The Reporter Volume 14 Issue 7

Trading Places

Jonathan Lalla, a 21-yearold student, swapped places with Hialeah Campus President Georgette Perez for a day. Read about their experience.

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Bad Break

Shooting guard Ibrahim Zahran fractured his right wrist during a game at Kendall Campus that will force him to miss the rest of the Sharks' season.

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Comfort Media

Most people have a TV show, movie or other media they interact with repeatedly. Why do certain pieces of entertainment media bring us comfort?

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Azúcar Is Sprinkling Some Sugar In Little Havana

10,000 Small Businesses Program alumna, has been sharing her love for ice cream in Little Havana through her shop, Azúcar, since 2011.

SUZANNE BATLLE, AN ALUMNA OF THE GOLDMAN SACHS 10,000 SMALL BUSINESSES PROGRAM AT MIAMI DADE COLLEGE, EXPLAINS HOW HER ICE CREAM SHOP, AZÚCAR, HAS BECOME

By Isabella Arce

isabella.arce001@mymdc.net

Suzanne “Suzy” Batlle grew up feasting on her grandma’s sundaes after dinner. It became a South Florida ritual in the Cuban household.

So, naturally, when she had kids of her own—Tommy and Bianca—she continued the tradition.

But when Batlle was wrestling through a divorce, thyroid cancer and being laid off from Bank of America in 2008, eating ice cream became more than just a tradition. It became her business.

“My kids kept telling me, 'Why don’t you open an ice cream shop?’ and I was like, ‘That’s so dumb. Why would I do that?’”

A LITTLE HAVANA STAPLE.

Batlle recalls. “They just kept on, and I kept thinking about it. Finally, I said, ‘Well, I don’t know how to make ice cream, but I’ll go to school to learn how to make [it].’”

So she attended Penn State’s Ice Cream Short Course in Pennsylvania and Scoop School in St. Louis, Missouri to learn how to make the frozen desert.

Today, her children’s idea is melting the hearts of customers in the soul of Little Havana after she launched Azúcar, a homemade Cuban ice cream shop on Calle Ocho, in 2011.

Four years later, she was part of the first cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program at MDC. The 12-week program at Wolfson Campus helps small businesses improve their networking and

“My kids kept telling me, Why don’t you open an ice cream shop?’ and I was like, ‘That’s so dumb. Why would I do that?’ They just kept on, and I kept thinking about it.

Suzanne "Suzy" Batlle, owner of Azúcar Ice Cream Shop

entrepreneurship skills.

“When I went to college, there wasn’t even social media, so stuff that didn’t even

Stanley Mayhem

The Reporter’s Nicole Del Rio discusses how herd mentality has fueled America’s mass consumption of Stanley cups and the irony of the phenomenon.

PAGE 15

CRIME

Man Accused Of Peeking At Woman In Restroom At Medical Campus

‰ Rishard Parsons, a 29-year-old man, was arrested on charges that he peeked underneath a stall while a woman was using the restroom at Medical Campus on Feb. 9.

By Nikole Valiente nikole.valiente001@mymdc.net

A 29-year-old man was arrested after a woman said he peeked at her while she was using a restroom at Medical Campus on Feb. 9.

Rishard Parsons was charged with voyeurism, disrupting an educational institution and fleeing and eluding a police officer—two misdemeanors and a felony, respectively.

According to a City of Miami police report, Parsons looked underneath a stall as a woman was “naked and using the toilet.” Two other women said they saw the suspect run out of the restroom while the victim was still inside.

A police officer who was working at the campus on an off-duty capacity responded to the incident at 4:40 p.m.

When the officer got to the women’s restroom he announced he was going in and as Parsons exited the stall, he said he “was confused” and used the women’s restroom “by mistake,” according to reports by Local 10 and NBC 6 News.

After being asked to stand in the hallway, Parsons fled the scene.

The suspect took off toward the northwest entrance/exit gate, but the officer cut him off and commanded him to stop, the report said. Parsons then ran southbound through the hallway and exited the southwest entrance/exit gate.

A foot pursuit ensued and a perimeter was set up. Parsons was detained by an officer at the corner of northwest eighth avenue and northwest 18 terrace. He was taken to Miami-Dade’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

According to the police report, Parsons is homeless and is not a Miami Dade College student. Surveillance footage shows him entering the campus “several times without cause.”

The Reporter reached out to Marie Bernardin, the dean of students at Medical Campus, and Public Safety Chief Sharon Smith several times, but they didn’t provide a comment concerning the incident.

To report any public safety issues at the Medical Campus, students can call (305) 237-4100.

PARSONS

TURN TO ICE CREAM PAGE 5

ANDRES GIRALDO / THE REPORTER

ICE CREAM

Azúcar: Suzanne "Suzy" Batlle, a Goldman Sachs

Jazz At Wolfson Presents To Feature Dion Tucker

Trombonist and composer Dion Tucker will perform at the Jazz At Wolfson Presents showcase on March 13 at noon at the Wolfson Campus auditorium, 300 N.E. Second Ave., Room 1261.

The Miami-raised maestro started playing the trombone at the age of 10.

Tucker has performed with various jazz legends, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Hendricks and The Maria Schneider Orchestra, in regions such as Asia, Europe, Africa, Cuba, Turkey and New Zealand.

He’s also performed at the White House, The View, The Today Show, The Jimmy Fallon Show

After developing embouchure dystonia, a rare movement disorder that affects motor control among brass and woodwind players, the trombonist launched The Chops Shop, a YouTube channel that helps brass players become more skilled and confident musicians.

Tucker is currently the jazz director at the New Jersey Youth Symphony and is an adjunct professor at New York University. He’s also a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band.

Jazz at Wolfson Presents is a year-long series at Miami Dade College aimed at honoring the art of jazz through musical performances.

All performances are free and open to the public.

Sara Dhorasoo

MDC Student Lands Bloomberg Internship

Wolfson Campus student Anthony Popsecu has landed an analytics and sales internship at Bloomberg.

During the 10-week program, which starts on May 29 and pays $25 hourly, Popsecu will rotate between Bloomberg’s analytics and sales departments. The internship could result in a full-time job offer.

“For people who dream of working in finances, you’re dreaming of the day when you put on a suit and tie and walk into work in New York,” Popsecu said. “That day is coming and [it’s] definitely up there for where I’m most excited about.”

Popsecu, who was originally pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, is scheduled to graduate from the data analytics bachelor of science program at Miami Dade College in the spring of 2025.

At Wolfson Campus, the 23-year-old was a member of SMIF, the College’s student managed investment fund. On average, he spent six to eight hours a day trading money on the stock market and learning from mentors.

He was also a tutor at the Business Innovation & Technology Center for the Bloomberg Terminal, helping students attain certifications and apply for internships.

Olivia Valkenburg

Kendall Campus Selects Sports Information Coordinator

Stephen Delgado Cruz was appointed as the sports information coordinator at Kendall Campus. He began his position in January.

Delgado will oversee the Miami Dade College athletics’ social media platforms, track game statistics and write articles for the department’s website.

“Our goal is to be one of the best junior college’s in the nation, in every sense of the word,” Delgado said. “And to be the best you have to have good people in every position—administration, coaches, players. We want to excel in every aspect.”

Prior to his current position, the 20-year-old worked as a statistician for the men and women’s volleyball program at Monroe College in New York for three years.

Delgado earned an associate’s degree in business from Monroe College in 2022.

Nikole Valiente

Medical Campus To Host 18th Annual Community Health Fair

Miami Dade College will host its 18th annual community health fair on March 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Medical Campus, 950 N.W 20th St.

It will feature services such as cholesterol, glucose and vision exams, zumba classes, dog vaccinations and a blood drive. There will be information on heart disease, cancer prevention, diabetes, prenatal care, stress relief and more.

The fair, which serves more than 2,000 people annually, will also host a food distribution by Farm Share, a nonprofit food bank in Florida, and a children’s corner with face painting and other activities.

It is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Maggie Perez at (305) 237-4015 or at mperez51@mdc.edu or Gabriel Hernandez at (305) 237-8715 or at ghernan5@mdc.edu.

Sara Dhorasoo

Immerse Yourself In Live Arts Miami Workshop

Octavio Campos, a Miamibased performer and producer, will lead a creative workshop at the Koubek Center, 2705 S.W. Third St., on March 16-17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

He will teach participants about immersive theater—a performance art movement that allows audiences to interact with a production through their five senses—and how to stimulate viewers to engage with their productions.

The workshop is part of LABS, a three-part workshop series launched by Live Arts Miami and the Juggerknot Theatre Company in January to break down the art of immersive theater.

Tickets are $65 and can be purchased at https://bit.ly/49vCfae.

Live Arts Miami is offering five scholarships for Miami Dade College students. To be eligible, students must send a statement explaining their need and interest to liveartsmiami@mdc.edu at least two weeks before the session.

For more information, contact Live Arts Miami at (305) 237-3010.

Maria Eduardo Mottin

Miami Dade College North Campus Appoints Chair Of Social Sciences Department

Edward Rinalducci was appointed chair of the social sciences department at North Campus. He began his position on Jan. 2.

Rindalducci, 55, will work to increase enrollment and educate students on the value of higher education.

“In the social sciences, we aren’t engaged in the kind of education that other majors on campus are, putting people directly in specific jobs,” Rinalducci said. “We’re truly contributing to what higher education used to be; we are helping students develop a more sophisticated understanding of the world, whether it’s through political science, history, sociology [or] psychology.”

Rinalducci previously worked as a sociology professor at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia for six years and at Georgia Southern University for more than 18 years.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from Florida State University in 1991, a master’s degree in psychology from Mississippi State University in 1993. Seven years later, he obtained a doctorate degree in sociology from GSU.

West Campus To Host Delta Blues Tribute Concert

Darrell Arnold, a philosophy professor at North Campus, is performing a Delta Blues tribute concert at West Campus on Feb. 29 at 12:40 p.m.

The event will take place at 3800 N.W. 115 Ave. in Room 1102.

Delta Blues, one of the earliest-known styles of blues, traces its roots back to the Mississippi Delta. It’s dominated by solo performances often accompanied by slide guitar and the harmonica.

Arnold’s show will feature music such as Bessie Smith’s Back-Water Blues , which became associated with the 1927 flood in the lower Mississippi River Valley that killed approximately 1,000 people.

In addition, Arnold will present a slideshow based on his book Portrait of the Blues , featuring social and historical critiques on the movement and the lives of Blues artists.

Arnold, who dabbles in blues, folk and rock music, has released five CDs in 27 years. He won the CD Production of the Year Award in 2003 from the German Pop and Rock Music Association in Germany.

The Nebraska-native has led two bands, Darrell Arnold and the Dead Buffaloes and Darrell Arnold and the Buffalo Fish.

Maria Eduarda Mottin

Homestead Campus Appoints Chair Of Communications, Humanities And Social Sciences Department

Nicole Bryant was appointed as the chairperson of the communications, humanities and social sciences department at Homestead Campus on Jan. 15.

The 42-year-old will advocate for faculty members, conduct data-driven work to improve retention and schedule courses.

“I hope to serve the community better,” Bryant said. “I can now be more useful in driving a change that I would like to see at this campus.”

During 19 years at Miami Dade College, she was student life director, a part-time program coordinator for campus administration and the first director of the Honors College at Homestead Campus.

Bryant earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature with a minor in sociology and secondary education in 2003 and a master’s degree in medical sociology with a sub-concentration in race and ethnic relations in 2005 from the University of Miami.

In 2011, she earned her doctoral degree in higher education leadership and organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Daylyin Staples

Juliette Bryant

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Up Close And Personal: AleMor has an intimate moment on stage during her concert at Wolfson Campus on Feb. 21.

Hello There: Singer AleMor embraces and chats with a fan at Wolfson Campus on Feb. 21.

ANDRES GIRALDO / THE REPORTER

ANDRES GIRALDO

Center Stage: Grammy nominee AleMor hosted a concert at the Wolfson Campus auditorium Feb. 21 that featured music from her album, Beautiful Humans Vol. 1

Hialeah Campus Gets A New President—For A Day

‰ Georgette Perez and Jonathan Lalla participated in Shark Switch, an initiative launched this spring at Hialeah Campus that allows a student and an administrator to swap roles for a day.

By Nikole Valiente nikole.valiente001@mymdc.net

The energy was electric as members of the Hialeah Campus Student Government Association shuffled into Room 2101-04 on Feb. 5 for their biweekly senate board meeting.

“I’m Nayely, the secretary of SGA.”

“I’m Janourys, the treasure of SGA.”

“And I’m Jonathan, your vice president,” announced Hialeah Campus President Georgette Perez.

The proclamation was met with a chorus of laughter.

But Perez wasn’t auditioning to star in the reality television talent competition Last Comic Standing ; she was swapping places with 21-year-old Jonathan Lalla for the day.

The assignment was part of Shark Switch, an initiative launched this spring by Jordan Chang, the director of student life at Hialeah Campus, that aims to enhance leadership skills and strengthen the connection between students and administrators.

Chang hopes Shark Switch will become an annual program that can expand to include switches with other administrators.

“The further you go up among the administrative side, the more removed you are from the actual student,” said Chang, who has

“We as a campus always try to put ourselves into the shoes of our students. We may not always successfully do it and that’s why we need student input so much.

worked in higher education for eleven years. “I looked at [Shark Switch] as an opportunity for the campus president to come in refreshed and see what’s going on in classrooms, in club meetings, but also to network with the students.”

During a five-hour period, Perez took on Lalla’s role as a computer science student who wears multiple hats, including Phi Theta Kappa president, SGA vice president, senior scholar in the Hialeah Scholars program and a student assistant in the IT department.

And Lalla, an international student from Trindad and Tobago, tackled Perez’s responsibilities as campus president.

Duties began at 9 a.m. sharp.

Decked-out in a navy-blue suit, paisley tie, brown dress shoes, pink ‘I love MDC Hialeah’ socks and a beaming smile, Lalla—who

considers himself “a little bit more serious” and “not as smiley” as Perez—eagerly greeted staff and students around campus.

“Our president, she’s very compassionate, understanding and happy all the time,” Lalla said. “I’m looking to see if I [can] fill her shoes, but also incorporate my leadership style, which may not be as jolly all the time.”

The “excitedly-nervous” Perez sported a blue ‘I love MDC Hialeah’ T-shirt, cuffed jeans, black

sandals and a gray Baggallini backpack. She sat in the front row during a chemistry lecture for the first time in more than 30 years, diligently taking notes using a pen and a spiral notebook.

She was worried about grasping the material, but her main concern was taking someone’s seat.

“You know, people get territorial,” Perez remarked.

Back at the president’s office, Lalla prepared for a cabinet meeting and wrote a welcome message for a professional development workshop.

He effortlessly switched gears, condensing a one-and-a-half page email and recording a robocall—a call that conveys a pre-recorded voice message—to notify students about upcoming tuition deadlines.

While Lalla headed to meetings, Perez clocked in at the IT department, dealing with pending technical support requests.

Perez’s day was robust, filled with meetings with SGA, Hialeah Scholars and Rodney Castillo, the co-advisor for PTK.

Lalla pressed onward with his presidential duties when—suddenly—the phone rang.

On the phone was Adriana Alvarez, the director of the testing department at Hialeah Campus. She said students in the testing center couldn’t concentrate because there was a ruckus coming from the ping-pong table area in student life.

Lalla couldn’t contain his laughter, but he promptly called Chang to settle the matter.

Minutes later, Nicolet Conesa,

“

The further you go up among the administrative side, the more removed you are from the actual student.

the program manager for the continuing education department at Hialeah Campus, walked in to discuss a proposal to hold a summer camp for kids on campus.

“It’s always good to invest in our future,” Lalla said.

The day concluded with a Chick-fil-A lunch and a debriefing session.

Lalla said he got a deeper appreciation for the inner workings of campus administration.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, and you can’t do it by yourself,” Lalla said. “You need a team and a strong foundation of empathy, understanding [everyone] is under a lot of pressure.”

Perez’s experience was humbling. She nearly walked into the wrong class and stepped into a packed elevator during peak hours. The episodes reminded her why intentionally connecting with students is vital.

“We as a campus always try to put ourselves into the shoes of our students,” Perez said. “We may not always successfully do it and that’s why we need student input so much.”

SWITCH

Georgette

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA TRIANA/HIALEAH CAMPUS MEDIA SERVICES

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA TRIANA/HIALEAH CAMPUS MEDIA SERVICES

Day In The Life: Hialeah Campus President Georgette Perez greets 21-year-old computer science student Jonathan Lalla before swapping places for the day.

Presidential Swag: Jonathan Lalla, an international student from Trinidad and Tobago, sits at Hialeah Campus President Georgette Perez's desk to fulfill presidential duties for the day.

Jordan Chang, director of student life at Hialeah Campus

Azúcar Keeping The Sweetness Alive In Little Havana

FROM ICE CREAM, FRONT

exist before has come into play in business,” Batlle said. “[The] school taught [me] everything.”

Now she can virtually pitch her signature flavors like Freshman 15, which has vanilla ice cream, marshmallow fluff, peanut butter and oreos. It was named by the shop’s Instagram (@azucaricecream) followers.

Azúcar is located at 1503 S.W. 8th St. It offers more than 50 flavors and sells ice cream pints, cakes and T-shirts with Cuban sayings such as “Ya tu sabes!” (you already know) and does catering.

As customers enter the store, they are greeted by a 3-D ice cream cone sculpture topped with five scoops of ice cream and a neon sign that reads, “Azucar ice cream company.”

The Cuban-themed store, which cost $280,000 to build, features seats upholstered with guayaberas and plastic, a painting of Celia Cruz, light fixtures with hanging ice cream cones and a chalk wall with the names of flavors.

“I’ve always been a lover of art,” Batlle said. “I started buying art from everybody in [Little Havana] and I feel that’s helpful for many reasons. It helps the people in the neighborhood and keeps the culture [alive].”

Azúcar’s signature flavors include their trademarked “Abuela Maria”—vanilla ice cream mixed with guava, cream cheese and Maria cookies—and “Cafe con

Leche,” a Cuban coffee-flavored ice cream with Oreo chunks.

Denise Galvez Turros, a weekly customer for more than a decade, says, “Ever since I tried the Cafe con Leche flavor, it literally became my [and my kids’] favorite ice cream. We often will go just to buy pints of it to stock up the fridge.”

Patricia De la Rosa, Batlle’s childhood best friend and Azúcar’s chief of operations since 2013, recalls the moment when the shop’s name and slogan were created.

“We were going back and forth and [Batlle] said, ‘How about something with Celia Cruz?’ My brain just said, ‘No, no, just name it Azúcar,’” De la Rosa recalls. “Then my daughter walked in and she goes, ‘We like it sweet.’”

Azúcar opened in July of 2011 on Cultural Friday, a free event that celebrates the history and culture of Little Havana on the third Friday of every month.

“On that day, I called my friends and family because I didn’t have workers,” Batlle said. “Everybody came to help me and all of [a] sudden [it was] awesome. I was running out of ice cream.”

They sold out. Batlle woke up at 3 a.m. the following day to make more ice cream. Since then, she has hired three ice cream makers. Azúcar has gained popularity throughout the years and been showcased on television networks and magazines like Food Network, Univision and People.

I

Suzanne "Suzy" Batlle, owner of Azúcar Ice Cream Shop

Batlle has continued to expand the Azúcar brand. In 2018, she opened a 1,200 sq. ft. shop in Dallas after her mom moved to the city. It closed last July because of a lease dispute with the landlord and a gelato maker.

Last February, Batlle opened another location in Pinecrest, 11429 S Dixie Hwy.

Azúcar products are now found at hotels such as the Loews in Miami Beach and Coral Gables, the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne and Coral Gables, and the Confidante Miami Beach by Hyatt.

They will also be featured at upcoming community events like the South Beach Wine & Food Festival from Feb. 22-25 and Miami Vice’s 40th anniversary reunion in September.

“You just gotta keep throwing the ball forward,” Batlle said. “That’s what I look forward to every day.”

For more information about Azúcar, visit https://www.azucaricecream.com/

MDC Foundation Director Challenges People To Own Their Own Story

‰ In November, Nelson F. Hincapie released his memoir, Own Your Story Before It Owns You, where he shares how he overcame the hardships that marked his life.

By Andrea Briones andrea.briones001@mymdc.net

Nelson F. Hincapie stopped believing in God when he was nine years old.

Throughout his childhood in Bogota, Colombia, Hincapie witnessed domestic abuse between his mother, Luz Maria Lopez, and father, Nelson Hincapie Lopez.

That eventually led to their divorce.

His grandmother, Ofelia, a devout Catholic, told Hincapie that if he prayed with enough faith, God would give him the family he longed to have.

So he began waking up at 5 a.m. every day to ask God to restore his family.

However, months later, Hincapie’s mother announced she was leaving without him to the United States. That ignited a downward spiral that, in the coming years, would include alcohol, drug and sexual abuse and depression.

God, he believed, had failed him.

But nearly four decades later, Hincapie testifies in his memoir, Own Your Story Before It Owns You , that God used the pain of his youth to restore him and pave a path to help hurting people.

The book was published in November.

“It’s a story that will make you cry, it will make you laugh. [It] will make you see, and hopefully believe, there is another way,” said Hincapie, who today serves as the director of the Miami Dade College Foundation. “There’s hope and there’s light at the end of the tunnel, however big or small that

tunnel may be.”

Open Wounds

About a year and a half after his mom left, she returned for him and his sister, Alma.

But the victory was short lived. At Magnum Elementary School in Houston, he was bullied for not speaking English and “not being brown enough to be Mexican or white enough to be American,” he recounts in his memoir.

By the time he was 13 years old, his sixth-grade English teacher forced him to watch pornography and molested him, Hincapie said.

Seeking to escape his pain, Hincapie turned to alcohol,

marijuana, acid and sex.

After he was caught lighting a joint in the bathroom, he was sent back to Colombia, where he attended a co-educational boarding school, El Internado, and started using cocaine.

When he was 14, he began getting high daily and got caught hoarding a suitcase filled with empty bottles of Aguardiente and liquor.

Eventually, Hincapie was dismissed from Liceo Boston, another institution, for distributing weed.

By the time he was 18, he was shipped back to the U.S. after stealing his dad’s company car and crashing it.

New Beginning, Same Pain

Hincapie’s return to the U.S. in 1992 was an opportunity for a new beginning.

He earned a high school equivalency certificate in Miami and enrolled at Miami Dade College.

But after reuniting with a friend from Colombia, he slid back into old habits, failed his classes and didn’t register for the following semester.

Hincapie’s path of self-destruction continued after he moved to Montreal in the spring of 1992 to live with his mother and her boyfriend’s family.

Though he had periods of sobriety and attended his first Alcoholics Anonymous, he stumbled back to alcohol and drugs.

Nearly two years later, he was arrested for the first time in Miami during Holy Thursday for driving under the influence.

Determined to finally turn his life around, Hincapie enrolled at an addiction treatment center in Jackson, Mississippi, where he began working through the painful details of his past.

However, his six-month sobriety went down the drain during a train-ride from Miami to Jacksonville, after sitting across from a man who was smoking weed. He continued in the program as if his relapse never happened, but the

guilt ate him up.

After returning to Miami, the structure he had attained fell apart. However, he convinced his father to buy him a top-floor apartment in North Miami that he promised to take care of while working at a fondue restaurant nearby.

On The Edge

Eventually, Hincapie’s vicious cycle of addiction culminated on the rooftop of his North Miami apartment on Nov. 9, 1997.

Left without money to pay his mortgage or electricity bill, he walked to the edge of the building with a friend named Camilo and prepared to jump off.

“God saved me,” Hincapie recounts. “Camilo said, ‘Let’s get off the ledge,’ but I think Camilo was divinely inspired to say that.”

Hincapie, with his family’s support, once again sought help. His mother contacted Omar Mejia, the director of a treatment program who used the hotel she managed in Miami Beach as a halfway house for recovering addicts.

Hincapie had a breakthrough. He started coming to grips with his past, realizing his addictions stemmed from a need to be loved.

“My story had always been ‘my parents got divorced,’ but there was more to it,” Hincapie said.

“The devil’s in the details. It wasn’t until somebody caring, loving and compassionate asked me, ‘Did your parents get divorced or did your mom abandon you?’ that things started changing.”

Eventually, Hincapie landed a temporary job for the Americas Group within First Union Bank near Wolfson Campus. That inspired him to go back to school at the age of 24.

He earned his associate’s degree in psychology from the Honors Program at MDC in 2002 and his bachelor’s in public administration from Florida International University in 2004.

While he was pursuing higher education, he met Karolina, who he describes as “organized,”

“coherent” and “the best thing that ever happened to [him].” She would become his wife and spiritual rock.

They have four children—Sarah Luna, Simon Lorenzo, Samuel Luciano and Salome Lucia.

“He let God love him to the point that he was able to move forward with his professional life,” said Karolina Hincapie. “He was able to get married, he was able to have kids, he was able to fulfill a well-rounded life.”

In 2009, Hincapie started a 12year run as president and CEO of Voices For Children Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps the children and youth in the Miami-Dade County foster care system.

By January of 2022, Hincapie was tabbed as CEO of the Miami Dade College Foundation. He is charged with finding donors to support scholarships that help students reach their dreams.

Writing the Book

Although he had thought about sharing his story on paper before, inspiration to finally do it came after hearing the gospel hymn In The Time That You Gave Me by Bradley Walker. The song talks about taking full advantage of the time God gives you on earth.

In 2022, Hincapie committed two weeks to writing and produced a rough draft of 200 pages. The final product is 124 pages and took nearly nine months to edit. Hincapie self-published it on Amazon Kindle; it will soon be available on Audible and translated into Spanish.

The book, written four decades after his wild odyssey started, proved to him that God does answer prayers— in his own time.

“I don’t need to numb the pain anymore. As a matter of fact, I don’t have the pain anymore,” Hincapie said. “I’m able to pray for the people that have hurt me and I’ve been able to forgive. And that doesn’t come from me; only through the grace of God [am I] able to forgive.”

Own It: Miami Dade College Foundation Executive Director Nelson F. Hincapie released his memoir, Own Your Story Before It Owns You , in November.

Here’s What You Need To Know About The Revamped FAFSA Form

‰ It features fewer questions, opportunities to send the form to more institutions and a change to the Expected Family Contribution formula used to calculate financial aid awards.

By Nikole Valiente nikole.valiente001@mymdc.net

If you haven’t completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the 2024-25 school year, you’ve probably heard about changes to the application.

Here is what you should know about the form that became available on Dec. 30.

Revisions to the application— which uses financial information to determine whether students qualify for federal aid to pay for college—are a result of Congress’ FAFSA Simplification Act. Enacted in 2020, the legislation aimed to simplify the federal student aid application process.

The new form features approximately two-thirds fewer questions, according to a report by CNN, following the implementation of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which imports U.S. tax return information directly into the FAFSA form.

While the IRS DRT has been an optional tool for students in previous years, this is the first time its use is mandatory.

All contributors—students, spouses, parents—must create a Federal Student Aid account and give consent for their tax information to be transferred virtually to the FAFSA form.

In previous years, parents who live abroad had to physically sign the form.

However, if a contributor

declines, like in previous years, the student will not be eligible for federal aid.

Completing The Form

Students have 45 days to finish their application once they open it. After 45 days, any progress made will be deleted and they must restart the application.

Although the FAFSA form is only available in English and Spanish, students can now request an interpreter through a hotline that features representatives fluent in Arabic, Cantonese, French, French Creole, German, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

The new application also increased the number of schools students can send their FAFSA to from 10 to 20. It replaced the Expected Family Contribution calculator with the Student Aid Index.

Another major change includes the removal of questions that forced students to disclose whether they registered for the Selective Service or had a prior drug conviction.

Speed Bumps

There have been hiccups in the implementation of the new application.

Typically, the FAFSA form becomes available on Oct. 1. This year, it intermittently became available for periods of 30 to 120 minutes during a soft launch from Dec. 30 to Jan. 1.

While more than 30,000 forms were successfully submitted, according to the Department of Education, students experienced

issues completing their applications. The website was also periodically unavailable due to maintenance and data-collection.

Last month, the department announced that institutions won’t receive students’ FAFSA applications until March. In the past, schools received FAFSA applications by late January.

The delay is due to the department’s effort to correct a mistake— they failed to account for inflation in the formula used to calculate students’ financial aid eligibility, the Washington Post first reported.

Berta De Leon, the director of the financial aid department at North Campus, said students

who are anxious about the delay should not fret.

“We’re all in the same boat,” De Leon said. “It’s not like FIU is gonna receive [the FAFSA] before Miami Dade [College]. When they say, ‘you’re gonna get it,’ we’re all gonna get it at the same time.”

The Department of Education created a page that features additional issues students are encountering, including things like parents who don’t have a Social Security number.

Miami Dade College’s financial aid department is offering in-person assistance, virtual sessions and workshops, such as Family FAFSA Night, to help those

struggling with the form.

Even if students don’t qualify for federal aid, they should complete their FAFSA because they may be eligible for state or institutional funds such as grants, loans and merit-based scholarships.

“You have to apply for financial aid,” De Leon said. “Why? Because [institutions] want to see if you might be entitled to any other type of funding and they want to make sure that you optimize all your chances of getting something.”

For questions regarding financial aid, visit https://www.mdc.edu/ financialaid/.

Two Reporter Staff Members Win $1,250 NAHJ South Florida Scholarships

‰ Alejandra Quiroz,19, and Anthony Martinez, 20, were each awarded a $1,250 scholarship by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' South Florida Chapter.

By Sophia Arenas sophia.arenas001@mymdc.net

Two Kendall Campus students received $1,250 scholarships from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ South Florida Chapter.

Alejandra Quiroz and Anthony Martinez, who received the recognition in January, are the second pair of students to receive the scholarship, which was created last year to support student journalism.

It’s only available to active members of The Reporter, Miami Dade College’s student newspaper.

The paper, which has a monthly circulation of 10,250 copies per print cycle, reports on all eight MDC campuses through its print, digital and newsletter editions, was launched on Oct. 4, 2010.

It has been recognized as the top community college student newspaper in Florida for the past 13 years and has won five national pacemakers.

Applicants for the scholarship needed to be enrolled in at least six credits at MDC, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and complete two essays about the importance of journalism and their experience at The Reporter

Alejandra Quiroz

Quiroz is a first-year psychology student in the Honors College at Kendall Campus who serves as an

illustrator, social media coordinator and events organizer at The Reporter

She has created Instagram reels and created illustrations to augment articles such as the Writers Guild of America, Hispanic Heritage books and K-Pop.

Born in San Cristobal, Tachira, Quiroz lived in Caracas, Venezuela until she was 16. She moved to the United States in 2021 and graduated from John A. Ferguson Senior High School in 2023.

The 19-year-old hopes to transfer to Stanford University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in political violence. Quiroz wants to help immigrant children who are facing displacement and orphanhood in the U.S.

“By joining The Reporter, I’ve grown in skills, learned about myself and expressed my creativity,” Quiroz said. “The Reporter has offered me a family that supports [and] gives feedback. [It] deals a learning experience that would not have occurred had I been by myself.”

Anthony Martinez

Martinez, who was based at Kendall Campus, served as an illustrator for The Reporter from November of 2022 to December of 2023.

His digital and hand-drawn illustrations, including political cartoons and caricatures,

augmented pieces on society, politics, personal development and arts and entertainment.

In November, the 20-year-old received three first-place honors from the Florida College Systems Activities Association for best comic strip, editorial cartoon and illustration, and an Inner Circle award for placing in at least three

The Weight Is Over—Padrón Campus Getting Gym Later This Spring

‰ The 1,094 sq. ft. facility will be outfitted with two treadmills, free weights, a dumbbell rack, two benches, an indoor cycling machine, a rolling machine, a fitness glider and several TV screens.

By Nikole Valiente nikole.valiente001@mymdc.net

After receiving official status as a campus in 2001, the InterAmerican Campus—now Eduardo J. Padrón Campus—has blossomed into a burgeoning community, witnessing growth in square footage, enrollment and student services.

However, one notable amenity has been absent from Padrón Campus’ environment—a gym.

But not for long.

Two classrooms on the first floor of building 1—Room 1127 and 1128—are being converted into a gym this spring.

Construction for the approximately $120,000 project, not including equipment, is estimated to start between the end of February and the beginning of March. Completion is expected by April, according to Gloria V. Baez, Padrón Campus’ director of administration.

The 1,094 sq. ft. gym will feature an indoor cycling machine, a rolling machine, a fitness glider, two treadmills, two weight benches,

free weights, a dumbbell rack and several T.V. monitors.

It will face the southern side of the campus—across from Student Life—and its windows will overlook seventh street.

“It’s really cool, to be honest,” said Juan Hernandez, a 22-yearold student at Padrón Campus.

“Most students today want to be in shape, but for financial reasons [they] don’t enter a gym.”

Before kickstarting construction, administration is awaiting pricing for the finishing touches of the project—mainly the gym’s flooring, lighting and mirrors— to ensure costs fit the allotted budget.

Gym hours and potential fitness classes have not been determined, Baez said.

Membership fees will follow the pattern of other campuses—$10 per month and $30 per term for credit students, $20 per month and $60 per month for employees and retirees and $30 per month and $90 per term for non-credit students.

Melanie Perez, an 18-year-old freshman studying accounting at Padrón Campus, who often spends more than an hour daily at Planet Fitness, believes the gym will attract students to spend more time on campus.

“Some students don’t have transportation to go to the gym, so [now] they’ll have it here at school,” Perez said. “It’s a healthy way for them to spend their free time.”

categories.

Last October, he was selected to represent The Reporter at the Fall National College Media Convention in Atlanta. Martinez, who draws inspiration from editorial cartoonist Bruce MacKinnon, graduated from G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School in 2021 and is

pursuing a bachelor’s degree in graphic design at Florida International University. He aspires to work for a graphic design agency.

“When I first started The Reporter I was experimenting with styles and wasn’t used to the pace yet,” Martinez said. “The Reporter was my first job experience.”

ISABEL PAZ / THE REPORTER

Scholarships Secured: Pictured from left to right are Anthony Martinez and Alejandra Quiroz, who won $1,250 scholarships from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ South Florida Chapter.

YAIRI LORENZO / THE REPORTER

Finn’s Pet Food Pantry Aims To Increase Pet Retention One Paw At A Time

‰ The pantry, which is the first of its kind at Miami Dade College, has wet and dry food, leashes, toys and sweaters for cats and dogs. It’s open to students, faculty and staff.

By Nikole Valiente nikole.valiente001@mymdc.net

There are more than 800 pets housed at the Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department.

Capacity at the facility is supposed to be 400 animals.

Unfortunately, that is not uncommon nationwide.

There are approximately 70 million homeless cats and dogs, according to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the world’s largest animal rights organization.

Pet overpopulation and homelessness is plaguing the nation due to a lack of sterilization and irresponsible pet ownership.

“If dog is man or woman’s best friend, why isn’t man doing more to help his friend?” said Barbara St. Aubin, a part-time librarian at Miami Dade College.

A group of students at Homestead Campus are heeding St. Aubin’s call for action.

On Jan. 31, the Animal Welfare Club launched the College’s firstever pet food pantry to help people

with financial need care for their animal companions and, in turn, minimize the number of surrendered pets.

Finn’s Pet Food Pantry is a 183 sq. ft. space located in Room A115. It has non-perishable items for cats and dogs, such as dry food, wet food, freeze-dried meals and treats like biscuits, rolls and flavored chews.

They also have bowls, leashes, shedding tools, sweaters and squeaky plush toys.

So far, the pantry has served approximately 52 students, according to St. Aubin, who serves as the club’s advisor.

“Even though [what we’re doing is] a small thing, everything is one step at a time,” said Giselle Perez, the club’s president.

Pawesome Project

Perez, a second-year psychology student in the Honors College, founded the AWC last year to raise awareness about responsible pet ownership.

The idea for the pantry was sparked last fall when a student asked St. Aubin, who founded This is the Dog!, an animal rescue, if she could surrender her dog because she didn’t have enough food to feed him.

St. Aubin—who owns three dogs, Yellow, Falcon and Roo, an

eight-year-old therapy dog who’s missing her front legs, and a resident cat, Oz—felt compelled to help.

“If the pet food pantry can provide food, then maybe the person [in need] can pay their rent and not have to worry about moving and giving up their dog because the next place they’re moving to doesn’t allow pets,” said St. Aubin, who also regularly fosters animals. “We want to keep pets with their families.”

Making A Difference

Apart from managing the pantry, the club, which has approximately 30 active members, collaborates with This is the Dog! to facilitate adoptions and educate the community on animal sterilization.

Students help complete adoption paperwork, load up vans with animals, pack goodie bags and organize donations.

Last year, the club also led a

campus-wide clean-up, in which more than 2,000 pieces of trash were collected, and participated in food drives at events like Homestead Campus’ Fall Fest on Oct. 14. During the festival, they gave out approximately 100 bags of animal food in less than an hour, St. Aubin said.

However, unlike pop-up food drives, the pantry’s fixed location and hours offer a more effective way to serve the community, says Katelyn Baiza, the clubs’ events coordinator.

“People do come; they know our hours because they come as soon as the door opens,” said the second-year pre-veterinary medicine major. “That’s how I know it’s really working.”

How It Works

To access the pantry, students must sign in providing their name, contact information and the amount of food they’re taking. People can take as much food as

they need but in reasonable quantities, St. Aubin said.

Notecards are available for students who want to explain why they need the food. At the end of the month, the club will host a raffle and give away two $25 Petco gift cards.

The pantry is open on Mondays from 10:50 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesdays from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

“Homestead Campus is a small campus; we don’t have that much stuff,” said Kevin Torres, a secondyear computer engineering student who serves as the club’s vice president. “Having a food pantry for animals says a lot. It shows that we care about our students and our staff.”

For more information or to donate to the AWC, contact St. Aubin at bstaubin@thisisthedog.org.

Trailblazers: The Animal Welfare Club at Homestead Campus launched the College’s first-ever pet food pantry to help people with financial need provide for their pets.

Pawfect Pantry: Pictured are some of the non-perishable items available at Finn’s Pet Food Pantry, including roast beef rolls, kibble and soft-baked dog treats.

MDC Hires Coaches To Lead Its Soccer Program

‰ Veteran coaches Giuseppe DePalo and Ramiro Vengoechea have been selected as head coaches for the Miami Dade College soccer program that will start playing this fall.

By Charles Stemmer charles.stemmer001@mymdc.net

Eight months after announcing it was resurrecting its soccer program, Miami Dade College has hired the coaches who will lead them. The College last fielded a soccer team 34 years ago.

Giuseppe DePalo, who previously served as Nova Southeastern University men’s soccer coach, will fill the same role at MDC, and Ramiro Vengoechea, who won two state titles at Lourdes Academy, will oversee the women’s squad.

More than 100 applicants vied for the positions.

“It was a long process, a little longer than some expected,” said Sharks Athletic Director Mike Balado. “Sometimes you have to make sure you get the right people, and we feel we got the right ones.”

Miami Dade College last fielded a men’s soccer team in 1990. The program won national titles in 1979 and 1983.

When the women’s soccer team takes the field this coming fall, it will mark the first time female athletes have participated in the sport for MDC.

Both teams will feature 24 players. They will compete in Division I of the Southern Conference of the Florida College System Athletics Association. Home games will be played on the existing soccer fields on the northwest side of Kendall Campus.

Giuseppe DePalo

DePalo, 52, who was born in Milan, Italy, currently serves as head coach of the Under-19 team at Inter Miami CF, Miami’s professional soccer club.

He has served as general

manager of technical staff for the Oakland Roots SC, assistant coach and head of recruiting for the Seattle Sounders FC, and assistant coach at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.

From 1998 to 2015, he led the Nova Southeastern University

men’s soccer team from a NAIA program to Division II. He led the Sharks to a 155-127-28 record during his tenure.

“I expect this program to be quality from the get-go,” said DePalo, who has already signed four players. “The school’s given us amazing resources and everyone’s been extremely supportive.”

Ramiro Vengoechea

Vengoechea, 41, who was born and raised in Miami, has more than 15 years of coaching experience in South Florida.

He has been affiliated with the Pinecrest Premier Soccer Club since 2009, serving as the girl’s director of coaching since 2018. Vengoechea also coached the FC Surge, a Women’s Premier Soccer League Team, leading them to conference championships in 2018 and 2021.

At Lourdes, Vengoechea won state titles in 2018 and 2021 as the varsity team’s head coach, garnering Miami Herald Coach of the Year honors seven times.

Now he is primed to start the women’s soccer program at MDC.

“We’re building this brick by brick,” Vengoechea said. “It’s gonna take time to build, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Miami Dade can be a powerhouse in women’s soccer.”

Fresh Start: Pictured from left to right are Giuseppe DePalo (men’s coach) and Ramiro Vengoechea (women’s coach), who have been hired to lead the Miami Dade College soccer program.

YAIRI LORENZO / THE REPORTER

Sharks Lose Sophomore Guard To Season-Ending Wrist Injury

‰ Ibrahim Zahran sustained a fractured right wrist in a game versus Indian River State College on Feb. 10 that will cause him to miss the remainder of the season.

By Charles Stemmer charles.stemmer001@mymdc.net

Shooting guard Ibrahim Zahran, a key reserve on the Miami Dade College men’s basketball team, will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his right wrist in a game last month.

The injury occurred on Jan. 10 at Kendall Campus versus Indian River State College after Zahran took a charge and fell on his right hand.

Zahran was a key contributor off the Sharks’ bench on offense and defense.

“I was the guy who did the dirty work,” said Zahran as he sported a dark blue synthetic cast on his right hand. “I fought for my rebounds.”

The 19-year-old was averaging 10.2 points a game, led the team with a 54.5% shooting percentage, and was third on the squad with 4.5 rebounds a contest while

adding 2.2 assists per contest.

“We lost a lot of scoring with him,” said Sharks starting point guard John Latimer. “He was a great defender and another leader on and off the floor.”

Last season, the 6-foot-5 sophomore played at Frank Phillips College, a National Junior College Athletic Association Division I school in Borger, Texas. He averaged 10. 6 points, nine rebounds and 1.9 assists a game.

Zahran, who was born in Cairo, Egypt, has also competed for the Egyptian national basketball team.

Caleb Hannah, a 6-foot-6 freshman from Chicago, is getting extended playing time to help fill Zahran’s void, Sharks Head Coach Jorge Fernandez said. He is averaging 8. 8 points and 5.1 rebounds for MDC this season.

The Sharks, who have a 14-12 overall record this season, have a 6-6 record since Zahran’s injury. They are tied for fifth place in the Citrus Conference (5-7) with Hillsborough Community College.

Three conference games remain on MDC’s schedule before the state tournament starts on March 14.

YAIRI LORENZO \ THE REPORTER

Bad Break: Ibrahim Zahran will miss the remainder of the men’s basketball season after breaking his right wrist in a game versus Indian River State College on Jan. 10.

Music Industry Pushes Its Puppets

FEUDS HAVE LONG BEEN A STAPLE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS ALWAYS SOME SORT OF CELEBRITY DRAMA. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY THAT IS?

By Nidley Charles nidley.charles001@mymdc.net

The main goal of the rap and entertainment industry used to be developing lyrically talented artists. Now it seems that causing feuds with other rappers is more important.

Artists, more specifically female artists, are falling into the schemes of industry puppet masters and their intentions of pushing the “only one good female artist” agenda.

For weeks, the media has been enamored with news of the hottest female rappers and their public online disputes.

Megan Pete, more famously known as Megan Thee Stallion, is a Houston rapper who gained mainstream popularity in 2019. Since then she has worked with many female artists while climbing to the top of the rap game, but recently, Megan has had beef with a former collaborator.

In late January, Megan

dropped a song titled HISS, which was her first solo No.1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Although no names were mentioned, the internet was quick to point fingers at who this alleged diss was meant for.

Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, more famously known as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian rapper who gained popularity back in the early 2000s. Holding the title of the “Queen of Rap” for many years, Minaj is

known for working with upcoming female artists.

However, no matter how long you’ve been in the industry it’s easy to fall victim to the industry’s vicious plot to pit female artists against each other.

Hours after Megan’s song HISS dropped, Nicki Minaj went on Instagram live to bash Megan after speculation that the line, “These— don’t be mad at Megan/these mad at Megan’s Law” is about her

husband Kenneth Petty.

Megan’s Law is a reference to an actual law named after sevenyear-old Megan Kanka who was attacked by a known registered sex offender. The law led to the creation of the sex offender list. One of the more than 750,000 people on said registry is Minaj’s husband. That led Minaj to drop a song titled Bigfoot that depicted Megan in a bad light as a response to the alleged stab HISS made. Both

artists’ fan bases took to the internet to not only attack the artists but also those who support them. Both songs dominated the charts.

The internet disputes contained blogs filled with comments ripping apart the artists’ personal lives and played into the facade that there is only room at the top for one female artist.

Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj weren’t the only victims of the industry’s manipulative mindset.

Isis Gaston, more commonly known as Ice Spice, openly admitted to dissing another female artist on her recent single. Alyssa Stephens, commonly known as Latto, was quick to receive and address Ice Spice on her own single.

The two artists’ feud began after Ice Spice’s fans fueled the speculation of bad blood between them. That caused Ice Spice to believe that Latto had under-the-table issues with her, the main factor that pushed their recent online disputes.

It’s clear that the media and the rap and entertainment industry have profited off of and pushed the notion of the “only one good female artist” agenda.

Fans will continue to defend and advocate for their favorite artists, while ignoring the fact that these fan base debates are contributing to the misogynistic agendas harming them. It’s time for artists to remind fans what the industry should be about.

Why Comfort Media Has A Stranglehold On Our Attention

‰ Everyone has that one show, movie or piece of media that they’ve watched hundreds of times. Known as comfort media—what is it about media that makes us so nostalgic?

By Nicole Del Rio

nicole.delrio002@mymdc.net

I think I’ve interacted with Pride and Prejudice an inhumane amount of times. I’ve memorized lines from the 2005 adaptation and read the book almost every year.

Though it might seem odd to reread or rewatch the same story, there is just something about it that makes me want to return to the historical romance.

This phenomenon is known as comfort media, which is defined as any form of media that people use as a safe haven. The song you play whenever you are sad, the TV show you watch to destress—those are examples of comfort media.

Comfort media is not just limited to nostalgic sitcoms. Social media has given rise to comfort creators, which mainly refers to youtubers and streamers.

Perhaps it’s the familiarity that gives us comfort. It feels good to

Comfort Media: Our favorite TV shows, movies and books can feel as comforting as a warm blanket.

witness satisfying character journeys and with some forms of comfort media you grow with the character. A lot of old sitcoms serve as comfort shows because they remind us of a different time. They can also remind us of who we were when we watched them.

That parasocial connection creates a sensation of comfort. When interacting with comfort media it’s like interacting with friends. The characters are people we have watched for years, so there is a degree of intimacy with them, even if it is artificial. Therefore, watching

a show or movie you loved when you were 15 might remind you of hanging out with friends from that time.

The concept of comfort media is relatively new as it was mainly passed around during quarantine. It was a stressful time that

led many of us to interact with old favorites such as the Harry Potter series.

However, comfort media continues to persist. According to The New York Times, the 2011 legal drama Suits was the most streamed show on Netflix last year and classic 90s sitcom Friends accumulated 25 billion minutes of streams on Max.

In the age of streaming services it is easier to revert back to familiar favorites due to the vastness of their catalogs.

On one hand, critics of comfort media state that it might limit us from discovering new things since we’re only interested in what we’ve already seen. However, there is something nice about revisiting comfort media and growing with our favorite characters.

Some stories feel different each time you read or watch them because each time you might notice something new. Whether it is a small background detail or the set-up of a plot twist, there is value in a re-watch.

Comfort media is an interesting nostalgia related phenomenon that makes you think about how you interact with entertainment.

LISA

JESUS

MEDIA

Diva Drama: Nidley Charles discusses the underlying sexism that sits behind female rap feuds like that of Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion.

Anyone But You: The Revival Of The Rom-Com

‰ With box-office successes popping up left and right, Anyone But You proves the romantic comedy genre is definitely making a strong comeback.

By Nalini Singh nalini.singh001@mymdc.net

2023 was a year for the girls. The popularity of films such as the Barbie movie, and the success of the Eras and Renaissance tours, proved that audiences want to hear female voices and consume “girly” media.

Interspersed in all of that was trends, such as “girl dinner,” “girl math,” and the coquette aesthetic.

The release of the movie Anyone But You contributed to the momentum of “girl” movies and the rebirth of the romantic comedy.

It starts with a classic meet-cute between Sydney Sweeney, who plays Bea, and Glenn Powell, who plays Ben, at a coffee shop. With matching names and blush-worthy chemistry, the meeting seems kismet.

However, after a perfect first date, things take a turn as Bea overhears Ben slandering her to Pete, his best friend. After that,

they have nothing but hate for each other.

The plot picks up when Bea’s sister, Halle, and Claudia, Ben’s best friend, decide to tie the knot, forcing the pair to get along. The picturesque Australian summer

is the perfect setting for a little matchmaking as Halle, Claudia, and their family plot to get the two together, before Bea and Ben’s burning hatred for each other sets the wedding aflame. It’s ironic, considering that when Bea and

Ben realize their family’s plot, they go along with it to make Ben’s ex-girlfriend jealous and deter Bea’s parents, who are trying to get her back together with her fiance. As lines blur, chaos continues, and the fine line begins to dissipate.

The gorgeous backdrop is coupled with a get-stuck-in-yourhead, binge-able soundtrack, filled with bright pop songs like Got Me Started by Troye Sivan and the certifiable classic Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. And the awkwardly, laughable antics that Bea and Ben do leaves audiences in stitches.

With classic tropes such as miscommunication, matchmaking and fake dating, you could consider the film the start of a rom-com renaissance—the genre dominated the 1990s and early 2000s, with films such as When Harry Met Sally, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days , and 10 Things I Hate About You

But inevitably, the genre dried up and died. Critics said romcoms were trite and repetitive, constantly reusing the same ideas and actors. That didn’t allow the genre to grow and it was soon left behind by action and superhero movies.

In a world of poignant and intense films, sometimes all we need is a nice laugh. Maybe films like Anyone But You are predictable and unrealistic, but that’s what makes the rom-com genre fun.

Fleabag Reminds Us That It’s OK Not To Be Perfect

By Katerina Azpiri katerinaazpiri001@mymdc.net

Would people enjoy a show about a woman that is an absolute wreck? Though studio executives might be apprehensive about showcasing female anti-heroes, the popularity and pop cultural impact of the BBC series Fleabag showcases the beauty of imperfection.

Fleabag —available on Amazon Prime Video—is a TV show written and performed by Phoebe WallerBridge, based on her one-woman show of the same name. It tells the story of a witty, pessimistic woman living in London maneuvering through adulthood.

The unnamed protagonist, who is only referred to as “Fleabag,” has an obvious brokenness and uses sex as a socially acceptable way to ignore her emotional issues, which continuously does her more harm than good.

Fleabag also has a habit of using humor to deflect and distance herself from others, making her disconnected from her love interest, as well as quite lonely. As

‰ In an age when women are expected to have it all, sometimes we need a messy female protagonist to remind us that nobody is perfect. she suppresses her pain through humor, she inevitably has outbursts from it leading to dire consequences. Rather than breaking the fourth wall for comedic effect like The Office does, Fleabag talks to the audience directly to build a connection with it.

Priest” appears to be the only one who understands Fleabag as a person and the only person that notices her fourth wall breaks, which represents the depth of their connection.

Ironically, Fleabag’s first love is the picture of unattainability— he’s a priest. Also, unnamed “The

Fleabag drops her humor for him, sharing that her only self worth is in her ability to have sex, and she feels incompetent in her responsibilities. Fleabag is asking

for guidance and he makes the situation sexual, conveying these two characters’ similarities, as he breaks away from the one moment they connect. The show also touches on the complexities of familial love. Her strained relationship with her high-achieving and seemingly perfect sister slowly becomes healed, and Fleabag learns to cut

out toxic people.

Ultimately, she confesses her love to The Priest, but like most star-crossed lovers their romance does not have a happy ending. The Priest chooses God over her, which feels heartbreaking because this was Fleabag’s first time confessing her feelings without using sarcasm or dry wit. It also represents the first time she accurately understands her emotions and communicates them thoroughly.

This is the last scene where the audience is with Fleabag, because she isn’t scared of vulnerability anymore, which gives her the maturity to seek meaningful connections with others.

Fleabag may not be the happiest show, but it is realistic. Learning to care for yourself and have the willpower to take action in responsibility is hard work that is only accomplished by the people who are willing to do it.

People are far from perfect, and yet the narrative that women are meant to be perfect is constantly perpetrated by the media through tropes such as the “girl boss” and the “sexy lamp.”

Sometimes we do not have it all together and that’s okay. It is important to represent real women, and Fleabag does exactly that.

PHOTO

The Blame Game—Who Is Right On The International Stage?

‰ Apollinaire Mendoza

explores the logical reasoning behind the arguments of history, interest and reciprocity that political entities use to justify their actions.

By Apollinaire Mendoza apollinai.mendoza001@mymdc.net

Our first lessons in life are about what is acceptable and what is not.

The actions we justify morph depending on various factors: character, outcomes, context, etc.

Assuming we all have the same idea of “normal,” someone entering a classroom with a clown costume on would catch our attention, but what influenced that person to do that?

Perhaps they work at Party City or enjoy wearing the outfit to calm their nerves for final exams.

By combining the actions with the factors listed, we can subjectively choose the appropriateness of the action.

This mental schema applies to

ECHO CHAMBERS

states as well.

Recent events have reinvigorated the discussion on morality and ethics in international relations and whether the roles played by the United States, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, China and Iran are justified.

This article intends to analyze factors people use to prove “we are right and they are wrong.”

History

One of the most common ways individuals reinforce their behavior is by emphasizing the past.

For example, Person A lives in a pro-car state, where the country has burned all records of time before cars and excludes the mention of car crashes. Person B lives in a state with no characteristics.

If both persons debate on transportation, Person A will likely support a pro-car position with a lack of fluency and a biased vehicle history.

History is a fickle logical tool that can be manipulated by the user. No one is omnipresent or omniscient and therefore can’t understand the motives behind every second of human history.

Interest

States often justify their actions, such as going to war, signing a treaty or refusing to raise tariffs, if it’s in their interest.

Again, this argument depends on your access to a country’s inner workings and foresight into future needs. It assumes that the state’s benefit is of utmost priority in contrast to the needs of other countries. Those included in this “interest” are questionable—is it only the state or does it include civilians, corporations and non-state

actors?

This statement also brings into question where the authority of a nation comes from, especially in a democratic country. If the state can unanimously decide its intentions, where does it leave those who inhabit or depend on it?

Reciprocity

The idea of tit-for-tat is predominant in human and international relations.

This idea is reinforced with sayings such as, an eye for an eye and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It’s based on the idea that actions taken were unthinkable before the other party took them.

We see this come to fruition when nations wage tariffs and trade wars against each other.

Reciprocity logic is dangerous; it creates an infinite feedback loop. Those who use this argument draw upon historical reasoning, with their evidence for committing an action stretching back years.

Conclusion

The logic behind arguments that hinge on history, interest and reciprocity is unique, each deserving of an independent article.

While the question of right and wrong is vast, it should neither deter or silence conversation.

The Dangers Of Echo Chambers

‰ Temiloluwa Alagbe explains why and how echo chambers—online platforms where people with similar beliefs converge—hinder nuanced communication.

By Temiloluwa Alagbe temiloluwa.alagbe001@mymdc.net

As weird as it sounds, immersing yourself in a space where people agree with you can be dangerous.

I am referring to echo chambers—online environments where users connect with people who share similar beliefs. These include spaces such as television stations, social media platforms, news outlets and even conspiracy networks.

X, formerly known as Twitter, is home to several echo chambers, serving as a platform to vent about politics, entertainment, sports and more.

On the surface, echo chambers don’t sound terrible; they sound ideal for finding people you relate to.

Only four percent of people engage in echo chambers, according to a WIRED article, The Small but Mighty Danger of Echochamber Extremism , by journalist Thor Benson.

However, these opinionated forums have developed into intellectual threats because they exploit people’s perception of truth.

Benson writes, “[People] may

become more entrenched in their beliefs, whether or not their beliefs reflect the real world. They may also become easier to manipulate and more extreme.”

Echo chambers isolate and manipulate people by consistently presenting information that reflects their opinions. They make people bold, convinced that whatever they see is right even if it’s

false.

That can lead to confirmation bias, a phenomenon in which people’s beliefs are reaffirmed by presented evidence.

If people are constantly fed information that never challenges their preexisting notions, they’re likely to ignore opposing points of views because they believe their narrative is the only correct one.

The more people get sucked into these spaces, the harder it becomes to access information that doesn’t cater to their interests.

Algorithms are a root cause of echo chambers because they selectively hide unwanted intelligence.

Eli Pariser, the CEO of Upworthy, a left-leaning storytelling website geared toward spreading positive messages, discussed the purpose of algorithms in an NPR interview.

“What most algorithms are trying to do is to increase engagement, increase the amount of attention you’re spending on that platform,” Pariser said. “And while it’s nice that we have an instrument to help us cope with the fire hose of information supplied by the Internet, that algorithm also carries some downsides.”

The best way to avoid being sucked into echo chambers is by practicing media literacy.

That means being cautious about where you get your information and what you read or watch, fact-checking information and exposing yourself to different perspectives.

Remember, just because you don’t agree with a topic or idea doesn’t mean it should be completely ignored.

Have basic respect and patience when interacting with others.

Nothing says angry Twitter users like a red-faced emoji and doxing.

Why Female Friendships Appear Deeper Than Male Friendships

‰ Isabelle Jean-Baptiste explores the difference between male and female relationships and why female bonds seem to be stronger than male bonds.

By Isabelle Jean-Baptiste isa.jean-baptiste002@mymdc.net

There is truth behind most jokes.

Many people joke that female friendships are overly heartfelt and sappy.

Some say that male friendships are superficial and short-lived.

All joking aside, friendships between women tend to be more intimate than friendships between men.

While both genders are equal in value, there are undeniable differences between the kinds of relationships they form. People like to contemplate where these contrasts stem from.

One popular theory postulates that males and females form different kinds of friendships due to their upbringings.

According to psychologist Tarra Dates-Buford, friendships between men are more likely to be built on shared hobbies, such as sports and video games, whereas relationships between women depend on their ability to share their

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thoughts and feelings.

While friendships founded upon common interests can lead to close connections, it’s easier to keep those friendships casual and superficial than friendships built upon sharing vulnerabilities.

Buford also notes there are differences in how males and females respond to deficits in communication.

It’s more likely for female friendships to fizzle out over their inability to stay in contact than for male friendships. Men will continue to consider a man his close friend even if they haven’t interacted in months.

To understand these differences, we need to look at their childhoods.

Young boys are often discouraged from being vulnerable with others because showcasing emotions such as sadness or fear

contradicts the social norm of what a “man” is—someone who is always strong and doesn’t cry. Tears are seen as weakness in men.

As a result, men tend to be more reserved with their emotions even within male-to-male relationships.

Girls, on the other hand, are often considered “too emotional” for expressing their feelings. Nonetheless, it’s socially acceptable for women to wear their hearts on their sleeves, which can kindle intimate conversations and stronger bonds.

Self-disclosure, the process of communication through which humans reveal personal information, is essential for relationships to thrive because it requires and creates trust.

Naturally, humans tend to keep personal information—beliefs,

values, emotions, secrets, mistakes and traumas—private. It is the key to what makes you you.

When you share that kind of information, you are trusting that someone won’t use it against you.

Women are more likely to take such a risk in their friendships than men, yielding more intimate, lasting connections.

However, it’s not wise to put all our cards on the table with everyone.

Strong, meaningful relationships take time to cultivate. Being quick to self-disclose can cause personal information to fall into the wrong hands.

Ultimately, it’s important to recognize the differences between how and why male and female relationships differ.

Maybe there is something men and women can learn from each other.

The Irony Of The Stanley Cup

‰ The point of getting a reusable cup is to cut waste by only using one water bottle, rather than disposing of multiple bottles. So, why are Stanley cups now a status symbol?

By Nicole Del Rio nicole.delrio002@mymdc.net

They’re everywhere.

They have every social media app in a chokehold.

Everyone seems to own a stainless steel 30-ounce cup with a matching straw.

I am, of course, talking about Stanley cups. Though the brand has been around since 1913, it has garnered an almost cult-like following in the last year.

Somehow water, a necessity for human survival, has become the center of the latest TikTok trend.

At first, I thought it was great that people were drinking more water and in a sustainable way.

Reusable water bottles are essential to reduce plastic waste. According to Project Clean Water, one reusable water bottle can lead to 156 less plastic bottles.

Yet, I can’t help but laugh at the irony of the Stanley cup mania. Stanley cups have become so popular that when Starbucks released the Target-exclusive pink cups, groupies flocked to stores in

Black Friday-esque chaos. People camped outside of stores and trampled each other in hopes of acquiring the coveted cup.

In fact, Stanley cups have become so popular that the mother of a nine-year-old shared on TikTok that her daughter was bullied for having a Walmart tumbler cup.

The craze is not limited to children, as adults have posted their collection of cups.

Stanley cups have also experienced markups online, most notably the Target exclusive. I browsed ebay to see how much these $45 cups could be marked up and found one for $345.

The tumbler cups have evolved into a sort of status symbol. It is no longer about owning a water bottle, it’s about owning the water bottle.

Fear of missing out, or FOMO, might be another factor fueling the Stanley cup craze.

The

Everyone is getting one and people don’t want to be excluded from a community that bonds over owning the same brand of stainless steel cups.

I have often fallen under the spell of trends after seeing them on my social media feed.

I have nothing against Stanley as a company or its customers, but I think this absurd hyperconsumption mania is missing the point.

While this is not the first water bottle trend—may the VSCO girl Hydro Flask of 2019 to 2020 rest in peace—it has certainly been the bottle with the highest following. The point of the reusable cup is to reduce the amount of bottles you buy.

When this Stanley cup trend dies out like all trends eventually do—where will these collections go?

Probably a landfill.

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