The Product of Four Years at Syracuse University...

Letters on the Walls

Sure it's easy to distinguish one city from the next by depending on monumental structures such as the Empire State Building or the Golden Gate bridge.  But how about being able to look at street art in one alleyway and know you're in New York City as opposed to San Francisco.  I have always noticed graffiti...from Italy to the Bahamas to Pennsylvania to New York.  Just by looking at graffiti, I would not be able to tell what city-style it followed, but I did find out that graffiti artists can.  I became interested in finding out how engravings on walls during the ancient times became what we know today as graffiti.  It went from being known as art to being known as vandalism.  Today, cities are creating structures in which artists can express themselves legally.

I found a local Syracuse graffiti artist on Facebook and this was the product of that discovery...

Mi Casa Es Su Casa

Wild partying on the beach, wet t-shirt contests, drinking until the sun comes up...College spring breaks have a more negative connotation associated with them than college in general.  Three spring breaks went by for me, and thinking back I could not recall what I did during any one of them.  Actually I take that back, I worked during my junior year spring break.  Since I had no memories to associate with my college spring breaks, I decided it was necessary to go somewhere:  Cancun.

Riviera Maya to be exact.  This was not the typical crazy spring break that usually goes hand in hand with Cancun.  This was a break of peace and tranquility.  We stayed at the Now Jade Riviera Cancun, an all-inclusive resort about twenty minutes from Cancun.  The resort is situated away from everything, but has all you would need to have an enjoyable beach vacation.

There was a variety of restaurants.  Something to satisfy everyone's taste buds:  Mediterranean, Mexican, Asian, Italian, French, and a buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The food was fairly good, but was not something I would crave to have again.  There was also an outdoor restaurant located near the pool and beach, which had the typical pool menu of sandwiches and finger foods.  Just like you are warned to never drink unpurified water in Mexico, I would advise to stay away from Caesar dressing.

The resort had more of a family feel to it.  There were scheduled activities throughout the day including beach volleyball games and guided exercise classes.  There were multiple outdoor bars, including two pool bars.  The service at all the bars was amazing, even without tipping.  It was not necessary to tip, but a small one to two dollar tip would get you over the top beverage service.  Lastly, the spa was small and only had a sauna and jacuzzi.  They have a variety of different massage options, and my experience was thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing.  But what was even more relaxing was to close your eyes and open your ears to the calming sound of crashing waves intermixed with the sound of the cooling ocean breeze.

"mi casa es su casa"

We Do It All

For my final broadcast journalism class of my college career, we put together a half an hour newscast every Wednesday.  Each week, we rotate positions.  By the end of the semester, I will have been an anchor, a co-anchor, a backpack reporter, a producer, and a video editor.  This is the story I completed as a backpack reporter for our 4 p.m. show.

**Underclassmen broadcast journalism majors operate as our crew for a required one credit class.

Snow Every Month Of The Year

Would it be possible for it to snow in one location every month of the year in a place that has a true fall, winter, spring and summer?  It's a stretch, but Syracuse is one city where I could see the temperature being 80 degrees on June 1st and 30 degrees on June 30th.  The past three winters have not been all that bad.  Truthfully, I expected much worse from those infamous Syracuse winters.  But like I said before, the snow really did dump from the sky during my last winter as a Syracuse University student, and it's not over yet.  But today, we woke up to 18 inches of snow, and apparently it was the first time in 15 years Syracuse University canceled classes.  My beach car needs a little sand...

Sprinkler systems...and not the kind in your yard!

For me, some of my best story ideas are generated when I am having a regular conversation with my mom over dinner.  This following story is a result of dining at Elements Contemporary Cuisine.  I thought since there is much activity involving the installation of home sprinkler systems in Pennsylvania that it would be worthwhile to find out what is going on in New York.

The City of Murals

Aka...Steubenville, OH.  But I'd like to call this part of Ohio, the city of churches.  As I was driving through the heart of Steubenville, I passed one church after another.  I could not believe how many churches were in this one small area, and they weren't just average buildings of worship.  They were beautiful pieces of architecture.

Many of the churches no longer hold services, but still stand along the streets and attract the eyes of visitors as well as those who call this area home.

Tantalizing Tastebuds

How do you acquire a taste for something?  Acquiring an acceptance for a taste you previously detested is an interesting concept.  Do you expose yourself to that taste until you begin liking it?  Or do you one day all of a sudden begin to like the taste you once could do without tasting ever again?  Personally, I think it is a mixture of both.

COFFEE:  Most kids absolutely hate coffee.  I remember being one of those kids who just could not understand how my grandmother could drink multiple cups of the stuff in a single morning!  But then, it did not take long before I asked my grandmother to let me try a cup of my own.  And you know what I did...?  I put about two spoonfuls of sugar and about a fourth of a cup of half and half into my Minny Mouse coffee cup!  That was the moment when I became a coffee drinker, but did not become a regular coffee drinker until college.  But throughout high school, I would occasionally drink a cup of coffee with my grandmother and my mother.  But I noticed the difference on how they prepared their coffee.  My grandmother was a cream and sugar lady.  Whereas, my mother drank her coffee black!  I took a sip out of my mom's cup one day and almost had to spit it back in.  I criticized my mom and constantly asked her how could she possibly drink it like that!  Well I guess as a 16 year old girl, I spoke too soon because six years later, I now drink my coffee...BLACK.

SUSHI is another item most people develop an acquired taste for.  It seems to be a trend that people experiment with sushi when they go to college.  You begin with cooked sushi rolls.  Then move on to the "real" stuff, which is sashimi.

BEER...Natural Light aka "Natty Light" and Keystone...no wonder I developed a hatred for beer.  I found out quickly that I enjoyed mixed drinks more than beer.  But that suddenly all changed when I began experiencing the tastes that microbrews had to offer.  This past weekend, I went to the 15th annual Central New York Brewfest held at the New York State Fairgrounds.  This was my second time in attendance.  About 60 breweries were there.  The winner this year for the best beer in my opinion was brewed by Wells, and it was the Banana Bread beer.  This beer tasted and smelled just like banana bread, but at the same time was not overbearing.  But what was overbearing was when they added their Double Chocolate Stout, which they said made the beverage into a Banana Split beer.  Now that was one taste I have not acquired a liking for...yet!!