Wesley Coffee house- CLASS ASSIGNMENT

This article is an unpublished story that I wrote for my professor Dr. Bruce Garrison for his feature writing class in the fall of my junior year. The assignment was to write a "Color Story".


Teal walls and a hodgepodge of floor lamps backlit the dim make-shift stage. Four songwriters sat in a line with guitars, banjos and a piano with a large wooden cross in the back corner of the room.

Free coffee, tea and cookies lined the small tables on the perimeter of the room. The open door let in the evening breeze. People sat at gospel music sheet covered tables and mismatched chairs. The show was about to begin.

On Thursdays, the on-campus Wesley Methodist Center hosts a music night called the Wesley Coffee House. The campus ministry has featured students from the Frost School of Music. The event is free and there are also free refreshments. This coffee house night featured four student singer-songwriters, Natalie York, CJ Tywoniak, Ben Goldsmith and Tori Tullier. The students performed in a Nashville Round, meaning they all sang back up for each other’s original songs.

“This was my first time at the songwriter’s night,” said junior Sarah Thomas. “I liked it a lot. The great original songs reminded me of all the little bars and coffee shops back home in Nashville.”

Senior Frost School of Music student Tori Tullier looked ethereal in a white empire waist top and sang to a packed house “Waiting on a road that’s never met a footprint/and I’ll be there if you want a ride.”

“It was my first time performing at the Wesley Coffee House,” said Tullier. “I really enjoyed it because it was a smaller venue so it was more personal. I felt calm because I knew a lot of friends were in the audience.”

Friends caught up between songs and squished onto the circle of couches that was the impromptu front row. These were regulars and they know how to get the most out of the night.

“I always went last year,” said sophomore Dan Barnett. “I enjoy the music and atmosphere. It’s a good chance to play and meet other musicians.”

The music continued and the songwriters created a rapport with the crowd.

“Those homeless people really liked it so hope you guys do too,” joked senior Natalie York.

She was referring to a story about performing her “I Love You” song outside to no one but the local Miami homeless population.

The songs were received with great attention by the audience. The standing room only crowd was silent during the folksy renditions of the student’s original songs. Ben Goldsmith broke into a rendition of Tom Petty’s Free Falling, prompting the entire crowd to sing along, and Natalie York elicited laughs for her Flight of the Conchords inspired Sugar Lumps piece.

“I like the vibe, it’s down to earth,” said senior Maggie Debarberie. “You can talk or just listen, you can eat, do homework. You can come and go as you please.”

The music started at eight but people trickled in throughout the night. Some wore sweatpants and a University of Miami shirt while others were dressed up for a night on the town. Some people came with friends while others were by themselves leaning on the wall by the door absorbing the night. More students and locals came later on to watch the open mic portion of the Wesley coffee house.

“It’s great because it warms you up with their music,” said senior Amanda Miesnieks. “It [the coffee house] really encourages having people play your own music.”

The nervous students leave their guitar cases in the corners of the room and sign up on a single piece of notebook paper that’s tearing at the spiral edges.

After about an hour, the Nashville Round performance came to a conclusion and there was a short break. During the break everyone got up and some grabbed a M&M cookie while they socialized with the friends that were sitting on the other side of the room. The open mic performers started to get mentally prepared for their upcoming performance, nervously laughing with their friends. Some were regulars to the open mic while for others it was their first time.

“Here you get a chance to sit down lay back and soak in the talent of the Frost Music School,” said Barnett.

The coffee house was a great night for both the audience and the performers. The relaxing atmosphere was a great change to a usually hectic Thursday night.

“I would love to perform again,” said Tullier. “I'm so happy I was able to be a part of it. Miami isn't really known for being a songwriting town the way Nashville or Athens is, so it's nice to showcase the talent that we have in the school in a relaxed environment.”

Overflow housing forces students off campus

Sitting in a nearly empty shuttle, senior exchange student from Spain, Adrian Rebollal, rides over to campus to get dinner. The bus across U.S. 1 takes only five minutes and leaves him at Stanford Circle, ready to walk to the Mahoney-Pearson dining hall.

“I would love if they had a bridge across U.S. 1,” Rebollal said. “When you go walking it is so crowded.”

The Coral Gables Holiday Inn may be just across the street, but the hotel is a world away from the on-campus lifestyle.

Last semester’s housing lottery has had a significant effect on the on-campus population.

Many students who wanted to live on campus this year were not granted the opportunity- some got off the wait list and found rooms, some went off campus to the surrounding Coral Gables apartments and homes, while 30 other students, and the entire University of Miami Intensive English Program, are in limbo and are being housed at the Holiday Inn until a spot can open up.

“This is a little different use of the hotel as temporary overflow housing,” said Jon Baldessari, associate director of the Department of Housing and Residential Life. “There are early cancellations or people that don’t show up- we call them no shows. We can move those folks [at the hotel] onto campus pretty quickly. We never intended to keep people there longer than the end of September. Actually we are a little bit ahead of schedule.”

The students residing at the Holiday Inn are mainly transfer students and upperclassmen or a part of the UM Intensive English Program. The hotel rooms are split into double occupancy and the fees are comparable to the double-occupancy dorm rates. The residents also have an on-campus meal plan, although they have to cross U.S. 1 in order to use it.

This is not the first time that University of Miami students have been housed at the Coral Gables Holiday Inn.

In 2005, the university had almost 200 students residing at the hotel, Baldessari said. After 2005, the Department of Housing and Residential Life did not need overflow housing.

That all changed last year when the university decided to tear down the apartment area, thus eliminating dorm space and creating a housing lottery.

Despite not receiving accommodations on campus, students seem happy living at the Holiday Inn.

“I got a king size bed, my own shower, two TVs, a balcony,” said freshman Drew Doidge, a New Jersey local who currently resides at the Holiday Inn while taking part-time classes. “I got a pool. It’s awesome.”

The students also have maid service and access to room service, constant reminders that they are staying in a hotel and not in Eaton or the towers. The students can also use the hotel pool and the small fitness center.

Staying at the hotel, however, does not offer the connection to the rest of the university that living in the dorms provides.

“They seem to be getting kind of bored already around here,” said Edgar Morales, a manager on duty for the Coral Gables Holiday Inn.

Many students living at the hotel are students in the Intensive English program and are new to the campus lifestyle.

These students are international as well and are living in Miami and in the country for the first time.

By not being able to live in the dorms, the students may miss out on important information and activities, like pep rallies, on-campus movies and club meetings, further isolating them from the on-campus population.

“My only regret is that I’m not around what’s going on on campus,” Doidge said. “Everything I hear from my friends is about the dorms.”

Many of the students won’t have to wait long to become a part of campus life.

Once space opens up, the students will be moved into the residence halls. Students in the Intensive English program, however, may be housed in the Holiday Inn for the remainder of the program.

“Now they are going to move me to Mahoney, it’s nice,” Rebollal said. “I know everybody from the dorms, and everybody loves me in Pearson and Mahoney. I would like to have a better bed, a better room.”

This article was written for the news section of The Miami Hurricane, the University of Miami student newspaper. It was published on September 11, 2010.

Miami Spice: September event offers taste of Miami on a budget

Miami is a great city for the culinary world. International cuisine reigns supreme, and there are amazing restaurants in every neighborhood. These restaurants, however, are usually out of reach for a college budget.

For the month of September, however, that is all going to change: Miami Spice restaurant month is here.

A city-wide event organized by the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Miami Spice will host dining opportunities until Sept. 30. The event offers three-course fixed-price meals at some of Miami’s best restaurants. The Miami Spice menu is only $22 for lunch and $35 for dinner.

“I think its a great opportunity for restaurants,” said Diego Orlando, executive chef at the Chart House in Coconut Grove, one of the restaurants offering a Miami Spice prix fixe menu. “We are still here and [we] get a relationship with the guest again.”

The event has over 100 restaurants participating, so patrons are sure to find one that will please their culinary palette.

“Miami is so diverse and there is a lot going on every night,” sophomore Dhrushti Desai said. “It’ll be great to try new restaurants.”

Miami Spice restaurant month is not just a great opportunity for the restauranteurs; it is also a great way to try new places on a shoestring budget.

“Since I was a freshman at UM, I have wondered where the best local places to eat are,” junior Dan Schoch said. “Miami Spice gives you all that information in one place.”

The Miami Hurricane has compiled a list of a few of the restaurants participating that students might not have heard about, but should definitely consider.

Mr. Chow- Located in the W hotel on Miami Beach, this is the fourth location of Mr. Chow. This restaurant was most recently awarded the 5-Star Diamond Award by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, so the food and service are excellent.

The Miami Spice menu is available Sunday through Thursday, and reservations are required. The three-course menu is served family style, with some of the selections being green prawns, steamed sea bass and Mr. Chow’s signature hand-pulled noodles.

Chart House- Located in the Coconut Grove Convention Center, the Chart House offers amazing views of the Dinner Key Marina and Biscayne Bay. This restaurant chain is located all over the United States and is known for its great seafood.

“Chart House really has everything I can ask for when going out for a nice meal,” senior Alex Fruin said. “The steaks are always cooked to perfection, the seafood is fresh. And the view, I don’t think you can find a better view than that. Not just in Miami, but anywhere.”

The Miami Spice menu is served for dinner Sunday through Thursday. The menu is filled with The Chart House’s biggest sellers, according to Orlando, and they will not disappoint. Try the Shrimp Fresca, Parmesan-crusted shrimp paired with angel hair pasta and lump crab meat, and then finish your meal with the Chart House’s famous mud pie. Reservations are required and can be made online.

La Palma Ristorante- If you are looking for a restaurant to host a perfect date night, then La Palma is the one for you. Housed in the historic La Palma building designed in 1924 by George Merrick, this Coral Gables restaurant has a tree-covered outdoor courtyard that would be perfect for that special anniversary dinner.

The Miami Spice menu is available for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner every night. The restaurant selected choices for everyone including NY strip steak, salmon and homemade pasta. Reservations are recommended and there is even local entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings.

“Make it a bargain,” said Laura Dutis, event coordinator for La Palma Ristorante. “That’s the deal for Miami Spice.”

This article was written for the entertainment section of The Miami Hurricane, the University of Miami student newspaper. It was published on September 11, 2010, and was the cover of the newspaper for that edition.

High-performance headphones hit market

Miami is a house music capital and our campus is no exception.

The new V-Moda Crossfade LP headphones are one of the newest high-end headphones on the market. They come in a variety of colors and are sure to make a fashion statement while you walk to class.

The price is very steep; these headphones retail around $250, but the hefty price tag does come with cool features. The headphones can record sound from your surroundings directly to your iPod, great for sleeping through a lecture or for those hard-to-understand science professors.

Another cool feature is the ability to turn up the volume and pause without touching your iPod, making these headphones perfect for eavesdropping on library conversations. The only problem is that the volume buttons don’t work on the computer, just on a portable device.

The sound quality is amazing; you feel like you are surrounded by sound. The small intricate details of the music also become clearer, and you start hearing little things in your favorite song that you didn’t know existed.

The music also doesn’t bleed through the phones, so no one can tell if you’re listening to DeadMau5 or the Jonas Brothers.

These headphones are great for a serious music listener. An aspiring DJ or music major will greatly benefit from these high-quality headphones. However, if you just want them to make a fashion statement, pick a cheaper pair. They’re stylish but if you aren’t a serious musician, the $250 price tag may not be worth it. Check out Urban Outfitters; almost all of their headphones retail for around $60, so you can get the style at around a quarter of the price.

Rating: 3.25/4 stars

Price: $249.99
Weight: 0.6 lbs
Manufacturer: V-Moda
For more information, check out www.v-moda.com.

This article was written for the entertainment section of The Miami Hurricane, the University of Miami student newspaper. It was published on August 26, 2010.

Freshman 15

Whether it’s Pizza in the Grove, tailgate food, or even those late night snacks we all sneak into Club Richter; college is an eating experience that’s new to freshmen. You’re on your own for the first time and you can do, and eat, whatever you want. However, this newfound freedom comes with a price – The Freshman 15.

Contrary to popular belief, the Freshman 15 is not just an urban legend. There are many factors that can affect your eating habits and cause weight gain. According to Ashley Falcon, assistant director of wellness at the Wellness Center, hectic schedules, buffet-style dining, emotional or stress eating, lack of sleep and alcohol are all factors that can result in weight gain.

The Hurricane has compiled some tips to help all students against the Freshman 15

Unlimited Charties is not your friend—just because you can have unlimited grilled cheese and fries doesn’t mean you should. Give the salad bar a try, and don’t skip the veggies. Stir fry with cooking spray instead of oil is another healthy choice, and try to cut back on the soda, a regular coke with every meal will add up to tons of empty calories.

Eat Breakfast—breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and as you’ll quickly learn, Chartie’s best. Grab an egg white omelet for a great start to the school day. If you don’t have time to go to the dining hall grab a granola bar. Eating breakfast will help spark your metabolism and keep you from being too hungry during the day.

Walk when you can—walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise you can have on this campus. The campus is small enough that you can walk to all of your classes, and the surrounding area is full of walk able restaurants and shops. You can even track your on-campus walking with the school program, Walking Counts. The walking counts campaign calculates popular routes on campus. Add up your daily routes and you can easily walk up to two miles a day.

Use the Wellness Center- The wellness center is a great resource on campus to help manage your weight. In addition to the machines and weights there are also fitness classes, healthy cooking classes, and the free CHAMP assessment, which measures your fitness level.

Go Easy on the Booze- beer bellies often start freshman year, so go easy on the alcohol. Not every football game and weekend should be a blackout mess. Start to learn self control, your waistline, and your liver, will thank you.

Start your college career off right by developing the right habits, right now. Indulging in sweets and fats is ok every once in a while, but it’s important to remember you’re in a transition phase. What better time to develop a healthy eating regiment? The first step is the most important. Enjoy your college career and worry about the things that need to be worried about. Eating healthy is not something to fret over. At the end of the day a little discipline can go a long way.

Take it to the Next Level this Super Bowl Weekend

Miami is notorious for throwing celebrity-packed parties, and the events planned for South Florida’s 10th Super Bowl are no exception.

Starting tonight, the Pepsi Fan Jam concert series is going to kick into high gear with Justin Beiber and Rihanna performing on South Beach for free. The concert stage is on the sand by Eighth Street and gates open at 6:30 p.m. with the performances starting at 9 p.m. Even though the concert is free, tickets must be obtained through Ticketmaster. The concert will be broadcasted live on VH1.

If you can drag yourself out of bed on Friday, there are more free events before the big game. For those who want to make a difference, Habitat for Humanity is having a Helmet for Homes Build Day. Work alongside NFL players in Fort Lauderdale at the inaugural “green build” site, located at 2224 NW 26 Street. The event starts at 8 a.m. and registration is online at www.habitatbroward.org.

After volunteering, the music continues in Miami with the Pepsi Musica Fan Jam concert, featuring Nelly Furtado, Paulina Rubio and Pitbull. The concert will be held at the same stage as the aforementioned Pepsi Fan Jam concert, and gates open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for this free event are also available through Ticketmaster.

Kick off your weekend with a star-filled Saturday at the DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl. Over 30 celebrities, including Taylor Lautner, Chace Crawford and Victoria’s Secret supermodel Marissa Miller, will be battling it out in a beach football game coached by Eli Manning and Mark Sanchez. Immediately following, there will be a post-game concert by the All American Rejects. This event is free and no tickets are required, so get there early. Gates open at 12:30 p.m. on Collins Avenue between 21st and 22nd Street in South Beach.

For the day of the big game, start in Brickell by going to the Finnegan’s on the River tailgate, hosted by MTV’s “Jersey Shore” personality, Snooki. The tailgate starts at 12 p.m. with live music and specials. The Grove will also be hosting watch parties, including UM favorites, Mr. Moe’s, Sandbar Bar and Grill. After the final touchdown, end your night at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino at an after party hosted by Ludacris.

With all these exciting events, Super Bowl weekend will be a highlight of spring semester; go out with a bang regardless of your football loyalties.

This article was published in the Miami Hurricane during my sophomore year.

Single with Panache on Valentine's Day

The day of all things couples is fast approaching. If you are without a date, however, you don’t have to mope around in your dorm; there are tons of fun things to do while single on Valentine’s Day.

First, head over to Sunset Place to watch the new film “Valentine’s Day.” Opening this Friday, the star-filled movie follows characters trying to find romance in Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day. Laugh your single blues away while watching these stars stumble into love.

If you want to go out on Saturday, Miami has plenty of options for a fun Valentine’s weekend. For all the fashionistas, VIGI Boutique is hosting a “Sex and the City”-themed party. The bash “Love Yourself- A Valentine’s Celebration of You” will be held from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Shop the latest fashions by Nicole Miller and Joe’s Jeans while sipping on cocktails. A licensed esthetician will be on site giving skin consultations and samples.

Also, in honor of Valentine’s Day, all pink and red items will be 14 percent off, and shoppers will receive a complimentary red lip gloss with purchase.

When the actual day rolls around, don’t spend Sunday in Club Richter. Instead, round up other single friends and have an indulgent meal out. The Ritz-Carlton on Key Biscayne is having a lavish chocolate buffet. For only $22 per person you can eat your weight in chocolate while overlooking the ocean.

If you would rather go out to dinner, Prime One Twelve is great for a deliciously expensive steak. Order exactly what you want and don’t forget dessert; the chocolate chip cookies are the best.

A single Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to bring gloom and doom. Forget about your lack of a significant other and just have a fun weekend out with friends.

This article ran in the Miami Hurricane my sophomore year