Media Convergence Initiative

Electronic Music Festivals: Home to Smiles and Substances

Posted on October 7, 2013 by stephaniemmuniz

The rapid growth of Electronic Dance Music, also commonly referred to as EDM, has made a huge impact within the United States in just one year. Upbeat tempo styled music has hit the airways and changed existing styles of popular artist such as Rihanna and Justin Timberlake. With electronic music making such a big hit among teens and adults, a new trend that is often associated with the music scene has become more prevalent as well. It has been rumored that the electronic dance music scene is filled with designer drugs varying from hallucinogens such as LSD to Marijuana. It has been reported that attendee of festivals and shows at smaller venues usually sneak these drugs and take them upon the performance.

The electronic scene is known for having a huge fan base and a large amount of attendees and with some of these festivals being held outside, it is possible for music fans to get overheated during the warm summer weather, when these music festivals usually take place. With the scorching warm weather, large crowds, and even drug intakes, festival goers have needed paramedic attention and shockingly, there have been deaths at these electronic music festivals. Electric Zoo, held in the summer of 2013, had to end a day short when New York governors decided to pull the plug on the festival that had already had two deaths within the first two days due to drug overdose. Other large music festivals such as Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival also have large number of attendees needing medical attention for substance abuse.

Although the talk of drug abuse and substance occur or get misconstrued within the electronic dance music scene, the rave culture is proud to stand behind their music and reasoning. Famous DJ named Kaskade states “If the US Government hasn’t come up with the magic bullet to quell the problem of drugs in this country, it is not reasonable to expect an event promoter to pull this kind of trick out of his hat either.” Many ravers in todays culture will stand behind their culture and believe that music is what allows them to have a special bond between each other blind of religion, gender, or body type or culture.

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The Broncos Edge Out the Cowboys in a Shootout in Dallas

Posted on October 7, 2013 by taylorkoziol

The Denver Broncos needed a game winning field goal as time expired to beat the Dallas Cowboys 51-48. The Broncos stay perfect on the season with a 5-0 record. The Cowboys gave the Broncos their toughest test of the season so far. Tony Romo set the Dallas Cowboys franchise record throwing for five hundred and six yards. Owner Jerry Jones praised Romo’s play after the game. It wasn’t enough though to beat Peyton Manning. Manning threw for four touchdowns to reach twenty on the season. Manning did throw his first interception of the season.

The Broncos are one of three remaining undefeated teams left in the league. They have the best offense in the league putting up an outstanding forty six points per game. The fifty one points Denver scored yesterday is more then the Bucs have scored all season and is tied with the amount the Jaguars have scored. The Broncos play the 0-5 Jaguars next game. The Jacksonville Jaguars look to the the leagues worst team while the Broncos seem to be the leagues best. The point spread for next weeks game ties a record. The Broncos are favored by twenty eight points. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Broncos cover the spread. The Jaguars offense is the leagues worst and their defense is the second worst in points per game.

Peyton Manning looks to be leading the race for the MVP award this season after just missing out last season to Adrian Peterson’s remarkable season. Manning has comeback from his neck surgery better than he was before. His accuracy is on point throwing for an amazing seventy five percent compliant percentage. If Manning keeps playing at this high of a level, the MVP will for sure be his and the Broncos will be the team to beat for the Super Bowl.

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Fantastic Findings in the Suriname Rain Forest Leave Scientists Stunned

Posted on October 7, 2013 by jsjones

With all of the unfortunate statistics arising lately regarding the extremely high amount of various animals being put on the endangered species list, there has been much excitement about a multitude of new species that were found in the Suriname forest.

The Suriname rain forest, which is located in South America, presented quite a surprise to scientists who were exploring the area on an expedition. An astonishing 60 new species were found and the discovery was announced this past Thursday by tropical ecologist, Trond Larsen. The excursion, which was led by an organization known as Conservation International, was a non-profit study of the rainforests which had previously been unexplored regions.

The study lasted about three weeks long and gave evidence to 6 new frog species and 11 fish. Additionally, nearly 40 other unrecorded tropical species were found. Scientists have already named one of the frog species, giving it the name of “cocoa frog” due to its brown coloring. A new type of poisonous frog was also discovered which emits toxins through its mouth. The discovery of such a large number of frogs will undoubtedly impact the scientific world because of the previous amounts of frog species which had become extinct or endangered worldwide.

The expedition also resulted in the collection of data on thousands of other species that were present in Suriname’s forest. The data collected on the environment alone, gave evidence to the fact that the water conditions in the area are of an extremely high quality. This fact, along with the land mining policies of the neighboring country of Brazil, has led scientists to worry about the future of the Suriname rain forests. It is their hope that the land maintains its immense diversity and that the environment remains untouched so that the species continue to thrive.

Posted in Environment, General | Comments Off

Major Decision about Major League Soccer in Orlando This Week

Posted on October 7, 2013 by marissanclark

This week, the city of Orlando will decide whether to build a brand new, state of the art soccer stadium to house a brand new Major League Soccer team. Orlando City Soccer Club has already assured the city of Orlando that upgrading the already successful soccer team based here will bring huge amounts of tourism to the city.

Major League Soccer or simply just the MLS is a growing brand here in America. Soccer is a sport that is always the little brother to other popular sports like baseball and football. However the MLS is already taking over large markets with teams in Los Angeles and New York City. I believe that is how sports in America grow in popularity, by marketing themselves in larger, and more profitable cities.

This being said with the MLS coming to Orlando, I think this will be a win-win situation for both the league and the city of Orlando. First off expanding the league to a very large city in Florida would help attract new fans to the league. The city of Orlando would benefit from this deal with an increase of tourism due to another major sports team along with the Magic.

If all goes according to plan and the deal is approved today by the city council then construction will start in the coming months. My hope is that this soccer stadium will change quite a bit of downtown scene for Orlando. I’m not the biggest fan of soccer, but a huge fan of Orlando and I think this is a huge step in the right direction for the city.

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Samsung’s new Galaxy Gear watch doesn’t really hit the mark.

Posted on October 7, 2013 by johnmenard

Huge majorities of our society today cant live with out their smartphones. Smartphones have allowed us to have the capability to access information so easy that it only takes a swipe and a couple taps of our thumbs. Smartphones allow people to have a computer the palm of their hands whenever they need it. Just recently Samsung, the maker of the Galaxy S3 smartphone, released a game changer to the smartphone market. Galaxy Gear is the name of a electronic watch that links to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and lets the user do a lot of things that the Galaxy S3 lets you do. Might sound amazing but after doing some research on it and reading reviews it might not be that amazing.

First off the Galaxy Gear only works with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and none of the other Samsung smartphones that Samsung offers. After reading the reviews people were saying it was very uncomfortable after a couple hours of wearing it. “Functional but not comfortable” said one of the reviewers for ABC News. Another issue with the Galaxy Gear is that one of its key features which is the ability to convert your speech into text isn’t as accurate as its competitors like Apple’s Siri and Google’s Glass. The last big thing would be the price. This gadget will cost you $300 and in my opinion that is a huge waste of money especially if all the competing phones are currently making similar devices.

Samsung is definitely breaking into a new market but their product just isn’t there yet.

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What is the Government Shutdown Really About?

Posted on October 7, 2013 by natalie.izquierdo

On October 1, 2013 the government shutdown began at midnight. However if you were unable to get to a TV that day you only knew that it was happening but were not quite sure why. I was one of these unaware people who was uninformed about the current situation. When I woke up the next morning I was informed the government was shut down and specific sections were still open but had no idea why. The stories told me that people were going to clean out what they needed from their offices and being sent home without pay for the most part. I was informed that the people who caused this shutdown were still receiving their paychecks though.

All I was seeing everywhere was that the government was shutdown and most people were not getting paid. I saw that memorials and national parks were also closed but still no reason behind it. I wondered how many other people were as lost as I was due to a lack of television the previous day. Finally, I was forced to Google it and search through several articles before I found out what was actually happening and why our government was being shut down. Although, generally day to day I felt unaffected by it, it was shocking to see that no one was really reporting on such a huge event. Especially when news stations report on smaller stories for days, even weeks depending on what it is.

As days have passed though its clear this shut down is having a clear effect on the nation and people’s lives. University of Central Florida sent out an email to all the students participating in Research submissions being effected because of certain agencies being affected. Its clear that there needs to be more information being put out about why this is happening and should be used in schools to show students how the government actually works and affects the country as a whole when it is not functioning. Something this large should have been reported more in detail for several days to keep citizens of the country well informed.

Posted in Economy, General, Politics, World News | Comments Off

“Felina”: The End to a Series Loved by Many

Posted on October 7, 2013 by gabriellemotto

This past week, something monumental happened: Breaking Bad ended. The show was extremely popular and will go down in history as one of the best shows of this decade. The show was a roller-coaster of plot twists and emotions that really get the viewer hooked and wanting more. Breaking Bad not only has a great plot, it also has great actors who managed to develop their characters in a way that made the show very real to the viewer. If you have not seen it, I definitely recommend you go on Netflix and begin watching this awesome series.

Breaking Bad is a show centered on a character named Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston. Walter is a high school chemistry teacher and he finds out that he has cancer. Worried about his finances and his family’s future, he begins to cook meth with an old student of his, Jessie Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul. Cooking meth brings in a lot of money for them, but it also brings a lot of problems. Throughout the whole series, Walt must keep his secret from his family, including his brother in law who is a DEA agent. Numerous times, he finds himself with competition in the drug market. There are also countless deaths, many surprising, while others expected. Walt becomes cold and even dangerous. He is an antihero who we hate to love, but can’t bring ourselves to stop loving. The inner conflict of his character and the decisions that he makes are what made the show so accepted by millions across the nation.

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Controversy Surrounds Virginia Confederate Flag Ceremony

Posted on October 7, 2013 by akilah.fields

This past Saturday, many witnessed, yet again, the struggle between Confederate pride and the perception of the Confederacy by others. Right along I-95 in the town of Chester, Virginia, a 15 by 15’ Confederate flag was hoisted high above the tree line, which will be seen by tens of thousands every day driving on the busy highway. The celebration was part of the 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, where hundreds gathered to remember those who fought for the South during the Civil War.

Unfortunately, not everyone was in agreement about the message this display of Dixie pride conveyed. Brian Cannon, a lawyer who organized a social media protest against the ceremony, stated, “It’s a symbol of divisiveness, and for many it’s hateful.” This argument indeed holds true, for it is difficult for most Americans not to have reservations when it comes to displaying a symbol which once stood for slavery and oppression. On the other side of the argument is James Eaton, the man whose property the flag was raised upon. “It’s not a black and white thing,” he replies, “it’s strictly for sentimental reasons – remembering the Confederate heritage and our relatives that fought in it.”

Herein lied the concern over safety. Many were worried that this ceremony would attract unwanted attention by those who would attempt to insight violence in protest. One resident nearby was specifically worried for his daughter and granddaughter’s safety. Fortunately for him and others in the surrounding area, the ceremony went on as planned, leaving only a raised flag and the looming controversy to come regarding the true message behind this symbol of the South.

Posted in General | Tagged Confederate, Controversy, Virginia | Comments Off

IndyCar Star Dario Franchitti Scary Crash in Houston

Posted on October 7, 2013 by ash6128ucf

Dario Franchitti who is a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner was taken off the Reliant Park on a stretcher during Sunday’s Shell-Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston 2. While Franchitti was on his last lap for Shell-Pennzoil Grand Prix his car lost control and went airborne. The debris from the Franchitti wreck left over a dozen spectators injured.

Before the crash occurred Franchitti was battling for track position with Takuma Sato late in the race. Takuma Sato ending up bumping Franchitti’s No.10 car which triggered a three-car accident with E.J. Visto in the middle of the turn five.

Since Franchitti car was traveling at a high of speed, his car went flying into the air and collided hard with the outside retaining wall that protects fans from the vechiles.When the race was finished, medical personnel rushed to the 40 year-old Franchitti driver side to attempt to extricate him from the car. Franchitti was kept in the car for several minutes until the ambulance arrived on the scene. Dario was placed into a head and neck restraints on a stretcher and was sent to a local hospital. Franchitti suffered two broken vertebrae , a fractured right ankle and a concussion in a scary crash that almost ended his life.

Sato finished 10th, Franchitti 11th and Viso 12th following the accident. Will Power ended up winning the race for Sunday’s Shell-Pennzoil Grand Prix. What can be changed to make car races more safe for spectators? Does there need to a review on safety for race drivers? Will Franchitti be able to do another race again? Only time will tell on whether their will be changes to the format to racing.

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Dealing with Landlords: Know Your Rights as a Lessee

Posted on October 7, 2013 by jlhemingway

For the past year, I have been living in a home under the management of Kelly Price Realty in Winter Park. Upon first signing the lease, my roommates and I were very careful to know what was to be expected of us in order to have our deposits returned. What we found out was quite shocking. In the state of Florida, the lessees, not the lessors, hold the most rights with regards to expectations. If you want to stay one step above “the man”, you just need to understand that they owe you more than you owe them.

For one, read the lease carefully, noting the many different nuances that guarantee your rights as the occupant of the domicile. Many times, lessors will take you for an idiot as it is their profession to lease and manage homes. Wrong. Show them that you aren’t a chump that can be yanked around at their every beck and call. The home must be equipped with safe and fully functional doors, locks and windows. Also, you are to expect to have the home free from any pests, including the sealing off of possible pest gateways into the house. Lastly, know that, in a home at least, they cannot just show up without at least 24-hours notice or else they are trespassing. Don’t let them do it!

Knowing your rights can save a lot of face when dealing with an arrogant or unprofessional leasing company. They expect you to go along with their every decision but know that you don’t have to. The one thing you must remember is, have everything in writing, that way if sh*t hits the fan, you’re the one on top!

Posted in Education, General | Comments Off