Black Tie Lounge

It's Hokies, Hokies, Hokies everywhere. The summer has officially ended and Blacksburg is alive once again. Downtown bars like Sharkey's, Ogue Chi's, TOTS and the River Mill are making calls to get ready for the live atmosphere they are accustomed to. Students rush to the Bursar's Office to pay a bill, complain about a bill or-- for that lucky person--pick up a refund check. The gym at McComas Hall returns to its usual state -- so packed that you have to stand in line to use a weight machine. Then there is everyone's favorite crew, Parking Services, who would win a gold medal in shelling out the most tickets per hour if it ever became an Olympic event. All of these familiar occurrences have me on edge. Not because I'm excited but because I wonder how the many relationships within this university will fare. I have been a student at Virginia Tech for six years--both graduate and undergraduate -- and each year I have been a witness to the many fall outs that occur

School is back in session and everyone is talking about what they did for the summer. Some students traveled and others completed internships. Thanks to the Lagrant Foundation (TLF), I got the best of both worlds when I was selected to intern with The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (TBMOT) on the first international internship sponsored by TLF. I have to admit that my work involved covering events at an annual festival, reporting on Independence Day celebrations, a press conference aboard a cruise line and learning more about the islands by hanging out with local Bahamians at block parties, cook outs and beaches. This four-week internship placed me at offices in Nassau, Bahamas and Plantation, FL. While, in Nassau I worked with the news bureau department for TBMOT. My first assignment was to write a release on the Junkanoo Summer Festival, a cultural festival featuring musical performances, cooking demonstrations, tropical drinks, and games for visitors of all ages. Another assignment bro

In between segments of America's Best Dance Crew re-runs and New York Goes to Hollywood I caught the forum that Rick Warren had with Obama and McCain. To note, I'm not all that interested in politics. I never have been because I felt as though there was too much information to absorb. I would also pass the buck by telling myself that I didn't have enough time to learn all I needed to know. However, since the TV in the hotel in Plantation did not project MTV or BET very clearly, I watched a lot of CNN, which of course covered the 2008 presidential campaign. Long story short, I learned that Pastor Rick Warren, author of the Purpose Driven Life , would be holding a forum in which he'd ask questions of the two presidential candidates. I digress for a minute to say that the Purpose Driven Life was not my favorite book. Like many Christians, my friends and I read the book, or had every intention to read it, but once you get around the 12 or 14 chapter it starts to become re

I've been talking about some nonsense stuff lately, but once I got a hold of this I had to jump on the blog. Hiphoppers, politicians, and of course the media are raving about "Politics" by the multi-platinum, rapper that helped put Disturbing the Peace and Atlanta on the map. I'm sure many of you heard the song, or were prompted to listen to the song sinc the media has been raving about it. I'm big on media that cover hip hop music from a political angle so I had to speak my peace. Yes Ludacris takes stabs at Hillary Clinton , Jesse Jackson and of course John McCain,who the rapper says "doesn't belong in a chair unless he's paralyzed." Thenof course he had to bag on Bush describing him as "mentally handicapped" and "the worst of all 43 presidents." Lyrical genius I must say. Let me explain that. The song sounds like Luda was in a cypha or a freestlye session. I must add that there has been little information as to how the son