Halloween is Approaching!

Although Halloween is still about a month ahead of us, the searches for the perfect costume have already begun. Every year, there is an “It” costume; the one that everyone wants. Last year Lady Gaga topped the list. The extravagant “Lady Gaga”, who seems to celebrate Halloween everyday however, has become the inspiration for the most popular costumes for various years.

A Lady Gaga costume may not be your cup of tea, but there are many other fashionable costumes to choose from. Jersey shore costumes have also been highly searched on the internet. A pouf like Snooki’s may take some time and hard work but it’s possible. Maybe you can even add the orange tan to make the costume look more realistic.

You also have those costumes that are popular year after year.

“I think I want to be a gogo girl or a flapper,” said Sudyen Navarette, a senior in the Health Academy. Bringing back the oldies is always a safe choice.

For guys who are interested in finding the right costume, Star Wars costumes have been among the most popular searches; next to pirates, devils and mummies, of course.

 “Party city’s most popular sales for guys are the Spiderman and Batman costumes, and for girls, the Jersey Shore costumes are very popular this year,” said Sophia Cordero, an employee at the Party City in Miami Gardens. Costumes of TV show stars are flying off the shelves this year.

Other possibilities that may be popular are costumes based on recent movies, such as “Alice in Wonderland” and vampire costumes. With these two options you really can’t go wrong.

No matter what you decide, make Halloween as fun as possible. Dress up as something that’s in and fun, and that you would NEVER consider wearing on casual days. And if you need inspiration, just try to picture what Lady Gaga would wear this year, even though it remains a mystery to us.

A Night of Faith at Rock the Universe

Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida hosts a Christian music festival every year. This year was no different, as thousands of Christians flooded the park for a night filled with music from bands like Relient K, Tenth Avenue North, Everfound, Toby Mac and Switchfoot.

The concerts began at night but throughout the day fans had plenty of opportunities to get into the world of Christian music. Several bands, Relient K and Tenth Avenue North among them, signed autographs for fans. Everfound, a fairly new band of Russian brothers, invited fans to meet them and stop by to chat.

Although the day was filled with big names in the industry, the night was truly about their faith. Artists remain true to their music and inspired audiences to believe in themselves and their God. Toby Mac, spoke a couple of words from the Bible before beginning one of his most popular songs and other bands, like Relient K and Everfound, reminded the audience that we all go through difficult things, but that everything would be alright.

The performances were finished with an astounding performance by Switchfoot. Hundreds of fans crowded near the stage as they played some of their favorites; the crowd alone could carry the songs along.

As the night came to an end, Tenth Avenue North played worship music and others prayed over the night and everyone who had participated in as the crowd held up candles in the candlelight ceremony that take place every year.

It was a remarkable night. 

 Lead singer of Everfound, Nikita Odnoralov.

 Lead singer of Everfound Nikita Odnoralov (left) and guitarist Larry Odnoralov (right).

 Guitarist of Everfound, Ruslan Odnoralov.

 Toby Mac and band

 Toby Mac in the center of the crowd.

 Relient K preforming a new song, Boomerang. 

 Lead singer of Switchfoot, Jon Foreman.

 Lead singer of Switchfoot, Jon Foreman, standing on the drum set.

 Candlelight ceremony

Lead singer of Tenth Avenue North, Mike Donehey, finishing the night.

All photos were taken by Flavia Cuervo.

Tribute to Tia and Tamara!

Tia and Tamara Mowry began both of their careers as teenage actresses in "Sister, Sister." After leaving that show and branching out to other acting jobs, they both ventured out in their separate ways.

Tia Mowry pursued various acting jobs as did Tamara but now, in 2011 they began a new reality series together-- "Tia and Tamara." A show that shows their typical daily lives. Their arguments, their laughs, their adventures.

This show allows fans to actually see their favorite stars in everyday situations, and become part of their experiences. Tia got married in 2008 and recently gave birth to her only child Cree Mowry. Tamara got married in 2011, and the most recent news shows that she too is having a baby.

Both of Tia and Tamara have grown into successful women. In this show, Tia has gotten married, had a child, and still continued to film her Christmas musical for ABC family. While Tamara has gotten married, purchased a new house in Napa and is now pregnant.

After 119 episodes of "Sister, Sister" Tia and Tamara have created quite a name for themselves. With this new installment of "Tia and Tamara" their fans could continue their journey as they strive to live normal lives while juggling motherhood, and marriages.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that can't wait for their future successes!

Muslim Women at Catholic Universities?

Muslim women are a minority within a minority, especially when to comes to education. 

Ten years ago, according to the New York Times, Dayton University in Ohio - a Catholic university - had only 12 Muslim students – all of which were male. Today they have 78 Muslim students of which about 26 are women.

Muslim students, whether from the United States or abroad, say they prefer a school where religious practice is accepted. They feel more comfortable in an environment where there is faith, although it’s not their own faith. Muslim women in particular like the conservative nature of Catholic schooling. They like the less liberal and more traditional mentality on campus.

In fact, many Catholic Universities try to accommodate Muslim students the best they can. Dayton University helps Muslim students plan for religious events and has set aside a room for their daily prayer routines. Muslim students felt more respected at Catholic universities than they would a secular college.

With the respect, however, come a lot of questions and glances. Muslim women are not able to blend in because of their head scarves and oftentimes what some would consider overly conservative dress. Students around campus are intrigued by them and can’t help asking why they chose a Catholic university. 

One Direction: A Year Later

On September 5th, 2011, I wrote a blog for Teenlink endorsing my favorite band, One Direction, then unknown to American eyes/ears. Now, most girls I know are "Directioners". I am proud to say I was one before they came across the pond. A year later, these 5 boys have not only been the first British-Irish boyband to have their debut album go number one on the US music charts in a week, but have also had these accomplishments as well:

• 8 million singles sold
• 3 million copies of their debut album, "Up All Night" sold
• 1 million  copies of their concert DVD "Up All Night: The Live Tour" sold
• their own television biography special, One Direction: A Year in the Making
• winnings of a BRIT Award for "What Makes You Beautiful", a NME award, two Kid's Choice Awards, and 3 Teen Choice Awards
• musical guests on Saturday Night Live
• Guest stars on iCarly (iGo One Direction) and Saturday Night Live
• 3 VMA nominations for "Best New Artist", "Best Pop Video" and "Most Share-Worthy Video" (in which they are currently beating Justin Bieber by 600,000 votes)
• 3 sold out arena tours from December 2011-September 2013 and a sold out show in Madison Square Garden this December
• a performance at the London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony to over 2 million
• already being #1 on the iTunes pre-order charts for their second album "Take Me Home" and the pre-order of their first single off that album, Live While We're Young
• an international, loyal fanbase known as "Directioners" whom they refer to as "our girls"

Currently, the boys are in Los Angeles getting ready for the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, which are going to be held in the Staples Center on September 6th. These boys have made it so far in such a short amount of time. To think it's only the beginning for Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik; One Direction.

Link to my blog about One Direction in September 2011
 
                                      One Direction's first studio album, "Up All Night"

 

 

The boys' second studio album, "Take Me Home" out November 13th

 

 

 

Liam, Harry, Louis, Zayn, and Niall in concert