LaGrange students undertake an Odyssey

Published 12:00 am Monday, December 14, 2015

Natalie Turman is an intern for LaGrange Daily News and senior at LaGrange High School. Reach the LaGrange Daily News at 706-884-7311.

Natalie Turman

Daily News intern

Odyssey logo

http://lagrangenews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2015/12/web1_WEB1214Odyssey.jpgOdyssey logo

LaGRANGE — A national hub of user-generated articles aimed at the millennial generation now has a local home.

Odyssey is a social content platform and birthplace for articles to be shared on Facebook and other social media sites. The articles are written by local staff members in more than 350 communities, according to its website, and LaGrange College is now the site of new LaGrange-based chapter.

Articles are meant to be relatable and personal to a variety of people. They also describe various emotions, memories, tips and ideas.

“This has been an awesome opportunity, and I’m excited to see where it goes,” said Casey Pruett, a junior at LaGrange College and editor of Odyssey at LaGrange.

Pruett and other writers will be responsible for the stories produced, social media outreach, and representing LaGrange to the outside world through Odyssey. Articles include “listicals,” an article where a writer creates a list about an object or experience, and 500 words about any topic.

Writer Alexis Dillard said she enjoys “being able to write and have others read your work, and voicing your opinions in a positive, outreaching way.”

Some local articles already online include “10 Things Every College Athlete Understands,” written by Sara Gore, and “You Are Worthy And Enough,” written by Dillard. Most of the articles will be related to life around LaGrange like the “9 establishments LaGrange, Ga., needs ASAP,” written by Elisabeth Clements.

“It’s something that is putting LaGrange on the map,” Pruett said. “Our students are getting thousands of shares on their articles and really changing the game.”

The current staff includes LaGrange College students Pruett, Dillard, Gore, Clements, Avery Shead, Alex Redd, Mike White, Nina Wyman, Meagan Casacane, Emily Webb, Kelsey Seal and Jamie Fredlund.

Staff members are paid depending on the shares of their articles until the new year, when the company hopes to begin a regular pay system.

“Share the articles and try to help LaGrange get on the map so the writers can get compensated for what they do,” Pruett said.

The LaGrange Odyssey is working to have Twitter and Instagram accounts open in the next few weeks. The group’s Facebook, Odyssey at LaGrange, is up and running. Articles are available on the Facebook page and www.theodysseyonline.com and are released every Monday or Tuesday.

Any LaGrange College student may join the staff, and anyone interested should contact her on Twitter, @caseyjane05, or her personal account on Facebook, Casey Jane Pruett.