Zine Update and Assignments from 4-29

Hello, everyone! Your friendly EIC here!

Yesterday the class got together and setup a layout for the zine. This PageMaker page is now posted in the Discussions on WebCT, so feel free to check it out if you haven't seen it already.

Also, Adam and Jonathan have been hard at work editing all of your articles. If you haven't received your article with notes from them yet, it will be forthcoming. Once you receive your edits, you'll need to make the changes and repost your article here on the blog.

Your photography editors are working on picking photos to accompany your article. If you have a preference in the pictures used, feel free to let them know (though they may veto your decision, it's nice for them to have your ideas in mind).

If you need anything else or have suggestions for the layout to make it better, please post those here on the blog or on WebCT in the discussion thread where the layout is posted.

Other than that - have a nice weekend and we'll see you ALL on Tuesday!

Esther

Anything I need to do?

Work got in the way today - anything I need to do?

Banner Pictures

Mark has uploaded some pictures for consideration for the banner of our zine. If you have any pictures that you think should be considered for the banner please upload them into the folder labeled banner in photobucket- and then add it to the poll on the side (go into layout and add to the poll gadget).

Then look at and vote on the picture you would like.

Fine Wine, Spirits, and Craft Brews

Around the corner just from downtown Charleston is a hidden treasure. The Liquor Company is a locally owned liquor store that provides great service and quality products. This upscale liquor store features many new wine, spirits, and craft brews.

WINE

The wine section is carefully categorize so that it is customer friendly. Signs hang sown from the ceiling, labeling each type of wine, i.e: Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. Located in the back of the store is wine tasting bar. This section features an electronic wine pouring system from Napa Technology. A guest can buy a smart card and use to taste several wines. Every other weekend a professional wine consultant comes to give wine tasting. He goes over some basic facts about each wine and also explains what they are tasting. This will help the guest be more comfortable e buying wine because they will understand the differences between wines. The wine tasting also give wine lovers a chance to discus what they like and have some responsible fun.

2006 Right Red Hand

One of the newest wines that is showcased is the 2006 Right Red Hand from Australia. This complex wine is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Tempernillo. The youthful hues of purple and savoury flavors of dark fruit and spicy aromas, makes it a great wine. This wine will only cost the guest about $17.00. I really like the fact that this wine is very easy to drink. After a long day, its very relaxing and soothing to the palate. It's also goes very well with steak and sauteed mushrooms.

Sebastiani Merlot

I have never been much of a Merlot person. partially because it is a difficult wine to enjoy. There are many different flavors, and carries strong tannins. But, the Sebastiani Merlot is one varietal that I really enjoy. This Merlot is quite drinkable due to its abundance of mixed dark berries from the Alexander area. There are soft notes of cinnamon and espresso, with a nose of dark chocolate. This bottle will run about $24.00 a bottle.



Spirits

The Liquor company prides itself on carrying the best selection of spirits. If you find it difficult to choose the drink of your choice, there is on hand bartender to help make that decision. There are a wide varieties of vodka, whiskey, bourbon, scotch, tequila, and rum. If you can't handle the sting, then there are plenty of mixers to make the drink go down smooth.

Hennessy Black

The Liquor Company has finally welcomed Hennessy Black. This Cognac has very distinct tasting notes that contrast the original Hennessy. This fine Cognac if made a lot like a wine. The best grapes of the Cognac region are selected. The grapes are then made into wine and distilled twice. This method helps preserve the complex flavor of the grape. The "eaux-de-vie" is then aged in black oak barrels. Finally the master blender choose the best of the best for bottling. This Cognac presents a very smooth flavor with notes of jasmine, daffodil, citrus, and fresh grapes. You can enjoy this drink, responsibly, by mixing:

-2 parts Hennessy Black
-1/4 simple syrup
-dash of bitter
-shake into a high ball glass over ice

Craft Brews

There are many new and exciting craft brews that are located in the store. Craft beer is term that is used to described brews made the traditional way. They are made by just using barley malt, hops, and water. It can be argues that a craft beer can be made from other traditional ingredients. Craft brews are also not just limited to "micro-breweries", they can also be produced on a larger scale. For example, Rogue Ales, is large brewery out in Oregon. It features many great beers. This company pried itself on delivering beer that has no preservatives, additives, and no chemicals.

John John Dead Guy

This beer is one of the newest brews of the Rogue family. The beer was made in collaboration with Rogue Spirits. The master brewer and master distiller took the popular Dead Guy Ale, and aged it inside whiskey oak barrels for one month. This creates a deep caramel color with hints of vanilla and oak finish. This beer can be enjoyed with a mouth watering spicy pull-porked sandwich.

XS Imperial IPA

This brew is not for the faint at heart. This beer comes from the XS series of brews that carry a higher alcohol content. Hearty cascade and Northwest golden hops, along with barley, are used to make this big brew. It is intensely hopped and should be consumed responsibly.

The Liquor Company is your one- stop shop for a good time and great drinks. They are located in the Patrick Street Plaza, in Charleston. If you have any question on the products, don't be afraid to call 304-346-6000. They are also on Facebook.

Remember... Drink Responsibly.

A Night in Ethiopia!

Ok, so my article isn't as long and it isn't as sophisticated as other poeples' seem to be but I stretched this as far as I could tonight. I might be able to add more later but I will look into that. This was an article I wrote for Le Journal magazine on the topic and I reedited it for this. Like i said, It's short but I tried.

Here goes:


A Night in Ethiopia
For the students who were lucky enough to attend The Taste of Ethiopia’s 3rd Annual Celebration, it was a memory they will always have and cherish. The night was filled with music, education, culture and custom and all around fun. According to the students of ESA, there are about 80 tribes in Ethiopia and each of these tribes has their own music, dancing, language, food and even fashion. The Amharic Dance was incredible. It involved a heavy concentration on the rhythm and towards the end of the music/dance; half the audience were at least tapping their foot to the beat.

Next was the Guargena Dance; much like the Amharic dance focused on the rhythm and was not very had to get the audience enthused about joining the dancers on stage. At one point, Jack Morgan, a physics professor here at WVSU was taken onstage by one of the performers of the evening and he danced with them. “It was great. I knew a lot about the food because my family and I have been attending this event since it started years ago but I learned a lot about the traditions and the dances as well as the culture of the people that brought us the incredible food” he commented.

Throughout the show, there was a drawing with prizes for the audience to take home priced gifts from the ESA. One of the winners got a Blackwood candle-stand to take home. I learned from the students that the candle-stand is very expensive. The second winner also got something made from a very beautiful wood, a drinking cup. It was said to be available in almost every home in Ethiopia and was very expensive. It was also very pretty. The third prize had me wishing I had won it. It was a silk scarf, very expensive looking, and can go with just about any outfit.
After the drawing there was the fashion show where they explained to the audience that each of the tribes’ clothing is characterized by the length of the skirt, the accessory that goes with them and many others. Some of the women wear braids in their hair whilst others just let their hair down. I understood that they are very diverse and one could tell where someone is from by their way of dressing. I realized that during dancing, the women mostly put their hands behind their backs and I wondered if that was a symbol of humbleness.

During the last song, students, faculty (Dr. James Natsis, Director of the Office of International Affairs) were invited onstage to participate in a dance that the audience picked out themselves. After the events, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mrs. Ann Johnson; a woman who had just moved to the area with her new Ethiopian daughter Azalech. “We are very excited to be here. My daughter was born in Ethiopia and we just moved to West Virginia, so I was very happy to participate in this to show my daughter our appreciation for her culture” she stated.

“Incredible! This was one of the most energy filled events that I have ever attended. It was exciting, fun, and all around enjoyable. I recommend that everyone should come next year.” Haley, a student I met during the event commented. One of the other students I met was Enda Smith. According to Enda, the event helped her know more about Ethiopia and appreciate the diversity here on campus as well as better understand her Ethiopian classmates.

During my interview I was pleased to learn that once people take part in this event, their experiences does not end there; they develop interests in learning more about the culture and even the continent of Africa. One of the guests who had been coming for a couple of years now stated that, after their first attendance, they also researched and found out about an Ethiopian camp in Virginia that teaches people about the cultures and customs of Ethiopia

The Ethiopian students here on campus have formed close relationships with each other that worked well when it came to preparing for this event. They mentioned that they couldn’t have put anything together if they didn’t have each other. Looking at their interactions with each other on and off stage, it is very clear to see that they have become more than friends; they are a family. They are a family that wants to show people about their traditions and customs and they did an incredible job of that.

Like most of the people who attended this program, I felt honored to be able to share such an incredible event with everyone that was present. Almost everyone couldn’t wait for next year so they can attend this event again. At first, I was a little jealous and wished there was enough students here at WVSU from Ghana to be able to show people what our culture was about but then I realized that regardless of what part of Africa the show was about, it was a representation of our people, our African people and that I should be proud. That was exactly how I felt; pride, by the end of the program.

“It was awesome. Thank you for everyone who participated in the event. Amazingly, we had non-Ethiopian guests here on stage dancing; our cultural dance. This is what we call a mission accomplished!” Salem concluded.

Filmmaker Profile

Going to need a little work, methinks.

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Creating a New World with New Media: A Profile of Justin Litton, Filmmaker

Spend some time with Justin Litton, 26, and you’ll realize that his clothes speak louder than he does. From the finely spiked Mohawk that grazes the top of his head, to the caution tape strap on his messenger bag and the loosely hung tie over a button up shirt, Litton has a sense of style you can assume has been crafted with anything eccentric that interests him all thrown together to make an odd, yet somehow cohesive, unit. But what Litton really has to say is marked within his short films, most posted on YouTube and all full of dark wit and quirky characters.

Take a few moments to explore parts one and two of Video Blog and you’re realize it’s anything but a dry diary entry in the life of a 26 year old boy from West Virginia, though it opens under this premise. From the first cut to a different angle, you realize you’re not so much watching a boring blog, as viewing a sly story the likes of which Poe or Hitchcock might have created.

Justin Litton could be considered you’re typical Charlestonian. He was born in the capitol city and grew up in Cross Lanes, the only child of seemingly normal parents. His stepfather is parts manager at a Toyota dealership and his mother is now retired from her job at Verizon.

“I have been spoiled all my life,” he admits. “Neither [of my parents] are particularly creative, but both have supported me in my journey. I am blessed.”

What his parents may lack in creativity, they passed on to their son. Litton is nearing the end of his Communications education at West Virginia State University. And as someone who considers himself “not a movie person,” he certainly has a knack for presenting real characters and interesting situations, even in the short amount of time allowed in his short film projects. It’s certainly a reason why Dave Brock, a film professor at State, recommended him as one of his top filmmaking students.

“Justin is what I would call a total filmmaker," Brock said. “He gets it. He typically avoids the usual list of catastrophes that student filmmakers often face by soliciting input from everyone who's working with him and utilizing that input in a way that helps the story; it's not about one person, it's about the story. It's about the film.”

But Litton isn’t dreaming about his future blockbuster hit. In fact, he prides himself on stepping away from the Hollywood system of films, something he thinks amateur filmmakers today take too seriously.

“The most common mistake of most filmmakers is taking the Hollywood system built on three-act structures, paradigms, and genre seriously,” he said. “And never making an interesting or unique movie, but instead making a product to sell.”

While he hasn’t sold his films or scripts, he has won top honors at the Mountaineer Film Festival. He was awarded first place in the Narrative Short category for his first short film.

Finding what you love

So why study film if there is no interest in becoming the next Steven Spielberg? For Litton, it’s about doing what he loves.

He started his career at State in 2003 as a Computer Sciences major, but soon realized that, while he did enjoy computers and technology, he wasn’t interested in a career as a programmer or technical support analyst. He took some time away from school and got a full-time job making a good deal of money. But, still, he wasn’t happy, and he found himself searching for what kind of career would hold his interest without worrying about potential salary and benefits. He did what most people do when they’re lost and returned to the memories of the last time he really enjoyed something.

“I had to think back to those short, stupid videos I created with my best friend back in high school and I realized that with each video we created together there was a noticeable difference - I was getting better. I already knew that I enjoyed editing video more than almost anything else, so I thought I would like to take my knowledge of the medium to a higher level and try my hand at video production.”

This love of making backyard movies, combined with memories of making dioramas and putting on puppet shows as a child at church, led Litton to filmmaking. He enrolled again in classes at State, first as a part-time student, and then on the full-time path. This time he focused his efforts in the Communications department.

With the advent of YouTube and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, Litton began to recognize that art is moving in a new direction. He saw film as his opportunity to combine his love of technology with his love of making films. It’s no doubt why his films and film projects are posted on YouTube for viewers to watch, rate and comment on, and certainly the reason why he hopes to focus in this new media exclusively.

In one film project posted on YouTube, he cast a male actor as the female lead from Diner (1982). The short scene, entitled Confusing Friendship, toys with the notion of gender and, as he puts it, “adds a bit of absurdity to the scene”. In the scene the (now male) “Barbara” announces that she…I mean he…is pregnant. Hilarity ensues as the male lead asks if he is the father and the two discuss whether getting married is the right option and what the baby will mean to them.

It’s work like this, with bizarre characters in bizarre situations that Litton feels most passionate about in his films, which fit more into a genre of character pieces than anything else.

“I will continue to do work that focuses on very few people, and people who are either misunderstood or misunderstand things around them. It's fun to watch,” he said.

According to Litton, it’s about trying to find something original to say, and having a little fun with it as well.

“I am bored by ideas that copy heavily from other work that is already out there,” he said. “And while it is hard to come up with something original these days, I believe that there is still a mountain of untapped creativity.”

It’s likely why he cites offbeat directors like David Lynch, Takeshi Miike and Alejandro Jodorowsky as influences, as well as more well-known, yet still very original directors, Tim Burton and Wes Anderson. While few recognize the likes of Miike and Jodorowsky, or even Lynch who created the classic Mulholland Dr. (2001), most now know of the strange worlds created by Burton in such films as Edward Scissorhands (1990), Corpse Bride (2005) and, most recently, Alice in Wonderland (2010).

“Any film that you can turn on and then queue up to any frame and instantly recognize what film it is... those are an inspiration. I love films that exist in their own world.”

The man behind the camera

While Litton’s choice of style may place him in the same category as the characters from his film, those who know him best credit him with having a huge heart for his friends.

Betsy Allen, 31, is a Professional Writing major in the English department at State. She’s known Litton for the past three years, since a Facebook message got them talking.

“He's one of the few people on Earth I know I can count on when I really need it,” Betsy said. “When my home was flooded May 2009 he was there for me. I called him and he talked me down from a panic attack, then he and our friend Michael came over and helped rip up the ruined carpeting. He's a good person and comes from a good family.”

And Litton doesn’t make friends with just anyone, describing himself as “socially awkward” and “introverted”.

“I’m not into a lot of things that most others tend to be into, so it makes it more difficult to have a conversation,” he said. “I wonder if I’d ever make a friend at all if it wasn’t for other people’s ability to sit down next to me and force me to speak.”

But through his films, he has formed seemingly lasting friendships with people like Allen, who has worked as both cast and crew on several of his projects.

“I love his films because he is original. He wants to try something new and he does; he just goes for it,” she said. “The best part is that he is a good director and he pulls whatever he's doing off.”

She recognizes that his directorial choices don’t follow typical mainstream Hollywood films, but believes that his attention to detail calls attention to his growing talent.

His instructor Brock agrees and believes Litton’s willingness and ability to perform every aspect of filmmaking to the best of his ability is the key to his success.

“He understands that there are no small decisions when it comes to making a film,” he said. “I could ramble endlessly about his proficiency in numerous technical areas, but it's this quality - this "Big Picture" mentality of his - that makes him an excellent filmmaker.”

The big picture

So what’s in store next for Litton and his “Big Picture”? Why, more filmmaking courses, of course! He hopes to enroll in State’s Media Communications graduate program when he finishes his B.A. in Communications this fall, or head to a film school for other graduate work.

“State actually has some talented professors in the film department. They have been very inspiring to me,” he said.

And more work with professors like Brock, who is rumored to be working on a feature-length film this summer, could certainly help to hone Litton’s talents. One thing is for sure, Litton’s set on his filmmaking future.

“There are a lot of times when I feel like going into graphic design or just stop my life and go to culinary school! I could enjoy them just as much, but I had to pick,” he said.

And, as his friends and professors would argue, he picked right this time.

Until graduation and future studies roll around, you’re likely to find him on campus, shooting another short film or listening to some music on his iPod, which he calls his “most beloved possession”. Filled with a full 160GB of music, many original pieces he scoured the internet to find, Litton finds inspiration in his music.

He also has a few concepts for films rolling around in his head that, he says, could never be made without money – money he doesn’t currently have. Perhaps a job in that new technology field will allow him the creativity to test these ideas out, but he’s not holding his breath for a high salary.

“I hope to find a new media job that will allow me to use everything I've learned and be a part of creating something amazing.”

I’m sure whatever he creates, we should probably all be watching. As for me, I’ll stay tuned to his YouTube channel, waiting for new project releases. I’ll see you there!

http://www.youtube.com/user/vxgasattack

Pho Vinh Long, A Taste of Vietname

While growing up, my taste for foreign food was non-exsistent. I was a cheeseburger, hot dog loving type of boy. My first experience with foreign food, as well as most peoples first experience, was Chinese food. I am an avid Chinese/Japanese food loving guy. I especially love South Charleston for its foreign food restaurants, including a Jamaican restaurant and (what I think) the best Chinese/Japanese restaurant in the state, Taste of Asia. While walking around, I noticed that a new Vietnamese restaurant opened, and I decided to give it a taste. I walked into the door without any expectations or anything to compare it to, but I know that my taste buds aren’t jaded, and I know good food when I taste it.

Pho Vinh Long, perhaps the only Vietnamese restaurant in the state, is now located at 610D Street in South Charleston. It is located seconds away from the Indian Burial Mound in South Charleston, right on the corner of a lovely South Charleston intersection with antique and small stores surrounding it. The front of the store is rather bland. It has a large white sign on top with “Pho Vinh Long” written on it, and the front is glass looking in to a dark restaurant. Parking is right in front of the restaurant, and finding a spot to park is never a hard thing to do when going to Pho Vinh Long.

When first entering Pho Vinh long, it doesn’t seem like you are that far from home. The restaurant is simply adorned with linoleum flooring and matching tables and chairs. Palm plants are littered throughout the restaurant and each table has one small plant to itself. The walls are littered with posters depicting Tapioca drinks and their descriptions. The back of the restaurant houses the cash register, a large flat screen TV that plays Vietnamese programs, and a large window that looks into their clean kitchen. Unfortunatly, I didn’t see any of the staff or cooks wearing gloves or hair nets, but I am not a picky guy so that didn’t bother me so much. The bathroom is a single stall room and extremly clean which is definitely a plus for all restaurants. The interior itself doesn’t portray the foreign ancestry present in the food, but once you get a taste of the food, you will realize this is in no way your typical West Virginian restaurant.

The menu presents the entrees numbered and in its traditional Vietnamese name, with ingredients posted on the side. All the ingredients are not listed unfortunately, but the menu covers the main ingredients, like what sort of protein is included. Aside from choosing which entrée you wish to eat, pronouncing the name of what you want is a task within itself, so thankfully the menu is numbered. The price range of the items isn’t bad either, it is a range from 2-13$ for everything on the menu. That price is definitely not bad for a sit down restaurant.

Along with their great food, Pho Vinh Long offers some drinks not common to West Virginia. Tapioca Tea, or more commonly referred to as Boba Tea, is a drink native to Vietnam and is usually offered in fruit flavors. The difference between it and other frozen teas, is that it has things called boba at the bottom of the drink. Boba will probably take some getting used to for most people because it is a slimey, slightly chewy ball of tapioca that comes up through the thick straw. The tea’s are delicious many fruity flavors like honeydew, strawberry, and watermelon.But if you aren’t feeling adventurous, Pho Vinh Long offers the traditional sodas, tea, and other special drinks like flavored carbonated lemonade and coconut milk.

Now I know most of you readers are probably wondering: what ingrediats are used in Vietnamese food? Vietnamese food offers many selections of food. They offer appetizers like spring rolls, which are rolled up cabbage, lettuce, pork, and shrimp and edamae which are soy beans salted and still in the pod. Along with appetizers they offer many soups, but the main ingrediants in the soup are noodles, cilantro, leeks, licorice, lime juice, chicken or steak, and any vegetable they feel like adding. The soup doesn’t taste like any of the traditional food offered in West Virginia. It definitely has its own unique taste, and as a person who doesn’t even like soup, I enjoy their soup immensely. They even offer a beef tendon soup, which is exactly what you think it is. That was, unfortunatly, the worst thing I have had there. The tendons were chewy (which is expected) and with no flavor. But to have only one thing on the menu that I have disliked from what I’ve tried is an accomplishment.

The main dishes are what I really enjoy. All of the dishes are very different in taste, but feature some of the same items. Most main dishes include noodles, some sort of vegetable and some sort of meat, but that’s where the similarities end. Each dish is expertly spiced with spices not found in typical American dishes. Three of my favorites are the lemon breaded chicken over rice with mixed vegetables, grilled pork over rice noodles served with leeks, lettuce, and cilantro, and beef served with a sweet crucnhy brown rice and mixed vegetables. The issue with deciding on what to eat is that the menu is not very descriptive, so its really a random pick and choose situation.

The people who own the store are great. It certainly feels like a mom and pop store, but it is a little bigger than your average mom and pop store. Everyone in the restaurant is related (except for the cook) and their children are there to help you decide what you want. It’s a great atmosphere. You certainly feel welcomed when you go to Pho Vinh Long, and you definitely get a sense of the family atmosphere. Unfortunatly they are a bit under staffed due to it being a family restaurant and how busy they can get, so the time between when you sit down and when you actually get your food and drink can be a bit long. But, I personally do not mind the wait because of the comfortable atmosphere, but I know some will.

Overall, Pho Vinh Long is an excellent addition to the selectin of restaurants Charlestonians have to chose from. It is located nearby and offers food you probably won’t find in the rest of the state. It has a great atmosphere with a welcoming friendly staff and the food is some of the best foreign cuisine I have had. I definitely recommend you try Pho Vinh Long for your next dinner.