Alyssa Sanchez

While many girls dream of standing inches away from entertainers such as Channing Tatum, Gabrielle Union or Kina Grannis, for sophomore Mariel Salcedo it’s reality. Plainview, Texas native Mariel Salcedo studies radio-television-film, specifically the production track, and is also working toward a Business Foundations certificate at UT. Salcedo works with “Sneak Peek,” an entertainment news show through Texas Student Television. People can say how lucky she is to get an opportunity like this, but for Mariel it is only the product of hard work and dedication. 

When Salcedo first became interested in the radio-television-film program at UT, a friend of hers mentioned the show and convinced her to attend the general meeting for Texas Student Television. Immediately she was infatuated in the industry and yearned to become more involved. With the opportunity to work with “Sneak Peek,” Mariel’s love of production began to grow and ultimately helped her decide what she wanted in a career. She described the experience of interviewing well known people as “awesome” and said that it’s great to see that these celebrities “are really down-to-earth and fun to talk to.” So far, Mariel’s favorite interview was a recent one with Chris Miller and Phil Lord, the directors of “21 Jump Street.” She explained that not only were they really great to engage in a conversation, but they gave helpful advice for aspiring film students, too. 

Even though the school year is coming to an end, there is still time to liven up your room. With finals creeping up, it’s hard to concentrate on anything, especially when your walls are looking drab. For example, my friend has this colorful wall (photographed above). The best way to liven up a room is to put some color on those walls. It can be pictures of friends, posters or ads ripped out from a magazine. All of these decorations can easily be taken down when necessary, but they will add some color to the once-gray, beaten-down walls.
Test time can be exhausting. Having to study constantly and have your head buried in books isn’t exactly the way we want to spend our weekends. Sometimes we need a little encouragement in order to motivate ourselves. A picture of some nice eye candy (wink!) is a great example of what to look at while studying for chemistry. Perhaps a cute outfit to look forward to buying once all your studying is out of the way will give you the push that you need.
Encouraging quotes are always necessary during these situations. During tests, it’s likely that you will feel down on yourself, so motivation is really useful. For example, the wall I took a picture of is filled with quotes from magazines. Their topics range from being a believer to making mistakes.
Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away with work, and it’s hard to plan time for fun. Filling your walls with the kind of fun you can expect after school is over will inspire you to do your best!

As the sun begins to shine and the temperature begins to rise near the 70s it’s time for some fun in the sun. With the rain, snow flurries and overcast conditions, Austin has been a dreary looking place for a few weeks. It’s time to break out the shorts, shades, and neon tees. Spring break is in a couple of weeks and every Longhorn is set and ready to go. But it’s never too late to stop, relax, and enjoy the great weather. Don’t hold in all your excitement for the break, instead go ahead and get out! No I don’t mean going down to 6th or a frat party around the corner. I mean relaxing outside after a long day of class. For example, the turtle pond near the FAC is a great place to just sit, jam out with some tunes and soak in some sun. Another good way to refresh is to have lunch in front of the tower.  A jog on Town Lake, the Capitol grounds, or Zilker Park are even better ways to get a taste of spring. Even a dinner on your patio will set you at ease. After all, a lot of us probably have a test or an essay due right before we leave for break. A little relaxation will be very helpful to get you physically and mentally ready for the late nights you’ll be having come March 9. 

Do you remember the second that Charlie and Grandpa Joe stepped into the wonderful and exciting factory that was Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory? Well that is exactly what you’re going to feel when you step into the new candy store Campus Candy Yogurt Bar on The Drag. It has every candy you could possibly imagine lining the walls. From chocolate covered gummy bears to every sour animal you can think of, this place has got it all! It that wasn’t enough you will be in awe by the various yogurt flavors available. Not only that, but you can use any candy throughout the store to top that yogurt. If you’re too regular for that there is also a great choice of normal topping on the topping bar located in the middle of the store. With bright colors, great music, and an exciting environment, you will feel like a kid in a candy store--literally. This amazing experience doesn’t require any golden tickets. Check out their website here: http://www.campuscandy.com/.