Showing posts with label Luria Freeman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luria Freeman. Show all posts

The Hottest Summer Reads


It’s so hard finding time for myself during the school year. Between classes, extracurricular activities, studying and my part-time job, there is always somewhere I have to be or something that needs to be done. I’ve had a love of reading since I was very young, so not having time to read for myself is really hard. I look at every summer as a time to relax and finally reclaim my me-time. While you’re perfecting that tan by the pool this summer, I highly suggest you pick up one of these great books. Think of it as a vacation for your imagination.

"The Moon and More" by Sarah Dessen


Sarah Dessen, author of “This Lullaby” and “The Truth About Forever,” has the remarkable ability to depict the lives of teenage girls effortlessly in her novels. Many authors who attempt to enter the world of teen fiction never seem to truly connect or understand, but Dessen is in a class of her own. I have been anticipating the debut of her 11th novel, “The Moon and More,” for months, and it’s finally here!

In “The Moon and More,” we meet Emaline the summer before she goes off to college and is faced with one of the hardest decisions she’s ever made: to cling to the life she’s always known with her high school sweetheart and loving family or to explore the new and exciting opportunities that could await her at an Ivy League school, accompanied by the ambitious and charming Theo. Emaline’s life is at a fork in the road, and I’m super excited to dive into the pages and see what (and who) she chooses!

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green


I admit that I have never read any of John Green’s novels, but with the numerous awards “The Fault in Our Stars” has received (#1 New York Times bestseller, #1 Wall Street Journal fiction list, etc.), this book cannot be ignored.

Hazel has terminal cancer and has always had a depressing outlook on her life. That is, until she meets Augustus Waters in her Cancer Kid Support Group. He reminds her that she may be terminal, but her life isn’t over yet. This novel has received great reviews for being bold, insightful and a real weight on the heartstrings. I am completely intrigued and highly recommend you check this one out for yourself!

"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins


The world was captivated when “The Hunger Games” hit theaters, and the release of the second in the trilogy, “Catching Fire,” has us all on the edge of our seats. Outside of the movie phenomenon and our growing obsession with Jennifer Lawrence lies this amazing trilogy of books that exposes its readers to a new harsh, yet captivating world.

In “Catching Fire,” we pick back up with Katniss and Peeta after they have risen above the odds and the dominance of the Capitol in winning the Hunger Games, but instead of basking in their glory, they are thrown into another fight for their lives. The Capitol sees Katniss and Peeta as the faces of a rebellion stirring amongst the districts and they refuse to be overthrown without a fight. I am committed to finishing “Catching Fire” before the movie premiers in November, and what better time than this summer? I suggest you do the same!

By: Luria Freeman

Victoria's Secret PINK Mizzou Giveaway Scavenger Hunt!


 ATTENTION, LADY TIGERS: I know you are all as obsessed with PINK by Victoria’s Secret as we are, so we have some great news! PINK is hosting a giveaway somewhere on Mizzou’s campus Feb. 13 (that's TODAY!) from 3-4 p.m. They will be giving away 90 cheekster panties and 50 wristbands. The wristbands serve as a ticket to the PINK Nation private shopping event held at the Columbia Mall Feb. 17 ... that’s THIS Saturday, folks! Showing up with your wristband gets you a free panty!



How do you get this amazing deal? Well, it’s a social media scavenger hunt! Follow Victoria’s Secret PINK Mizzou on Instagram, Twitter, and like their page on Facebook. They will be posting hints and pictures to help you figure out where they are! So, what are you still reading for?! The hunt is on! Don’t forget to tweet @MizzouVSPINK and @CollegeGlossMIZ, and show us your winnings!

By: Luria Freeman | Images: 1, 2 | Source: Jenny L. Swafford

CG Mizzou’s Top 5 List of the Best & Worst Dressed at the Grammys

The Grammys may be a wrap, but the red carpet fashion lives on. As with most award shows, some stars looked like royalty and some looked straight up off-key. The College Gloss Mizzou team watched every misstep and has a lot to say about what they loved and hated about the fashion on music's biggest night. (Somebody get Taylor's stylist on the phone!)

Top 5 Best Dressed

Rihanna


“Rihanna is not always my favorite, but I have to admit that I loved her style last night. She looked so elegant in red, and her hair was perfection.”  -Abby Kass

“Lady in red. Rihanna was the definition of glamorous in this flowing crimson gown. Her bold red lips and nails complemented her ensemble without overdoing it.” -Candice Brew

Kelly Rowland


“The strategic peek-a-boo panels in this dress are the definition of being tastefully sexy. She looks strong, sophisticated and just downright hot. A big ol’ “WOW” sums up my feelings for this look, head-to-toe.” -Veronica DeStefano

“Kelly Rowland embodies the perfect balance of sexy and classy in this gorgeous gown. She was absolutely working it.” -Luria Freeman

“Rowland looked stunning in this Georges Chakra gown. She managed to give off the perfect amount of sex-appeal while remaining classy. Not to mention, her natural-looking makeup and simple updo was the way to go with such an extravagant dress.” -Candice Brew

Carrie Underwood

“Carrie looked amazing in the dress. It fit her perfectly and was interesting, but at the same time showed off that amazing diamond necklace.” -Abby Kass

Katy Perry

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“Some people might hate this, but I think it’s simplistically beautiful, and also Katy is my spirit animal so...” -Alise Murawski

"Gucci at the Grammys. What more needs to be said?" -Kayla Elam

Justin Timberlake

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“Simple, yet so stylish and classy. Men can’t go wrong with that look.” -Abby Kass

"I love a good bow tie and a good shoe on any guy, but this Tom Ford on Justin? Just wow." -Kayla Elam

Top 5 Worst Dressed

Adele


“I’m all for Adele getting past her all black stage, but wearing a rug isn’t an improvement.” -Cheyenne Roundtree

Florence Welch 


“She looks like some kind of ginger reptile. Godzilla in America.” -Luria Freeman

Jennifer Lopez 



“Sad but true. That bun does not belong at the Grammys, and the weird crotch on her dress ... just no.” -Luria Freeman

"Angelina Jolie already did the high slit, leg pose. Sorry J. Lo, try again!" -Lindsay Keaton

Taylor Swift

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“I feel like I’ve seen this before from her ... branch out a little T-Swizzle!” -Alise Murawski

John Mayer

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“Not feeling the velvet blue jacket and the blue bowtie that doesn’t really match.” -Abby Kass

The stars should never fear, though, because the next few weeks will bring more award shows with new fashion for us to gossip and drool over. We'll be watching.

By: CG Mizzou Staff

Embracing The Curl: An African American Woman’s Dilemma


Decades of African American women have found themselves in the midst of a dilemma: the choice between embracing their naturally curly hair or seeking methods of straightening it. Personally, I believe that while every woman has the choice to do whatever she wishes with her hair, it is important to recognize that one is in fact beautiful, naturally.

For many years, the media has perpetuated an image of beauty that favors Anglo-Saxon features. As a result, for years black women have coveted hair just like these icons: long, straight, beautiful. In the mimicking of an image of beauty that is not our own, natural hair has been cast to the side as a lesser entity.

There are many girls nationwide who battle issues with their body and body image. The idea that a black woman’s natural hair is “ugly” or “unkempt” only promotes self-hate and the idea that one is inadequate the way they were born. Straight hair should not be a mask to hide behind because you are ashamed of the features that life has dealt you. As a black woman, I take pride in the versatility of my hair and fully embrace my curls. I believe that by wearing my hair naturally, I am professing to the world that I am accepting of myself and do not care if society does not find me beautiful. I believe that every black girl should recognize that she was divinely crafted, head to toe. She owes neither an apology nor feeling of shame for a single kink or curl on her head.

I spoke to MU freshman Kristian Haywood to get her opinion on this age-old dilemma and she, like many women, is on the fence about the matter: "I guess my thoughts on natural hair is that if you prefer it, then that’s great. I get my hair relaxed because it is easier for me to take care of, but I do think that both natural and relaxed hair is beautiful."

Over the past few months, there has been a spike in popularity in the black community of rocking one’s natural hair. While this makes me very happy, I hope that women do not look at this a trend with an expiration date, but as a turn of events in the world of style. Take this as a chance to truly get in touch with your roots and define your own beauty, one curl at a time.

By: Luria Freeman | Image: Source

Roommate Break-Up: When Living With Your Bestie Turns Out to Be A Mistake


If you are reading this article, I am assuming you are one of the few, whom upon entering their first year of college, decided to take their relationship with their best friend to the next level: you decided to become college roommates. Countless hours were spent together planning your color scheme for the room and browsing “Bed Bath and Beyond” catalogues. As the days until move-in day ticked away, daydreams of late-night heart-to-hearts and movie nights filled your head as you anticipated this epic, year-long sleepover. You would be living in a dream situation ... or so it would seem.

Slowly but surely your dream of living with your best friend has turned into a year-long nightmare in close quarters. You never noticed how different the two of you really were until you were faced with her faults on a daily basis: the way she leaves her clothes thrown slovenly over her desk chair, the way she hogs the remote to YOUR television, the alarm she sets for 5 a.m. every morning that never wakes her up but constantly rips you from your own precious sleep. Your buttons are being pushed and as winter break approaches and you start to consider where you will be living for the next school year, as you can’t imagine going through this same situation again. Your roommateship has run its course, and the only thing left to do is break-up with your roommate.

Breaking up with a roommate can be messy business, especially when that roommate is a very close friend. Friendships offer suffer greatly or can end altogether if this situation is not handled delicately. Here are a few tips for dropping the bomb on your roommate, without inciting World War III.

“We need to talk.”
Sit your roommate down one day and simply explain that you would rather not live together next year. It’s not necessary to divulge all the things about her that you find annoying, however, as this will only cause an argument and turn this conversation into a confrontation.

“It’s not you, it’s me.”
Let your current roomie know that this is not personal. You simply feel that living together isn’t good for your friendship and preserving that friendship is very important to you.

“I hope we can still be friends.”
You totally can! Some friends just aren’t meant to live together (as you have learned). Being so alike can cause a serious clash, but there is no reason you two can’t remain friends even though you won’t be living together anymore. Distance does make the heart grow fonder.

Hopefully these tips will help ease the awkward and sometimes messy process that comes with breaking-up with a roommate. Whether you choose to seek a future roommate or try the single life, keep in mind that every living situation comes with its respective ups and downs. Move forward with an open mind and take this break-up a lesson learned.

By: Luria Freeman | Image: Source

Sales Personnel Anticipate Black Friday


As Black Friday approaches, sales personnel nationwide prepare themselves for the battlefield that will soon engulf each and every store department as super savers, armed with fresh coffee and credit cards, duke it out for the best deals.

College Gloss Mizzou contributors visited retail stores from their home towns to see how workers are anticipating this year’s big shopping day.

Location: Target, St. Louis, Missouri
Mitch Baum is a freshman at Rockhurst, who will return to his part-time job at Target to work as a cashier on Black Friday.

“Last year was a bit hectic,” he said. “We had twice as many employees on the floor as usual. I do prefer being a cashier, though. Working the floor, you get caught up in a lot of departments you have no knowledge about. It’s embarrassing when people ask me questions as I’m walking by electronics and I have no idea.”

Baum said he imagines Black Friday for a new employee would be pretty stressful.

“You have to meet a lot of customer’s demands,” Baum said. “It’s the people that are in a rush that are more there for the prices that are the worst to deal with.”

Although he’s never witnessed a stampede or trampling, he has seen shelves tip over as people hurriedly ran into them and pulled off products.

He’s also no stranger to having to deal with difficult customers.

“When people are paying, sometimes the prices they thought they saw or [are not] what they wanted it to be, they start bickering with me,” he said. “I usually just call in my manager for that.”

Location: Best Buy, Columbia, Missouri
Micky Banks, an employee at Best Buy in Columbia and MU sophomore, is preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

"I'm expecting a lot of chaos and impatient customers," she said. “I wouldn't say that I'm really scared about anything except maybe our systems messing up or something."

Location: Macy’s, Memphis, Tennessee
An employee at Macy’s shared her thoughts on the Black Friday tradition.

"I've never shopped on Black Friday, but I think it’s a good tradition," she said. "I think some people do it as way to bond with family members, camping out and all, especially moms and daughters. Plus the deals are great, so why not."

Location: Fossil, Houston, Texas
Fossil employee Jordan Svehla said said she still enjoys working on Black Friday.

“Sure, working on Black Friday is always a crazy experience because there is merchandise everywhere, people everywhere, and it can get a little hectic,” she said. “But I really love working with my team. They make even the worst hours the best! And even though I will be working two shifts, and we will be open for 24 hours, I'm not all that worried because Black Friday only comes once a year. It seems to be a challenge and can even be fun."

Location: Macy’s, Chicago, Illinois
As one would imagine, the personnel at Macy’s on State Street weren’t allowed to share the juicy details of their planning process, but a store manager by the name of Trisha assured me that they were “making sure all the right people are in the right places as to best accommodate our customers.”

I caught college freshman Kutah Sillah as she was leaving the store and inquired on how she prepares for the shopping holiday.

“Being a college student, I don’t usually have much money,” she shared. “But if I did decide to Black Friday shop I would need tons of caffeine and need to be on the watch out for people who literally fight for deals. It gets crazy out there!”

So remember ladies, don’t miss the super savings at Macy’s or wherever you choose to shop this Black Friday, and don’t get elbowed out of a great deal! Have a great Thanksgiving, and let us know your favorite purchases this crazy Black Friday.

By: Hannah Boxerman, Sazanka Idris, Audrey Wilcox, Morgan Young, Luria Freeman | Image: Source

Ending Exam Woes Caffeine-Free


It’s the night before your history exam, and you’ve been hovered over your notebook for so long that your eyes are redder than the highlighter in your hand, and you can feel the energy depleting from your body with the turn of every page. Instinctually, you reach for a cup of coffee to bring you back from the zombie-like state you’ve fallen victim to, but is loading up on caffeine really what will help you in the long run?

True, there are positive benefits to drinking coffee and consuming things that contain caffeine, such as tea and chocolate. The release of adrenaline provides what feels like instant and endless energy. It also increases dopamine levels in the brain, causing us to feel great pleasure from the effects of caffeine, and therefore, associate pleasure with our intake of caffeine. From this standpoint, caffeine seems great, but as with anything, there are two sides to this story.

Caffeine is essentially a drug, which comes with risks of dependence and addiction. Caffeine can stimulate your central nervous system causing headaches, irritability and restlessness. It can also cause loss of fluids and dehydration, which can be a serious problem for athletes.

I know what you must be thinking: “If I can’t turn to coffee or caffeine to replenish my energy, what’s going to keep me from face-planting on my notebook and failing this history exam?” Don’t fret! There are plenty of alternatives to caffeine; snacks that are not only great for you, but will give you a long-lasting, healthy energy boost.

One example of this is by incorporating more vegetables into your diet. I know this sounds more like an age-old ploy influenced by mother’s world wide, but “eating your vegetables” has come into the modern age with some tasty style. According to livestrong.com, vegetables contain not only essential vitamins, but also carbohydrates and fiber your body uses to produce energy. Pairing vegetables like red peppers and baby carrots with hummus can add a protein to your snack and make the energy benefits more long lasting.

We’ve been told since childhood “an apple a day will keep the doctor will keep the doctor away,” but who could have known how much truth this cliché holds! Apples are a “superfruit.” They contain tons of fiber, which keep you feeling fuller longer. According to the UK’s “Huffington Post,” the peel of an apple contains a chemical called ursolic acid, which boosts the burning of calories and muscle build, so you won’t have any guilt from this snack.

However, what I consider to be most important to all of us tiger scholars is that apples boost brainpower. Apples increase the production of acetylcholine, reported “Good Housekeeping,” which communicates between nerve cells. This aids your memory, which comes in handy when trying to memorize major dates and names for that exam of yours!

One healthy treat that would go great with this superfruit is organic peanut butter. Organic peanut butter doesn’t have the hydrogenated oils that conventional peanut butter has, making it better for you. Peanut butter also has magnesium, which activates enzymes needed to release energy in the body, according to livestrong.com, making apple wedges and peanut butter just the power snack you’ve been searching for!

Caffeine may seem convenient and have tons of short-term benefits, but when choosing a snack it’s the long-term effects it can have on your body that you must consider. So wipe those weary eyes … with the help of these healthy and tasty snacks, you can say goodbye to the caffeine crashes and hello to healthier studying with every bite.

By: Luria Freeman | Image: Source
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