Barnes and Noble Turns New Page in Bullet Editors’ Lives

By MARIAH YOUNG and BULLET STAFF

Our hearts were racing as our feet crossed the threshold of the newly birthed Barnes and Noble bookstore in Central Park. It was a moment to remember as we, the Bullet editors, walked into our “paradise.”

We were greeted by two employees opening the doors with warming smiles, and overheard one employee exclaiming, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid to just stand here and smile.”

The experience was unforgettable. We made our way through the piles of books and magazines as avid bookworms wandered in a daze.

The smell of fresh Starbucks mixed with the aroma of untouched books took over the store. To make it a proper Barnes and Nobles visit, we were obligated to visit the Starbucks Cafe. The coffee was indescribable.

Of course we couldn’t leave the café without stopping to drool over the Cheesecake Factory desserts on display.

“I’m excited for the new Barnes and Nobles I can’t wait to spend my Sundays studying and drinking coffee there,” stated News Editor Alex Van Beek.

We saw Michael McCarthy, UMW Senior Lecturer and advisor of the Bullet, taking in his Barnes and Noble experience. His face glowed almost as brightly as the nooks on display nearby.

McCarthy was famously quoted in a staff editorial last year on Borders’ closing saying, “What kind of Hell town is this place?”

Associate Editor Bridget Balch walked down the aisles with her heart fluttering.

“I’m ecstatic to have Barnes and Noble here to fill the void that Borders left in my life,” said Balch.

If there weren’t an issue of the paper to put out, we would have spent the entire night there, sleeping between Science Fiction and Murder Mystery. Instead, we will be back on Sunday, armed with our laptops and appetite for literature.

As a group of Journalism and English majors, or what some call nerds, the Bullet staff hopes that this store will have better luck than that of its predecessor.