Impressions: Moon Breakers

When you watch Star Wars, do you clap your hands like a giddy toddler when Red Squadron forms up for their assault on the Death Star? Do you want to be Tom Cruise in Top Gun, shooting down enemy fliers like the ace pilot you always knew you were? Yes? Then, Moon Breakers may be just the game for you -- it's space dogfighting at its funnest, and it's really not that difficult to learn.

Notebook: Summertime

You may recognize this poem, or at least parts of it, because it's been posted here before. But this is the most recent draft. All poetry is in a constant state of revision; there is never a final state. That's what I actually love most about the medium. If you want to compare it with the earlier draft, here is the link.

Summertime

By Blake Tan

I loved this girl in the summertime
and I remember hearing Simon & Garfunkel,
crooning “Bookends” over my car radio,
while I held her hand as she cried.
I tried to comfort her, but like that memorable May day
(when she wouldn’t tell me
how much she hated my friends)
she kept the trouble to herself –
always mysterious, always unknowable.
The odd, warm raindrops blotting my shoulder
the only proof that there was Trouble.

Fest Season Proves Important for Court Street Businesses

Kyle Newport

Eric Sagonowsky

Court Street in the afternoon is nowhere near as busy compared to a fest weekend.

A spring day in Athens, Ohio: the flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and students are breaking out the kegs for the fest season. From High Street to Mill Street, these block parties dominate the Ohio University social scene, to the displeasure of city and university officials. However, these fests also mean booming business for local restaurants and bars along Court Street and uptown.

Brenen’s employee Kayleigh Brickman said fest weekend involve a lot of preparation.

“You start with double veggies and getting everything extra, extra ready,” she said, “and two water coolers.”

Notebook: Lightning Bugs

It's finals week down here in Athens, and I'm already halfway done. When I got back from my Ancient Rome exam tonight though, there was still something sitting with me, some words floating around in the soup, a few lines I had tucked away for remembering. So, I sat down with my notebook and about three hours later, here's what I got. I'd love to hear some responses!

Lightning Bugs

By Blake Tan

The night heavy with moisture,
the air thick with fireflies,
they flicker and flit, alighting
upon the razor tips of fresh-cut grass
like dim candles ensconced in foggy glass.

The Police Cruisers of Athens, Ohio

Kyle Newport

Eric Sagonowsky

The Athens Police Department and Ohio University Police Department have a long history of cooperation.

5 Films From 2011 You May Have Missed

1. Drive

If you missed this fantastic arthouse film starring Ryan Gosling, then you should stop reading this post, find it, and watch it right NOW!

Done? Well, now you understand why Drive is the number one movie on this list. Gosling plays a heart-melting, mysterious nameless Driver who gets caught up in the criminal dealings in L.A. He does it so well that he doesn't even need to speak; Gosling does about 80% of the acting in Drive with his eyes. The hypnotic soundtrack is also amazing, and I find myself listening to it over and over again. And, folks, don't get misled. Drive is an action film; it may start slow, but when the action hits, it's a non-stop intense ride until the end, all without being gimmicky or corny. It would be a crime to miss this movie.

Notebook: The Battle of Brennoc

While not truly a story, this is something I've been working on. It's something that would probably fit in the appendices of a book. Honestly, I end up writing a lot of this kind of stuff. At this point, my appendices are longer than the actual novel. This particular piece details an important event in the recent history of a novel I've been working on. While this battle is not actually ever visited in the novel, it is mentioned and is crucial in the shaping of many of my characters. So, if you're into this kind of stuff as much as I am, enjoy!

The Battle of Brennoc 

Juvony 1236

After wintering in Pellanmere, Emperor Lucius Arcturus set out with his armies, resuming his Northern conquest. He crossed into the kingdom of Salianburg, into the Duchy of Merovech, with three armies. Lucius led the main force, numbering 50,000 men, while Titus Tullius commanded the vanguard of 30,000 and Gaius Vitellus had the rearguard of 20,000.