In honor of Dec. 14, 2008, and the special day it is for my brother, here are the 28 reasons why I love my brother, Daniel Rothamel, aka Real Estate Zebra.  This are in no particular order, just as they come to me. 1.              He’s balding worse than me (for now…) 2.              He always gives unusual facts.  Their usefulness can be debated later. 3.              He always knows the best places to use the bathroom. 4.              I think like him.  Like when I wanted to visit the Dick’s Sporting Goods website, he made the same mistake before I did.  FYI-dickssportinggoods.com is correct. 5.              When he went through the high school he left a good name to follow.  Now if only he didn’t leave such a smart one I would’ve had an easier time with fewer expectations. 6.              We communicate on a constant basis.  When he was in college and even while I’m in college. 7.              He is 7 years older than me and helps me get through life choices. 8.              He lets me do odds and ends for his business so I can make some money when I am home on short breaks. 9.              He makes lots of free time to find cool things on ...

This is from another blog I write for, hpu2009.blogspot.com.  The blog is required for my feature writing class.  i wrote this today and I think it is a pretty good entry, enjoy! I went for my interview for my profie story. Greg Stevens and I chatted for 30 minutes about his life in the restaurant business. Here is a man that spend over 30 years involved in restaurants! He had stories about opening restaurants, learning how to operate restaurants and owning his own restaurant. I thought I had some good stuff about, well, restaurants. I don't know if all writers do this, but when I interview someone I write the story in my head. "Oh, ok, this is a good background information." Then the lead will come somewhere during the interview. It really works well for me. So there I sit in Harrison's, Greg's restaurant, with my recorder on the table and my notebook in my hand. I've taken notes on everything he's said. I've asked what I think are some of the most important questions. I'm done, story complete, time to leave. I ask that final question, "So, that's all I have. Is there anything you like to add?" Now remember, in my head I ...

            This has the making of a bad joke.  Six guys without shirts and their chests painted walk in.  It seems natural but really it is a step close to barbaric.  Nonetheless it is natural, at a sporting event.             This isn’t unusual that something otherwise barbaric is considered natural at a sporting event.  One of the most puzzling places to me is the bathroom at games.  Since when did those become acceptable?             I haven’t been in a female bathroom since, well, when my mother changed my diaper in a public restroom.  I’ll have to speak from my male bathroom experiences.  Many women do not know there are definite rules for males in the bathroom.             One of the most important rules is urinal behavior.  First, if you can avoid using a urinal next to someone, you do.  You stare directly ahead and do not talk.  Guys are picky about these things and breaking of the rules at any time causes great debate for hours.             Rather, breaking those rules at any time other than a sporting event causes a great debate that even John C. Calhoun couldn’t solve.             I have many times been at a urinal and a ...

This ran in the Campus Chronicle Oct. 3.  Enjoy!               Often we are quick to write off teams because of their recent history.  This goes to professional teams all the way down to high school teams.             The Tampa Bay Rays were seen as the worst of the worst and now they are the pacer in the American League East Division.  John Kitna of the Detriot Lions was scolded for boldly predicating his team would win 10 games this year.  They still aren’t on pace to do so but you have to respect his swagger.             In order for teams to do what the Rays did this year there has to be a believer.  Someone has to believe in a losing team can string together some wins.  This year High Point University has a new winner to take believe in.             The men’s soccer team has been showing signs of brilliance early this year.  Within the first seven games they have won four, outshot opponents and created excitement at games.             The first game of the season had over 1,000 fans at the game!  It was just a Saturday night and fans didn’t go home disappointed.  The game ended in a victor over rival Elon.             ...

This ran in the Campus Chronicle on Oct. 3. Enjoy!               In view is the Wachovia Center, the area’s tallest building.  Modern buildings and revitalization projects surround the historical roots of Winston-Salem, N.C.             Old Salem is a destination for people looking to, “find themselves in another place and time,” as their slogan says.   The Old Salem district is home to the historic town, the Museum of Southern Decorative Arts, the Children’s Museum, the Toy Museum and ten various gardens.             Old Salem is a historic Moravian neighborhood, founded in 1766.  The town has many original or authentically restored buildings.  Costumed interpreters take visitors back to the 18th and 19th centuries.             The destination can consume visitors’ time for hours or days depending on interests. “The experience is really what you make it,” says Lauren Werner, director of marketing at Old Salem Museums and Gardens.  “You could be someone with a passive interest in history and still find it very engaging because there is so much here to see.  It’s visually very interesting.” After starting in the modern visitor’s center, travelers walk over a covered bridge.  The wooden bridge has the authentic look but glass on the sides to keep the weather ...

Recently ran in the Campus Chronicle!  Enjoy: "Why'd he do that?!" We have all been to a sporting event and seemed to have that reaction at least once a game. The only difference might be to make the expression gender appropriate. Sporting events seem to be the one time when a person who shouldn't have made the little league team becomes an expert in the sport. You never see a person with a high school diploma second guess a brain surgeon and seem intelligent doing so. This could be the single reason why sporting events are quite possible the best thing we attend. Don't take that out of context or blow that up, but think about it. What can change your mood so quickly? I remember two years ago when Arizona Reid missed the game winning shot against Winthrop. When the ball rimmed out, the Millis Center became quiet and we stood in disbelief. My friend and I split a pint of strawberry ice cream from the Point. Rewind earlier in that year and I was at a women's soccer game against Francis Marion. It was the Saturday of fall break, campus was empty and the stands at the game were worse. The game was ...

Here is a minute and a half video I did of our concert we had Friday.  It isn't much, mainly just still photos but as much as I could do.  It was fun, Cartel and Yung Joc played my favorite songs; Honesty and It's Goin Down respectively.  Cartel was a better performance than Joc in my opinion but I still like Joc more. Enjoy the vid! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m64BD94eXJQ]

This is a post I had earlier this summer on here.  It made it to print in the Campus Chronicle last Friday.  It is shown as printed.  Enjoy!   I look into the future and see a life of Internet news and 24 hour cable news networks but I don't see a newspaper.  The reason for this forward thinking comes from campus interaction. At High Point I see 2,000 plus students going through the day reading textbooks, texting on the cell phones and watching television.  Rarely do I see a student stop and pick up any of the papers. The Campus Concierge has the Greensboro News and Record, the High Point Enterprise and USA Today.  The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are located throughout campus. The Times is often gone before lunchtime but I think that is because more faculty members pick it up than students.  I rarely see a student stop to peruse through any of the papers.  The News and Record must throw out 40 newspapers a day when they drop them off to sit in our newsstands. Scarier news came when I actually looked to read the writing (pun intended) on the walls.  Going through my Twitter posts I saw ...

This year, 545 upperclassmen will move into the new Village at High Point University. Costing over $30 million, the complex consists of two residential halls, an eating area, a pool and a volleyball court. In each residence hall are mailboxes, a workout area, a business center, equipped with touch screen computers, and study rooms. The Grille, the new restaurant at the Village, is available for all students and will accept declining balance dollars. The food offered will consist of a pizza stone oven for personal and full sized pizzas, deli sandwiches with meat by the slice and pasta dishes. Shuttle service is scheduled to run every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. All other times shuttle riders will need to call the transportation office for service. The finishing touches are almost complete at the Hayworth University Park as well. Summer renovations include three additional aerators for the newly built ponds, a staircase for the soon to be completed Mulitplex, sitting areas and a fence enclosing the park. Scheduled to open next year are the Wilson Family School of Commerce and the Qubein School of Communication. Both buildings are planned to be completed in December.