Davidson College - Quips and Cranks Yearbook (Davidson, NC)

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LIGHTS fHE The Charlotte nightlife. The name it- self conjures up wild, entrancing visions of glitter, pomp and extravagant revelry. One cannot hope to put into a few paltry pages what has turned out to be the cul- mination of a lifetime search for social meaning. Gone are the days of dreary evenings, seedy excursions, foraging for the most dismal fun and inevitably find- ing it. This sparkling city of the gods pro- vides more than even the most luxuriant and adventurous lifestyle could ask for. Let ' s begin with Eastland Mall. Many people lament the intrusion of malls. The dehumanizing effect they seem to have on the already arctic atmosphere of the market system. Certainly such an assess- ment might be true of some shopping malls, but anyone who has ever visited Eastland would chuckle at such a com- ment. To truly appreciate this pleasure dome, you must make a special point to be there around Christmas. However, since it ' s not merely a seasonal experience, but a constant one, we can explore it wihtout danger of limiting ourselves too much. The following may seem to illuminate the grandeur of the place. Imagine you are standing two stories above the skating rink on a typical after- noon, watching young people glide like gilded fairies across the glazed surface of a winter lake. As you idly chew on your corn dog (bought from one of the many fine exotic food booths of the Gourmet Gardens ) you wish silently, wistfully, that you could be out there, too, perhaps holding hands with your favorite girl. Suddenly there is a commotion from behind you. You turn cheerfully around to wave or give a warm, friendly smile to all your friends who are enjoying this self-same communal experience and a fat woman with a bulging sack of grocer- ies slams into you like the 10:30 train from Omaha. Your wish is then fulfilled, because you are now on the skating rink. Eastland Mall is a wish- fulfilling kind of place. But this is certainly only the smallest CITY taste of what is truly to be found in the city. It has been said that Charlotte has more restaurants per block than any oth- er city in the world. From a student ' s point of view, this may be true, since more often than not dinner means an economical round of highballs or exotic punch drinks. This latter concern with Vitamin-C consumption leads to perhaps the most exotic, most mysterious culinary grotto in Charlotte: Casa Gallardo. Though Casa lays dubious claims to serving Mexican food, it makes no difference to the Da- vidson man or woman whether they serve Mexican or Nepalese cuisine; the important items on the menu are not to be eaten with a fork and spoon, but with a straw. After a couple of Pifia Coladas, the ambience of Casa, which strikes the viewer at first as being something akin to a Spanish Romper Room, suddenly transforms into a mystical Aztec warrior den. Wild voodoo music throbs all around, and the Arabian waiters, dis- guised as Spaniards, begin to add a sense of danger and perilous thrill. Too scary to put into words, really. As for dancing, for 90-mile-a-minute getting down, no place has quite the mix- ture of understated elegance and subtle deviance that Dixie Electric can lay claim to. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from Cinema Blue on the one hand and still within sight of Slug ' s Thirtieth Edition on the other, this is perhaps the social hub of Charlotte. Where else can a young, foolish and very happy Myrtle Beacher run into a dark-eyed, red-haired punk girl? This is a cultural experience, a social experi- ence and a traumatizing experience all at once. There is a wealth of big weekend date material there. The list goes on: Eli ' s, La Paz, Whis- pers, Dickadee ' s, Victoria Station (all you can eat ribs for ten bucks on Saturday night), Taco Bell, Slug ' s Rib, Nikado ' s, Grapevine Records, Cinema and Draft House, Krispy Kreme, Moxies and The Double Door Inn. Check your local list- ings for information on any of these places if you haven ' t already been. — John Marks IT MAY NOT BE NEW YORK, but the familiar Charlotte skyline paints an inviting picture for most Davidson students. NOT ONES TO PASS UPA GOOD DRINK, David- son students frequent Charlotte ' s Casa Gallardo for nachos and Margueritas.

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.•in e came early In spring term aftei .1 horrendous night of playing quarters In the 900 Room The derelli ts I was with (!.•( Ided in climb to the rool oi ' ham- bars, Davidson ' s Favorite off-limits hangoul Well, we made it to the top; we even caught .1 glimpse of the Chamber- maids before being frightened away by .1 friend impersonating Deputy Dawg. Mm those days are gone for good Some vicious administrator bolted the doors i the roof so well that even the most suit l« dal student couldn ' t gel to the top. (I ' ll bet it was tin 1 same person who bolted the Hi-Ik tower trap door.] Climbing remained .1 pastime during sophomore year, but my determination dwindled somewhat One dawn, a fear- earbook staffer and 1 did reach the top of the town water tower In search of the awe-inspiring Sunrise over David- sun ' photograph. I never was one for heights, though, and at 5:30 a.m. acro- phobia is nut ,1 pleasant experieni a That yeat rappelling off the K ITC towei took the pi. 11 ■• hi climbing lhambers but the tluill nl the unknown was lost In th sit 1. ii And practicing climbing down something directly misses the | it of all tins |unior year had Its thrills, howi The night some football playei reached the tip hi Bflk towei while breaking training still lingers In my mind It re- minded me of a scene in this movie about .1 huge monkey and some dumb blonde . . . Bill Bolding was not Impressed Also during junior year I climbed my firsl eat- ing house Someone had the keen Idea ol having some house members pose on the rool for tin ' group picture ( )| [.iiursi- I volunteered. Unfortunately, there was no easy u.iv to gel back down. I could see myseli stranded and being sent food- stuffs through the chimney. The David- sonian headline would read: Student Adds New Meaning to I wit Luckily then lund 1 llimbing as a sport has diminished in ai :t tins year, but sum. ... held to tradition by turn- l-flooi ledges into sunbathing ; till in-. H reports ol water- ind ( a in a while a daring fool will attempt to quer M I Chambers Vet the true art has thei time-honored tra- dition tedding down hills with Slatei tray s, pitching coal hangers on the roof of the carpentry shop that used lobe behind .. union, and starting sid fires on cold, dark nights I guess all we can hope foi to rejuvenate the sport is an incoming freshman class with a fetish for getting high .... — |im Reese DORMS PROVIDE INTERESTING ,is Cambria Mi-ltun discovers in Little nifo.1 PARENTS GET A GOOD WORKOUT at the begin- ning nfivich year moving theirchildren into David- son dorms. On Top of Things 25

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t S r fi ICE ; SKATING j FARRELLS : TUESDAYS : GOURMET GARDENS The City I