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THF MTY Tuesday, April 11, 2006 —I— —I 1— —I—^ -1.T I I ^ JL. Page 9 % ‘ Rimee Rl. Rlurray THE GAMECOCK Student completes novel, hopes • to jumpstart dream career Christlo Jordan, a fourth-year print journalism student, is waiting to hear if his novel will be published. Jordan embellished his personal life experiences to write “Covet,” the story of two people who fall in love over the telephone. After marrying other people, they realize they made the wrong decision, so they find ways to still be together. While one main character, William Bradley Jordan, is similar to the author, the other main character, Zenethia Michelle Barnes, is similar to the author’s close friend. Jordan said that suspense is one of the major elements of his book. “First of all it’s a taboo love story because it’s not typical,” he said. “The characters have to go through obstacles to do the right thing. It also has comedy in it ... things that will make people laugh. It’s really a book for those who ever regretted letting their soul mate go.” “Covet” is the first of two books. At the end of “Covet,” the reader will be left with questions that the second novel will answer. “Thou shall not covet,” Jordan said. “By the end of the book, readers will see why you should think twice about cheating in your relationships. It’s not a fairy tale outcome at all.” Jordan, who is 28 years old, never meant to be a novelist. He began writing with hopes of becoming a poet. Poets Langston Hughes and Edgar Allan Poe have inspired him the most. On Saturday nights Jordan performs his poetry at Tranquility, a healing arts center on State Street in West Columbia. “I’ll always do poetry because poetry is my first love,” he said. The urge to write hit Jordan in 2004, but he did not actually begin writing until April 2005. He said writing this novel was easy because it was based on issues and relationships in his life and even before he started, he already knew everything he wanted to write. Jordan said that he had to write the book as a full-time student, so the process took longer than it would have otherwise. Now, almost 11 months later, the novel is finished and in the hands of publishers. “I’ve had a publishing company contact me, but I don’t want to say anything else about it because I might jinx it,” Jordan said. Jordan’s wife, Marisa, has not yet read the novel. Jordan does not plan * on telling her the theme or the subject of “Covet” until it is released. “I’m happy that he’s doing the book and fulfilling his dreams,” she said. Jordan already has two other novels in mind. , “The third novel will be based on personal experiences again but through four different relationships,” he said. “One relationship will be between two gay individuals, one a husband and a wife, another a girlfriend and a boyfriend, and the last one I haven’t decided on yet.” Jordan hopes that “Covet” will be published by a good company to jumpstart his career as a novelist and poet. -- - Comments on this story? E-mail gamecock features@gwm.sc. edu Amateurs get taste of design, virtual-style Online skyscraper allows companies, Web users to showcase talents, advertise A Kristen Truesdale ASSISTANT MIX EDITOR You won’t find Hugh Hefner in Richard Carroll’s penthouse. ProjectPenthouse.com, Carroll’s online creation, is a virtual skyscraper built by designers and companies looking to showcase their talent. The site got its start in January of 2006. Carroll, an experienced designer and webmaster who loves to entertain new ideas, wanted to involve and motivate other designers with his project. “I wanted to create a dynamic • exquisite corpse-style project where interaction with the project could constantly change the face of the design,” he said. “The idea is to obtain the ‘penthouse suite,’ so I called it ‘Project Penthouse’.” When Carroll says “exquisite corpse,” he is referring to a technique where people share and combine ideas into one solid work of art. According to the definition on the Web site (www.exquisitecorpse.com), this concept, “based on an old parlor game, was played by several people, each of whom would write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold the paper to conceal part of it, and pass it on to the next player for his contribution.” The skyscraper, composed of unique digital “floors,” constantly changes based on user interaction. Users compete to design the best looking floor with one objective in mind: to climb to the top, also known as the penthouse. Becky Kearns, a second-year public relations student, checked out the designs on the site. “It gives people a chance to showcase their talents of being able to create their own creative room and have their Web sites linked to them,” Kearns said. “People have the chance to look at the unique styles of each room and connect to the artist’s web page and read their blogs.” The room that will receive the most reviews is obviously the penthouse suite, which will reside on the top of the page. Users’ actions determine the number of points they receive, which in turn determine the level of their floors. They can climb the building either by sending others to view the project, or they can buy their way to the top. Carroll sells points to help support the site, but owning a floor is free for all. The designs of the floors can be as creative as the designer likes, and each includes a caption as well as a link chosen by the designer to accompany the floor. “So far my favorite floor design is the gear,” Carroll said, “but my favorite floor owner is the Harley Quine floor (the red-brick design). Harley’s enthusiasm about the project is what the project is all about.” Although Harley has not sent very many people in total, the same people keep returning to help her climb to the top. “I am very excited to see her participate the way she does,” Carroll said, “and I would love to see a lot more people like her show up.” The site has had anywhere from two to 600 visitors in one day. “I have hardly done anything to spread the word,” Carroll said, “but somehow people continue to find their way to the project.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecock features @gwm. sc. edu , “I wanted to create a dynamic exquisite corpse-style project where interaction with the project could constantly change the face of the design.” RICHARD CARROLL Penthouse t & H f Special to THE GAMECOCK New alarm promises to prevent over-sleeping accidents. lhis weeks hole in your pocket: Blowfly alarm is *most annoying “I’m so sorry! I missed class because I slept through my alarm clock, Professor Insert a professor’s name. More than likely, you, a sleep-deprived student, have told this to a professor in hopes of receiving some kind of pardon, or maybe just sympathy. You know it’s a lame excuse; the professors know it’s a lame excuse. But i it happens. Perhaps the time has come to buy a new alarm clock. With the No. 3 standing on the “Top Ten Most Annoying Alarm Clocks” at Uberreview.com, the blowfly alarm clock just might help you out. The “blowfly” escapes from a cage inside the alarm clock, then moves and produces sound at the time you’re supposed to wake up. To turn it off, you have to catch the “blowfly” and return it to its cage. Some may see it as a fun way to wake up. For others, the clock might fuel aggression early on in the day.