It's Time To Face The Holes

Hole in the Wall. The title is self explanatory. Make the shape. Get through the hole and you get points. Get dumped in the pool and you get no points. That’s it. Really.

One particular Hole in the Wall episode features the Six Packs vs. the Beer Bellies. For any other competitive sport it might be clear who the victor would be, but when it comes to fitting through holes, it is equal opportunity for all players.

The Six Packs comprise of an Iraqi War veteran (Jake), a body builder (Anu), and a national arm wrestling competitor (Aaron). All of these skills being completely unnecessary for Hole in the Wall, but they do make them look good in those jumpsuits. Who says sheer, silver fabric can’t be manly?

The Beer Bellies are a group of beer drinking, morning drive DJ’s named Omar, Jonathan, and David. They’re sporting the same jumpsuits as the Six Packs. Not as flattering. Just as silver.

Round One- Solo Wall

First up is Omar. Right away you know that he is headed for the bottom of that pool when you see his hole in the wall- it looks like a cut out of someone doing a backwards high kick.

This will require balance and standing with a leg held in the air. Are you up for the task, Omar? No? Okay. Into the pool it is. Maybe the next hole will be in the shape of a La-Z-Boy, Omar.

“Mom, I let you down.”

Let’s not bring mom into this, Omar. But yes you did.

Next up we have the Six Pack team captain, the Brad Pittesque Jake. Jake’s hole in the wall has Jake sitting in a C-shape. Of course the hottie clears it. Is there anything a six pack can’t do?

Six Packs 1, Beer Bellies 0.

Round Two- Double Holes. Double Ridiculous.

This is a partner round. Up for the Six Packs we have Aaron and Anu. Their hole in the wall is the shape of an upright snow angel. Precious.

Instead of the obvious position, they try a back-to-back strategy. I may not have passed my calculus class, but good luck trying to fit your 5 foot long legs through a 2 foot long hole. We could use a little less six pack and a little more brain. Hope you brought a towel boys, ‘cuz you’re about to get wet.

Jonathan “Beer Mug” and David are up for the Beer Bellies. Their hole in the wall looks a lot like Omar’s, except this time the cut out figure is kicking towards the front. Again, flexibility and balance will be a key factor for the team’s success. Dang it, Beer Bellies! Will you ever catch a break?

Not only do the Beer Bellies not fit through their hole in the wall, but they both get stuck in it, break the wall in two, and go crashing into the water. Is it possible to lose points? Let’s do some stretches before the next hole, boys.

Triple Wall- There’s More?

This round is all in. First up we have the Six Packs. Their hole in the wall is three different jagged line shapes. Squatting, kneeling, and bending, the Six Packs are able to contort their bodies and fit all 18 abs through those holes.

Shake it off, Beer Bellies. Shake it off.

The triple hole in the wall challenge for the Beer Bellies is, well, a hole in the wall. It is one single, circular hole that requires these three grown men to lay one beer belly on top of another. No flexibility required here- success.

Six Packs 4, Beer Bellies 3. The game continues.

Speed Wall- How Fast Can A Wall Move?

The speed wall challenge is double wall speed, double points. Up first are the Six Packs. Captain Jake makes it though his hole, but Aaron and Anu forget about trying to fit through the designated hole and try to jump through the wall and make their own hole. No good, boys. No good. But two more points for the Six Packs.

Beer Bellies up. Their hole in the wall looks like a three-figure progression of someone doing a flip. A challenge that doesn’t require laying down, the Beer Bellies are destined for water. At least they swam as a team. Let’s hit the kegs boys, you lose.

The Six Packs move on to the blind wall. Only one person faces the wall wearing the blackout goggles and their teammates direct them through the hole. A Recipe for disaster. And $100,000. Bring it on.

Doing exactly the opposite of what he’s told, Jake goes right in the water. It’s okay though, they just won $25,000 for fitting through holes in walls.

The 5 Coolest Coffeehouses in Chicago

For all of you adventure seekers out there with a coffee obsession, Chicago offers a wide variety of quirky, tasty, cozy, award winning (the list could go on) coffeehouses. No matter what neighborhood you call home, there is a coffeehouse that can fulfill your daily caffeine craze. So grab your to-go mug and head out to experience the coffeehouses that Chicago has to offer.

Charitable Chai

Intelligentsia Coffee prides itself in not only having award winning (a couple- "One of American's 10 Best Boutique Coffees"- Forbes April '08, "A Best US Coffeebar"- Food and Wine August '08 among MANY) coffees that will please the most discriminating palate, but also giving back to the community. Intelligentsia supports programs such as the Chicago Battered Women's Network, the Lakeview Pantry, and the Christopher House, among others. Intelligentsia Coffee seems to be the perfect example of coffee with a conscious.

• Location- 3123 N. Broadway

• Phone- 312.563.0023

• Price of a pound of beans- $13-17 (5 pound bags are also available from $58-$75)

• Gift Cards- Yes

The Loyola Escape

The only way you could be a student at Loyola University and not have heard of the glorious coffeeshop Metropolis is if you've been living under a rock (or in the Info Commons). Basing their philosophy off of the idea, "Reward is finer when earned, and coffee is sweeter when challenged," Metropolis has been providing sleep deprived college students with their coffee fix since 2003.

"We get beans from all of the world and toast them here with a roaster who has been recognized for his talent which makes a very, very fresh product. We also do different latte art designs like rosettas and hearts which a lot of coffee companies don't do," said Kahle, manager of Metropolis. "Metropolis coffee is in a lot of restaurants and out organic fair trade coffee is also sold in Whole Foods. Most important though is location, location. We're right here for all you Loyola students to come!"

• Location- 1039 W. Granville Avenue

• Phone- 773.764.0400

• Pound of beans- $12.25- $18.25

• Gift Cards- Yes

Vienna Meets Chicago

At this quaint coffeehouse, Julius Meinl Cafe offers the fast Chicagoan a traditional Vienna "Kaffeehaus" experience right here in our very own backyard, just five short blocks West of Wrigley Field. With live music on Friday and Saturday nights, this is the perfect place to bring your date. what would outdo enjoying delicious coffee and espresso beverages, tasting traditional European food, and listening to music? Genießen Sie!

• Location- 3601 N. Southport Avenue

• Phone- 773.868.1876

• Pound of beans- $8.90-$35

• Latte- $3.80

• Gift Cards- No (however, offers a variety of gift baskets sets.)

Vegan Muffins and Soy Cheese

When entering Atomix, the words quirky, wired, buzzed, (and even to-furkey) can't help but pop into your head. If you're looking for a place to study, chat with a friend, or enjoy some delicious veggie-friendly cuisine, hop on the 66 bus on Chicago Avenue and be prepared for a high-octane coffeehouse experience.

• Location- 1957 W. Chicago Avenue

• Phone- 312.666.2649

• Non-caffenated- $3 Atmoix themed Photo-booth

• Best deal on the menu- "Breakfast of Champions" includes coffee, juice, toast, and choice of cereal for $5.25

Best Outdoor Seating

The Bourgeois Pig, or better known by its regulars as "The Pig" is a trendy little cafe near the DePaul campus. It offers seating on two levels and patio seating (for those sacred days when it's warm enough for outdoor seating.) With fresh, health food and friendly baristas, The Pig has good scones, biscotti, omeletts, muffins, quiche, brownies, shortbreads, and oh yeah... coffee.

"The Pig has a unique good feeling. I love working here- it has a great, feel good vibe," said Chris Green, a manager at The Pig. "The employees all work together and work hard. I love this cafe and when it's busy... we love our customers."

• Location- 738 W. Fullerton Avenue

• Phone- 773.883.5282

• Latte- $2.89

• Gift Cards- Yes

(Photo by- Amanda Anderson)

Low Quality Economy, High Quality Jeans

According to The Daily Beast, three thousand New York City shoppers lined up outside of the Diesel store on Lexington Avenue on Monday, October 13th to buy themselves a pair of discounted jeans. The price? $50.

Now, as a college student I know that money would be better spent on books and rent and food and blah, blah, blah. However, as a jean wearer I can tell you that $50 for Italian Diesel jeans is not that bad. Especially when these jeans are originally sold for $100… $200… $300?

Sometimes a Girl’s Gotta Splurge.

It may be the fact that I, myself, need a pair of new jeans, but let’s take a look at what people are spending their money on these days. Instead of playing with Barbies and board games, kids want Guitar Hero and Wii. Penny pinching college students can’t seem to do without their iPods, iPones, and iBooks.

I’m not telling everyone to go out and buy a pair of $100 jeans. Be responsible. Let’s put those budgeting skills we learned from mom and dad into practice. If $50 jeans are in your price range- I don’t see a problem. However, I think that there are bigger issues concerning our world today to get too worked up about a sale at Diesel.

(Photo by- Sam Morris/AP Images)

A New Future For The Ghettoplex?: Village North Movie Theatre Undergoes New Management

Village North Movie Theatre, known to many Loyola students as The Ghettoplex, has recently undergone new management. It is located at 6746 N. Sheridan Rd. and is currently under the ownership of Visionary Theatres.

So far there have been little to no changes done to the theatre, but that does not mean changes are not on their way, even if the owners do not know exactly what those changes might be just yet.

“I want to change several things, I just don’t know what they are right now,” said Don Rousso, the new owner of Visionary Theatre. “I want to get better movies more often and introduce a movie club where a patron can see a movie for free if they see eights movies, or something. They would carry a stamp card.”

No Complaints Here

Reading reviews for Visionary Theatre, you can come to the conclusions that this is the perfect place for penny-pinching college students, who still want to see first run movies for $5. (And who not want to only see a movie, but have a memorable experience.)

“I went to go see Harry Potter at the Ghettoplex and the sound kept going in and out,” said Sue Ellen Flak, a Senior at Loyola University and a regular movie-goer. “That happened another time I was there and this random person decided to make up their own words.”

Ghettoplex- A Historical Landmark?

A brief background on the Visionary Theatre- It was built in 1912 and was known as the Regent. In 1930, it was renamed The 400 and sat 725 guests. It was made into the four auditorium theatre it is today in 1990 and bought by the owners of the Village Theatre and named the Village North. Now, in 2008, it was bought and renamed by Visionary Theatres.

“One of my favorite things about this theatre is that you can’t be talking on the phone and run a credit card at the same time because they only have one phone line,” said Flak. “I was buying Batman tickets and they had to make one of their employees hang up their phone call so they could run my credit card.”

What’s In Store?

Even though no changes are facing the Visionary Theatre just yet, some upgrades can be expected in about a month. “I have to wait for the physical part,” said Rousso. “And I’m not sure yet about increasing ticket prices. I’m going to try to keep them low.”


You Decide!

Would you miss the Ghettoplex (the Visionary Theatre) if it were shut down?

(Photo by- Amanda Anderson)

5 Great Photographers

5 great photographers

Two Bars in Two Hours

If you find yourself on Chicago’s Gold Coast with a couple of hours to kill, what sounds better than bar hopping? The face of Chicago may be a big, bass-bumping club, but its heart is definitely a dive bar. Check out these two downtown dives- you won’t regret it.




Streeters

When walking down the stairs to Streeters Tavern, there’s a sign that reads “the greatest bar below earth.” It’s true. When I saw that the table stands were made out of beer kegs, I knew I had found a gem. The crowd was a good mix of people with the same kick back and relax mind set. There were people just getting off of work and pool-playing college students. The drink prices weren’t too bad for this neighborhood- $11 for two vodka tonics. With fun themed nights like Monday bowling league night and Wednesday movie and trivia night, Streeters is a must visit Chicago bar.

• Address- 50 E. Chicago Avenue

• Phone- 312-944- 5206

• Price- $ ($5.50 for one vodka tonic) has daily specials.

• Reason to visit- Foosbal, pool, and ping pong (or beer pong) tables, duck hunt, darts, and Big Buck Hunter.

Dublin Bar and Grill

First off- best spinach artichoke dip in the entire Gold Coast. The setting is very eclectic- couples sitting at candle lit tables mixed with sports fans sitting at the bar watching one of many different games. The princes are higher than Streeters, but I think they are typical for this neighborhood- spinach artichoke dip cost $9 and my Hoegaarden cost $6.50. It took about a half hour for our food to come, but once it did, it was worth the wait. One problem with Dublin’s is that there is only one bathroom stall. On a slower Wednesday night, this isn’t much of an issue, but on a busier Saturday night, the wait to use the bathroom can be 20 minutes.

• Address- 1050 North State Street

• Phone- 312-266- 6340

• Price- $$ ($6.50 for one beer. Entrees $16-$26)

• Reason to visit- Spinach artichoke dip.

(Photo by- Amanda Anderson)