgiving and Black Friday is over, we have another solid month of holidays to look forward to. What is it exactly that we love so much about the holidays? While the important thing really is spending time with friends and family, it is easy to get caught up in the consumer aspect of everything. When I think of Christmas, one of the fi rst things that comes to my mind is shopping. It’s easy to get stressed out over the perfect gift to buy somebody. So many questions pop into our minds: What do they want this year? How much does it cost? How much will they spend on their gift for me? What if they don’t like my present? Will their feelings

be hurt if I return their gift? Etc, etc, etc…

When did everything begin to revolve around gifts? While I agree that presents are an important part of the holiday, but when you compare what they really mean in the grand scheme of things, they don’t stand a chance. Think about it, what if you could have every gift you wanted this year: a new car, that bag you’ve wanted for so long…anything, but you have to spend the holiday all alone. You have to open all the presents by yourself, eat dinner all by

yourself, watch Christmas movies all by yourself. If you have a heart at all, I’m guessing that this solo holiday doesn’t

sound like much fun. I mean, come on, even if you don’t have the best time of

your life when your crazy grandma comes to stay with your family over the holidays, it’s still contributing to what really counts.

This Christmas season, while I’m making my list for myself and thinking of what to buy for my friends and family, I’m going to try to keep the consumer craziness out of my mind. Instead of focusing on “how much,” I’m going to focus on “how original.” When it comes down to it, I want my gifts to others to really stand for something--to mean something. Anyone can buy their own pair of socks, but a personalized Michigan Dad coffee mug? I think not…

Olivia Quinn is a sophomore studying English and economics. You may contact her at oliviaq@umich.edu

All I Want for Christmas…

"This Christmas season, while I’m making my list for myself and thinking of what to buy for my friends and family, I’m going to try to keep the consumer craziness out of my mind."

OLIVIA QUINNDelta Delta Delta

It is kind of scary how quickly the “real world” is approaching. I still remember being in elementary school and having parents and teachers ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I would always think to myself, “I’m still a kid, I don’t have to worry about that stuff for a while”. Even in high school, I felt that I was still a long way from having to decide what I wanted to do with my life. Fast-forward to sophomore year, and it feels like everything is being accelerated up to speed. While I always considered going into fi nance, I never really looked into the subject in any great depth and instead expected to learn the material in school

at some point. On the other hand, I have friends who are interested in fi nance that are already heavily trading stocks with their own money and starting up investment funds.

Gone are the days of care-free summers and in come the days of high expectations. It seems like everyone is in an eager hunt to try and land an internship that will help give them an edge in the job fi eld when college ends. While I personally have never taken new years resolutions seriously in the past, I think this year is a good time to start getting my life on some sort of track. Here are some tips for what I think could help.

1. Plan ahead, make it serious: Do not make a new year's resolution ON new year's eve. Start thinking of a new year's resolution as a serious goal that you are setting for yourself and do not make it some spur of the moment promise you make to yourself while counting down the strokes to midnight.

2. Write it down and tell people about it: Make sure to write down your new year's resolution somewhere that you can see everyday so you remained focused. I fi nd it helpful to use the sticky note application on a macbook whenever I need to be constantly reminded of something. You may try laminating a big piece of paper on your wall, whatever works for you. Secondly, tell people what your new year's resolution is. If other people can hold you accountable, then you are much more likely to stick to something than if you only rely upon yourself.

3. Categorize or focus: If you absolutely need to direct all your attention to something such as earning a 4.0 gpa in school, then feel free to focus on something specifi c. Otherwise, if you feel like you just want to improve overall then you can split up your goal into different aspects of your life. I think four categories that are applicable to everyone can be social, school, physical health and fi nancial.

4. Make it quantitative and divide it up: If you want to focus on a physical goal, do not make your goal to “get in shape”. That is both vague and unspecifi c. Instead, make your goal a number. Something like lose ten pounds or run a mile in six minutes is much easier to track progress on than to get in shape. If you currently run a mile in eight minutes and

your goal is to do it in six, divide your goal up into segments. If you do the math, your mile time should improve by thirty seconds every three months. If half a year has passed and you haven’t broken seven minutes yet, you can see that you are behind schedule and need to pick things up.

If you want to make sure you have an internship by the summer, you cannot quite quantify this but you can still divide it up. Make promises to yourself to contact at least ten companies by February or something like attend at least three networking events before

March.

5. Lastly, don’t freak out: If you see things start to fall off track a bit, do not freak out and have a panic attack. You did after all get into the University of Michigan and if you really think about it, things tend to have a way of working out in the end. This is not an excuse to throw out your new year's resolution after the fi rst speed bump but rather just a reminder that it's not the end of the world if you fail.

Sean Yang is a sophomore studying fi nance. You may contact him atyangsean@umich.edu.

SEAN YANGSigma Alpha Epsilon

New Years Resolutionwww.TheOdysseyOnline.com • 7

Something to TALK ABOUT

10 • www.TheOdysseyOnline.comTALK ABOUTTALK ABOUTTALK ABOUTSomething to

Although the holiday season is among the most enjoyable times of the year, it’s also the time that many of us fi nd ourselves spending copious amounts of time in airports all around the country. While there’s no denying the necessity of these fi ne establishments, there’s just no getting around the fact that they’re absolutely wretched.

If your luck is anywhere near as terrible as my own, it’s more than likely that you’ve experienced an airport situation much like this:

After hauling your bags behind a pack of people walking as slowly as their legs

will allow them to, you fi nd yourself staring at a massive security line full of people looking almost as eager as you are to make it through this mess. After trudging along for what feels like forever, you’ll invariably end up behind someone who apparently has no idea how to function under the pressure of the security line, often forgetting to take off their shoes, or perhaps even trying to walk through security with a bag in hand. Your frustration builds as you stand barefoot on the cold (probably germ-infested) fl oor of the place, just

begging the gods of airport security to put you out of your misery right there.

Once you’ve grabbed your bags and tossed your outer garments back on, you might stop by the bathroom, a most impressive location indeed. As if having to cram your entire luggage collection into your stall with you wasn’t enough, the fact that everything is soaking wet could just send a person over the edge.

If you can make it out of the aqua jungle that is the public restroom, the gates are a treat, right? Of course not! No matter where you are, where you’re going, or what time it is, there will almost always be one or two (or seven…) disgruntled small children sitting somewhere within earshot. If you’re really lucky, you might even get an especially tasteful display of diaper changing right on the carpet, as the guy sitting next to you, who obviously is the businessman of the millennium, insists on broadcasting his workday to you and everyone else around via his

freaking Bluetooth earpiece.

Of course, there’s relief in sight as you begin to see the crew lining up to board the plane for which you’ve been waiting patiently. The airline assistant who has no concept of volume control uses her best Wookie impression to notify you that zones 1 and 2 may begin to board…When “this just in… your fl ight’s been delayed due to mechanical problems. We’ll notify you of any further changes to your fl ight.”

Fantastic.

Kylie is a sophomore studying communication. You may contact her at knkagen@umich.edu.

Airports Are the Worst

KYLIE KAGENAlpha Delta Pi

STORYSTORYSTORYFeature

www.TheOdysseyOnline.com • 11

Now that we don’t have any more football games to occupy our Saturdays, we are now able to spend them searching for gifts for our family and friends this holiday season. However, with fi nals starting up, it’s pretty much impossible for us to fi nd time to do anything but study. I thought I would collaborate a list—for the readers as well as myself—that provides gift ideas no matter who you happen to be giving to this year. Well, take it or leave it, but I found these 10 gift ideas to be my top choices:

If you’re shopping for your mom, she might enjoy monogrammed bath towels and bed linens. If you shop on www.PotteryBarn.com, you can fi nd a whole page dedicated to all of the household items you can monogram. You could surprise your mom with monogrammed soap to coffee mugs to cosmetic bags.

What better than Michigan gear to have your proud dad unwrap over the holidays? We have numerous shops around Ann Arbor including Underground Printing, Moe’s Sports Shop, M-Den, etc., but you can also order online from the M-Den offi cial website. Your dad would defi nitely appreciate a jersey that you can personalize with his name and favorite number online.

Say you’re in need of a gift for your girlfriend; www.Bliss.com is a website with some of the best spa products I have found online. There’s an option to create your own “Bliss gift” in which you can pick out whatever Bliss products you like, from body butter to a salt scrub; not to mention there’s free shipping through December 31st! Another thing to consider is that you can never go wrong with a Bliss gift certifi cate.

A present that I’ve always enjoyed giving, whether it was to my boyfriend, parents, sister or girlfriends, was a create-your-own photo calendar or photo book. There are a number of options for making these. You can create an account on the Snapfi sh website and upload pictures through your computer, bring your pictures into Kinkos where they can make a calendar for you, or you can simply take your memory card to CVS and make your photo book on the spot. The good thing about these types of gifts is that you can make it as creative as you want.

Personally, I think the most exciting gift I ever received from a past boyfriend was a pair of concert tickets. Whether they’re tickets to your favorite band or to a hockey game, this is something that both of you can look forward to even after the holiday season is over.

A digital picture frame is a perfect gift for a family member or friend if you’re willing to spend a little more money because after looking at www.Target.com they can range anywhere from $50.00 to $100.00.

Ladies, another idea for your man would be a new set of headphones. If you check out www.UrbanOutfi tters.com there are a few different types of groovy headphones, some as low as $50 and some nicer brands that are about $100.

Guys, buying clothes for your girlfriend isn’t an easy task, so why not

try something simpler like perfume? If this still seems like a foreign gift category, I would suggest this: go to a department store and ask for the advice of the sales reps around you. If you genuinely pick the one that you would like on your girlfriend, I’m sure she would gladly wear it.

One of my favorite solutions to giving gifts to a big group of people, is baked treats. EVERYONE loves chocolate around this time of year, and it not only satisfi es your tummy but also your

wallet. I highly recommend you google the recipes of “Yuppy Chow” and “Haystacks” whether you plan on giving them as gifts or just making them for yourself!

If you happen to be buying for a TV fanatic, a season of their favorite show would serve as the perfect gift. However, if the gift receiver is more of a movie-buff, Netfl ix gives you the option of giving 1 month to 1 year subscriptions to that special someone.

Kendall Szczerba is a sophomore studying pre-medicine and majoring in Spanish. You may contact her at szczerba@umich.edu

10 Last Minute Gift Ideas10 Last Minute Gift Ideas

KENDALL SZCZERBA

Delta Delta Delta

12 • www.TheOdysseyOnline.com

ENTERTAINMENTwww.TheOdysseyOnline.com

In the midst of our never-ending fi nals schedules, it seems that everyone gets caught up looking for the perfect holiday present at the last minute. Even though we promise ourselves not to get behind on holiday shopping as every year passes, we repetitively fi nd ourselves in a mess of holiday confusion year after year. Although fi nding the perfect present may seem like the one test that you can’t seem to pass this holiday season, there are plenty of last-minute gifts you can grab that look as thoughtful and caring as a present that took weeks of planning. Below is a list of cheap gift ideas to look into this holiday season.

Gifts for Guys Under $50

Head on over to Target and grab yourself an iPod shuffl e with an extraordinary price cut.

Even though it may seem predictable to pick up one of the countless gadgets Apple has to offer, it is easy to put a fresh and fun twist on this commonly seen present. One quick way to add a unique edge is to upload all of the music that you have on your computer that you think the recipient will like to the new shuffl e. This is one of the quickest ways to be thoughtful without having to come up with a crazy holiday scheme. The recipient can use the music as they wish and wipe it out for a clean start whenever they choose.

Gifts for Girls Under $50

The pressure of the end of the year gets to us girls easily. There is nothing better to take off a little bit of stress than heading to a local spa. One option this winter is to grab a gift certifi cate to Bellanina Day Spa & Gift

Boutique, an Ann Arbor fi nd that can complete any service from facials, to massages and steam therapy. This relaxing location can be found in the Kerrytown district, just minutes away from campus. To fi nd out more information about the company, please visit their website at http://www.bellaninadayspa.com/.

Erica Salmirs is a junior studying economics and environmental studies. You may contact her at esalmirs@umich.edu

Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide

ERICA SALMIRSChi Omega

Thanksgiving break was as good a time as any to catch up on a few missed movies. A friend recommended watching a somewhat obscure fi lm named Catfi sh that he heard was about Facebook. I was thinking if it was anything like the recently released, The Social Network, then it couldn’t be too bad. Turns out, the fi lm wasn’t anything like The Social Network. Nonetheless, it blew my mind.

[Spoilers!] Catfi sh is a fi lm about a guy named Nev who has these two friends that decide to start documenting his online relationship that Nev develops with a family he meets through Facebook. The connection is made fi rst through an eight year old girl named Abby who paints a pretty impressive picture of Nev’s that was previously published in a newspaper. Through Abby sending Nev all of these pictures, he eventually makes contact with Abby’s mother, and later Abby’s sister, Megan. He and Megan develop an intimate online relationship with that includes “sexting” and late night phone conversations. Nev carries on this communication with the family for close to year before he and his friends begin to realize that Megan is lying to Nev about certain things including her sending him songs she supposedly “wrote” for Nev that end up being cover songs Nev fi nds on YouTube. Nev and his friends

drive from New York to Ishpeming, MI (a few hours from Ann Arbor) to surprise the whole family. When Nev shows up at the house, he meets Abby’s mother, Angela (who is far less attractive than her pictures posted on Facebook), Abby (who does not know how to paint), as well as Angela’s husband, and his two mentally handicapped sons. Nev slowly begins to realize that the girl he has been having this relationship with is actually Angela, a forty-something year old married woman. Her Facebook profi le for Megan and all of Megan’s friends were faked by Angela in order to deceive Nev. Nev, clearly emotionally messed up in the head by the whole ordeal, decides to softly interrogate Angela until she comes clean, admitting she used Facebook to try and relive moments of her lost childhood and also to develop this pseudo-relationship with Nev because she is in love with him.

The movie is remarkably well done. It really captures the raw emotion of Nev. As the viewer, I could appreciate the feelings he has for the fake Megan. The progression of their relationship is fl eshed out well enough so that when all of the identities are revealed, it’s a terrible shock. It defi nitely takes a while to pick up steam, however, it’s worth the wait.

Catfi sh is really eye-opening to some of the consequences of online social

networking and internet dating. I fully appreciate how useful a tool like Facebook is for all of the potential social aspects including meeting new people, rekindling old relationships, and even forging new business prospects. Evidently, it can be used for much more devious means. We all know about Internet child predators and other creepy people who do funky stuff on the web. Angela was ultimately harmless in the sense that she wasn’t going to bring any physical harm to Nev. However, in one of the fi nal scenes where Angela pretends to talk to Nev in the voice of Megan, softly telling him how happy she is that they have met and how beautiful his smile is in person, you can tell that the mother successfully crippled Nev psychologically. She made a man fall in love with a fake person who had the body and face of professional model (whom it turns out is actually married with kids). The fi lm seems to end on a happier note with the mother changing her profi le back to a picture of

herself, realizing her mistakes. However, when Nev receives a package of a fi nal drawing that Angela did of him when they met in person and the cameraman asks to interview him, Nev just looks on and says he doesn’t want to talk about it.

Social networking is an unbelievable thing that allows us to communicate in ways that our parents never could have dreamed of previously. However, Catfi sh is a sobering fi lm that really reminds us that even our tech-savvy generation who knows all about how to spot Internet predation and “weirdos” that

things on the web (and even Facebook) are not necessarily how they appear. Armed with just a computer and Internet access, a person can play God: create a life and create any circumstances and experiences they desire. It’s a frightening concept that is surely important to remember and beautifully executed on screen in Catfi sh.

Sean Gordon is a junior studying communication. You may contact him at gordonsa@umich.edu.

SEANGORDON

Psi Upsilon

Catfi sh: The Other Social Network Movie

www.TheOdysseyOnline.com • 13ENTERTAINMENT

www.TheOdysseyOnline.com

There is no doubt that new material is preferred when bands perform, but every now and then there are covers that can be equally as riveting as the original. I must warn you that I'm a sucker for female vocalists covering male artists, so my advanced apologies for the bias report. Whether you are into these artists already or perhaps if you are not, I highly recommend listening to these covers at http://umich-music.blogspot.com/

Kristine's Favorite Covers (in alphabetical order because they are equally great):

Band of Horses (accompanied by the University of Georgia's Marching Band)

Genre: American Rock

- Georgia, originally by Cee-Lo Green

Cee-Lo Green covered Band of Horses for the Twilight Soundtrack, so they returned the favor. The Marching Band really adds something of value to the song; in fact I think it's safe to say I prefer it to the original.

Carolina Chocolate Drops

Genre: American Folk

- Hit 'Em Up Style, originally performed by Blu Cantrell

This might be one of those songs you don't recognize right away, but the minute you hear it, it makes you go, "Oh, that song." Carolina Chocolate Drops just performed at the Michigan Theatre on December 3rd.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

Genre: Indie, Lo-fi

- God Only Knows, originally by the Beach Boys

Hailing from Detroit, this duo dresses up in racecar suits when performing (I saw them open for Sleigh Bells). However, their sound is anything but

NASCAR friendly: light, airy and doing justice to this great Beach Boys jam.

Easy Star All-Stars

Genre: Reggae

- Karma Police, originally by Radiohead

This is a pretty well known cover, but the reggae beats get me every time!

Ellie Goulding

Genre: British Pop

-Your Song, originally by Elton John

- Sweet Disposition, originally by The Temper Trap

A voice like a bird, Ellie Goulding warbles beautiful covers of these two songs. They're both so good that I couldn't choose just one.

Emily Wells

Genre: Avante Garde

- Juicy, originally by Notorious B.I.G.

It's almost impossible to put Emily Wells in a category. She has an eerie voice and often pairs it with orchestral sounds. She is the epitome of a self-starter, rejecting multiple record deals and producing her music alone.

Ingrid Michaelson

Genre: Indie-pop

- Creep, originally by Radiohead

Sorry to double up on the Radiohead, but you can't have too much of a great thing! This cover sounds distinctly Ingrid Michaelson, yet it's Radiohead? quite good all the same.

Jj

Genre: Electronic, Dream pop

- Ceo Birthday (Birthday Sex), originally by Jeremih

A summer hip-hop hit turned into a piano ballad, this slow and haunting rendition by the Swedish duo is sure to give anyone chills.

Jonsi

Genre: Post-rock, Ambient

- Time to Pretend, originally by MGMT

Jonsi, a solo project by Jonsi Birgisson of Sigur Ros, showcases his unique style and beautiful vocals in this cover.

Lissie

Genre: Americana Folk-Rock

- Bad Romance, originally by Lady Gaga

Lissie is an up and coming female vocalist with a beautifully raspy voice. Think Lady Gaga does the Wild West.

Stripmall Architecture

Genre: Indie pop, Shoegaze

- Drunk Girls, originally by LCD Soundsystem

With a female vocalist, the song gets a whole lot pop-ier, but in a good way.

Kristine Colosimo is a junior studying communication and American culture. You may contact her at kacolosi@umich.edu

KRISTINE COLOSIMO

Sigma Kappa

Covers Can Be Good