Stepping through the door and out of the sloshy puddles on the street, I am relieved to find myself standing in the soft golden glow of little stained glass lamps and staring at the opposite wall at a sign claiming: “You can tell an Irishman, but you can’t tell him much.”
Located on East Rutherford Street in the quaint downtown of Landrum, SC, the Hare & Hound Pub reflects the influence of a traditional Irish pub. The dark wood, high-backed booths line every available wall, lending some privacy to their occupants but also giving a sense of community with the other diners and those chatting at the bar.
It’s all about ambiance, right?
My husband and I sat in a booth in a corner by one of the front windows. The lamp at the end of our table was flanked by salt and pepper shakers and a bottle of ketchup sporting the pub’s name. The glow of the small lights was just enough to make me feel at home but still be able to read my menu. Each wall was draped with vintage-looking banners and beer advertisements, many of them in foreign languages. A sign on the wall across the room cautioned: “Please mind your children, or they will be given an espresso and a free puppy.” Over the low buzz of the small early-lunch crowd, the girl who had seated us cooed “hello” to incoming customers in her quiet, high voice. “It’s a perfect spot for a rainy day like today,” said customer Ethel Greer, who was visiting from Atlanta, GA.
…And good food too?
After perusing the menu, we chose mozzarella cheese sticks as an appetizer. They reminded me of a flower, spread in a circle around a container of marinara sauce at the center of the plate.
Then it was on to the main course—lunch. My husband chose the Hare & Hound burger, featured on the Sandwiches menu as: “eight ounces of certified Angus beef chargrilled and served on a kaiser with lettuce, tomato and mayo.” I decided on something a little less adventurous—the chicken strip basket. My basket featured lightly breaded chicken strips, french fries and a sweet honey mustard dipping sauce. Though the sauce was a little sweet for me, the chicken was perfectly crispy and went along quite well with the smoky barbeque sauce on my husband’s plate.
The grand finale
The pub’s menu describes the Chocolate Bomb as “an individual bundt cake covered in chocolate and served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.” Once that first spoonful had crossed the threshold of my mouth though, I realized the description didn’t quite do it justice. The name, however, is very fitting. It was like a chocolate explosion in my mouth with warm chocolate sauce spilling from all sides of the soft chocolate cake and set off by the coolness of the vanilla ice cream. “I come here pretty often, and most of the time, I can’t make it out the door without ordering a Chocolate Bomb, usually to share with my mom,” said local frequenter Emily Gray.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Knoxville News
Walking in through the wide glass doors at the Knoxville News Sentinel, I entered a spacious, open lobby. The modern lighting and shiny floors reminded my of a newspaper building from a big city or a movie. This seemed like such a fun place to work.
It was bigger than I'd anticipated, and as I turned in circles to take it all in, I practically ran into Managing Editor Jack Lail, who had come to lead me and another classmate up to the newsroom.
The newsroom was exciting in one of those serious, quiet ways. Everyone sat diligently typing in their neatly organized, spacious cubicles. Computers were spread all across the room, and a line of Macs with screens the size of TVs lined a wall toward the back of the room.
The employees of the News Sentinel seemed as organized and updated as the room in which they worked. The managing editor and his colleagues talked about moving the paper forward and appealing to audiences, such as the students at UT. I thought it was interesting how they thought of sending news alerts through everything from Internet to text messaging. Reporters and editors at the News Sentinel have also updated the cameras they use to be set up to shoot video or take pictures as last minute as 15 minutes before hand.
The Knoxville News Sentinel seems to have everything it needs to appeal to a younger audience--an audience that wants news to be fast and convenient. The paper's website even features a blog that talks about other blogs. The paper also allows for citizen commentary on issues in the news and draws locals in by allowing them to share and be journalists. People can submit pictures and video footage and can even start a blog. The paper's website not only offers all these options, but it is also easy to navigate and it's appealing to look at, featuring graphics, photos and slideshows.
It was bigger than I'd anticipated, and as I turned in circles to take it all in, I practically ran into Managing Editor Jack Lail, who had come to lead me and another classmate up to the newsroom.
The newsroom was exciting in one of those serious, quiet ways. Everyone sat diligently typing in their neatly organized, spacious cubicles. Computers were spread all across the room, and a line of Macs with screens the size of TVs lined a wall toward the back of the room.
The employees of the News Sentinel seemed as organized and updated as the room in which they worked. The managing editor and his colleagues talked about moving the paper forward and appealing to audiences, such as the students at UT. I thought it was interesting how they thought of sending news alerts through everything from Internet to text messaging. Reporters and editors at the News Sentinel have also updated the cameras they use to be set up to shoot video or take pictures as last minute as 15 minutes before hand.
The Knoxville News Sentinel seems to have everything it needs to appeal to a younger audience--an audience that wants news to be fast and convenient. The paper's website even features a blog that talks about other blogs. The paper also allows for citizen commentary on issues in the news and draws locals in by allowing them to share and be journalists. People can submit pictures and video footage and can even start a blog. The paper's website not only offers all these options, but it is also easy to navigate and it's appealing to look at, featuring graphics, photos and slideshows.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Making your own news
When I pick up the Daily Beacon on my way in to my first Spanish class, it's pretty obvious that I have no intention of reading it cover to cover. I might skim the front and check out some of the bigger headlines inside, but really, I'm in it for the crossword. Online, it's the same thing. I just click on my RSS feeds and I get exactly what I'm looking for.
People seek what interests them. And what could make news more interesting than being part of it? When random individuals have the opportunity to submit video, pictures or other information to enhance a story, they feel included. They can take interest in a story that might otherwise have seemed unimportant.
I think it's interesting when citizens submit their own information because it has a way of making the one reading or watching the news feel more involved. There's something about knowing that someone just like yourself contributed to a news story. You can relate to the everyday off-the-street "journalist." When you see a video clip someone sent in from their cell phone, you can almost picture yourself in their place. It's not like they had shown up at the scene with their reporting materials and cameras, expecting to interview people or capture an important moment. It just happened.
So long as the information is valid, it is a great tool to enhance a story and it gives people the chance to feel involved. This changes reporting in that anybody has the ability to report news. You don't have to have a fancy news camera to capture the image of a tornado destroying a farm house. Digital cameras, cell phones and easy access to computers and internet allow anyone to contribute to news. It is beneficial, because traditional journalists at broadcast stations and newspapers can utilize the materials given to them by random citizens that happened to be at the scene. The options are seemingly endless.
Does that mean anyone can contribute? Well, no, not exactly. There would have to be a certain process of verifying video footage and pictures, just as one must verify information before printing or airing it.
I've never contributed content to a news story, but I've always had more interest in stories involving citizen contributions. One of my favorite things about the Weather Channel is when it shows photos of storms or landscapes taken and submitted by citizens across the United States. Local news channels also offer the same opportunity, like when people of the community send in pictures of fall leaves by the lake in town or of Fourth of July fireworks at a local celebration.
When it comes to news, people just want to feel connected, and contributing to the news is a great way to do so.
People seek what interests them. And what could make news more interesting than being part of it? When random individuals have the opportunity to submit video, pictures or other information to enhance a story, they feel included. They can take interest in a story that might otherwise have seemed unimportant.
I think it's interesting when citizens submit their own information because it has a way of making the one reading or watching the news feel more involved. There's something about knowing that someone just like yourself contributed to a news story. You can relate to the everyday off-the-street "journalist." When you see a video clip someone sent in from their cell phone, you can almost picture yourself in their place. It's not like they had shown up at the scene with their reporting materials and cameras, expecting to interview people or capture an important moment. It just happened.
So long as the information is valid, it is a great tool to enhance a story and it gives people the chance to feel involved. This changes reporting in that anybody has the ability to report news. You don't have to have a fancy news camera to capture the image of a tornado destroying a farm house. Digital cameras, cell phones and easy access to computers and internet allow anyone to contribute to news. It is beneficial, because traditional journalists at broadcast stations and newspapers can utilize the materials given to them by random citizens that happened to be at the scene. The options are seemingly endless.
Does that mean anyone can contribute? Well, no, not exactly. There would have to be a certain process of verifying video footage and pictures, just as one must verify information before printing or airing it.
I've never contributed content to a news story, but I've always had more interest in stories involving citizen contributions. One of my favorite things about the Weather Channel is when it shows photos of storms or landscapes taken and submitted by citizens across the United States. Local news channels also offer the same opportunity, like when people of the community send in pictures of fall leaves by the lake in town or of Fourth of July fireworks at a local celebration.
When it comes to news, people just want to feel connected, and contributing to the news is a great way to do so.
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