College students are known for having to pinch their pennies, as they have to pay for their education. They are also known for wanting to eat well for a decent price. While making the transition from home-cooked meals from mom to cafeteria prepared dishes, students may want to escape from the easy eats at the café or the microwaved ramen noodles in their dorm. Here are a few frugal places that will provide students a bang for their buck while being collegiately delectable.
JB’s Midway Country Café: In the mood for some authentic southern cuisine? JB’s is located in downtown Monroe and boasts some of the best BBQ around. They provide customers with a generous portion for a great price. They have everyday lunch and dinner specials with a large variety to choose from—hamburgers to chicken and all the vegetables you can think of! JB’s has a true southern diner charm that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. It is located at 723 N. Charlotte Avenue.
Blu Moon Café: If you are looking for warm, cozy, and sophisticated, this quaint café is it! The Blu Moon Café’s chef is constantly thinking of new creations that open the palette. It is located in the Historic Downtown Monroe with an outdoor patio. The menu contains tasty salads and signature sandwiches that will fill you up and also keep your wallets full. The restaurant even has entertainment with having live music on the weekends.
Taqueria La Unica: Who doesn’t like a good, low-cost, authentic Mexican meal? La Unica is one of the most popular places to go for Wingate students. It possesses great food with large portions for low prices! You are welcomed with unlimited freshly baked tortilla chips and hot queso along with several different salsas that are on the casa! Customers have a great variety of Mexican meals to choose from like the Burrito California or Chimichanga. La Unica is located at 1621 Walkup Avenue.
Italiano Restaurant: Large portions, great tasting food… It must be Italian! Italiano has some of the best Italian food in Monroe. Though the service is slow and the site is a bit shaky, the food is most definitely worth the wait. You can create your own pizza and pasta or choose from different filled strombolis or calzones. The restaurant also serves complimentary bread. Italiano is at 1226 Roosevelt Blvd.
--Kelsey Trabue
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sports: Q&A with Blake Holmes
Blake Holmes is an outside linebacker with the Wingate Bulldogs football team. He came to Wingate in the fall of 2004 and, after leaving for a time due to personal reasons, he returned for the 2008 season. He is a graduate of Irmo High School near Columbia, S.C.
Q: What's in your Ipod right now?
A: A lot of Pastor Troy, some T.I., some Three-Six and a little bit of Drake. And some Jagged Edge for the ladies.
Q: What's the last book you read that wasn't for school?
A: It's "Educating Dexter," by Dexter Manley, the former Washington Redskins player. He didn't learn to read until he was 28 and he had a lot of struggles with cocaine addiction and with being a good father to his children.
Q: Complete this sentence: "I'd rather not hear any more stories in the media about..."
A: Michael Jackson and (former Tennessee Titans quarterback) Steve McNair. The news is too upsetting.
Q: What do you like best about yourself?
A: My ability to have fun and enjoy myself.
Q: What would you change about yourself?
A: I'm too nice to people sometimes, and some people just don't respect niceness.
Q: What was your favorite thing about high school?
A: Playing football. I remember the post-game parties and just hanging out with my friends.
Q: What is your greatest accomplishment?
A: It has to be my two-year-old daughter Deasia.
-- Julius Burkett
Q: What's in your Ipod right now?
A: A lot of Pastor Troy, some T.I., some Three-Six and a little bit of Drake. And some Jagged Edge for the ladies.
Q: What's the last book you read that wasn't for school?
A: It's "Educating Dexter," by Dexter Manley, the former Washington Redskins player. He didn't learn to read until he was 28 and he had a lot of struggles with cocaine addiction and with being a good father to his children.
Q: Complete this sentence: "I'd rather not hear any more stories in the media about..."
A: Michael Jackson and (former Tennessee Titans quarterback) Steve McNair. The news is too upsetting.
Q: What do you like best about yourself?
A: My ability to have fun and enjoy myself.
Q: What would you change about yourself?
A: I'm too nice to people sometimes, and some people just don't respect niceness.
Q: What was your favorite thing about high school?
A: Playing football. I remember the post-game parties and just hanging out with my friends.
Q: What is your greatest accomplishment?
A: It has to be my two-year-old daughter Deasia.
-- Julius Burkett
Sports: Q&A with Kyle Corcoran
Kyle Corcoran, a rising senior from Kent, Wash., is on the swim team at Wingate University and is majoring in Sports Management. Corcoran is on campus this summer working as a lifeguard at the indoor and outdoor pool, and receiving credit for an internship with one of his classes.
Q: What artist would I be most likely to find in a list of songs on your iPod right now?
A: Lamb of God
Q: Name a place that you’ve never been that you’d most like to travel to.
A: Spain
Q: What’s the most important thing in the world?
A: Family
Q: Complete this sentence: I’d rather not see anymore stories in the newspaper or on TV about...
A: Congressman having affairs in Argentina
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: Pancakes
Q:Who was the person you were closest to while growing up? Why?
A: My mom, she was very supportive.
Q: Complete this sentence: Something people would be surprised to learn about me is...
A: I don’t like Chick-fil-A.
-- Sarah Thomas
Q: What artist would I be most likely to find in a list of songs on your iPod right now?
A: Lamb of God
Q: Name a place that you’ve never been that you’d most like to travel to.
A: Spain
Q: What’s the most important thing in the world?
A: Family
Q: Complete this sentence: I’d rather not see anymore stories in the newspaper or on TV about...
A: Congressman having affairs in Argentina
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: Pancakes
Q:Who was the person you were closest to while growing up? Why?
A: My mom, she was very supportive.
Q: Complete this sentence: Something people would be surprised to learn about me is...
A: I don’t like Chick-fil-A.
-- Sarah Thomas
Sports: Q&A with Mico Drew
Mico Drew enters his junior year as a defensive lineman for the Wingate University football team. Drew Spent the 2007 season as a redshirt. In high school, Drew was named to the All-District, All-Region, and All-Metro teams. I sat down with Drew and asked him a few questions about his personal life and what sort of an impact playing football has had on him.
Q .What’s a place you’ve never been to but would like to visit?
A: I’d really like to visit Florida, Miami in particular. I love spending time on the beaches.
Q .What’s the most important thing in the world to you?
A: Family. You can’t accomplish anything without family. Or respect. Both are pretty important.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: I love some pepperoni pizza.
Q. What do you want to be doing 10 years from now?
A: I want to be playing in the NFL. If I could choose a team, I’d want to play in Dallas for the Cowboys.
Q. Who was the person you were closest to while growing up?
A: My sister, probably because we’re about the same age and we both love doing a lot of the same things.
Q. Complete this sentence: The accomplishment I’m most proud of is…
A: Graduating from Highland Springs (Virginia) High School.
Q. And just for fun…What’s the last show you watched on TV?
A: Man, the last show….not on ESPN or Sports Center…"The Mighty Ducks " was on yesterday. I love the old movies.
-- Chris Siers
Q .What’s a place you’ve never been to but would like to visit?
A: I’d really like to visit Florida, Miami in particular. I love spending time on the beaches.
Q .What’s the most important thing in the world to you?
A: Family. You can’t accomplish anything without family. Or respect. Both are pretty important.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: I love some pepperoni pizza.
Q. What do you want to be doing 10 years from now?
A: I want to be playing in the NFL. If I could choose a team, I’d want to play in Dallas for the Cowboys.
Q. Who was the person you were closest to while growing up?
A: My sister, probably because we’re about the same age and we both love doing a lot of the same things.
Q. Complete this sentence: The accomplishment I’m most proud of is…
A: Graduating from Highland Springs (Virginia) High School.
Q. And just for fun…What’s the last show you watched on TV?
A: Man, the last show….not on ESPN or Sports Center…"The Mighty Ducks " was on yesterday. I love the old movies.
-- Chris Siers
Monday, July 13, 2009
Video special: Marshville Town Council meeting
Our class visited a recent meeting of the Marshville Town Council, where among the items discussed were the possibility of re-opening a closed town skateboard park and an amendment to a floodplain ordinance to make the town eligible for participation in the National Flood Insurance program. Also discussed were general policies related to operation of the town park. Class members Chris Siers, Kelsey Trabue and Zulema Vera talked with Mayor Franklin Deese after the meeting.
News: Wingate still busy place over summer
Though school has let out months ago, the campus of Wingate is still a hustling and bustling place. “Summer at Wingate is actually busier in June and July than it is during the entire school year,” said Residence Life Director Chris Ziegler.
Wingate University offers students summer courses along with a place to live. But it isn’t the students who make Wingate an active campus, it is the people who come from outside.
Wingate hosts several different sports camps during the summer including soccer, basketball, softball, lacrosse, and football. The university also hosts a program known as Passport where churches from several different locations come together at Wingate and perform an array of activities such as service projects, daily worships, and bible studies. According to Residence Life, there are over 5,000 campers that occupy Wingate’s campus over the summer in 20 different camps.
Assistant Director of Residence Life Gary Bodford said, “It’s a logistical nightmare,” and “a vicious cycle.” Bodford also said, “We have campers leaving on a Friday and then new campers coming in on Sunday.” This only gives the campus services a little over a day to clean the dorms for the next batch of campers.
To live on the campus of Wingate during the summer can be a high price to pay. Students are charged $325 per credit hour, $360 for a room to live in per four-week session, $200 if one wants to eat in the café or at the Klondike, and another $200 for books.
For the high price Wingate University students pay to attend summer classes, the Beam Apartments are designated for them—8-person, 4-room apartments. Whereas the Passport Kids and summer sports camps stay in the single-person 4-bedroom apartments of Jefferson. They also occupy New Beam, North Campus, New Cannon, Old Cannon, and Helms. Several students have mixed feelings about the kids, who do not attend the university, walking around campus and staying in the seemingly “better” dorms.
Bodford said that the Jefferson dorms are designated for the Passport kids, whom have over 300 campers per week, and other camps, to make it easier for the camp. “They can contain the kids in one area,” explained Bodford. The Passport camps also bring a great deal of revenue to Wingate University. “It does help Wingate out tremendously… it will save some people’s jobs,” said Bodford.
Bodford also said when asked why summer school students could not stay in New Beam was because it was not ready to be lived in at the time of the beginning of the first session of summer school.
Junior Cheryl Vaccaro feels that these camps are positive for their campers. She said, “I think it’s a great opportunity that they are able to attend these camps that are on our campus. I wish I could have gone to a sports camp like the ones that are here when I was their age.” Vaccaro added, however, “On the downside there’s a lot of kids on campus and they are allowed to live in Jefferson and have a meal plan. I think that if they are allowed to have a meal plan, we should be able to have one too that’s cheaper.”
Junior Kelye Perry thinks that taking summer classes is another good opportunity. However, “I think we’re essentially paying the same amount (as the campers), we should have the same accommodations accessible to us, like free printing in Bridges and less expensive meal plans. $10 a meal is outrageous,” she said.
Bodford said that he tries to get in as many of a variety of camps as possible. “We’re branching out with different things,” he said. Bodford explained that Wingate had to turn away a huge national football camp because there wasn’t enough field space because other camps had to use the fields as well.
-- Kelsey Trabue
Wingate University offers students summer courses along with a place to live. But it isn’t the students who make Wingate an active campus, it is the people who come from outside.
Wingate hosts several different sports camps during the summer including soccer, basketball, softball, lacrosse, and football. The university also hosts a program known as Passport where churches from several different locations come together at Wingate and perform an array of activities such as service projects, daily worships, and bible studies. According to Residence Life, there are over 5,000 campers that occupy Wingate’s campus over the summer in 20 different camps.
Assistant Director of Residence Life Gary Bodford said, “It’s a logistical nightmare,” and “a vicious cycle.” Bodford also said, “We have campers leaving on a Friday and then new campers coming in on Sunday.” This only gives the campus services a little over a day to clean the dorms for the next batch of campers.
To live on the campus of Wingate during the summer can be a high price to pay. Students are charged $325 per credit hour, $360 for a room to live in per four-week session, $200 if one wants to eat in the café or at the Klondike, and another $200 for books.
For the high price Wingate University students pay to attend summer classes, the Beam Apartments are designated for them—8-person, 4-room apartments. Whereas the Passport Kids and summer sports camps stay in the single-person 4-bedroom apartments of Jefferson. They also occupy New Beam, North Campus, New Cannon, Old Cannon, and Helms. Several students have mixed feelings about the kids, who do not attend the university, walking around campus and staying in the seemingly “better” dorms.
Bodford said that the Jefferson dorms are designated for the Passport kids, whom have over 300 campers per week, and other camps, to make it easier for the camp. “They can contain the kids in one area,” explained Bodford. The Passport camps also bring a great deal of revenue to Wingate University. “It does help Wingate out tremendously… it will save some people’s jobs,” said Bodford.
Bodford also said when asked why summer school students could not stay in New Beam was because it was not ready to be lived in at the time of the beginning of the first session of summer school.
Junior Cheryl Vaccaro feels that these camps are positive for their campers. She said, “I think it’s a great opportunity that they are able to attend these camps that are on our campus. I wish I could have gone to a sports camp like the ones that are here when I was their age.” Vaccaro added, however, “On the downside there’s a lot of kids on campus and they are allowed to live in Jefferson and have a meal plan. I think that if they are allowed to have a meal plan, we should be able to have one too that’s cheaper.”
Junior Kelye Perry thinks that taking summer classes is another good opportunity. However, “I think we’re essentially paying the same amount (as the campers), we should have the same accommodations accessible to us, like free printing in Bridges and less expensive meal plans. $10 a meal is outrageous,” she said.
Bodford said that he tries to get in as many of a variety of camps as possible. “We’re branching out with different things,” he said. Bodford explained that Wingate had to turn away a huge national football camp because there wasn’t enough field space because other camps had to use the fields as well.
-- Kelsey Trabue
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Sports: Jones getting ready for 3rd NFL season
The NFL career of former Wingate University cornernback David Jones is pretty amazing, considering the fact that he was still able to be drafted while attending a Division II university.
In a recent interview Jones, who will soon start his second season with the Cincinnati Bengals, talked about his feelings when he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2007 draft. He said the feeling is unexplainable and that it was a breathtaking experience to have his dream come true.
He was traded to the Bengals in the pre-season that year.
Jones said he considered transferring during his Wingate career, because he initially thought his chances weren't good for being drafted from a Division II school. But in the long run he said he was glad that he stuck it out and stayed.
Jones talked about his off-season, which he said is even longer than the offseason of a college football player, "because it's now a career."
He said training camp "tests you mentally and physically as a football player and as a man. As an athlete you always want to be in the best shape, and be ready for the strenuous activities ahead in training camp as well as on and off the field."
He has been participating in voluntary workouts, which he said aren't really so voluntary.
"It's all up to the kind of athlete you want to be and that it [workouts] separates the good from the greats.”
Jones said the Cincinnati coaching staff has a positive outlook and very high expectations on how the team is looking for the upcoming season. He said he plans to do whatever his coaches need him to do and to be ready when his number is called.
“At any moment it’s your time to shine," he said.
--Julius Burkett
In a recent interview Jones, who will soon start his second season with the Cincinnati Bengals, talked about his feelings when he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2007 draft. He said the feeling is unexplainable and that it was a breathtaking experience to have his dream come true.
He was traded to the Bengals in the pre-season that year.
Jones said he considered transferring during his Wingate career, because he initially thought his chances weren't good for being drafted from a Division II school. But in the long run he said he was glad that he stuck it out and stayed.
Jones talked about his off-season, which he said is even longer than the offseason of a college football player, "because it's now a career."
He said training camp "tests you mentally and physically as a football player and as a man. As an athlete you always want to be in the best shape, and be ready for the strenuous activities ahead in training camp as well as on and off the field."
He has been participating in voluntary workouts, which he said aren't really so voluntary.
"It's all up to the kind of athlete you want to be and that it [workouts] separates the good from the greats.”
Jones said the Cincinnati coaching staff has a positive outlook and very high expectations on how the team is looking for the upcoming season. He said he plans to do whatever his coaches need him to do and to be ready when his number is called.
“At any moment it’s your time to shine," he said.
--Julius Burkett
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