Juniors Bryson Piscitelli and Sean Clayton giving the camera a satisfied look after biting into the classic Gateway Diner special. JACOB TURNER, SEAN CLAYTON, AND BRYSON PISCITELLI
As another holiday season brings tidings of good cheer and gift-giving, The Eagle’s Beak ventured into the Raleigh food scene to give back to the local community. For those not following The Eagle’s Beak Instagram profile (you should), there is a local diner, but five minutes from Enloe’s campus, aptly named the Gateway Diner. One step inside evokes nostalgia and inspires comity—a gateway to the land of biscuits, gravy, and Southern opulence. At the core of this ambiance lays seemingly the most elusive issue of the restaurant business: customer service. In this area, Gateway Diner excels spectacularly relative to its comparables. Need to call ahead and reserve a table or place an order? No problem. Want an extra order of cornsticks, free of charge? They welcome it. And yes, we said cornsticks, a cornbread variant in stick form. While this gastronomic paradise of classic Carolinian cuisine is worth visiting simply for its atmosphere, there remains another crucial component of its appeal: The man and woman at the heart of the diner are perhaps some of the most pleasant people The Eagle’s Beak has been served by to date! The man, Robert, works the register while the woman, Martina, waits tables. They both possess such a raw charisma and sincerity in every encounter. For a restaurant like Gateway that serves its very heart and soul on each plate, The Eagle’s Beak felt obliged to give back to the establishment. One melancholy November afternoon, while striking up a friendly conversation with Robert, the man at the register, it was discovered his birthday was Sunday, December 17th. Robert remarked with a small grin, “Yeah, I don’t get many presents for my birthday anymore.” The Eagle’s Beak, of course, had no choice but to buy him a gift, in the spirit of reciprocity for Robert’s graciousness to Sean Clayton on Sean’s birthday (a superb discount) and of the coming days of holiday celebration. So The Eagle’s Beak ventured one bright and early Friday morning to Gateway Restaurant. We weren't able to make it on Robert’s actual birthday on the previous Sunday, and even still, only Sean and Jacob were able to attend. We ordered positively delightful lunch specials: the daily available special, pulled pork with macaroni and cheese and coleslaw, along with the Friday exclusive, lasagna with mac and cheese and French fries. Unfortunately, the French fries were largely forgettable due to their over-crispiness and lacking flavor, but the lasagna was to die for, particularly for those familiar with the common “sweet marinara” Southern interpretation of Italian dishes. The mac and cheese stood well on its own among the many others The Eagle’s Beak has sampled, combining creaminess and savory-sweetness reminiscent of Velveeta (it could have been!), and the coleslaw was quite vinegar-heavy, but nonetheless palatable. As The Eagle’s Beak devoured our Southern-cooked lunch, Mr. Robert’s gift waited patiently in the car. Then, the meal came to a close, and after retrieving the gift (a practical 30 oz YETI tumbler) from the car, we implored Martina to capture the moment. We approached the always smiling Robert, who seemed immediately wise that something was up, gift in hand and said, “Now Robert, we remembered you saying you didn't get many gifts for your birthday, so we thought we’d get you something.” He remarked, “Are y’all serious?” Senior Mohammed Abdulhadi streaks past Sanderson defenders back in October. Shut up. There is no denying it. Enloe Men's soccer is soaring to new heights and by God, those heights have been thrilling. With an unprecedented overall 13-3-7 record, we could not be prouder of what the 2017 team has accomplished. Dominating both in and out of conference play, the Eagles are led by Senior Captains Harry Cooper and Chris Murphy, along with Junior Captains Aidan Sullivan and Grant Alexander. Other crucial pieces of the puzzle are Goalie Emir Sivam, Forward Ian Rupp, Defender Ben Wu, and lightning-fast Forward Miguel Solis. From August 14 to September 26 the Eagles were on a tear, with no losses and "bowling out" with pure class. A heated match at Leesville put an end to that run on September 27, igniting a new type of fire within the team. That loss seems like a blip on the map, as Enloe went on to win/tie 7 of the next 9 games. Perhaps the most gut wrenching moments of the season thus far have come from the September 18 game at Broughton and the most recent match against Sanderson. On Broughton's home turf, the Eagles managed to pull of a buzzer beater finish, as Harry Cooper connected with the back of the net just as the clock winded down. The perfectly placed ball soared through the air, practically stunning Broughton's players with its finesse. On November 1, a similar occurrence ensued, but multiplied by a thousand. With an array of missed shots on target, Enloe appeared to be a bit off, missing goals by mere inches. Ian Rupp managed to get Enloe back on track, dishing one in to put the Eagles up in the first half. Later in the second half, a PK put Sanderson in a position of momentum with the score tied 1-1. As ties are not allowed during playoff matches, a penalty shootout commenced. What happened next would be written down in Enloe sports lore for eons, if not centuries. Perhaps only possible in FIFA, freak-of-nature Goalkeeper Emir Sevim saved a whopping 5 penalty kicks in a row. That's right, you can close your jaw now. Emir describes the moment as tense, high stakes, and extremely nerve wrecking. "This was the most emotionally draining game I have ever been a part of," he says, "But it was perhaps one of the greatest matches in Enloe soccer history." With both sides missing a surprising amount of shots to start off the overtime shootout, Enloe looked unsure. But as this team has shown throughout the season, the best dishes are served with a side of clutch. With Emir stamping out opponents left and right, and the Eagles finding the back of the net with much ease, the win looked close in sight. Then, BAM. Sophomore Ben Wu placed the ball past the Sanderson Goalkeeper for a picture perfect end to a hectic and emotional game. As the team ran onto the field, the celebration would not last long. The team is back to business for their next match against Pine Forest in Fayetteville, in what looks to be a favorable matchup. With several increíble wins under their belts, this first playoff game is just a taste of what is to come. And by God, we cannot wait. Click the link below to view the 4A Bracket to look at Enloe's path to the Championship game. The NBA season officially starts October 17th and Enloe students cannot wait any longer. It is a whole new look this season, and a whole new set of obstacles before June. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
LA LAKERS
BOSTON CELTICS
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
OKC THUNDER
By: Meera Dahlmann The varsity men's soccer team won 6-0 against Sanderson. Come on out to the next game and support! #winloe
By: Meera Dahlmann The 2017 Fall Season for Enloe football has been outstanding! Here is a collection of pictures from another winning game.
![]() SAM BRINKLEY North Carolina has been traditionally renowned as the place one goes to find Northern high-quality education in the South. Our own Duke University, known as the “Ivy League of the South,” Shaw University, one of the first Historically Black Universities in the South and first to provide education for African-American women, and UNC Chapel-Hill, the first public university in the nation, are prime examples of this truism. Yet the NC Community College System, which often goes underappreciated by a large number of tar heels, deserves to sit at the top of this list. Established in 1957 by the General Assembly, the community college system was a result of North Carolina’s post-agricultural economy following World War II. The state needed skilled people to man its factories and shape its modern future, and educating those people was the first step. In an era when it was not looked upon as necessary to attend a college or university for future success, community colleges were utilized by many North Carolinians as effective, low-cost modes of getting a quality education while also spending time at home where it was needed. They could also be used as stepping stones for transferring into larger public universities after a year or two, a convention continued to this day. And so, community colleges took on an individual role in our state. Instead of pretending to be the intellectual powerhouses of their neighbors in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, these institutions truly adopted their respective communities’ identities, and their hallways and auditoriums could become crossroads for the towns they served. It is probably an understatement to say that attending college in the United States is a significant financial undertaking for most families. Tuitions have risen sharply in recent years - but speaking just of tuition does not begin to take into account the numerous other expenses associated with leaving home after high school. If one happens to be an out-of-state student, traveling alone asks a substantial price. But there are 140 institutions of higher learning right here in our state, 58 of which comprise the nation’s 3rd largest state community college system, stretched as far east as Manteo and as far west as Murphy. It’s a wonder that more of North Carolina’s high-school graduating classes do not elect to spend their years of higher learning in such convenient locations close to home. Many students and their families feel that a more comprehensive education could be found elsewhere, and are willing to sacrifice their finances and local ties to attend either an out-of-state school or even one of NC’s more well-known public universities. NC State University and UNC Chapel-Hill picked up a significant portion of last year’s graduating class at Enloe alone. While not necessarily an untrue or unfounded sentiment, this mindset of many young North Carolinians is what drives our aversion to harnessing the power of community colleges in the first place. NCCCS's mission is “to open the door to high-quality, accessible educational opportunities that minimize barriers to postsecondary education, maximize student success, develop a globally and multiculturally competent workforce, and improve the lives and well-being of individuals.” If we don’t begin to appreciate the gift of the system to our state and its citizens, when will we expect it to entirely fulfill this noble aspiration? It takes a change in the hearts and minds of North Carolinians themselves to bring about the strengthening of these invaluable institutions. Reality tells us that many community colleges are already doing more with less, taking increased initiative with fewer resources on hand. But so many of our preconceived notions of community colleges blind our ability to see their important relationships with communities across North Carolina, as well as the steps they’re taking to make localized change. Whether it be in teaching practical workforce skills like furniture upholstery in Tarboro, or offering valuable public speaking skills at a free seminar in Roxboro, NCCCS is already providing more than 730,000 North Carolinians with the education they need to succeed. It comes as no surprise, then, that an astounding 40 percent of wage earners in our state took classes at a community college within the past 10 years. Granted, we cannot expect to equate an institution like Beaufort County Community College with Princeton or Cornell, mainly because such a comparison is a disservice to to the original purpose of a community college. But what we can do is provide these precious representations of the best of North Carolina with the resources and support they need to flourish. As with many educational institutions across the nation, NCCCS has been hit with decreased state funding and somewhat lessened admiration over the recent decade. While not in any dire position, any limiting of the system’s resources, as seen in the State Aid Budget Report of 2013-2014, is cause for concern. This is no doubt reflective of our tendency to put education second on the to-do list, despite it being the greatest investment we can make. A general trend of lacking trust in society means less trust in its institutions, especially those for which success cannot be captured in numbers and graphs. But when we give universities and community colleges alike the help they deserve, they are bound to deliver in unimaginable ways. It is essential to have confidence in their potential before we begin to judge their performance. By: Iman Dancy ft. Guest Writer Rohini Sharma In his highly-anticipated December 2016 album, “Awaken, My Love!,” artist Childish Gambino deviated from his typical hard-hitting rap lyrics and instead presented a conglomeration of varying musical styles. Gambino’s decision to stray from his witty rapper niche ignited a wave of disapproval and backlash from fans and frequent listeners. Though confusion regarding the drastic genre shift found in the album is understandable, “Awaken, My Love!” still stands as one of the greatest musical projects of 2016. Fusing ‘70s funk, psychedelic rhythm and blues, hard rock, and reggae influences, Gambino reveals yet another side to his complex persona, wowing listeners with vocals akin to musical powerhouses of the late twentieth century. Rather than narrowing in on a single concept, “Awaken, My Love!” guides listeners along a tempestuous journey, traveling from the age-old tale of unrequited love to a galvanizing call for insurrection, then adopting a softer, more paternal tone, and finally concluding with a nostalgic reflection on the ideas ingrained in Gambino during his early childhood years. Following a two-year hiatus since the release of his second EP, “Kauai,” “Awaken, My Love!” acts as the impeccable re-proclamation of Gambino’s musical genius, exhibiting him as a truly multidimensional and matured artist.
The album’s first track, “Me and Your Mama,” is certainly difficult to overlook. The piece begins with a haunting repetition of its introduction, a simple fourteen-syllable loop supplemented by high-pitch, traditionally hip-hop synths. Approximately two minutes in, however, the song abruptly transitions to grunge power chords on guitar, with bellowing, maniacal laughter reverberating in the background. Gambino then interjects, his Steven Tyler-esque shrieks of “let me into your heart” coupled with the powerful vocals of a choir. Reminiscent of the 1970s soul music produced by lyrical legends such as Marvin Gaye and Isaac Hayes, Gambino presents a funky slow jam in “Redbone,” the album’s sixth track, showcasing his higher octave vocal ability and teleporting listeners to a time far before the digitally altered songs that dominate today’s radio. “Redbone” narrates the complicated relationship between an overly-zealous Gambino and his significantly less eager love interest, his dejected cry of “I’m wishing I could make this mine” echoing in the ears of his audience. Gambino’s soulful vocals paired with the old-school feel of “Redbone” makes it, arguably, the best song on the album. “California,” the seventh song on “Awaken, My Love!,” takes a highly contrasting approach. Combining whimsical island percussion, upbeat reggae influences, and Gambino’s jerky and accented vocals, “California” takes the cake as the most unusual track on the album; however, the song’s peculiarity actually works in its favor, and many find themselves with its catchy tune stuck in their heads from to time. “Stand Tall,” the final song on the album, centers around the lessons Gambino was taught as a small child. “Keep all your dreams, keep standing tall. If you are strong, you cannot fall. There is a voice inside us all. So smile when you can, when you can,” he sings in the hook. “Stand Tall” is certainly the most traditionally “Gambino” of all of the songs featured in the album; its stripped-down, tranquil nature and absence of vocal editing in the first half allows listeners to simply bask in Gambino’s mellifluous vocals. Halfway through “Stand Tall,” the song re-adopts the funky sound that typifies “Awaken, My Love!,” introducing a jazzy flute accompaniment and digitally filtered vocals. “Awaken, My Love!” resembles no other project that Childish Gambino has created. Venturing outside of the confines of his rapper image, Gambino put forth an assemblage of several, eclectic musical influences, exploring varying styles and taking inspiration from both retro and modern artists alike. Unlike his rap-centric 2013 album “Because the Internet” and 2014 “Kauai,” Gambino doesn’t restrict himself to a single category of music on his most recent production, instead appealing to a widely-diverse audience as a result of his genre-jumping. While “Awaken, My Love!” has received numerous mixed reviews, its fearlessness and malleability is an eye-opening glimpse into the versatility of Gambino’s musical ability. |
The Eagle's EyeBest of the Nest since 1981 Archives
January 2018
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