2013 Sailing Season: Edward Teach Memorial Regatta

The sailing team only had one home regatta this year, which was the Edward Teach Memorial that we have every year. This regatta is hosted by Hampton University at Strawberry Banks. The event doesn't get a lot of Hampton publicity, and since Strawberry Banks stopped being a boys dorm, most students don't even know where it is. During the school year, most students aren't allowed to go there, even though it has a very convenient beach. But once every school year, all of the college sailing programs in the Hampton area congregate there and take advantage of the great winds and sailing the location has to offer. This is also usually our first regatta of the season, so it is usually the first time that our new sailors get to participate in a real regatta. 

First person in the Marine Science Center is always a great achievement. Don't be fooled by the sunny looking weather outside, it was freezing cold in September. From what I can tell I have on 4 top layers in that photo, and I'm not even in the water yet. 

Mrs. Schuker providing us with our regatta breakfast. Always super healthy, and I get to choose which brand of orange juice I want before anyone else. 

Coach Ambrosi giving us a briefing before the regatta starts.  

Coach discussing race committee things with Dr. Schuker the head of the Marine Science department. 

Who knows what they're talking about....all these boys are from the islands, so when they get together, they turn off their American accents, so they could be talking about sailing or football. 

The lovely Veronica Maccari, our "A" Divvision skipper eating her strawberry yogurt. This is her first year at Hampton University as Coach also recruited her from Italy. 

Josh is also new to the team, and is one of our "A" division crew

This regatta was a great start for the Hampton University sailing program, and was the only regatta we won the whole fall season. We somehow didn't have enough cups for the prize giving ceremony, so we had to have a singing competition to see who would get the full set. 

My regatta trophy!

Top 10 Architecture Memes

I got the idea for this post after my friend Rodg posted this meme on his Facebook page. 

I thought, "There are probably plenty of architecture memes out there, does anybody ever try to find them?" So I sought and I found quite a few, some of them specific to certain design programs that nobody outside that studio would understand. So here are my personal top 10 list or architecture memes. Enjoy

Enough said.

The things that you think in the middle of a structures final.

Zaha Hadid is not even bothered.

Frank Gehry, describing his design process

Architecture professors

Hipster Ariel

You can read my post on all-nighters here.

High Expectations Asian Father can apply to African parents too.

There were a lot of these "What I think I do" memes, so it was hard to narrow it down, so I included two! 

Bonus!

Spring 2013 Wishlist:10 Things I Need In My Studio

Spring semester is approaching, and with it, a new studio. After having spent all your drafting pens, and using up all your good bristol paper on your final project for fall, it's time to shop for new supplies. But what do I need? In a perfect world, everything that Office Depot, Michaels, and Home Depot can give me. But if I can't have all that, I will definitely take these:

1. Electric Eraser

We've all been there. Smears, tears, and blurs all over your beautiful project. As architects move further and further from drawn media, and into printed media, we might feel as if erasers are obsolete. This couldn't be further from the truth. Most people would agree that kneaded erasers produce some of the best results, but unfortunately because of their shape, make it difficult to be precise with your erasing. 

The Sakura Electric Eraser is one of the highest rated and most expensive. But $49.50 is a small price to pay for subtractive perfection right? Right?

Alvin & Co. SE2000 Sakura Electric Eraser

2. Alarm Clock

I won't say that I'm a morning person. Long years in the architectural program have semi-permanently altered my sleep cycle. This requires me to set at least 3 alarms, in different parts of my room, to stop me from pressing the snooze button. Some fantastic examples are the Flying Alarm Clock, the Ivee Voice Activated Alarm Clock, and the Clocky Robotic Alarm.

 

3. Tube for Drawings
Possibly the worst fate to befall your projects after they're complete? Ripping, tearing, shoe marks, folds, and smears due to insufficient protection. Simply rubber banding might seem like the solution, but when you take them off your paper, they can sometimes cause more damage than leaving it alone. Enter the drawing tube. Portability, Safety, Water-proof-ness (possibly not a word), and Simplicity.

If you're worried that it'll make finding the drawing difficult, you can just get some regular scotch tape, write the drawing name on it twice, and tape it making a tab that sticks out from your drawing, so that you can easily read it without taking out the whole roll. Color-coding is doable as well.

4. Light Box
It's the day before the final project, the library is closed and all the light tables are full. How do you put your intricate floor plan on your presentation paper now while you still have time, and no access to a printer? Oh wait, never mind you have a light box. I have been on a mission to make one myself, and as soon as I do, I promise I will post the tutorial. In the meantime, you can buy one from here.

5.Arrow Template
A fairly consistent mistake in studio, in all the rush to finish our projects, is forgetting to put on a north arrow. It is a basic requirement, learned in first year, but frequently overlooked until the last minute, and then scrawled on with a pen before your professor can look at it. With this template, your professor never needs to be able to tell that you forgot, delivering perfect and professional arrows every time.

6. Expandable Tube

Okay, so I went over drawing tubes earlier. However, this is taking the tube concept to another level. Everybody knows that when it comes to your drawings, in the professor's eyes, bigger is better, and makes it all the easier to go over the finer details of your plans and elevations. These particular tubes by work by adding a middle section, kind of like an expandable table, adding more than a foot of space with each additional section. Another great feature is the water resistance, for obvious reasons.

7. Drafting Chair
Many of us in studio have dealt with the stool forr several years. It offers no back support, numbs your legs, and is usually not adjustable. Behold! The drafting chair! Back support! Cushioned seats! Adjustability!
You can find many different varieties online, but this particular model makes the top of my wishlist.
Great things include optional armrests, orthopedic spine support, and upholstered seats.

8. Cable Organizers
These little things are useful both in studio or in your room, for gathering your cables and not having them lie in a tangled mess on your table or on the floor. My favorites so far are the Cable Monkey which is adorable and functional, and the Cordies Cable Organizers which are functional and simple to use. Either one is a match made in heaven.

9. Ninja Star Pushpins
Give your project a bit of spice, and as a plus, you will always know which pushpins are yours. These pushpins have 2 pins per ninja star, for extra reinforcement, which is great for bigger or heavier presentation boards.

10. USB Toast Handwarmers
You might think these are not a neccesity, but that makes me think that maybe you are not an architecture major at all, and possibly a business administration major here to spy for the other side. Picture yourself in studio, in winter, in the middle of the ngiht. Every square inch of you is bundled up except for your hands, which you need to type. Though your body is warm, your hands are freezing and becoming more and more useless and ice-like every hour.
Solution? Handwarmers! They plug into your laptop, which is already beng heavily taxed, so a little bit more won't hurt it. And as a bonus, you can type with them! And as a double double bonus, they are ridiculously adorable.

Design+Innovation: Menchville House Project

Today, I'm continuing to post about our project at Menchville House. Last week, we got together and combined the best parts of our individual designs, and created 2 separate group designs. Some of the positives from my design were the innovative material (100% recycled PET plastic felt), the color, and the mobility. The final design was mainly based on one team members design with addition of elements from everybody else's designs.

Here are our final presentation boards from that group's design solution. 

Click on a picture to expand. Enjoy!

Title and Description page

Design Process

Floor Plan and Construction Details

Sections and Elevations

Interaction Page

Supply Station #3 Michael's Arts and Crafts

Michael's Arts and Crafts

Your regular arts and crafts store, they have everything from beads to thread and needles. Not everything in the store is online, so sometimes it's best to check out the store in person. Be warned all art and architecture majors, you will walk in with money, and walk out happy and penniless. 

Location: 2170 Coliseum Dr. Hampton Virginia 23666

Phone: 757-827-0176

Website: www.michaels.com

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-9pm
           Sunday 10am-7pm

What They Have:

• Art Supplies
• Bakeware
• Beads
• Craft Painting 
• Floral
• Framing
• General Crafts
• Home Decor
• Student/Teacher Supplies
• Scrapbooking
• Season/Celebrations
• Wedding

Advantages

Lots of drawing supplies, pens, papers, and pencils, as well as anything you might need for hand rendered work. They are also fairly close to campus, being only a bus ride away. You can take any bus going to Peninsula Towne Center to get there, which is only $3.50 for an all day pass or two 1-way passes, which is cheaper than asking for a ride for $5 from a senior.

Re-Updated Cafeteria Hours

A year ago I posted the cafeteria hours for the Big and Small Cafe at Hampton University, formerly located in Virginia Cleveland Hall. This now makes the third time I have posted Hampton University's cafeteria hours. Now that the New Cafeteria has been built, the hours have again changed to accommodate the change from two cafeterias to one. The New Cafeteria even has its own photo album that can be found here.

Monday-Friday

Breakfast: 7:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Continental Breakfast: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Lunch: 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Dinner: 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Saturday & Sunday

Brunch: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Dinner: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

All-Nighter Made Easy

As designers and architects, something integral to the school experience is the all-nighter. We wear the grogginess, dark circles, and the hours we've spent working as badges of honor among our peers and those of other majors. The night is spent eating snacks, sodas, and trips to Taco Bell or 7-Eleven. At the end of the day/morning we compare notes on how much sleep we actually managed to get.

But anyone can see that this lifestyle is far from healthy, causing us to barely be functional for the rest of the morning classes and possibly missing our afternoon class trying to reclaim the lost hours. Hunger pangs cause us to lose time, walking to the Chinese restaurant or taking a trip to Walmart, and even more precious, money. We are coming out the losers academically, nutritionally, financially, and medically. Sleep deprivation has been linked to obesity, psychosis, bipolar disorders, impairment of abilities, attentiveness, and memory.

So what can we do about it? The work isn't going to do itself, and we all know that getting something done is better than coming in empty handed. The best things that can be done are to try to eat healthier foods, stay focused, and most important, not fall asleep. I have searched the interweb to bring you a compilation of the best tips for a successful all-nighter.

Food

• The number one tip I have as far as food is to plan in advance! Save yourself a midnight trip to Walmart or 7-Eleven. We are all vulnerable to impulse buys, and we are probably extra weak when we've been up 19 hours straight. You also waste productive work time, driving to the store, shopping, and unloading the bags afterward. To simplify the process, buy in advance and keep your desk stocked for when the cravings hit. 
• Drink alooot of water. The brain is 70% water and you're going to need every grey cell for doing your project and the review afterward. There are two approaches for this; keep a water bottle at your desk at all times, or buy bottled water at the store. I know buying bottled is bad for the environment, but not everyone is comfortable drinking from school water fountains. Stay hydrated, whichever approach you take. Water is great for quenching thirst and prevents the sugar crashes that can come from drinking sugary beverages.
• Ordering out is an option, but keep in mind that most restaurants close from 9pm to 11pm, so don't be disappointed when you realize that Dominoes won't deliver at 1 am. Also, keep in mind that others will smell the food, and want a piece. If you don't mind sharing, that's cool, just make sure there's enough left over for yourself. 

Staying Focused

• Clear away all distractions! Close the YouTube page, clean your desk, and kick out your friends. Distractions are to projects what nuclear bombs are to everything. At the end of the day, you will be counting the hours that you wasted in your head, and imagining how that 30 minutes on Facebook could have been used to help you reach your deadline more quickly. 
• Blocker programs can block you out of specific sites to make sure you stay focused on your work. Some programs can lock you out of the internet completely. 
• Lists are your friends. They let you know what you have accomplished, and what you need to finish. Tasks seem less daunting once you beak them down into their parts and you can feel a sense of accomplishment with each finished task that can help you keep going throughout the night. 

Staying Awake

• Don't sleep. Don't do it. It is the worst mistake you can ever make. Unless you go to sleep at 7pm and intend to wake up at 6am, you will not wake up on-time without setting 5 alarms. Do not go to sleep at 2am expecting to wake up at 7am to finish your project. Your body does not work that way. 
• Make an energizing playlist on your iPod. Search your music library and find the most exciting music possible, or just pick your favorites that you know you will sing along to as soon as you hear them. In some studios, headphones are required, but if you are in studio by yourself, for the most part, nobody will mind if you play it loud. However, in the library, headphones are a must at all times. 

I hope these tips have helped you out. Let me know in the comments your stay awake tricks!

To Ride or Not to Ride: Hampton Roads Transit Part 2

There are many places you might want to go, for various reasons in Hampton. I am only going to list the really important ones here, as a quick reference for any future trips.

Malls

Patrick Henry Mall

Location:12300 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA 23602

Phone: (757) 249-4305

Bus Routes: 107, 111, 113, 116, 119

Since Peninsula Town Center opened up, Patrick Henry has become a lot less of a hot spot. However, it is still good for those mall staples, like Spencer’s, the Food Court, and Auntie Annie’s Pretzel (yum!). Getting a ride here could be a lot more expensive, because of the increased distance. Driving it can take 20 minutes, more if there is traffic. It will admittedly take longer if you take the bus, but since most people go to Patrick Henry with their friends it should go by quickly. Just make sure you know what bus you are taking and which bus you’re using to get back. With buses, lack of information can cost you up to 3 hours of lost time, especially in that area, which is technically Newport News.

You will need at least 2 buses to get there, more if you do it wrong. None of the buses that go to this mall leave from Hampton Transit Center. To get there from Hampton you will need to either take another bus from Peninsula Towne Center, or from the Newport News Transit Center (NNTC). The buses to Peninsula are listed below, and the buses that go to NNTC are the 101, 103, and the 961 from Hampton Transit Center.

From NNTC  you take the 107 to Patrick Henry, which can be 35 minutes and operates daily. It leaves NNTC every hour at xx:15.

From Peninsula Towne Center, you can take the 113 to the mall, which only operates Fri.- Sun. in the evenings and afternoon. Check the schedule for exact times as they vary.

Peninsula Towne Center

Location: 4410 East Clairborne Square, Hampton, VA, 23666

Phone: (757) 838-1505

Bus Routes: 102, 105, 113, 114, 118

Peninsula Towne Center has become a very popular spot for dining, shopping and hanging out. It’s main selling points are the Target, Five Guys, and the Forever 21. They have a little bit of everything. Taking the bus has the added advantage of not having to search for parking. The buses that go there from the Hampton Transit Center are the 102, 114, and the 118. Click on any bus number for a link to its schedule. 

The 102 is pretty much specifically for Peninsula Towne Center with maybe 2 other official stops on the way. It leaves HTC once every hour, at xx:20. When leaving from HTC make sure you give yourself 20 minutes to get there, because nothing sucks more than watching your bus pull away, and having to wait for another 15-30 minutes for the next one. Luckily, there are other Peninsula buses that leave from HTC. 

The 118 also leaves every hour, at xx:15. It will take you 20 minutes to get to the Towne Center, which will be listed on the schedule as Coliseum Square. The 114 bus leaves twice an hour, at xx:20 and xx:50 until 8:00 pm, after which it only runs once an hour at xx:50.

Grocery Stores

Farm Fresh #1: Coliseum Dr. 

Location: 2190 Coliseum Dr., Hampton, VA, 23666

Hours: 6am – Midnight, 7 Days A Week

Phone: (757) 827- 4816

Bus Routes: 118, 102

The 118 and 102 bus both go here. The 118 leaves every hour at xx:15 and the 102 leaves every hour at xx:19. The bus should take around 20 minutes from the Hampton Transit Center. This Farmfresh is right down the street from Peninsula Towne Center on Coliseum Dr. You should request a stop as soon as you see the Farm Fresh come up on your right. For the 102, there is not an official stop for that Farmfresh so you’ll might have to ask the driver to stop when you get to it.

Farm Fresh #2: Phoebus

Location: 608 E Mercury Blvd, Hampton, VA, 23663

Hours: 6am – Midnight, 7 Days A Week

Phone: (757) 723 – 0771

Bus Routes: 120

There are many buses that passby within a block or 2 of this store, but I’d rather give you the most direct bus possible. The only bus that goes right in front of the store is the 120, which leaves HTC every hour at xx:31.

Walmart

Location: 1900 Cunningham Dr., Hampton, VA, 23666

Hours: 24/7, 365 days a year

Phone: (757) 826-6377

Bus Routes: 105, 114, 118

Cheaper than Farmfresh, with great deals on everything you probably shouldn’t be eating in large portions. Conveniently open all the time, which is great for design students in the middle of the night who need supplies and snacks. NO one wants to run out of Sharpies in the middle of a section drawing.


The 118 leaves HTC at xx:15 every hour, starting at 6:15, and arrives at the Pine Chapel Rd. and Freeman stop at xx:29, with the last bus arriving at 10:29 pm. 
The 105 is a special bus that I'm guessing is specifically for those working the early shift at Walmart. it only arrives at 6:12 am on weekdays. It leaves the Newport News Transit Center at 5:40 am also on weekdays only.
The 114 is another special bus, but with a few more drop off times. This bus appears to be picking up the graveyard shift at Walmart. Instead of going to the NNTC, it goes to the HTC at 5:53, 6:23, and 6:53 am. 
For all the Walmart buses, the stop should either be Pine Chapel Rd. and Barrack St., Pine Chapel Rd. and Freeman, or something with Pine Chapel in it. If you need further directions, ask the bus driver. 

Not Braggin', Just Sayin' with Bonus Pictures

So yeah, in honor of me making the  2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner’s All-Academic Team, I decided to do a bonus photography post. You can check out Hampton's honorees here. I never thought that I would publish these pictures, because I was like come on,what are the odds of sailing randomly jumping back into my life? Welp, in a very suspicious twist of fate it has, so here are some photos honoring my sailing experience. There aren't a lot of photos, but in my defense, electronics are the last thing you want to take with you out on the water. 

Josh and another teammate in the motor boat.

Yeah......

The view of the dock and Marine Science building from the water. At this particular point in time, we're going to meet the other boats that are already out on the water so we can switch crews.

A boat from our sailing fleet 

A view of Hampton that people outside the sailing team rarely get to see.

Anya looking pensively out into the distance

Lake Anna -shudders- never again. I think every boat out there capsized that day. I know we did.  Which is probably the worst time to find out that someone's waterproof bodysuit is taking in water.  

Boat 12 again and a side shot of some sailors head. 

That's all I have for now, stay tuned for more photography series' in the future. I've got bunches of photos from this and previous school years that I haven't bothered putting anywhere, let's see if I change my mind.