Bricktops: Eat. Drink. Be Merry

      I’ve been a waiter for the past 6 years; for over three years I’ve spent them at one restaurant, Bricktops, a restaurant fairly similar to Houston's and 131 Main. Bricktops has only one location in Charlotte and is located on Morrison Blvd directly across the street from South Park Mall. At Bricktops I started as a waiter and quickly moved into the training team there; working directly with management in training new associates. Recently, I’ve started bartending and 5 out of 7 of my shifts are spent behind the bar now. I enjoy bartending because we have plenty of regulars at the bar who I enjoy speaking to. I’m also able to meet new people and talk to them, primarily because I’m confined to a space so I don’t have to do all that running around on the floor. Even though we have plenty of regulars to converse with behind the bar, we also have them on the floor too, this is why I still spend two shifts there. We have well-known regulars such as Mr. & Mrs. Levine, Jerry Richardson, Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx, former CEO of Bank of America Ken Lewis, Ralph Lovejoy, Johnny Richardson, etc. But it’s not just about the wealthy people, I recognized familiar faces every single shift and speak to everyone as much as possible. This is one of the things I love best about working at Bricktops. 

     I also admire everyones teamwork, communication, and passion for the guests. We have a team-based style of service where everyone works together but at the same time still has their own section to run. The food isn’t the most creative, however, the quality is far above par; all our steaks, lamb, seafood is cut in-house, all the sauces, salad dressings, etc are also made in-house. We also do something called taste-plate every morning, this is where the opening manager and kitchen manager literally taste every item, sauce, ingredient, under the roof to insure freshness and quality. 

     All of the management team are very in-tune with their specified responsibilities; we have a manager responsible for training, the host staff, barstaff, hospitality, hiring, the kitchen and of course a general manager. Overall, I have never enjoyed working for an employer as much as I do with Bricktops. We have set schedules and an online scheduled based system which allows you to trade, give-up, switch, and pick-up shifts. Even on top of this the management team understands that we have lives outside of work and sometimes things come up.

     I have made a lot of friends from not only the people I work with but also the guests. I see plenty of our guests around the South Park area and I always stop to talk with them. Once I graduate I hope to possibly acquire a management position with Bricktops. We are rapidly growing with locations in Atlanta (Buckhead), Naples, Nashville (West End), Nashville (Cool Springs), and the newest location in St. Louis (Frontenac); our next two locations will be in Coral Gables, Florida and Boca Raton, Florida. Come see me behind the bar for a drink and get to know more of our culture!!

Krisztian Martin

"Back in my day kids, we had this thing called boredom..."

     Sitting at a red light. Standing in line at the grocery store. Strolling across campus to your next class. You know, these things once known as the lapses of time between the never-ending “to-dos” that cause us to just be. The moments where the only thing to do is reflect, wonder, daydream, imagine, contemplate. That is, until we never had time to do nothing. With the help of Angry Birds, Facebook notifications, the latest news updates, and surfing the web at our fingertips, we no longer have to resort to using our minds to get us through our dullest moments of the day. 

     Forget about overstimulation, that’s simply impossible now. A lack of excitement from overuse can be cured for only $0.99. There’s millions of new apps waiting to be downloaded in seconds so you will never have to experience boredom again. We've gone beyond overstimulation, now we're over-overstimulated.

     The real danger lies in the absence of once idle times. Some of our most significant thoughts are produced at these moments. I believe we are most creative and imaginative when we are forced to rely solely on our minds. Simple reflection of our surroundings remind us that we are part of something bigger and more important than ourselves and the image we portray in the social media world. Contemplation assesses our relationships with those we care about, or issues that we hold dearly to our hearts. Can you imagine how people must behave without these precious, yet unappreciated moments? Probably not, because you’re too preoccupied deciding whether to tweet your opinion on this topic, and, just so you know, your proudest life moments won’t come from the number of retweets you receive. 

-Brittani Pedersen

Why I'm Excited for Paul Thomas Anderson's New Film

       One of the things that really get me excited are movies. Yes, I’m a movie buff. I love the Oscars, its right up there with the Super Bowl for me. One of the movies that I’m most excited for this movie season, yes there are movie seasons, is The Master.       

     The Master is a film by Paul Thomas Anderson. Anderson is one of my favorite directors, doesn’t release movies very frequently, just five movies since 1997 including The Master. This heightens my anticipation; it’s like the Olympics, a new movie once every four years. His previous movies, which I all highly recommend are Boogie Nights, which is about the porn industry in the ’70’s, Magnolia, a movie with several separate story lines about people’s lives which all come together as well as one of Tom Cruises best performances, at least in my opinion, Punch Drunk Love, with Adam Sandler, and There Will Be Blood, a period piece about the discovery of oil in the West, which features Daniel Day Lewis acting superbly, and is a metaphor for capitalism, deep, I know.

     Back to The Master though. The Master stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adams. Hoffman plays Lancaster Dodd, who creates a religious cult-like movement. Phoenix is Freddie Quell, an unstable WWII veteran who becomes his disciple. Adams plays Hoffman’s wife.

Anderson won’t admit that the movie is actually about L. Ron Hubbard and the rise of Scientology but he rather coyly denies it and leads people to the conclusion that it actually is. Scientologists have made a big stink about it and have considered suing. Controversy makes me want to see it even more.

          
    The Master is playing at Park Terrace Cinemas, which is at the intersection of Woodlawn and Park Road. I plan on seeing it this week. I recommend it to you highly, if you want to see a controversial movie, with controversial actors (Google Joaquin Phoenix), and with a high probability to win several Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Male Lead, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Musical Score, a long list I know. Just go see it.

Calvin Lescault

21

There I was hoisting my grandma over a fence in a parking garage downtown on this past Wednesday afternoon.  My mom and grandma came into town to visit for my 21^st birthday.  After lunch we had some trouble finding the car and ended up having to climb over a small fence in order to get to it.  My mom was the first to hop the fence so she could help my grandma from the other side.  When we were all safely over the fence and laughing so hard we were in tears, I thought, this is the best birthday ever.  
It’s moments like this that make birthdays perfect, they can’t be recreated or purchased they’re simply priceless.  Sometimes I think that I take moments like this for granted.  People will plan like crazy for big events in their lives and then when the day comes they’re too stressed out to even enjoy it.  
Birthday’s aren’t about how many people come to your party, or about how many present’s you get.  It’s about that moment when the clock strikes midnight and your roommate, who was out studying, runs into the apartment and screams happy birthday and you have a dance party.  Or when your three best friends throw a glittery sign over your head that they spent hours on, listing all the fun and ridiculous stuff you have to do.  It’s these moments that need to be lived, cherished and turned into unforgettable memories.   

-Anna Kirwan 

The 2012 Ryder Cup

Every other year, one of my favorite events in all of sports takes place, the Ryder Cup.  For those who don’t know, the Ryder Cup is a three day, 5 match competition where the top 12 American golfers battle the top 12 European golfers.  The Ryder Cup varies in locations, switching countries each time it’s held.

            The 2012 Ryder Cup is being held next weekend at Medina Country Club just outside Chicago, Illinois and the anticipation is high for this years matches. With the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson starting to play better on the American side while world number one Rory Mcelroy and world number three Luke Donald are in top shape for the European side, many people believe that this could shape up to be one of the more competitive Ryder Cups in recent memory.

 

            Being a golfer myself, this is the most fascinating event to watch.  For the entire year, every player selected to the Ryder Cup teams are trying to beat each other, whether they are from the same country or not.  Golf is such an individual game that in order to succeed, you need to beat the others on your own, without having to rely on your teammates.  However, the Ryder Cup puts all the individual aspects aside, as players who compete against each other all year round pair up and as a group try to collectively beat the other team.  It’s truly amazing to watch all the camaraderie between the players.

            For me personally, and for most other avid golfers like myself, this is almost a little bit of a jump start in your own game.  It gets you pumped up in a way to go out and play better golf yourself.  To see these players you idolize and follow on a daily basis care so much about an event where there is no prize money, you realize just how much these guys love the game of golf.

            Not only that, but it gets our Queens golf team pretty competitive with each other.  With six international players and 6 American’s, we schedule our own version of the Ryder Cup as a little warm up for the real deal.  Friendly banter on the golf course with your teammates is always a good time, and winning the little event is just another little piece of bragging rights.

 

 

            I suggest that you tune into the Ryder Cup matches next weekend when it is being televised, especially because the event is held in the United States.  You will see 12 golfers, who have been trained to constantly beat their opponents, come together and represent themselves, their team and their country.  Europe got the best of the American’s in 2010 in Northern Ireland, and now its time to get the Cup back in American hands.  Show your support and cheer them on.  GO USA.

Until next time,

CJ DeBerg

Big Eyes: A Gift and a Curse

Look at those puppies!

     I have big eyes. Since I was an infant, all I have ever heard is “Oh, you have such big eyes!” Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the compliment but there comes a point, around the age of ten or eleven, when your response turns from, “Thank you very much.” To “Yes.. I know I have big eyes.”

      This post is titled “It’s a gift and a curse” and that is 100% true. I love my big eyes. I swear that they help me have amazing peripheral vision and they make for great facial expressions. But
now my dear friends, comes the curse. I warn you, it’s not pretty.

     Imagine if you will, a beautiful summer day, you are riding a bicycle enjoying the cool breeze as it blows through your hair. Then it happens, you were hoping that this time would be different but alas, the inevitable happens. A bug has flown into your eyeball! Ew, believe me I know it is gross, and if you care to change over to another blog I would completely understand. But, as I was saying, a bug has now landed in your eye and the blinking has begun. You get off your bike and start doing that weird, “I’m looking up but blinking and poking at my eye thing”. I told you in advance, it’s not pretty.

   
     Apart from the occasional bug in the eye, I also have to deal with the wind knocking all sorts of microscopic flecks in there. One of my least favorite things is to walk by someone who is using a leaf blower, or machines like it. As soon as I see it my head is turned in the opposite direction, and my eyes are usually squinted or closed.

      So now you see that while having big eyes can be a blessing, it can also cause quite the drama. If you do have big eyes, invest in sunglasses, goggles, or maybe some sort of military grade eyewear.

Until next time,

Jenna Buthman

My Biggest Fear

     Growing up I was taught not to fear anything or anyone, except for God.  I felt like I accomplished that until one day I met my match.  I don’t want anyone to judge me because I’m 6 foot 6, but my biggest fear is HEIGHTS.  I found that out one day when I parked my car on the 7th floor of a parking garage.  I looked over the garage to point out a place where I wanted to go but once I looked down I became dizzy and light-headed.  Right then I knew I was afraid of heights. 

     The crazy thing about me being afraid of heights is that I love roller coasters.  I can ride roller coasters pretty much all day but the scary part is when I’m at the top of the ride and it pauses for a second, I’m not able to look down.  Many people have fears but a 6 foot 6 basketball player being afraid of heights is very rare, well to me it is at least.  I can dunk, jump high and hang on the rim fine and that’s pretty high for most people.  When I walk up a couple flights of stairs, look out an air plane window or drive up a mountain and look down, I’m prepared to throw up or feel sick.  I hate having a fear but it’s something I’m unable to control.  Sometimes I try to overcome my fear by looking down from a parking garage where it all started.  Most of the time I back up very quickly but sometimes I can look for a couple of seconds without getting dizzy or light headed.  I have plenty of people tell me that I’m too tall to be afraid of heights but their opinion doesn’t really matter to me.  Heights are something that really makes me think twice.  Should I look over?  How high am I right now?  These are questions I ask myself.  As I get older and more confident, the fear gradually goes away, but as of now I’m still afraid of heights. 

Antonio Stabler