Diversions

Recipe for the popular warm, holiday drink

It’s not often that the Human Resources Department starts the newest trend on Furman’s campus. Tired of sitting all day behind desks, several members of the department have adopted the stand-up desk, a contraption that attaches to a desk and raises the computer so one can type, answer the phone, take notes, or perform various other tasks, all while standing up.

Furman’s bell tower is perhaps the most beloved, recognizable symbol of the university, a major landmark of both the original downtown campus as well as today’s campus. Since 1965 when a replica of the original bell tower was built on the lake, the tower has represented Furman: Furman catering is Bell Tower Catering, the campus men’s a cappella club calls itself the Bell Tower Boys, and there is even a tradition of the “Bell Tower Kiss.”

Looking for a weekend adventure within an hour of Furman? Asheville, N.C., located an hour away from Furman’s campus, merits a full weekend of exploration, with many return trips planned for the future. With activities to please any college student looking for a break from studies, or merely a change of scenery in a fascinating city, Asheville is well worth the trip.

Many students are familiar with the fish in a tank common in dorm rooms, but fewer are probably aware of the dogs and cats that live on Furman’s campus. Although housing prohibits students from owning any pet they would like, the university does allow for approved service animals.

Electronic dubstep group Krewella has released their first full-length album, “Get Wet.” Krewella’s music is similar to artists such as Cazzette, Flux Pavillion, and the newly popular Zedd. Krewella’s album will leave you tired from clubbing all night.

The Way, Way Back, recently released on DVD, is a 2013 film that you may have missed while it was in theaters.

Mama always said, “nothing good happens after midnight.” Sounds like mama never went to college. Sure, it’s debatable whether the stuff that happens after midnight is good, but it’s undoubtedly the case that a lot goes on in the wee hours of the morning.

While some say that video games are a root cause of violence in our society, junior computer science major Tyler Atwell is out to prove them wrong. Atwell has been playing video games since the time he could read, starting with Pac-Man for the original Game Boy. Years later as a college student, Atwell is able to earn money by playing professionally. But unlike most professional gamers, he has chosen to anonymously donate the money he makes to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Take an afternoon to relax and enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Consider visiting Table Rock State Park, located 45 minutes from Furman. It is one of many great places to see leaves that have changed colors and enjoy the fresh, crisp fall air.

1. Walter White and Jesse Pinkman from “Breaking Bad” 2. A government employee or some kind of visual gag costume about the shutdown 3. Miley Cyrus 4. “Despicable Me” minions 5. A skimpy outfit and animal ears

Nowadays, it seems like more and more filmmakers are relying on visual spectacle to carry lackluster storytelling to the finish line. Take Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (or any of Luhrmann’s films, really), a paramount example of a film that stresses style over substance. Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity is a film that certainly had the potential to follow this trend, but, although it is not a complete success, it cannot be dismissed as just a visual showpiece.

In recent years, Furman Theater Arts professor Maegan Azar has directed a number of popular plays staged at the university’s Playhouse, from “Lysistrata” to the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” to “The Winter’s Tale.” Now she’s sharing her talents with an even wider audience as a part of The Warehouse Theatre’s Educational Touring Series, directing a production of Shakespeare’s political tragedy “Julius Caesar” aimed at showcasing the power of the widely-assigned play to local high school students.

Katy Perry’s new album “Prism” is disappointing. It isn’t bad; it just isn’t catchy like her first two full-length albums. Swedish dance music was an apparently an influence, though I certainly didn’t get this vibe from the album’s preponderance of slow tempo songs.

Pupuseria y Cafeteria is a small restaurant and grocery on the side of Cedar Grove Road in Greenville, about a seven-minute drive from Furman. The place is distinctive in that it’s Salvadorian, so if you are looking for authenticity and some pupusas, it’s the place to go.

Founded last year by sophomores Chase Fiedler and William Lewis, the Furman Aviation Association has been successfully building functioning, electric model aircraft through the utilization of basic engineering and design concepts.

Originally distinguished by its performers’ long, purple robes, and spiritual performances, the Furman University Gospel Ensemble, or FUGE, is one of our oldest and most culturally rich campus organizations, holding strong to its basic principles and maintaining a reputation for holding powerful and moving performances.

With the arrival of Fall Break, you may find yourself with time to explore farther than a quick trip up the road would allow. Consider visiting Brevard, N.C., located an hour and 15 minutes from Furman. Brevard is a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains perhaps most famous for its albino squirrels. But in spite of its small size, Brevard has a lot to offer for those who appreciate the outdoors, music, and food.

You’ve just finished up an intense hour-long, but friendly, group discussion with a Furman professor on the situation of poverty in Greenville. You grab a beer, join some friends, and sit down to watch a show. No, no — you didn’t just get out of your poverty studies class on a Friday at Furman; you’re actually downtown participating in the Warehouse Theatre’s Forum Series.

Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine was released as a follow up to her EP, The Love Club. Though groomed by the largest American music label, Universal Music Group (UMG), the same label as record company creations like Justin Bieber and Nicky Minaj, this sixteen-year-old Australian sensation helped write the lyrics to songs that challenge the status quo of popular music. The authenticity of the music shines through, despite the record label’s influence.

What if anything you posted or tweeted could be perused by a site administrator and then posted onto the front page of a heavily-frequented website for anyone to see? What if all you had to do was add a casual “#FU” to one of your tweets, and BAM! the pictures from that party in North Village last weekend could be on the front page of the Furman website?

One thing I can guarantee you about Denis Villenueve’s Prisoners: it’s not the movie you think it is. If you’ve seen the trailers for this film, you may have already labeled it as a clone of Death Wish and every other violent revenge movie of the last three decades. But Prisoners is a far more thoughtful film than pretty much any other in its genre.

Don’t you just hate those health hypocrites? Overweight nurses, doctors who smoke, personal trainers who could use a bit of training themselves — what gives them the right to tell you what you should do to your body when they don’t follow their own advice?

This past weekend, senior Grace Bernardo and freshman Sam Nelson starred in the student-directed play “Gruesome Playground Injuries” by Rajiv Joseph, which takes the audience through the lives of Kayleen and Doug, two friends who share a mutual love for one another.

It is everyone’s sixth week at Furman, and it is also everyone’s sixth week away from home. Whether your family is just a few hours away or happens to be in Xian, China, they are there, you are here, and you probably miss them. Friday, Sept. 20, the Chinese Student Association hosted on a celebration of the Chinese Moon Festival, a traditional holiday about bridging distances to connect with loved ones.