A 116 Lifestyle

   

     116 (one-one-six) has become much more than a number. Leading by the example of Paul, the apostle and servant of Christ Jesus, many people have decided to live a Romans 1:16 lifestyle, in which they proclaim as Paul did, “ I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of every one who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

      An unashamed lifestyle, in which you choose to freely proclaim the word and love of God, is not easily done but it is greatly rewarded. As it states in Romans 1:17, such a lifestyle is made possible by faith, and faith is surely a characteristic of this generation.

      A young group of solo hip-hop artists, mainly from Reach Records, joined together and formed the 116 clique a few years ago. As artists and performers they strive to live an unashamed Christian lifestyle in which they bring glory to God and spread a message of hope. A message from the heart of the Lord that “you are never too far gone or messed up to be used by God or be loved by God,” said Andy Mineo. “You are never too far from him to be known by Him or pursued by Him.”

     Andy, a member of Reach Records, evokes the messages which are utmost important to him through the lyrics of his songs. Furthermore, he does so alongside other talented rappers such as Lecrae, Trip Lee and Tedashii. Each imperfect, who like Paul, have left their former mindset behind and are devoted to performing with excellence, with hearts that do not seek to exalt themselves but point people to something greater, which is Jesus. When discussing the mission of his work, Andy mentioned, “it’s hard when you have people screaming your name when you come out, and it’s easy for you to come out and think this whole thing is about you, but really its not about us.”

     Similarly, any person who decides to live a 116 lifestyle should be concerned about the things that matter to the heart of God, and make it a priority to spread His message of love by being obedient to Him with the tools he has equipped us with. For some that may mean using their voice and platform, while for others that may mean mentoring teenagers in their basement or being generous to the homeless and orphans- loving everyone like you love yourself, or more.

     Furthermore, keeping in mind that a spirit of humility is essential and precious. Precious is the love he has for us, and precious are the ones that love as He does, with unselfish motives and pure hearts.

     “We’re not superheroes. We’re not these amazing people that should receive the praise of men,” said Andy. “We’re just faulty, messed up people- and there’s grace for us, and God can use anyone he desires.” With that vision and realization, arose Andy’s new album, Heroes for Sale. This new album, which will be released April 16^th, is one that will surely rock many to the core and is meant for everyone and anyone. In fact, Andy says “ I want my music to be for all people, and actually I would hope that the majority of people that would listen to my music not be Christian so that I would have opportunities to share my worldview and what my hope is with other people.

     Essentially, we are all bricks of different sizes and components that together form a home. A home in which anyone is welcome. A home in which there is no maximum capacity, and grace abounds. A home for you and I to abide in forever.

And-y Does he Do What he Does?

Andy Mineo, 24, is a signed hip hop artist who identifies himself as a christian and a rapper who is passionate about music and spreading a message of hope with his innate talent. His humility is seen in his love for people, and his talent is evident in his work. He continues to strive for excellency in everything he does, and perfecting his craft through practice- all for the sole purpose of glorifying God and not himself.

In the linked Soundslide above, get a glimpse at why Andy does what he does.

Luz Pena’s Road to Becoming a Working Journalist

“Whatever you are doing now, “ said Luz Pena, Mundo Fox reporter and Hofstra University alumna, “is imperative to your future. Never take any step lightly.”

Luz Pena is the primary example of what it means to take every step towards becoming a working journalist seriously. Born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, Luz moved to the United States at the age of 12, discovered her passion for journalism at the age of 17 in high school, and pursued her dream on Hofstra University’s grounds. Prior to being the outgoing and outspoken journalist that Luz is today, she was a shy introvert who broke out of her shell in the eighth grade when given the assignment of reciting Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. After her passionate speech, there was no holding Luz back.

Once a student at Hofstra University, Luz became involved in most of the journalism outlets offered, such as the news cast, Hofstra Today, and the radio station, WRHU. “It was all about practice,” Luz said. “ Every time I got in front of a camera or microphone, I took it very seriously.” In fact, her passion led to her being rewarded with the Ailes Rising Apprentice Program Scholarship from Fox News, and reporting as the 2011 Oscar Correspondent.

Recently Luz was again present at the 2012 Oscars representing Hofstra, MundoFox and the Hispanic community. Currently living in Los Angeles California, living the dream that she has worked ferverously for, Luz looked back at the road towards her current position and realized “every single step mattered to my future.” After recently graduating in May 2012, Luz is a proud Hofstra alumna who visited Dempster Hall a few weeks ago, and does not seize to encourage current journalism students, reminding them to “always be passionate about everything.”

With a stunning resume at the age of 23, there are no limits to what Luz can accomplish in the future. Luz began as the social media editor of Mundo Fox, the Spanish network of Fox News, in September 2012 and began reporting for them a few weeks later. Now she has her own segment, and strives for more. Luz admits that she will likely never be fully satisfied or content with where she is as a journalist because that will stunt her growth, and hold her back from all she has been called to do.

My View on Photography via Photographs

The old classic, or new norm rather, is analogue photography.

Film photography, although seemingly a thing of the past, is the foundation of all other forms including digital.

When I am the one behind the lens there is something exciting about the surprise each shot brings and the details each moment at the darkroom delivers.

Yet, Photojournalism professor and artist Daniel Van Benthuysen says that, “analogue photography is a thing of the past and people who want to go backwards and not forward are either fearful or nostalgic- and I am neither.”

Along with new advancements in the art of photography comes vivid splash of color, editing programs, and a new meaning to the capturing of moments.

Analogue has not completely died; instead, it has bloomed and returned full of surprise serving as a powerful tool for journalists and others.

Twitter on the Super Bowl Spotlight

     With three million less Super Bowl viewers this year, the most memorable part of this year’s Super Bowl may indeed be the 34-minute power outage.

     First time Super Bowl viewers such as Leslie Gualotuna, 21, were “shocked to see that happen because, since it is the Super Bowl, you would think everything would go as planned.” On the other hand, Patrick Perez, 18, liked connecting to other fans with Twitter and admitted, “it definitely helped time go by much quicker.”

According to Twitter, the power outage caused a peak of 231,500 tweets per minute, totaling about three million tweets over the course of the night. These numbers show that many turned to social media for information, and the companies who seized the moment and creatively connected to tweeters were the ones who most benefited.

Oreo, for example, used the time wisely and tweeted an image of an illuminated Oreo accompanied by the phrase, “ you can still dunk in the dark.” Furthermore, many comedians and celebrities communicated with their followers posting comical references to the blackout. A particularly popular joke included the possible appearance of Batman’s villain, Bane, who was known for making grand entrances in the dark scenes of the film. Lastly, other tweeters like @joeschmidt tweeted about Beyonce being the possible reason for the blackout and claimed “if you liked it, you should’ve put a backup generator on it.”

Still, though Bane did not make his expected entrance, social media was put on the spotlight and connected viewers around the world. Although many viewers may not recall each 30-second television commercial, hundreds will remember clever and funny tweets from Super Bowl night. Therefore, just as next year’s Super Bowl will be sure to pay their electric bill ahead of time, companies across the globe will likely consider using social media as their main advertising tool for the night.

Live Blog of the 2013 State of the Union

10:15 p.m. – A roar of applause as President Obama repeats that “they deserve the vote,” in reference to Newtown, Aurora, Chicago victims and more when it comes to his proposed gun trafficking laws, and actions to reduce gun violence. This bought the SOTU to an emotional close.

10:10 p.m. – President Obama moves on to speak of our military. “What I’ve said tonight matters little if we don’t come together to protect what matters most- our children,” says Obama as he transitions from the topic of military to the future of gun control.

10:05 p.m. – Obama focuses on recent cyber attacks and threats to our security and economy. Urges congress to act to protect our people. “We can and will insist on respect for the fundamental rights of all people.”

States that “we will stand steadfast with Egypt in pursuit of peace.”

10:00 p.m. – 33,000 men and women have been bought home from Afghanistan already. Obama announces that by the end of next year “the war in Afghanistan will be over.”

9:55 p.m. – The Violence Against Women Act was passed. Also- the President states that we must “tie the minimum wage to the cost of living,” a point which even Governor Romney agreed with during the past election.

9:50 p.m. – Obama focuses on the topic of education.  Challenege: redesign American high schools to equip students with the skills todays employers are looking for. Simple fact: “the more education you have, the more opportunity you have.”

9:45 p.m. – Obama proposes a partnership that will lead to the proving that “there is no better place to do business than here in United States of America.” Furthermore, he reiterates that it is important to  educate our citizens early and well. Proposal: “making high quality pre-school available to every child in America.” Priority: Do what works- giving every kid a chance at a good education, leading to a good job.

9:40 p.m.- President Obama focuses on new found energy, oil and natural gas, and the ideal future and goal to “cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and vehicles in the next 20 years.”

9:35 p.m.- The President reports the exciting news that “this year Apple will start making Mac’s in America again.” In addition, he declares that the future of our energy is in our hands, and causes an uproar of excitement and applause when declaring that “we must do more to combat climate change.”

9:30 p.m. – Moves on to tax reform. Refers to the United States of America as “the greatest nation on earth.” The three questions we will focus on:

1) How do we attract more jobs?

2) How do we equip our people?

3) How do we make that hard work lead to a decent living?

9:25 p.m. – President Obama begins by addressing the future of our economy. Medicare: Affordable Care Act – will bring down costs and will be based on quality of care. “Our government should not make promises we can not keep but we must keep the promises we have already made.”

9:20 p.m. – Obama quotes former President John F. Kennedy saying, “it is my task to report the state of the union – to improve it is the task of us all.”

9:15 p.m. – The first lady’s guests at the box include Cleopatra and Nathaniel Pendleton.

9:05 p.m. – President Obama has entered the room, and is greeting those who welcome him with applause, including congressional leaders, cabinet members and others.

The 2013 State of the Union is currently live on every news network including channels: 2, 4 , 5 , 7 , 11 , 13.