The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles 50 Years Later

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Vinyl Enthusiasts Gater For Record Show

Let’s Eat

By: Nolan Stout

            Arguably one of the most important aspects of college life is food.

            While college students might be known for late night trips to places like Cookout, McDonald’s, and Taco Bell, they also favor finer dining.

High Point and Greensboro offer many excellent restaurants. However, there are three in particular that stick in the mind of High Point University students.

Giannos

            Giannos is an upscale Italian restaurant that is great for romance. Winner of “Best Place To Take A Date,” “Best Romantic Restaurant,” “Best Overall Restaurant,” “Best Italian Restaurant” and “Best Restaurant in High Point” in 2012 by the High Point Enterprise, Giannos lives up to its reputation.

Giannos is indeed a great place to “take a date,” but may require a reservation for dinner, as they are usually busy between 6:30 and 10 p.m.

The restaurant offers romantic lighting and seating and some entrees big enough for two people to share.

            Owner Dave Nicoletta believes that the atmosphere is a big part of what brings people back.

            “I think when people go out to eat they want a total experience,” said Nicoletta. “People eat with more than just their mouth. They eat with their senses. When you go out to eat, to spend money, you want to feel good.”

            Giannos also offers great choices of entrees that are not cheap, but are not ridiculously expensive either.

            Nicoletta said that pizza and lasagna are among the most popular on the menu.

            Will Llewellyn, a sophomore at HPU, agreed with Nicoletta.

            “The pizza is amazing,” said Llewellyn. “That’s what I get every time I go.”

            The HPU student passport is also accepted as a form of payment.

            Giannos offers an open bar with a full menu. The bar also has a special each day of the week, except Sunday.

            Giannos is open on Monday thru Saturday from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Least Expensive Entrée: Homemade Lasagna $10.50

Most Expensive Entrée: Steak Margherita $27.95

1124 Eastchester Dr.

High Point, N.C.

Harper’s Restaurant

            Harper’s Restaurant at Greensboro’s Friendly Center is a quaint place for casual dining. Harper’s offers both a dining room and an open seating bar. The bar offers full menu service for anyone in a hurry. The dining room offers quick service as well. No matter how busy or how many in a party, it seems that the wait time for food is never too long.

            Harper’s is part of a small, Charlotte-based chain that has locations in Charlotte and Columbia, S.C., as well as the Greensboro location.

For an appetizer, Harper’s has arguably the best pimento cheese dip and chips in the Triangle. Not too creamy, not too cheesy, the pimento cheese is on par. This is on the menu under “Harper’s Dip Duo.”

Harper’s is also a great place to go for a nice meal that won’t break the bank. For example, an 8-ounce sirloin with fries is only $17. They also offer a gluten free menu and have brunch in the spring.

HPU student Michael Leone really enjoys the staff.

“They have so many people involved in serving your food,” said Leone. “They are all smiling and so nice all the time, it’s really nice.”

Lee Richardson is a waitress and has been working at Harper’s for 16 years. She believes the restaurant has some of the best service around.

“I think we do a good job of making people feel at home and getting people in and out when they are in a hurry and if they have time to stay we give them a good experience.”

Richardson also said that the Harper’s Original Chicken Supremes are one of the most popular things on the menu.

She’s not wrong. They are the perfect mixture of a crunchy exterior with a soft, well-cooked, juicy interior. Unsure what to try on the menu? The Harper’s Original Chicken Supremes are a safe bet.

The supremes can also be ordered in a larger entrée portion or as a smaller appetizer.

Harper’s is open Monday thru Thursday 11:15 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:15 a.m. – 11 p.m., and Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. In spring, there is brunch every day from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Least Expensive Entrée: House Made Veggie Burger $10

Most Expensive Entrée: The Original Roswell Rib-Eye Steak $26

601 Friendly Center Road

Greensboro, N.C.

Carolina Diner

            Carolina Diner offers old-fashioned Southern cooking. With an atmosphere that seems plucked right out of the 1960s, the diner takes patrons back to a simpler time.

            The diner is part of a small North Carolina chain with locations in High Point, Greensboro, and Archdale.

            HPU student Steph Sapp loves the environment.

            “It’s full of old posters and plays really good music,” said Sapp. “It’s really nostalgic, but in a good way.”

            Sam Kulwicki, who has worked as a manager with the restaurant for 14 years, says there are many of the older crowd that enjoy the atmosphere.

            “The older folks, the regulars, really love the music and the prices,” said Kulwicki. “I think it takes them back to their younger days, reminds them of old times”

Be prepared for large portions as many meals are served with multiple sides to go with large entrees. The diner also offers a frequent diner service that gives customers points for each entrée ordered and at 100 points rewards them with a free meal.

            Carolina Diner is a great place to go for a lot of food at a lower price. For example, the “Carolina’s Big Boy Breakfast” offers three eggs, country gravy, grits, hash browns, two pancakes, choice of three bacon or sausage links and a biscuit for only $8.99.

            The diner serves both breakfast and dinner all day. However, Kulwicki knows there is no contest for which part of the menu is more popular.

            “Breakfast hands down,” said Kulwicki. “People love that we serve that all day. The two egg plate with bacon and hashbrowns is ordered a lot.”           

            The diner is open 24 hours a day for six days. On Sunday they close at 9 p.m. and reopen on Monday at 6 a.m.

Least Expensive Entrée: Hot Dog and Fries $4.29

Most Expensive Entrée: T-bone steak and eggs $14.50

201 Eastchester Dr.

High Point, N.C.

            Each restaurant offers a great atmosphere and great service. For finer dining, head down to Giannos, but make a reservation first. For a more relaxed experience, take the short drive to Greensboro and check out Harper’s. For a trip back to a simpler time, go to Carolina Diner.

            All in all, High Point and Greensboro have some great restaurants, but these are some of the best

Getting Around

By: Nolan Stout

           
HPU offers many services to injured, disabled
            Although the campus is beautiful, there are many obstacles to those with disabilities traveling around it.

           While suffering an injury or having a physical disability may seem like a burden at High Point University, there are many services provided to help those who need it.

            For those who do not have a handicap placard or a car to drive from off campus or between classes, the university offers a free transportation van. However, there is only one van that operates on campus, which causes some scheduling conflicts among those wishing to ride.

            Many of the aid that the university gives is based on each person’s specific needs and what they request.

            “We work with each student individually to accommodate their needs,” said Rita Sullivant, who works in the university’s disability services office.

            Sullivant said that they split the students based on last name and she only takes care of five students with physical disabilities. According to Sullivant, there are 10-15 students on campus that work with her department. 

Living accommodations and classes

           Those with disabilities are usually given special living accommodations if they request them. 
            Students with wheelchairs are usually given a room on the first floor if they request it. Sullivant said the university makes sure to put students in buildings with elevators or rooms that accommodate wheelchairs.

           Sometimes for classes, the office will manipulate classroom placement if it is difficult to access.

            “Congdon has some of those narrow hallways and aisles in the room,” said Sullivant. “So if there is a problem with wheelchair access we just work with the registrar changing the classrooms in those situations. Most of our new buildings are pretty accessible.” 

Problems
             One of the problems the university has for those that may be injured is that dorms do not have a handicap access button that opens the door automatically. Sullivant said that students can register at the beginning of the year for a key fob that will open the door for them. However, those with injuries or temporary handicaps are not normally given these devices.

            Another problem is that the handicap access ramps for many buildings tend to be behind the building or in a more difficult place to reach. This makes it harder for those with disabilities or injuries to reach them because they must travel further.

            Many ramps may be placed behind buildings to accommodate for the regulations required of them. The state of North Carolina requires that a slope have a maximum 1:12 ratio and the maximum height is 30 inches.

            This slope requirement causes some buildings to have multiple ramps to get to one door.

Send in people trained in carrying someone in a wheelchair if there is a fire or emergency.

            Those with disabilities are generally given as much aid as they need or the university can give them. Sullivant said that they do their best to notify people in charge of those with disabilities in case an emergency happens.

            “We notify security at the beginning of the year of anyone that may have problems with physical disabilities,” said Sullivant.

            For those that have temporary disabilities due to injuries, campus may seem very hard to navigate. However, the offices of disability services and transportation work well together to accommodate everyone’s need.

            “For people that have suffered injuries and are disabled for a short period of time it may seem hard to find help because they are unfamiliar with the services,” said Sullivant.

Sarkeesian Speaks on Women in Video Games

By: Nolan Stout

On April 3, media critic Anita Sarkeesian delivered a lecture at High Point University on the misrepresentation of women in video games.

“The vast majority of games are made for straight white men,” said Sarkeesian. “The vast majority of games also either completely ignore women or treat them hostile.”
            Sarkeesian began her presentation by giving background on her own life and experience with video games. As a young child she played the original Gameboy.

            As she got older, Sarkeesian began to question the representation of women in video games in her online video series “Feminist Frequency.” Her critique of video games brought much backlash to her life. She was attacked in online forums by many in the gaming community that were angered by her views.

            “This intense and violent hostility is common in video game society,” said Sarkeesian. “There seems to be a pre-existing hatred for women in video games.”

            According to Sarkeesian, women are represented in a variety of ways in modern video games, few of which are positive.

            Among the many portrayals of women in video games, some of the tropes Sarkeesian discussed included the “Damsel in Distress,” “Women in Refrigerators,” and the “Smurfette Principle.”

            Each of these, according to Sarkeesian, robs women of the chance to develop their character or be a hero in video games.

            One of the few positive representations of women Sarkeesian mentioned was Samus Aran from the Metroid game series. Samus is a female in full body armor that is not sexualized in any way.

Placing more armor on women and allowing their characters to be played in first person are some solutions that Sarkeesian gave to fixing the misrepresentation of women in video games.

Sarkeesian’s talk was well received by students at HPU. The room was packed with people sitting on the steps and floor. In the back, a few chairs were set up, but it was mostly standing room for those that arrived late.

Junior Michael Leone thought the talk was very informative.

“That was a really great lecture,” said Leone. “I play all sorts of games and never really thought about the way women are portrayed in them. All of that stuff is true about a lot of games.”

The Records Play On

By: Nolan Stout

            It is no secret that digital downloads are becoming the dominant form of music purchases. However, one needs to look no further than the Piedmont of North Carolina to see that other forms of music are still alive and well.

            Vinyl records may seem like a thing of the past, but for a few new stores the industry is picking back up again.

Jonathan Hodges of Winston-Salem believes that the movement of music to almost all digital mediums is related to the increase of vinyl.

            “There is nothing tangible. If you lose your hard drive that’s it, you lose all your music. With vinyl, it’s the opposite end of that spectrum,” said Hodges.

            Two new stores have opened since September locally. In Greensboro, Hippo Records sprang up at the Shoppes at Lindley Park on Spring Garden Street. In Winston-Salem, Underdog Records opened its doors on Robinhood Road.

            In Raleigh, one of the longest running record stores in the country, Schoolkids Records, has relocated to an even bigger building.

The growth in the vinyl industry is not just up in the Triangle, but has risen nationally.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, as of June 30, 2013, vinyl sales had risen 33.50-percent from 2012 to 2013. This varies from CD album sales which are down 14.20-percent in the same time.

A brand new vinyl runs for anywhere between $15-$25. This is higher than a CD which can run from $12-$15 and much higher than a digital download which may cost less than $10.

However, this has not stopped people from continuing to buy vinyl records.

A closer look at each new store and the iconic store in Raleigh show just how this has come about.

Out On His Own

            Patrick Lemons began working in the vinyl industry at Edward McKay Used Books & More in his hometown of Greensboro. His interest in music, however, began long before that.

            “My dad had a Huey Lewis & the News album, Fore!, and I used to play that all the time when I was around six,” said Lemons.  

            His experiences with vinyl really began to pick up when he was 17 and could finally drive.

            “I really enjoyed the thrill of being able to drive to stores and discover new music,” said Lemons.

            While working at Edward McKay’s Used Books and More, Lemons saw that there was money to be made in the vinyl market and thought that maybe he could “do it better than them.”

So after a few years of building up a stock of records and deciding how best to go out on his own, Lemons finally established a business. At first, he worked out of a corner of Lost Ark Video Games selling records.

Lemons was doing very well selling his records at the arcade and wanted to expand so he was able to work out an agreement for the space next door to the arcade and opened his doors in September.

It was not a venture Lemons took lightly.

“You’re signing up not just for the monetary risk, but also your time and effort,” said Lemons. “You can’t change your mind, there’s no backing out.”

But, Lemons has had great business in the short time he has been open. Lemons says that he has many customers coming in that are just starting their record collections or trying to build up their old collections.

“I’d say there are quite a few people in their 40s-50s,” said Lemons. “But, there are also a lot of people coming in that are in that 16-25 age range.”

Lemons orders many new albums to sell, but also buys just as many, if not more, used records that people bring in and want to sell.

            Hippo Records is now the fifth record store in Greensboro. Lemons believes that helps business.

            “Say you’re from Raleigh or Winston-Salem. You’re probably not going to make the drive for just one store. But, if there are multiple stores around, you’re more likely to drive,” said Lemons. “I also think it creates more of a fervor about it because there are so many stores around.”

            What might separate Hippo Records from other stores is the quality of the used records Lemons sells.

            “I don’t like to sell records that are bad quality,” said Lemons. “I like to think in terms of how would I feel if I was buying it. I price it as what I would feel was reasonable as opposed to what I think I can sell it for.”

As to the name for the record store, Lemons said it just came to him.

“I couldn’t think of anything good. Nothing came to my mind,” said Lemons. “I like to meditate and so I decided to meditate and the first word to come to me I’m going to do it. The first word that came up was hippopotamus and I thought that’s a stupid word.”

But, after thinking about that word a bit longer, Lemons decided he could shorten it to hippo and then just went forward from there.

Lemons runs the store by himself.

            Hippo Records carries just about all types of music. From 60s music to hip-hop, punk to jazz, metal to electronic, there is much diversity at Hippo Records.

The Unlikely Candidate

            Jonathan Hodges opened Underdog Records in Winston-Salem on November 1.

            Hodges formerly worked with the Record Exchange before wanting to break off and create his own store.

            “It got to the point where I wanted to do things differently than I was allowed to at a company,” said Hodges. “It was time to take the risk.”

            Unlike Lemons, Hodges was not nervous at all to open a new store.

            “I was going to be leaving where I was anyway so I wasn’t really nervous about it,” said Hodges.  

            The name came from the handle Hodges used to sell vinyl online and the name of his blog.

            Hodges carries all types of vinyl in his store. There are a large number of used vinyl as well as new in the store.

            Hodges hopes to partner with Little John’s bar to start a vinyl night on Tuesday nights in the future.

           

The Legacy Continues

            In Raleigh, Schoolkids Records is entering its 40th year of business. Once operating six stores in North Carolina, the location at the Mission Valley shopping center on Avent Ferry road is the last remaining store in the country.

            Schoolkids also had locations in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Athens, Ga.

            In 2011, the Grammy’s published an article on their website in which they chose the ten most iconic record stores in the country and Schoolkids was ranked fifth on that list.

            After 36 years, the store moved from its Hillsborough Street location across from the NC State bell tower because the city wishes to build a hotel at that site.

            Current owner Stephen Judge began working with the store in 1990.

            “I shopped here when I was in high school,” said Judge. “And then when I was at [NC] State I got hired here and worked for ten years.”

            The previous owner, Mike Phillips, had discussed with Judge about purchasing the Chapel Hill location. That did not happen because Judge did not have the funds to support the store. That location, the last outside Raleigh, closed shop in 2008 after 35 years of business.

            The owner then told Judge that in four or five years he might close the Hillsborough Street location and Judge told him to consult with him first before doing so.

            Judge kept in touch with the owner, saying he was the “first choice” to own it when the original owner was ready to quit.

“About two years ago I approached him about re-opening a store in Chapel Hill because I was living there at the time,” said Judge. “That was when the conversation came up about just buying the Raleigh store and running the whole brand.”

            The previous owner was ready to retire because he knew the store would have to relocate and he had no desire to do that. The two decided it was best for Judge to begin working and owning the store for a few years before they had to relocate so the move would be easier.

            “I always knew I wanted to find a bigger location and put a bar in the store so I could have bands play in-store,” said Judge.

            The store carries all types of music and is one of the biggest in North Carolina.

Vinyl Revolution

            Many factors may have contributed to the increase in vinyl. However, what might keep bringing people back is the desire to find something new.

            Starting a record collection can be fun and exciting. Many famous records can be found for only $1 at some stores.

            To some, collecting records is an unexplainable addiction. To others, it is just a hobby that they explore on the weekends.

            No matter the case, vinyl records are here to stay. Record stores are starting to open back up all over the country. While the world seems to be turning to a completely digital format, vinyl will still stick around and the records will play on.