Born to Hear Lana Del Rey

I'd been hearing and reading the name Lana Del Rey for quite sometime now and surprisingly the name alone had not intrigued me enough to see what all the fuss was about... until I came across the link to her video "Born to Die" on Vevo. In that moment, bam!, it happened. I had a revelation. I had been taken back to the 50's (which unfortunately, I've never been able to actually experience), a time where mainstream artists included, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett, and Frank Sinatra. Del Rey's sultry, low-pitched, raspy voice captivated me in a way that made me want MORE. Not only are the lyrics to "Born to Die" so perfectly relatable to living young, wild, and free (in the words of Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa) the visual cinematography of the video is also something that is worth watching. Over & over again.

Aside from all the backlash and accusal of Del Rey's questionable authenticity as a 'real' underground, raunchy, avant-garde persona she tries to portray, I for one try not to give in to everyone else's opinion and simply close my eyes or in this case open my eyes, to watch a performance that upholds true potential and talent. Unless we have another case of Milli Vanilli then Lana Del Rey's voice and songwriting is good enough to convince me she is the "self-styled gangsta Nancy Sinatra" she claims to be.

Lana Del Rey's debut album Born to Die is out now on iTunes.

Club Launched At North Campus To Serve The LGTBQA Community

                                                                                             ADAJAH FRANCOIS CODIO / THE REPORTER

A new student club—Unity—was launched at North Campus this semester to support lesbian, gay, transgender, questioning and asexual/straight allies on campus. 


Kendall and Wolfson Campuses have similar clubs that serve the LGTBQ community.


“I want to inform people that we are not infectious. We are people, and people should treat us the way we treat them,” said President Danyelle R. Carter, who previously served as the North Campus Student Government Association’s vice president and public relations director. “We are not contagious—this is just who we are. It is okay to be the way you are.”


Unity seeks to invoke positive change toward a society in which everyone can participate free of negative stereotypes and as equal-members. With the hope of making that possible, Carter went to the Student Life Department at North Campus to launch the organization.


“I started looking for faculty members who could help me start this club and would be willing to become advisers,” Carter said. “I think that, due to the community our club was geared for, our response was enormous.”


Carter worked vigorously to let people know the club existed.


“I was promoting the club 10 hours a day for two weeks, passing out flyers and informing students on what we were all about,” Carter said. “I was leaving school at 10 p.m. every night.”


The hard work paid off. Unity currently has 68 registered members.


“I had known about the clubs that already existed at both Wolfson and Kendall and was wondering why North didn’t have one,” said club member Omar Ruig, 18. “I hope that people realize that with this club they don’t just have to come to school get their degree and leave, but they have somewhere to go to for support."


The club participates in events such as street cleanups, ice cream socials, discussing LGBTQA recent news, watching documentaries, conducting leadership workshops, hosting forums on human sexuality, and donating to the Animal Humane Society, North Dade Regional Library and the Miami Rescue.


Informational meetings are held every Monday in Room 1213 from 12-1 p.m. and social meetings are held from 1-2 p.m.


“Being a part of Unity has affected me positively because I’ve been able to meet other people like me,” said Rochelle Perez, a 19-year-old North Campus student, who said she is asexual.


Co-adviser Amnel Molina says the club offers students a safe haven and a support group where they can talk about their concerns, fears, and experiences.


“Over the years, I have talked to students who have expressed to me the pressure they've felt coming out to their parents.  Some have even contemplated suicide after facing rejection from their family members,” Molia said. “We want to spread the message that you are not alone and that there is nothing unethical about someones sexual preference.”

Rihanna's 'We Found Love' Video Is 'Intense,' Readers Say

Courtesy Google Images

I was quoted in an article MTV wrote about Rihanna's new music video for "We Found Love"! I'm very excited about this seeing as my dream one day is to be able to work for MTV. I placed the link below so you all have a chance to read it. My review for "We Found Love" will be posted soon! Xo

Rihanna's 'We Found Love' Video Is 'Intense,' Readers Say

Beyoncé's 'Love On Top' Hits The Spot

You gotta give it up for Beyoncé; she is the queen of making simplistic but delightfully tasteful music videos that become major hits, and she's done it again with the premiere of "Love On Top", the latest single off her 4 album.

After the success of the uncomplicated and almost effortless video's such as the chart-topping "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It" and one of her most latest singles "1+1", Beyoncé has proven once again that she can do no wrong.

In a tuxedo filled, '80's inspired video, Beyoncé stuns us with amazing vocals, a lot of finger snapping, one setting and that certain glow we just can't get enough of.

The "Love On Top" video was clearly inspired by New Edition's '80s smash hit, "If It Isn't Love". Everything from the doo-wop beat, to the classic choreography, and even the warehouse setting the video was shot in resembles the video of the R&B group in which Bobby Brown jumpstarted his career.

Using this very song to announce her pregnancy to the world during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, it was quite surprising to see Beyoncé with no signs of a baby bump. Unfortunately, the bootylicious star shot the video prior to her pregnancy.

Needless to say, this video is a fresh and fun 3-minute break from your regular daily activities. So click play, sit back and enjoy, 'Love On Top' is guaranteed to have you smiling from ear to ear in no time.

MDC Pride Student Club Expands to North, Kendall Campuses

Courtesy Google Images

Miami Dade College Pride, an organization at Wolfson Campus aimed at encouraging students to educate each other about issues such as gender identity and sexual orientation, is expanding to the North and Kendall Campuses.

The organization has committed itself to providing a place where students can let their guard down and be completely open without feeling judged or discriminated against.

“We don’t want it to be your normally structured organization,” said MDC Pride President Jamesly Louis. “We want to create a social environment where people can feel open and comfortable enough to talk about absolutely anything.”

MDC Pride currently holds 80 members and functions as a support group that provides safety and confidentiality to students struggling with their identities such as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ).

“This club provides a really inviting atmosphere and it’s nice to know there’s a place where I can be completely open and feel comfortable,” MDC student Ruth Gonzalez said. “I’m not gay, but I am a huge supporter of equal rights so I’m definitely proud to be a member of this group.”

Pridelines Youth Services, a nonprofit organization that began in MDC in 1982 and was created by gay youth in support for the LGBTQ, has teamed up with MDC Pride to provide a comprehensive system of services for the club.

“In exchange for a certain number of community service hours, we have been able to provide our members with complimentary y tickets to shows at the Arsht Center, the Lady Gaga concert, picnics, proms and many more events all thanks to Pridelines Youth Services,” Louis said.

The organization’s most recent activity was promoting safe sex practices in affiliation with Care Resources, which is part of the Miami-Dade County Health Department. In March, the organization will start fundraising in a Mardi Gras-themed event that will help toward building a new school in one of New Orleans’ most damaged areas.

“Before it is my time to depart from MDC Pride, my goal is for all campuses to have MDC Pride and for it to be the biggest and most known organization within the school,” Louis said.

MDC Pride meetings are held every Wednesday at the Wolfson Campus, 300 N.E. Second Ave., Room 2313 at 12 p.m. A schedule for meetings at the North and Kendall campuses has not been set yet.