Natural Hair: Trending or Taboo?

Frankie Rosso
Managing Editor

    Every morning Rachel Higgins, a Miami-Dade College Bachelors-seeking student, took an hour to do her hair. 15 minutes to wash it, 15 minutes to dry it, 10 minutes to comb through it, and 20 minutes to flat iron it. That’s why she decided to say bye-bye to the perms and flat irons and hello to the locks of love. “One morning I just woke up and decided to cut all my hair off and stop dying it. I couldn’t stand how ugly it would look whenever it was time to get another perm,” said Higgins.

    Since 2010, women of color have decided to go natural to make a statement of identity, it’s less expensive, to grow healthier hair, and to not have to deal with the hassle of having to go through a process similar to Higgins’s. It’s a trend that is becoming more a more popular each day and has started to move from the realm of a political statement to the realm of feasible hair maintenance.

    “Hair, going back to the origins of slavery times, has always been a marker of difference, has been a marker of racial difference,” said University of Delaware Professor Tiffany Gill.

    The Civil Rights era brought about the rise of the Black Power movement, during which black women’s hairstyle, be it an Afro or braids, was seen as a political statement..

    Even in Hollywood, whether it's about wild spirals, loose ringlets or cute coils, Hollywood starlets are turning into curly heads. From Beyoncé, to Tia Mowry, to Rhianna, the natural curly hair look is a trend that has rapidly been expanding and shows no signs of slowing down.

    “I was shy, but it came out in a big personality. My turning point was when I let my hair grow naturally,” said actress Trace Ellis Ross from the hit television sitcom Girlfriends.

    This whole idea about going natural has been trending more and more each day within woman of color. In 2010, Design Essentials started a study to measure the popularity of natural hair. In 2010, 26 percent of woman stopped relaxing their hair. However, in the span of a year, this rose to 36 percent. According to USA Today and Mintel, a consumer spending and market research firm, relaxer kit sales have also dropped by nearly 17 percent since 2006.

    As you walk into a salon, you’ll notice the variety in the different types of hair, as well as the variety in the different styles. But behind all that also lies the question of natural hair and whether or not to take that route when it comes to styling. It may seem taboo for some woman because having natural hair is often perceived as using no products, letting it grow out without care and maintenance, and not treating the damaged hair. But the reality is natural hair is not defined by any of these statements.

    Natural hair is hair in which the texture hasn't been altered by chemical straighteners, including relaxers and texturizers.

    Cyntelia Abrams, a marketing coordinator for hair-company Design Essentials said, “Natural hair has been a movement for several years. What we’re seeing now is a confirmation that this is a lifestyle that is very important to a lot of women.”

    Because this natural hair regime is becoming increasingly popular, it presents a problem to local salon store owners and hairstylists, not only for financial reasons, but because of customer satisfaction.

    “Natural hair can sometimes be the worst hair to style. Many times it’s burnt from flat irons and becomes extremely dry and causes split ends. Usually, the client doesn’t even know it,” said Mercedes Rivera, a North Miami Beach hairstylist and salon owner.

    With issues like these arising, is it ideal to go natural? Is there a ‘right’ way to do it? “It’s hard to satisfy your client when they have to hear that a style they want can’t be done due to the damages,” Rivera adds.

    “In the African American community, an Afro hairstyle is sometimes referred to as "natural," but natural black hair can be worn in many other styles besides a short 'fro,” said Del Sandeen, a natural hair blogger from Chicago.

    There are multiple styles, forms of maintaining, and cuts for different natural hairstyles. Creating and maintaining a natural look goes beyond simply letting it grow out, it requires maintenance and products; to prevent frizz, drying, or breakage.

    “Pressed hair may still be considered natural because once washed, the texture returns to its unaltered state. Colored hair is sometimes considered natural, sometimes not, depending on who does the defining. Some people believe that repeated hair coloring alters the texture, even in a slight manner,” said Sandeen

    This theory of “good hair”, that is, having hair free of chemicals and processes, is an epidemic that is sweeping the nation by storm- from young children, to college students, to Hollywood celebrities.

    Twenty-four year old Christina Patrice said, “I’ve had natural hair pretty much all my life. The only time I ever had a relaxer was when I was around 6 or 7. But growing up, I always had my hair pressed bone straight by my grandma or mom. In high school, I was at the shop every month, getting a fresh press and curl, and I kept this going through college.”

    As a college student, expense put a burden on her finances, so Patrice purchased a flat iron and began to press and straighten her hair herself.

    “I literally burned my hair. I didn’t even know but it all made sense when I realized it started getting dry and crisp. That’s when I realized I had to go natural,” she said.

    A study conducted in the Aveda Institute of Davie, Florida shows that 1 out every 10 woman patrons want a “natural” styling. That is, no relaxers, no keratin, no perms, and certainly no bleaches. According to Aveda’s mission statement, “Aveda continually strives to increase the use of naturally derived ingredients whenever possible.”

    “Though we don’t learn too much about textured hair, we do promote the use of safe and healthy products for good hair maintenance,” said Twenty-two year old Aveda student Brittany Brown.

    Going natural extends beyond growing out your natural roots and not giving your hair a little TLC. “If you want to go natural, it does take work. It’s no stroll in the park, but your scalp will thank you afterwards.” Brown said.

    “I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with waiting a month to feel pretty again. I feel prettier having my hair cut off. I can’t wait till it fully grows out,” Higgins said.

Mother’s Day: We’re Spending More than Just Time With Our Mothers

Jennifer Beardslee Radi
Staff Writer

    The holiday during which people all over the world take the time to honor their mothers: Sunday, May 11, 2014 marked the 100th birthday of Mother’s Day. Although children have been showing gratitude for their mothers since the beginning of time, it wasn’t proclaimed a national holiday until 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson.

    Establishment of the concept as a holiday is often attributed to Anna Jarvis who aimed for it to be, “a day where you’d go home and spend time with your mother and thank her for all that she did,” according to historian Katharine Antolini of West Virginia Wesleyan College.

    However, much to Jarvis’s disapproval and horror, the holiday was quickly commercialized. Now it is often referred to as a Hallmark holiday, but it has an undeniable economic influence.

    A survey done by the National Retail Foundation (NRF) revealed that the average American spent $163 on their mother, bringing American spending as a whole to around $19.9 billion this year alone on gifts for Mom.

    FORBES brought forth similar results with the spending average per person at $162.94. The breakdown in terms of gifts show that 81.3 percent went the greeting card route, while nearly two-thirds (66.6 percent) planned to buy flowers.

    Online companies such as 1-800-Flowers “increases its staff by four or five times to accommodate demand,” says founder Jim McCann.

    But just because Americans are spending so much on flower’s (over $2 billion), doesn’t mean it solely benefits the U.S. Nearly 80 percent of the flowers are imported from Colombia. The cut flower industry employs many women trying to help support their families.

    While Anna Jarvis, credited with saying that, “A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world,” may not appreciate the sales of greeting cards, Hallmark surely doesn’t mind. Especially with the growing popularity of e-cards, Mother’s Day always proves to provide a huge rise in printed card sales. The company manufactures more than half of the greeting cards you may have seen on shelves this past week.

    Kevin Voigt, guest blogger for The Christian Science Monitor, presented a list of top Mother’s Day gifts, and leading just under greeting cards and flowers was brunch or dinner. Mothers are often responsible for preparing dinner every night. This leads to dinner as an obvious choice when thinking of ways to show our gratitude. What better way to demonstrate appreciation than by relieving her of those duties for the evening? Many people have entertained the dinner idea every year, but few choose to stay at home and cook as they rather turn to restaurant employees to do the work for them. In a survey by The Christian Science Monitor, more than 56 percent of people went out to eat and together spent about $3.8 billion.

    The idea of dining out is international; Mexico in particular, takes Mother’s Day very seriously. Manuel Guiterrez told The Washington Post in 2012 that whichever day of the week Mother’s Day may fall on is always the busiest day of the week for Mexican restaurants.

    As if our mothers don’t already do enough for us, even the holiday dedicated to them offers a boost to the economy.

#WhutHawpened?

Damian Gordon
South Bureau Chief

    Social media and online gaming has changed the way people interact with each other, for better or worse. Today’s world can really put into question if humans are more sophisticated than cavemen.

    Online gaming has possibly ruined a whole generation of kids, or at least made them really unlikeable. Joining a match on Xbox Live (XBL) or PlayStation Network (PSN) can be the most nerve-racking part of the experience, as you wait hoping that the other players joining already passed puberty. While playing Call of Duty, the fact that a nine year-old joins the game speaks volumes to how online gaming is these days. After saying countless racial slurs and curse words the kid doesn’t know how to use, the mute button becomes very familiar with many players.

    In my youth, I thought insulting people you just met was the way people socialized, and with the currentonline community, that is most likely what this generation of adolescents believe. A kid sees people making friendly banter or trash talk and misinterprets that for the way everyone communicates all the time.

    The most euphoric moment in online gaming can be hearing that annoying kid scream, “But, moooom!” right before seeing their game tag, Bewbs69, leaving the match for bed time. There are some kids that know how to handle themselves, but they are too few and far between.

    Social Media has become important in the culture of today, with Twitter showing everyone what a fun time Jane had tonight as you try to decipher the drunk tweet she wrote before throwing up.

    Facebook has made it seem like you remembered your “friend’s” birthday, when in actuality, you forgot they existed till a notification popped up reminding you to be a decent person. And liking a page apparently supports starving children in other countries; it’s not like sending actual money could help more, right? Meanwhile, creeping has been taken to a whole new level with those suspicious likes from thirsty guys on Samantha’s pics at 2 a.m.

    When Myspace was still a thing, it used to have a feature where you displayed your top 10 friends. This started many arguments as you dropped from number five to six on Johnny’s top 10.

    Log on to any of these sites to see the hundredth copy and pasted “deep post” or the vague passive aggressive post about someone’s ex (we all know who you’re taking about).

    I first joined YouTube when it was still relatively unknown back in 2006, and I loved to read the comments and have discussions with other users. Now, I don’t even bother to read one comment, for that section has become filled with trolls, religious arguments and other unrelated matters on a video about cats that shoot lasers. Granted, more people are accessing the internet than back in 2006, but that just makes it even scarier to think that YouTube comments might represent the world as we know it. Let’s not even mention how many facepalm-worthy videos of people who “did it for the vine” exist.

    Online gaming and social media has definitely affected the world and the way we communicate—often times negatively. Yet, the amount of good the digital age has brought could outweigh the bad if we took more responsibility for actions online and didn’t hide behind a username.

"In Harm's Way": The Road Traveled So Far

Charles Fernandez
Social Media Editor

    This brief analysis of “The Walking Dead: Season Two” will cover episode three, “In Harm’s Way,” while keeping spoilers to a minimum (which will be incredibly difficult). Oddly enough, to do this I’ll be speaking specifically about Clementine and Carver, the main protagonist and antagonist respectively; although this episode seemed to dwell more on the entire group than just those two characters.

    Players are finally given the chance to understand Carver’s way of thinking when he calls up Clementine to have a chat in his office. Carver believes that those who cannot contribute to a group are better off dead in this world that’s gone to hell. He values true leadership above all, and although Carver is aware that his actions are pretty messed up, he genuinely believes that they are the right decisions a leader should make in order to ultimately protect everyone in a group.

    While speaking to Clementine, Carver says, “Killing one in order to save many is part of survival. It’s one of the tough decisions that a weaker person couldn’t make. It’s why it falls to people like us to lead them to safety.”

    It sounds like a very utilitarian kind of standpoint. Carver’s words hold a certain level of truth, but his actions lack empathy. However, maybe empathy isn’t the best quality to have in a world of the undead. But if there is anything that Clementine’s group can agree on, it’s that the group would rather take their chances outside with the walkers than inside with their leader, Carver. That itself is a sign of a terrible leader.

    One interesting element about this episode is how Carver views Clementine. He sees incredible potential in the 11-year-old and believes she can become a great leader—whatever Carver considers to be a leader, anyways. He even compliments her by saying that he believes she was raised correctly and admits that she’s grown to be tough. Despite Clementine’s obvious feelings of hatred towards Carver, Carver constantly shows signs of interest in the kind of woman Clementine will grow up to be, especially in his last scene of the episode.

    Now let’s take a short trip down memory lane and recall the first season of Telltale’s “The Walking Dead.” Lee taught Clementine to become more independent and it’s in this episode that Clementine’s character development truly shines brighter than any other episode, by far. Regardless of the choices you make in this episode, there are many changes to take note of that the old Clementine would have never shown. Our more matured Clementine now has a say in just about every group decision. She independently takes action during the most extreme situations, and kills walkers all by herself, despite the difficulty for her. She also has developed a more realistic view of the world she lives in, all while maintaining her humanity. Although children are often looked down upon during the zombie apocalypse (because in a sense they are a nuisance), Clementine has continuously proven to be a valuable asset to the group, in spite of being a child.

    And the ending… my god, the ending to this episode gave me goose bumps. The statistics showed that most players “took drastic action” during the episode’s final decision. For Clementine to be solely making the final decision, at the spur of the moment, highlights just how far Clementine has come. From the scared little girl hiding in a treehouse, to someone willing to do what very few men in the world would have the heart to do, Clementine proves she can take drastic action to save someone’s life.

    “In Harm’s Way” emphasizes the differences between the group members’ distinct personalities (more than just Clementine and Carver). The writers accomplish this by demonstrating how unique personality traits can directly influence the situations characters experience. For example, Sarah’s oblivious personality causes her to speak and interrupt Carver while he is giving a speech. Carver then becomes angry and commands Carlos, Sarah’s father, to discipline his daughter by smacking her across the face. Carver’s oppression accentuates his followers’ characteristics. No matter how you cut it, Carver makes sure that your group is disciplined as he sees fit. As a by-product, the episode highlights the unification of a once-uncooperative group because of the trials they must endure.

    I personally believe “In Harm’s Way” was the most intense episode of the series, despite sacrificing player action for more dialogue. Telltale played with their strength, storytelling, and really did an amazing job delivering this dark episode. I cannot wait to see what the next episode has in store for us.

Why Twerking Should Be Banned

Ashley Lokken
Central Bureau Chief

    Welcome to the 21st century where women find joy in degrading themselves by shaking their booties up and down, completely exposed for all of society to see. What I don’t understand is, why? Why would women continue to partake in this hideous “dance move” when women are continuously struggling to destroy the patriarchy of the world?

    To me, dance is a form of expression, a passionate way of connecting with oneself. It urges a dancer to be incredibly in tune with his or her body, emotionally and physically. As a result, it builds self-esteem and creates powerful, strong and centered individuals. Twerking seems to do just the opposite. Twerking allows men an open view of a woman’s body leading them to sexual thoughts of desire and control. It proliferates the sexual stereotype of male dominance by using women’s bodies as sex tools. Girls do the actual act of “twerking” while the boy stands and allows himself to be danced on.

    “It began in the 2 Live Crew-dominated Miami Bass scene in the late 1980s or a few years after that in the New Orleans bounce scene,” says Jonathan Anker of HLNTV.

    Twerking is a “simulation of anal sex, or, it seems, an invitation to it,” says Lisa Belkin of the Huffington Post. “Depending who you ask, twerking started in strip clubs, or among prostitutes, or as a sacred tribal rite in Africa, and in addition to the sexual overtones it also has racial ones.”

    Either way, women should think twice about the message they are sending while participating in this public display of humility.

    On top of all of this, what message are we sending to the children? Not too long ago and very publicly, Miley Cyrus (an idol to numerous young people) got up on stage, bent over, and twerked on Robin Thicke’s crotch. This event led twerking to become “mainstream” and “cool” to the young people of society. It has also led young people to believe it is okay to do the same. It is fantastic for a woman to own her sexuality, but to a certain extent. Tween stars like Miley grow up and try so desperately to prove to the world they have done so, but this does nothing except demonstrate sustainable evidence that they’re ill-advised and losing their way as individuals.

    Besides making a woman look bad, the sad truth is twerking could possibly make them feel confident about themselves for all the wrong reasons. Is it absolutely necessary to act provocatively to gain attention? As women twerk, they may feel they are carefree, beautiful, and possibly controlling men by their moves. But in reality, they are only receiving attention because of the sexual spectacle that is exploiting them.

    Twerking is a direct symbol of the patriarchal society we currently live in. The man is in control while the girl does all the work. There is nothing edgy, trendy, or artistic about twerking. This “dance move” is destroying the moral fiber for women across the world. Young women should have more respect for themselves and their bodies especially if they expect to be treated as a man’s “equal”. No woman should feel the need to twerk for any guy. It’s not what we wear or how we gyrate in public that gives us ownership over the things we do with our bodies; it’s our ability to balance sexuality with being a sensible adult that bequeaths us the ultimate power to prove sexuality is not something to be feared, but embraced.

Iggy Azalea's "New Classic" Album Review

Bella Riccitelli
Sports Editor

    While being a female rap artist is considered taboo by many, rapper Iggy Azalea changes the game with her most recent album titled “The New Classic.”

    Varying in sounds and featured artists, Azalea surely outdid herself with her debut album. The CD includes songs with a wide array of themes as well. While some songs provoke wild dance moves, others provoke tears. However, every song on “The New Classic” seems to have at least a small part in it that plays as a reminder of all of the success Azalea has achieved.

    Something that everybody can agree on about Azalea, is that she doesn't present herself as a young, naive girl like most women do in the social media world. She's tough, authoritative, and she won't stop until she gets to the very top. When listening to “The New Classic,” that is something that she demands to be heard about herself.

    The first track on the album, titled "Walk The Line," really sets the mood for most of the remainder of the album. Azalea raps about her new found fame, and lets all of her listeners and haters know that she isn't going anywhere. She intends on remaining where she is in the music industry, even if it is alone.

    "Fancy," the third single released from her debut album, is a huge success, as it was her first song ever to chart on Billboard Top 100 in America. With a song as catchy as "Fancy," Azalea's music video for the song, a remake of the 1995 comedy “Clueless,” will never be forgotten.

    As the first and lead single of the album, "Work" is in my opinion, one of the best songs Azalea has ever written. "Work" focuses on the fact that Azalea spent a long period of time as a young teenager working hard to save money to move to the states. Then, at 16 she moved to the city of Miami without her family and made a living on her own as a rap artist—which is what got her to where she is now.

    Throughout almost every song, she appears to be demanding respect from whoever might be listening. However, every good album must include a couple of heart-felt songs, which “The New Classic” does.

    "Rolex," second to last on the album, really details Azalea's rough split from fellow rap artist A$AP Rocky. Azalea raps about the fall of their relationship, how she tried to make it work while he preferred to let it go, and most of all how she misses the times that they shared. I believe that one of the saddest lines from "Rolex" is, "I got you tatted and you took off before the ink dried off my hands." For obvious reasons, any break up song is sad to hear. Considering that, hearing it from a tough-girl rapper like Azalea only makes it sadder. By the time this song is over, I always feel crestfallen, as if I'm the one who just got out of a relationship with A$AP Rocky.

    Following right after "Rolex" is "Just Askin'." In "Just Askin'," Azalea raps as if she is having a catch-up conversation with her former boyfriend, and she displays just a hint of jealousy. A line from the song to illustrate this is, "What's up in your world? And are you still coolin' with that lame girl?" Also, "You wanted something more than what we had. What's up with her? She ain't all that." Towards the end of the track, what seems to be voicemails left from a female to a male's phone is played. In these voicemails, listeners hear a girl angry and then crying because her former boyfriend has moved on.

    I am so glad that the most emotional songs of the album are placed as the final two. While listening to “The New Classic” from start to finish, listeners hear that Azalea is just trying to live out her dreams. She wants the world to know how she feels about her place in this world, and she plans on never giving up. However, listeners also are given a glimpse into not only her mind, but her heart as well.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Review

Ana Cedeno
North Bureau Chief

     If someone offered you a wish, anything in the world would you do it? What would you be willing to give up for it?

     This is a theme explored in the anime “Puella Magi Madoka Magica,” a short series that takes the magical girl genre in a whole new direction.

     It starts off like a usual shojo anime and has a bit of a slice of life touch to it, as it introduces the main character, eighth grader Madoka Kaname, and her friends. They go through their daily routines and deal with school, boys, and the usual things that girls experience at that age. The anime continues on this vein for most of the first episode, during which we are introduced to the character of Homura Akemi, an aloof transfer student who leaves Madoka vague threats about remaining the same and keeping her life as it is.

     The fantasy element comes in later in the show when Madoka finds a creature called Kyubey, who offers her and her friend Sayaka a contract. The contract grants any wish, but in exchange the girls obtain powers and must become Puella Magica (Magical Girls) and defeat witches, evil creatures who create mayhem and chaos.

     Kyubey explains that “If magical girls are born from wishes, witches are born from curses,” and further explains that it is a magical girl’s job to protect innocent people from the evil of witches.

     Joining the cast are also Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura, both veteran magical girls who react to Madoka and Sayaka making a contract in different ways.

     This leaves the anime set up with the usual formula for a magic girl series—an ensemble of different girls who must use their magic powers for the good of all and defend their city from the evil witches. Seems simple enough. Sounds like a good time, a feel-good happy anime that you might watch with your younger siblings or friends on a lazy summer afternoon.

     It’s exactly in that deception that lies the brilliance of Madoka.

     Although it presents itself for the first few episodes as a feel-good series, it isn’t long before the death and horror hiding behind the pink bows and happy school days tone starts showing through. The first death of the series leaves you staring at the screen with a dreadful realization of what you’re in store for.

     The setting of the death, as well as the buildup, work masterfully to fill the viewer with that well-known, warm fuzzy feeling that comes from a feel-good series before ripping it all away with a swift decapitation scene. That’s just the beginning.

     The characters are put through even more trials and traumas as they learn the hidden horror of what Kyubey’s contract entails and what being a magical girl is really about. As the story progresses, Madoka finds out that Kyubey has been using her and all of the magical girls for his own means. He has also been keeping secret from them the fact that after being used by him, all magical girls become the very witches that they fight. In exchange for their wishes Madoka and the other magical girls have handed over their souls and doomed themselves to die and be reborn as monsters.

     While this anime may sound depressing, it is actually quite brilliant. Madoka Magica does exactly what it sets out to do—to completely deconstruct the Magic Girl genre. It brilliantly succeeds by putting in twists and making it the exact opposite of what you would expect from an anime like it.

     As a shojo, this anime looks and feels like something reminiscent of Card Captor Sakura, while the transformation sequences makes you think of childhood days watching Sailor Moon. It also has a very girly ambience, with one of the characters agonizing over a high school crush.The cutesy art style not only serves to accentuate the innocent, but also the horrific elements of the anime.

     While on the subject of the art style, the fighting scenes deserve special mention. The animation for the scenes has touches of surrealism that appear whenever a witch’s labyrinth is present.

     Although it might not make the witches that scary, at least not to the older audiences, the animation sequences are really incredible and give the scenes with the witches an eerie feel that helps the episodes stand out.

     Although only 12 episodes long, the anime manages to deliver its story at a good pace and wraps it up with a final battle and bittersweet conclusion that keeps to both the fantasy and tragic tones of the series.

     In its 12 episodes, we also get to know the characters fairly well as their backstories are revealed and they are fleshed out through the episodes. Such an example is Homura, who starts off as the antagonist. Throughout the series, Homura goes from being the most distant character to being one of the most empathic characters in the anime. The big reveal of her past and the reason behind her actions is one of the most heartbreaking moments in the series.

     The anime was directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and written by Gen Urobuchi, with original character designs by Ume Aoki.

     Overall, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is a good watch. It follows the usual paths of a shojo with some plot-twists incorporated into it, that help make it into an anime that truly sticks with you.

Farewell To Cristina Yang

Ashley Lokken

Central Bureau Chief

    As all of us Grey’s fanatics are aware, season 10 is coming to a close and Cristina Yang’s departure is approaching. Cristina Yang has been an extremely important asset to “Grey’s Anatomy” numerous years of success. Her brilliance, dry sense of humor, and overly confident cocky demeanor has graced audiences for a fantastic 10 years. But the exact reason for Sandra Oh’s departure is unknown.

    “It’s been a great privilege to play the character of Cristina Yang on GA and I am both sad and excited to see where this, her final season will take her,” Oh said in a statement to Entertainment Magazine. “It was an emotional and deeply creative decision for me and I feel fully supported by Shonda and the writers. It’s so rare in an actor’s life to be able to explore and grow a character so fully, so completely. I am profoundly grateful to everyone at GA for the opportunity.”

    Lucidly, the decision didn’t come easily for Oh. “Creatively, I really feel like I gave it my all, and I feel ready to let her go,” Oh told The Hollywood Reporter.

    In the most recent episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Cristina makes the crucial decision of determining which sister will receive a new heart, eventually leading to the death of the other sister. The unbearable guilt and grief then takes over Cristina, causing her to state the words: “What’s the point? What’s the point of anything?”

    Taking this into account, one can determine Cristina’s departure from the show will most likely be similar to her real life reasoning for exiting the show. Possibly coming to the conclusion she has done her part in “Grey’s Anatomy,” her duty is done, and she is rightfully ready to retire.

    It may seem as if Oh is not affected personally by this decision, but in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter she shows otherwise.

    “I’ve gone through a lot of therapy over this,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I started thinking about it because I had to prepare myself. I gave myself two years to emotionally let go. At the end of last season, Shonda took me aside and said, ‘What are your thoughts?’ I said, ‘I’m ready.’”

    Oh shared with her co-stars about her upcoming exit at the table read for the show’s 200th episode and stated the decision “doesn’t feel real yet.” She claims Shonda Rhimes has supported her every step of the way. “For the first time, at least for my character, you actually have an endpoint, which in series television you never or very rarely have” Oh proclaims.

    “One of the best days of my life as a writer happened the day Sandra Oh walked in my door to audition and forever changed the course of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ with her brilliant, nuanced portrayal of Cristina Yang,” Rhimes says.

    In retrospect, Cristina Yang has touched the lives of innumerable amounts of Grey’s fanatics, including my own. Yes, her departure from the show is saddening, but we should have the utmost respect for Sandra’s decision and have faith that Shonda Rhimes will continue the success of the show like she has done for an extraordinary 10 years of airing. We will never forget the sensational Cristina Yang.

Concert Tickets Over Everything

Damian Gordon
South Bureau Chief

    Drake came into town and all the girls are losing their minds over it. I went online to see how much his tickets were because I like his music. When the page opened up I saw three zeroes and a one. I had to back up from the computer and clean my glasses. Surely it had to be a mistake or the page just glitched or something. Nope, when I refreshed the website the price was still 1,000 dollars.

    That’s way too much for an hour at most of playing songs currently on someone’s iPod. That’s a roundtrip plane ticket to Japan. That’s 500 dollars times two (for those who are bad at math out there).

    Hey, anyone can spend their money anyway they want, but I am pretty confident that the majority of the audience is having their parents or boyfriend buy the tickets. Some poor guy out there is paying 1,000 dollars for his girl to see another man; that's just a slap in the face right there.

    Pay that buddy you still owe money to or take your lover somewhere more expensive than Burger King. Pay two bums to fight; anything would be a better use of 1,000 dollars than concert tickets.

    If I'm paying that kind of money for tickets, Drake better pay for my dinner, take me to meet Lil Wayne, and his mom. Those kinds of prices are made for screwing people, not entertainment. Drake’s not a politician...yet at least.

    Now, there were cheaper seats in the nose bleeds for around 100 dollars, but even that is still ridiculous, considering that is the price of front seat tickets for most concerts. There are better ways to spend money. And if someone went to this concert, that’s great; I hope they had a fun time, at least.

    With his shows only a quarter filled at some arenas, Kanye West recently found out the hard way that no one was willing to pay that kind of money for his concerts—especially with an album that many fans did not warm up to that well.

    Just take caution with what you buy, because there are probably people who paid 100s for a Ja Rule & Chingy concert 10 years ago and regret that every day now. Remember them? Yeah, neither does anybody else.

The Other Woman

Bella Riccitelli
Sports Editor

    There is nothing funny about finding out that your husband is cheating on you. There is especially nothing funny when his mistress knocks on your front door in a stripper outfit. However, Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton, stars of “The Other Woman,” made that situation into one of the funniest movies I have ever seen.

    With previous projects such as “The Notebook” and “My Sister’s Keeper,” it is no surprise that the director of “The Other Woman,” Nick Cassavetes, directed yet another box-office topping film.

     The movie starts with the trendy, firm, and stylish Carly, played by Cameron Diaz, in love with Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a charming financer. Scenes show the two happily and passionately in love, until suddenly it’s time to meet Carly’s father and Mark spits out an unbelievable excuse about the pipes in his home. When Carly doesn’t believe her boyfriend’s excuse, she takes it upon herself to drive to his home in a skimpy plumber’s outfit only to have the front door answered by Mark’s wife, Kate (Leslie Mann).

    After Carly and Kate meet and talk to each other a couple of times, they become friends and decide that it is their job to take Mark down, rather than just leaving him to suffer alone in life.

    Once the women become comfortable enough with each other, the good parts begin to flow. These two furious women spend most of their time plotting schemes and following Mark around. During one specific outing, they find out there is yet another woman.

    Mark’s young girlfriend, Amber, played by swimsuit model Kate Upton, they are spotted at the beach. When given the chance, the two women approach Amber and inform her about themselves and their situations. After hearing what a sleaze her boyfriend is, Amber joins their team to take Mark down once and for all and teach him a valuable lesson.

    While this was Upton’s first film, she did an incredible job at acting, and it was unnoticeable that she lacks any experience in the industry. In contrast to that, Mann and Diaz’s characters were tear-jerking funny as always. I’ve never seen a movie with Mann in it that I didn’t enjoy, and I’ve never seen a movie with Diaz that did not make me want to be her.

    Types of revenge that the women come up with include estrogen hormones blended into Mark’s morning smoothie and laxatives poured into alcoholic beverages of his while out in public. Then, of course, the big bang: ruining not only his career, but his life as well.

    This movie is hilarious. I haven’t stopped thinking about it and laughing about random scenes since I saw it. Although bits of the movie were quite predictable and other scenes were just too played out or too obvious to be an attempt at comedy, “The Other Woman” ended up being one of the best romantic comedies I have seen.

    These women almost feel like your heroes by the end of the film. Their roles are so strong, funny and sneaky that you even feel as if you want to be their friend, to ride around town with them and crack their good-for-nothing man.

    “The Other Woman” is definitely female friendly. If I were to have a girl’s night out, this movie is the movie I would bring my girlfriends to, in order to guarantee laughs and to bring out strong friendship vibes.

    I strongly suggest “The Other Woman” to anyone who has yet to see it. Go watch it immediately with your best friend, and if you have seen it already, go watch it again.