Archive for the ‘Random Posts’ Category

ADA on Campus


2011
12.01

Bowling Green’s campus seems to be severely outdated in their ADA requirements.  It is evident by the lack of handicap students that attend the school.  In my four years of being on campus I have only seen maybe 3-4 handicap students that are wheelchair bound.  I understand that my observations could be wrong but the fact that I don’t see more handicap students seems to be troubling.  Many of the buildings on campus are old and outdated which means that they most likely do not require certain ADA specifications.  A prime example of buildings on campus that are not ADA appropriate are the Conklin Greek Units.  Granted, a high population of the students at BG do not step foot in these buildings but the fact that there are no elevators, no ramps, and no level entrances is very disheartening.  Every unit has at least one step to get into the building and then in order to get into the rooms, bathrooms, computer labs, etc you have to walk up one or two flights of stairs.  Recently, a fraternity brother of mine was on crutches.  He had to live downstairs in the lounge because it was too painful for him to walk up the stairs.  That meant he couldn’t do laundry, go to the computer lab, take showers when he wanted, and would have to wait for someone to help him if he forgot something in his room.

I know that the university is trying their best to accommodate ADA requirements and I think they are doing the best they can.  There are just some updates that I feel the university should do to help attract more students and ease students that have had injuries.

Technology


2011
10.18

In general, technology has taken over the western society’s culture.  Today’s generation of young adults, teenagers, and children have grown up in a world of vast technological expansion and a world in which all they know of is new technology.  Nearly everyone has a computer in their home, TV’s all have HD or 3D capabilities, cellphones are more prevalent than ever, tablets and mp3 players were introduced before anyone even knew they needed one.  Every industry has been affected by technology for both good and bad reasons.  For the purposes of this blog post I will focus on the specific industry of the food and beverage industry of tourism for what technology has done for this industry.

The major benefit of new technology in the food and beverage industry is the ease of Point-of-Sale systems (POS).  They are computers that the servers input an order and it is sent directly to the kitchen.  Gone are the days of paper tickets and hand-written orders in most restaurants.  Orders can be brought back up, specialized, and help with analyzing product data.  This is the first benefit of technology, ease of managing inventory and cost procedures.  The POS helps record all purchases and will give revenue print outs at the end of each shift or year.  The major drawback to this systm is that it takes loner for the food to get back to the kitchen.  With a hand-written order, all the server has to do is write the order and put it in the kitchen for the cooks to make.  The POS forces ever server to write the order from the table and then go to the POS and type everything back in to send to the kitchen.

Another way that technology has improved is through the use of the internet.  Small businesses can post their websites to come up on Google which allows people unfamiliar with the area to type keywords such as “sub shop Bowling Green” and up pops Mister Spots, Dave’s Cosmic Subs, and Jimmy Johns.  it helps the local businesses be seen more by outsiders rather than the visitors having to search throughout the city for a sub shop.  The downside to this is if you dont have a website or have a website that is outdated, it can turn away business because people can’t locate you easily or can’t receive any information by themselves, leading them to go to a familiar place such as Subway in this example.

The Aloha POS produced by NCR Corporation is a software program that helps professionals in the hospitality industry manage their inventory, prevent theft, and ensure speed of service throughout the location.

The strengths of this software program are:

  1. Speed.
  2. Organization.
  3. Order accuracy.
  4. Higher Sales.
  5. Easier Accounting.

The weaknesses of this software program are:

  1. Expensive.
  2. Hard to use.
  3. If it breaks down then you might lose everything.
  4. Difficulty receiving quick service support.
  5. Will not last as long or will soon become outdated as technology grows and expands.

Cedar Point Dinner


2011
10.06

I thought I would do a post on a cool experience I will be doing for the next few weeks that involves a facility.  I work s a server at Cedar Point and they are going through Halloweekends until Sunday October 30.  Every Sunday I work as a banquet server for the G.A. Boeckling’s Eerie Estate Banquet.  The banquet is a fine dining dinner that consists of your choice of lobster tail, filet mignon, crab legs, and a special desert.  The really cool part about the dinner is the facility in which its placed in — an actual haunted house in Cedar Point!  The beginning of the dinner  starts with a lighted tour through the house which provides behind-the-scenes information about the haunted house and the history of some of the decorations.  At the middle of the house is the dining area which seats between 3 and 25 people.  Guests are seated in a very creepy looking room and the meal is hosted by their tour guides and banquet servers — all of whom are painted and dressed like monsters.  The meal lasts about an hour and then they go about the second half of the house and back into the park.  The haunted house then opens up to the public shortly after clean-up.  The cost?  A very affordable $68.95 a person. In terms of the facility, I just felt that it was one of the coolest facilities I have seen a while.  The theme was spectacular and the guests really enjoyed it.  It was very cool to see the place transform into a dining room and then back to a haunted house again.  Hopefully as the weekends go by I will have some pictures of the facility to post on here.  For now I will leave you with the photo of myself and what I look liked during the event.  Enjoy!

 

UPDATE: 10/24/2011

Uploaded all the other pictures and put them in a gallery.  There is also a great news article with more great pictures at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201109/2669/

 

Blog SWOT – Cedar Point Blog “OnPoint”


2011
09.04

The blog I chose to do a SWOT analysis of is Cedar Point’s Blog “OnPoint.”  It has been in existence since June 24, 2005 and has around 40-50 posts per calendar year.  It gives behind-the-scenes interviews and pictures to help give the average Cedar Point guest a unique viewing experience outside of their time at Cedar Point.  Here is my SWOT analysis of this blog:

Strengths:

  1. Behind-the-scenes information
  2. Authentic
  3. Easy to navigate
  4. Simple
  5. Up to Date
  6. Responds back to questions and comments promptly
  7. Personal
  8. Official
Weaknesses:
  1. No “About” section
  2. No “Search” feature
  3. Lack of visibility within main homepage
  4. Doesn’t automatically go from blog-to-blog
Opportunities:
  1. Good Public Relations
  2. Help with other social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  3. Easy communication between management and guests
  4. Promotional advertisement
Threats:
  1. Other websites
  2. Negative comments
  3. Not enough views
  4. Outdated form of social networking
The blog really is well-done and professional.  I think it has an appeal to readers who have a genuine interest within the tourism industry and cedar Point specifically.  It is very informative and helps answer a lot of questions brought forth by guests.  It is a good blog with a lot of great attributes.
My link button still isn’t working.  Total Bummer 🙁

Favorite Facility – Newport Aquarium


2011
09.01

Newport Aquarium located in Newport, Kentucky is located directly on the Ohio River just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.

My favorite facility is the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky.  I have only been here a few times but everytime I go I am always amazed about how great this facility truly is.  My most memorable experience at this facility was for my sister’s wedding.  She had the wedding in January of 2010 and it was a great experience.  The facility has a multi-purpose room that can be used for just about any banquet style of event and holds up to about 200 people.  Renting out the facility also includes free tours of the aquarium and other various perks for you and your guests.  The thing I loved most about the facility was the atmosphere and uniqueness.  Nowhere else can you have an event and then during the event walk around the aquarium with h’orderves and a glass of wine or beer.  The facility is very large and includes plenty of behind-the scenes space for any event.  The location is also a huge plus because it is located directly next to a mall and the Ohio River gives a stunning view during the day and night.  If you’ve never been there or are looking for a great venue for your next event, this is the place to go.


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