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First Day in Intro to Mass Communications

I’m gonna take you all from being passive consumers, to being active creators.
— Prof. Chambers

On Tuesday, January 14th, I began my first day in the class Introduction to Mass Communications MSCM 2400. I enrolled in the class because I recently changed my major from Business Administration to Mass Communications, so this class was required for the major. Although the class was mandatory, I’m happy that I have to take it because it made me realize that changing my major was the right decision. After spending 30 minutes in this class, I realized that I was finally in the major that centered around all of the skills that I’d spent my life trying to work on. Since I was a child, I’ve dedicated a lot of time towards creative writing and acting, because these were 2 hobbies that I loved the most. Therefore, I realized that if what I really loved to do was entertain, that it made no sense to be a business major, even though I’d convinced myself that business was the most practical choice. However, after my first day in Intro to Mass Communications, I realized that my whole life was about to change. It was invigorating to be surrounded by people who shared similar aspirations as me and for the first time in my college career, I felt like I actually was doing what I was supposed to be doing.

Wings Over Raleigh!

Earlier this week, I took a stop by Wings Over Raleigh, a chicken restaurant offering takeout & delivery services. The Wings Over franchise has many different locations throughout different states. Some of these states include Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and Michigan. This fast-food restaurant specializes in wings (according to their namesake), but they offer an array of other chicken dishes, including sandwiches, tenders, wraps, and salad. In addition to this, the restaurant has a multitude of different sauces and dry rubs to flavor your chicken and/or fries.

The staff in the restaurant were very friendly and funny, making jokes with each other and the customers for most of the time that I was there. There was a menu located on the window by the front door, as well as an electronic light-up menu projected above the cash registers. The cashier who took my order was very optimistic and knowledgeable about the menu in regard to any suggestions I asked for. I decided to order the 2 tenders & 6 wings combo with an Honest half tea/half lemonade. The cashier asked me if I was sure that I wanted the Honest beverage, likely due to the fact that it’s known for not being sweet. However, I told him that I wanted it anyway because it’s not too sugary. I ordered the Kickin BBQ sauce for my wings and the Sweet Chili sauce for the tenders, the latter being the cashier’s suggestion. After I placed my order, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could order a seasoning for my fries with no extra charge. I asked what was the most popular dry rub flavor for french fries, to which the staff member replied Cajun, which is what I then decided to order.

The meal was presented pretty well, and I appreciated that the staff used paper to separate the different items in my combo. The meal cost about $18 overall, which is a bit pricy, but I will say that the food was both very tasty and filling. The wings were the perfect blend of sweet and hot, with a savory and smoky taste resulting from the BBQ in the sauce. The tenders were very crunchy and thickly battered, making them very filling despite there only being 2 of them. The Sweet Chili flavor was somewhat similar to the Kickin BBQ flavor in my opinion, with sweet flavors and a little bit of spice. The waffle fries that came with the combo were crisp and crunchy yet soft to bite into, with a mild kick resulting from the Cajun seasoning. I personally feel as though the items could’ve been a little spicier, but I appreciated them keeping it somewhat mild for customers that don’t have a high tolerance for spiciness. I would definitely recommend Wings Over Raleigh to anyone looking for a quality wing spot in the Raleigh area. With friendly staff, good portion sizes, and an array of different flavors and seasonings to choose from, Wings Over Raleigh has a lot to offer customers looking for appetizing, on-the-go chicken dishes.

Sunday Brunch in Raleigh: A Review of Tupelo Honey Cafe

This afternoon, I took a stop by Tupelo Honey Cafe in Raleigh to have a nice Sunday brunch. The honeybee-themed restaurant specializes in southern-style brunch, lunch, and dinner cuisine with many locations, including Denver, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Virginia Beach, and Milwaukee. I made a reservation through OpenTable for 11:45, but I was running a bit late. Luckily, the restaurant had a 15 minute grace period. Once I arrived, there was no parking available, considering every space was full in their designated lot and overflow parking spaces. I called the restaurant and the host who answered gave me an extended 15 minute grace period because I was struggling to find a space. He also suggested that I park in the nearby Harris Teeter parking lot. The restaurant was about a 5-minute walk from the parking lot.

Once I entered, the restaurant was very crowded. Despite the crowd, I was seated as soon as I told the host my name. The restaurant had a few honey-themed decorations, including the honeycomb chandelier pictured above. My waitress was very friendly, and I ordered the Blue Ridge (standard) mimosa to start off the meal. I ordered the “mega” size, which was priced at a shocking eleven dollars! My waitress also brought me a glass of water to go with my meal.

The mimosa was fairly small considering that it was a “mega” size, however, I believe that they add more champagne to the mega size. The drink was a bit tangy due to the citrus in the orange juice, yet it was very smooth on the palate. Altogether, the mimosa was enough to drink throughout the meal, but I had to drink it sparingly due to the portion size. For my actual meal, I ordered the Mountain Blueberry waffles with fried chicken and fried potatoes. There was a little bit of a wait due to the high volume of customers, but I can say with confidence that the meal was definitely worth the wait!

The fried chicken was very crunchy and tender, with sweet & savory flavors due to the seasonings and the syrup that I put on it. The waffles were very sweet, covered in powdered sugar, scratch-made blueberry compote, fresh blueberries, and whipped cream. The blueberry compote added a somewhat tangy taste, yet still sweet. The warm blueberries and whipped cream on top really blended the flavors together seamlessly. The chicken and waffles were very proportionately appropriate, providing 3 chicken tenders and 3 waffle slices. I also appreciated that there were no bones in the chicken, making it easier to eat. The honey-dusted specialty on top of the chicken also contributed to the sweetness, while adding a nice honey-themed touch to the dish.

The potatoes that I ordered on the side were fried very well with a crunchy exterior. Despite the crunchiness on the outside, the potatoes were so soft on the inside that they almost melt in your mouth. I would say that they were cooked to perfection. I paid over $40 for my meal, including the tip. My meal would have been cheaper had I not ordered the mimosa and extra side of potatoes, but it was definitely worth it to get the full brunch experience. I would definitely recommend Tupelo Honey Cafe to anyone looking for a nice brunch spot in Raleigh. However, I would not recommend going here if you’re strapped for cash. It’s not cheap, but definitely worth the value. Also, I’d recommend going sometime during the week when it’s less busy, because their parking lot is fairly small.

Food Truck Eating: Tacos Costa Grande in Raleigh

This past weekend, I took a trip up the street to try a new food truck. Located in the parking lot of the Citgo gas station on Lake Wheeler Rd., Tacos Costa Grande offers an array of different food selections for customers to try. With a decently priced menu that offers quesadillas, tacos, tortas, sandwiches, and multiple different types of meat to choose from, you’ll likely find something that catches your eye! The food truck also offers a shrimp selection for food items, and a veggie sandwich, for non-meat eaters. The cashier who greeted me was very friendly, and the wait wasn’t too long for my food either. I waited about 10 minutes for my order, which is pretty impressive considering that there were 2 customers in front of me when I arrived. When I received my order, the cashier made sure to thank me and wish me a good day, which caused me to leave with a positive outlook on the place.

I ordered the “drowned burrito” with grilled steak, which included white rice, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and corn. The colossal burrito was also covered with red guajillo sauce, cheddar cheese, and queso. I received 2 containers of salsa in the bag: 1 red and 1 green. When I first cut into my burrito, it was very hot and the food appeared to be very fresh. Considering that I only paid about $9 for the food, it was definitely worth the price.

The exterior of the burrito tasted very savory and cheesy as I took my first bites. Due to the mild flavors in the guajillo sauce and the array of cheese, those flavors really stuck out to me. The rice and steak weren’t really seasoned though, leaving a somewhat bland taste as I began eating the contents inside of the burrito. The produce toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, corn) were very crunchy and fresh-tasting on the other hand. The salsas that were provided with the food did make up for the blandness when utilized. The green salsa added extra flavor to the food, with a mild level of spiciness. However, the red salsa was very spicy and added a kick.

Out of both of the salsas, I preferred the green one, and that’s the one I used the most while I ate. With a nice presentation and hot, prominent flavors throughout the burrito, I would recommend Tacos Costa Grande to someone looking for a good food truck in Raleigh. With reasonable pricing and friendly staff, I feel as though Tacos Costa Grande was definitely worth the visit. I would like to go back again soon, and I’ll probably try something else the next time.

Fishbones: Dinner in Greensboro

Earlier this week, I took a trip to Greensboro to visit my younger sister. Although this blog is dedicated to reviews of restaurants in Durham and Raleigh, I felt like this restaurant was really worth the review. Besides, it’s only an hour away if you feel encouraged to try it after reading this blog post. Fishbones, the maritime-themed restaurant featured a plethora of fish decorations, including fish skeleton decor on the exterior of the building, boat wallpaper, and a fish tank with a few decorative items on top, including a small ship. I also thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant’s music selection. As we were entering the establishment, “Be Without You” by Mary J. Blige was playing. Throughout the meal, they played an array of other songs I enjoyed, including “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Lauryn Hill, and “Love of My Life” by Common ft. Erykah Badu.

For my drink, I ordered the “Smokin’ Sombrero” signature cocktail. The drink was made with “Ilegal” mezcal, jalapeno simple syrup, pineapple juice, lime juice, and sour with salt & tamarin around the rim. I asked the waitress if she had tried any of the drinks, and this was one of the drinks she recommended. I was hesitant because I was unsure about blending jalapeno and alcohol, so I asked for the drink without the jalapeno syrup. The drink was tart and quite spicy, with a little tanginess. The drink did have some sweet flavors due to the pineapple and lime juices, yet the prominent jalapeno flavor remained, despite my request for no jalapeno syrup. I ended up sending the drink back and ordering cranberry juice to go with my meal instead.

As an appetizer, my sister and I ordered spring rolls, which were filled with pork, shrimp, cabbage, and Thai basil, with an accompaniment of peanut dressing and sweet chili soy sauce. The spring rolls were crunchy, with sweet and savory flavors from a mix of pork and shrimp. The cabbage had a strong presence in the food, adding a somewhat bitter taste. However, the chili soy sauce was so sweet that it enhanced the flavors and overrode any bitterness in the cabbage. The silverware that I was served initially was dirty, so I had to send it back. The waitress was very kind about it though and returned to me with clean silverware within a few minutes.

I ordered the wild salmon filet, with garlic ciabatta bread and corn on the cob as side dishes. The cooking options for the salmon were grilled or blackened, and I opted for the latter. I was unsure at first, but the waitress explained the cooking process, and I wanted the blackened salmon so that the spices could be cooked into my filet. The waitress was very informed about the menu and had tried most of the dishes. The salmon was a bit peppery, but it was well-done, yet still soft and chewable. The filet was also a very good size, with a good amount of thickness. The garlic bread was somewhat dry, yet the bread slices were well-portioned with garlic, buttery flavors. The corn on the cob was also very sweet and tasty, cooked with a nice thin char around the edges. I added salt onto the corn for personal preference and enjoyed the meal overall.

My sister ordered the southwest chicken cheese quesadillas, which were served with black beans, salsa, and sour cream. The quesadillas appeared very crunchy, and my sister said that she thoroughly enjoyed the taste. With relaxed, stool-style “seat yourself” seating, a fully-stocked bar, a refreshing music selection, and a variety of modern food options, I would recommend anyone in the Greensboro area to try Fishbones. The food was reasonably priced considering the portions and the friendly, knowledgeable staff made this experience into a positive one.

My Visit to Morgan Street Food Hall

This past weekend, I decided to take a visit to the Morgan Street Food Hall, which is located in Raleigh. This food hall offers a variety of different restaurants with varying food options. Some of the restaurants they offer are Big League’s Waffle and Scoops, Buena Papa Fry Bar, Primal Cuts (pictured above), The Bowls (pictured above), and Wicked Taco. In addition to the varying food options, the food hall has free Wi-Fi, complimentary water dispensers, a lounge area with couches, both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a bar that is accessible from the indoor and outdoor seating areas! The seating is bench-style and very relaxed, allowing for people to get their food on the go and eat right there. The restaurant that I decided to grab my lunch from was called Yo-Ho Hibachi & Sushi Burrito.

For my dish, I decided to order the Hibachi All 3 Combo (chicken, steak, and shrimp) over white rice with no vegetables, paying a total of about $18 for the meal and a Snapple tea. The cashier who greeted me was friendly, which contributed to my overall experience. There wasn’t much of a line, and it took me about 20 minutes to receive my food. When my order was called to me, the food was presented just as it is in the first meal picture I took. The food was served in a plastic container, with a lid on the side in case I needed to take the food home (which I did). I also received a container of yum-yum sauce to go with the dish.

The portion size of the food was pretty impressive. I very rarely need to take leftovers home after a meal, but this time it was necessary. Although the plastic container seemed small, it was deep enough to hold a lot of food. The chicken, steak, and shrimp were all cooked very thoroughly, with a crunchy taste and savory flavor enhanced by the brown sauce used on the food. Once I added the yum-yum sauce to the meal, the flavor improved even more. The sweet yet somewhat tangy yum-yum sauce layered on top of the food blended pleasantly to make a tasty dish of many sensations. Even after I left, I kept thinking about the meal and was eager to enjoy my leftovers.

I would definitely return to the Morgan Street Food Hall with no hesitation. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my meal from Yo-Ho Hibachi & Sushi Burrito, I would probably try a different restaurant the next time that I go to the food hall. The hall has so many different options to choose from, and I think that pursuing other restaurants there in the future would be worthwhile. However, Yo-Ho Hibachi & Sushi Burrito was a very nice place for me to grab lunch from, and I would go there again if I was looking for good hibachi in the area.

NCCU TV Studio

On February 27th, our MSCM 2400 class had a class meeting in the NCCU tv studio. This visit to the TV studio was probably one of my favorite moments in the course. I remember specifically when I changed my major from business administration to mass communications how excited I was that I would get the chance to work in the tv studio. I didn’t expect to go to the studio my sophomore year, but I’m glad that I got the opportunity to see it. The staff that worked in the recording studio were very professional, yet passionate about their craft.

This visit to the studio inspired me, and I felt like I was where I was supposed to be. I actually got a chance to be an anchor when we visited the studio. I’ve always been more interested in the “talent” side of broadcasting, because I have a lot of experience with acting and that’s where I feel as though I have the most transferable skills. Getting to be an anchor for like 20 minutes was really cool and it was something that I could see myself doing in the future. Following our class visit to the production studio, I went again the next week. When we were there, we (the students) were told that we could come by the studio any day during the week if we were interested in learning more.

I didn’t know before that we were allowed to come by the studio whenever we wanted, so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity. Once I got back to my dorm following the visit to the studio, I said that I would come by the studio every Friday, because that’s the day that I have no classes. Therefore, I actually went the next week and I got to work in the sound room. I planned on going back again, but the next week was the Friday before spring break so I had already left town. Following that, we were unable to come back to campus because of this COVID-19 situation. Therefore, I wasn’t able to visit the tv studio again, but I plan on going again when we move back on campus in the fall.

Black Power Mixtape

“In order for non-violence to work, your opponent must have a conscience. The United States has none.” -Stokely Carmichael

I thoroughly enjoyed the film because I feel as though it brought awareness to other black activists who fought for equality. The film, which was made by foreign visitors of America, brought attention to many issues faced by civil rights activists. The film also shows a deep contrast of the black vs. the white experiences in America during the civil rights movement. The way that whites were shown to view America was drastically different from the thoughts of black people, with one black man going as far as saying that he felt like he was constantly trying to “get out of the gutter.” However, activists during the time were able to affect the way that white Americans viewed blacks.

Non-violent activists especially were helpful in bringing about change, because they were able to help connect white Americans to black Americans’ thoughts and culture, making it easier for the whites to be empathetic towards that. Being non-violent in the protests that occurred challenged the way that whites viewed black Americans, because I believe that they expected them to respond with violence, but the way that these activists went about protesting forced the whites to hear words instead. Some good examples of non-black activists depicted in the film include Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael. I’d never heard of Stokely Carmichael prior to this documentary, but I enjoyed learning more about him while viewing it. Carmichael was a peaceful and calm leader, yet his statements and beliefs were so powerful that it made people listen to him, and the FBI feared him because of that power he held.

Vida Williams TED Talk #CitizenData

“We are the ones who create tomorrow, we’ve just been doing it unintentionally.” -Vida Williams

For my MCSM 2400 class, Professor Chambers had us watch a TED Talk by Vida Williams where she goes into detail about citizen data. When the video started, she was wearing a shirt that read “#CitizenData,” with the intent to highlight the matter. Throughout the video, Vida Williams brings awareness to citizen data, and I got to learn the importance of citizen data. At the start of the video, she mentions how when people hear the term “infinite entity,” they think of something “God-like.” However, she considers all people born to be infinite entities, because life is infinite.

Approximately 360,000 people are born everyday, with approximately 10,000 of those new lives born in the United States. In Vida Williams’ profession, she’s able to view all types of private data that you don’t even think about. Some of this data includes, but is not limited to, your SSN, blood type, calorie intake, etc. The way she describes it, she’s “spent 20 years watching people live, breathe, and grow in data.” Basically, what she’s trying to raise awareness to, is the fact that there are people who are in positions similar to Vida’s, that are able to view our personal data. But more importantly, important decisions can be made based off of the data that we are unknowingly submitting to be viewed.

An example that Vida Williams used during the TED Talk was how Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, recently bought out Whole Foods. Now, the organic food market is currently worth 39.7 billion dollars as a result of us spending more money on food in this generation than ever before. In that, the most influential set of votes come from millennials, making up 52% of the votes in the organic food industry. Now the main reason why is because of convenience, but, by spending a certain amount of money for convenient food, that is “voting” against a local farmer, which is against Vida Williams’ values. That’s a simple example of how you can unintentionally vote against something you’re for, because somebody is tracking your data and then the focus shifts.

According to Vida Williams, we as citizens have 3 responsibilities when it comes to our citizen data. The first responsibility is that “you have the responsibility to understand your data.” The second responsibility is that “we do have the responsibility to understand our data,” and the third is that “we do have the responsibility to share our data. So in conclusion, we can’t control that our data is looked at, but we can control what we’re putting out there and it’s important that the things that you’re putting out represent the things that you want, because there’s somebody looking at this data making important decisions that affect you based on your data.

“Rapture” Episode, Centering Rapsody

“Music to me is poetry with great emotion. It’s all about feeling and how you say these words, and how you use words to express yourself. That’s what I want people to know me for, and that’s why I call myself RAPSODY.” -Rapsody

I watched an episode from the Netflix series “Rapture” centering around the rap artist Rapsody not too long ago, and I found it very interesting. At the start of the episode, Rapsody said how she wanted to be an inspiration to young girls that you can be a female rapper and still be fully clothed, and still have a message in your music. Rapsody was born and raised in Snow Hill, NC, where she said there “wasn’t a lot of culture,” but she said that she was able to find culture in the hip-hop music that she grew up listening to. After high school, she attended NC State University in Raleigh, NC, where she played basketball and eventually graduated with a degree in accounting. It was also at NC State where she formed a rap group with some friends that they called Kooley High, and they got introduced to the record producer 9th Wonder after he heard Rapsody on one of Kooley High’s songs on their mixtape.

Upon graduating high school, Rapsody then decided that she wanted to become a rapper full-time, which her parents initially discouraged because they wanted her to pursue a career with a more reliable income. However, she decided to pursue her rap career anyways, which worked out in her favor in the long run. The first rapper to officially recognize her work was Big Daddy Kane, and the second to recognize her was Rah Digga. However, Rapsody really began to see that her work was being recognized when Jay-Z walked up to her in public and rapped her verse from “Complexion” by Kendrick Lamar back to her. This eventually led to Rapsody being signed to Roc Nation.

What 9th Wonder mentioned in the episode was that back in 2011, Rapsody wrote a song called “Destiny” where she raps a line about wanting to spit a rhyme for Jay-Z, and then as he described it, the Roc Nation deal came into fruition a few years later. I really liked how he said that the deal came into fruition, and I think that it shows how important it is to speak things into existence. Rapsody has been confident in her rapping skills and throughout the episode, you can see her always being receptive to criticism and constantly working on perfecting her raps. Her rap album “Laila’s Wisdom” was released in 2017, although it was in the works for years, to the point that she was stressed out that it was never gonna come out. However, taking that time to really perfect her raps and working with her production is what likely led to the album being such a success. The album gave her 2 Grammy nominations and it was a commercial success. That being said, it shows that dedication and hard work leads to results.

“The Check Finder” Sizzle Reel

“Hip-hop has always been about being creative and being innovative with the tools that you have.” -Michael “Blue” Williams

On February 10th, 2020, Professor Chambers showed our class a “sizzle reel” to get our honest opinions and ideas about a show concept. I’d never heard of a sizzle reel prior to him showing it to us, so it was very interesting to see. Based on the reel that was showed to us, the show was centered around 2 people who work very closely in the industry, a celebrity photographer and a music manager. The photographer, Johnny Nuñez was a photographer that had been working in the game for years, and he was very respected amongst other prominent celebrities. Nuñez was considered a celebrity amongst other celebrities, meaning that although he isn’t someone that most people would recognize as a famous person, his work is well-respected and other celebrities respect him.

The other person who was featured, Michael “Blue” Williams, is an important music manager in the business who has worked with the likes of Outkast, Eric Benet, Macy Gray, Nas, Nick Cannon, Faith Evans, CeeLo Green, Big Sean, etc. One thing about Williams that set him apart was that he understood that in order to stand out in the industry, you have to do something different sometimes. One thing that he said that really stood out to me was that some of the best managers in the game aren’t afraid to do things that haven’t been done before and break down doors. The sizzle real also featured a lot of rappers such as T.I., Fat Joe, Killer Mike, etc., which I thought was a nice touch to give Nuñez and Williams some credibility to the audience. Although the two have clearly established some level of respect in the game, choosing to include known rappers who can accolade them gives them a level of relevance to audience members who may not have heard of Nuñez or Williams before.

That being said, I believe that the show has a very good basis. I would watch the show because: 1) I’m personally a fan of hip-hop and enjoyed seeing rappers that I listen to/respect in it, 2) as someone who potentially wants to work in the industry some day, it’s beneficial for me to see well-established figures in the entertainment industry that can provide insight on how to build your personal brand, and 3) it helps me to recognize how crucial people are that work behind the scenes as well. In regards to how it can be improved: 1) the sound quality made it very hard to hear most of what they were saying, 2) I would find 1 or 2 other people to center the show around as well to diversify perspectives, and 3) I think that more hip-hop music should be implemented into the actual show.