Chloe Morris

With Spring Break less than a week away, the question on everyone’s minds is “Where am I going?” Whether you’ve had your trip planned for the last six months or are just starting to scrape together plans, we have the down and dirty on where your classmates are going, and who they’re going with!

In a completely un-scientific survey, I asked our fellow Longhorns about their spring break plans, and the answers proved incredibly diverse. Believe it or not, most of the people I polled are heading home for a relaxing week of Mom’s cooking and snuggling with their puppies. 

The next largest group plans on staying in good ol’ ATX for the famed South by Southwest festival, which is really three festivals in one! It combines a world-renowned film festival, to which many celebrities including Shailene Woodley and Zac Efron travel; a music festival bursting with huge stars like ­­the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kendrick Lamar; and an interactive festival which features the latest in gaming, gadgets and social media. Aside from visiting SXSW, there are so many other fantastic things to do in Austin during your week off, and if you get the chance, explore the city while it’s full of interesting people here for the festival!

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I know I’m not the only girl who is suddenly and painfully aware of her singleness. Face it: We can knock the “Hallmark holiday” all we want, but in the end, every girl wants to find the love of her life who gets her flowers or chocolates on February 14. Well, thanks to the people who brought us Match.com, we may have a way to beat the single blues. There’s a new free iPhone app called “Tinder” which promises to help you “break the ice” with people in your area.

What is Tinder?

According to its website, Tinder “finds out who you like nearby, and connects you with them if you’re also interested.” Let me break it down: You use your Facebook to set up an account, which only has your name, age, general area, a customized status, and up to five pictures including your profile picture. You can choose the radius in which you’d like to search as well as the gender of the people you’re looking for. Tinder then shows you pictures of the people who fulfill your criteria—you can either “like” or “nope” them, and they’ll never know unless you both “like” each other. If you do get a match, you can chat with your match through the app, and if it progresses further, eventually meet.

Pros and Cons

They may seem like the easiest group to holiday shop for, but when you've already bought your parents, your brother, your sister, your dog, your boyfriend, and your grandparents presents, your friends become the most difficult group on your list. Never mind the fact that there are at least five more people to buy for. But how can you get them all something they can enjoy without breaking the bank or running out of time? Never fear, collegiettes, we have compiled a list of the five easiest and cheapest gifts to get your gal pals that will have them calling you the best gift-giver of all!

It’s that time of the year again, Texas collegiettes! No, not that weird limbo between Thanksgiving and Christmas when no one wants to go to class…It’s build party season! Each year around this time, fraternities all across campus reveal the projects that they have spent most of the semester on, culminating in the most fun, most costume-filled, most theme-oriented parties all fall. 

What is a “build party”?

A build party is a huge party put on by a fraternity, usually in their back yard. Instead of a run-of-the-mill party, however, these events feature huge structures or stages built by the fraternity boys in keeping with their chosen theme. As one collegiette said, “Build parties are really fun because the builds make the party feel like it's a completely different environment than just the regular frat house. They basically transform the space into something completely new."

The preparations for such a spectacle begin weeks in advance, with pledges and actives alike working on various projects to bring the entire party together, creating not only a fun time, but an experience. One Alpha Tau Omega pledge told me that he sees the builds as a bonding experience between him and his brothers. “For me the greatest thing about the build parties is getting to be a part of something bigger than yourself and seeing that played out through each build.”

What parties happened?

Texas Sammy "Atlantic City"