Online Dating: Are these People Fact or Fiction?

Ashley Lokken
Central Campus Bureau Chief

    With technology growing rapidly every year, more and more people in society are participating in online relationships. New apps such as Tinder, Badoo, and Hot Or Not (just to name a few) make it exceptionally simple for people to intermingle. Some may say it is “easier” to meet people online then it is to meet them in-person, but the real question is whom exactly are you talking to? On the Internet, anybody can be anybody.

    I believe seeing someone in person carries more value. There, you witness their personality traits, habits, facial expressions etc. You can’t decipher those aspects as easily on the Internet. On the other hand, I do know some people that have met on the Internet and are still together after years. I am not implying all online relationships have a destructive outcome; instead, I am informing about negative events that can happen when meeting someone on the Internet, that way one is able to take certain precautions. According to the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, “only one in three people will report sexual crimes to a trusted adult.”

    I have come to a conclusion of what makes online dating so appealing and it’s the fact that one is able to get to know the person from the inside out, without seeing and judging the person’s appearance first. Numerous young people suffer from image distortion, causing them to be unconfident about the way they look. Online dating gives people a sense of comfort and security because of this.

    However, some people take that aspect to the extreme. If you have watched MTV’s hit television show “Catfish,” you would see that some people are so insecure, they actually change their appearance to make someone like them more. This is not difficult to do on the Internet; all it takes is to upload someone else’s picture that may appear to be “more attractive” and use it as their own picture. Simple as that. Despite its simplicity, this can be tremendously dangerous. Sex offenders can use this method to make themselves look younger and more attractive to invite young women or men in. You may think to yourself, “how could anyone be so gullible to fall for this?” The fact is, there are some very ‘gullible’ people out there looking to be loved.

    However, some people on the show “Catfish” do get lucky and the person they thought they were talking to turns out to be exactly that person. But the majority of people on the show end up talking to someone completely opposite of whom they expected.

    A few ways you can determine if the person is authentic is by asking them to Skype or use some sort of webcam program. If they make up excuses such as, “I don’t have a webcam,” or, “sorry I’m always so busy; I have no time to video chat,” chances are there is something sketchy going on with them. Another way to determine if the person is a fraud is if they ask you for favors such as sending them money or asking you to do strange tasks. Also, if you ask them to meet up and they have an excuse every time, you should be wary. These circumstances should bring up a red flag in your logic.

    If the person does agree to meet up, it is vital to remember to take someone with you or meet in a crowded place where you are visible for everyone to see, just incase. Young people are kidnapped all the time because they forget about these important precautions. According to a 2008 report by the Rochester Institute for Technology, “14 percent [of students in the 10th-12th grade] have accepted an invitation to meet an online stranger.”

    Another study from the Journal of Adolescent Health shows that the majority of Internet-initiated sex crimes against minors are initiated in chat rooms. “In 82% of online sex crimes against minors, the offender used the victim’s social networking site to gain information about the victim’s likes and dislikes.”

    There are actual, legitimate statistics showing that meeting people online can be unsafe. Therefore, forming online relationships is a risky endeavor, and it is extremely important to take the precautions listed above. Internet dating may be comfortable, but I would warn to not become too contented. As a society we need to be more aware of our youth and not hesitate to report something that doesn't seem right.

Athleticism Exposed: The “Real” Reason Why Humans Play Sports

Antoi Sayers
Staff Writer

    Imagine it. A sports player flies down a field, court, or pitch. They carry a spherical instrument made of

animal skin towards a set goal. Their lungs shrivel and contract. Their body purges itself of water, and their heart races far past a sustainable rate. Do they make it? That does not matter. What does matter is why they find themselves in this situation in the first place.

    Today, in America alone, millions of children, teenagers, and full grown adults will play a sport. Be it the three giants, football, basketball, and baseball, or less athletically taxing offerings like croquet, curling and golf. Almost none of these people will pinch themselves and ask why they put themselves through these acts that make no sense when explained out loud. What do they stand to gain by reaching these arbitrary and ultimately woefully unnecessary goals? Why do we play sports?

    It turns out that a large part of that answer lies in the culprit for all aggressive and competitive activities—the opposite sex. But what is it about sports that makes us attractive to our prospective mates? Researchers now believe symmetry is to blame, and that makes sense. Athletic talent, especially that which is given naturally, is very hard to come by, and those who have a half of their bodies significantly longer or shorter than the other half will have a much harder time playing, much less excelling at a sport.

    Karl Grammar, a German ethologist and evolutionary biologist, studies facial symmetry and how it affects those we are attracted to; his findings concluded, “faces created by combining individual faces into composites [were] shown to be more attractive than the individual faces.” It is biologically natural to find people with symmetrical faces and bodies more attractive. It is something that cannot be consciously controlled because of evolutionary traits gained when humans were nothing more than nomadic hunters and gatherers. This was when human survival was a lot less of a sure thing and our biggest enemies were bacteria.

    In his report on human symmetry, B. C. Jones, a Professor in the Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Glasgow said, “disease and infections during physical development cause small imperfections (asymmetries). Thus only individuals who are able to withstand infections (those with strong immune systems) are successful in developing symmetric physical traits.” Those with strong immune systems are what we were looking for 2000 years ago, and it's what we look for now, whether we realize it or not. The biological arms race has not ended yet.

    These holdover traits are apparent in other unexplainable, but important, parts of human life like kissing. The act of two individuals pressing their germ infested mouths together and mixing their fundamentally different DNA with saliva is not necessary for any kind of relationship, yet almost every human has or will do it sometime in their lives. Researchers believe that this was a way of bolstering our own immune systems with the germs of another, thus getting our offspring used to certain diseases before they were born.

    Though most of us will never realize it, whether someone kicks a ball, hits a puck, or swings a bat, they don't do it for the fun or energy release that they believe they do. They do it because of the biological longing deep within them, the longing to attract someone special to share their life with.

Mink - Makeup Printer

Marie Wisa Beauge
Staff Writer

    What do Maybelline, L’Oreal, Avon, Elf, Clinique and Mary Kay all have in common? They are all makeup brands that are trending in the beauty department section of your local drug store. Technology has helped shape numerous industries including cosmetics, and now, thanks to Harvard student Grace Choi, a 3D printer that can be used at home to print any shade of makeup has been invented.

    For the average female American that enjoys wearing makeup but finds themselves living paycheck to paycheck, it would be an investment to buy eye shadow from Elf, concealer from L’Oreal, lipstick from Maybelline, perfume from Avon, nail polish from Clinique and foundation from Mary Kay. That would mean a constant saving from each paycheck, and spending cuts from the “wants” to supply only the “needs” in order to have that collection. Of course one color of eye shadow, lipstick and nail polish is not enough. There has to be a red, pink, brown, black, turquoise and even white to match the desired funky style. And that means getting up, driving to a local store, walking to the beauty section, and choosing from the millions of other products there. The struggle is even worse if the right shade of foundation is not available, and two different shades have to be bought and mixed to acquire the preferred color. It’s a hard job to be beautiful!

    With the invention of the 3D printer called Mink, the problems of convenience and color choice are solved. The days where the average woman would have to spend hundreds of dollars on different makeup brands or have to struggle to find the makeup with the perfect shade are over.

    Choi, a business major, realized that the makeup industry makes a lot of money selling products to dark skin and Caucasian skin, while Asians and Indian women have trouble finding the right shade of foundation. As a result, she invented Mink. It uses the same ink that makeup companies use. This printer can “print” eye shadow, foundation, lipstick, polish, you name it. The process is as follows: You obtain a white palette, insert it into the printer, go on the computer, and choose a color on a website (Pinterest board, YouTube channel, etc.), your E-mail or bank account. You can also snap one with your phone in the real world, and use any color picker to locate the hex code of the color. Once you have the code, you can put it into any photo-editing program like Photoshop or Paint and simply press print. To demonstrate that it worked, at a conference about her invention, Choi printed an eye shadow and brushed it on her hand.

    Grace Choi plans on going to the big printer corporations to strike a deal as far as the selling of the printer goes. The Mink costs a little under $200 and plans to go on sale later this year. The targeted age group is between 13 and 21 years of age, for they are still experimenting with makeup, and should do so without paying the big prices for color selection. Choi explains that makeup companies use color and raw materials and “jack” the price to make profit. She gives the user choice of color and the raw material is very cheap to obtain.

    I believe that this will drive teens and young adults to the electronic section of stores where the Mink will be sold in the future. In theory, Mink sounds amazing. Let’s see what will happen in practice.

http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/05/mink-is-a-3d-printer-for-makeup/

How To Turn A Party From Nay To Yay

Damian Gordon
South Bureau Chief

    If you’re always talking about how much better you can throw a party, prove it with these tips to help turn your shindig into an event the Great Gatsby himself would be proud of.

    1) Invite Your Guests for Different Times
    We all have that friend, that if you say an event is happening at 3 p.m., they won’t show up till 6 p.m., the next week. Tell your guests to show up at different times, depending on who they are.

    This will have a steady stream of new people arriving, as well as keeping new energy coming into the party.

    2) Invest in Garbage Bags
    The party was great. Everyone left with a smile on their face, except for that guy passed out on your lawn until the sprinklers come on in the morning. Then you remember the mess and turn around to see Hurricane Katrina just passed through your place.

    Putting multiple garbage disposal areas at a party leaves less of a mess afterwards. It’s why theme parks put trash cans every two feet, because many people become lazy at the third foot.

    If you can’t get a lot of trash cans or bags, then strategically place them at hotspots where people will definitely be.

    3) Control Where the Party Is
    Contingent on what kind of gathering is being thrown, the location where everyone will be is crucial. If it’s small and intimate, people roaming around shouldn’t be a problem.

    If it’s big, to the point where it spills outside, hopefully you have enough space to accommodate. Having the party outside could be better for the fact that there’s more breathing room.

    4) Move Breakables Away
    Anything that can be broken into pieces, that aren’t Legos, needs to be moved to another area like your room. Because even if there is no alcohol at your event, it’s safe to bet there will be clumsy people.

    Again, this applies more to the larger events with crowds of people; smaller gatherings tend to give fewer problems in this area.

    5) Know Your Guests
    Let’s start with the smaller parties; inviting the right people can make or break the good vibes. If you’re going to invite Cindy and you know she’ll start something with Sarah and company, maybe let her sit this one out.

    For the bigger open house events, whoever you invited is probably bringing a thousand people with them each. Ever see that guy who causes ladies to clutch their purses closer to themselves on elevators? He’s going to be there too.

    6) Know How Much/What You Have To Spend
    To know who’s going is as simple as just asking everyone to text you who they invited, or put a cap on how many people they can bring. Someone could say they’re coming last week, but it’s good to check one last time before you shop.

    7) BYOS
    Bring Your Own Stuff (thought I was going to say !&?@#! huh?). This means if you know somebody with a better sound system or more chairs, have them bring it!

    This saves money and time you might not have, and letting the guest bring what they want, will only make the party that much better.

    8) Know Your Neighbors
    If you have a good rapport with the neighbors, they will be more inclined to deal with the noise and congested street full of cars. This means the cops are less likely to show up at your door and whatever is going on inside, will stay there.

    9) Food
    When throwing a party where a big part of it is the food, a smart thing to do is to start everything in advance, even a night before depending on what’s being served. No one wants to hear, “give it a couple more minutes,” when you’ve been saying the same thing for hours.

    If you can’t cook, invite a friend that can to come earlier and help out. Everyone will be lining up to compliment you by the night’s end, instead of an angry mob full of E.coli.

    Classics like pizza, chips and dip can never fail. Hamburgers plus hotdogs are inexpensive, while also being delicious.

    10) Play Music Appropriate to the Event
    Unless it’s a funeral, nobody wants to hear your Lana Del Rey when they’re trying to turn up; save that for another day. Play music with fast tempos, great beats, and a mix of popular songs so everyone can sing along.

    11) Be a Great Host
    The most important thing to remember is that it’s the host’s job to make sure the guests are having a great time, but also remember to have some fun too.

    Use these tips to throw the greatest event that people will talk about for ages.

Gamers: Breaking the Stereotype

Ana Cedeno
North Bureau Chief

    When people think of a gamer, what often comes to mind is a middle-aged cave dweller surviving from the crumbs and grease stains on his clothes while yelling at a screen, which displays the video game that has, once again, managed to incur his wrath.

    This is the typical expectations people have of gamers, a subculture that until recently wasn't very well known, and whose identity has been warped and hurt by stereotypes such as the ones above.

    With the gaming community growing more and more, what a gamer is has been redefined almost to the point that the word has no meaning. The gaming stereotype is no longer true, if it ever was true to begin with, and has been broken in more ways than one.

    From MMOs, to simulators, to RPGs, games have developed enough variety to make them a world of its own. With such a vast variety of games available, it should be no surprise that the target demographic reflects this variety.

    While the average age of gamers is stated to be thirty one years old, recent gaming demographics suggest that 39 percent of gamers are under eighteen, while 32 percent are aged eighteen to thirty five, the last 29 percent being claimed by ages thirty six and up. Furthermore, according to the Entertainment Software Association 2013 survey, 48 percent of gamers are female, very nearly catching up to the 52 percent that is their male counterpart. Also, video game purchasers are split right down the middle, with male and female buyers each claiming 50 percent of game purchases. These numbers disprove both the age and the gender that most people associate with gaming, and deconstruct the stereotypes that have formed around gaming as a community. They also served to demonstrate that games are for people of all ages.

    According to a study conducted by Scott Rigvy, graduate from the University of Rochester, the reason people play video games is due to three psychological needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness, all of which can be met, not only in real life, but also in video games. When you level up in a game or complete a difficult task, gamers feel accomplished. By having control over what their characters do and even who their characters are, players feel they're in control. The characters also provide someone to relate to and who the gamers feel can understand them. Additionally, online games serve to connect people to others who may share their interests, fulfilling the need of relatedness in a different way.

    An article written by Daniel Johnson for the Sunday Morning Herald, based on the aforementioned study, goes on to say that if these needs are met in real life gaming can be a healthy hobby, which puts a dent on the game-addicted part of the gaming stereotype; since unless the person already has an addictive personality or is in a bad place in life, it seems unlikely they would become addicted to games to the point that they won't leave home.

    What this all comes down to is that video games and gaming are simply a hobby—nothing more, nothing less. The variety in the types of video games available is reflected by the diversity of its audience. The gamer stereotype is broken simply by the fact that everyone who plays a game, whether admittedly or casually can be seen as a gamer.

Educating the World, One Barista at a Time

Jonathan Fernandez
Copy Editor

    Contrary to the popular belief that corporations are greed-infested, profit-seeking, sociopathic machines, Starbucks has declared it would pay college tuitions for its employees, starting this fall. The Starbucks College Achievement Plan is a collaborative effort between Starbucks and Arizona State University (ASU) that offers part- and full-time employees the opportunity to finish their Bachelor’s degrees through online classes. So, is this legit? Or shall I prepare my pockets for when the devil comes to collect?

    The program is available to any “partners” (the term used by Starbucks to refer to its employees) as long as they work at least 20 hours a week. The company promises to pay the full costs of tuition, not covered by financial aid, for juniors and seniors that enroll in ASU’s online courses. ASU provides College Achievement Plan (CAP) scholarships that cover up to $2,420 per semester (based on a student enrolled for 12 credits), approximately 40 percent of the cost of the lower-priced degree programs, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. After CAP scholarships, students will obtain Pell Grants and other government student aid, and Starbucks will pay for the remaining fees. Freshman and sophomores, on the other hand, will receive CAP scholarships of less value than those received by upper-classmen, and Starbucks won’t reimburse them for the remaining costs after student aid.

    In an email to USA Today, Jaime Riley, a Starbucks spokeswoman said that the scholarship represents 22 percent of tuition costs for freshmen and sophomores and 42 percent for juniors and seniors. The coffee shop giant will reimburse students on their paychecks after they complete 21 credit hours, rather than pre-pay for fees.

    In a recent interview on “The Daily Show,” Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz said, “We are a public company. We have to build long-term value for the shareholder, but we've recognized a long time ago when we provided health care for our people, ownership for our people, the only way you can build a great enduring company is by linking shareholder value with value for employees.”

    When asked why other companies failed to do programs like this, Schultz responded, “there has been a zero-sum game, that the only thing that matters is profitability...You can’t just focus on profitability, and an enduring great company has to be based on more than that.”

    Nevertheless, there are critics of the college plan. Some see the program as a savvy PR move and criticize the fact that the College Achievement Plan forces Starbucks baristas to attend ASU, rather than a college of their choice. Others argue that Starbucks isn't paying for much of the costs.

    Joe Carter of the Action Institute Power Blog says, “Students who don’t work for Starbucks will be paying the normal tuition rates in order to subsidize the education for out-of-state baristas. That ‘free tuition’ Starbucks claims as a ‘benefit’ is actually being paid for not by coffee profits but by the students in Phoenix who don’t get the benefit of working for a crony in Seattle.”

    It’s obvious that Starbucks and ASU both benefit from the deal. The College Achievement Plan fortifies Starbucks’ reputation as a people based company; meanwhile, ASU gains access to a steady flow of students. Additionally, baristas are inspired to continue working for Starbucks—a byproduct that saves Starbucks money by potentially reducing turnover. In a sense, the plan can be considered an investment.

    Despite its criticisms, it is my belief that the intentions of a corporation (usually to make more money) don’t matter, as long as the public isn’t being wronged. In this rare scenario, corporate interests and the benefits of workers were synchronized, and therefore, it is irrelevant to compare the amount of money Starbucks spent versus ASU on the College Achievement Plan. The sole fact that these institutions are combatting income inequality and record-high student debt costs, is an admirable endeavor. Let’s just hope this new educational model is functional and effective.

Why Men Marry Bitches: The Review

Bella Riccitelli

Managing Editor

    There are hundreds of categories of self-improvement books that people read with the intention of bettering themselves. While some include ways to live a happy life, or how-tos with lists from A to Z, author Sherry Argov has released a book in the self-help genre that may shock some and excite others: “Why Men Marry Bitches.”

    Listed as a New York Time’s bestseller, Argov gives women the chance to help themselves become respected, smart individuals, rather than women who change themselves for men.

    Stated in the introduction, Argov says, “…I use ‘bitch’ in a tongue-in-cheek way. The term is intended to be satirical, and does not take itself too seriously. I use it to describe a strong woman who has her own identity and is secure with who she is.”

    I find this to be very important because in today’s society, women are often offended by the term, rather than flattered to use the term to describe themselves. However, by the time the book is finished, the woman reading is almost guaranteed to be proud to refer to herself as such.

    While the book is not written to make women into mean people, it is intended to make a woman go from “doormat to dream girl,” as Argov says.

    “Why Men Marry Bitches” is filled with tips and rules that are essential in gaining respect from men. Additionally, Argov includes anecdotes from both men and women, women who have used the rules with success, and men who have anonymously provided their opinions and personal beliefs relating to Argov’s rules.

    To be honest, I have used these rules and tips before with my own boyfriend and they actually work. I also know a handful of women who have read this book and say that the rules worked for them, too.

    If anyone ever caught a glimpse of my copy of the book, I would be slightly embarrassed due to the fact that it is filled with post-it notes and colorful tabs. In contrast to that, I would be anxious to share every single rule, page and paragraph that I so carefully made a note of.

    The book is not written solely for women who are seeking husbands.

    “Why Men Marry Bitches’ is not another ‘how to fetch a husband book.’ …It will challenge convention…and modernize the way you think about how a man chooses his soul mate,” Argov says in the book.

    Although some of the rules given are obvious and common sense, a various amount of them seem to be borderline genius, as if it really did take a book for the reader to figure these things out.

    The book is separated into categories: Throwing Out the Rulebook, Make Him Chase You Until You Catch Him, The Sun Rises and Sets in his Boxer Shorts, Female Button Pushing, Wanted: Joe Paycheck, Breaking Into the Boys Club, and finally, From “I Might” to “I Do.”

    The very last section includes every rule and tip from beginning to end, and is made so the reader can use it as an easy reference guide.

    If I could recommend this book to every woman in the world, I definitely would. It isn’t filled with tips on how to get married, or how to become a bitch, but how to respect and carry yourself in a way that will make a man want to marry you. “Why Men Marry Bitches” can literally turn any woman “from doormat to dream girl” in a matter of hours.

The Truth Behind Watch_Dog's Hype

Charles Fernandez
Social Media Editor

    After reading through countless reviews and comments all over the web, it’s become apparent to me that “Watch_Dogs” has become the next controversial game everyone is talking about. Unfortunately, “Watch_Dogs” is usually poorly judged for two specific reasons. It’s either because the reviewers’ criticism is based on the most successful open-world games like “Grand Theft Auto V”, or the game didn’t reach the expectations for the hype that it had. Regardless, the newcomer “Watch_Dogs” shouldn’t be compared to a game that won Game of the Year, when it hasn’t even fallen onto our laps yet. Due to all the hype it had pre-release, people have failed to put this game up on a regular scale and have immediately decided to compare it with the best of the best open world games—of course people are going to be disappointed. Why should anyone assume “Watch_Dogs” would be the start of the next generation of gaming, much less have a story that’s like no other? Because Ubisoft promised the best game to date and failed to deliver? That’s marketing, my friends! Even I had a different image of how this game was going to work, but it wasn’t at all disappointing, depending on how you come to view it. And although the story wasn’t the best, it was better than half of the campaigns I usually play. The fun isn’t found so much in the story, but in the action.

    “Hacking is your weapon.” This is what “Watch_Dogs” told us. People, including me, thought this game would have less guns and more hacks. This is one of the pitfalls we run into when we want to judge this game, and I almost fell into it, as well. Most people that I’ve seen play on Twitch or that have written harsh, negative reviews seem to rely too much on their guns and not enough on their hacking capabilities. A lot of players only use their hacking abilities to kill, rather than to SET UP for a kill. In a situation where you are told to kill off all of your enemies in a large room, people would resort to using guns, unless they find a grenade they can hack or a camera to look through. That kind of play-style feels like a dumbed-down version of “Splinter Cell Conviction.” But the game’s fighting potential comes when you effectively hack to set up kills rather than to just kill. Planning ahead is the key, and setting things up can get you far. You could go out guns blazing, or you could have fun with your tools. Here’s a scenario of what one hack can lead you to do.

    Start out with a Blackout to shut off all the lights in the room momentarily. Equip the silent pistol to take out a few enemies in the head with the time you have in the darkness. Before the lights come back on, leave a proximity mine next to the dead body closest to the group of guards that are still alive. Hide behind a wall, furniture, etc. As the lights turn on, the guards will notice all of the dead bodies that surround them. One or two will walk closer to examine the body that you booby-trapped, only to have it blow up in their faces. As the others are distracted by the explosion, take out an assault rifle, activate your slow-motion ability (Focus), and finish the few of them left. Easy to do, makes you feel like a boss, and you can rightfully say, “calculated.”

    All I’m trying to say is that if a player wants hacking to be a prominent tool in their game, experiment and find creative ways to deal with difficult situations rather than going in “Call of Duty” style. I’m not saying that the negatively scored reviews don’t know what they are talking about, but if the score is based on what you were expecting rather than the outcome, then you aren’t judging a game fairly at all.

    As for the driving in “Watch_Dogs,” it doesn’t feel too realistic and is a bit difficult to grasp in the beginning. It’s pretty difficult to make the turns on the road when reaching high speeds, but with some practice you get comfortable measuring how much you have to slow down to make a sharp turn. Luckily, almost every vehicle has amazing acceleration, which allows you to reach top speeds immediately after you slow down for a turn. The larger cars are faster than expected, which is pretty good when you want to deal with cops. The police are practically impossible to escape, at the hardest difficulty level, without using your hacking skills. But it’s in the challenge of finding creative routes to take in order to escape the police that make the cop chases one of the most enjoyable moments in “Watch_Dogs.”

    This is about as much as I can say about the single-player experience in “Watch_Dogs.” It’s not the best game I’ve ever played, but I believe it was definitely worth the $60, and I greatly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t set their expectations of the game to “unattainable.”

Cosplayers Host An Event During X-Men Days of Future Past

Ana Cedeno
North Bureau Chief

    During the premiere of “Days of Future Past,” fans flooded the theaters to watch the newest movie of the X-Men franchise. With all the hype that followed this release, fans were ecstatic, and they demonstrated it at the Sawgrass Mills theaters, where fans had a chance to take pictures alongside the X-men characters they loved—cosplayers of them, that is.

    Cosplaying, short for costume playing, is a hobby in which fans dress up as fictional characters from a myriad of series, cartoons, games and graphic novels. Starting out as a subculture, cosplaying has developed as an art form with fans often creating or designing their own costumes and showing their admiration for a particular character or franchise. Florida has a huge cosplaying community with several events in locations that vary from Miami to Tampa, overlapping each other every other week.

    One such event was set during the premiere of “Days of Future Past,” where local cosplayers dressed up as X-Men characters and surprised movie-goers and theater staff alike with their appearances.

    The event was set up by Mini Con, a small Florida convention founded by Damian Marchione, and consisted of a photo-shoot where movie goers were given the chance to take picture with cosplayers of their favorite X-Men. This was followed by video games as well as a midnight viewing of the movie.

    Mini Con is a small comic and art convention set in Plantation; although small, as its name might indicate, the convention has garnered attention due to its easy accessibility. The fact that it's small also gives it a more personal feel.

    “There's a real focus on community,” cosplayer Kerri Carter said. “They encourage the next generation. There's a real focus on family friendly programming and a lot of different things for kids to do.”

    This event was no exception, as fans of all ages were able to take part in the photo-shoot and the video game that later followed.

    The photo-shoot was set up at the entrance of the movie theater where kids and adults, cosplayers and non-cosplayers alike, got the chance to take a picture with the X-Men character of their choosing.

    “People don't expect us to be there, and get really excited when they turn the corner after buying their popcorn and there's a bunch of superheroes,” Kerri said when asked about the reception of the event. Kerri has been cosplaying for nearly nine years and was dressed as Shadowcat during the opening day.

    “It was great,” Kerri says. “I had personally really looked forward to the movie as I'm a huge X-Men fangirl, and it was awesome that I got to share the experience with others because of Mini Con.”

    Mini Con also did a similar photo-shoot for the premiere of “The Amazing Spiderman.” Future events of this nature have been announced and include the movie premieres of “How To Train Your Dragon 2” and “Transformers Age of Extinction.” 

    The pictures of the movie-goers who participated in the photo shoot are accessible at the Mini Con Facebook page. For more information on Mini Con and future events, visit  its Facebook page or Mini Con webpage at flminicons.com.