Blog

You’re Not Going to Want to Miss This

Posted on by Sydney Harris

“The Los Angeles Kings celebrate teammate Jarret Stoll’s overtime goal, which won the series against the Vancouver Canucks”

Photo Credit: Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press

There’s always one sport that doesn’t get any love. As one of the four major sports, hockey comes in last. Some people don’t want to see hockey on their television when they could be watching football or basketball.

People! Come on! Do you know how exciting the Stanley Cup Playoffs are? Unlike the other professional leagues, only eight teams of the possible 30 make it to the postseason!

You don’t even have to be a hockey fan to have a good time watching grown men throw each other into the glass, then gracefully skate away just in time to score a vicious goal.

Hockey has its celebrities, its drama queens and its bullies, just like any other sport. Look at Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. If you want a good rivalry, one that always makes the Winter Classic that much more interesting, there you go.

Like always, the NHL playoffs and the NBA playoffs overlap. In 2011, Kobe Bryant’s twisted ankle took up more time on SportsCenter than the exciting matchups that made it to Game 7. This is what is wrong with today. If everyone knows Kobe is going to be okay and that it was only a sprain, then why are viewers subjected to mindless hours of ankle watch? Wouldn’t you rather be watching recaps from overtimes in Games 6 and 7?

If a series going to the last game does not interest you, maybe you’re a sucker for the underdogs and the Cinderellas. Turn on your television; the Los Angeles Kings just ousted the Western Conference one seed, the Vancouver Canucks, 4-1. Who would have ever thought hockey could get popular in LA?

Hockey is non-stop action. It’s not like football where after a hard hit the whistle is blown and you wait another two minutes for the game to resume. In hockey you get thrown into the glass and you have just seconds to get back up.

Just like you need to get back up once you’ve been knocked down, you need to be ready for the next game. There are multiple games going on in one night and teams play several times a week; the first round is chaos.

Not only are the eighth seeded Kings making some noise, but several series are knotted as well. The two seeded Boston Bruins of the Eastern Conference are having trouble with the seventh seeded Washington Capitals. Three of the six previously played games, as of Sunday, have gone into overtime.

There is no way you can predict what is going to happen when it comes to hockey playoffs.

So why do you shun the sport, casting it aside? You probably have at least one friend who is watching the playoffs tonight. Give them a call and see if you can watch with him or her. It is not a hard sport to follow, and you’ll easily develop your favorite players and team.

And of course, who doesn’t love a good playoff beard? By the time the Boston Bruins won the cup in 2011, their goalie Tim Thomas had one extreme beard going on. Guess you’ll have to wait to see who’ll be the last one to shave.

Until then, go watch some hockey. Time to get off the ice, see you all in August.

Feel free to find me on Twitter (@sydwardddd) during the summer. I’ll be taking my own off-season from writing, but I’ll be back in the fall. I’m never away from the game, and am always ready to talk sports. Thanks!

Italy in the Rain

Posted on by Emily Milks

I just got back from traveling for two weeks throughout Paris and Italy. Paris was beautiful but because I also went a few years ago, there wasn’t that magical feeling of experiencing a place for the first time. What really fascinated me was Italy.

Italy has always seduced me. Yes, seduced. I don’t know why exactly—maybe it’s the language or the aesthetic of the countryside. Or maybe it’s because I’ve seen Under the Tuscan Sun five one too many times. Whatever Italy’s charm is, I bought into it.

And then I got there and I was tired, alone, lost and cold.

Oh, that weather. It rained 11 out of the 12 days I was traveling, and the temperature was in the 50s even though I packed for 70-degree weather. Note to self: next time, pack a variety of clothes rather than all short-sleeved shirts and skirts.

I’m not trying to downplay that I was in Italy, but really, you would have been pissed too. From a traveler’s perspective, rain is just annoying, especially when I debated bringing rain boots and then didn’t bring them to save room in my suitcase. I hated myself for not bringing them.

Tuscany after the rain

Photo Credit: Emily Milks

The good thing about Italy, though, is that it is famous for the food - meaning it was completely acceptable to sit in restaurants and cafés for hours each day and spend all my (parents’) money on pizza and pasta and wine, all the while laughing at the people getting soaked outside.

Tip: If you ever go to Italy, do a wine tour, whether you create your own via a bar crawl or you sign up for one like my friend Michelle and I did. It rocked. The drive through Tuscany was worth the price anyway, and the wine was the icing on the cake, so to speak.

Besides the wine tour, we toured some museums, went to the top of the Duomo in Florence, went to the top of the Duomo in Siena and visited three of the villages in Cinque Terre. We generally did all the things tourists should do in Italy – minus the usually obligatory picture in Pisa because it’s only a picture and I’ve heard there’s nothing else to do there.

My favorite moments were the small ones that could have happened anywhere, not just in Italy. The cool girl we met in Rome who had the guts to travel by herself for a few months and went around the city with us for two days. The stranger in the Florence hostel who went to the same high school as one of my good friends. The man at the restaurant who attempted to help me speak Italian. It was the people who made the trip, not the place. I think that’s true anywhere.

Venice deserves a description separate from the rest of the places I went in Italy. I had such a negative reaction to Venice at first because of the rain. It was even worse in this city than, say, Florence because the streets are so narrow that people kept hitting each other with their umbrellas and getting stuck when all they wanted was to get to a dry place. Usually I like getting lost in cities, and it is impossible not to get lost in Venice. But it was raining constantly and it was miserable—I know I’m not exaggerating because I could see it in everyone else’s faces too.

Dancing in the puddles in Venice

Photo Credit: Michelle Lewis

There was one night, though, when it stopped raining for a few hours and we could finally go outside without cursing every five seconds. We walked through the streets, bought Bellini and stopped to listen to the live music in St. Mark’s Square. I don’t remember how long we stayed to listen to the music or if it was even good, but I do remember an old woman dancing by herself to the music, not caring if people saw her or laughed at her or even joined her (as we did, naturally). She was simply caught up in the moment. And it reminded me why I always go to the travel section in bookstores first and why I always hang up maps. Because for me, traveling shows us that spirit exists everywhere, always.

Does Britney Mark the Spot for “The X-Factor”?

Posted on by Dustin McManus

Dustin McManus is a junior from Charlotte, NC. He can be reached at dmcmanus@live.unc.edu.

With the shocking firings of judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger from Fox’s “The X-Factor,” creator Simon Cowell is on the hunt for a new high-profile judge to take their seat. The name that keeps popping up in conversation is none other than Britney Spears.

For several weeks, the blogosphere and various entertainment news sites have all picked up on rumors and statements from insiders claiming that Cowell is desperately trying to get pop superstar Britney Spears to be the colossal star power draw to “The X-Factor,” which failed to live up to expectations in the ratings following its first season.  Reports indicate that Spears is in final negotiations to sign with the reality singing competition show, but that an initial $10 million offering and a 2-year commitment to the show are areas of the contract Spears wants to tweak, and rightfully so.  As of now, Spears is said to be nearing a contract that would pay her $15 million, tying her with Ryan Seacrest as the highest paid reality show personality and would make her fiancé Jason Trawick an executive producer with the show.

Photo Credit

Spears is not some washed-up pop star who would be getting a second career wind by signing onto “The X-Factor.” She is still a bonafide star and a force to be reckoned with in music.  Just this past year, Spears released a hit album (her seventh) that spawned four massive singles and resulted in a top-grossing world tour.  That hardly sounds like someone who’s in dire need of a day job like “The X-Factor” to keep their star power shining.  Naturally, reports claim that Spears is holding out for more money and the ability to jump ship after one season should she find that judging new talent just doesn’t suit her.

If Spears were to become a judge, “The X-Factor” would undoubtedly become must-see television and be the ratings ploy and cash-cow the network and Cowell are hoping for.  At least for the first few weeks, many people will tune in out of sheer curiosity just to see how Britney Spears performs in such a drastically different role.  Because Spears is such a mysterious figure now publicly, and has lately managed to avoid much of the limelight that led to her struggles in the past, it will be interesting to see if she’s ready to thrust herself in front of millions of Americans every week on a show such as this.  She’s got the name, the face, the brand, the hits and the recognition that make the idea of her joining “The X-Factor” pristine.  It would also place her in some juicy competition with Jennifer Lopez on “American Idol” and former “Mickey Mouse Club” castmate/frenemy Christina Aguilera on “The Voice.”

One has to wonder though, in the end, if Spears is too big a name for her to take this job. Clearly she still has the ability to sell records and perform in sold-out arenas.  Would a gig such as judging a singing competition stifle such an illustrious and tenacious career?  Only Britney knows the answer.

COUTURevolution Wrap-Up

Posted on by Courtney Lindstrand

Courtney Lindstrand is a sophomore from Greenville, NC. She can be reached at lindstc@live.unc.edu.

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the Forest Theatre, a crowd of people showed up to see a show full of eco-friendly fashion. Sunshine and fun, up-beat music filled the space as the models strutted down the runway in student-produced designs. About four student designers and one UNC -Chapel Hill alumnus produced looks for the show, along with representatives from two sustainable clothing stores in Chapel Hill, Twig and Clothing Warehouse. After the show was over, show goers and models enjoyed food and refreshments donated by Med Deli. An afternoon of fashion and food on a perfect Sunday- could you ask for more?

Behind-The-Scenes Crew

As a part of the exterior design team, I worked alongside my amazing team members to set up the stage on the morning of the show. There was a lot of climbing, raking and hauling of supplies. Needless to say, by show time we were a little disheveled and far from the runway-ready look the models wore. My team members and I were tired but satisfied. We all sat back and watched the show as the models strutted down the runways we laid down in front of our homemade backdrop. The Forest Theatre is beautiful on its own, but my team really tried to make it special for the show.

The models spent the morning in hair and makeup. The scene backstage was a little chaotic, but also exciting as the last pins were put in place and the finishing touches were put on the makeup and clothes. Backstage coordinators shouted instructions to the models for walking the runway. With a three-pronged runway, the threat of a model pile up was imminent.

Photo by: Courtney Lindstrand

The Message Behind the Show

The grand message behind the show and the whole reason it was put together was to spread the message about sustainability. Eco-friendly messages are everywhere, but they are rarely seen in fashion. One of the designers mentioned to me after the show that she designed her clothes to be universally flattering and attractive to a majority of people so that they would buy them solely based on the way they look (as most people do). Therefore, they would enjoy wearing the clothes and at the same time be spreading the message and popularity of sustainability in fashion among their friends. Finding eco-friendly, fair-trade clothes is easier than you think and, as the show proved, sustainable clothes are very fashionable and flattering to all shapes and sizes. Take the extra effort to look for a sustainable addition to your wardrobe and I assure you, you will be pleasantly surprised by what you find!

Also, check out COUTURevolution’s photographer Chris Florio and his photos of the show!

Don Jose Tienda Mexicana: A Review

Posted on by Emily Wiggins
Emily Wiggins is a sophomore from Fayetteville, NC. She can be reached at ekwiggin@live.unc.edu.

As you walk down Rosemary Street exiting Chapel Hill and entering Carrboro, it is easy to overlook the brick façade of Don Jose Tienda Mexicana. Between its handwritten signs advertising Mexican food, cell phones and miscellaneous oddities, one might even dismiss it as sketchy. However, if you are looking for an authentic, cheap taste of Mexican cuisine, walk into the store and prepare to be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

Upon first entering Don Jose, I was slightly intimidated: the store was full of various Mexican packaged foods and sodas, and I had no idea where to start. Overwhelmed, I decided to dismiss the junk food and go for the real food. I headed to the counter to order, where I discovered the menu was entirely in Spanish and featured more than just tacos or burritos. I was impressed by how genuine this all appeared; as someone who is entirely too accustomed to Mexican food with American influence, I was excited to see how the food here differed.

After contemplating my order for several minutes, I decided I would try the gordita, mostly because I did not want to be cliché and try a taco. The gordita (which means “little fat one” in Spanish) came with three meat options: chicken, pork or beef. I went with the chicken option, and after several minutes, my gordita came out of the kitchen piping hot. I took the food to go and was thus forced to hold back my excitement for a 10-minute drive back to my apartment.

Photo by Emily Wiggins

Once I was able to eat, I opened the small to-go container and got a good look at the gordita: it was not gigantic, but just enough for me. And at $3.50, it’s fair to say it was reasonably priced.  The exterior of the gordita consisted of a fried and crispy corn tortilla. The pulled chicken was tender and marinated lightly.  Accompanying the chicken was fresh avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, Mexican cheese and sour cream. To my delight, the gordita was also served with a fresh, spicy salsa verde.  I dipped each forkful of gordita into the salsa verde, and it helped tie the flavors together wonderfully.

This venture off my typical beaten path was well worth it. In fact, it always seems as if the local, hole-in-the-wall establishments have the best food, probably because local establishments place a lot of care and effort into delivering a quality dish. All in all, I was impressed by Don Jose. The price was right and the gordita was authentic, and I would like to go back and try more dishes on the menu.