The Odyssey has come to Otterbein. Rather than the ancient tale forced upon high school students year after year, The Odyssey Online is a student-written online media source.
Self-proclaimed as a “social media platform for the new generation” the media group boasts over 600 communities and upwards of 6,000 content creators. Each of these communities boasts their own name yet they fall under the Odyssey banner.
Odyssey was founded by two students of the University of Indiana, who asked if they could flip the traditional style of news which they called “too generic or highly politicized.” Coming out of beta in 2014, Odyssey allows each community to create a similar stylized website and use the Odyssey’s branding to push student-created pieces.
Otterbein’s Odyssey currently has 12 members and is, “A news source for millennials. Stories that matter to them and the stories that matter to people of their community," said freshman PR major Steven Schroeck.."You have certain number of writers, writing about topics that matter to the campus.”
Schroeck, who is Otterbein’s Odyssey social media director, said that the stories could range from lifestyle pieces on the next episode of Gossip Girls to possibly political stories, but those have yet to be published from the Otterbein’s Odyssey.
The Odyssey is, according to senior PR major Kris Crews and writer for the Odyssey who said in an instant message, “A platform for students to express themselves through writing that is able to be shared with hundreds and thousands of people on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr.”
While a typical news outlet would edit and discuss story ideas in person and face to face, this entire process has been digitized and all corrections and decisions are made online by the editors-in-chief.
“The stories are edited and published only if they reflect Odyssey ideals or if they don't feel it's an adequate representation of the college experience, or like regular experience, then they won't publish,” said Shroek.
The first batch of articles came out this past Tuesday on The List and include pieces such as what can be expected if you befriend a certain stereotype of a person, an open letter to an emotion and five ways to make peace with a significant other.
“Nothing news heavy like you would find on CNN,” said Crews. Rather “a platform that allows people to share personal, encouraging, or funny stories.”
So while news on the current debt crisis can’t be found on the site; if a piece on encouragement before a test, or a new idea for a first date is needed, the Odyssey is the place to go.
