6 Ways to Take Advantage of this Summer

With spring in full-bloom and summer just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking of what to do the best months out of the year. As soon as exams are over, anything is possible. But that normally translates into eating way more ice cream than we should and binge-watching every show on Netflix.

So how do you make the best out of the summer and make sure to create as many memories as possible before fall comes rolling around the corner again?

Here are a few ideas on things to do.

Travel abroad

If you have the money, this is the best option. Right now the Euro is in our favor. Traveling to Europe has also become cheaper with flights as low as $300 round-trip through StudentUniverse.com and similar websites.

Many countries have also become cheaper to visit in recent years. Try the south of Spain for beaches, parties, culture and relaxation. Salou, a city on the outskirts of Barcelona, is a destination for many English-speaking vacationers and considered the Panama City Beach of Spain.

Visit your local Farmers Markets

Farmers markets aren’t only for locally grown fruits and vegetable. Many farmers markets have hand-crafted knickknacks from bags and purses to candles and pillows.

Check out what your local farmer’s market has to offer and support small businesses. Maybe you’ll find the perfect flower-shaped pillow for your room.

Sneak into a Pool

Don’t have a backyard with a pool ready for tanning and backstrokes? No problem. Check out your university’s pool. Students are allowed access when the weather permits.

Back at home for the summer? Check out pools in surrounding hotels and apartments around your city. Some offer pool access for a fee while others are free. A few pools require an award-winning performance pretending to be resident or visitor. Either way, these pools often offer towels, music and a bar with food.

Take a road trip with Friends

Never seen the Grand Canyon? How about St. Augustine? Maybe you want to visit a city a few hours away.

Why not take a mini road trip with friends? Create a playlist, choose a destination and pack light. Make sure to give yourself enough days to steer off the track and get to see small towns and attractions along the way.

Visit the Park

The park isn’t just for roller-blading. Many parks over the summer offer free movies and live shows throughout the entire summer. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair and prepare for some entertainment under the stars.

Other parks offer free yoga classes on weekend mornings. Check your local park’s schedule for events.

Explore Food Trucks

Many towns and cities have seen an increase in food trucks the last couple years. Some of them have weekly food truck days. They offer a variety of food and often picnic tables to enjoy them in.

Come with friends or even a date and prepare to eat the best food in town. Food truck days are fun and inexpensive, so arrive prepared to eat.

Remember: Take advantage of where you live. Live near hiking trails? Go hiking one day. Live close to the beach? Bring a book and spend the day by the water.

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Media Advisory

News Release

Pitch Letter

Does Cold-Brewed Coffee Really Live Up to the Hype?

Studies Say It Really Does.

For some of us, caffeine is a major part of life. Mornings are not the same without a little coffee to brighten the day. But for many, coffee can have some serious side effects. My little espresso maker was my pride and joy. I woke up every morning to the sound of the bubbling beans. A little honey and soymilk, and I was ready to conquer anything the morning could throw at me.

But coffee gives me heartburn. Serious, painful heartburn. No matter what medicine I take or how careful I am to not have anything too acidic (with the exception of coffee of course) I would always suffer the consequences of my caffeine addiction. According to Healthline I am not alone: seven million people in the United States suffer from acid reflux this year alone.1 For those not suffering from acid reflux, acidic coffee can not only wear on your stomach but also on your teeth.2

So How is Cold Brewed Coffee Any Different?

Cold-brewed coffee is about 67% less acidic than normal coffee because the coffee grounds are left overnight in water rather than brought to a boil in a short period of time.3 Cold-brewed coffee contains more caffeine (or less depending on your water to bean ratio) and much less acidity due to the slower and cooler process.4 Harold McGee of the New York Times explains the process, noting that “hot water also cooks as it extracts, forcing chemical reactions that transform some of the extracted substances into other things, and driving some aroma substances out of the liquid. Cold water, in contrast, extracts more slowly and selectively, produces a simpler extract, and doesn’t change the original flavor substances as much.”5

While you don’t get that sweet aroma of a freshly brewed cup or the strong taste of black coffee, cold-brewed coffee offers more caffeine and less chest pain. This also allows for, as noted in the Daily Beast, “those undertones of chocolate, fruit, and nuts (to) jump to the forefront.”6 And nothing can compare to the refreshing taste of a cold-brewed coffee in the upcoming summer heat.

How to make Cold-Brewed Coffee at Home.

There are many different techniques for cold-brewing coffee at home. But, from my experience, all you need is a glass bottle or mason jar. Add one cup of coarsely ground coffee to three cups of water and make sure to use a filter when pouring your coffee into your cup.7 Cold-brewed coffees have a lot more caffeine in them, so the ratio of milk or creamer should be 50/50. For added flavor, add spices such as cinnamon in with the coffee grounds. This will make the cinnamon taste much stronger than adding cinnamon to the cup of coffee afterwards. I use cinnamon, but you can add any spice you choose to the grounds. Make sure to leave the coffee brewing for at least 24 hours and you are ready with refreshing cold-brewed drink. And don’t worry, the freshness of the coffee calls for almost no sugar or honey for sweetness. In fact, cold-brewed coffee can be drunk as is.

Good News for Those that Need Caffeine On-the-Go

Many local coffee shops have started offering cold-brewed coffee year-round. Even Starbucks has followed suit, recently launching a new limited offer in 2,800 select stores around the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern United States as of this March.8 So whether you’re making some at home or catching a cup at your local coffee shop, make sure to try this summer’s newest and most refreshing caffeine drink.

1 “GERD Statistics and Facts” http://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/statistics 2 “Coffee’s Dirty Little Secret” http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/08/18/coffees-dirty-little- secret.html
3 “Low Acid Coffee” http://toddycafe.com/cold-brew/low-acid-coffee
4 “Iced Coffee and Tea: (Not Taking the Heat) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/dining/cold-brewing-coffee-and-tea-the- curious-cook.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
5 “Iced Coffee and Tea: (Not Taking the Heat) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/dining/cold-brewing-coffee-and-tea-the- curious-cook.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
6 “Coffee’s Dirty Little Secret” http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/08/18/coffees-dirty-little- secret.html
7 “Coffee’s Dirty Little Secret” http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2009/08/18/coffees-dirty-little- secret.html
8 “ Starbucks Brings Cold Brewed Coffee to more than 2,800 Stores” http://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-cold-brew

The Value of Writing

Literacy is the struggle of the ages, the basis of language and the communication outlet of the world. The fight for knowledge and education arises from human’s unquenchable thirst for understanding the things around them. Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is power” and he was right. While TV has made it easier to get news on celebrities, trends, advertising and current events, the need to read is just as much part of life as it has been for centuries.

Now in layman’s terms, what does this mean? Imagine trying to get on your Facebook or Twitter and not being able to see anything but symbols and the pictures. Imagine trying to text or bbm friends without being able to translate the letters to language. Imagine not being able to order pizza online. All these are Earth-shattering if you find yourself in class or the office and cannot do them. Literacy is that essential.

That argument may seem a bit void considering almost the entirety of the United States is literate. But being literate does not just mean being able to use sixth-grade shorthand such as “g2g” and “lmao.” No, being literate means being able to communicate your thoughts effectively where others of all walks of life can understand you. Writing is important.

Peter Parker’s uncle Ben said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The regular Pangloss was right. If you’re reading this blog, then chances are you are a communication major, likely an advertising and public relations aspiring professional. If you are in charge or writing press releases, media advisories, message points and email announcements, your writing style is crucial. Journalist majors are not the only ones who need to become AP style aficionados. No, fair public relations student, you too must learn that book front to back. It must become your writing Bible and teach you the nuts and bolts of writing professionally.

Find your voice. Learn the style.  

Learning AP style does not mean losing what makes you the person you are. I cannot stress enough how important having a voice and showing your individuality is in the professional world. Your uniqueness is what is going to make you stand out to future employers. That is what will get you the job interview and potentially the position. Your writing is what will live on after you. Focus on the hermeneutical lens you view the world through and harness it for your professional life. I cannot stress enough the importance of your writing style. Do not forget the value of writing.

For more information on finding your writing voice, please visit http://thebusinessofwriting.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/tips-to-find-your-writer%E2%80%99s-voice/

A friendly rant on social media etiquette

I scroll over to Facebook and find I have four new notifications. That heart-pounding moment where fingers tense up and pupils dilate begins as I scroll the mouse over to the red square, eager that somebody out there loves me.  What I find is heart wrenching. No, I am not loved. No friend has tagged me in a picture from last week’s outing nor posted a funny video on my wall. No, what my supposed friends have done is heinous, horrendous even; they have invited me to Mafia Wars. My new notifications are really only one, a solitary friend who commented on a status I had commented on before. Facebook friends, I love you, I do. We would not be friends otherwise, but please keep your invitations to Mafia Wars, Farmville, and those questionnaires about your friends to yourself.  I’m not interested.

Sadly, this could be the worst of the blasphemous acts my social media-loving friends dare do, but I would be lying if I said it were true. To quote Peter Parker (aka Spiderman’s) uncle, “with great power comes great responsibility”. Therefore, I make the case, if you have a social media, know how to use it. This means, do not annoy those who have accepted your friend requests, do not over promote yourself, and do not tell me things so explicit as simple TMI would not suffice.

No, suitemate from freshman year, I do not need to know how much you love having sex with your boyfriend or your favorite position. No, new couple, I do not need to find my newsfeed covered with your posting how much you love one another on your walls. Save it for your phone calls and text messages. Heck, if you want to show your love via Facebook, I hear the chat is quite a lovely alternative.

All I am saying, and I too have fallen into this trap of sharing too much once or twice, is that most people do not care. Do not take this the wrong way. If they are your friends on Facebook, they care for your well-being and your happiness, but knowing you’re going to the gym twice today because you ate a giant burrito at Qdoba this morning is not essential in their lives. Try not fall into the Twitter mentality that everyone wants to know what you are doing every minute of every day. That goes for you too Four Square.

And for my friends out there who self-promote day and night, I do not need an invite to your band’s four different pages and every single show they play. I do not need a mass message about every little minute aspect of your professional life. One more message about how amazing recording half a song was or how your excited about your art show seven months away and I will unlike you. Please understand, I mean this in the kindest of ways. I like you, but I just don’t care.

And there you have it. Before you invite your friends to a new Facebook game, like a million pages or harass your friends about your events, think of their poor newsfeed. Imagine awaking to a newsfeed covered in what one of your friends has been doing the past two hours. Just be mindful. A little information will suffice, but do not fall over into the TMI regions. And with that, I leave you. I think I’ll go tan in the pool for a bit.

Jacqueline Mendez Professional Biography

Jacqueline Mendez is the owner of Idea Media Solutions, a communications company in Central Florida whose clients include the Florida Hospital and Tu Revista Mujer, a health magazine targeted toward Hispanic women in the Central Florida region. As head of the company, Mendez has brought a new perspective into what the Hispanic audience needs.

Before forming Idea Media Solutions, Mendez worked as head of marketing five year for the newspaper El Nuevo Dia, a daily newspaper brought over from Puerto Rico to target Puerto Ricans in Orlando. While working for El Nuevo Dia, Mendez created relationships with both local and international agencies who advertised within newpaper. Prior to working for El Nuevo Dia, Mendez worked 13 for Casiano Communications, an communication agency in Puerto Rico whose clients included Buena Vida and Vida Actual.

Mendez is a graduate of Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, where she received a bachelor’s degree in communication. She is a volunteer for causes including Breast Cancer Awareness events and National Hispanic Month celebrations. She currently lives in Longwood with her two daughters.

 

I sat down with Mendez to ask her few questions how she got to where she is today and whether she has advice for new professionals in the communication field.

Question: Who did you look to as a professional inspiration or consider a mentor?
Mendez: My first boss, Manuel Casiano of Casiano Communications. He was a dedicated, caring man who put the needs of his clients first at all times.

Question: How did you enter the communication field?
Mendez: I heard from people that Casiano Communications was hiring on day and applied to work there. I was hired almost immediately and learned everything I know about the field those first 13 years I spent with the company.

Question: What exactly did you learn while working for Casiano Communications?
Mendez: I learned to have a passion for helping small businesses to succeed through good Public Relations, to understand the client’s necessities and to know the market so as to give the best recommendations for the cient.

Question: Is there any advice you would give an incoming professional?
Mendez: Just that there are three very important things to keep in mind in this field: You need to have good creativity, good public relations, and good service toward your client and earn their trust to succeed.

Professional Twitter?

You’re finally accepted into Advertising and Public Relations major at UCF. Having taken the first steps into the business world, you wonder how you can fully emerge yourself or even connect to professionals. Twitter, the elusive 140-word microblog, has been depicted by the media as a way for people to tell whoever is listening their minial activities such as finishing grocery shopping or finding a parking space. Few people realize the professional potential Twitter can have if used properly. Twitter cannot only be a quick source of information on current events, but also a connection to new job openings and internship opportunities. To use Twitter properly, follow these steps and you will be ahead of the game.

1. Create your professional Twitter page. First and foremost, your Twitter account must show your personality while maintaining a professional demeanor. This can be acquired through a well thought out bio, a professional photograph of yourself and a background that depicts you but is not too outrageous.
2. Try not to Tweet inappropriately. Keep away from tweets about underage drinking, drugs, or controversial ideas which could turn employers away. Employers are looking for mature, trustworthy individuals. If your Twitter is full of inappropriate tweets about your personal life or prejudices, your chances of being employed drop dramatically.
3. Share a link to your blog. If you have a blog with writing samples and it’s professional, include as of your bio. Standing out from the rest of the hopeful employees will be key in landing your job. Employers wants to see who you are and what makes your writing different.
4. Follow news channels and other Twitters important to you. As part of your profession, you need to be up-to-date with what is happening in the world. By having the news as headlines on your phone, you can always be the first to know about new developments.
5. Follow professionals in your field. Not only will you be able to hear of job opportunities from a professional’s tweets, but you can also look at whom they follow, retweet or get to know professionally. There are even twitters designed to inform followers of internships and jobs. Be mindful of who you follow and who they follow so your professional connections expand.
6. Promote yourself. Through your tweets, let the people and organizations you are following see how interesting you are. Do not tweet about mundane events in your life. Your tweets should be interesting, useful and represent who you are. Use your account to show people interesting worldly tidbits and information they would appreciate.

Remember Twitter can be used for good or for evil. Tweeting appropriately and following important professionals will help you use it correctly. If you follow these steps to succeed in business and maintain your account, you should be networking before you know it. Now with your newfound knowledge, go onward into the world of Twitter.

Kenneth Cole

Fashion designer Kenneth Cole recently posted a tweet using the chaos in Cairo, Egypt to promote his new Spring line. In a tweet that soon sparked controversy, the designer wrote: “Millions are in an uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo”. Within minutes of the tweet, followers were in uproar, calling Cole insensitive and only interested in publicity.

Parodies sparked up within six hours of Cole’s tweet,        most famously the @KennethColePR, under the supposed PR team of Kenneth Cole. Many of the tweets include posts mocking Haiti victims, the World Trade Center, Katrina victims and Hiroshima. Using a satirical tone, the twitter account pokes fun at many current events while bringing them back to the clothing line. The account follows closely to the satirical twitters created during the BP oil spill.

Cole issued a statement via facebook Thursday apologizing for the statement, but followers were already angered. The designer deleted the original tweet, but it had been retweeted enough to remain controversial. The uprising has recently been featured on news articles on the websites to the LA Times and Business Insider.

The Chaos in Egypt mentioned in the controversial tweet is still proceeds to be a pressing matter. News of the developments has overshadowed what would normally tarnish Kenneth Cole’s reputation for good. For further coverage of both events, visit latimes.com.